Anna N

And if I wasn't quite so inebriated I might've remembered that.

Look at this sky! See the "prism effect" in the centre of the shot?

Go for it. I want Kerry to make a bunch more and stick them in the freezer...as soon as her to-do list gets a tad smaller.

So Kerry and I had almost the same thing for lunch today but only one of us was brave enough to post about it. Leftover yorkie reheated in the CSO, a little bit of leftover steak and some leftover gravy reheated in the microwave. Kerry enjoyed the same minus the beef but she had an extra yorkie. I have to tell you that we tossed the yorkies in the freezer and that five minutes in the CSO at 350°F steam/bake returns them almost to their original perfection. Amazing.

I would like to be sure that when you say "toilet water" you mean something equivalent to after-shave? The other option doesn't bear thinking about.

While I probably will not test with water I did check the temperature of the CSO and it is bang on. It will likely remain a mystery until I attempt to make something else using the convection bake function.

Well thank you if nothing else that expanded my vocabulary! Coriaceous! Leather like.

Good morning. In my very limited vocabulary of plating skills I can reach for nothing that will make a bowl of leftover potato gratin look like anything other than a dog's dinner. Still with some crispy shallots and a few bits of additional ham, I had a tasty and filling breakfast. We are expecting a visitor from off island to arrive about dinner time tonight so we've had a spirited discussion of a suitable meal. The final decision was chicken with caramelized shallots (David Lebovitz), rice in the Instant Pot and frozen peas. Doesn't sound all that exciting but meets certain criteria of a logistical nature.

I buy banana shallots when I can find them. Click

I may commit to a 10 day trial (which requires that I cough up my credit card number) just because I'm curious. The current exchange rate is a bit daunting to dive in for 6 months without being more certain that I would actually use it and benefit from it.

Up here most of the baking is done in the big oven and at home I use the Breville Smart Oven. So I have little experience using the CSO as a conventional oven. After I switched to steam bake all went well. Tis a puzzlement. Not sure if there is an oven thermometer around here. There may well be. I'll ask Kerry when she wakes.

That photo doesn't do justice either! I had one and it was delicious.

@Allura Most interesting. I did a trial run without providing any traceable personal information and their suggestions seemed appetizing and appealing. Will investigate a bit more. Thanks for sharing.

It really tasted so much better than it looks! I ought to have taken a photograph while it was still in the pan.

Thanks. Too late but I wanted the cheese anyway.

So I think I am missing some critical understanding of how the Cuisinart steam oven actually works. I made up my potato/ham gratin and put it in the steam oven at 325°F convection bake loosely covered with some oiled foil. The directions had been to 350° in a conventional oven without the fan. After one hour and 20 minutes there was no evidence that anything was happening that was likely to result in dinner before next month. The oven was obviously working because I could feel the heat and the indicators confirmed my feeling. The cream has not even begun to come to a simmer. At that rate the cream would sour long before potatoes were anywhere near cooked! I have now changed the controls to steam bake at 350°F. Am I missing something? Does it not work as a conventional toaster oven?

As usual I work in stages these days. The potatoes are peeled but not yet sliced. I have taken the smoked ham hock apart and found some nice pieces for use in a gratin. I am thinking of going with a mix of cheeses. Cheddar, Parmesan and Gruyere are all calling out. I am thinking two parts cheddar and Gruyere to one part Parmesan. I have also caramelized a couple of small onions thinking they will add some additional umami. I am also thinking of using a 50-50 ratio of heavy cream to light cream. Feel free to jump in here and tell me I'm wrong or point me in a better direction.

I don't know what they are officially called. They look like gristle but are not in the least bit chewy. I just hacked the meat from the bone so you are not seeing that nice neat cuts by any means.The dark stripes are sort of translucent. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Good morning. Word is that we will see some warmer weather today. I am most certainly ready for it. No plans yet for today. Kerry has gone off to rounds at the hospital and then will work in the clinic for the remainder of the day. My breakfast leaves little doubt as to my standing in the world of carnivores. My mind is playing with the idea of a ham and potato gratin. I know I have never made one. I am fairly sure that such a thing has been made by others. Off to do a little research and then clear it with Kerry by text that I can snatch the three russet potatoes that she bought for Kira's meals. Also anxious to try Jim Lahey's pizza crust dough. Always difficult though to work around an 18 hour bulk ferment. At home I could use my refrigerator to modify times but this fridge is pretty full for a large bowl of dough! Pardon my thinking out loud.

Most interesting. I think I'll still stick with my oven though.

It needed a practice run before appearing in public for the first time. There really was not sufficient topping for the amount of dough. And I suspected as much even as I was making it up. The instructions say to spread the topping right to the edge. My suspicion is this would keep the pastry supple enough to fold. It was certainly tasty enough but didn't really work as a folded street food. I think I would like another shot at it at some point.

Turkish lahmacun. Not quite the resounding success I visualized.

I understand it is a street food and you do indeed fold it or roll it to eat. The dough is rolled very thinly so I am guessing it will fold.

The dough for the lahmacun is resting. The temperature has fallen to 15°C and I am not sure it has finished dropping. Brrrrrrr.

Nah!