weinoo

I have to be honest...I have always had second, and third, and fourth thoughts about scooping olives or anything else out of anything people have touched. Because too many people are basically disgusting.

You know, I started reading (okay, going down the rabbit hole) about "mini-starters," small sourdough starters, etc. etc. I mean, from esteemed sources for sure. King Arthur sure seems to be writing a lot about it. So do our friends at Cook's Illustrated (and they've got a #hashtag!): Make Your Own Mini Sourdough Starter With the #Quarantinystarter Project I wonder if they were reading eGullet, oh I dunno, 11 years ago? Sam explained it in greater detail in the post preceding mine. He also debunked the equal parts refreshment theory, but I guess Cook's Illustrated and King Arthur haven't gotten around to that yet.

Hmmmm, where have I heard this before? Oh yeah, I'm totally on that bandwagon. Actually, I think I get pretty nice flavor (no, purists, not sourdough flavor) from a biga and a pretty nice, slow fermentation.

Here's one I picked up on eBay... Fun to read and grab some ideas from. Remember, travel used to be fancy!

I had a couple of Yukon Golds which needed cooking... My first attempt at rösti. Being a dope, I tried to get a little fancy by cooking it in oil and ramp butter; the ramps burned a little bit on the right hand side. Still really delicious, and basically potatoes, salt and pepper. And the cooking oils. Roasted 2 halves (used the back and wing tips and ends of drumsticks for the stock pot) of a Poulet Rouge, perhaps my favorite chicken; they're just so good. Also threw 2 additional wings onto the sheet pan, from another bird (Empire Kosher) I was cutting up to make the stock. The poulet rouge skin crisps us so beautifully; this bird was done in 30 minutes at high heat convection, in the regular oven. Plated like a 5-year old... Significant Eater gets the breast and wing attached; I get the leg thigh and of course an extra wing! Peas with yellow and orange carrots; peas are frozen baby peas, carrots are fresh. Cooked in a little stock and more ramp butter, cause why not?

How'd you slice the skirt steaks for everyone but yourself??!! 🤣 You two catered a family wedding?!! Boy, that is taking some chances!! There was a little Italian restaurant, name of which I'm forgetting, on 1st Avenue down around 2nd or 3rd St. - you must know it? They did the whole eggplant, grilled and split open and seasoned with olive oil etc. - it was really great.

Oh oui, elle l'est en effet!

Oui, absolument.

There were 5 scallops in my order - weighed 1/2 lb, so pretty good size. We each get two (ok, don't tell Significant Eater, but I eat the 5th one alone, in the kitchen - just to make sure it's properly cooked!).

My delivery a few days ago included some lovely local asparagus... I went quite classic with it, asparagus vinaigrette. Then I went classic with this... Duck cracklings. I used the skin for the cracklings because I also made a duck and sausage ragu... Casarecce with said duck and sausage ragu. Gotta get healthy after all that, no? Scallops were delivered (from Fresh Direct, actually, and pretty darn good). I sautéed them in ramp butter. Made the rice in the donabe, with ginger, mushrooms, scallions and dashi/mushroom stock blend. Glazed Tokyo turnips and radish along with the turnip greens alongside.

I like what Jacques does with them. Fromage Fort.

Yep - I was confused or read it differently. Yes, we go to a place called Sobaya (or, we used to go to a place...). Always bring the soba dishwater, which we never really have liked. That sounds quite lovely and I have a jar of those chilis in the fridge! Well, sounds lovely...except for the mayonnaise on that sandwich.

Can you explain this? I've never, in all the years and all the cookbooks, seen anything about soda and Italian in the same sentence.

is that mayonnaise or butter on that bottom slice? I don't know if I want to know what's on the top slice of bread, and I'm hoping there's some mustard or at least vinaigrette somewhere.

That's why I started using my feet.

I'm gonna sound like an advertisement, but when Great-Alaska substitutes, or when they have subbed a product for another out-of-stock product, it has been something of equal or greater value. In equal or greater amounts. I don't doubt that, but what I've found is that cooking in the steam oven, at low temperatures, gives a pretty good finished product.

What was their response to not having the halibut, @SLB? I've heard very good things about that salmon as far as taste goes! There are quite a few Alaskan seafood suppliers; I guess it's hard to know which one is the "best," and I guess it depends on what you're looking to eat. Also, most of these places were doing this type of shipping way before the pandemic buying, so they know what they're doing. My friends who have ordered and eaten the stuff from Great-Alaska have all thanked me for recommending it; just don't order the smoked stuff (I didn't like it much), just order the fresh frozen.

I think some of the original ones may have been made of tin? What a great gadget though.

Trust me, I'm in the same slow boat. Read the manual, over and over and over...

Made in France, it's called a mouli-julienne. Precursor to the food processor.

\ The ramps came within a delivery of a week's worth of produce. The local stuff includes them, 3 kinds of mushrooms, spring onions, green garlic, leeks, asparagus, butter, lettuces, Tokyo turnips, rainbow carrots, herbs, and more. The more distant stuff includes 2 artichokes, endive, avocados, celery, Spanish and red onions, potatoes and more. I spend some time trimming things down, in order to fit them neatly in the fridge. And then all those trimmings get used. The veg stock comes in handy for, say, mushroom risotto or something along those lines.

I'm so predictable. Home grown toast, well buttered. Smoked Irish salmon. Persian cuke. Cara Cara orange (and this might be the last one - sniff, sniff).

The other night, a sorta kinda light dinner was necessary - I think we had duck for lunch, so... I had some nice mushroom/vegetable stock, so made a miso mushroom spring veg soup. Served with it... Some focaccia and sautéed broccolini. Jeez, I'm almost a vegetarian. Then, I got a delivery... Of those gorgeous ramps, among other spring alliums. Which meant... Spaghetti, with lots of ramps, baby garlic, spring onions and leeks, parmesan and bread crumbs. Needed some green stuff on the side... And topped the salad with some steam broiled wild shrimp.

Read the manual?

What's old is new again... Grating parmesan. Shredding carrots. For ease of use and price value, nothing beats this!