curls

Thanks Rob! Hadn't realized that La Tienda has a store front in Williamsburg, Virginia (about a 2 1/2 hour drive but would make for a nice outing one weekend). Yes, I was surprised that I could not find it at WF... will seek out a store manager and find out more. I have not tried a health food co-op but that is probably the way to go. Thank you for the mention of Zocalo mesquite - I was shying away from that since it is Peruvian vs. New Mexican. I think I'll give Zocalo a try and then try some of the Southwest resources that Smithy recommended. I also need to check out some more of the ethnic grocery stores... the regular markets used to carry fresh corn tortillas (not fried tortilla chips) and I can't find them any more either. Might have to start ordering masa and learning how to make my own corn tortillas. Strange things are going on in the grocery markets. ;-)

@Smithy thank you very much for the links! Looking forward to trying out the recipes in Rob's book. @gfron1 it is possible that I am looking in the wrong section of the local grocery stores (Wegmans, Whole Foods, Shoppers Food)... I have been checking the baking section and the gluten free aisle. I know that I should be able to find a lot of these ingredients in the Washington DC area, we have tons of offerings in the local grocery stores and the specialty markets but when there is little time to check out all the local markets, the internet is a wonderful resource.

I would really like to try making the chocolate chip cookies but have yet to be able to find mesquite flour in any of my local stores. Has anybody tried these cookies yet? Any recommended online suppliers of mesquite flour?

All great ideas, thank you! Those bat wings look very creepy. Did not realize that I could make stacked enchiladas in the slow cooker -- will definitely try this out a home & once I have worked out the kinks this could be my go-to office potluck meal.

Thank you @blue_dolphin those are some great ideas.

Trying to come up with ideas & dishes for an office potluck. Would prefer to bring in a main or side dish (and not a dessert but dessert is an option). This needs to be gluten free and bonus points are awarded if this has a Halloween theme to it. I can bring in a crock pot and have access to a fridge and a microwave. Not prepared to bring in my Instant Pot to work. Was thinking about bringing in chili but would like to avoid having to bring in all the chili toppers... so this idea is on the back burner for now. What are your thoughts?

@Jim D. do you let the caramels skin over before trying to cap them? If you aren't doing this already, it may helping with your caramel bon bon issue.

I'm curious about your experiment. My suspicion is that you will make some wonderful beef sandwiches but they won't be Baltimore pit beef. Let us know how this works out for you.

@Smithy, my signed copy showed up today too!!! It is here, it is real! Looking forward to diving in to the book & extras. Here is a pic of the book without its dust coverlet, isn't she a beauty. :-)

Thank you for translating @JohnT.

@Anna N I'll try to get a translation to you tomorrow, very busy day today! Should be able to do it before the end of the week.

Are you requesting a translation of the directions? If so, would you please post some additional photos with a better shot of the package directions.

How about this one: The Pampered Chef Square Bread Tube? Little shorter than you were looking for but other than that it fits your specs and it is metal.

Beef Carbonnade made in the Instant Pot using this recipe, .http://dadcooksdinner.com/2016/04/pressure-cooker-beef-carbonnade.html/ Really liked the way this came out... can see myself making this a few more times during the winter.

Ha, I sooooo couldn't resist... getting a book and got a ticket to her book tour / food truck event. Will be meeting Vivian Howard when she visits Virginia! :-) Tour details here http://www.vivianhoward.com/deep-run-roots/#.

@cakewalk thank you for your advice. I made the epicurious version of Marcy Goldman's honey cake recipe and decreased the baking powder from 1 tablespoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons. It is a very tasty honey cake. :-)

@cakewalk that recipe is on my list to bake today or tomorrow! Very glad to hear that you like it. Any tweaks or do you make it per the original recipe (http://www.betterbaking.com/viewRecipe.php?recipe_id=368)?

Vivian Howard is doing a book tour with a food truck. Sounds like a good idea. Wonder if it will actually be easier for her to cook this way vs. cooking in guest kitchens. Tour details here http://www.vivianhoward.com/deep-run-roots/#.

Tried the IP out tonight on some Jasmine rice, very happy with the result! Cooked via the pot-in-pot minute - 1 part rinsed rice to 1 part water - at high pressure for 1 minute & then slow release (let the pressure come down on its own).

I have not ordered from them but Pastry Chef Central (http://www.pastrychef.com/Ingredients_c_7.html) has offices in Boca Raton & carries Cacao Barry. Anyplace in Florida is within their 1 day shipping range and they ship by UPS Ground.

Was invited to an Oktoberfest party... brought along some beer & pretzel toffee.

The astronaut mold is actually a silicone mold -- not a solid mold. So, you can just push it out of the holder & turn it inside out to release the popsicle. I think it would have worked great with a super solid filling (the coconut cream made my mix a little creamy & softer than a pure fruit juice mix). As for the calamondin/calamansi, I purchased the tree/bush/shrub at the local nursery & as soon as it got warm enough, put the potted plant outside. It has been doing very well. I will bring it back inside for the winter & if it survives, back outside it will go as soon as it is warm enough. Many people seem to do quite well with them in colder climes if they bring the plant indoors during the winter. When I lived in Florida, we just had one in the yard, and it flourished. You can make wonderful marmalade with it if you are willing to deal with extracting all the pits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamondin

Finally tried out my new popsicle molds with a pineapple, coconut, and calamondin mix. I definitely need more practice getting these out of the mold! Will find out tomorrow if I have better luck with the more traditionally shaped popsicles. Still, such a cute mold (if I may say so).

@Porthos thanks for the tip about Costco & the rear ledge uprights. @dcarch thanks for the Home Depot link. It is nice to have two local solutions and avoid shipping costs. Mail order I have found a good selection at ULine, WebRestaurant, and Seville Classics (thanks for the mention @KitchenQueen, I did not know about them).