Anna N

No photographs of lunch: a cup of coffee and the last of the cherries which I picked over. Those that went into the bin were probably no worse off than the ones I ate. It just seemed they had reached a time when one ought to bin some of them! So far the day has been taken up with various and sundry chores. Did some laundry, peeled and froze some ginger, gave some asparagus that we bought yesterday a little tender loving care, froze some white squishy bread so it doesn’t all go mouldy before Kira and I have made short work of it. Then I tackled dinner. Kerry and I did not discuss what would be on the table tonight (we rarely do). So tonight, as usual, she is in for either a surprise or a shock! But once she has fed and changed Kira, chatted to her hubby and made a cocktail and some tea, she is usually perfectly happy to sit down to whatever appears in front of her. I will make it a surprise for everyone and hold off until we eat it to post any photos. I have never eaten lovage.

Here I hope you can see the method used by Ken Forkish. The banneton is turned upside down and the dough is dropped into the Dutch oven so that what was its bottom is now its top. No slashing. Edited to add: doughs which get a cold retard in a banneton in the fridge are slashed and go into the oven top side up so that the side that was up in the banneton is still top up in the oven. The doughs are never inverted.

I can only tell you that I do it but it depends on the bread. I can’t be any more specific or less hypothetical.

Ha ha. It is not on sale on the Canadian site and the Kindle edition is even more expensive than the hardcopy! Thank goodness I have matured enough to know that it’s not my kind of read. There was a time…. Not that I would’ve attempted anything out of it even then.😧 But I love to know that there are people to whom this kind of book appeals.

Good morning. Another beautiful sunny day. It’s a comfortable 21°C aiming for a high of 25. Doesn’t get much better than that for me. After I commented how good Kerry’s scones smelled as they came out of the oven she did her very best to tempt me with one. But, ingrate that I am, I had other ideas. Ever since we came home last evening with a loaf of squishy white bread my heart has been set on having a poached egg on toast. Unfortunately in my greedy haste I somehow managed to puncture a hole in the egg and left behind most of the yolk congealing in the poaching liquid. The scone regained much of its allure. Kerry has gone off again to Wikwemikong with her medical student so I should be alone until four or 5 o’clock this evening. There are a few chores I need to tackle and then I shall see what I might get up to later. For those waiting with bated breath to learn how well the microwave trick works with the cabbage, I have disappointing news. I surrendered, cored it and bunged it into the freezer. Now it should be ready when I am.

I am away from all my references but I do recall a reference to doughs that are too slack to slash and are baked seam side up. The seam functions then as a slash would in a firmer dough. I cannot swear that this is from Modernist Bread.

Another impromptu dessert. (I am quite determined to incorporate ginger snaps.)? This is really the only way I like bananas. They must be really ripe, dusted with sugar and napped with the merest hint of cream. Nursery food.

And my first thought was, “My heavens, she can even make burgers and hotdogs look good”, and they’re not my favourite food.

I quite like celery raw and cooked but when it’s not in the house then I can manage without it quite well. V8 juice, however, is an unwelcome diuretic and deprives me of much-needed sleep. 😫

I think that is how Kerry was trying to describe them.

You have no idea how many of us there are.

I would need jaw retractors! But once that was done I would love that sandwich.

So we finally did get around to trying the onion petals. I would describe them as onion-flavoured, beige Cheezies or as simply another salt delivery system. But because they are all salty and seemingly nothing more than air, I suspect one could soon become addicted to them. I shall try to avoid falling into that trap. Need a bigger bang for my calorie bucks.

Kerry brought her lovely PA home for lunch. No she wasn’t going to be lunch, she was going to eat lunch. Fortunately she had packed a lunch for herself not knowing she would be invited. This worked out very well and gave us a lovely chance to chat. My lunch was a well-buttered cream scone and coffee.

Oh my. Delicious.

In an effort to make some useful contribution to our existence today, in spite of my lassitude, I have thrown a strip loin and two lamb chops into the sous vide bath. It may not amount to anything like a true mixed grill, but it will at least keep us from the ravages of hunger at dinner time. Peas and some mint sauce might be all it takes to turn it into something reasonable.

Bought the Kindle edition and I am much disappointed. Almost every line felt forced and uncomfortable as though she was reaching for stars too far away. But it sent me back to her much more interesting and better written book, An Everlasting Meal. Even on second reading this remains enlightening and inspiring and makes me want to grab my whisk and get cooking. The new book does nothing of the kind. Your mileage may vary of course.

Good morning. I am looking out over the marina at another gorgeous Manitoulin day. It was 17°C last time I looked. I was chatting with my son this morning and he was telling me it was only 13°C in Oakville. That’s cool for July but who’s complaining! Kerry is working in town today in the clinic. She has a lovely PA (Physician’s Assistant) so she should have a civilized time of it. My breakfast: mushrooms, tomato, scallions and scrambled egg. Not committing to very much today. May just bury my head in a Kindle book after taking care of a few chores. It did occur to me that had I cored the cabbage and thrown it into the freezer when it first came home it would now be waiting for me instead of the other way around!

Yeah. I have never poked holes when doing them in the Instant Pot either.

Impromptu dessert idea. Mango topped with ginger snap crumbs. I liked the flavour but the crumbs were a bit too fine and quickly softened. Needs more work.

How was it? It always looks just too “herbie” for me but I’ve never tried it. It has attracted my attention on more than one occasion and from more than one source.

I almost bought Eat again! I love that book for when you’re just plumb out of ideas, dead tired and the pantry is mostly empty. I know I have the Kindle edition and suspect I even have the hard copy, too. It may not be for everyone. Download a sample if you’re interested and see what you think. Thanks as always for posting these.

They are amazing. So amazing that when Kerry had finished prepping one for Kira and was about to drop the pit into the garbage can, I took it from her, leaned over the sink and scraped itvclean with my very few teeth. Not sure if there were eight or nine in the box but they appear to be packed by weight and this was 1.75 kg.

The recipe. The mise. No thyme as it is not Kerry‘s favourite herb. I did zest the lemon in case we can’t live without gremolata. Pretty much ready for a final finishing with some lemon juice. Decided to use the Dutch oven which has a lid rather than the sauté pan which doesn’t. Wasn’t prepared to build dams today! The only thing left to worry about is the sauce/gravy for the beef. And sauces are not necessarily my forte. This is the devilish route my mind is going. Heat up a small sauté pan and add a little butter. Into the butter scrape the solids that I have precipitated from the osmazome and produce some fond. Deglaze with the liquid from the osmazone and some of the braising liquid once I have reduced it. Thicken with a beurre manié. I will stand back while those of you who know better throw things at me! It’s all good. We learn more by our mistakes than with our successes. The only trouble is up here you can’t just pick up the phone and order in pizza or Chinese when everything falls apart.

Ha ha! Forgot all about them. Had you not brought them up they might’ve gone stale in the cupboard. No idea what they are they caught my eye and they ended up in our shopping basket! I shall remove them from the cupboard put them where we might actually see them.