JoNorvelleWalker

This evening I brought one of my Darto pans to the local hardware store for advice on how to shine it up. The clerk took it into the women's room with a can of Barkeeper's Friend. As much as I love Jeff Bezos I would not have expected that kind of service.

Tonight we're supposed to get another inch or so of rain. Mindful of the Flood Watch, I decided today was about as good a time to go grocery shopping as any. It was a grueling trip: full backpack, four shopping bags, up hill both ways in the dark. OK, I exaggerate, only coming back was in the dark. The wetlands were covered in inches of water and muck. (Maybe why they call them wetlands?) Which was more of a pain because I had to hold the bags up higher to keep them dry. The journey was even more adventuresome because I had taken one of my new Darto steel pans over to the hardware store for suggestions on how to prepare the surface. Thankfully steel pans are not as heavy as cast iron.

I like Ortiz: https://www.supermarketitaly.com/ortiz-anchovies-in-olive-oil-w-mini-picker-95-grams/

I ordered some Kelvedon Wonder pea seeds that grow to 18 inches. Will I be in trouble?

I am of mixed feelings. Some years ago when I was out of work and food and income a friend gave me some past dated food that was inedible. Even considering. She also gave me a $50 bill.

Hearing no dissent I placed my order.

Or perhaps Rainier Fruit Company, the holder of the trademark, would like to see what Whole Foods is selling as Lady Alice?

Supermarketitaly.com is having a few promotions: $5 credit to an existing account or to a new account created by tomorrow, free shipping over $50, plus $10 off an order over $100. I was out of anchovies.

Thanks! I was worried for a moment.

Something else I noticed about the aforementioned applets that were purported Lady Alice: these apples are priced by the pound. The "estimated" weight was 0.88 pounds. The "actual" weight for which I was charged was 0.88 pounds. Good consistency there. Problem is that when placed on my scale they were all of 67 grams, charitably including the packaging and rounding up. I called amazon and told them this was dishonest. I wonder if there is some State bureaucratic entity that might agree?

I have a Cross & Blackwell plum pudding I purchased on sale from Grand Union circa 1995 when the chain went bankrupt and was going out of business. I was going to inquire about the expiration date. But now that I looked it doesn't have one. I assume that means like most plum puddings the product keeps forever? There is some sort of lot number on the bottom of the package.

I too am tempted. For the first time in years I don't have anything culinary growing over winter. It doesn't help that the Burpee catalog came yesterday. Can the Click and Grow work for seed starting for transplanting outdoors? Burpee has a neat new pink pumpkin. How deep is the soil in the pods? For some reason the Click and Grow romaine pods are sold out.

When things get warm, things go very fast. A little over three minutes. Bottom crust was rather dark but still delightful.

Odd. But I've never had anything too boozy so I wouldn't know.

I'm not positive but I don't believe the name Yukon Gold is trademarked. Yukon Gold is a specific variety however.

You are a bit too far south and east. That was a joke. Yukon Gold actually originated in Ontario. I am more into russets myself.

Most of the alcohol should have evaporated.

It is a thing. Get over it.

Proper braising is still an arcane mystery to me. Until I achieve perfection, I keep an open mind. Le Caisne describes the modern braising technique of liquid half covering the meat as "Not Great". Possibly in translation nuances from the original French text have been lost or mislaid. But I doubt it. No reduction is necessary because of very little liquid. @DiggingDogFarm quotes Harold McGee. Le Caisne acknowledges assistance from Herve This.

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.