Thanks for the Crepes

Lucky lady! That all sounds so good.

I agree with you, @ElainaA, seafood is normally not served with cheese in Italian dishes, but I do prefer it in some. Your dish looks delightful, and reminds me of a dish my best ever roommate made for my birthday in circa 1984. I continue to make it 32 years later. It's a simple one where you boil spaghetti, saute sliced mushrooms with crushed garlic in lots of butter, remove keep warm, and then saute peeled and cleaned good shrimp in more garlic and a gracious plenty of butter in the same pan. You combine both sauteed components with the hot, cooked spaghetti, toss, and hit it with parmesan cheese and a little finely chopped flat leaf parsley if you wish. This is a dish that defies the Italian rule of no cheese with seafood. It is divine, and in my opinion transcends the traditional wisdom on this matter.

I'm not sure I would even like such a fatty piece of beef as btbyrd showed. He says 50 percent fat, but it looks maybe 65 or even more to me. I know people love this kind of beef and it commands a supreme price. I also know that while rib eye is my very favorite cut of beef, I always discard any thick pieces of fat after cooking and plating. I, for sure, am a fan of well marbled meat, but I would have to experience this extreme example for myself before I could form an intelligent opinion about it. I cut off thin pieces of crispy fat and eat them. I get rid of anything that is white, unmelted and not crisped. I do know that when I cook my much more pedestrian thick rib eyes, which always have a collar of fat on one side, I aggressively salt that fat. I "burn" my steaks Pittsburgh style over charcoal. It usually only takes about 10 or so minutes total cook time over a very hot fire for an inch and a quarter steak. I think it's a waste of money to cook a good steak any other way. I'm lucky that my husband actually comes from Pittsburgh and loves them just that way too. Nice char outside and still mooing in the middle, barely warm red center with plenty of au jus oozing out on the plate and staining your baked potato red. I have been known, when no one was looking to lick the au jus off a plate. But yeah, in my limited experience, fattier = more salt needed.

I second Kerry Beal's idea about pies, buckles or cobblers. I've almost always seen them made with a few raspberries stretched out with cheaper fruits or berries. I have made plain raspberry pies years ago when I was growing them, and they are divine. Raspberry sorbet, as suggested above also sounds delightful. I would also love to try them in muffins, pancakes or waffles, They are usually so expensive here that I use them raw as a garnish on top of desserts I want to fancy up. A tiny four oz. container can cost $6.00 US or just not be available at all. You are so lucky to have this glut of a cheap and good raspberries, Nancy!

Did you add some beef or pork fat to your venison? I do love venison when I can get it, but it's extremely lean, and needs some help from another fat for sausage, burgers, or meatloaf. Why do you think it was dry this time, Shelby? Oh, and your garden asparagus, mashed potatoes and brown gravy look killer.

@Tere, I wish you luck with your plan, but moles rarely move on except to more close by destruction.

I am still working without a dishwasher, but I do have hot running water in the kitchen again. The maintenance moron plugged the offshoot from the hot water supply and disconnected the hot water supply hose to the dishwasher. Said he knew nothing about the oven problems and I needed to call the overlords back. Typical, but you know what? I was able to stop him from flooding my kitchen floor, which is the typical outcome when the morons are unsupervised on any sort of plumbing call. He asked where the hot water heater was, and thought that was the problem, that it had gone out. So much for communication with bureaucracy. I'm so sick of not having a functioning kitchen! Tonight I had a really killer dinner though, and at least I could wash the dishes by hand without having to haul water from the bathtub upstairs or boil it on the stove. I had a little over a one pound thick rib eye steak and cooked it over charcoal along with a seeded and cleaned green bell pepper, cooked a little charred and crisp tender. I sauteed button mushrooms and onions inside, seasoned at the end of cooking with soy sauce. I nuked a huge baked potato. This was served with a green leaf lettuce, cucumber and grape tomato salad. We split the steak and the potato, which was served with butter and Daisy sour cream. At the start of prep, I capped and sliced some gorgeous large and ripe fresh California strawberries and sprinkled with a little sugar in a ZipLock bag to macerate. They were served for dessert as strawberry shortcake over purchased angel food loaf cake slices with whipped "cream" from a can. Our desert was delicious, but I prefer very slightly sweetened biscuits warm from the oven that I typically use for the base of this dessert, but I was trying to minimize dish usage. Certainly, it wasn't bad though, by any standards. I still missed my usual toasted marshmallow dessert, but there was no way I could eat anything more after all we had. We even have enough steak leftover to make the protein base of tomorrow's dinner. If you have enough deliciously prepared veggies, you really don't need that much meat, even when it's as good as this was. Oh, and I wanted to mention that this steak which was on sale for Mother's Day was the tenderest rib eye I have had in a long while. I regret not buying the other one I picked up to ask the husband his preference. Wonderful flavor as usual, but I've had some very tough rib eyes lately, so perhaps things are looking up in the beef department. *fingers crossed*

If you have a hunter cat, they might be able to make short work of your xxx mole. A dog might get it too, but they are not usually as efficient in hunting as a good cat. As long as the mole is there, your gardening dreams may not materialize. They move on after destroying whatever they are currently working on. I hate the xxx mole things too.

@ElsieD, Sorry for your trying experience in customs that would have scared and stressed me out. Glad you squeaked by with your "contraband" dairy products that were 30 cents over limit. And those Blueberry Biscuits, judging from the package photo could only deserve that name of the British definition which is cookie on this side of the pond. They look like hardtack biscuits that used to be used on long sea vessel crossings. Oh, the soft fluffy and buttery blueberry scones I have both purchased, made from scratch and eaten! I'm not interested in that TJ's product either, but thanks for taking one for the team. I hope you also purchased many more satisfying old favorites that will delight you. Save the package from the Blueberry Biscuits. You can take it back with you on your next visit and receive credit toward your next purchase.

That person @Lisa Shockis referring to in her above post, crying over most of a gallon of Vermont maple syrup is me. I always refrigerate it now. I've heard advice here that it can even be successfully frozen, but since I can only afford small, precious bottles now, I reserve worthy and limited space in the fridge for it whenever I am lucky enough to have it on hand. Having to throw out that large and expensive quantity of, local to me at the time, VT maple syrup is a traumatic experience I never wish to repeat. I do have two full-sized fridges for only the two of us, so I am very spoiled by that, I know. One is a more modern one with deep door shelves that are chuka chuka full of mostly condiments, but a gallon of milk will fit. I wouldn't dream of leaving catsup or mustard out. I do not refrigerate vinegars except for expensive balsamic or other red wine vinegar. I leave oils out except for toasted sesame, which I buy in a tiny, cute little 6 oz. bottle that lasts me for years because it is so strong. I keep it beyond the expiry date, but always use it to the dregs of the bottle with no off tastes or other problems. No question about commercial mayo either. I buy a quart jar at a time now that my husband, who loves it so much, lives with me. Before that I would buy an eight ounce jar and wind up throwing most of it out. I can taste it when the flavor goes off, and will not touch it. ALWAYS refrigerate mayo and never dip anything but a scrupulously clean tool into the jar. I leave my liter bottle of Korean soy sauce out, but if I have an expensive tamari, I will refrigerate that. I do refrigerate Worcestershire, because I use it so infrequently. I even tried refrigerating a 1500 ml bottle of fish sauce against the label directions. Sure enough, just like the label cautioned, salt crystalized and precipitated out. Now it sits on a pantry shelf and I'm askeerd of it. Hmmm... maybe I'm not the best one to help free up condiment space in the fridge. In my defense, though, I've never had food poisoning nor given it to anyone, and I have cooked for many, including camping situations. I certainly respect liuzhou's attitude that refrigeration is a very recent luxury still not enjoyed by many people. I think Kitchen Bouquet is a lot like the Gravy Master brand that I use, and I never refrigerate that. I only go through it very slowly, but it has never gone bad on me, even though it goes beyond its expiration date. This is in my mind only, because nowhere on the new bottle I just purchased is an actual expiration date displayed. I do refrigerate pickles and olives. I can also taste when those go south even in the fridge, and will pitch them if they do. I like my pickles and olives fresh tasting and crunchy. I even have the luxury of refrigerating some whole grains, meals and flours I don't use very often, so am able to keep more options on hand: masa harina, corn meal, whole wheat flour, bulgar, black and brown and Arborio rice are some I wouldn't be able to have at a whim without refrigerating them. I even refrigerate Knorr Mexican Caldo de Pollo, Caldo de Res and Caldo de Tomate bouillion cubes because it allows me to keep them all on hand past the short expiration dates. One reason I think the bouillon is so good is that it contains quite a bit of fat, and some of it is animal fat. It makes the cubes very hard when they come out of refrigeration, but I take them out early in prep and they soften. Then I can crumble them into whatever dish I need them for. To me, even the high salt content is not enough to keep this product shelf stable for long without the delicious and inimicable animal fats going rancid. The producer agrees with their short expiration dates. If you are not buying commercial eggs in the US or Canada, they can be left out safely for several weeks. Our misguided government's regulations to wash off the protective natural coating on the shells actually cause them to be more perishable than otherwise. My grandparents raised chickens for eggs and meat and they were the best I have ever had the privilege of eating. We kept them out at room temp and sold them from her front yard. I have eaten hundreds of these unrefrigerated eggs with no ill effects at all. I wouldn't try it with factory farm eggs, though, if you're in the US or Canada. I always err on the side of caution, maybe to a fault, when it comes to food poisoning. I'm also cursed with a very sensitive palate, so if it tastes or smells off even a tiny bit, I'll trash it. I hope you find some more useful information about weeding out your refrigerated condiments @David Ross. I will be reading this topic avidly in hopes that I can safely abandon some of my probably overcautious practices.

I cannot explain why I am obsessed with identifying this plant, but here are a couple more links to good photos that show a species of bamboo with a configuration of red berries borne on the stalk under the leaves. Still not them, I know. I think it may be a ficus of some species, but since there are many, many hundreds of them, I'm walking away for now. Some ficus do bear small red berries, and some do bear fruit on the trunk. If it is a ficus, it might indeed be edible. Anyone else think the leaves look like ficus? liuzhou's shot above shows that the green stem above is turning woody, so definitely not bamboo.

@Paul Bacino, Your burgers looks very nice and are just my kind of burgers. Good beef needs no further embellishment than salt and pepper to me to be perfect. Ground chuck is also my favorite for burgers. I bought a thick rib eye yesterday, and plan to cook it just that way over charcoal tonight.

I know I have seen this configuration on a wild plant in sunny NC woodsy clearings years ago. The plants die back to the ground in winter in our climate, but may grow larger in warmer ones, and your neighbor's specimen looks young to me. Still no luck digging up an image other than in my memory. I am always fascinated by the different, but sometimes very similar species of plants we share with China, and the many species we have imported here from your home country that seem to thrive here as well. The Magnolia grandiflora, for instance is native to the southeastern US. BTW, the wiki link's range distribution map is wrong! It grows all over NC, TN, and AR. But in the arboretum gardens in Raleigh, which used to be named North Carolina State University Arboretum, and somehow now bear the name Ralston Purina (maybe a generous donation?), there are at least twenty different species of magnolia which are otherwise rare here, because they're imported from China, grow well in our climate, but are expensive enough to remain out of reach of most gardeners. To keep this on topic, I will mention, that magnolia is used in teas for drinking and topical application and thought to have health benefits. The perfume of the native grandiflora variety can be delighted in fifty feet or more away from the tree. I had to come back and correct this post where I attributed the name of the NC State University Arboretum to the pet food manufacturer, Ralston Purina. The correction is to the late Dr. James Chester Raulston, who was the director of the Arboretum. The error is apparently mine, because I went back to the original article, and it is correct.

liuzhou's mystery "plant" looks a little like pyracantha, firethorn too, but I know that isn't right either. *stamps foot in frustration*

@BonVivant, you are usually so good about telling us at least the components of your delicious looking meals. This one looks like razor clams, the fattest white asparagus I have ever seen, some kind of skewered huge shrimp or prawns and side dish of some kind of green herb with a nice white wine. Would you care to provide a few more details to a fellow eGulleter with a broken dishwasher and homicidal impulses toward her evil landlords?

Yeah, I didn't really think is was coffee either, nor holly, but the berries are very similar, and it was interesting to find out that some species of holly do have edible leaves that contain caffeine. Just brain stormin'.

Hmmm, without anymore info, I would be hesitant to try that "plant" and its pretty berries. I know one native plant holy that has pretty berries like that. We decorate for Christmas with the pretty evergreen boughs and red berries, but you sure don't want to eat them. There is one species called Ilex vomitoria or Yaupon holly. Your photo also looks a little like this coffee plant, and this coffe plant . I have also seen a rare annual (or at least it dies back to the ground in winter) native weed that shows similar berries that turn red in clusters on stems extending from a central trunk or stem, but damned if I can find an image of it. At least in my country, those berries would call for a lot of caution and research before even testing edibility. Something similar was used in "The Blue Lagoon" for the suicide berries they brought with them on the raft in case they ran out of provisions. Do I see bamboo support poles tied with a couple red ribbons holding up a green stalk? I mistook them for a woody trunk, at first. Pretty plant, and even if it isn't edible, I'd love to know what it is.

@Shel_B, Deryn has given you some excellent ideas, and I just have a couple to add. One is that I used to work with an older lady and an excellent cook who mixed up big batches of potato salad with cooked potatoes, boiled eggs, onion, celery, and anything else she was going to put in it in a couple of big covered bowls to take to her lake house on Saturdays. Once she got there, she added mayo and mixed again. She prepared the salad on Friday nights in one batch and refrigerated overnight, and carried it in the car in a cooler with ice. This method could also be used for smaller batches if need be, and they could be added to the larger bowl(s) at intervals. I have used her method, and did not find any degradation to the potatoes. The other thing I would think about is to do the prep work at your kitchen table with an ottoman under it to support your injured leg in a straight position. I would have to improvise with a milk crate or one of my little patio tables, covered with a large pillow, but that might allow you to sit and not stress the compromised knee. Even a large pile of pillows would work. I admire your determination to fulfill your commitment in spite of your bum knee. Please get well soon.

Seems I'm not the only one who likes the seeds. Trader Joe's latest "Fearless Flyer" says they are offering 8 oz. bags of shelled raw hemp seed in their cereal aisle for $5.99.

For any who are curious like I was about Turkey Dinosaurs or Twizzlers. The "British" was enough to find them on a search which was unsuccessful without that info. I'm surprised the dinosaurs especially never made it to our shores, because kids would absolutely love those. They could even be good if made from real cutlets instead of ground up processed ??? Too bad the OP failed to answer my direct question after I had tried to provide some helpful suggestions and has ignored other direct questions by other posters trying to help. I delight in finding ways to make veggies special and crave worthy. Fried zucchini will disappear at a much faster rate than zukes prepared any other way, I have found, and it does not have to be greasy. I also posted about some oven-fried eggplant that really elevates that vegetable here.

Trader Joe's offers freeze dried salted green beans. They are kind of expensive, but because I don't own a freeze drier, I sometimes buy them. They are so, so good. I LOVE these things. They also offer ridiculously expensive kale chips in a bag. Something like $15 a pound. Dunno how good they are, because I know how to buy a 99 cent bunch of kale, rip it into chip sized pieces, toss it into a clean recycled produce bag with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread out on a couple of cookie sheets in a 400 F oven until dehydrated and crispy. My husband who despises anything he perceives as health food devours my kale chips. Roasted cauliflower, when done correctly, is also crave worthy, but perhaps not marketable as a packaged snack, if that is what you're looking for @pulledpork. "Turkey dinosaurs"? Okay, I give up. Do tell, what in the world are they?

I didn't realize how hard the macadamia nut is to crack, @shain. We never see them that way here. Now I understand why they are so expensive! I was sent a five pound tin of Hawaiian macadamias roasted, salted and shelled from a 65' yacht owner and his wife that visited the marina my father-in-law owned and where my husband and I worked 40 years ago. It was a token of appreciation for our hospitality. It was the first time I ever tasted them, and their gracious kindness still lives in my memory. I did think they were a$$es for throwing a huge wake when they first arrived, though. When you live on the water, the no wake zone is THE LAW. There were NO WAKE buoys everywhere! They redeemed themselves though, and once we explained it, they understood and didn't do it again. That behemoth had to move very slowly to keep from tossing us lesser beings!

No @huiray, I've not seen these valor beans. At first glance, they look a lot like snow peas. I can see the difference though. From your excellent photos, they appear to be a tougher vegetable, and not as smooth on their surface as snow peas. Are there any similarities? I love snow peas, but I also love pole beans which I used to grow. Your valor beans look somewhere between the two. Pole beans need much longer cooking, but they are very good too. Thank you for your helpful information. I feel so intimidated going into a store with so much intriguing produce I am so ignorant about. With sight recognition and an English name, I can Google much more information. I will look forward to seeing what you cook with your valor beans. Often at this particular store, there are no signs or prices at all. The few they do have are handwritten. One good thing is that they also do not have those hated stickers on the produce either.

Sorry for your bad peony experience @JoNorvelleWalker, I can relate to that. My life went south when my mother died, too. @Shelby, one of my best memories involved peonies. I have never grown them, but a gentleman visiting the State Offices of the Order of the Eastern Star with his lovely wife brought the three of us ladies working there each a huge bouquet of pink and white peonies from his garden when he came on business from far across the state to ask a favor of us. I was the one who had to do it, but after 30 years, I have forgotten what the favor even was. I still remember that beautiful bouquet of fresh picked peonies, though. And to keep this on topic, peonies flowers are edible, as well as the roots. Peony water was a popular drink in the Middle Ages, and Pliny the Elder even wrote about them. I'm not quoting that because he also said crazy stuff about woodpeckers descending to peck out your eyes if you tried to pick the flowers during the daytime. You can easily look it up if you're interested. Hibiscus are edible too and popular in Mexico and for tea in many places. Another edible flower is the phalaenopsis orchid. Nice Thai restaurants use them a lot, and they seem to be trending for wedding cakes. When the buds on my indoor one open, I will leave them on the plant because they can last a month on there. As pretty as they look as decoration for food, I would rather enjoy them as long as possible.

@shainyou are sitting on a goldmine of excellent eating with your macadamia nuts. They are indeed delicious, and I thought most came from Hawaii. Most that are imported to my location do, but macadamias apparently have a wider distribution. Look how much these are selling for! I do not feel guilty for the snakes i have killed. They are a threat to people and your pets. I've had to take my late beloved cat to the vet several times with a swollen lower jaw, and after I described his behavior with the vipers in my yard, the vet informed me that it was probably due to snake bite. I'm very lucky he survived those incidents.