fifi

Hmmm... russ makes a good point. That clear jar may be intended for serving lemonade, iced tea, or agua frescas. In that case, the sealant may not be suitable for long term exposure to acetic acid. Is there also a reason that vinegar jars are traditionally made of pottery? I am wondering if exposure to light has anything to do with it.

The one suggestion I would make on the cake pictures, assuming that your primary goal is to convey texture: The shots look like you took them straight on. If you put a little angle on the plane of the cake, keeping the flat part and a cut edge in sharp focus, controlling that angle and the angle of the light will help a lot. You just have to experiment to find the optimum.

*Bump* It is my moral duty to report on two bean disappointments. I was feeling frisky, bean-wise, and bought two bags of unusual beans, Goya brand. Goya is my absolute go-to brand for canned beans and I like their products in general. These did not go well. They didn't cook up like I would have liked. They both had all of the characteritics of old beans. (No, I don't remember the two varieties. And I don't remember how to decipher the dating code that Goya uses.) The lesson I take from this: Don't buy weird beans that may not have much turnover unless you know your source. If I get adventurous again, I will check into reliable mail order sources that have a good track record. Or, I will have to travel to California to buy my beans from rancho_gordo.

What I failed to convey in my post is that the first shot is really really good given the candid shooting situation. The comment about the face lighting is just a minor technical note. (Besides, we can't let Jason get the big-head. ) Quite frankly, being an obviously candid shot, you could even say, "Look at what a great shot this is even though I couldn't control any of the conditions."

Jason... From the standpoint of sheer story value, I like the first one. The action depicted and the composition are right on. I would like a little more light on the face but that is a minor issue. Probably not doable at the time but a little photoshopping might help. No biggy. For the macro shots, I think I like the ribs the best, second picture. The shot does a great job of conveying the information about texture and structure of a good rib, which, I assume, is the intent rather than an artsy shot. Is it a coincidence that my favorites are also the first two you selected?

Wowser. That guy is good. One could learn a lot just by studying each picture. Especially his use of depth of field and lighting could translate quite well to food photography. What kind of lens? I couldn't find that information.

Wow! What a shot! Did anyone notice that the vertical element of the kid and the horizontal element of the surf intersect just about exactly in the center. Also the space above the head and feet is just about equal. IMHO, this is an excellent example of violating the rule of thirds making for a much more interesting picture that makes a real statement. It probably wouldn't have been as powerful in color, either.

Obsessed with food? No. It is just that food is such a good starting point for so many other things that I have an interest in. I think I was born with an intense, and sometimes maddening, curiosity. I drove my parents absolutely nuts. Luckily, they were avid cooks, gardeners, fishermen, beachcombers, botany freaks, whatever. So they were able to channel my curiosity in many different directions. Food was just one of them and the one you hear about here. When you think of how food can be used as a starting point for exploration of many areas of science, history, other cultures... well, the interest is natural. I mean... You gotta eat. On top of that, as I was growing up, the kitchen is where the family came together. I am one lucky puppy and the good news is, I know it. Like bloviatrix, I really don't eat all that much. I do enjoy it, but it is not the all consuming end. It is the process that I revel in. I can do a frenetic happy dance for a perfectly executed gumbo. Then eat just about a half a cup of it. Maybe that is why I am more into cooking than restaurant dining.

Well... Being an SSB, you know I had to try a controlled experiment. My refrigerator had two crisper drawers. For the discs, I moved everything else out of the drawers. I put mesclun, rinsed, in the usual bags (lightweight plastic so it would have some permeability) with the paper towels. I put a disc in one drawer and left the other without. The greens without the disc were brown mush within 5 days. The greens in the drawer with the disc were still good when I finally started eating on them and finished them up 12 days later. For the bags, I removed everything from one of the drawers. I put the same mesclun (different batch though) into a regular bag and an EvertFresh bag. (Yes, I should have kept them in separate drawers but I had other stuff I had to store at the time.) As I recall (my notes aren't as clear as they should be) the mesclun in the normal bag went maybe 6 days while the EvertFresh bag went maybe 10. I concluded that the results weren't identical to the disc for several possible reasons: The presence of the EvertFresh bag in the same drawer may have extended the life of the mesclun in the regular bag a little. The EvertFresh bag may not be quite as effective as the disc but still good. The variablilty could be due to the fact that this was a different batch of greens. The tests were not as well controlled as they should have been but I only took as much trouble as I was willing to at the time. But, this little exercise confirmed to me that what I had been seeing anecdotally was in fact true. My stuff kept longer. In a crisper drawer of mixed veggies and fruits, the results will vary quite a bit because different things emit ethylene gas at different rates. And, at some point, the catalyst poops out. I have access to some catalyst experts and intend to pick their brains to find out what the stuff is and how long it should last under those conditions. (Yes... I keep notes on this sort of thing. I have a "Journal of Interesting Phenomenon". I just finished writing up the exploding carnitas. Chalk it up to SSB weirdness. )

You might be thinking of the stacked enchiladas that he got in Marfa. They originated at the Old Borunda Cafe in Marfa, now at Borunda's Bar & Grill. I wondered as well about the NewMex connection, having had my first stacked enchilada in Taos many years ago. Then I thought about it... Hell... If you are in Marfa, you are almost in New Mexico.

What we have here now on the Texas Gulf Coast are fully grown cattails, the seed heads are brown but till tight. We have them in ditches and such all over the place. I don't know if I have ever eaten them, though, so I don't know about substitutes. (I say I don't know because you can never tell what my sister will put in a salad. Chickweed is popular with her. )

I found this web site.

My sister has a Euell Gibbons book, Stalking the Wild Asparagus, that talks about preparing and eating cattails. I don't have the book here and I read about the cattails so long ago that I don't remember the details. So, I am not much help. But it is still available from Amazon. (Don't forget to click on that eGullet friendly Amazon link if you are interested.)

CDC info sheet on botulism. I think Wolke got it wrong about the toxin. It is destroyed by cooking thoroughly. I think he was thinking of Staphylococcus toxin that is not destroyed by heat.

What about Gumbo Z'herbes/Zap/Zab then? Many, but not all of the recipes for them don't have roux in them. Certainly, the one we had at Lagniappe Too in New Iberia did not. I suppose that I consider the use of the word gumbo in Gumbo Z'herbes as an unfortunate hijacking of the word gumbo to describe a dish that isn't really related. fifi's theory of how this happened: Boudreaux was having a bad week. His trot lines were empty. Someone stole his crawfish traps. He couldn't hit a duck to save himself. And that alligator he ran across the other day was just too damn big. He gets home and finds that some varmint has raided the chicken house. What to do... His brothers would be at the fishing camp the next day expecting a big pot of gumbo. All he has is some greens growing in the garden. When they arrived they said... "What are you trying to pull, Boudreaux? You promised us a pot of gumbo. All you got here is a pot of greens." Boudreaux, silver tongued devil that he is, replies, "Mais non. This is the latest delicacy being served in the finest restaurants. It is called Gumbo Z'herbes. When Boudreaux promises gumbo he gives you gumbo." And, gentle readers, that is how a pot of greens (allbeit a very good pot of greens) came to be called Gumbo Z'herbes. Hell, it might even be true. Now we need for Brooks to check in with his theory of how the African word for okra was hijacked to mean the delicious dish that, as often as not, doesn't have okra.

Now that I think of it, I have seen it at HEB as well. Interesting that they would list nixtamal. That should be referring to just the treated corn. Once it is dehydrated, I would think that it should be referred to as masa harina. I can see two ways at least that having nixtamal on the label may or may not mean anything: It really is fresh masa and nixtamal is rightfully listed as the predominate ingredient. It really is reconstituted masa harina but, since nixtamal is the predominant ingredient in masa harina it is listed as the predominant ingredient and we will just forget about that li'l ole dehydration step. Am I getting too cynical? I think I am getting a headache... And we aren't any closer to understanding the love affair with Bimbo Bread.

I have a friend from the Houma area. He introduced me to the local tradition of bringing the gumbo to a fast simmer and poaching eggs in it. I think the way it is served is that a scoop of rice is put in the bowl, the poached egg put on top of that, then the gumbo is ladled around it. I had not heard of the boiled eggs. How is that done?

The touch of cinnamon in davebr's recipe got me. I don't normally like sweet in savory foods but I have been getting adventurous with cinnamon lately. How can you not want to try the marriage of sweet potatoes and boudin. It sounds like a marriage made in... um... South Louisiana.

All of those points are really interesting. I agree on the washing-off-the-seasonings part. That is why I usually avoid it. If you have brined your chicken or pork, seasoned it well, and cook it at the right temperature for the right time, I can't see what a mop will add. I hadn't really thought of opening a smoker to mop and that adding to the time. I wonder how much that is? I have to confess that I have never even thought about the chapped lips theory. ( And another eGullet official term is born.) There might be some merit to that. I will have to think on it.

Are any of you guys going this year? I have always wanted to go but have never been able to swing it. I would love to attend vicariously... with pictures of course. This year's link.

Thanks for that link. This is indeed good news. Now, if we can get these growers to attend farmer's markets for the rest of us. While I certainly applaude the two fledgling efforts, I fear that they are going to be limited by venue. It would be a shame for farmers to miss the market potential in the 'burbs. My dream would be large venues all around the city with a rotating schedule so that the farmers could maximize their exposure. When you think about it, that could help the chefs out, too. They wouldn't have to chase all over creation to get their goodies. Also, the farmers wouldn't have to chase around to deliver. "If it's Tuesday it must be Clear Lake." But then... I am a hopeless dreamer.

Thank you so much for that report. I am especially excited about the biscuits and gravy. I get these cravings for that from time to time and I am always disappointed with what I order out. That is not something that you cook just for yourself and I haven't found a restaurant yet that even comes close. Sounds like a road trip is in order. (EVERYTHING in Houston is a road trip. ) How about hot and crispy sausage patties to go with those biscuits?

When I am smoking, I typically use a dry rub only. Chicken is usually marinated. I have mopped some toward the end if I think the meat is looking a little dry. Since I got the Weber Smokey Mountain, I don't find myself doing that much since I have really good temperature control. I don't grill often but I never add sauces or mops over direct heat. I just don't like the flavor that the drips an flair ups create. I marinate with something that doesn't have sugar. I will add sauce, if that is called for, right when I take the meat off.

Welcome to eGullet leleux! We will certainly be looking forward to your next production... "A Cajun Cooks in London". When RecipeGullet is back up and running (server upgrade going on), please take a look at my recipe and see if I have left out any tips for making a dark roux.

Don't feel bad, Dana. I took a lot of flack for mirlirtons, mirlatons, umm... mirlirtons... Thanks for the recipes, Gifted Gourmet. I (of course) have a funny boudin story. I was having some friends over for a basically Cajun inspired dinner. One of the dishes was boudin that I had gotten at the local Cajun market. I put it into the covered fry pan with a bit of water to start to cook. Well, when the steam started to subside, the signal to take the cover off and start to brown, I took the lid off... and... There were openings in the sausage casings and the rice had continued to swell. The whole thing looked like a dog taking a poop into the pan. As soon as I lifted the cover I screamed "OMG" and they rushed over. As we watched the sausage innards continue to ooze forth we got a huge case of the giggles. Well, giggles may be an understatement. I recall three of us sitting in the floor of the kitchen totally incapacitated. At that point, my son came in, assessed the situation, poured us each another glass of wine, and quietly went upstairs to his room. To this day we still refer to this as the "boudin pooping episode".