Shel_B

Didn't think about that. That pretty much seals the deal to pass on getting one. Don't need more stuff to clean and wipe down.

I wish I had a spare corner on the countertop ... <sigh>

What is this thing called? More important, does it actually work to help maintain freshness of baked goods? A friend suggested it might be nice to have handy for those times when pastries are put out for guests. How long might baked goods retain adequate freshness when under the cover? Ordinairily, I'd eschew such a thing, but Barbara thought it would "add some elegance" to those times when guests come by. Usually I just put a few things on a platter and bring 'em out when the time's right. My friend suggested that I could bring the items out ahead of time, use them as a display which would allow for snacking, and save space on the table since its footprint takes up less space than a platter.

@YvetteMT Thanks so much for the heads up. I've a Costco run coming up and I'll take a look at the item. I don't know if my sister is a Costcoista.

Hmmm ... you've given me an idea for later in the week.

This is a simple, quick, and tasty meal. I add additional spice, usually Kashmiri or Aleppo pepper, preferably ground but flakes work too. If I have some handy, as there was today, I may add additional spinach, either a small amount of frozen and thawed or some fresh baby spinach leaves. Today,along with some spinach, was Kashmiri powder and a big spoonful of TJ's canned Hatch chilies.

@blue_dolphinThanks for posting that writeup. I'm not much of a drinker ... thus far, this year I've had three beers ... sometimes I enjoy a bubbly, though. This sparkler might be nice for a little get together we're planning later in the summer. Sweetie liked Prosecco and Orange Juice (Mimosa?) with eggs benedict, and I'd sometimes enjoy the drink with her. Do you think that this Frizzante would be a nice alternative to the mimosa?

This is a new-to-me entrée and I pretty much enjoyed it. For openers, the noodles had a decent texture although a little more "snap" might have been nice. The dish was adequately saucy and the peanut flavor was fine. There was a subtle, underlying sweetness to the dish, perhaps from the inclusion of some carrots, and there was an acceptable amount of chicken. Being a noodle dish, the chix played backup, but did so nicely. The dish was a little bland for my taste, but for others it may be just right. Adding a blend of red pepper, szechuan, and gochugaru chili flakes made the dish sing for me. 'Twas a lovely choral arrangement.

DeCecco pasta that I checked on Amazon was $2.89 or $2.62 with subscribe and save option. Safeway showed $2.50 for various varieties Whole Foods $2.69 Walmart (BIG surprise) DeCecco spaghetti: I went to replenish my supply of Marie Sharp's Garlic Habanero hot sauce and the price went from $9.60 the last time I purchased it to $15.00 now, and that's for a 10-oz bottle. I checked other sources and the price is pretty much the same ( Big bummer. ☹️) except that Amazon offers free shipping and I get 6% credit back, so Amazon works out to be the best price.

@blue_dolphin Thanks for all the info. Coincidentally, I was at TJ's this morning with the intention of grabbing a wedge of the 1,000 day Gouda. I put a wedge in the basket, and when I got home, it wasn't in my shopping bag. It wasn't on the receipt either, so somehow it got overlooked. At least I didn't pay for something I didn't get. Now that I've got your information, I'll make a list, and return in a day or so to look for and hopefully buy and take home some new-to-me cheeses.

I've never seen those feta's in my area, although Berkeley Bowl carries a wide range and variety of feta: French, Greek, Israeli, Bulgarian, and others, meaning they're available here While she mentioned the Strevecchio Parm, I'd have liked to have seen mention of the other cheeses afen associated with it: the regular Reggiano, the Pecorino Romano, and the Grana Padano. I've tried them all, and they're all good, but it would have been aducational had she discussed their differences and general use. They're far from the best I've had, but they're good, and better than many supermarket variants.

+1

Yes, there were some cheeses with which I'm familiar that were missing, but overall i was a nice tasting and review. I made some pasta this afternoon and use a very nice Grana Padano from TJ's. It had those little crusty bits in it, just like you'd see in a good Reggiano. I didn't see her mention that one. She piqued my interest with the Thousand Day Gouda. I'm defiitely going to look for that. Overall, a pretty good and fair job. I'd not expect everyone to agree with all of ger opinions and observations.

Last night I picked up the most recent allocation of olive oil from a friend's grove. Mmmmm! https://ranchomilagro.us/

The "Ultimate" Trader Joe's Cheese Tasting

It's great having a full pantry and freezer. So much can be thrown together quickly while at the same time maintaining a desireable level of taste, nutrition, and enjoyment. I've been slowly trying to "cook ahead," meaning to prepare items that you can put together into an assortment of meals for a week or so.

Still tuning the new microwave. In terms of cooking time, this entrée was markedly better than the one I made yesterday. I've almst got that puppy dialed in. I added some Oaktown Garam Masala and Kashmiri ground pepper to this. The Garam Masala really kicked things up a notch and the Kashmiri filled in the background nicely. Very acceptable for a 5-minute lunch.

The Vietnamese peppercorns are sort of a "standard" here in the States, although Kampot (and Quang Tri) are my everyday peppers. Here the Kampot is a bit more expensive. What's the price difference between Vietnamese and Kampot where you are?

Lunch today ... I wanted to try out the new microwave oven, learn its operation and get a sense of the proper timing for cooking various items. This morning a stop at TJ's netted several frozen entrées upon which to practice, and this was the first such item I tried: By cooking in stages, it was fairly easy to arrive at a good cooking time. I added a few frozen (TJ's) broccoli florets that were diced into small pieces as well as some diced orange Bell peppers (also purchased at TJ's) that were previously frozen. The entrée was already seasoned satisfactorily. Overall, a nice experience with the new microwave and a quick, enjoyable lunch.

@haresfur thanks for your suggestion. It's not what I'm seeking now as I want to make my own marinade, but y'know, there's always a time and a place for a quick and easy technique. I can get the Beerenberg sauce here easily enough, and it might be nice to try it.

Are you suggesting I use your technique?

@C. sapidus That chicken dish looks and sounds great. I may try playing around with it. As I close my eyes and taste it, I'm thinking some pasilla de oaxaca might be a nice addition (maybe not for you, but I like smokey flavors), and while the difference between Mexican oregano and Rancho Gordo's Oregano Indio may be subtle, the Indio may be nice to try. FWIW, I prefer it to regular Mexican oregano in many dishes. Pasilla de Oaxaca is sometimes hard to come by. One source that's been dependable thus far is https://oaktownspiceshop.com/products/pasilla-de-oaxaca-chiles-whole?

I'll take a look at the linked recipe. I found a couple of links to Leite's Peri Peri chicken recipe(s) and have cataloged them for future reading and notes. It will be interesting to see how they compare to the shrimp recipe you linked. I'm so glad for your contribution here. 👍

Wasn't aware of her version. I'll take a look. When working on developing and learning a recipe, I like to look at many optios. Muchto be learned that way. Thanks for the pointer.

Kampot-peppered sharp cheddar on TJ's Pain Pauline toast with medium-strength Burundi Turashobora coffee.