blue_dolphin

Can we get a WOW! emoji in the "reaction menu"? I need one for all of @Ann_T's posts!

I'm out of space in the cabinet (seen here) that is most convenient for spice and seasoning storage so I would like to find something more space-efficient. I have wondered if I could go to transferring everything into resealable bags that I would store in bins that would be organized like a card file but would sit on the cupboard shelves. It could be one of the most space-efficient options. It would accommodate measuring spoons though not shakers. The bins could be labeled on the front with the range of spices - either alphabetical or types like "baking" or "chiles". Individual bags would be labeled and could be separated by labeled, tabbed cards so there would be a labeled "spot" to put things back. The downside is that for commonly used spices, retrieval and return would become multi-step operations, likely requiring removal of multiple bins from the cabinet to select the spices, instead of just "reach & grab." Also, most of those zip-top bags only tolerate so many openings before they refuse to re-close securely. Maybe I am unrealistic in my wish for a single system and should do as @DiggingDogFarm does: Choose an easy "reach & grab" system for the most commonly used items and use another "organized and efficient" system for the rest? I dunno. Maybe just leave them the way they are and continue to whine? I see that I could free up a little space by removing the liquid baking extracts and storing them elsewhere. But it's not prime real estate - I can reach up and grab a bottle by shape but can't see the labels without a stool. Where's my glass of whine?

Last year, Sqirl was a bargain price on Amazon.ca but NOT on Amazon.com, a rare occurrence, I know. So when I saw the bargain price yesterday, I jumped on it. I still see the $2.99 price on Amazon.com but not on Amazon.ca. Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner is another one that was on sale last year and is listed again at $1.99 on Amazon.com. Sadly, not on Amazon.ca.

A sortta frittata I crisped up one very thin slice of bacon from a package of bacon ends then tossed the leftover raw asparagus salad I posted about from Six Seasons (I had set the salad aside before adding the mint leaves) into the pan long enough to take the chill off it, added 2 beaten eggs and some of that nice Vault No5 cheese from TJ's . The salad had breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and walnuts that I thought might stick so I didn't try to flip, just put the pan Into the CSO long enough to set the eggs then sprinkled the crispy bacon on top.

OK. @JoNorvelleWalker has spice storage in the bedroom. I'll adopt @Okanagancook's arrangement which will require me to remove all my plates, dishes, pots & pans to the bedroom so I can devote the entire kitchen cabinetry area to spices! I'll keep a few wine glasses and paper plates in the kitchen.

Lovely dinner, @HungryChris! On my last cruise, I believe I ordered the escargot almost every night. Start me off with a nice glass of bubbly, some crusty bread and garlicky, buttery snails and I'm a happy cruiser!

Shrimp satay with spicy peanut sauce and quick cucumber relish

Not sure how yours worked out, @DianaB, but you motivated me to try this Shrimp Satay with Easy Thai Peanut Sauce, both from Leela Punyaratabandhu's blog She Simmers. Served with Cucumber Relish, a quick pickled cucumber/shallot/chile condiment from her book, Simple Thai Cooking, that I picked up on one of the recent Kindle $1.99 bargains. Leela says Thai's don't use utensils for satay. I did but still have yellow fingertips from all the turmeric in the shrimp marinade/grilling sauce. This version of peanut sauce calls for peanut butter (she has another in her book that uses roasted peanuts). I didn't have any peanut butter but my Blendtec & mini-twister jar quickly took care of that and turned a few handfuls of peanuts into peanut butter in a flash.

I'm not sure that one has a varietal name. If it does, I'm not sure it's a cheddar. Since Jasper Hills Cellars ages cheeses for many makers, we're not even sure who makes it. When I posted upthread, I thought it was likely to be Cabot, but @FrogPrincesse has info that suggests it's Landaff. In any case, the label "Vault No5 Cave Aged" appears to be the same used by other sellers of this particular cheese (see my mention of it at Weston Village Store upthread, where their site shows the identical label) so I don't think the "Cave Aged" citation is a TJ's conceit.

Another thumbs up for the Raw Asparagus Salad with Breadcrumbs, Walnuts & Mint from Six Seasons p 73 that @rancho_gordo posted about recently here. When I looked at my bowl, I agreed with the header notes and thought it looked kind of "meh," and that I'd never be able to eat my way through a big bowl of raw asparagus. I was wrong, very wrong. Everything works together really well here, even the mint, which is not one of my favorites. For round 2, I followed @rancho_gordo's lead and added some beans - Christmas Limas. Also excellent.

Spaghetti pangrattato with a crispy olive oil-fried egg Not that anyone needs a recipe for this, but I followed the one in Smitten Kitchen Every Day.

Speaking of olives, for Friday happy hour, I mixed up the Crushed Olives with Almonds, Celery & Parmesan from Smitten Kitchen Every Day and served it with some crusty bread. And I made a Garden Gin & Tonic with Cucumber, Lime & Mint from the same book. I used a local gin that I enjoy in other cocktails but I prefer something very juniper-forward in a G&T. I recommend the gin, but just not in a G&T. Still, I managed to choke it down

Andrea Nguyen has this info on her page: VIETNAMESE YOUNG GREEN RICE (COM) Does that seem like what you have? That page also has a link to a recipe.

It's not revelatory, by any means, but the recipes seem solid. I haven't had any failures yet and have picked up some good ideas to play around with further. I very much appreciate that it includes measurements in grams/mls in addition to cups/spoons in a clear and simple layout, something that so many authors/publishers seem to find it impossible, so kudos for that.

If I may ask, @HungryChris, what do the cruise staff offer when you ask for hot sauce? They are usually so anxious to please but there will certainly be limits, depending on what they have available. The other potential downside, in my experience, is that once you ask for any special something, you will be presented with it every day, often with a grand flourish, for the rest of the cruise so having to generate daily enthusiasm for an unpleasant hot sauce could certainly deter one from asking in the first place !

A version of the Artichoke & Parmesan Galette from Smitten Kitchen Every Day, subbing in a polenta crust for the one in the book.

I saw those yesterday and was tempted but I resisted. I will give a thumbs up for the Vault No5 Cave Aged Cheese from Jasper Hill that's the current "spotlight" cheese at my local stores. Jasper Hill ages cheeses for a number of local Vermont partner cheesemakers and from what I can glean from the Jasper Hill site, this seems to be a Cabot product. It's remarkably flavorful for a smooth, creamy textured cheese. As the label suggests, it melts beautifully. It's $10.99/lb but I think it's worth the money. The only other place I found it offered was selling it for about twice that price. They described it as, "a sweet and nutty cheddar aged 10-12 months. It's our new "got it all" cheese--creamy, sharp, earthy, with a salted caramel finish." It's hard to compare with other cheeses. It's firmer than Taleggio but certainly gives that cheese a run for the money in the flavorful/melty category. I can also confirm the label suggestion of serving with an oaked red. Very nice.

Had some skinny asparagus to use up so I made an asparagus version of the Broccoli Melts from Smitten Kitchen Every Day. I used the Vault No. 5 Cave Aged cheese from Jasper Hill that's the current "spotlight" cheese at Trader Joe's and it's a great melter!

I did consider your delicate sensibilities and avoided posting a photo that included a recognizable bean

Tomato & Gigante Bean Bake from Smitten Kitchen Every Day on toasted rosemary baguette. I used Rancho Gordo Christmas Limas and subbed in some of Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce from the freezer instead of the canned, crushed tomatoes.

Ahhhhh! I'm feeling very relaxed already! I made a version of the Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Pears and Vanilla Cream from Smitten Kitchen Every Day using peaches instead of pears. Maybe it was the fault of the peaches but even though I cut the sugar down, it seemed very sweet to me. Too sweet for breakfast so I made it even sweeter by serving it over a scoop of vanilla ice cream and had dessert for breakfast!

I tend to use my cast iron and Darto pans more often but I agree that a non-stick can be good to have. A couple of weeks ago, I read some reviews (incl the one that @lindag mentioned above) and replaced my 20+ year old pan with this 12-inch Tramontina non-stick fry pan. So far, so good. I don't have any illusions that it will last any longer than the 3-6 yrs that review estimates and for ~ 30 bucks, I thought it was reasonable.

Since I've got a big old horseradish root in the fridge and beets, too, I figured I should try the Roasted Beet, Citrus and Olive Salad with Horseradish from Six Seasons p 280. Reading over the recipe, I thought it might benefit from a nut or seed, a crispy breadcrumb or a bit of cheese, all very common ingredients in this book. Turns out, it's quite good as is. Before I finished eating, I tried some crumbled goat cheese and I liked that addition. Beet salad with goat cheese is such a cliché but I like it and it's a nice contrast to the bite of the horseradish. One very small nit to pick - the recipe recommends using different color beets and then proceeds to marinate them all together where everything will surely turn bright pink. There is no mention of separating them to maintain some color contrast. Of course, it's not necessary unless you happen to want a salad that looks like the photo in the book, in which case, do this: then assemble everything on the plate.

Thanks for reporting on that test. I was wondering how the IP might work....or not....for this.

Another great combination of textures and flavors from Six Seasons with the Fried Celery Root Steaks with Citrus and Horseradish p 344. @koen posted about this recipe upthread here. The celery root gets peeled and sliced into 3/4" thick disks. I'd go with 1/2" next time but these were fine. The "steaks" get roasted first, then breaded and fried and finally, topped with a citrus-peperoncini-parsley "salad" and freshly grated horseradish - I added more after I took the photo. I served this as a vegetarian main dish and would recommend making extra of the "salad" topping as those flavors, along with the horseradish really make the dish special. I had Cara Cara oranges from the local farmers market on hand so I went with that but I'm looking forward to trying this with a mix of other citrus like the blood oranges, tangerines or Meyer lemon that he suggests or even grapefruit or a few lime segments.