Okanagancook

Only in Canada I guess?! BUT I discovered we do get the travel channel! We have a new service provider that we are getting used to. yippeeee.

Nothing as good as a hot dog! Can’t remember when I last had one. Wish one could buy them as singles....I remember a grocery store many years ago had them indivually packaged in a plastic wrap tube. I can get the German Weiners indivually and they are an OK substitute.

Just tried to PVR the CNN programs and the bastards don’t allow recording! Wow, I had no idea. No Travel channel for me so I may just have to watch CNN live.

I am sooo upset. Holly crap. So so sorry for those close to Tony. Oh, boy, it’s go to take awhile to get over this. i will haul out Les Halles and I just bought his latest book which will also get some use. at the Fridaynight pub night we all clinked a glass to Tony. We all recounted our knowledge of what he was about.

OMG wonderful taco holders!

There’s a whole lotta fry’n going on in those meals but they don’t look greasy oddly enough. I would be happy eating those meals but I would probably share a plate with DH.

A disaster in what way? Dry duck? Toes splattered with hot duck fat? Mushy vegetables? Crappy wine?

I like to slice them on the thick side. Put slices between paper towels and microwave on high for about 3 minutes until they are cooked but still firm. Now you can brush them with oil mixed with whatever seasonings you like and grill or fry to get some colour. An example would be basil, garlic and Parmesan mixed with olive oil. Or curry powder and oil. done this way minimizes the oil in the dish....eggplant is like a sponge.

That’s a great book. That is my favourite lasagna. Haven’t tried the duck but I bet it’s good.

Yeah, there’s a blue star top left.

Very, very nice and impressive garden @Shelby. too hot for leafy greens?

Dungeness Crab is fabulous .

I ran across this very informative video on making hand formed pasta shapes. I wish he took a little more time to show the details of the difficult shapes...my only complaint.

From Canada Services website on fiddleheads: “ Cooking Cook fiddleheads in a generous amount of boiling water for 15 minutes, or steam them for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Discard the water used for boiling or steaming the fiddleheads. Cook fiddleheads before sautéing, frying, baking, or using them other foods like mousses and soups.

Or even into pasta sauces.

It is an annual so it must have self-seeded. I got it going one year but it bolted because it is too hot here. The next year I did find a few scattered plants but I have none now. They do not transplant well because of their tap root. I love the flavour of it. Never see it commercially grown.

Time to make some brodo!

@Kerry Beal nice chervil plant. Did you buy it or grow it from seed. I find it difficult to get the seeds to germinate.

Now I think it is mice that are eating my strawberries. Traps set.......a la Monty Python....mice on a stick!

Here's my garlic. Starting to throw scapes. Next picture is the Sea Island Peas. Fencing to keep the quails out. Next up are my fave bean plants. They have really taken off and have flowers on them already.

I am attempting to learn how to make pastry for pies and such. I have the book The Art of the Pie which is wonderful and has great instructions. I found some leaf lard and rendered that so I am set. I made my first batch of dough and had a heck of a time knowing how to get the crumbly dough together at the stage when water is added. I added a LOT of water and I thought this can't be right. Anyway the pie wasn't half bad. But how to get the dough together.....then I stumbled on to this video. You can fast forward it to where she starts adding water.

We have deer all around but they stay out of our property which is fenced and gated with 5 foot high fencing. We've had one deer jump the fence in the 14 years we have been here. We had three dogs which kept pretty much all the critters avoiding our space. Especially all the California quails living here. Our dogs would chase them away the instant they made their way out of hiding. But now, no dogs, we have quail. So brash they run across our patio right in front of the patio door. And the little beggers are pulling up my bean seedlings. So, I now have some chicken wire around specific raised beds and the strawberries.

I have the beef too so will give that a try. Thanks

Made our first batch of chicken gravy. Very easy. The flavour is quite bland...I even added some salt believe it or not. i think if I made it with some of my concentrated home made stock it would be better. Need to play around with it.

I will take some pictures for you. you still have time to plant some, if you have some that is