snowangel

I follow recipes for baking, but not for cooking.

I'm loving this. Those asparagus elsatics make wonderful pony tail holders (not food related). Strikes me that most often, I am re-purposing kitchen stuff for household stuff and visa versa (think offset spatula for drywalling).

One side is shiny, one side not shiny. Is there a rule of them, when using it for cooking or storing, as which side should be shiny side next to food, or not shiny side up next to food? And, is there an easy to remember jingle (a la the jingle to remember which months have 30 days?) to help me remember which side up?

Chris, as I look at the calendar, the new dishwasher should be in and up and running. If so, any reports? How painless was the installation? The only time I like doing dishes is at the cabin, and only because the sink is at a window where I can look at the lake, birds, and daydream. But, every time a kid wants a drink, I remind them that they should have kept track of the glass they were using, and I plan meals with minimal mise dishes.

Last Saturday was a beautiful day, so we headed over to the St. Croix, driving from north of Taylor's Falls all the way down to Point Douglas (confluence of the St. Croix and the Mighty Miss). We detoured to Hudson and stopped at R. J's. We got bacon and brats. The brats were very good, but not the best I've had. The bacon, which is sliced to order, is a really really great breakfast bacon. Not overly smokey, just the right amount of sweet. I wouldn't use it as a flavouring agent in a pasta dish (for example) because I'd opt for something stronger, but for breakfast, absolutely wonderful. I'm also impressed that they slice to order, since I'm sort of picky about that -- I don't want it thin or thick, just somewhere in the middle.

I have a mismash of baking pans (9 x 9's, pie pans, 8 x 8's, etc.) that I've been given or inherited. What's the advantage of one over the other? Think pies, cakes, bars...

Does this differ much from the beef with cumin? I have some beef strips I could put to use this week. Susan, it's heartening to hear you've used venison with success, that's usually quite lean, isn't it. I'll have to try my luck. I did find a source that sells Korean beef, which is much richer than the Australian product my supermarket carries. Erin, to answer your questions: The beef and cilantro does differ from the beef and cumin (which I'm making tonight with venison and cumin seed since I seem to be out of the ground stuff -- how that happened I'll never know!). The beef with cilantro calls for a LOT of cilantro -- almost half a pound, sans tough stems. I include the tender stems and ust use my kitchen shears or hands to rip it up into hunks. So, there is a lot more veg. Venison. Yes, it's very lean. I sub it all of the time for beef, especially in braised dishes. I'm sure it's not as melting as chuck, but we love the taste, and since I get two deer every year, it is cheap meat!

For some reason, I am especially drawn to spicy Asian food in the fall. Spicy works well all of the time in our household, but for some reason, October rolls around, and my nightstand is peppered with a plethora of Asian cookbooks. Squash, oh, don't even bother. Perhaps it's the note that the last of the peppers are avabilable?

Bacon makes everything better.

I may too late to the party for dinner tonight, but the Slow-Braised Beef and Potatoes from The Revolutionary Chinese cookbook has become a favorite in our house (and it sounds like it's a fav in Bruce's house, as well). I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work with brisket...

The slow-braised beef with potatoes is one of my family's very favorite dishes, hands down. Actually, I should say "slow braised venison" or slow braised chicken" as I've only done it once with beef. The venison I have is not very well marbled, and this dish still comes out meltingly good, as it does with chicken thighs. Bruce, I didn't notice if you've done the beef and cilantro? Another favorite here.

Family Joy here is anything with Thai Basil, birds or BACON. Oh, and when they see the wrappers, the ground pork, napa, ginger, garlic, etc., they know that there will be a big ass stash of pot stickers in the freezer which are a guaranteed "You are the Best Mom Ever" award. Good thing I can pleat like a pro and have 200 stashed in well less than it takes the time to listen to a podcast of "Splendid Table."

Erin, I've also done the tangerine braised fish with chicken thighs, leaving them covered until almost done, then uncovering! Fabulous.

Way back when Peter was born, Heidi was but 18-months old, and given her disabilities, she was also an infant. So, for Diana and me time, every night, after the babes were in bed, we'd get started on dinner preps for the next night (I was a work outside the home mom back then). Then, Peter got older, and although I didn't have any more babies, he and I continued the tradition, along with Diana. My kids can (and could from about age 5) cut along with the best of them, and can also meal plan and root through the fridge/freezer and come up with a meal.

My favorite "new gadget" is the Foley Fork. Let's ignore the fact that they don't make them any more, but there are all sorts of knock-off's. Since I've rediscovered this gem, I've used is at least twice a day. And oldie but goodie.

Fat freezes well.

Three of my close friends and I have a "dud" exchange once a year, which works well since we can easily revisit a dud if we so choose!

The China Moon book by Barbara Tropp. Given how masterful her first book was, I expected to love China Moon. I never used it outside of a couple of flavoured oils. Sally Schneider's "A New Way to Cook" was another supreme disappointment. I just couldn't wrap myself around that one. Both went to Half Price Books. Interesting to note that they always have at least one (if not more) copies of both of them on the shelves every time I stop in.

Steven, when you put apple slices into the bento, how do you keep them from turning brown?

I construct mine like yours, Janet, except I eliminate the cream and use sour cream instead. And, a hint from CI is to bake the potatoes, remove the filling, and then put the empty shells back into the oven while mixing/mashing the filling. Oh, and I like sliced scallions in mine. I especially love the re-crisped shells because Heidi wants more filling than shells so I get a nicely crisped shell all to myself! But then, I've always been a crispy potato skin sort of woman.

Our first date was at the Great Minnesota State Fair. Think corn dogs. Our best dates have been very inexpensive. Memories in the making.

Now, this is not my habit, rather the habits of Paul and Diana (problem less by 1/2now that she's at college). What's up with putting a box of Cheerios back on the shelf when there are three Cheerios and a bunch of dust remaining, a box of Triscuits with 1/2 a cracker and the dust, a gallon of milk jug with 1 T of milk back on the shelf? I would have to say that Peter is pretty good about this. He'll leave the box out and note on the grocery list (which is where it's always been since we moved into this house. I'm sorry family. Although I am a stay at home, I don't shake every box before I go to the supermarket every time. I use the last of something, I recycle the container, and put the need to replace said item on the grocery list, which is a magnetized list on the fridge with a pen attached.

Actually, posole a la smoked butt. There was a bag of that that was the foot-whacker yesterday. And, yes to the sharpee. What I've been doing with the deer or two that I get every year is wrap tightly in saran (or whatever it is that Costco sells) then in butcher paper, held fast with freezer tape, and marked as to date, what cut, and how much is weighs (this is the big advantage to processing your own deer. It doesn't have to be 1 lb. packages, which is what the processors want to do. (Oh, and I confirmed today via phone that the jeans are Diana's. The ones she treated for a stain, had to run out, so stuck them in the freezer in a bag. They are the jeans she's been looking for for well over a year. Edited: Those little white strips on the bags are great for holding the marker ink. If the bag doesn't have it, use a strip of freezer tape.

I moved to this house 5+ years ago. Do I get bonus points for having moved something from the old freezer to the new one that is so covered with hoar frost that I haven't a clue as to what it is other than sort of red in colour? And, do I get even more bonus points for wondering why there is yet another pair of jeans (not mine, not belonging to Heidi, Peter or Paul) in the freezer? Based on a cursory look in my Little Shop of Horrors, it is Polsole tomorrow night.

The chest freezer in the basement is well organized (filled mostly with venison and stone-fruit pie fillings). Funny that everything down there is well labeled and, well, like I said, organized. The side-by-side freezer is another matter. I can't even imagine what horrors reside within said compartment. But, back in the day when fifi was still alive, I'd always call her when I came upon an "accidental" meal -- we called them toe busters. Something would fall out of the side-by-side freezer and hit my (or her) big toe. This evening, a kid looking for an ice cream bar brought forth a few frozen tomatillos. Underneat was the last of the smoked pork. Guess what we're having for dinner tomorrow night? (Clue: I have canned hominy.) Thanks, Dave, for the reminder that I should really clean out my little shop of horrors.