Duvel

Thanks & well notes. I will arrive tonight (Sunday, 17th) at ~17.00h and depart Monday at 7.00h in the morning. So some hours, and I will take a nap in one of the airport hotels (will need to check which one) ...

I am travelling to Houston soon, but due to short notice was unable to secure a direct flight from Frankfurt. So, I was “blessed” with a layover at Newark. As I am arriving around 17.00h there is little I can do ... except gaving a decent dinner. Any recommendations around the airport ?

My first impulse would have been to eat them ...

Home. Tired. Lazy. Fresh bread roll, kewpie, north sea shrimps. Happy. (disclaimer: a whiskey highball was consumed as well ...)

I am always impressed by your breakfasts - first and foremost by your cooking (of course) and getting up so early to provide them. But secondly, by Moe‘s ability to metabolize all this glorious food (yes, I know ehat he gets for dinner, too). I always imagining him happily marching off to the depths of the famous coal mines of British Colombia for a double-shift to compensate for your great meals ...

Pizza al taglio with caramelized pears, balsamico onions, rosemary and pecorino sardo (and some sausage/tomato/rosemary area, just in case). Eaten on the sofa, yet very well received 😉

Yes, sourcing food grade lye can be tricky. If you want to upgrade, you can try to bake your baking soda (the solid), producing sodium carbonate, which is far more alkaline. It will allow you to shorten your boiling time, thus creating smoother surfaces and gives a better coloration ...

Nice ... which alkaline solution are you using ?

Your bread looks great, but if I eat that much Roquefort I prefer to have a big steak under it ...

Schmalz is rendered fat, irrespective of the origin. In my home region in Germany the word itself is used exclusively for lard, an the word Gänseschmalz is used for goose fat. At least the German word is derived from the verb „schmelzen“ (to melt) and thus does not contain a „t“.

Fantastic - that’s the crumb shot 🤗

The most common choice (and from the look of it employed here as well) would be Bergkäse (usually a harder variety, in taste and texture close to Gruyere) ...

Pasta with oxtail ragu (no leftovers edition 😉) ...

Dönerteller (commercial product 😉)

Given the plethora of things living in your bedroom I feel you’ll need to post a picture* soon ... seeing is believing 😉 (*bedroom, not rotisserie)

And in all fairness - the Spotted Pig burger is just that: a bun, a giant patty and the blue cheese. No other fixings ... So asking without blue chhese is essentially eliminating one out of three ingredients. I do understand April.

Damn it ... eGullet really is an enabler. Idea written down and saved for next pizza night. For tonight: Pizza Oxtail (with greek-style braised oxtail, braising liquid as sauce and spring onions for contrast) ... ... and Pizza Anchovy with San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and salt-cured anchovies.

Can‘t. Because when I unscrew them I loose the cap and then need to finish ...

Both look great - but I have to admit this is the first time I read about mashed potato pizza. What do you do there: just mashed potatoes spread over the pizza & cheese (and do I see bacon pieces) ?

Happens with me and whiskey bottles all the time ...

This ...

They do look intriguing ... did you prepare them yourself ?

Well ... it‘s a red fruit marmelade (currant, bit of raspberry, cherry) made by my mom from the fruits in her garden, flavored with a bit of elderberry. It was what I had on hand, and the family enjoyed it ...

Only after. I started with a frozen duck breast, just salt & pepper prior to vacuuming. 2h & 58 oC, hard sear on both sides ...

Sous vide duck breast with roasted garlic potatoes (that were tossed in the rendered duck fat for those extra calories) ... yummy 😋