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Duck confit just went in the bath. I'll give it probably 12 hours (or until I get to it in the morning). More details on duck confit thread when I get photos edited.

Yum. I need to make an International Market run. They have good Key limes, cheap, and I'm about to be jonesing for a good Key Lime pie. Meanwhile, I bought 20 pounds of flour at Aldi for $1.19 a five-pound bag, because I went to make muffins Sunday morning for Sunday school, and had NO flour except self-rising. Can't be running out of flour at this house. For good measure, I bought four pounds of butter at $2.99 a pound, too. Can always freeze that.

I loved working the ER when I was a Candystriper and later when I was going through EMT training as a young adult. My only problems came when I got invited to sew up a gentleman (and I use the term loosely) whose wife/girlfriend had stabbed him in the back...except she hit the shoulder blade, which resulted in a deep, ugly cut to the bone, but no major damage. Guy was drunk enough he didn't care who did what to him. I was five months pregnant. Had never been bothered by blood. Started to suture...and damn near fainted. Had to hand him off. Doctor laughed at me for days.

Primo. Just primo. Classic country fried steak.

Would love some more details on each of these. Particularly the bread. Welcome!

Those are grits.

I love the Bruno books! Beautiful, beautiful home and setting. Looking so forward to seeing/reading about your meals.

You can dice Spam and fry it with diced potatoes and make a reasonable hash alternative. We used to do that for camping breakfasts, as neither the potatoes nor the Spam required refrigeration. It's reasonably decent with plenty of black pepper and an over-easy egg on top.

I'm pretty sure that's un-American.

Can I just come live with y'all? I'll wash dishes!

Mushroom brandy sauce. Pan drippings, saute some minced shrooms, add a healthy splash or three of brandy, a little marjoram, and some beef stock. Pretty marvelous on anything from your fingers on up.

Thanks, Anna. I should have looked at his site before I asked. I'll go ahead and start them tomorrow, instead of waiting until Monday. They've been in the fridge curing since noonish today.

I hope we're doing pancakes Tuesday night at church -- haven't heard anyone say! Love the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper! For that, I'd move chicken and sausage gumbo to Monday.

Southern Gourmasian's chicken and dumplings are a thing of beauty. Trust me on this. I will often hunt that truck down when I'm in Little Rock on business just to eat them. Haven't tried their other offerings that have recipes listed.

Bumping this old thread up, as I have a question about duck confit. I've been gifted seven wild ducks; two mallards, sizeable, and five smaller ducks, probably teal or wood duck. I've plucked pinfeathers, salted and stuck in the fridge to cure. I plan to confit the entire duck for the smaller ones, and probably smoke the mallard breasts (which are close to the size of a small Pekin breast, but with very little fat, of course). My question is this: My duck went in the fridge in the dry brine about 15 minutes ago. How long should I cure it to take care of some of the "wild" taste? I plan to do the confit in the SV; I have frozen duck fat I'll thaw and add to the bags, since they have so little. Would I be well-served to SV the mallard breasts prior to smoking, to get a little tenderness going there, as wild duck is decidedly chewier than the tame variety? Anyone out there with any experience with confiting wild ducks? My only cooking experience with them has been braising breasts, or making duck gumbo. (I can, btw, make some FINE duck gumbo.)

Which would be reason enough for me never to live in Duluth. Can't be without my okra!

Those are the residents of Bentonville, AR, where the WalMart headquarters is located. Try living in a town of 10,000 where the largest employer employs a little more than 4,000. Mine was one of the few families that did not have an immediate member working for WalMart. (I just worked for Sam Walton's son, in one of his other businesses.)

On the basis that it has Arkansas, and therefore MIGHT have the Southern Gourmasian, which is the finest food truck known to modern man, it's worth a try at 99 cents.

Contemplating chicken and sausage gumbo for Fat Tuesday.

If it meant no more breakfasts like that, I'd be sad, too. This, however, makes me happy. I have had orange juice and coffee. I'm about to make a grocery run (because I am out of EVERYTHING, including laundry detergent, and I have no clean underwear!), and I will contemplate breakfast at that point.

I've read about these crusts. How'd it do with the toppings? I've contemplated trying one, as my daughter has celiac disease, and regular GF pizza dough leaves, well, something to be desired.

Yes, we grow lots of stone fruit, and no, no (or very little) citrus. I think we might could manage citrus in high-tunnel greenhouses. Re: use of space and "anyone can be a grower." I was amazed and impressed in Japan to see almostvall single family homes outside the cities using every square inch of yard space for fruit and vegetable production. I loved it.

Here's one that caught my eye as I was browsing through Local Palate. Looks lovely. I'm anxious for a visit myself, to try it.

You might think about shredded chicken instead of beef. I think that's more traditionally served with cocoa (mole) sauce.

Thanks! The kids enjoy mama's Sunday dinners. And I enjoy cooking them.