kayb

I order sandwiches like that right regularly, particularly when ordering barbecue. A barbecue plate (meat, sides, Texas toast or roll) is usually too much meat, but not really enough to save for another meal. If I get a sandwich plate with no bun, it's just right on the meat portion.

Two experiments and an old standby, dehydrated tomatoes. Wound up with a cup of Romas and red grape tomatoes, and a cup of Sungolds. Experiment No. 1. Dried sage and basil. Certainly smells stro.ger and fresher than the commercial variety. Think I will store it in the freezer. Any advice? Experiment No. 2. Sauercorn. Had six ears in the fridge that needed to be used. Regular 3 per cent brine. We'll see in a week.

The CSO is assuredly magical. Max's looks like the kind of place I do not need to go in. "I'll have" one of each, please!

No recent cooking as I've been out of town for several days due to a death in the family. Did eat dinner with friends a couple of evenings; @rotuts will sympathize with me that I ate stuffed bell peppers -- except I ate the stuffing (which was venison-based and very good) and left the peppers. Another night was ribs, cooked in a smoker and then finished on a hot grill -- very, very good, with perhaps a tad more kick from cayenne than I would prefer. And a slab of absolutely marvelous, moist, strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese ice cream. I did notice the pear tree up home, which has not borne any pears for the last couple of years, is loaded down. There will be much pear preserve making this fall! I guess the old tree (it's near 50 years old) has to rest a couple of years in between big crops. It will be pear harvest time in mid-September.

If that had a few slices of ripe tomato with it. it would be as close to as breakfast could get. Have been out of town for an unplanned four-day trip (death in the family). Made some bacon, eggs, home fries one morning for breakfast, along with some biscuits.Was quite excellent. Can't get my phone to transfer the pic, sadly.

Cooler weather has lessened the incidence of blossom end rot on the tomatoes. Cucumbers have slowed down somewhat. I have a good crop of lima beans on the vines, but they aren't filling out yet. Green beans are slow to come along.

The promised shrimp and beer. I got through almost the whole pound.

Not that you need any suggestions on what to do with either that cheese or that steak...but the best steak I ever had was seared on the grill, and once it was flipped, topped with some caramelized onions and crumbles of blue cheese. I love burgers that way, too.

That tuna roll is a thing of beauty. As is the sunset.

Ooohh. That sounds wonderful. I've done pork with ancho peach sauce that was to die for. My favorite stuffing is rehydrated dried apples, sauteed onions, some caraway, and soaked and pulverized rye berries. I've braised that in apple juice, which I then reduced down to a syrupy glaze.

Ah. I shall do that.

As I'd been making pickles all day, I didn't want to cook, so we tried a new Asian takeout place. Chinese-American standards, as well as some Thai and Korean. I had "chicken bulgogi." Very good, tiny strips of chicken sauteed in bulgogi sauce that was appropriately sweet with more than a touch of heat to it. Steamed rice. Child A had sweet and sour chicken and pronounced it very light and fresh. We may have found a keeper. No delivery, but it's convenient to pick up.

Swooning over the schnitzel...

Dunno. If anyone sees a Kitchenaid or Cuisinart hand mixer go on a deal, shoot me a PM, wouldja? That forwards to my email.

Pickling! What will be kosher dills, about to go in salt-water brine and ready to ferment. Sweet pickles-to-be that will soak in brine overnight.

I will be on vacation. I will check it and likely order my mixer while I'm there, but I wish I could get it to notify me when special deals popped up on something specific I'm interested in.

Had to bite on the paella cookbook. I love paella. Should make it more often.

Kira has grown so much since you first took us on vacation with you!

Count yourself fortunate.

Oh boy, oh boy -- vacation again! Looking forward.

With you. That stuff is horrible. That said, I am loving my Paderno, purchase facilitated by @chocdoc.

To No. 2 -- yes. I line my tray with foil all the time. Just easier. Everything that comes out of the CSO goes in the dishwasher. To No. 1 -- probably. You could finish it on broil or convection ro crispify it further.

I started out on my first batch of pickles for the season, as well. They're currently overnighting in a bath of lime water. Then they'll get rinsed and overnighted in ice water, then cooked in brine and jarred. These will be sweets, some of them sweet-hots; I still have some of the cucumbers to work up, and those will become half-sours, but I've run out of gas.That's tomorrow's preserving adventure. I'll set them to fermenting in the jars. K.

Ka-CHING!

Fascinating. May have to try this.