Shel_B

Tomatoes Recalled Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination Three brands of tomatoes have been recently recalled due to this potential contamination. First, Williams Farms Repack tomatoes sold in two-layer, 60-count trays and two-layer, three-count trays are being recalled, as well as H&C Farms Label tomatoes sold in 5x6 25-pound containers and 6x6 25-pound containers.2 These two brands of tomatoes were packaged between April 23 through April 28, 2025 and sold to wholesalers and distributors in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. These recalled tomatoes contain lot codes of R4467 or R4470. Additionally, another recall was announced on Ray & Mascari Inc. Vine Ripe Tomatoes sold in four-count clam shell packages.1 U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Ray & Mascari Inc. recalls 4 count Vine Ripe Tomatoes because of possible health risk. These tomatoes were sold in Gordon Food Service Stores in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The recalled containers have a printed UPC of “7 96553 20062 1” and a master case label with lot number “RM250424 15250B” or “RM250427 15250B.” https://www.eatingwell.com/tomatoes-recalled-salmonella-contamination-11728285?

In fairness, they cheerfully refunded my money ... ☺️

Beans 'n' Greens: Sautéed kale and shaved Brussels sprouts with garlic and aleppo pepper flakes with black beans enhanced with cumin, ground chipotle, and ground roasted garlic over white rice.

Disappointed with Coffee Purchase: Just FYI ... I bought a bag of TJ's Ethiopian coffee three days ago and after getting it home and opening it I read the label and discovered the pull date, or expiration date, was 2/13/25, 2.5 months earlier than my purchase date.😞

Indeed it is. I was watching a cooking show recently where the instructor was using minimal ingredients and suggested that "poverty cooking" was a great way to learn technique and hone one's skills.

Isn't surimi generally made with wild caught pollock?

Way cool If I had the space, I'd grab it.

I made another batch of mustard yesterday using this recipe from Serious Eats as a jumping off point. If you've been following this thread, you'll know I made the SE recipe a while back and liked it. Nonetheless, the world is filled with mustard recipe options and I want to continue experimenting. What I made yesterday was a modification of the SE recipe, the point of which was to see how small changes would affect the result. The intent of the modification(s) was to tone down the intensity of the mustard slightly as a couple of people thought it was "too hot." I could see their point even though I was fine with it. The changes were simple. Instead of 3/4 cup of brown mustard seed I used 1/2 cup brown and 1/4 cup yellow. I also substituted brown rice vinegar for the white wine vinegar in the original recipe. The yellow mustard seed was a good choice, but I'm not so sure about the brown rice vinegar. It seemed to mute the brightness of the mustard somewhat. As this will be an ongoing experiment, I'll revert back to the original vinegar with the next batch. I also want to experiment with different mustard seeds and different styles of mustard. Dijon will be next.

Thick Veggie Stew with Caramelized Sweet Potato and Smoked Pancetta Sauce

Cacio e Pepe Polenta: Bob's Red Mill corn meal cooked with the addition of Kampot black pepper, 12-month aged Pecorino Romano, and a small pat of unsalted Kerry Gold butter, accompanied by some strong Himalayan black tea. I don't have my glasses handy this morning so I hope the image looks OK.

Pasta Saragolla Rigatoncini for lunch today (link). This was the first time I made this pasta, and "I'll be back." While not as heavily wheat-flavored as the whole wheat pastas I've had, it has a deeper, more earthy flavor than a standard pasta, such as a typical Rustichella d'Abruzzo. I made a variation on a broccoli sauce that I've made before. I cooked up some small-diced smoked pancetta in a small amount of Calabrian chili oil, including some ground peppers, and a bit of a friend's Rancho Milagro EVOO, locally grown in a nearby town. A very fresh and flavorful bottling. The pasta was cooked in the water used to cook the broccoli. The dish was topped with a one year old Pecorino Romano. A little bonus was that the pancetta pieces would work themselves into the pasta tubes, adding a little surprise with the bite. And since the broccoli was not completely smooth, sometimes a piece of broccoli would find its way inside as well. This is a great pasta, but not for everyone or for even most dishes. But when everything comes together, this pasta and the simple, quick meal it made, is a delight.

In the past, I've enjoyed whole wheat pasta in certain dishes. This pasta, I understand, is a little milder than the whole wheat pasta I've used in the past, and I'm looking forward to giving it try this weekend or soon after. There's a dish already chosen, so it's just a matter of scheduling the time at the stove. Has anyone tried this pasta?

The second is a nicer image, IMO, although the spacing of the buns around the dip could be improved slightly. In any case, seems like a tasty meal.

Dinner tonight, and leftovers for tomorrow, is Summer Squash, Peppers, and Broken Spaghetti Soup cooked in a light, homemade chicken stock. There were a couple of squash in the fridge heading for retirement age, likewise a couple of small Bell peppers ... so, soup time. I added some Bionaturae organic whole wheat spaghetti broken into manageably-sized pieces and seasoned the dish with a couple of types of dried pepper flakes and a few turns of fresh ground white pepper. A simple meal for a couple-three days that came together in about 20 minutes.

One more like this and you'll have hit the Groan Trifecta ...