JoNorvelleWalker

That site was an interesting rabbit hole.

Thanks. I see they have red as well.

Initially I surmised tonight's tuna wasn't worth a photograph, but I am a food whore.

I envy you your fiddleheads.

I am happy for you @Porthos. I seldom need my Watanabe Nakiri, or as Shin calls his version, "Nakkiri". I employed mine tonight. I've never, ever sharpened the edge and it never ceases to delight. May yours enjoy another 41 springs.

South of the Clouds spoke to me. Thanks.

I don't know how it happened. I have run out of black pepper. What are the best varieties and sources of black pepper? I regularly purchase pepper from Penzeys and The Spice House, but I might be tempted to try a different vendor. Most recently I finished a bag of Cambodian black pepper from The Spice House, however all their Cambodian peppers are currently out of stock. Meanwhile I topped up my pepper mill with Cambodian red pepper from The Spice House. Their Cambodian red pepper is nice and different, but not the same as black. The red is also more expensive. Though as I said, neither Cambodian pepper is in stock, so it doesn't matter much. From memory Cook's Illustrated recommends the house brand black pepper from Walmart.

Paella. Peas are Kelvedon Wonder, if anyone was wondering, picked right before dark.

How does your community go about sharing the grill? Where I live we are not permitted to do real grilling.

I was distracted by strawberries but I couldn't put off the peas.

Another try with delayed addition of salt. This time with only the two folds as written: I don't fully understand these things but the breads were ones of my best even if the dough was sticky and almost impossible to work with.

Dinner was a mixed success. I was planning chicken cacciatore before I was taken with a dish inspired by Lidia Bastianich's Seared Marinated Breast of Chicken with Mushrooms. I say inspired by because what I had in house were chicken thighs not breasts. And she calls for shitake mushrooms, I had cremini. But it is in a butter, brandy, parsley sauce! Not bad, but the expected umaminess was missing. Served with a salad of Campari and sliced organic free trade cucumber that was better off not shown. What saved the meal was the boule: Perhaps my finest expression of the endosperm in years. Gustatorily and visually. I may have to go back to the Modernist Bread thread and eat humble pie. Almost impossible dough to work with but oh the results. The meal finished with a glass of Chartreuse V.E.P. as a digestive.

I survived the Cuisipro. Remains to be seen if I survive the cucumber. In truth I was disappointed. The skin of this organic fair trade cucumber was tough and unpleasant. But I ate it. Hellmann's helped.

I am in possession of an organic fair trade cucumber from amazon. I detest having to peel cucumbers but I've never been thrilled with the English hothouse types. I enjoy the texture of cucumber skin. Peeled cucumbers are bland and watery. Should I burp politely, so much the better. Howe'er dark legends there are that cucumber integument is toxic. Nonetheless, when I finish tonight's mai tai (and can I still stand) I shall address the aforementioned unpeeled amazonian cucumber. With my recent Cuisipro hexapartite grater, which sports a manxome vorpal slicing blade not unakin to a mandolin. Should you never hear from me again it was either the Cuisipro or the cucumber that got me.

Must be nice to have a back seat with a power inverter.

I've never had mahi-mahi.

Staff of life for tomorrow's lunch... No dough was reserved for pizza making so loaves are larger than usual. I baked the boule a few extra minutes. Most of the baguette will probably be gone before I head for bed. Early morning.

As it happens I was just reading Lidia Bastianich's Mastering the Art of Italian Cooking*, the very page (p27) where she discusses dried oregano: "I recommend buying dried oregano on the branch.... To use in recipes, pull out one branch, and over a piece of parchment or wax paper, rub it lightly between your palms.... The branches will last until you use the final leaf if kept in a dry place." *which was waiting on my doorstep when I got home.

I don't see the CSO.

No.

I have no room for more physical books in my apartment. I wish that could stop me. However I am more apt to read a physical book, and far more likely to cook from it.

Oops, "phycological" was an egregious misspelling but not entirely inappropriate in a discussion of carrageenan. As to my pistachio ice cream not tasting like much of anything, I think I've found the reason: my pistachio paste did not taste like much of anything. I let it get too old and rancid. At least now I have more room in my refrigerator.

I've read the book from work, but I don't own a copy. Had you tried the salted caramel recipe without the stabilizer mix before making it with stabilizer?

@ElsieD do I understand correctly that the trick was to use 2 grams of stabilizer instead of 3?