kayb

Dinner yesterday included three of four dishes made at least partially in the Instant Pot: Carnitas, using the recipe in Hip Pressure Cooking, here. I used the 7-pound pork shoulder roast I'd picked up at Aldi, cut it into six big chunks, marinated in dry rub overnight in the fridge, browned and added water, cooked for 90 minutes manual and NPR'd. Perfect shredding texture. Damn near filled up my six quart pot. Refried beans. Sauteed a finely minced onion and some garlic in the pot; added a one-pound bag of Rancho Gordo cranberry beans and six cups of water, along with about a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a half-teaspoon of cumin. Cooked on the "beans" setting, upping the time to 45 minutes. Added a teaspoon and a half of salt, mashed with a potato masher, transferred to a skilled and cooked down. Just damn near perfect. And Mexican rice. I forget the link for the recipe, and it doesn't matter, because it wasn't very good. No matter. There was plenty of everything else. I have more than a pound of carnitas and lots of beans left. We pretty much decimated the tomato/street corn pie.

Labor Day dinner a day early yesterday was, for whatever reason, Mexican themed: Tacos al pastor from carnitas; tomato and street corn pie, refried beans, rice. Washed down with a (not shown) Negra Modelo and a wedge of lime. Followed by abject misery of having eaten too much, and a nap.

Yes, it does. On my list of things to do today. I've been stuck on Rose Levy Beranbaum's potato bread of late, but I think I may try the milk bread someone posted, and I saved the recipe for, recently.

There are no words for the depth of my envy. But I am going to the Gulf and NOLA the end of October. There will be oysters, yes, there will. And seafood at every meal. And breakfast at Brennan's, which is worth the price of travel to NOLA.

Wow. Bathrooms with entertainment.

Just read it. Thanks. Will have to try next weekend.

OK, disregard question on the dinner thread. Glad you liked it!

So...how was it? Your verdict? Is the watermelon, in fact, indistinguishable from tomatoes? (Have a watermelon sitting in the dining room floor and pork steaks in the freezer...)

Makes sense. Oh, well; I guess you learn to use the local stuff! I misread your initial info; thought it said Puerto Rico. Still Costa Rica has to be a nicer place to be than the states in February...

Hi, Tropical Senior! You might look in to ordering spices from Penzey's or Spice House. Of course, if I had to choose between an array of spices and the beach...

Re: the swordfish Reuben. I had never heard of, or even considered, fish on a Reuben until I found it on the menu at a place in Murrell's Inlet, SC. Had to try it. Was somewhat amazed. Much better than I thought it would be. Of course, it was grouper, and I can't say I've ever had fresh grouper that wasn't good.

Made stewed tomatoes on a whim today, because I had some extra ones. Going to can them. Probably should've waited to add the bread crumbs until I was ready to use, but I didn't think of that at the time.

I'd be surprised if they dried in that length of time, unless that's one heckuva dehydrator. I've had moderate luck, though, drying cherry and grape tomatoes,halved, tossed olive oil and salt, and put on a rack in the oven at 250 overnight. I'd think I might slice the Romas, myself.

I am going to disregard the four I use, without fail, several times daily: the stove, the fridge and the coffeemaker and coffee grinder. Sticking to small electrical appliances, here, some that I would hate to be without are: 1. Steam convection oven. 2. Stand mixer 3. Sous vide circulator 4. Immersion blender 5. Instant Pot I use each of those several times a week. Used less frequently, but still quite valuable: Food processor Blender Electric kettle Foodsaver vacuum bagger Ice cream maker with freezable bowl Waffle iron In the realm of "handy, but could easily do without them": Spice grinder Toaster Rice cooker Slow cooker Electric skillet Electric griddle Warming tray

I love mine. But I'm scared to death of it. I use it with the handguard and while wearing a silicone oven glove. This after slicing a layer off the underside of my ring finger.

Being one of those who likes corn in most all applications, my first thought is, "well, why NOT corn on pizza?" And my next thought is some sort of iteration of Mexican street corn, with crema and cotija. And tomatoes. H'mmm. Retiring to ponder same.

Will be interested to hear how this turns out. Bought pork steaks specifically for this, and wound up using them with Blue Q sauce instead (and they're good that way!). But still want to try this. Have extra tomatoes. Stewed tomatoes may be on the list.

I don't pretend to be an expert on the matter. But in my experience. soppressata has always been more highly seasoned than salami. Or, scratch that -- HOTTER than salami. Dunno if that's a legit difference or just in what I've tried. I know I stay away from anything labelled "hot soppressata," because they ain't kiddin'.

No kiddin'. I bought, oh, I think four of 'em. Would have bought two or three more, but for the fact I already had them in hardback. The Cuban Table, Ad Hoc at Home, Bouchon, and New England Soup Factory. I already had Bayless and Pepin. And Vivian Howard in hardback. Contemplated Bourdain, and passed.

Don't have a photo, but made a trial run at chicken adobo last night in the Instant Pot. It was OK. Not superb, but OK. With jasmine rice, and sauteed ginger/soy squash and onions.

Also ordered a set of Messermeister steak knives yesterday, from the clearance section of Cutlery and More's website. I was reminded when we grilled steak last weekend that I don't care for my steak knives, so while I was thinking about it, I ordered some. Set of four, $49.99, regularly 99.99, plus another 20 percent off with a coupon offer from the site. Not familiar with Messermeister, but they had good reviews, and they have to be better than what I had.

Y'all may have my share of Hatch chiles. Chiles should be red. Green peppers taste...well, green.

@Duvel, you have me jonesing for another trip to Japan. Sigh. Soon, I hope.

Went to Aldi today. Could not turn down a boneless pork shoulder roast (7 pounds, so will have to freeze it until there's a crowd!) for $1.49 a pound.

My focus for the next month or six weeks will be on eating beef, to get the beef inventory down before the new beef comes in October.