Okanagancook

Do you think quinoa would work here instead of couscous? I am not too fond of couscous. I can report the chicken dish mentioned up thread was delicious. It resulted in really well seasoned chicken and the flavour of the chicken really came through. Easy to make and then pop it in the oven. Yum. I did buy an extra copy for my friend’s bday.

While googling I inadvertently happened upon a chicken recipe with an interesting marinade…Worcestershire , garlic, ginger, s&p, oil. So I made it…in the oven roasting with new potatoes and king mushrooms as a type. It is from this book. It and other recipes from the book were on The Guardian website. All this lead me to Eat Your Books to look at all the comments on the book…very useful. Then I remembered @blue_dolphincooking from Nik’s other book Season. I liked the look of a lot of those recipes too. Almost bought Season but didn’t until the Flavour Equation entered the picture. Both are arriving on Thursday 😊

I have a Napoleon grill. They are made in Canada. Sizzle zone or IR is awesome. Something like 1200 F. Good for steaks. The regular gas grill area is very even in heat. Love it. My friend put it together for me. It came in a big box. She loves doing that kind of stuff. When she was all done I got handed a bag of screws that she couldn’t find a place for….maybe they provide “extras”.🤪 it hasn’t fallen a part yet.

You may find this resource very helpful. He has tables for various foods cooked to pasteurization. https://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

I think I have read that 3 days for head on shrimp is the limit for freshness.

As I recall my shrimp were only two days at the most out of the sea AND they were live. From what I have read there are enzymes in the head that quickly spoil the shrimp meat/head. So if you get dead head on shrimp they need to be very fresh. Perhaps others can add their thoughts. I heated some chicken stock with lemon juice to just under boiling, put a Thermapen in the largest shrimp in the batch I was cooking and just waited for the temp to get to 120F and then served. I did not cook many shrimp at once and stirred the liquid as they cooked…it didn’t take very long. hope that helps.

Kinda like bacon on a stick. I have a meat slicer that would do a nice job on the belly if I firm it up in the freezer. Thanks for posting this.

I quite like your idea of thinly sliced pork belly on a stick. Do you include the skin? And is there any pre-grilling treatment like salt for a few hours?

I’ll add my note of thanks for taking us along. Always interesting.

Swooning over that Dahl. Good job.

I once overheard a chef saying just that….more flavour.

Asparagus season here too…British Columbia southern Interior. This is the only asparagus I buy as the imported stuff is a waste of money in comparison. It is presented for sale in large boxes and you select the ones you want. What sizes do you like to buy, small or big thick stalks? I like the large ones. When peeled they end up being large enough to get a nice roast on the outside while being tender and substantial.

@TicTac, the egg does look a bit ‘cooked’. You have an easy fix.

@weinoothank you for sharing your experience here. Fascinating and drool worthy.

Silk Road has amazing fresh blends and spices. Quick service too.

Whiskies that are over proof benefit from a little dilution to calm the alcohol and open up the flavours.But usually I don’t add ice to high quality whiskies,

I think I tend towards holding back on the amount of stock called for. Then I simmer the gumbo with the lid off to concentrate flavours and add stock if I need to.

My roux always turns out thinner. I think flour loses some of it’s thickening power as the starch gets heat applied to it. But I am no food scientist.

http://douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html#The_Mathematics_of_Sous_Vide Baldwin is very reliable. Go to the Recipes section to get a quick answer on your chop. I like my chops cooked at 132F.

You must not stop stirring…….The best advice I can offer about making gumbo is, before you start making the roux, put the dog outside, sequester the children somewhere safe, empty your bladder and open a beer.😃

I don’t have a recipe but have used cream cheese as the main binder. I use various ingredients such as fried Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage, smoked swordfish if you can find it, bacon, Tasso ham, etc. This website has some nice spicing and they have a unique way of slicing them and the use of crushed bbq chips and cheddar cheese on top sounds nice. I used to make dozens when I had my garden and never had an issue with the cream cheese freezing.https://cookieandkate.com/baked-jalapeno-poppers-recipe/

I’ve made @Shelby’S Cowboy Candy which is very good and goes well with a lot of things. If I recall correctly the recipe would take care of quite a few jalapeños. We also love stuffing them….freeze a few to be finished off in the air fryer or CsO.

@&roidyour stuffed squash looks delicious. I was curious as I have not seen Delica squash here in Western Canada. We tend to grow Kabocha squash which are related to Delica…there are no strips on the Kabocha. Both supposedly have a good nutty taste. I really enjoy Kabochas. https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Delica_Winter_Squash_18579.php Thanks for sharing.

@&roidi love my copper pots. Your saucier looks to be a very useful size. Even heating and responsiveness to heat changes is what I like about them. My DH doesn’t even mind polishing after each use.

I asked because a friend of our’s was making jam, went outside and got side tracked….yup, just about burned the house down. The pot was too badly burnt to save and there is a permanent blotch of burnt goo on the stove.