snowangel

We cabined again this past weekend. As I said above, we are into longer and less frequent trips, due to road construction. So, we left on Friday afternoon. I should preface this by saying it has been a long and brutal spring. Heidi was plagued with seizures, my Dad with qunituple bypass surgery. It has done nothing but rain and be cold for weeks. We have been more than ready for summer. We left home noon-ish, and as a reward to two kids for great report cards, we stopped at Gordy's High Hat in Cloquet for burgers, fries and shakes. It is rare that we stop for more than car food on the way north. We (me) are too hot to trot. I will report on Gordy's on the burger cookoff thread. Anyway, our wait for summer met with a grand reward. As we pulled into our little piece of heaven, the air temp was 86 (f), and not a breeze around. Which means that the lake is doing some major warming. When we saw the thermometer in Cook and realized how warm it was, Peter embarrassed himself by putting on his suit in the car (in front of his sisters) so he was ready to go. He has been for a swim already, and is laying on the dock; we don't even have the Bronco unloaded yet. We all headed, as soon as the fridge was on, for cold beverages (G & T's for Paul and I, ice cold coca cola for the kids) and swim suits. The above photo does not show how brilliant the sun was, nor the golden glints of reflected sunlight on the lake. The lake water was like a layered Jello salad. Very warm (79 degrees F) on the surface, with successive, and very distinct layers of cooler water underneath, with a surprising warm layer way down below. Standing at the dock, taking sips of a drink and the tiny little perch came and nibbled on my ankles. If we were really quiet, mother duck and her brood of 12 (!) came swimming by. The ducks are not yet big enough to fly. Dinner was on the dock, and various easy to eat munchies. I've quit cooking a dinner the evening we get there. There is too much to explore, remember, and in this case, the water was just plain too inviting to make us even think of time in the kitchen. We did not leave until last night, and the ensuing meals consisted of standard cabin breakfasts (you can see them up thread; eggs, bacon, sausages, waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc.). Lunches salami, sliced ham, cheese, chips, etc. Dinner one night were some great skin-on Hot Dogs from Bob's Produce Ranch. These are made in-house, and when grilled, have a really nice snap. I also made potato salad (boiled potatoes and eggs before we left, and made mayo up at the cabin, thanks to the recent eGullet Culinary Institite class on condiments. Diana made her first batch of guac, which we had with chips, on the dock. She mashed it more than she wished she had, but it was an impressive first attempt. For dinner on Sunday night, we had burgers. I have reported on them over on the Burger Cookoff thread (or will in a minute). Sunset on Sunday night was at 9:19 pm. Almost the longest day of the year! Long after sunset, and several games of cards, the kids wanted dessert, so I pulled out the marshmallows, which they "toasted" over the gas stove And, then they made Smores Yes, the photo is blurry. But, the Hershey bars were pretty soft because it was so hot up there, but we all agreed that soft Hershey bars make the best and most messy Smores. The kids and I made a pilgrimage out to the point, which had been trashed by campers (I'm really tired of cleaning up other people's trash out there), and did a blueberry check. There are plants out on the point, which never amount to much, partly because of terrain, and partly because they get trampled by those not in the know, but it looks like it will be a very, very good berry year. Lots of rain, and the heat that is here should produce a bumper crop. We'll know more about that late in July. The fish certainly didn't want to be caught this weekend. The bugs were fierce, with all of those mosquitoes and no-see-ums, there is a nice big crop of fat dragonflies. I tried to photo these beautiful insects as they laid on the cement path to the dock, but it was not to be. (I was rather lame on photo taking this weekend, outside of pics of the kids frolicing in the water). We returned home (there is almost no traffic on a Monday afternoon, now our favorite travel day!) with color (slight sunburn for me) feeling silky and smooth from all of that time in the water, rejuvenated from the silence, and loving each other. 'Til a good place to take the kids.

Yes, brine butts. And, remember to put them on the smoker as cold as they can possibly be. And, do crawl in bed all smokey smelling with your honey. And, most of all, do take pics of your butts and post them. Reminder to self: time to smoke butts again, and soon. They are on sale.

OK. So, they aren't baby backs. I happen to prefer spare ribs. But, this seemed like the best place to report. I smoked two nice racks today. I remembered to take a picture as I whacked up the second rack. Weber Kettle, Kingsford and a mess of hickory chunks. For quite a while (many beers). Devoured. 8 of us put away 16 pounds (raw weight). There is something unbelievably beguiling about smoked pork fat. My husband would say the same thing about that slightly smokey smell I will bring to bed tonight. Everyone agreed that I am achieving perfection with fatty pork, some wood, a few briquettes and my trusty Weber Kettle.

Glad you are feeling better and the advice helped. If you think brisket rocked, just wait until you do butts. Please report on your butts here.

We burger at The Cabin this weekend. Leaving tomorrow morning. We will probably stop at a burger joint (ground on site with hand-formed patties) on the way up, and do our own on Sunday evening. All in the name of the quest for the ultimate burger.

Please talk about the difference between the yellow and black mustard seeds.

Search no further than here for the eGullet definitive Sloppy Joe topic.

Did you flip it? Charcoal or gas? Please talk more about the grilling meatloaf.

As Peter (age 9) and I fixed dinner for tonight (we actually fixed it late last night and reheated it for tonight; it was a very small venison roast, browned and braised) we went over the basics of deglazing a pan and reducing the deglazing liquid. Very, very basic to most of us, but key.

Come August, when the local tomatoes on my vines are ripe, there are only two choices: BLT or an openfaced one with a slice of great bread toasted, topped with a great slice of aged cheddar, a slice of tomato, and some slightly pre-fried bacon, all stuck under the broiler for a few minutes. A BLH is a good substitute when there are no local tomatoes. (BLH = Bacon, lettuce and hummus).

AlexP's White Gazpacho is literally heaven in a bowl. It helps to slightly blanch the grapes to peel them.

So, how many families or couples are divided on the cheese thing on burgers? My family is not divided on that issue because I have stated most firmly that there will be no cheese on burgers in our house. Or they have to do everything I do!

I'm doing burgers this week. And, perhaps at The Cabin this weekend as well. Burgers are one of my favorite foods. No cheese. Lettuce, onion, mustard only. If I have some hot spicy ketcup, maybe a small dollop of that as well. The only other add on would be a slice of tomato, but the tomato must be worthy (they aren't right now in Minnesota). But, to meatloaf. When I suggested to my family I might make meatloaf, the kids went "uugh. We hate meatloaf." So, help me to tell my kids that meat loaf can be good. I'm thinking grilling, with some smoke, as Brooks has suggested, might be good. But, for some reason, every meatloaf I eat seems someone dry, whereas a burger doesn't. Meatballs aren't necessarily dry, either. So, some thoughts. We never cook burgers until there is no pink, but every meat loaf I have been served as been cooked through. Is part of the problem the mass? Or, is it the manner in which it is cooked? I am recalling the meatballs Marlene recented cooked during the Tag Team Blog, and some of them were simmered in wine. What about a meat log, browned, and simmered in wine. Further to this thought, I am thinking of the pearl balls I make. Pork "meat balls" with a really wet meat mixture, formed and rolled in sticky rice, and steamed. What about a steamed meat loaf? Perhaps browned under the broiler to give it a better appearance? One of the things that seems to be fairly traditional about meat loaf is that it uses some sort of starch as a binder, along with eggs. My pearl balls don't use either of these. Could this translate to a meat loaf?

I recently bought three new knives for our cabin because the stuff up there is 50 year old crap that bangs around in drawers (these new knives will travel with me). I happen to like Wusthof and the way it feels in my hands, and I got an unbelievable deal from a place that was going out of business. But, I only wanted three knives, so I have a paring knife, a chef's knife and a bread knife. I thought about what I used most often at home, and realized I would be perfectly happy with just these three. Oh, I take that back. We also have a Finish fileting knife (that comes in a leather sheat) for when we catch fish. I think once you have decided what style of knives you want, the most important thing is to try them out. Go to stores, pretend you are cutting. What feels good in your hand? What gives good balance?

Andie's mayo calls for very cold egg yolk, Mary's "warmed to room temp." ??? Why the difference?

I got one once in some white elephant office Xmas thing. Used it once, and reverted to the microplane. No, you don't need this to clutter up your drawers since you have a better way of doing it.

My tomato plants are finally in. I made a big mistake last year -- just 3 months after moving in. I planted them where the sun was the best in the spring, before the late-leafing walnuts had leaves. So, what looked like a full sun spot wasnt. But, I do have a full sun spot, along the south side of the house. So, last fall, I laid down cardboard and killed the grass. Then I laid down a thick layer of compost (beautiful stuff, screened, free from my local compost site) followed by a thick layer of wood chips (also free, from the guy that cut down my oh-so-big and oh-so-misplaced spruce tree. We tilled it up today, and my oh my, was that soil beautiful. So, at one end, in went 6 brandywines. The other end, 24 strawberry plants. I also batted my eyelashes, and Paul tilled up that spot behind the garage that had, last summer, yielded what must have been another two tons of river rock, so have yet another garden to contemplate. This one is part sun, part shade, but the sun is mid-day. Flowers and herbs, I think. I'm not above trying stuff and if it doesn't work, moving it around. Aren't gardens continual works in progess? My big flower garden, the one that we tilled up with who knows how much compost looks like it is on steroids. I really need to take a picture of my rhubarb tomorrow. It is of gigantic proportions. Lessons learned. Adding lots of compost and organic matter to sandy soil is a good thing. It takes a year of constant obsercation to figure out how the sun really moves and when things leaf out, and when they lose their leaves. I'm dirty. Really dirty. It feels so good. I don't think I was really energized about gardening this year until today, one of the first really beautiful, non-rainy days we've had, and got that tiller and made yet more space for more plants. Paul cringes when I state that my objective is to have little or no yard to mow. Him "but, all that weeding!" Me "weeding can be zen-like. And, much quieter than mowing and weed whipping." Him: "Maybe you need a job." Me: "I have three. Gardens. Three kids. You." I just love having dirt under my nails.

Congrats! Trust you also stocked up on wood chunks, Kingsford briquettes and that you'll have an un-trimmed brisket or bone in butt on hand for Father's Day. Also trust that you will take over some of the smoking duties!

As Alice Cooper said, "school's out for summer" and to keep away boredom, I thank everyone for suggestions for daily activities to keep the kids interested in something, on task, learning (math, reading and science, not to mention food), and helping to get the meals coming! Bechamel is next on the docket. As to pie crust, they've been helping with it and rolling it out since they were tall enough to reach the counter on a foot stool.

If the versions are not close to yellow mustard, get thyself to the local stop and rob and get some! I think it needs the yellow stuff.

At age 8, our family moved from the Midwest to Thailand. My first night there, I had larb. Made with raw pork. I also had squid, and an exquisite chicken curry, the kind where they take the chicken and dice it up -- bones and all. Up 'til then, it had been a life of hot dishes (casseroles to some). Not since then!

It has been fun to watch my daughter Diana (age 14) come to life in the kitchen. Her most proud kitchen moment came in 2nd grade, when she learned about roux, and asked her teacher why roux wasn't on a spelling test. She could not only spell but define and describe it.

I'm definitely of the sauce on the side variety. THE killer recipe is =Mark's South Carolina Mustard Barbeque Sauce. It is the one. No matter whatever other sauces I serve, this is the one that goes. My fridge is naked without it.

fifi, time for the wsm queen to step in. I'm the kettle queen. I'd say add some fuel. Check the virtualbullet web site and see what they say.

Hope your illness is short lived! I tend not to baste, except perhaps the flat, and then I just brush with olive oil. Did you cut the flat and fat parts apart? Did you dry rub?