Shel_B

Hi ... it's been more than six years since I've made these, but I recall that the recipe made about two dozen. Memory tells me that I made balls about 3/4 to an inch in diameter. Bishop just scooped the batter up on a spoon and fried them with little, if any, forming. That works very nicely, gives perhaps some more crunch and crispness. Let us know how things worked out.

Shel's Version of Bishop's Hush Puppies These are called "Bishop's Hush Puppies." Bishop was a maintenance man at Texas A&M and became somewhat of a celebrity for his hush puppies. It was said that he'd often have friends and co-workers over for a feast of catfish, beans, coleslaw and, among other things, his famous hush puppies. Latecomers were in danger of missing out on the 'pups, so the guests always arrived on time for Bishop's parties. I got the recipe back in the late 1980s while on a several month driving trip around the US, following, in part, William Least Heat-Moon's journey as documented in his book Blue Highways, and stopping in Dime Box, TX. just because the name sounded interesting. Texas A&M is nearby, in College Station, and, through the recommendation of a local friend, found myself at Bishop's place where I sampled his puppies and was able to get some idea of his recipe. Ingredients 1 cup each water ground white corn meal (140 grams) and AP flour (120 grams) 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (Texas 1015's are great when in season) 4 scallions, including tops, finely chopped 1 or 2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced fine 1 roasted and skinned sweet red pepper, finely diced 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs frying oil 　 Directions Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl stir together the buttermilk and eggs until well mixed, and then add to the dry ingredients, stirring well. Pour some oil (1/2-inch or so) into a heavy cast iron skillet (I guess you can use your deep fryer) and heat until almost sizzling. HOT! HOT! HOT! Drop batter into oil by tablespoonsful and cook over moderate heat until browned and puffy then, if using a skillet, which is what Bishop used, turn and brown the other side. When done, remove with slotted spoon, drain on newspaper or paper towels. Keep oil hot and, if using a skillet, add more oil as needed to maintain depth. These are very good with catfish or 'cue and Terry Bryant's Carrot-Cayenne Coleslaw.

While travelling around the US over the past years, I've come across many similar salads, most with prepared dressings and poor ingredients. Here's my take on what some would call the American standard salad. Shel’s Middle America Salad with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing 　 Some hearts of romaine or iceberg lettuce wedges fresh tomato wedges rinsed, drained, and dried red kidney beans (optional) thin slices of red onion (optional) a few thick sliced bacon slices (optional) 1 Tbs best quality mayonnaise 1 Tbs good quality sour cream 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice or about 1 Tbs lemon zest, or combination About 1 cup or more rich buttermilk 4 ounces Maytag or similar blue cheese ½ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt dash or two of dry mustard (optional) 　 Divide the blue cheese into three pieces. Take one piece and chop it very fine. Take another piece and chop it medium fine, and chop or crumble the third piece in larger chunks. 　 If using bacon, lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack over a cookie sheet and bake in a 375-degree oven until crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Remove when cooked to your liking, and set on several layers of paper towels to compete draining and to cool further. Cover with a few more layers of paper towels, and pat bacon dry, letting the towels absorb as much grease as possible. You can also put the bacon into a cold oven, and the slower heating will render a little more fat. Of course, some people enjoy a fattier bacon, so skip some of the drying/draining steps. 　 Put the mayo, sour cream, and the very fine pieces of blue cheese together, along with the salt, into an appropriately sized glass or stainless steel bowl (preferably one that comes with a tight fitting lid, but you can use plastic wrap to cover - try not to use plastic bowls as plastic can sometimes impart a taste to whatever is stored in it, especially if you’re storing the dressing overnight or for a couple of days) Using a fork or small whisk, mix together well. If you like you can put the mixture and about ½ cup of buttermilk in a blender or food processor for a few twirls or pulses to incorporate and smooth the mixture, but it’s not really necessary to do that, plus it makes more mess to clean up. 　 When all of the above is nicely combined (don’t over mix) add the rest of the blue cheese and optional dry mustard (start with just a pinch or two) and gently mix together very well by hand. Add more buttermilk a little at a time, mixing well with each addition. When you get the taste and texture to your liking (you may want to add a little more salt, a pinch or two more of dry mustard) cover the bowl and refrigerate at least four hours or, better yet, over night or a couple of days to let the flavors meld. The mixture may thicken up a bit when refrigerated, especially over night, so don’t be afraid to make it a little thinner than you may ultimately prefer. 　 Before using, let the dressing warm a little, stir the mixture, adjust seasoning, maybe add more buttermilk, mayo, or sour cream to adjust taste/texture, and dollop on your salad, ideally wedges of iceberg lettuce or, second choice for authenticity, the hearts of romaine (with any soft tips cut off)with nicely sized wedges of fresh tomatoes and the optional drained and dried canned kidney beans and a few slices of red onion. If using, break up and crumble some bacon over the salad. 　 When eating the salad, close your eyes and it will be easy to imagine that you’re in a diner in Omaha, Nebraska<LOL> 　 Notes: Ideally, you want the lettuce to be firm enough to stand up to the dressing, that’s why it’s suggested to cut off any soft tips. It’s your choice, of course. You might want to seed the tomato wedges depending on how moist and runny the tomatoes are. My preference is for thick sliced bacon. You can sometimes find slab bacon which you or the butcher can cut for you to whatever thickness you like. I look for meatier slices of bacon. The Maytag blue cheese is a true, mid-American cheese, made in Iowa. The Rogue Creamery in Oregon makes some nice blues, too.

I purchased a Peugeot pepper grinder about 25 years ago, and it's been giving me satisfactory service since then. Mine is made of olive wood - very nice. It's not the easiest grinder to refill, but I've got the hang of it, and as long as I don't rush, it's just fine. I should note that some of the peppercorns I use are a little larger than most, so I definitely must take care loading the grinder. However, since the grinder is refilled rarely, it's a small price to pay for longevity, excellent construction, and the beauty and feel of the olive wood.

That's good to know. I've been mulling over the idea of a new grinder or two, so I'll take a look. Thanks!

Take a look at this. Click on the pepper grinder image for the video. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1390-pepper-mills?ref=new_search_experience_2&incode=MCSCD00L0#

I have been shopping at our local TJ's since it opened - 8 or 10 years - and was told, more than once, that TJ's wants customers to try new products, and to encourage that they have a generous refund policy. I don't take advantage of their policy, and don't follow a rotutsian philosophy of "take it back," but I do return things that have been unsatisfactory, damaged, or perhaps spoiled. There was a time when I was looking at an item in the dairy case trying to decide if I wanted to buy it. A crew member saw me, and offered to open the product right there so I could give it a try. She said that any time I wanted to try an item, all I had to do was ask a crew member, and they'd be accommodating. I've only done that two or three times over the years, but, from the perspective of the consumer, it's a great policy.

Terrible looking scallops ...

The markets here have been doing this for years. Large chain supermarkets, small grocery stores, specialty places like the organic market, and even our local butcher puts out some dishes and sandwiches every day. The quality runs the gamut from poor (although rarely) to excellent items made with organic and heritage ingredients.

The past week has been stressful here @Casa_Shel, and next week shall also be stressed - a very unusual state of affairs for me - and reading Vivian's introduction was a few calm and satisfying moments in a day that needed them. One of the things I like so much about her show is that she is open to those old techniques taught to her by those Southern cooks and farmers. It transports me out of the city and back to the farm. I feel like getting up early, putting on my overhauls, and doin' some chores before breakfast. If there's a cookbook that I'll buy this year, it will be Deep Run Roots ... love that Blueberry-Rosemary Breakfast Pudding!

There are a few similar products that I use, and every one of them requires adjusting time, temp, and technique to get it just the way I like it. I wouldn't expect these calamari (which I will look for the next time I'm at TJ's) to be any different.

And don't overlook Vivian's introduction. It's a wonderful read, filled with some of her, and her family's, history, food history, and, of course, a bunch of recipes. Click Here

This year I'd like to make a batch of scones to take up north and have with breakfast the day after the holiday. The best I can do is make the scones T'giving day morning for eating the next morning. If I make the scones in the AM, they may well be warm by the time we're ready to leave. What's the best way to pack these items - and, perhaps, other baked goods - so they'll stay their freshest and deteriorate the least. I'm concerned, also, about wrapping them for transport and getting condensation and moisture on them and having them suffer from that, too. Thanks!

I've been of the impression that a list of ingredients for any food product must be on the package. Is that, in fact, the case, or might there be some exception to the rule? A few days ago I bought a bag of frozen mango chunks at Costco. I spent a few minutes reading everything I found on the package looking for the ingredient list, and the list was not to be found. I even put on my reading glasses. My curiosity about the ingredients is that the mango tasted like it may have added sugar. There seemed to be a "non-mango sweetness" to the fruit, and by the time I finished eating a bowl, my lips felt a little sticky, just as if I'd eaten something with sugar. Any thoughts?

I see ... TJ's is going down the tubes because one (or a few) employees are disgruntled about a few things. While managerial reprimands in the fashion described are not a good thing, some of the other points brought up in the article seem insignificant. While it's quite possible that there are some problems in the area, I don't see it being a big deal for TJ's overall. They'll fix the problem and life will go on, and, unlike with WalMart, I'll continue to be a happy shopper at my local, happy TJ's. The attitude of the staff at the three local TJ's that I frequent is so far superior to that of Safeway, Lucky, Raleys, and even the local organic market, it's as though they are from different planets.

Thanks, gang!

Watch the video again. You'll see both racks in use, although not at the same time. Looking at the setup, however, it seems that under some circumstance both racks can be used together.

I'm planning to make this recipe but will change the mixed berries to blueberries and, in addition, would like to add a tablespoon or two of Microplaned lemon zest. Will the addition of the zest require any other changes to the recipe? Thanks.

La Boulangerie Bounces Back and Into Trader Joe's (and Costco) CLICK HERE I love their Pain Pascal ... had some for breakfast just this morning. It was gone for a while, but now it's back. If it's in your store,uy some and try it.

No, but a spokesperson from the group Nationwide Cooking and Food Shows of Bethesda, Maryland, said that the organization highly recommends watching each show three times with a "reasonable amount of time" between each viewing.

Well, Alton is older now, and presumably he wants to move forward. However, I'd be disappointed if there wasn't some of the old AB in his new series. I liked the odd bits of history and information attached to the actual cooking, recipes, and techniques. However he chooses to present his show, I'm happy that he'll be back and sharing his wisdom, humor, and even some silliness, with us.

Hair-Dryer Duck I have a recipe which was modified from Marcella Hazan's 1978 More Classic Italian Cooking which is simplicity itself in terms of ingredients, using only fresh herbs, salt and pepper to accent the duck's natural flavors. But it's way out there in terms of technique, achieving a remarkable, grease-free and glassy-crisp skin by a thoroughly non-traditional procedure: First the duck is simmered in boiling water for a few minutes, then prepped for roasting by blasting it all over with a standard home hair dryer. 　 Marcella's name for the dish is the simple, descriptive Italian "Anatra Arrosto" ("roast duck"), but for years I've lovingly called it "hair-dryer duck." I'm not going to post the entire recipe here, just the important details re crisping the skin and some other techniques. If anyone wants the entire recipe, send me a PM. 　 Procedure: 　 Fill a pot large enough to hold the duck with enough water to cover the duck, and bring the water to the boil. Gently place the duck in the water, let it return to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer it gently for about 10 minutes. Lift it out to a large plate, taking care to avoid scalds. Preheat your oven to 450F (230C). While it's pre-heating, turn a high-powered, hand-held hair dryer to hot/high, and blow hot air all over the duck from an inch or two away, moving it around to cover all surfaces. You'll see a significant amount of fat come streaming out ... feel free to pat some of it away. Hazan says, "This is to keep the pores wide open, and ease the outflow of fat while roasting." Maybe so. I can only testify that it works. Put the bird breast-up on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put it in the preheated oven. Let it roast at this high temperature for 30 minutes, trying to ignore the spattering noises and smoke that will emerge from your oven. (If your smoke detectors are sensitive, you may want to take them down before making this dish.) 　 After about 30 minutes, reduce heat to 375F (190C). This would be a good time to open the oven door and turn the pan around to ensure that the duck roasts evenly. Cook for another hour. As noted above, I've omitted details about seasoning, how to handle the liver and other parts, and just focused here on getting the skin crisp and cooking the bird. More details are available just for the asking. Of course, those peripheral details can use your own seasonings, etc. 　 　

Looks lovely ...

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/10/oreo-recall-spurred-by-allergic-reaction-to-undeclared-milk/#.WBfOnhIVBrQ

How does salt pork differ from pork belly, the various types of bacon (pancetta, guanciale, typical American bacon), lard, and other types of pork fat? Have I missed any other pork fats? From a practical standpoint, can any or some of these fats be used interchangeably? For example, in this recipe (CLICK HERE - Right now it seems that the recipe is available for viewing and download for free. I can't say for how long that will be.) that calls for the rendering of salt pork. There's also a good amount of home-rendered lard in my freezer. Instead of running to the butcher and buying salt pork, could I use my lard instead? What might I gain or lose by so doing? Same question for the various bacons.