FauxPas

I haven't seen these Tunisian Preserved Lemon Slices before, has anyone else? (I'm not sure if the pickled beets are new, I just happen to like them.)

I thought bittersweet chocolate was a dark chocolate? Am I missing something? Maybe someone can set me straight, because I am no chocolate expert. (I don't love chocolate, to be honest, though it does have its place! I do like it at times!) I used to use bittersweet chocolate to make dipped candied citrus peels. We have young citrus trees - Cara Cara oranges, ruby red grapefruit and a lovely tangerine for juice, but our trees are not huge. Here is pic of some of the fruit off our trees, though: Our neighbour has a lemon tree, plus AZ Orange and a few others. She shares, because her trees are huge and prolific. Last year, she gave me a lot of lemons and oranges. I juiced some of the oranges and froze the juice. I used the peel from some oranges and lemons to make candied citrus peel, and then dipped those in bittersweet chocolate. The leftover syrup from the candied peel was combined with lemon juice and prickly pear nectar to make a lovely rose lemonade 'concentrate', which I also froze. I gifted some of the peel and lemonade back to her, which she appreciated.

Did you go for the 3 or 4 blade one? I am considering a purchase and still can't decide which is the better choice!

What do you do with the javelina meat? We have a couple of friends who hunt them and we've heard different reports on the taste, but we haven't been offered a sample yet. One family uses it to make chorizo.

Would you/will you do it again? Is it possible to get a list of the wines served in Tucson?

Was the food as good as usual?

gfweb, I have always thought of you as someone with a fabulous sense of humour, but there is nothing funny about this. I hope for the best!!!

Oh no! So sorry to hear that! I hope things can be repaired w/o too much cost/inconvenience. Will they be able to do repairs tonight???

So glad your pipes were OK! I've lived in some cold places and burst pipes are no fun at all. Chili is a perfect meal for that kind of weather! Looks very tasty. Do you have a special ingredient?

We also wanted to mention how delightful Sonia is - she is a sea of calm in a rushed world, but she moves quickly. There is a sweetness and patience there that is rare in people in general, but she also is very articulate and knowledgeable and yet, not afraid to admit when she doesn't know something. She was a real delight.

Make sure you know the price of the trim kits. I don't know if any of them include trim kits in the basic price. I've been keeping an eye on the Thermador 24" combo steam-convection oven and the trim kit adds about $350 on to the price. Honestly, I think I could negotiate that down, but still - it's a factor. Also, I like the fact that the Thermador has both a 24" and a 30" trim kit - more flexibility in placement, especially if you are putting it into an existing kitchen. then again, maybe they all have those options. I just know that some models are out of my current price range.

Thank you Shelby! It was indeed a nasty flu and came on despite the flu shot we got! We were both really sick for a little over 2 weeks, and it feels so good to be up and about again, feeling relatively normal. Our temps are up to 75F yesterday/today, it's a pleasure to be outside in the sun and warmth. Rob, your comments about reducing the salt in the dish prior to the elk might be the ticket, we thought some of the first courses might have been just a tad on the salty side. We still adored them. The soup and cracker was so tasty, and we all raved about the gnocchi and beet, and the amaranth course also. Really, it was all delicious. And fun. Kenny was a very entertaining sommelier. We are now planning a group visit to The Curious Kumquat in Silver City! Wasn't there a bit of foraged kumquat in there somewhere?

I attended the Tucson dinner last night, along with my husband and another couple. All 24 seats were sold, I believe. It was held at the Tasteful Kitchen on N Stone, which is a small, but pleasant, venue. Colourful, warm, inviting. Everyone there seemed to have a great time - the mood was light and festive. The wines were varied and enjoyable. The food was fun and delicious, with some creative presentation. I was just coming off a nasty 2-week bout of flu, so not sure my taste buds were at their best, but I really enjoyed the evening. I did struggle a bit with the elk heart but my dining companions enjoyed it. (They thought it needed a touch of salt and, once added, declared it delicious.) It was a real pleasure to meet Rob, though of course he was very busy throughout the evening. We gifted him with some saguaro syrup, made by the local Tohono O'odham people (they use it in their rain ceremony and sometimes have some left over to sell). Pics of courses 4 through 9 (two shots of course 6, with the smoke):

Hahahahaaha!!! That was a lovely read!

That Moe is one lucky guy!!! You make such fabulous meals.

I love tourtière also. It's so good with different kinds of chutney. Deryn, what kind of meat do you like to use for yours?

Sold out, but use code CYBER30 and get $30 off for January shipping.

This won't use the cherries up very fast, but my husband loves to add a splash of the juice and a couple of the cherries to his Manhattan cocktails. I'm not sure if that is an affront to Manhattan drinkers or not, but he loves the addition.

University of Nebraska, quoting from USDA (original link they provide has moved, but you can track it back to USDA site by searching): How about the large oven roasting bags, would they work for you? Of course, there are commercial/restaurant suppliers that probably make all kinds of bags, but you might have to buy more than you need.

Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to take these pics and post them for us to salivate over. OK, a couple of them I am not sure about, but overall ti's still wonderful to see all the varied, colourful meals you have been lucky enough to participate in.

Also, I love lemon tarts! I'd like to try Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart. from Food 52, because it seems so simple. I usually make the standard version, which isn't really much work but this one is really easy.

Some lovely lemon recipes collected here - Lemon LoveFest. With unsprayed fruit, it's nice to make things like marmalade, preserved lemons, or candied peel. But lots of other recipes there, also.

Shelby made a suggestion for a green bean/mushroom/onion/blue cheese tart in another thread. I made it tonight as an appy and it was very tasty. Would indeed be a good choice for a T-Day or Xmas side dish or appetizer. We have quite a bit left-over in the fridge and will probably have the rest for lunch tomorrow. I used thinly sliced yellow onion in place of shallots - still very good. Before cooking: Ready to eat: