Shel_B

I tried a home made ranch, and the girls liked it. Not crazy about the duck sauce that my sister brought from NYC, but then, neither was I. Played around with a soy/oyster sauce which they liked, but overall, the ranch (thus far) has been the biggest hit. I sense they might enjoy a honey-mustard sauce, but haven't played with any ideas just yet.

Thanks, @YvetteMT ... I passed the info to my sister. Your "yellow dinner" reminds me of the Green Dinner that I made in the late 1980s for my then wife: broccoli, zucchini, pasta with basil pesto served on a blue, Heath stoneware plate. Wife and I both looked at the finished product and laughed ...

https://www.eatingwell.com/ritz-crackers-nationwide-recall-11769028

Thanks for the informtaion. I'll have to read it all later as I've gota zip outta here now, but the small piece of the article that I read touched on something I wanted to address after posting my opinion of the differences between Piment d'Espelette and Piment d'Ville. However, I am very pleased to know that there may be other sources for this great pepper available. TTYL ...

Last night, Cleanin'-out-the-fridge-Stir Fry. My fridge was sorta bare, and my neighbor's fridge was also poorly stocked. We combined what we had and I cooked the combination to make a quick pan of veggies and chicken with the last of a package of Soba noodles and made dinner for the two of us. Chicken, onion, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, sliced shiitaki, soba noodles, some jarred sauce, and greens for flavor and appearance:

@TdeVThanks for the link. I'll add it to my list: https://www.abebooks.com/ https://www.alibris.com/ https://www.biblio.com/ https://www.bookfinder.com/ These sellers have served me well for many years ... and for much more than cookbooks.

@TdeV It wasn't any of those volumes, but I am going to save the information. I've started a new folder in my spice collection just for books, and your suggestions will head the list. Thanks!

@blue_dolphin I'm almost certain it was The Spice Companion. Thanks for the info about Mastering Spice, too. I'll order Companion today, and maybe the other book as well.

There is a book about combining and using spices that was mentioned here some time ago. I would like to get that book but cannot recall its name or the author. I did some searches here but came up empty. I admit I'm not the best searcher ... anyway, does anyone have a clue as to what book I'm describing and maybe pass along yoursuggestion.?

@JoNorvelleWalker The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love was, indeed, an enjoyable film. I remember enjoying it, but now, many years later, I don't remember much about it at all.

Thanks for posting that. I believe the clip was posted here in Food Funnies.

I recall watching it years ago. Loved it.

Favreau was very good in Chef. Are you failiar with his Netflix series with Roy Choi? https://www.netflix.com/watch/81061999

I'll check out The Bear ... I've heard positive comments about it. Chocolat = 👍

Yes, I've seen Julie & Julia, perhaps twice. Also, there was a documentary about the movie and about Julie's blog and cooking, which was also seen. I'm something of a fan of Russ Parsons, and will definitely visit the link. Thank you! Ratatouille was enjoyable. Not a big fan of the cartoon style, but the story was enjoyable.

Any suggestions for comedic food/cooking oriented movies or shows that are available for streaming on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and other platforms? I'm going to be stuck at home for a few days, recovering from a minor inconvenience, and it might be nice to watch one or two such flicks.

Somewhat deeper and more complex flavor, a little fruitier, a bit more intensity but yet subtle. It doesn't hit you in the face. That said, once I discovered and compared the d'Ville pepper, I never went back to the Espelettes. That was several years ago. It should also be noted that I was never sure how fresh the Espelettes were, whereas I always knew when the Boonville peppers were harvested and processed. The Espelettes may have been older and past their prime. I had a fruit salad on June 24th at a local French-influenced restaurant, and they put some Espelette pepper on the fruit. I found it lacking - duller - compared to what I had at home.

I reached out to Krissy at the Booneville collective and asked about fresh and whole dried peppers. I'll probably hear from her after the weekend. I tasted a fresh one once at the ranch of an apple grower in Philo. If you want fresh peppers, you'll have to wait until harvest, around October-November.

Watermelon Salad with Piment d'Ville and Feta I was expecting a delivery of Boonville Barn's Piment d'Ville, and I knew what I wanted to try it with first, so all the ingredients were on hand and at the ready. Diced up a pretty good, but not great, watermelon, sprinkled it with with a dash of local, fruity EVOO, some lime juice and just a hint of salt and added the spicy version of the pepper. Then I added some coriander leaves, and dried and crumbled TJ's brined feta. Being a mild feta, it was a perfect adjunct to the other ingredients, with the spicy Piment d'Ville highlighting the dish. The pepper shone through like the star I hoped it would be.

Piment d'Ville, Espelette peppers grown in Boonville,CA These arrived this morning as a gift from my sister. They are the same peppers as the Basque peppers, but grown in Boonville, California, about 120 miles north of San Francisco. As far as I know, the area around the village of Espelette and the farm in Boonville are the only places in the world that grow these flavorful peppers commercially. Many cooks and chefs feel that the Boonville Barn Collective peppers are more interesting, and I'm inclined to agree.

Have you seen this BBQ sauce at your TJ's? I've not seen it at my usual store yet word on the 'net is that it's back in stock. It appears that many stores are carrying it.

About a year ago, I watched a video in which an Indian chicken dish was made on the stovetop and the dish was smoked while in the pan. A small, stainless-steel cup was placed into the center of the preparation, which was in a skillet, wood chips were placed in the dish and lit, and a lid was placed over the skillet trapping the smoke and infusing the chicken preparation with flavor. I've since disappeared the video link, and I'd like to see the video again, or another that uses the technique, to refresh my memory. OK, I found what I was looking for. It's often referred to as a coal smoke method. Here's a link to a couple of videos that'll provide an idea of the technique for anyone interested. The variation I saw used wood chips in a container that were heated with a torch. https://youtu.be/FG2y-QrpYz8 https://youtu.be/lC_U0VOLn8s?t=292

My sister and I looked into this, and with the information gleaned from the AHDB Horticulture and Potatoes website have concluded that it's probably Powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) or most likely Black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes), a fungus. While Black Dot is a mild disease it is also one of the most problematic blemish diseases of washed, pre-packed potatoes.

Thanks for the pointer. I'm always looking for easy and tasty recipes, and I'm always on the lookout for something for the Instant Pot.

This, and several like it, was found in a bag of Trader Joe's organic Yukon Gold potatoes. Perhaps someone here knows what it is and whether or not it poses any health risk. The potatoes have been in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and did not have this growth on them when purchased.