fifi

The legs are now in the oil and the temp is coming up. It is starting to REALLY smell good now. I got smart and didn't throw out the olive oil bottle, looking toward saving this stuff. This is so pretty, I will take pictures and post later. I sure wish I had some duck fat.

Oh yeah... Sriracha is another of my favorites. There is nothing like sriracha on pork rinds. Talk about fusion food. I agree with MM on the Crystal. It has a whole 'nother set of charms. I have just gone to look. I don't have any cream cheese and... God Forbid... NO PICKAPEPPER! What will I do about lunch?

Mabelline... I am glad you liked the tamales. (Remember folks, this wasn't my idea. We got it from Jean Andrews, the pepper lady.) I am now going to go get some good tamales and a big chicken and give it a go. When you have more tamales available, line the bottom of the baking pan with them as well. I am thinking this will work with just about any roasted bird.

I think that is some of what I was getting at. Once that unique flavor is achieved, repeatedly, nothing else will do. I remember back in the late 70s or early 80s when we had a Pickapepper crisis. That was the era when every party had to have that block of cream cheese with the Pickapepper poured over it. I don't remember all of the details but I think what happened was the employees wanted to unionize or something so the owner just shut the place down. Closed it. Walked off. "See ya. I'm going to the beach." I was living in New Orleans at the time so I don't know if this was a local phenom but the phone lines were buzzing. (Pre-internet days, you know.) There was a run on Pickapepper. Folks went out to small stores in the countryside and cleared the shelves. There were ads in the classified section. "Just drove in from Georgia. I have Pickapepper. $5 a bottle." You can only imagine what would have gone on if e-bay had been invented. The drive time talk radio shows kept everyone informed of the labor situation at the Pickapepper plant. The whole thing was just nuts.

This is a classic thread. If there is any evidence of the melting pot that the US is, this is it. I love it. We have all put our twists on the "traditional" feast, that is a fiction at best. What a wonderful happening. I have done tamale stuffed turkey... marvelous, by the way.

Then I am also confused. I can't see how convection would work with broil. Broil is radiant heat pretty much. I would think that moving air around in that operation would be counter-productive. Maybe I am missing something here. (Wouldn't be the first time. )

Oh my goodness those combos sound good. I really like the apple idea. There are probably endless rifs on this theme. I think that this long thread is satrting to develop into some really fine and creative uses of this fantastic stuff.

I have used them as a wrapping for Chiapas style tamales and for fish with indirect heat on the grill or smoker. They do a couple of things... trap moisture and add a subtle "sweetish green" note. That isn't a very good description but it is the best I can do. Wilting them over a low flame or in the top of a steamer makes them easier to handle when tying up the packets. If you have bought them frozen, you may not need to do this. Fresh, they tend to split along the vein lines and are the devil to work with so I do wilt them. I am usually getting them fresh off of my sister's or a friend's trees.

Interestingly enough, I went to the REALLY BIG HEB this evening to try to snag some thighs. They had a ticket on the shelf for them but they were out! The butcher says that they carry them all the time, not just the holidays, and he was perplexed as to how they could have run out. They were also out of kosher salt! What is going on here? Is eGullet starting a run on thighs and kosher salt? Anyway, I couldn't wait any longer. I bought three legs, skinned them, and they are now in the fridge with salt mixture. I adjusted the amounts for the poundage. After grinding the spices in the little Braun, the smell was incredible. I don't expect the texture to be the same as the thighs, but I will at least get an idea of what to expect and can adjust according to my taste when I finally find the thighs.

I agree with all of the above on the QC and attention to detail. What makes me return to a hot sauce again and again is the flavor. And I do realize that that is very difficult to keep the flavor and especially the heat in hot sauces so when a company that can pull that off deserves all of the success it gets. I do believe that there are instruments that can now measure scovilles so that makes it easier but growing the little devils to end up with consistent heat and flavor takes a lot of attention. In my memory, Tabasco tastes the same today as I remember it from at least 45 years ago. The new flavors are just as intriguing. They seem to have been able to expand the line without loosing the quest for taste and quality. Pickapeppa is the same deal. Both of those venerable brands also have a unique and distinctive flavor that has stood the test of time. And neither one of those products relies on scorching heat. I am developing a yen for the Goya Habernero and I just tasted a mango/ginger/habernero from Fischer & Weiser that blows me away. Both of those have managed to capture the unique "warmth" and flavor of haberneros well within my comfort zone. To sum it up... flavor that I can expect from year to year.

That is very interesting. I don't know that I have ever heard of that. I would think that would be a good thing to do with these big boys. I am now getting into stuff I know very little about. It has been too many years since I took parasitology. I am wondering if that didn't get started because some of the nastier parasites reside there. (Technical note: Snails of many types, including apple snails, serve as an intermediate host for several trematode parasites that can infect humans. Schistosomiasis and swimmers itch are two that are pretty common.)

I thought it was pretty funny that the "researchers" sent out their graduate students to muck about and be the targets for the golf balls. I also didn't know that snails can have a "lifestyle". My mental picture was of snails in smoking jackets and cravats, a monocle perched on one eyestalk, sipping a fine vintage of pond water, discussing the merits of the new variety of water weed.

The Houston Yacht Club buffet idea resulted in a thoroughly delightful day. The Houston Yacht Club is on the shore of Galveston Bay sort of between LaPorte and Seabrook. It is actually in an area called Shoreacres. The club is quite likely the oldest one in Texas being founded in 1897. The elegant "clubhouse" is a pink stucco confection that probably dates to the '20s. It is built in the same style as the Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki. At least that is what it reminds me of, inside and out, with added decore of sailboat models and half hulls. The dining room is large and spacious with comfortable chairs, excellent service. The web site is here but I couldn't find a good picture of the club building and its interior. Now to the food... This is a case of all of the traditional favorites executed very well. I am sure I will leave some things out because there was no way to try everything. There was a long table with starters: salad makings, pasta salad, smoked salmon, veggies, fruit, marinated mushrooms, brie and toast, etc. Meat was turkey, pork roast, ham and leg of lamb. Sides: green beans, asparagus, brocolli rice and cheese casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, and some other stuff I don't remember. Desserts: pecan pie, pumpkin pie, key lime pie, cheese cake with assorted fruit sauces, bread pudding with brandy sauce, chocolate layer cake, and... a jello mold ! The outstanding dishes were: Green beans: they weren't shy with the bacon and garlic, I will get more generous with garlic from now on Cornbread dressing: the seasoning was spot on, I have to remember to bump the sage up a bit in my recipe Giblet gravy: that was some of the best I have ever had and I am not a big fan Leg of lamb: again the cook knows how to season The weather was crisp and sunny so we went for a stroll around the harbor after eating the main course. Then we went back for dessert. The key lime pie was memorable. We retired to a friend and future neighbor's long pier in San Leon and sat out over the bay. The full moon was rising on one side as the sun was going down on the other. Good conversation, good food, lovely settings in spectacular weather... It doesn't get any better than that. Judith... I am speechless. I cannot imagine ever attempting baking like that. I am torn. The fact that a mortal human can do it should inspire me to try. The fact that your talents are so momentous flings me into deep intimidation.

The Houston Chronicle article is here. While I don't eat things that include all of their insides, that doesn't mean that we couldn't do some culinary experiments. I am sure I could find some willing subjects. The first part of the experimental process is finding out all we can about the critter from the culinary point of view. What we know now... Wherever there has been a try at a introducing the thing as food it didn't catch on, even in parts of the world that are known for adventurous palates. So... What is wrong with it? It is too tough? Taste bad or not much? If that is the case, what approach would possibly mitigate a problem and result in tasty morsels? Taking a cue from Brooks, let's examine a parallel... the almighty brisket. As is, and treated like you would a loin roast, it is a pretty lousy piece of meat. BUT... massaged with the right magical powder, gently coaxed along in a bovine sauna scented with mesquite or pecan, add a lot of patience, and you have a brisket that make the angels sing. Sooo... My first trial with the beast would be to plop it in the smoker! Then you start getting into the details. Do you feed it up on rice and milk for a few days? Take it out of the shell or not? I think the answer to the last one is a yes. Further research indicates that the things can carry some pretty nasty parasites. You would want to be sure that the little pets are fully cooked. Perhaps they could make a dent in the luxury market as an alternative to the smoked oyster. Those are my musings to date. The good thing is that snails are slow enough for me to catch.

I am definitely going to try that recipe asap. I have everthing for it... except the thighs. I am having a devil of a time finding the darn things. I will be searching again tomorrow.

Well, actually, no matter how charming a pet they might be, the kitchen is probably not the appropriate place to keep a salamander. They normally inhabit damp areas near fresh water. They really don't have a lot of personality, either. Oops... THAT salamader. Does anyone know why the heck they call them that?

So did I. ← AAARRRGGHH! (the cry of inadequacy)

Well, if it is legal it must be ok. And I would cook it rather than waste it. (I come from a hunter culture of "if you shoot it you eat it".) Next question... Do they taste good? On the nuisance factor... I fail to see that some cranes could be a real threat to those hundreds of square miles of grain. Sheesh.

Well... Let's not jump to conclusions here. Let's see... the woman cares for her children (one of whom is disabled), messes with the proceeds of her family's hunting, moves, remodels houses, throws innumerable parties for her mother, smokes pork butts, recreates gardens, organizes cabin excursions, drinks a little wine, and... manages to write fascinating posts on eGullet. Maybe we need to think about this concept of deserving the weekend... NOT! You go, girl.

You are so lucky to have a group of friends like that. I do run with a group of gals that get together every couple of years for some sort of excursion. We aren't what I would call really close buds but we have enough in common to have a good time. We don't always cook a lot, but what we do is a lot of fun. One of the gal's father keeps a big sailboat at Marathon Key. We have gone there a couple of times, "kicked him off the boat" and hung out for a long weekend. Another one has a good friend that let us use his house on the beach in Akumal. We did more shopping and cooking there than we do most places. The Mexican markets and reluctance to leave the beach inspired us. This isn't a typical "girls escape" situation but I took my sister to Hawaii a couple of years ago and we had a good time in the condo. We cook together a lot but the exotic ingredients and different setting kind of made it feel like that. That is chronicled here. Sort of like your tapas, we did establish a theme... See how creative we could get with what little we had (no extensive pantry like back home) and see what we could use up before we had to leave. Actually, that was really fun. I envy you in a good way. Have a great time and be safe. (Oh... how about pictures?)

You can shoot sandhill cranes???

Well... The Brisket/Turkey experiment may happen before next year. Nephew took the new smoker out for a "seasoning run" last weekend and was entranced with how steady it held temperature and is anxious to try it out. I told him that the real test would be an 18 hour brisket and he agreed. When I mentioned the turkey he got all wiggly and impatient. We will no doubt discuss at some length tomorrow. (Oddly enough, our discussions remind me of scenes from Nero Wolfe with Fritz.) If we give it a go, I will post with pictures. Then we can work on naming it. Texas Turkey is just too obvious. Mabelline... That pit turkey is fascinating. I am looking forward to a detailed description. Pictures maybe? If you could arrange it?

Dear Lord, Judith! That buffet had better be good. Please take a picture of your rolls. I need another dose of deep intimidation. The effect of your biscuit pictures is beginning to wear off. I thought of a new Texas tradition that was inspired by this thread. I was discussing the situation with the nephew last night. He just got a new smoker. To save you some time and to summarize... hollywood was asking for tips on smoking a turkey and a brisket. I have a Weber bullet and suggested that, while you would normally think about putting the turkey on the top rack and the brisket on the bottom (assuming that the turkey would come off first), why not reverse it? Put the turkey under the brisket. A smoked turkey basted in brisket fat! What could be more Texas than that? The more we thought about it the better we liked it. Now what if we stuffed that bird with tamales? Positioned it so some of the juices would get into the cavity?

If I remember right, the one that my good son abscounded with was a Braun. It had that suction problem. I think I will go with the Bamix. The design makes more sense.

I am currently lusting for a sauce I heard of by Fischer Weister (sp?) that is mango/ginger/habernero. Supposedly it is now carried by Kroger but mine didn't have it. I am sure you could come up with something good out of that combo. (How could it possibly be bad?) I had a dessert in Mexico that was to die for. You freeze ripe mango and put it in a blender. Blend adding sweetened condensed milk to taste. Add finely diced habernero. This was served with flamed really good tequila. You could probably come up with s ome sort of ice cream out of that. Beware... Some peppers get hotter when stored in the freezer in something with fat in it. I have no idea why, other than the capsaicin continues to diffuse out into the creamy base.