weinoo

I'm having some sleep (or lack thereof) issues lately, bue to some recent lower back surgery, so I have been watching some very late night TV stuff. Last night, an episode or two of Parts Unknown. Sadly, one can certainly hear, both in the tone of his voice, and in his words, how lonely he was. He also talks about his feelings about being unable to communicate with most everyone.

First of all, Merry Christmas to all. This stuff, about deli containers, got me thinking... I have Tupperware and Rubbermaid containers which are years old. Decades even, in certain cases, I'm sure. And plenty of takeout containers from (mostly) Chinese restaurants, usually given with soup noodles, etc. etc. Always washed in the dishwasher, for all those years. Then a friend was giving my some shit about the quart containers, when he saw that I had used 4 of them for my recent IP stock making, claiming, you know, how bad they are for you, blah blah blah. Interestingly, I did a little research, and of course BPAs and god-knows-what-else are bad for you, and certainly using these types of containers in the microwave is probably not great - though we don't own a microwave, so I don't have to worry about that, though pouring boiling hot soup into them is probably also a not-great idea. Now, the Chinese restaurant containers, and most everything else made out of plastic and used for food, has a little symbol with a number in it, on the bottom, allegedly attesting to how the container is best recycled (or not, as the case may be). There are other symbols and letters on the bottom of containers too; you could spend hours looking at this stuff; the whole idea being that I'd like to at least start storing my food in the safest containers possible; obviously glass and stainless being at the top of that list, but not always practical for kitchen use. So - where am I headed with all this? Oh yeah - I decided I was gonna replace all my old stuff, because a: it's old and b: It's been washed, in the dishwasher, like hundreds of times, and that can't make it any better. So on to Amazon I went, and a buying spree ensued. I also started by looking at how various storage products were rated, on sites like Cook's Illustrated's, et al. And I started with these: Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container, 14-Piece Set and these: OXO Good Grips Smart Seal Leakproof Glass Food Storage Container, in various sizes. Holy shit, both products are light years beyond the old Tupperware/Rubbermaid stuff. The lids are amazingly tight, that Tritan plastic used in the Rubbermaid Brilliance is amazing, and OXO just generally makes stuff that I like; these glass storage containers totally fall into that category. I threw out almost all of the old stuff (I'll keep a few of the restaurant containers, to give away leftovers for sure); but man, these products are game changers.

I'd been wanting to make this type of dish for a while... "Soupy" rice. Started by browning andouille, then added onions, carrots, celery. Saffron, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves. Bomba rice. Zucchini added towards the end, so it maintained a little texture. The whole thing took about 45 minutes, start to finish, after we'd been out for a few glasses of wine and no food The homemade chicken stock elevates a dish like this to a whole different level, in my opinion.

I get mine from Chinese takeout and/or delivery.

Easily one of my favorite uses of the Instant Pot is for: Stock making. Bought two old birds at one of the Hong Kong supermarkets, for $4.34. An hour and a half later, 3.5 quarts of beautiful, rich, gelatinous, and yes, delicious, chicken stock. I see paella, risotto, and who knows what else (matzoh ball soup?), in our future.

A few ounces of Faella pasta in the bottom of a bag (yeah, the $8/pound stuff @rotuts; you wouldn't want me using cheap pasta with @rancho_gordo 's beans, would you?) A half-bag of @rancho_gordo's Alubia Blanca beans, first pre-cooked and then cooked with tomatoes and a few rinds of parmesan ( also yes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay, blah, blah); lots more grated parm and fresh black pepper atop. Led to a most lovely pasta e fagioli. One of the greater comfort foods. Some sautéed greens on the side. A nice, not crazy fruit bomb California pinot noir, from Porter Creek, to drink.

yep - easiest way I know of. Here in NY we get oranges from Florida, California, and Texas. I often find the Florida Valencias best for juice, while later in the season, we see some great California navels.

By the way, if you think about it...let's say you're serving 2 oz. portions as a primi...comes out to $1 a portion, which, I think, is reasonable.

I don't think you can find Faella any cheaper than that...I don't use it all the time, but when I want the pasta itself to be great, it is one of the best imported brands. Now, if I were making mac 'n cheese for a bunch of kids, Ronzoni.

When life hands you... This can be the result... Faella spaghetti with Long Island littleneck clams. A tiny bit of diced tomato, lemon zest, and chives.

I guess the few problems we were having with romaine lettuce have, ummm, multiplied. According to the Times, it's getting serious. Do Not Eat Romaine Lettuce, Health Officials Warn

Boy, 40 days post roast sounds like Miss Silvia would flip her wig.

Who doesn't love the BV!!

I've little to add, but concur with a lot or all of what has been posted above. Certainly, freshness and quality of coffee, grind quality, water quality, and equipment are of primary importance. Have you (the OP) tried making simpler pour-over coffee? It seems like you enjoy a standard sized cup of coffee, and mayb that will make you happier. The investment is minimal.

I happen to like Staub, which is probably just as expensive, or more so, than Le C. I've also bought a few pieces on eBay at very nice prices. They were used, of course, but came practically brand new.

As well as plenty of jamón .

I think Jamonisimo closed a few years ago. Depending on where you''re staying (Barcelona is a big city), but we really liked the Mercat de la Concepcio. Easy enough to pick up great stuff for a picnic. And I'm sure you can do the same at any of the neighborhood mercados.

The Wolf is great. The range top cranks out some major heat, and the oven is spot on with its temperature.

Slacker! Here I thought you were a coffee nerd; and the nice thing about coffee-nerd knowledge, is that it's pretty easily obtainable. By the way, I agree with everything you write about both Rome and Paris (though even in Rome now, they're doing some 3rd wave, and it's good).

Leftover @rancho_gordo yellow eye beans led to this... Penne e fagioli. Pasta e fagioli can be much more soupy; I like it this way. Watch out, though - hot liquid will sometimes come squirting out of one of those quills.

If more people bought Red Bro, or other similar breeds/properly raised birds, the price would come down, as more producers focus on that. Another reason for your red bird:

Aren't all battery chickens mistreated at some point in their lives? Don't buy Perdue!

I often make a "relish tray" because I believe it's a great appetizer/hors d'oeuvres, and it goes wonderfully with aperitifs as well. But when I'm cooking for just Significant Eater and myself, I'll usually make each of us an individual tray plate - that way neither of us gets shortchanged if we turn our back ! From the top, clockwise, carrot sticks, celery sticks, pickled beets, pickled turnips, a cherry tomato, green olives. (I def could've drained the beets a little better). Both the pickles are from The Pickle Guys, not some hipster pickle making joint in Brooklyn.

There are a few 3rd wave" coffee spots in Paris, and a few more 2nd wave. You can get decent beans. You just gotta know where to go to get a decent cuppa, or brew it at home or in your air BNB. Or not drink it.

Not a bad technique, but I still question the use of olive oil when making cacio e pepe.