snowangel

While not very original, when my neighbors came back from AZ last spring with a trunkload of oranges and grapefruit (yes, I got more than we could eat), I made some citrus marmelade with habernero. Jars have been canned, and I will wrap them in embroidered dishtowels. Oh, and I'm busy knitting potholders again. My three closest friends are getting CD's with my favorite family recipes.

Brrr! It's way cold outside here, so it was naturally time to get some stuff going on the stove. I went through the freezer, and had some odd bits of pork, fatty and boney, and a package of belly skin, so on the deck, chilling (freezing rapidly?) I have sometime that when chilled resembles Jello Jigglers. So, I'm winging it here, other than using a Barbara Tropp recipe for skins. Better check the topics that I noted above once again! I'm thinking Friday for this project. The kids are going to think this is a real novelty. Peter is already telling his friends that his mom is going to make "sorta a ravioli thing with soup in it!"

Oh, I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb. I will preface this by sayting that I am not a "sweet treat" person. For me, it's all about the brussels sprouts, roasted with bacon, in bacon fat. And, if there are leftovers, as I tuck the kids in, I'll reheat the leftovers, and top them with an over easy egg. And, if there are no leftovers, and it's all about the bacon with an egg or two (easy over, fried in bacon grease, naturally).

A planer works nicely when you want shaved parm. It's easier than the veg peeler, and feels better in the hand. OK. So the router and random orbital sander. Any kitchen ideas?

BTW, to tell is the watermelon is really ripe, just make sure that tha part that sits on the ground is yellow, not white. And, some have thicker skins than others!

I think we could include RecipeGullet in the mix. For kicks and giggles, click on the "three random recipes" button on the left side of the screen.

Mike, I'll be smoking a turkey, too. On the trusty kettle. Now that I have a ton of applewood, I'm starting to wonder if that might be the way to go. I'll do a whole turkey. Funny thing is that my SIL will roast a turkey, but my smoked turkey is always more popular!

The most frequent houseguest I have is a close friend. I know what she likes (which is pretty much what I like!), and she always brings treats from her local meat market and a bottle of wine or two. She and I agree that we make the ideal house guests. We also go through each other's cookbook collections and trade back and forth. But, there were the houseguests from hell (a much younger cousin, his wife and kids). I asked before they stayed if I should get anything, and the answer was no. But, when one afternoon I was heading to the market, oh my, the list. Three cans of formula, a case of baby ick (jarred baby food), and three packages of the most expensive diapers. Some $100.00 later ($68 for them), I arrive home. Then they went out to do some shopping, and came home with a box of Krispy Kreme donuts, which contained exactly 1/2 a donut, and given that there were five kids here, and it was a rainy, gloomy afternoon, it was rather painful. Add to that, I told them what I had planned for dinner, which was just fine in words, but when the meal was served, she said that she would have to fix them something else, and did I mind if she rummaged through the freezer? THis was before they asked me to watch the kids the next afternoon for an hour or two and it was two days before they reappeared. (When they called the following year to let me know they'd be in town, I planned a quick trip to the cabin). People that tell you what they want and expect are more than welcome in my household!

Done that. And in a reversal of that theme, I've cleaned the mortar off my biggest trowel (used a disc grinder and a wire wheel) and used it as a fish spatula.Oh, and my brother-in-law built an attachment for his drill press so he can use it to stuff sausages. ← Next time he does this, please do be present and take a photo. Today's accomplishment. The teen has long hair. It clogs every drain. I used the vise grips to bend the end of a skewer so I could fish ths hair falls (YUK; there's a reason I have really short hair) out, then bent the skewer flat again.. Also, a layer of dishtowel (flour sack) doubled over a skewer gets into that skinny slice that holds the dryer vent and gets the wads of hair out, too. Skewers. Can never had enough of them. Now, if I could just figure out a kitchen use for my Leaf Hog.

I'm really bad. Always in a rut. And, the two piles of cookbooks are approaching step ladder and bench size (there are more cookbooks by my bed on the floor than on the cookbook right now . So, I rearranged the pile, and lo and behold, I'd forgotten I even own Breath of A Wok. I will peruse it tonight since I'm heading to the farmer's market tomorrow. So, I guess I will be making some plans, but since it is the last local farmer's market of the season, I want to make every purchase count.

Some days ago, I did the braised whole chicken with stuffing with baon on the top. Wow. What a great way to do a big chicken (6+ pounds). I riffed the stuffing from Paula's great Cooking of the Southwester France book and merely stuffed bread slices, coated with a mixture of walnut oil, garlic and thyme. The leftovers made a mighty tasty chicken pot pie, topped with biscuits (thanks Ann, for the recipe!).

Thanks for the link, Andi. I have often made Rice Waffles and always use leftover jasmine rice, which is pretty "glumpy" and pretty sweet. I'll have to try some of the other recipes. Chili on waffles. Hmmm. I just put a mess of leftover chili in the freezer; the family doesn't know it, but they are in for an experiment! BTW, as I made waffles today on my neat-o keen-o Nordicware stovetop waffler, I was yet again amazed by how well it works, and how fast the recovery and cook time is (not to mention that I don't have to hunt for a cord, and it is slim and easy to store).

Oh, Kris: Salads and other food have to be on separate plates, or you need to wash the plates in between. I gak or hork every time some sauce encroaches on my salad. ICK. Maybe I need divided plates...

I've been to two really fun rehearsal dinners. One was at a friend of the bride's house, and catered by an excellent Mexican restaurant. The other was a backyard party, and I supplied a smoked brisket. Both of these allowed the guests to really mingle with each other, and because they were casual, they really made everyone go into the wedding day far more relaxed. Ours was at a nice restaurant, and we did not have a set menu, but everyone ordered off of the regular menu.

Andrea, thank you so much for the piece. Your story really hit home; as a farang growing up in Thailand (not a miliary brat; my dad was an ag economist with a private foundation, with a specialty in rice economics), I remember well the fall of Saigon. I was a senior in high school, and it devastated many of us. But, I digress. Thanks for for the links. I have checked out every Vietnamese cookbook my library has to offer, and have just ordered yours. What I so loved what your description of the carmelization process! And, given the huge Hmong population in the Twin Cities, I have easy access to things that many can't find. Please, however, do tell me what is your comfort food? And, when your family gets together, what do you all want?

If they were all in a cassoulet it would be no problem but if the beans were seasoned with a flavor that I considered not to be complimentary to the duck and sausage and would not want them to touch. For example a Brazilian style black bean stew and Bratwurst would never be on the same plate. ← Bingo! (or if the uncomplimentary foods were on the same plate, it had better be a darned large plate and no juices should co-mingle).

The only time my food can touch is when it is curry or a stir fry on rice, or a sauce with pasta. They get a kick out of me at Thankgiving meal, because heaven forbid that the salad and the gravy and mashed potatoes should mingle (OK, so I'll give on the gravy on mashed potatoes). I like alternating bites of things, but please, oh please, don't let them mingle!

Bruce: My copy of Thai Food. Sigh. I was sitting on the big rock at the end of the dock at our cabin, and a kid threw a tennis ball for a visiting dog. The ball hit me in the head, I dropped the book, and the dog slid the book into the water. All the way down to 20 feet off the granite rock. I now read paperback trash on the rock. Rice noodles. I am lucky in that I can get fresh ones in three widths -- about 1/4", a little wider, and then sheets that are 8" wide. But, I have used dried, and just soaked them first. I think stir frying these noodles can be a challenge. Austin -- any chance you could post a photo of kraphrao? What do the stems look like? My local asian market has a wall o fridge cases with all sorts of leaves.

When I stopped at the farmer's market the other day, I was very late getting there, and I needed leeks. The lady was eager to get rid of them (last day of the local satellite farmer's market), so I got almost a bushel of them for $3.00. Now, we love leeks, but I have enough to feed an army, or else my family eats nothing but leeks for the next two weeks. Can I cut them up, saute them, ziplock them in appropriate sized amounts and freeze them?

Lucy, how long did it take you to bone the necks?

Chris, when you cure your lop yuk, do you remove the belly skin first?

Ah Leung, this might be a good opportunity for you to tell us about the different kinds of wrappers. I am finding all sorts of recipes for wrappers, and heaven knows, my local Asian market has about six kinds of them (at least). There are ones that are thinner, ones that are thicker, etc., etc. Which wrappers do you use for what? I'm pretty much set on making my own, because although I have good luck pleating potstickers with premade (and purchased in the frozen area), when I make sui mai, I have no luck, and I think it would be easier to get the nice tight top not (or waist, in the case of sui mai) is the dough was fresh made and more pliable.

Since Pam has raised the bar for me, can someone provide a rough translation for the dough recipe? What kind of flour? High gluten, all-purpose, or bread flour? Soup dumplings are on the docket here for later this week, once the kids are back in school (holiday here).

Click here for a picture of my bread and the story. My chest is puffing with pride because for the first time in my life, my bread has holes.

Bruce, thanks for continuing to bump up this topic, and you have inspired me to check out Thai Food from the library (until I can justify buying it yet again; my former copy is resting nicely at the bottom of a MN lake). I hauled out a hunk of venison tonight to thaw, and when I get the book tomorrow, I see Thai Food on the table tomorrow night!