kayb

There are two issues at play. One, there's no infrastructure for it. No canneries, no freezer plants. And you can't entice anyone to build one if they don't see a ready supply of fruits and veggies to feed into it. That's why I'm trying to focus initially on getting fresh produce production started; less point-of-origin infrastructure needed, just refrigerated transport, and we have plenty of access to that. The second issue is somewhat more problematic. Traditional economic development incentives have been geared toward manufacturing and distribution, and more recently toward technology. Very little out there for agri producers unless there's a value-added segment (canning, freezing) in the production chain. Trying to get THAT locomotive to change direction is...not easy. But yeah, I'm working on it. I needed a new windmill at which to tilt, anyway.

Made an interesting soup t'other night. It started out somewhat like French onion soup....caramelized onions, added some wine. Had mushrooms I needed to use, so I threw those in while the onions were caramelizing. Decided I wanted it to be beefy, so I put some stew beef in the IP with water and a little bouillon base and cooked it. Transferred the onions and mushrooms to the IP. Added some farro toward the end because, well, it seemed like a good idea. Very hearty, stick-to-your-ribs style soup. Went a tad heavy on the herbs de Provence.

What are the specialties at your restaurant? Please tell us about them, and it!

I named the first calf we ever raised for slaughter (after I helped deliver him). Could NOT eat Frosty. Never named another one.

Extremely forgettable food at the political fundraiser/watch party. Good beer, though, from the local homebrew club. Had a pineapple cider that was quite excellent. Came home at halftime, but couldn't be bothered to fix anything else to eat.

That makes me cringe. Big-time.

It was sleeting here earlier tonight. Wonder how quickly I can book a flight down your way.... Have to be out of town on business the next 3 days. Need to pull my brisket out of the freezer and get it thawed and brining when I get back, I guess. Best I recall, it's a nice sized piece, so I'll split it into corned beef and pastrami, now that I have the smoker. (And the next place I'm contemplating going, on business, is Denver at the end of February. It snows and such in Denver, the end of February. A lot. I may have lost my mind.)

There'll be much corning of beef going on. Another recipe will be most well accepted.

Thanks. Saved it! Cooking pork shoulder tonight, but I'm jonesing for German, so it's going to be braised in cider with caraway, juniper berries and allspice. Served with egg noodles, red cabbage, and cucumber salad.

There are, indeed, reasons to go to WalMart. I try to go early in the morning, during the week, when the level of "people of Walmart" is lowest. I buy several OTC meds there, as they are much cheaper; shampoo and hair spray; cleaners. I will also buy canned or bagged foods that are purchased from a wholesaler. What I will NOT buy is any kind of meat or fresh veggie. The quality is horrendous.

Will go back and chase that down, but I'd love to have your homemade char siu recipe. Thanks!

I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of cooked greens -- any of 'em, from spinach on down. But I did cook some mustard greens for New Year's Day, a nod to tradition and for my daughter the greens-eater. Have to confess they were less objectionable than collards or turnip greens or poke sallet or kale or spinach or... Got mustard by virtue of the fact they were the ones I could get in the smallest quantity.

Those are just lovely. Got a recipe you'd like to share?

I can tell you that Tyson, Pilgrims and Sanderson are all in COMPLETE control of the price of their poultry (the grower gets whatever they give him; it's as close to slave labor as you can get). There at least used to be a fair bit of crossover membership among the boards of the three. Don't know if there still is or not. All of which goes to say, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

With you, @Anna N. Can't find anything in it to like.

Tuna poke and lobster rolls. Best offer I've seen. I'd love to try to make that one.

Carved the underside of the last joint of my ring finger halfway to the bone on a mandolin. Cut a sizeable wedge-shaped flap off the side of my thumb immediately after having my knives sharpened, as I was trying to get the pit out of an avocado. Slit the palm of my hand trying to pry apart two frozen hamburger patties. Vast majority of those and other smaller mishaps due to my own inattention.

"...the mistake of going to Costco hungry..." Boy, do I know THAT one. Even though I don't have a Costco. Sams and Kroger are about as bad.

I'm going to a watch party that's also a fundraiser for a Congressional candidate, so whatever they serve. Some of my faves to have served in the past include: Pulled pork sliders Ham and cheese rolls Reuben sandwich loaf (triple rye bread, rolled thin, layered with corned beef, kraut, cheese, thousand island, and the edges of the bread sliced into strips and woven over the top and baked) Boiled fingerling potatoes, cut in half and topped with sour cream and caviar Beer-candied bacon A nice variety of cheese and charcuterie on a big board Crostini and my favorite fig tapenade. A big pot of vegetable beef soup Brownies Not necessarily all on the same menu, but those are some that have gotten good reviews over the years.

Could not turn down the brunch cookbook. I love brunch recipes -- just reading and salivating over them, let alone cooking them.

Oh, yum.

I wish I liked bell pepper. I love the look of stuffed peppers. But I can't stand that bell pepper taste.

There are arguments to be made in both directions. If there is a site that I know I can find every variety of spicy condiment, I'm going to go to that site when I want something spicy, regardless of what else it has or does not have. I'm sure there are people to whom an all-spicy site would be attractive. It would also have the effect of limiting your inventory and thus your cash investment in stock. But for me personally, I like to browse, and I'm likely to buy more of "oh, that looks good" than what I went to the site for. So the broader site is more appealing to me. I think it's a balance you have to strike with how much money you want to invest in ongoing inventory.

The dog does not look a bit sorry. I hope his/her stomach wasn't too upset. The cake is a work of art, as are all your confections. I am in awe.

Ah. I should have realized that. Used to see them around this part of the world; haven't in a long time.