Shel_B

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.

I use the Thermopen (not the newest iteration), and, like you, there are some design elements I dislike, some of which have been corrected in the new Thermopen. From what I see, the RT600C looks to be a nice adjunct to it's big brother. That said, and to stay on topic, I always clean the probe by sticking it in boiling water and drying it with a clean dish towel. I do so before and after using the thermometer. I will also wipe down the entire unit with a damp towel after every cooking session.

An article in Food Safety News this morning suggests that cookbooks in the kitchen pose a possible contamination threat. Click Here for the article.

Like guanciale ... quite familiar with it. It's swell stuff!

And what have the chemists done to the celery juice? You've quoted "celery juice that food chemists have been turned loose on ..." Would you be kind enough to post the source for that quote? Thanks!

For some reason, I just didn't think of them. They've got excellent pork products, and I can buy small amounts ... I'll swing by the next time I'm in the neighborhood. Thanks! I went to their site and discovered that they are now offering a delivery service. Orders must be placed over the phone by 1:00pm for same day delivery .Free delivery on orders over $100!

Bacon is not something we eat a lot of ... maybe we use a pound or so per year, and often it's used as an ingredient in a recipe, although I do enjoy a nice bacon, etc. sandwich every now and then. I've been buying from a local market, and have been pretty happy with it. In addition, I sometimes grab a few slices from the local poultry market where the bacon is sliced by hand from a larger slab, and where I can request a specific thickness and just how many slices I want. This is useful for certain recipes ... I sometimes want the bacon to be 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. I'd like to find some other sources of artisanal quality bacon but I don't know what's out there other than Benton's, which has been mentioned here numerous times. Any suggestions for interesting, high-quality bacon, ideally thick cut? Thanks!

That tri-tip sure looked good. Got me thinking about getting an SV setup, although we so rarely eat meat. Please explain "MBP" and what your experiment is.

Yes, those onions look very nice ...