snowangel

Melissa, I noted that you used Paula Red's for your dessert. What's your preferred apple for baked things? Here in MN, it's the Haralson. In fact, so beloved that if orchards also have restaurants and bakeries, they don't sell them, just bake with them.

If you have been following along with Melissa and Owen, it is time to pull out that passport and get an airline ticket! Where are we going? One clue: the bread is naturally leavened, and includes rye. And, I can guarantee we haven't gone here before during an eG Foodblog.

I do! I knife block is not an option in our house at the present time because of space and one of the kids. But, I am careful about how I put the knives onto and take them off the strip. I should note that mine is a Sun santoku, not the onion.

John, what was the problem with your stir fry?

Melissa, The only thing to do with that is to smoke it. Done on your WSM it will be perfect, but you are more than right, a roast it ain't. Smoked or not, that hunk of meat needs a a long slow cook. ← Begging pardon to Mike (smokemaster), I think should you not be willing to commit untold time to something you might not regularly do, how about Carnitas? More about the knitting, please! I've just found a stash of yarn that reeks felted trivets...

Further conundrum. Do you cut a burger on a bun? Or, just eat it without cutting? (Me, I'm a two fisted burger eater, setting it down -- at least during the summer -- very carefully so I can grab my ear of corn). Come to think of it, any sandwich on a bun I prefer uncut.

That is a crime!

Introducing our tag team. Take it away, Melissa and Owen!

As I prepped some awesome sandwiches tonight (toast, mayo, grilled chicken, chipotle bacon, lettuce and cherokee purples), I asked if the folks in my family wanted them cut. There was not a single "yes, just cut it." Rather "Diagonal" (son), "straight up" (hubby) and "straight across" (daughter). When I asked about it, hubby said his "straight up" was because that was the way he always had it. Diana wanted hers that way because it's opposite of the norm. Peter want's his diagonal because he can eat the top crusty part first and then the bottom crusty part with the second half, and that way, I can't steal the top crusty part before he gets to it ( ). I am a diagonal person, but vary whether I eat the top or bottom portion first. Any preferences at your place? Or, do you prefer them not cut?

Along the lines of this catalogue, my Sunday paper brought with it a Macy's ad (shed a tear for Dayton's, please!). A set of three cookie cutters for $39.99? A cake mix for $11.99, to which you have to add like a pound of butter and a mess of eggs, and make frosting (no ingredient included, but they did provide a "free" recipe).? If you are budget minded, you can get the 53-piece cake decorating set for $73.99 . Is any of this stuff worth it, and when did she move from K-Mart to Macy's?

Tell us more about your bike trips. How long are the trips? How do you pack and prep for them? How do you eat on the road? Are most of your trips simply road trips, or do you have "get to and stay at" destinations? Where does the old-fashioned "Sunday Drive" figure in? We do these often as a family in the fall, winter and spring, and the destination can be as simple as an ice cream cone!

Docking pie crust?

Monday, September 10, a tag team blog, featuring two bloggers! This one based on geographical proximity. The area they live in is famous for the following produce items: And, some other geographical clues: Any guesses as to where we're going? Who our fearless bloggers will be?

Slamdunkpro -- more about your smoker, your temps, any rubs, etc. Details, please!

Once again, the Fahning family hit the State Fair (the great Minnesota State Fair). Paul and I have sort of lost track but this was either the 29th or 30th year in a row that we have attended together. The last 17 with at least one child (at least in the womb). We don't miss it, and although we always vow to go on opening day (when the rides are cheap, the grease fresh and the bathrooms clean), this year it was the second day. And, as always, the first stop is for a Corn Dog. Now, remember, we are a house divided -- at least until this year. I am of the Corn Dog Camp, Paul of the Pronto Pup Camp. The first corn dogs were disappointing. The batter was too thick, and although appropriately corny enough, it just wasn't right. But, the cheese curds were just right, as was our macaroni and cheese on a stick: Think great macaroni and cheese, chilled, formed into patties, breaded and deep fried, and skewered. This was wonderful. But, there's enough other fatty and deep fried dishes to keep us occupied, so one skewer did it for the five of us. We washed this down with a glass of 1919 Rootbeer, one of the fair's best values. The other good soda pop value was the Pepsi stand in the food building. Never mind that the Pepsi was served in an official State Fair Coca Cola cup! Oh, let's continue on with the deep fried stuff. Each kid had a candy bar. There were mini-donuts. More cheese curds. Then, the Pronto Pups, decidedly inferior in the minds of Diana, Peter and I. Too doughy, not cornmeally (sp?) enough. French Fries. Then, some lamb meatballs from Dino's Gyros -- a very big hit. Then, we hit the hort building to see the biggest pumpkin, the winning green beans (so just how sad will they look on the last day of the fair), and a cup of honey ice cream (one cut for 5 people is enough to send every dentist to the bank). And, some treasures in the hort building. Winning scarecrows and crop art: Big surprises: We, for the first time, went to the 4-H building (actually in search of bathrooms without mile-long lines) and were astonished by what the youth of today is producing. Woodworking, day-of-the-week dishtowels, muffins, jams, jellies, etc. Watch out, little old ladies, some serious competition coming your way. We did not try the deep-fried fruit on a stick (which Diana tried on a subsequent visit and prounced excellent) We did not try the spam burger, nor did we try the ground spam/cheese curds served with mayo. We did drink Glenwood water, like we always did, and saw the biggest pig (1,200 pounds), we did do a massive amount of people watching, we did eat yet ANOTHER order of fried cheese curds, we drank yet more water and beer (adults only). Peter, for the second year in a row, did NOT hurl after going on a mess of rides. I actually went on a ride. It was the water raft thing, and the kids knew just were to position me on the raft so I would get drenched. We saw Linda Christianson sculpt Princess in a 90-pound of butter. We saw a lot of award winning meat, and trust me, I'll have samples of the four winners in the freezer in not too long for a serious tast testing. But, best of all was leaving the fair. We just couldn't leave without another fried thing, and for me, it had to be a corn dog. But, what was right by the exit (on Como to catch a bus), was the Poncho Dog stand. OMG. Best damned corn dog any of us have ever had, and even Paul admitted that the Pronto Pup paled in comparison. We just might be a house united!

Another version, using phyllo, can be seen here (pardon photo; I hadn't learned yet how to turn the flash off on the camera). There's something really beguiling about the ultra-flaky phyllo crust and the tomatoes. Reminder to self: Make this again while the season is still upon us!

I have and treasure every single one of the Farm Journal Cookbooks I got when my grandmother moved out of her house, but none more than the pie, or perhaps the freezing and canning book. Not a dud in these books, and the intro's to the recipes, about which grandma or great aunt first made this for one of the editors are priceless. And, in a few years, all of my Wolfert books will fit the bill.

What a wonderful man, and wonderful place. In recent years, the bar part of it seemed to be a parking lot for boxes and labels for orders, but the quality of the fish never suffered. John, I'm not sure about the wood and technique, but you couldn't go wrong with the sugar-smoked salmon, smoked lake trout, smoked herring or smoked cisco's. Anytime we hit Duluth or points north of there, we don't not stop at Smoky Kendall's for a hunk o' sugar smoked salmon and a few ciscos and herrings. We eat for weeks of that stuff, and it makes for a wonderful addition to a cisco. There are many places to buy smoked fish on the North Shore, but none equate to Kendalls. This place is the real deal; no flash, no big billboards, just a rock solid product. And, there's something about the atmosphere. There was, for some time, a sign in the window listing the hours "open at 9:00 am ish, closing 8:00 pm or so, depending on how many customers there are. I just wonder if the young lass with the flourescent dreadlocks who waited on us a couple of years ago was a granddaughter of Russ.

Bacon. Failing that, that coffee Double Rainbow ice cream I can get at Trader Joe's.

Look at this topic, most specifically the first post, and click on Ron's links. I think you just might think that you can't get out of Milwaukee with a great burger!

I will reiterate the weather thing. OK, I'm growing for home consumption. I watered regularly throughout this summer, which was for the most part dryer than toast left in a toast rack for a day. But, then we had the big rain. Like 10" in five days. Oy, those tomatoes split, and they becaome watery, and didn't have nearly the flavour that they had when Mother Susan was doling out the water (generously, BTW). Regular rain is better, especially when it comes doled out, not dumped in unbelievable quanties. So, assuming that the tomatoes have been grown like mine, weather could make a much bigger difference than we think. This has been a very disappointing tomato season, despite the abnormal heat.

What I find really interesting about the MN State Fair is the differences between the winning entries from the home cooks vs. the pro's (like the meat markets and cheese and butter makers). Among the home cooks, there seem to be favourites, but when you get to the pro's, they seem to feature mostly different folks every year, save a couple of them. And, geez, on the last day of the fair, that cream cake sure looks sad in the fridge case.

Smoked butt Bone in, skin on, no less. Be still my beating heart. Beyond beautiful. More about the dried corn pudding, please, and the places you have on The Bike to store treasures, please!

I have access to a whole mess of really fresh salmon. Has anyone got any experience with making cerviche with salmon? Edited to add: I should have mentioned that this is fresh water salmon, has never lived in salt water. Wonder if there's a difference, and if fresh water fish is often "cerviched"?

Our next blog begins Monday, September 3. We're not going on an airplane, or an ocean going vehicle. To quote John Belushi, "Road Trip!" (And, no, this second shot is not our current blogger's backyard!)