Darienne

Not to mention all the specious ingredients and preservatives which are in the commercial varieties of much of anything.

Yes, it can be. But I (we) prefer to think of an Americano as a cocktail, so there's another one for you to try! Particularly great before dinner. 1 part Campari, 1 part Sweet Vermouth - build it on the rocks, top with club soda/seltzer/fizzy water and an orange slice for garnish. To DH and me, who stop at Starbucks across the North American continent on our way back and forth to Utah from east central Ontario, an Americano is the decaf coffee that Starbucks will make for you after 12pm when most of the outlets stop brewing decaf. Americanos are better and more expensive than plain decaf. (I can no longer drink regular caffeinated coffee past lunch or I'll be awake until about 2 am.)

If there is ONE thing you can find in the kitchen wares of a second-hand store, it is a mini-food processor! I must have picked up at least 3 over the past years. (Oh, and disposed of them here and there...to son, friend, etc.) This time, I am keeping mine.

What I would really like is a bigger kitchen but that is never going to happen. When we remodeled this end of the farm 15 years ago, I picked the size and space in the kitchen. Then I had zip interest in cooking...I had to do it...I did it. Now it's all changed and I am challenged greatly to store ingredients and utensils. The house absorbs all of I need and use, but in so many different locations. Oh well... In the meantime, I don't really want anything I guess. (No I don't own everything...I just couldn't possibly use much else at this beginning point in my cooking avocation.) Oh wait: access to fresh chiles and tomatillos and other Mexican ingredients that you can't buy in Canada. And that isn't going to happen either.

I would like to see a photo of this dessert for sure. Let me know how it turns out. Oops. That would be Christmas day. Never heard of a rockmelon and will look it up. Just what is a ginger jewel?

OMIGOSH!!!!!

OK. So I'll start. Today my DH cut orange peels for me to begin the candying process for chocolate-dipped orange peels. And I have begun the confection give-out to friends and folks who help us in various ways all year long. Folks like vets, computer guys, oil delivery guys, postal lady, etc, etc. I've had a huge...well, less huge every week it seems...bottle of rum-soaked fruits for a Black Cake which never got made last year and I guess it's really too late to make it this year either. Should add some more fruit to the mix. I have a list of cookies and cakes that I intend to make. Plus Pot Lucks we are invited to. Plus the Christmas Eve Party to which Ed always brings his French-Canadian Tortiere and I bring some confections. And, and, and... Who else has started on Christmas or holiday goodies? And what are you making?

G'day mate. (Do you really say that to each other?) Looking forward to reading about your week down under. I'm surprised you find any time to cook at all with your schedule. What do you do for three hours while traveling every day. (We in Canada would actually write 'travelling'. What about Australians?) BTW, Margaret Laurence lived for some years in Lakefield and I did get to know her a bit. Lovely woman. I do have a couple of funny Margaret Laurence stories which I can PM you some time.

Nothing exciting being made here...just the usual favorites of friends and so on: chocolate dipped candied ginger, chocolate-dipped candied orange peels, Chocolate covered toffee. Have to get the toffee out of the house before I eat anymore.

So grateful :wub: for ALL the replies.

Repeat of September 15th's post only this time with toffee. How stupid can one woman get? Burnt the upper inside of my mouth just behind my teeth. I realized the toffee was too hot to taste as soon as it touched my teeth, but did not count on the curling effect as the hot toffee curled behind my teeth and stuck. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Thanks Lisa. Just what I wanted to read, that I could freeze them almost whole.

Way to go, Ms Kim!!!!

Thanks Kalypso, much to think about. It's all so iffy at this end. How long will the manager be able to get them? Will he continue getting them? How much should I buy with the idea of cooking them all to utilize them? In the meantime I have a small bunch in the kitchen and I just love looking at them as I pass.

The scene: we live in the Canadian frozen north and never get fresh tomatillos or chile peppers except for Jalapenos. We cannot get canned tomatillos or chile peppers except for Jalapenos. Well, maybe somewhere in Toronto, but I don't live in Toronto. WE brought back canned tomatillos and Hatch chiles from the Southwest. Now, to my open-mouthed surprise in a local higher end grocery story, Sobey's, I find what? FRESH POBLANOS. Smaller than usual, but beautiful dark green, proper shaped, etc. I ask the manager about it. He says he's trying it and so far so good, and they'll have them as long as the season lasts. And he can't speak for any other local Sobey's. SO: how long does the 'season' last? He didn't know. (That's better than another store in which the manager had never heard of a tomatillo.) Should I buy a huge lot and what? I know I can cook and freeze them. Can I freeze them whole and use them for Chiles Rellenos? What else? Give me your best shots please.

As usual, Dystopiandreamgirl, you have blown me away. What a reputation to keep up with!!! Keep 'em coming always.

Sichuan Hot and Sour Soup!

We dined at El Bruno's in Cuba, NM, a couple of weeks ago and all the glowing recommendations were 100% true from the excellent chips and salsa to the complimentary dessert sopapillas. We ordered Chiles Rellenos and beef Chimichangas, neither of which I have ever seen in Canada. Delicious. Service was good. What's left to say? Go there if you get the chance.

Oh yaas, I like the sound of that!

One way we eat sweet potatoes is in a root vegetable roast with white potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions, Brussels Sprouts, olive oil mixed in and all done in the oven and then tossed with thyme, salt and pepper and not much more. Good with yogurt. However, my favorite comfort food is boiled sweet potato chunks and halved Brussels Sprouts, doused in a lemon and olive oil salad dressing with toasted sesame seeds. Ed will eat it but spreads on a Patak bottled Indian sauce. I have no idea of how I made up this funky recipe.

---our under the sink garbage can is quite big. Ed says the bags are Glad, about 10 gallons which is actually more than the can. OR: it could be two systems. Does anyone have separate cans for (non-organic waste) trash and (organic waste) garbage? ---- Yes. The above for non-organic and an old stock pot and lid for the organic. Plus a drawer for the plastic, cardboard, cans, etc, recycling stuff on its way to the three bins in the garage and we recycle a lot in our county in Ontario. It's all a bit much, but we do it cause we think we should do at least a small bit.

We have dogs so it is important that they cannot get into the garbage. Ours is inside a lower cupboard, under the sink. It comes out when you open the cupboard door. Good. Takes regular size of plastic bag. Has a clip on rim which holds the bag in place. It has a lid which Ed made from a pot lid. You pick up the lid in one hand while the refuse is in the other. Can't even remember the original lid. Semi-acceptable. The bad part is in the summer. Open the door, out comes the lidded can, take off the lid...whew! Release the smell into the kitchen. That I crab about each summer.

Looks wonderful to me. Always forge ahead and post. Don't forget those hundreds of lurkers who depend upon someone to be brave so that some day they may work up the courage to post.

Thanks Pierogi. We'll just pick up the La Costena today.

Thanks all for the help on the chiles. Went to Grand Junction yesterday and and while there went to Walmart and bought Hatch chiles for the trip home. Back in Moab. The brand of tomatillos at City Market is La Costena. Please some comments on which tomatillos we should buy. We'll be going back to Grand Junction again in several days and still through Albuquerque on the route home.