Darienne

As Chris Taylor said above: so many, many things, but the one which stands out in my mind happened only last September 2010...the first time I ever had barbecued pulled pork. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. And we have had pulled pork and now pulled beef and pulled chicken many times since then. Who knew? And why had I never tried Pork on a Bun before and why did this never come up in my already very long life. So little time, so much uneaten pork. (I do also remember quite distinctly the first time I had an avocado and it was made into guacamole. About 1965. What a sheltered life I had led.) Got another. Enstrom's chocolate-coated almond sprinkled toffee which I now make and give away. My own initial response has been mirrored many times over by the recipients. Good topic, Pierogi. Oops, have to add Chiles Rellenos, about 1985.

I have filled one or two less than perfect ones and it worked out fine in the end. But they were not massacred. And Rajas en Crema are one of the new house favorites, not to mention the various salads and hot dishes that the strips can go in. And they also go in Enchiladas very nicely.

Chris, you are an inspiration to us all!!! I think I really must get this book.

In other words, it's not easy to do. I cannot imagine doing this hundreds of time in a restaurant setting. I'm doing pretty much a variant what you two are talking about, depending upon the individual chile to some extent. I just don't like it much. I would take it that you both agree that massacring the chile as was demonstrated in the one video which addressed the seed disposal problem is definitely not an answer at all.

There are instructions and videos on how to char, blister,roast the chiles; how to peel the skin off...but nothing explains how to get all those blankety-blank seeds off that top knobby thing through a simple slit without ripping the entire chile open. The only demonstration which I could find on actually getting out the seeds ripped the chile to shreds almost and the lady chef ended up by saying...and now you can stuff the chile with anything you like. I looked at the remnants of what was a beautiful green Poblano and wondered how on earth you could 'stuff' it with anything. How do YOU get the seeds out of the slit open chile?

Actually, the only thing I seem to be using it for is blistering Poblanos. I have a recipe in which the potatoes are semi-deep fried, but I decided to try roasting them today instead and they turned out equally well. That's it for deep frying chez nous. ps. I am mistaken. Of course. I have deep fried wontons, spring rolls and tortillas. It's just that for years...nay decades...I deep fried nothing.

Reporting back the next episode of deep frying Poblanos to blister them. Today I pulled out the old trusted deep saute pan and poured in the oil: 2/3 already used(filtered through paper, in airtight container) and 1/3 new. Lo and behold the oil spluttered and burbled and spat into the air. It was NOT the post. It may well have been what Blether first suggested: oil with water in it. Whether the moisture was in the old oil which is kept in the fridge or the new oil, I don't know. I've never thought about 'quality' of canola. Just bought what was there in Costco. Saporito Foods, product of Canada. Is there a difference in canolas? Or was it the fridge storage? (I did throw out the oil from the February 13th episode...but still have the pot.)

I have been using coconut oil for decades now for the carob/stevia recipes in Dr. Mercola's cookbook, Just what the Doctor Ordered. Also make 'Magic Shell' for ice cream. Yumm. Brings out the kid in me. For some frying. One note. One of our local health food stores carried at least two brands, including a really expensive organic you can't get any purer than this brand...which tastes awful. Sort of fishy. Lends a horrible note to everything. Not all coconut oils are created equal.

Thanks all.

Makes me think Mexican which could be Calypso, Theobroma, Jaymes, Rancho Gordo...plus a passel of other master Mexican chef types.

Our very ancient microwave lived for many years in the garage and thus was inconvenient to use. (Yes, I don't like the idea of microwaving anything and fear the whole concept after some early research on Russian use of microwaves and US army reports of illness during Desert Storm.) Now this old microwave still works perfectly and is in the kitchen once again for convenience of thawing, reheating frozen, tempering chocolate, making lollies, etc. However, it has a crack in the plastic door frame and I just can't bring myself to use it any more. What is the 'safest' microwave out there? Yes, I will check Consumer Reports and Amazon.com, but does anyone have an opinion on this?

DH and I are older folks. We have moved our big meal to lunchtime. I think that's about it. OK. Ed just reminded me that we changed it not because of age, but because it's logical. Therefore, nothing. Well, portions I guess. They would be somewhat smaller...but not much.

Water in plastic containers. I do keep one large plastic container of water, date marked in large letters, in the cellar in case of emergencies. Our water is dependent upon our having functioning electricit and if the power goes off and one needs water immediately, it's just too late. We have an emergency generator, but it does take a few minutes to get it all functioning. Then every 6 months, that water is relegated to only some uses...such as burns..., and never drinking. Eventually the water gets dumped outside.

This is probably way too simple a solution to anything to be included in this topic, but we tend to use crockpots to keep certain things warm while finishing others, especially when making a plethora of Chinese dishes. If the cook is going to eat with the guests at all while putting on a Chinese feast, then this is the only answer in our home.

Could this problem be related to the fact that red onions are no longer as sweet/benign as they were a couple of years ago?

Really late in posting this. Seville oranges have been available in Peterborough for some time now and still are there.

Thank you Kay. That was fascinating. The stuff we don't know... I wondered about my own crockpots, whether they all kept the same temperature or not. Never got as far as doing the line-up thing. I don't collect Rival crockpots, but I do have three old ones: two little ones with no temperature settings at all,one is a Fiesta Crock-ette version with a frieze of decorative peppers, the other is a Crock-ette with a frieze of blue leaves. The bigger one has low and high settings, is a Crock-Pot decorated in lined squares with flower motifs. (My huge crockpot is a newer Franklin Chef with more settings.) I think I'll do the temperature thingy this week. thanks.

Not something you hear too often. Only on eGullet. I've never heard of this brand, but if it can get HeidiH excited, then it must be good indeed. We pay just over $2.60 for a can of Mae Ploy. Is it that expensive Stateside? Plus in Peterpatch it has only recently appeared for sale.

Done in by all the talk of black pepper. Had same for supper on my popcorn with olive accompanied by my own version of Orange Julep.

Just saw all the amazing photos. I do salute you, sir. You have a brilliant future in the showpiece part of the chocolate world if you choose. I am truly awed of the entire process and for a first try, you were amazing. Thanks again.

It all sounds incredible! Alas, apparently I don't have permission to look at your photos and so that was the end of that. For the time being only, I hope. I am eager to see what you and your classmates managed to do. I would be terrified to attend such a class. Just the thought of going to NOTL makes me nervous. ps. And I am disappointed that you won't be there.

Tuaca. Learn something new every day. Can't get it in Ontario, at least not in Peterpatch or Toronto. But I see we can get it in Moab. Next fall, with luck.

I tend to cook my own unsophisticated version of Mexican for a group, using the pulled meat & poblano strips for enchiladas for the meatarians and said poblano strips & vegetables for the others. We've also done Chinese, but that was with two cooking. And that's quite a lot of extra stuff. We would be staying in a condo for at least a month or more to do that. And then I would bring stuff from home in the van. And Impossible pies work well for a group. I bring chocolate. Always. Ditto for breakfast custards, French toasts & pancake things which cover a whole sheet (no standing there for 3/4 hour dishing out stuff), etc. There are so many 'prepare the night ahead, store in the fridge and bake for 35 mins in the am' recipes.

Question: do you mean to say that for almost an entire week you cook and serve no meat? Surely the quasi-vegetarians would allow for two separate meals to be served on at least one occasion. It hit me because as soon as I see the word 'crockpot', I think pulled pork or pulled beef and all the things you can do with it.

Popcorn with olive oil and black pepper is one. Pepper ice cream is another. Both wonderful!