fifi

Yep, Mabelline... that is a classic. Cream soda??? WTF??? That is the sickly sweet stuff that I remember from my extreme youth. Was the car radio on? Remember my subliminal message theory on the corndogs up-thread? *cue TWZ music* Uh... Uh Oh... I want a Yoo Hoo. And I don't drink sweet sodas, either.

And if you click on those maps you will find that Houston does not have a legitimate farmer's market. I am not kidding. The one just starting up in the Heights is struggling with the city health department and has yet to attract a bunch of farmers. But we keep hoping. Those are great links. I may have to grow my own and I will when I get a garden back.

Thanks a lot for giving me information on the unobtainable.

The Houston Chronicle - Dining Guide Claire Smith's cool new Heights venture awakens the senses with its freshness Alison Cook reviews a really cool addition to the Heights, Shade. If you haven't been to 19th street in the Heights, do try to go. It really is a parallel universe and a lot of fun. T Spot a hot spot for bubble tea Bubble tea has been popular here for ages. Another source bubbles up (sorry) in Rice Village.

AH HA! That makes me wonder if I have ever seen hardneck. We have a pretty dismal selection here. We usually see the "white stuff" and the "purple stuff". Since Houston doesn't have a decent farmer's market (well... we have a small one trying to start) we don't get anything that merits a variety name. Well... maybe Whole Foods or Central Market does but that is "in town" and I rarely get there. Even Fiesta doesn't advertise varieties, which I find surprising.

So, is that purplish skinned garlic a softneck then? I don't recall having all that much problem with it sprouting.

I take it you didn't mention the "Mouse Farm".

Looking at those fat grams, seal milk is looking pretty good. I also wonder if it tastes like fish. Mouse doesn't look bad either. And you could actually come up with a way to "factory farm" those little suckers. After all... In the chemical industry, "mouse milk" is a common term for that secret ingredient in the corrosion preventative or whatever so maybe there is a precedent.

Ok, fifi, your prayers have been answered. The wireless temperature sensing device is last millenium's technology. Yeah... But that only measures surface temperature. I want a temperature profile all the way in... sort of like the finite element analysis programs that some of my buddies use to picture stresses and heat transfer profiles. Damn... Now you have made me want a new toy.

How in the hell do you milk a whale?

Ok... My composure is now restored. Why not deer? Hell, some of our white tails are almost domesticated. Are bison too feisty? Why not elephants? Some of those are domesticated, particularly in SE Asia.

If we step back from all of the economics and technological challenges of today's food industry, I am still wondering if this was not done in simpler times. That fat content wows me. In the pre-industrial ages did our pastoral ancestors ever milk pigs?

Over in this thread Product idea, Yeah, so I'm drunk and stupid, Al_Dente brought this up. That made me intensely curious. Why don't we milk pigs? There seem to be many other troublesome animals that get milked... camels, water buffalo. Are there any other domesticated animals that we don't milk? What are some of the more bizarre milks that get made into cheeses, yogurts or other products. Necessarily, this might get into some of the herding cultures and traditions and that would be just dandy.

I like the way you think! Welcome to eGullet.

I have this picture of Mabelline in full welding regalia toasting a pepper. Many years ago, my dad taught me to do a bit of welding and cutting. Now that I think of it, that rosebud tip would be ideal. For industrial strength toasting, I have been firing up the turkey frier burner at my nephew's place. For a nifty poblano cream, we have been doing the following: 6 large poblanos, charred, peeled and seeded 1 pint of Mexican crema (the one we get is already salted for some reason) Whiz in a blender until smooth. It is much better if left to sit in the fridge for a day or so. I think you could put that stuff on dog crap and it would be good.

But I don't think many of these are "incredibly strange". I mean... you LIKE it. OK, Children. Go back to the first post. You don't necessarily even like it. You don't eat it (or never have). But you get a sudden ravenous craving. Now that we are recalibrated, carry on.

My kitchen has this little box, the Acme Precision Laser Slicer. I put garlic cloves into the box. I twirl the dials. The lasers flash on. I open the box and take out 1 cup full of perfect finely diced garlic. I put an onion in the box. I twirl the dials... I take out my Acme Magic Plasma Heat Sensor. I point it at my pork butt. On the screen I see a 3-D color coded temperature profile in real time. You can also rotate the picture to check the underside of that chicken thigh. Red bell peppers and poblanos are on sale for 10 cents apiece. I get the huge bag of them home. I take out the Acme Magic Infrared Focusing Heat Blaster. I twirl the dials. I point the Blaster at the peppers. Using the principles of quantum physics, the infrared rays instantly wrap around the peppers giving me a perfect char of the skin, regardless of the wonky shape of those poblanos. I have a 16 quart pot of lovingly prepared beef stock. I get out the Acme Instant Substance Remover and Concentrator. I twiddle the dials. I aim at the pot and shoot. The predetermined amount of water molecules travel up the selective anti-gravity beam and into the receiving chamber. I now have demi-glace. The beam can also be set to remove the fat and collect into jars for preservation and future use. It works on roasting pans as well. Can you tell that I find some things a PITA and I don't trust thermometers? You did say dream kitchen didn't you?

That Mountain Valley Growers site is awesome. I just got this instant vision of a pair of bassets passed out on their backs, ears askew, tongues lolling.

*raises hand* Yep... Me too. That one pot for making rice was the only thing that I would trust. (Then I got the fuzzy logic rice cooker and never looked back. Maybe I can adapt.) The ancient cast iron skillet is THE ONLY proper pan for some things... cornbread, hash, grilled cheese... I find that I am establishing patterns of use for my various Le Creuset pots that make no practical sense. Then there is the ultimate totem... My wooden spatula that I use to stir the roux. I have others that are just about identical that I use for other things but not for the roux. It is about 10 years old and is becoming darkened on the working end. If it ever dies, I will be consumed with grief. Labeling... I label everything for the freezer having learned my lesson a few years ago. I also have my own system of abbreviation. One time I was putting up some containers of chicken and dumplings. My son was taking them to the freezer and turned around and said... "Mother! I simply cannot eat chick dumps!"

schneich... That is a masterful rendition of onion confit. And I can't wait to try the red peppers as soon as I win the lottery. BTW... When I do luck into some cheap peppers, your method is what I do to put up a bunch of roasted peppers. Works great. If I want more charring, sometimes I will quarter them to expose more skin to the sun. Now all I have to do is get off my lazy butt and put that kind of work into an onion confit. Maybe when I get into a fit of wanting to do something the hard way (which happens fairly often) on a cold winter day. I have no doubt that that technique produces a superb confit. I am just wondering when I will want to do all of that instead of dump it all in the crock pot and go to bed. I know this is off-topic but, what kind of camera are you using?

I don't do cartilage but some bones are just plain fun. One of my best little kid memories is my grandfather bringing home full size BBQ beef ribs for me. I was an early dinosaur freak and he told me they were brontosaurus bones.

I pick up those chickens from the grocery from time to time when I just don't have time to cook something. They are just ok. I consider them subsistence food. I haven't had one yet that has a crispy skin. It could be that they come out crisp but then get steamed in those little chicken pods.

The Houston Chronicle - Food Cinderella suppers - Dinner Doctor transforms convenience foods into mealtime magic ANOTHER ONE! *runs screaming from the room* Though I have heard that her cake books are pretty ok. And a little eye candy for the guys. heh heh... You have to click on the link to find out more.

This is too funny. I was rooting around in the fridge last night and way in the back I found this 3 pound bag of apricots. I got it at Sam's ages ago and it gets lost, gets found, I snack on a few, then it gets lost again. I think the damn things are reproducing in there. But they are still fine, so all of these ideas may help make them GO AWAY! I was going to dice some for a fruit salad type thing one time and it was such a PITA I ended up just doing enough for a garnish. Does anyone have tips on dicing those sticky things?

Fifi - this must be some kind of an all-time record in the payoff department! Puts puny little individual cases of soup and such all to shame. From a corporate relations standpoint, I'm particularly impressed with the VP showing up with cold 6-pack in hand. Did they *know* about your FDA background? Either way, what a great build-up. No. The VP didn't know and I don't think he ever did. I was impressed.