JoNorvelleWalker

My first post on eGullet was asking about braising. Interesting that in his new book, Secrets of the Butcher, Arthur Le Caisne calls for an oven and hermetically sealing the braising pot with dough. The meat in this method sits above the braising liquid.

Yup, I had one, circa 1955. Not sure about the glass door though.

What settings on the CSO? Edit: never mind.

But you could commiserate with Jess, my fruit slice loving daughter-in-law! I just hope she isn't reading this. But speaking of nostalgic confections, on yesterday's visit (to Robinson's if anyone knows the area) I saw Bonomo was back in the Turkish Taffy business! Bonomo's was my favorite back in the day, say when I was seven and my teeth were better. Sometime in the 1990's (I do believe) Vermont Country Store sold a brand of taffy that they claimed was similar to Bonomo's but it didn't do it for me. I kept the bars in the freezer and only pitched the last ones recently. But it seems I am late to the party! Bonomo's has been back in business for about eight years. Maybe I should frequent candy stores more often. http://www.bonomoturkishtaffy.com/MuseumHistory_ep_40.html

No, he thinks they're vile. The fruit slices were not for him.

I don't often go for prepared foods for dinner but today was different. To start with I was ripped untimely from my down-blessed bed. Then having dined at an unexpected hour I was feeling queer. Most likely due to a week of Rancho Gordo midnight beans. Anyhow for something light tonight I fried up a Whole Foods crab cake, on sale. The cake was beautiful. Obviously quality ingredients. Large pieces of lovely crabmeat lightly bound with...salt. Otherwise perfect, not a trace of shell. But I couldn't eat it. What were they thinking? Dessert was McConnell's Turkish Coffee ice cream. Like the Whole Foods crab cake so promising but inclusions of little bits of beans (not Rancho Gordo) ruined it for me.

Another day, another amazon Prime Now order. They still don't have it quite right yet. Last time I called amazon in high dudgeon because Whole Foods never contacted me that things in my order were out of stock. They are supposed to. Amazon said my issue had been escalated to the store. Well, I still was not contacted this time either. Thankfully only the mushrooms were out of stock. But had I been told in a timely fashion I'm sure they would have had some fungi to sell. Plus they sent the wrong apples. I ordered organic Lady Alice. What I received were unmarked but they do not look like Lady Alice. And they are smaller than a decent crabapple. Not as large as a golf ball. The problem may be that the people filling orders are being pushed too hard by amazon. After I submitted the order the message came that the order was complete far sooner than I could have pushed a cart around the store. Even if I knew the layout and where things were. All three times I've ordered, one thing or another has been out of stock. But all three times, I must say, the packaging and delivery have been excellent. Here I sit in my comfortable chair with peanuts and autumn in Jersey. I ordered at 7:00 and my packages arrived by 8:30. That's about as fast as I could have made it to Shoprite and back on a warm dry day. And almost all of what I ordered would not have been found on the shelves of Shoprite. And hypothetically if it had, four bags to carry would have been an issue. Shoprite might have had some mushrooms though.

The Laird's Straight Apple Brandy? Mostly for Autumn in Jersey. Also for Jack Rose. @Splificator's IMBIBE! has suggestions. Tonight the plan is Autumn in Jersey. Have to hurry because it's almost winter. The bonded is aged longer and is smoother. It has not been available for a few years.

I don't generally do lunch but today my little boy showed up unexpected and unannounced. He dragged me from bed, to lunch, and through the local candy shop that's been in business forty years. He needed fruit slices and could not find a source closer to where he lives. Besides he has fond memories of the store from when he was little (more little). His lunch was a bento box. My lunch was eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce. Followed by a quick stop for wine and brandy. I sent him home with a bag of my Felchlin Maracaibo Creole bars... https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156096-chocolate-making-things-i-learned-in-my-early-months/?do=findComment&comment=2182289

This thread is click bait. I had envisioned adult confections.

I had a delightful surprise at the spirits monger this afternoon. Look who's back! Previous bottle on the left.

It looks rather like my pot I purchased from Steve.

I measure the thickness of the Foilman foil to be 3 mils. There is no way I could describe how thick that feels.

My guess the sous vide setup.

I'm safe.

I use Corningware in the CSO but I'd be a bit afraid to use glass, myself. Plus I find stainless steel cleans up easier.

Thank you. No inclusions or flavors. The wrapping materials are from Foilman. I chose a stock size but they can cut foil to order. The sheets are paper backed silver foil in a range of colors.

Another batch of bars: These looked better in real life than in the picture. If they were all like this I wouldn't complain. Too much. Four dozen bars wrapped and ready for this morning's holiday party at work. Copper are dark, blue are milk.

For some reason amazon assures me that I own this. I have no recollection.

Snacking on Planters dry roasted peanuts washed down with a mai tai.

I've just been reading up on rocky road in Magnus Nilsson's The Nordic Baking Book! "This is one of those recipes that some might feel does not belong in a book of Nordic baking. After all, Rocky Road was invented in Australia in 1853 to peddle spoiled sweets (candies) imported from Europe and was later popularized as an ice cream flavor in the US. However if you were to visit 100 random Swedish families on Christmas Eve I believe you would find that an almost shockingly high number of them would be serving homemade Rocky Road..." Looks lovely by the way.

In my case the can was cream of coconut. And it didn't leak, it exploded, blowing the cabinet door open. Cream of coconut from floor to ceiling. Not something to soon forget.

Yesterday I cooked up some sausages and chuck from WF Prime Now and I must say I was impressed with the quality -- as I should be for the price.

Your loss, the 7500 is wonderful. No more useless balls of wadded wrap. Seriously a roll lasts much longer when you can readily cut the exact amount you need. Even without bloodstains. The 7500 has earned its place on my counter. If you have to put it on the floor.

I must confess I prefer instant ramen noodles to store bought dried traditional ramen noodles. I have never tried making my own. And I am unlikely any time to try.