Thanks for the Crepes

I recently found out that my sister who abhors coffee and eggs, eats black-eyed peas every morning for breakfast, and has for years. It's probably healthy, but how she got there is a mystery to me?

I finally got my hands on a rib eye and cooked it on my Phillips grill last night along with mushrooms, an onion slice and a jalapeno pepper. All came out delicious, and it was nice to be able to grill indoors with no smoke and very little splattering. There was a very small amount of splattering around the top of the grill, but no where near the amount you would get pan-grilling a steak. The non-stick grill and drip pan cleaned up easily, but there was some spattering on the interior sides above the drip pan that caramelized and did not come off with a wipe. This will eventually build up and become a problem. Two of the affected sides are glass, I think, covering the light elements. My biggest problem was it's impossible to see if your food is browning/done with sun glasses on. I eventually resorted to bending over at the control knob end of the grill to check the food at eye level. This blocks your line of sight to the lighting elements, but it sure is awkward, and I think I will have a hard time getting used to this. @JoNorvelleWalkersaid she quit donning the sunglasses after the first couple times. Anyone else finding it a problem seeing your grilling food? Anyone finding ways to get around it? I wonder if switching off the grill while you check and turn the food and then switching it back on would work. I thought about using tongs, but all I have are metal tipped. What worked well for me was a bamboo spatula and shallow-bowled spoon that I use for everything from stir frying to fried potatoes. They work together as two-handed tongs and won't scratch the non-stick grid. I would be afraid to use plastic tools for fear they would melt. Also the instructions say for the model I have, the grill is hot and ready to use immediately. The other two models require 5-6 minutes preheat time. I dutifully put my food on right away, but I think the 5-6 minute preheat time will be the way forward, as the steak did not sizzle when I placed it on the grill. @ElsieDmentioned covering the drip pan with foil. This sounds like a great idea, and would be my inclination. My instructions said not to cover any part of the grill with foil or use metal scrubbers because metal pieces could break off and cause a fire hazard. They also said putting the drip pan or the non-stick grid on wet could cause a fire hazard. Shoot, by the time I got through reading the lengthy safety precautions, I was convinced I would be simultaneously blinded, immolated and electrocuted the instant I switched on the device. Seriously, though, it says not to operate unattended, and I believe that's good advice. The cord was quite warm when I unplugged it after use. Also probably not a bad idea to know where your circuit breaker for the appliance is. I'm not getting close enough to unplug it, like they instruct, if it does burst into flames. Also, I will agree with others that the smoky grilled flavor like you get with charcoal or even gas is not present, and my fat was not crispy, like I like it. But, and it's a big but; for indoor grilling with minimal mess, this grill is great. I loved the grilled veggies, and the ability to have those more often adds a lot to the grill's value in my kitchen.

That is magic talk! You are the second credible source, the other being @JoNorvelleWalker, that has proclaimed this contraption, not only smoke-free, but splatter-free. I have harangued at length about my real disdain for cleaning grease spatters in this forum. I also love freshly prepared and perfectly cooked grilled meat, but it's a lot of work with a charcoal grill. So many vegetables, like the one you all have been showing are also enhanced by grilling. I would also add mushrooms that can be enhanced a lot by grilling. This grill sounds like a miracle, too good to be true. Who am I to argue with success, though? One might be showing up on my doorstep soon. We can call it a PAG, like the marketing name, or maybe call it a PIG (Phillips Infrared Grill), since it seems to be very good at cooking pig meat and I just think PIG sounds better than PAG. Plus it bucks the marketing shtick!

Erm, the fact these apples do not turn brown and their outlandish keeping qualities scream genetic engineering to me. Have fun with them, though. For me, I love a freshly farvested macintosh apple. To me that fresh macintosh, so crisp, so tart and so juicy is the very epitome of apples.

I knew we have something we call ginseng that grows wild here, and after looking it up, it turns out we export it to China, including from my state, North Carolina. We also cultivate it, and have strict rules for harvesting the wild stuff, so as to perpetuate it. liuzhou, do you have any idea if what is still growing wild in our mountains is the same plant that is extinct in the Chinese wild? There is a latin name in the link above.

My sister and niece came from out in the rural area past Pittsboro to come take me out to lunch. It was so good to see them, as always. Sis wanted to go to Longhorn Steakhouse in Apex. I, of course, ordered a rib eye rare with a salad. Sis and niece went for the crispy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich that they only serve at lunch. Niece, who is a very good cook, in her own right swore she'd rather have that chicken sandwich than the steak. If There's a next time, I might try that sandwich. My steak was surprisingly really, really good, flavorful and tender. So delicious! I had heard Longhorn was sort of downscale, but there was nothing wrong with my steak at all. There were original oils of Western scenes on the walls. I've seen "better" artists, including in my own home, but I've also seen a lot worse. I always love to see original art, so that counts for something with me. They have wagon wheel lighting fixtures, sort of chandeliers. Western sculpture and relief. Navaho blankets. It doesn't come off as tacky and that theme has a tendency to veer that way fast. I would go again. I was pleasantly surprised. We talked about the wedding of one of my other nieces they are both shortly going to. We talked about the care and maintenance of horses and the merits of white hooves versus the sturdier black ones. The various desirable qualities of saddle pads came up, and we all agreed that they should be able to go through the washer and dryer. I got a definite laugh when I expressed my opinion that the thick pressed felt pads that can't be washed and wind up smelling like polecats should be kept away from me or better yet , burnt. I rode around next to 50 pounds of senior horse chow they had picked up at Tractor Supply. I felt connected again, if only for a short while. And I got invited for Thanksgiving day, so Woo Hoo! I have something really good to look forward to. I hope it doesn't rain so we have time to go see the horses. They were excited to show me a battery operated mouse toy they'd bought for the cats at Tractor Supply. Before they left, I dug out a Weasel Ball, battery operated toy for cats and dogs. Me and my husband bought a couple of these toys for the cats one Christmas, wrapped them up and I think we had more fun with these two pet toys than anything else that Christmas. I'm gonna look around for the other one. Maybe it's upstairs? I'll bring it to them on Thanksgiving if I can find it. It's really nutty when you have a couple Weasel Balls going with multiple cats. So much fun! I did find a nice blue frisbee I could send with them Saturday for the dogs to chase. 🙂 Sis will tell me what she wants me to bring for Thanksgiving dinner later. Maybe it'll be salad again. I brought a killer one last time with lots of optional toppings and lots of nice greens and ingredients. We both love salad. I also brought scalloped potatoes, so we'll see what she wants to do this time. It will be a highlight for me.

I just made a big pot of popcorn with the crimson popping corn that came in my Bean Club shipment. The package described it as having a "denser and moister" kernel than regular popcorn. Uh oh, I thought. Neither one of those adjectives sounds appealing to me in popcorn. I made some anyway, because I'd used up all my supply and had it on the list to buy next grocery shop. It turned out to be just fine. I didn't notice that the majority of the kernels were either moister or denser. I always flap the lid open and closed quickly while popping to let off steam while popping, and it came out fine. I did notice a higher percentage of small, not fully popped kernels, but I think some folks like those. I'm not one of those folks, so this heirloom popcorn had nothing to recommend it over regular popcorn. It certainly appeared at an opportune time for me, though, and it is tasty and crunchy. I have the Pinto beans that also came in the shipment soaking in anticipation of cooking them tomorrow. I have a couple of pork back ribs thawing out to throw into the pot, and will make a pan of cornbread and slather it with butter. Mmmm .... I cleaned out a big plastic file box I used to use to store cat food to store all my Bean Club stuff in. When it's thoroughly dry tomorrow, I need to put all the Rancho Gordo stuff in there. This shipment included Cassoulet Beans. These look like dried limas a little. The first Bean Club shipment included Flageolet Beans which look almost like dried green bean seeds. I got the idea that flageolet beans were the bean to use for cassoulet from the "Joy of Cooking". It also said you could use Great Northerns. Does anyone know if there is a traditional "correct" bean used in cassoulet?

Good. I was getting ready to order delivery and now I won't. I like Taco Bell, but delivery is expensive. I'll make my own, but it won't be like Taco Bell. Yeah, they're called fricos. Nothing new at all and easy to make at home with a nonstick pan. I mean dead easy.

@Dave the Cook, Although this information on Lisa saddens me greatly, I still thank you for letting us all know what happened to our valued member. Like others have said, I always found her to be so experienced and knowledgeable and always willing to help. She'll be missed greatly by a lot of people on this forum. I asked her just the other day, after being away for a while with no online access, for her granola recipe. Now I know why she did not spring to help as was her usual modus operandi. It was in reaction to a post of hers from November 2018. I replied and asked for her recipe only last Thursday. Linda seemed always to have boundless energy and a very positive can-do attitude. She made many contributions and had a lot of friends here, so as painful as the news is, we are grateful to know the sadness that she is no longer with us.

@liuzhou, I think the one's my mom was buying are these ones from French's company. I'll never like them, but you know what else that company makes? French fried onions. The harmless and nutritious onion is transformed into a fat-laden, carbohydrate-packed and sodium-packed delivery vehicle for deliciousness. These onions are critical for our culture's classic green bean casserole with Campbell's mushroom soup that appears at fall and winter holidays. They are EXCELLENT salad toppers or secret guilty snack items.

Are these potato snacks dry and crunchy? I remember my mom buying us "shoesting potatoes" that came in a round cardboard can in California in the 60's. I haven't seen anything like it since. Full disclosure, though, I never sought such a thing out because I didn't really like it that much. The ones we had as kids were really, really dry. Mom loved them, though.

Lisa, Would you care to share your recipe for the granola? I tried to make some while my computer was dead, so I couldn't search online. I searched my cookbooks, and though I have about three dozen, none could really help. So I tried baking some old-fashioned oats with brown sugar and a little salt and spices. Low temps toasted the oats nicely, and anything high enough to melt the sugar to the oats also burnt the oats. My next step was going to be melting sugar and a little corn syrup stovetop and lightly coating oven toasted oats with that syrup. I have faith that your tried and true recipe will save time, ingredients and frustration, though. 🙂

Hi Jo, Those look a lot like puffy tortillas, which are most excellent as well. The pretty big Latino community around here brings tostadas into our grocery stores and their bodegas. My understanding, and apparently their understanding too, is mostly of commercially-packed thin and very crispy yellow corn tortillas that are mostly bought in big stacks in plastic sleeves. They are as crispy and dry as tortilla chips and I sometimes substitute them for that after breaking them up. A puffy tortilla, like you show is a superior homemade product, but can certainly be substituted for the inferior commercial tostada to great effect. You can also fold your fluffy tortillas to make wonderful tacos, and that can't happen with tostadas from the store. I want to say that puffy tortillas (homemade) are native to Arizona and New Mexico. I think there are restaurants famous for them there. That is where I know them from, but they may be doing them in Mexico as well. Anyone who has good information, please correct me/educate us all. I made Vivian Howard's "Grandma Hill's Hoecakes" the other day and still have 3 in the freezer. They are quite tasty and much like tortillas. The recipe is from her book, "Deep Run Roots". The recipe doesn't contain eggs and I had buttermilk frozen, so Bob's your uncle. 🙂

I'd prefer softer bristles for cleaning fingernails. Tater Dude's bristles are pretty stiff, but perfect for cleaning taters. I thought he was too small at first, but I've changed my mind. He's very comfortable to use and quite effective, plus as @kayb said, cute as a button.

I got Mr. Potato Dude for Christmas along with three other vegetable brushes. I love Mr. Potato Dude the best out of all of them. He seems too little to do the job, but since he's so little, I'm not abrading my old and sensitive fingers like happens with some of the larger ones. Plus he is cute as button and I keep him on my counter to bring a smile to my face when I'm in the kitchen every day, whether potatoes are on the menu or not. He is cheap and very effective, and I highly recommend him for those that want to have a little fun in their kitchen. 🙂