FauxPas

Hard to post this simple meal after some of the lovely ones that go before! Still, it's a nice dish and we really enjoyed it - World's Best Braised Green Cabbage, based on a recipe from Molly Stevens' All About Braising. I followed some suggestions included in a variation of this recipe at Kitchen Riffs. Some nice fresh veggies and garlic from the local farm markets. I wouldn't normally be doing much braising during the summer but I used the little Cuisinart Steam oven to cook this on Bake Steam, so it didn't heat up the house too much.

Over at Serious Eats, they have a new article on how to make extra-tangy, extra creamy macaroni salad. Once or twice a year I get a craving for a macaroni salad, so thought I'd make use of their tips and I was pleasantly surprised. The extra cooking time and the up-front addition of the vinegar made a difference. Really perked up a simple mac salad.

You could use ginger. Or if you are OK with more of a savory pie, there are apple & sausage: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_and_sausage_pie/ OR apple with onion and cheese and sage: http://www.nothinginthehouse.com/2011/10/savory-apple-tart-with-caramelized.html

Yes and no. I read that the garlic producers are still growing in that area, but most are not located right in Gilroy anymore. But Christopher Ranch, a huge garlic producer, is still headquartered there. And Gilroy still hosts that garlic festival! Here is one article: http://westernfarmpress.com/quality-flavor-keeping-california-garlic-competitive-0 Here's a little more info on Christopher Ranch garlic: http://producenews.net/more-company-profiles/company-profiles/13589-this-year-s-garlic-crop-looks-promising-at-christopher-ranch

For everyday use I like the Christopher Ranch garlic from Gilroy, CA. It's Monviso, which they say is a variety that originated in Italy. The price of the Christopher Ranch garlic can be a better buy than the Chinese garlic, which is usually sold by the individual head. We use quite a bit of garlic so I like buying the 450g/1 pound bag. Christopher Ranch gives a 'packed on' date, which is nice, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's fresh. They harvest around the time of their big Gilroy Garlic Festival - late July, early August. But I understand they store their garlic quite carefully. At any rate, I think it tends to be tastier than some of the Chinese garlic we get in the local stores. Smaller, but a better flavour. There's a local farm here where I buy a lot of produce and they grow their own garlic, but it seems pricey. When I asked, they said it is expensive to grow garlic here. I should ask more about that and maybe ask the variety. And I should give it a try, just to see how it compares!

Very exciting! Can't wait for more news.

I've been considering one of these also. Just noticed that Amazon has a mail-in rebate offer of $20 back if you buy a SodaStream for $65 or more. Scroll down for the rebate details. I think it's good on any of the SodaStream appliances if purchased by August 31st. SodaStream

Stuff I used to make but don't really have a specific recipe for: Peanut butter and jam cookies http://chefmichaelsmith.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-jelly-cookies/#.U-EQFfldV0w Peanut butter and banana muffins http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/18/skinny-peanut-butter-banana-muffins/ OR http://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/skinny-peanut-butter-chocolate-and-banana-muffins/

It sounds like a great family tradition and a wonderful getaway. All I will say is that if you are so inclined - take a few pics and share a few details when you get back. But of course we will understand if you don't!

Have you heard of HitchBot yet - robot hitchihking across Canada? I hear s/he was on Manitoulin Island and visited Wikwemikong yesterday. https://www.facebook.com/hitchbot I'm sure you would have given him a ride, had you a little more room in the car, heh.

Porthos, I am wondering if you have ever blogged one of your trips to the High Sierras? Sounds like it might be a fun read!

Jaymes, here is the link to dcarch's adorable little summer squash with faces and hair, this made me think of cooking for kids right away! http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148945-dinner-2014-part-4/?p=1977899

Yeah, it was kind of sad to see that pan in there. If we had been staying in that unit much longer, I might have made an attempt at re-seasoning it.

I was trying to be a little bit lighthearted about this topic, but I guess I didn't express myself very well. I don't want to argue about fructose in one thing being different than fructose in another or whether sucrose is superior to fructose. Chemistry has given some pretty good answers on these topics, while nutrition sometimes seems to be less of a developed science. djyee100, I really don't disagree with you! My personal philosophy, if it matters, is that it's better to restrict overall sugar intake but moderation is a nice approach and eating balanced meals in general is a good idea. A bit of sweet now and then can be an OK thing.

This BBQ meat looks so lovely and so tasty - I am wondering what "the rest of the food" consisted of, what kinds of sides you had? If you don't mind sharing, that is!

But fruit is fairly sweet and fruit juice has pretty much the same amount of sugar as a Coke or other highly sweetened beverage. In some cases, adding a bit of sugar might add less overall sugar to a smoothie than adding a bit of fruit juice. See, for example, this Harvard nutritional guide to sugar in beverages: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/10/how-sweet-is-it-color.pdf

Also, if we have the car and are in the US, I almost always take some vinegar and malt vinegar packets in the glove box, just in case we have fish and chips or french fries. (One of the things I like about Five Guys Burgers is that they have malt vinegar! And my cat (in the pic) - can't forget about him. I made the mistake of buying him some Whisker Lickin's treats during our last US stay and kitty is mad for them. They don't seem to sell them in Canada so I had a US friend ship me a dozen packages to our Canadian house and of course had to bring some up to the mountain with us! And kitty's favourite dishes and bowls, natch.

A couple of other stories that stood out to me: Fat Guy's modest requirements for a few days at Cape Cod (tough to read about some of these happy times with his family); http://forums.egullet.org/topic/91991-eg-foodblog-fat-guy-a-normal-week/?p=1257026 Also, some good discussions about what to take in Dave the Cook's foodblog, plus photos of his amazingly well-organized 'must-haves' in this post: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/71720-eg-foodblog-dave-the-cook-beachcraft/?p=976747

Porthos - kitchen scissors, yes! We're in a temporary furnished place right now for about 2 months and I made sure to bring my own kitchen scissors, a decent set of knives, a couple of paring knives, an ice cream scoop (hey, it's summer-time!), a probe thermometer, tongs, my One-Touch can-opener and a good quality garlic press (despite what Marcella Hazan says, sometimes crushed garlic is a good choice). I also brought my Cuisinart Convection Steam toaster oven, an induction burner, a few stainless steel pots and a couple of stainless steel skillets. Also a casserole dish with lid that fits the Cuisinart and can be used for casseroles, lasagna, braised dishes. An assortment of plastic storage containers that store easily when empty. Some good quality freezer bags and storage bags. A small box full of spices and herbs. EVOO, balsamic vinegar, Cava white wine vinegar. A favourite honey. Keurig coffeemaker, Peet's and dark Starbucks coffee for my husband, decaf and herbal teas for me. My Cows coffee mug. Cows is a Prince Edward Island creamery/ice cream place. My husband has his fave A&W mug. We stayed in another place for just over a week before this one and it had no colander, strainer or sieve or anything of that sort. Absolutely nothing to measure with, and almost no bowls to mix things in. Someone put the cast iron frying pan through the dishwasher before we arrived - it was still in there, nicely rusting away, when we opened it. An oven that was not self-cleaning and rather badly in need of a good cleaning, so I made a point of only using my Cuisinart oven. This place is much better equipped but I know I will have to go buy a few things. And I should have brought my immersion blender. Darn. Edited to add: Forget to mention a few things that can't be purchased locally - Trader Joe's Chili Pepper sauce, some Santa Cruz Spice Co condiments (just south of Tucson), and some Arizona Cactus Ranch Prickly Pear Nectar. I always bring some of these things back with any trip to AZ.

How is your rhubarb vodka developing? Shouldn't it be just about ready by now?

Ha, yes, understand this well. I love reading about the items people can't live without in their kitchen/pantry/fridge when they are vacationing or taking road trips or in temporary kitchens. It's one of the things I love about Kerry and Anna's blogs - they take their gear seriously! And let us know what they are missing. Sometimes, I think we need another thread on the the stuff we can't live without, that we are willing to pack along with us, as much as possible (planes do limit the possibilities).

Someone must have suggested this already, but I don't remember reading it. Quick breads of all kinds - they don't have to be really sweet and you can use some whole grains. Apple, cherry, blueberry, whatever is in season or in your freezer. Or, as Shelby has shown us, there a a lot of variations on zucchini bread! And most quick breads freeze well, so you can make a few in advance and just use as needed. And was it dcarch who made those gorgeous little zucchini/summer squash with faces and hair? Maybe steam a few of those and stuff with goat cheese or similar.

Make your own ice cream sandwiches, but use healthier cookies (can't remember brand names right now, but will post if I can) - or bake your own - and use frozen yogurt or frozen ice milk. Put back in freezer to refreeze, as necessary. One of my faves as a kid and when it was hot was fresh frozen fruit and yogurt. We would buy fresh fruit/berries and freeze it and I would put some frozen fruit in a bowl and pour a bit of yogurt over it. Strawberries were my fave. The yogurt would start to freeze and it would be like ice cream. You could also blend frozen fruit and yogurt and re-freeze if necessary. When do you have to worry about choking hazard with peanuts, cherries, grapes? I'm never sure if it's OK to give some stuff to young kids anymore!

Velvet Corn Soup, based on this version: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10977/Velvet-corn-soup.htm I modified it a bit - I had no leeks so used a mix of diced yellow onion and whites from green onions and I used chicken in place of veggie stock. I did use a bit of cream. I would probably strain it next time as I think the smooth texture would be nicer. This soup would be nice chilled as well as warm.

Velvet Corn Soup - from here: http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10977/Velvet-corn-soup.htm I used chicken in place of veg stock, some diced yellow onion and the whites from green onions in place of leeks. I did use a bit of cream, bu didn't strain the soup. Next time I would strain it. I think it would be quite nice chilled, though we had it hot.