kayb

Oooohhh. Thanks for bumping that one back up. Trying it with pecans.

Picked up carryout t'other night from the local barbecue purveyor. Decided I didn't want it. Had lunch from it the next day. This is one of the better carryout deals I've found. The "Buddy Pack" nets you a pound of pulled pork, four big buns, and a pint each of baked beans, slaw and potato salad, along with sauce, for a bit more than $20.

Question, as I have not yet used my IP for a pot roast, one of my most-loved cool-weather dinners. I like the flavor of my potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with my roast. At what point would you recommend adding them? And would you do a natural pressure release, then open and add, then bring back to pressure for the remainder of the cook, and natural release again? How long in both phases of the cook? I love an oven braised pot roast, but am anxious to try one via IP.

Ask and you shall receive. This is an outstanding crabmeat cheesecake from the Palace Cafe in New Orleans. "click"

Fascinating. Anxiously awaiting the next installment.

What a gorgeous plate!

My Anova and my Instant Pot.

I am now well and truly set for Christmas. Today, I secured a full half-pound of American hackleback sturgeon caviar, harvested from the White River in Arkansas near Georgetown, which is near where the White comes down out of the mountains, quits being a trout stream, and becomes a broad, sluggish Delta channel home to spoonbill catfish, buffalo, gar and sturgeon. Jesse George at George's Fish Market in Marvell, AR (Marvell is also noteworthy for being the home of Levon Helm, if you're interested) has been selling Arkansas caviar for more than 40 years. He ships about 5,000 pounds a year, down from a high of 10,000 only because it's hard to get seasonal help to process it during the short window it's available -- from a week or so before Thanksgiving to a week or so after New Year's. Most of what he sells goes either to one of the big domestic caviar marketers or to restaurants who have been buying from him for ages. But some he sells out the back door of his market to people like me, who just show up. I took a chance and drove down today, because I knew fishing had been good the past few sunny, calm, mild days and nights, and that weather was moving in that might change that. It's about an hour and a half from where I live, and I had a stop I needed to make in between, anyway. Fortunately, I caught him at the market. I had a choice of paddlefish (spoonbill cat) or hackleback. I chose hackleback, at $10.75 an ounce, vs. paddlefish, at $7.50, after Mr. George kindly let me taste each. I hadn't gotten halfway home before I was wishing I'd gone ahead and bought a pound. I will start off Christmas with latkes, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and caviar. With prosecco. Christmas dinner mid-afternoon for the fam will include deviled eggs and caviar. And there will be caviar and prosecco again for breakfast on New Year's Day.

An old post that I apparently never posted. Rotini with smoked salmon alfredo sauce. Meh. Sauce was too rich, and the smokiness of the salmon got lost. Last night, as I'd been in the kitchen all day making Christmas goodies, I opted for a bean soup with some RG beans I had cooked and in the fridge. Sauteed onion, garlic and carrots; added 12 oz of smoked sausage, sliced; added half a small cabbage, shredded; when it wilted, added about three cups of cooked Ojo de Cabra, Alubia Blanca and Domingo Rojo; the latter two I'd cooked for a salad that never got made. Added a cup of chicken stock. Cooked on "soup" setting for 15 minutes. Cabbage was way too soft; I'd probably saute it separately and stir it in before serving next time. Flavor was excellent, though. I can see the IP is going to encourage my tendency to start out with a dish and only a vague idea of where said dish is going to end up....

I started in sous vide with a Side Kic circulator, which, I believe, is no longer available. It bit the dust after a year or two, and I replaced it with an Anova, which appears to be much more sturdily made and is at close to the same price point. It serves for everything I want to do as a (still) novice SV home cook. I love it dearly. Mine has bluetooth, which I have never used, but does not have WiFi, which I see no use for. The temp settings are easy, and the readout is clear and easy to read. My vacuum sealer is a FoodSaver, I forget the exact model, but one of the lower-end ones. I periodically have to take the foam seals out, rinse and squeeze them in clear water, clean out the channels, and then put them back in. It doesn't always pull a hard vacuum, especially with irregularly shaped things, but it serves my purposes. I think I paid around $80 for it, new. Hope that helps.

Three words for you: Bacon. Fat. Gingersnaps. I ran across this recipe in the New York Times' cooking section, and stared at it, off and on, for two days before I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl. Now, as I am a proper Southerner, I always, ALWAYS have a crock of bacon grease at the ready (can't cook without it). So I microwaved that to liquefy it, and strained out 3/4 of a cup, which I promptly refrigerated. That, in turn, went into the food processor with sugar, flour, an egg, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. I went exactly (as best I recall) by the recipe; next time, I might sub 1/4 cup butter for part of the bacon fat (I use Wright's bacon almost exclusively, and it's very salty and very smoky), and I might up the spices just a bit, and I'd certainly reduce the salt. But these babies are GOOD. I rolled the dough into about one-inch balls, which in turn baked up into about vanilla-wafer sized cookies, and about two of those will do you with a good cup of coffee. The recipe will make between 4 dozen and 5 dozen of this size cookie. When they cool, they're quite crisp, though mine never flattened out as much as the ones in the NYT pic. Definitely a keeper, and a most intriguing addition to the Christmas gift baskets!

rotuts, first step in the IP, second step stovetop. First because the IP was busy, and second because there was way too much apple puree for the IP. And yes, those are Arkansas Black apples bobbing in the sink.

I can report the Instant Pot does an admirable job of cooking apples for apple butter. Steam for 20 minutes on high pressure, natural release. Perfect. I can also report 20 pounds of apples makes a s***load of apple butter. I'm about to be on my fourth Instant Pot of apple quarters. Cooking them quartered, unpeeled, uncored (to preserve all the natural pectin) with vinegar and sugar, food milling them, then cooking the puree with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and more sugar for the final product. Puree is much thicker and will take much less time to cook down than with conventional stovetop prep, since I cut back from a half-cup each of vinegar and water to 1/3 up vinegar and about half that much water. Arkansas Black apples, my preference for apple butter. Cooked in Instant Pot, 20 minutes on steam. It's likely to be tomorrow before I can them. Thank God for an extra fridge.

Similar to Comeback Sauce, although I never had Comeback Sauce with curry powder in it. My go-to recipe for comeback sauce, which is a necessity with ham croquettes or any kind of fish cakes, is here.

I've cooked my first rice -- a bit stickier and wetter than from my old el cheapo rice cooker, maybe -- and my initial foray into Rancho Gordo beans. Ojo de Cabra, cooked per Steve's suggestion with just a little salt, pepper, garlic and onion, and olive oil, and served with a scoop of rice, a squeeze of lime juice, a diced avocado half, and some feta cheese. I am as satisfied as if I had had a 12-oz ribeye. Those beans are a revelation. That's soy sauce on the rice. Because I like soy sauce on my rice.

Will be interested to hear reports on the yogurt-making, Shelby.

Rotini with smoked salmon alfredo sauce. Meh. Sauce was too rich, and the smokiness of the salmon got lost.

The damned Instant Pot is costing me money. I decided that, since I had a pressure cooker for the first time in ages, I needed to buy some Rancho Gordo beans, which I could now cook without having to plan it the night before and soak. So I betook myself to the Rancho Gordo site. And all the bean varieties are so pretty and so fascinating that I kept clicking "add to cart," and when I got through, I had, well, about 8 or 9 different packages. They arrived midweek. And I was intimidated enough by them that I thought, "You can't just throw those in there with a hamhock," so I ordered the Rancho Gordo cookbook, which should be here Friday. We will have beans this weekend.

My Instant Pot was my Christmas present to myself. Used it for beef stew, so far. I'm pleased.

After delaying the beef stew for an evening when a dinner guest had to cancel, we had it last night. Very good. Can't say any better than my usual beef stew, but certainly quicker, easier, and less trouble. Wow. I can buy chicken livers all day, every day, for $1.99 a pound, here in the home of Tyson. Wish I could figure out how to ship some to you. I have, in fact, half a pound in the fridge left over from making pate that I either need to freeze or throw out. I want to try this bolognese sometime soon.

I highly approve. I had salsa with grated cheddar in it.

Thanks for all the answers. I have been very pleased with the flavor, and have enjoyed the pate!

BV -- I want a cheese board with the mouse! Fond of the flatware, as well.

Taking my IP on its maiden voyage tonight. Beef stew. Will report. ETA: I just checked Amazon to send the link to a friend who is interested. While on the listing of different models the LUX shows $104 and change, when you click on it, it comes up for $75. In case anyone is waiting to pull the trigger.

Candy. I had candy for dinner last night. And wine. I'm a little ashamed. But not too much.