Thanks for the Crepes

rotuts, The asian sweet potatoes I can get that make good fries look like the first two images in this link: https://www.google.com/search?q=asian+sweet+potato&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=a90NVcKpBcqwggSyrICoDA&ved=0CEMQ7Ak

Yes! I love these for sweet potato fries. Our North Carolina sweet potatoes (although I adore them baked) make poor fries with any method I've tried. They're too limp and moist. The Asian ones available from my S-Mart, with red instead of orange skin and whiter flesh, are perfect for the application. Crispy, and very slightly sweet/savory. Like your source, my Asian market must be watched very closely for freshness and quality. If you catch it when the stuff first comes in, you're golden, but they don't cull it like they do in more mainstream American markets. I've seen stuff in there (like kabocha and onions) that's releasing mold spores all through the environment. Also they have shrink wrapped fried fish, sushi and other really questionable stuff on display at the entrance with NO refrigeration. I don't call the health department, because I want them to succeed, but I sure don't buy that stuff either. I found fresh water chestnuts one time here. If you ever find them in good shape, they're worth the PITA to peel. I haven't eaten a canned one since. You just can't go back. They have lemon grass, and lots of other hard to find things. I don't mean to rag on them, but their health standards are definitely alien to these parts. They also have a dozen XL eggs for 99 cents sometimes. Can you say super cheap protein?

I can sympathize. When we lived in Vermont in the 70's before the internet and Amazon, and when a lot of our stuff (including a saddle, clothing and kitchen ware) was ordered from the Sears and Roebuck catalog, our relatives in Louisiana put together southern care packages and mailed them to us. I remember lots of grits, dried black-eyed peas and White Lily flour. There was no other way to get them.

Hi, ramjan! Just ask your question about food, and there are many knowledgeable and helpful people around here who will come to your aid if they can.

I find it very interesting that in the custom of "egg cracking" only one egg will crack. It seems to defy the laws of physics, and the next time I boil eggs, I have an experiment planned to see if my anecdotal results bear it out. Pointy end to pointy end, right? My most vivid memory of Easter is from my grandparents homestead when they still lived on their namesake road with the cattle gap entrance and half mile driveway. They had their own chickens and ducks who lived on the pond. They only had an outhouse and a manually operated outdoor and indoor pump for the kitchen. I remember the fireflies at night. We caught them and put them in aerated jars to keep in our bedrooms as nightlights, then released them the next morning. I have no idea what we had for Easter dinner (it's a good bet that whatever it was was raised right there), but I still recall the egg hunt. I couldn't have been more than six, probably five. Fresh eggs from the chickens and ducks (huge) were boiled and colored by the adults, then hidden, and me and my siblings and cousins, easily a hundred of us were turned loose to hunt them on the property. Now I'm sure this practice is unsanitary with all the animals running loose on the property, but we're all still alive and healthy, at least most of the youngest of us, and no one got sick from the eggs from the hunt. Nowadays, I tend to have ham or leg of lamb for Easter. About a decade ago, I got some beautiful, thick, bone-in, skin-on salmon steaks from Fresh Market and grilled them. My husband and I still talk about how good they were to this day. One of our local groceries debones salmon steaks and ties them with string. I have tried to explain to no avail how they are ruining a glorious foodstuff. The bones add flavor, protect the meat from overcooking, and are SO easy to just flick away with a fork once the fish is cooked. I actually suck on them to get every last bit of flavor. A celebration of spring. I love asparagus for Easter as another celebration of spring. One year our neighbors to whom we gave surplus produce from our garden gave us a braided bread with boiled and colored eggs baked into the top for Easter. Like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=italian+easter+bread&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=jqoLVbitFoH_gwSAs4SADA&ved=0CCgQ7Ak He was a chef at a local restaurant, and this was really, really good. I was afraid the eggs would be overcooked after being boiled and then baked, but apparently, he was knowledgeable enough to compensate, so the eggs were perfect, and so was the bread. Very memorable.

JoNorvelleWalker, I wish you much success in your gardening endeavors. I'm crossing my fingers for no tomato blight. I grew moonflowers a for a few years in Memphis, and trained them up the support posts of our front porch. They are huge (over five inches across), smell heavenly, and open at dusk each night and close at dawn. We had giant pink and brown moths that would come at night for the nectar. If I recall, they dislike being transplanted, but germinate readily directly in the ground.

Welcome to eG, OrganicFarmer! There is definitely a lot of interest here in wholesome foods, organic produce and gardening. I think you have come to the right place, and I look forward to your participation in the discussions.

Hey, Okanagancook, Yes, okra takes a a very hot climate, like Tennessee or Louisiana where I grew it for years. When other crops wither under the heat and drought, okra thrives. I'll say this, though, I tried to bread my home grown okra and fry it, but it was never as successful as frozen pre-breaded okra. The breading always pretty much fell off my fresh okra. It was completely edible, but just not as good as what I could buy frozen. The breading stuck better. Even though my paternal grandparents and dad are from Louisiana, I don't care for okra in a stew as as a thickener: it's mucucilaginous. It's just not appealing to me except for fried which I adore. It is absolutely amazing how dry, hot conditions fire up the okra production that fry other plants. Good luck to you in Canada! I hope your successful, but I don't really think you will be.

The men in my family did all the hunting and most of the fishing, and all game and fish were field dressed. This means they were gutted on the spot of the kill with the innards going back into the environment where other wildlife would be able to use all or part of it for nourishment. The rest goes to fertilizer for the flora. This practice helps keep the meat fresher and uncontaminated while getting it into refrigeration. It also greatly lightens the load with larger game like deer while hauling it back to your transportation. I have no direct experience with field dressing game, but I've done some fish, and I have a lot of experience in gutting domestically raised chickens. I don't know about the physiology of pigeons, but with chickens, it's important to gently pull out the guts shortly after the kill so you don't rupture anything, especially the gall bladder. This is a smallish green colored organ located between the two lobes of the liver. It's filled with bile, and taints the meat if it's ruptured. It is so bitter, the residue can't be washed away. If I were gutting wild birds, I would be careful in doing so as to not tear anything. It seems logical they would have a gall bladder like chickens do. Edited: changed "doves" to "pigeons". They're the same to me in my mind, but when I think about it, probably not.

Take your electric skillet outside to the deck to have a fish fry. You'll probably need an extension cord, and an ordinary light one won't suffice. A good hardware store will have something called an "appliance" extension cord that is safe for stuff like heaters, refrigerators and an electric skillet. This cord is heavier and designed to safely carry more electricity without overheating. I need all this stuff anyway to run off the generator during hurricane and ice storm power outages. Also, if you don't have a covered patio or deck, be sure to only fry outside on clear days with no threat of rain. I've you've ever accidentally splashed a few drops of moisture into hot oil, you know why this is critical. I put a cheap vinyl tablecloth over the table on the deck, clamp it down against the wind (this is important for safety around hot oil) and I'm in the fish fry business. This is a lot of fun, and makes clean up much easier. Also use a clean empty recycled produce bag to shake your seasoned fish or seafood with flour, cornmeal or other breader, then throw out the mess! I like to do things the easy way.

Yeah, I make hollandaise in a small saucepan on direct heat too, but just don't get a call of nature when you have a dozen useless guests drinking and gabbing and you can't ask any of them to stir for a minute while your gone. This happened over 20 years ago, but it's etched in my brain. My brother was mad at me over it. It was the last of the eggs, but he was the main drinker/yapper. Edited to delete "drinking" before guests because it was also after guests, but you get the idea, and all other times I've been successful with the method.

Hey cdh, The Kangaroo name for a vodka martini is legit. There are 279,000 results on Google for "kangaroo cocktail recipe," including: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/05/cocktails-the-kangaroo-vodka-martini-recipe.html I also own a book entitled "The New York Bartender's Guide," published in 1997 by Black Dog and Leventhal, and it's similar to the Serious Eats recipe except it calls for 2 oz. vodka with 1 oz. dry vermouth with the twist. Same proportions. Seems like a LOT of vermouth for my taste, but I've never had one so I can't testify to that. Edited: link didn't work the first time.

Thanks Anna. Now that I have its name, I can find it on line. The images on Google are a testament to the artistry that is so prevalent in Japanese cuisine. There are many Hello Kitties in the cross sections of the slices, and a Snoopy. There are even some that are sliced and rolled into roses that look like cake decorations, and a rainbow of colors. Very interesting. I like surimi, so I'll be seeking these out to try.

Are you guys who are complaining about no heat in jalapenos cutting out the seeds and membranes? Tonight I made a pico de gallo/salsa to go with warmed tortilla chips with one tomato, one large (4" long) jalapeno from the chain grocery, lots of cilantro and a little onion, salt and pepper. I cleaned out the seeds and membranes from half the pepper, but reserved them in case I wanted to add them after tasting more. I didn't need anymore heat, and the garbage disposal wound up getting the extra seeds and membranes. Granted grocery store jalapenos are nowhere NEAR as hot as the ones I used to grow, but practically no one else but me could eat them. I agree that grocery store peppers have become more tame over the years, but so has my aging self. I still love the flavor of jalapenos, and I find it quite different than sweet bells even when all the seeds and membranes are discarded. We have a huge population of Latino immigrants in my area, and I shop at a chain that caters to them, so that might explain why the jalapenos I have access to still pack heat and flavor.

Actually, Captain Crunchberry Donut Holes sound pretty horrible to me, but Kim's take on it made me smile. Yes, Kim, I remember those days too. When we could take a day trip to the beach. Four hours drive time each way, eat absolute cheap junk, drink, swim and sun, and return home same day because we couldn't afford a beach motel. Wouldn't even think about it now, but I remember too! Good times. Enjoy your youth; it is way too short.

My ex-father in law would either start with a base of sliced potatoes for moussaka, and top the casserole with no bechamel and substitute a generous layer of parmesan cheese, or not include the potatoes and top it with bechamel and a light sprinking of parm. I liked them both a lot, although I have to say I preferred the no bechamel version. I have also included zucchini in some of my versions along with the eggplant and that's a winner too. FIL owned a very profitable restaurant for years, and I learned a lot from him, even though he did not deem me worthy of his firstborn and only son. I'm an American, and as you probably, know, Clementine, people from the "old country" only consider native Greek women for marriage to their offspring. While we were dating, my FIL took my husband on a trip to Greece, and I wasn't invited. I found out later that the purpose was to find him a proper Greek wife. That didn't work, as we ended up marrying anyway. The watermelon/feta combination sounds very appetizing. I'll definitely try it when watermelon comes into season here.

Smithy, Thanks for the vicarious tour of the Babylon Market. What a cornucopia of wonderful ingredients and prepared foods! If I ever make it to Tuscon, it'll be the first place on my list. I hope that you find one of the feta's you bought is a good substitute for your favorite they were out of, and that maybe if you make it back there, that they will have restocked your preferred Greenland brand so you can stock up again. I do not know how you were able to resist the pastries, except that maybe there were so many, many interesting and healthier alternatives. Baklava is one of my weak points, but the best to me are not overly sweet, and nuts (both walnuts and pistachios are chock full of protein, vitamins and minerals). Rock on!

Great lunches, ladies! Question: What are the white disks with the attractive salmon-colored spirals on top of your ramen bowls? I've tried to Google this to no avail before after seeing them in your posts. Today it seems my curiosity has overwhelmed my instinct to not expose my ignorance.

Hey Kim, That's a very good looking venison meal. I love venison. I miss my neighbor who shared venison her hunter friends shot and striped bass she caught in Kerr Lake with us regularly for years. She moved into her parents Kerr Lake house after their deaths. If you're lucky enough to have a venison roast, do it very rare at high heat. It's a good idea to bard it with some good bacon because venison is so lean. It's like beef filet mignon, but with lots more flavor. Just don't overcook it because it can become very tough and dry. It brings back memories of a special cat, now sadly gone on to a better place, that would sit in the kitchen after dinner scarfing venison roast bits I tossed him until I thought he would pop. He never did, but I'm pretty sure it was only because I cut him off. Your cubed venison would also make terrific chili.

Hey MartinW, Welcome to eGullet! There are several experienced and skilled Asian cooks on the board currently and a real wealth of information on the subject of Asian cooking, recipes, techniques and ingredients in the archives. This is also an excellent place to learn about modernist cuisine, so it looks like you've come to the right place. I'm looking forward to your participation.

Hey Shelby, Your pasta dish looks delicious and is very intriguing to me. Your baby artichokes' name translates from Italian to English literally as "artichoke wild tower Saracen" (Muslim or Arab invader) in both Babylon and Google Translate. Perhaps some native Italian speaker can clarify, because we all know the phrase "hair of the dog" has nothing to do with hair nor dogs. Apparently there are still standing defensive observation towers on the Amalfi and Sorrentine coasts called Saracen towers that were built starting in the 11th century. Perhaps these little artichokes grow wild in those areas. http://www.naplesldm.com/saracen.html

Yesterday, I was craving pita bread after Smithy's post of her homemade ones in "Camping Princess Style." I didn't make my own, but I had some in the freezer, so I grilled a half. Then I spread it inside with mayo and stuffed with thinly sliced onion and celery, sliced boiled egg and tomato. Celery haters could sub in lettuce, but I was going for a deconstructed egg salad. It was so good. This is a keeper. I know some of us read this thread for inspiration, and I found some information on Roadfood.com that led me to learn more about a small chain out of Colorado called "Snooze an AM Eatery", that I would like to share with you. I looked at their innovative pancakes, and thought, "Why didn't I think of that?" Well now I have, so I'm stealing their ideas. They offer flights of three different kinds with about a dozen choices each day, and have a pancake of the day that rotates. Among pancake choices that may be offered are: Red velvet Sweet potato Cinnamon roll Coffee and donuts Key lime pie Banana Apple pie Spiced pear Carrot cake Chocolate lava Caramel apple Blueberry danish Blueberry lemon bar Strawberry shortcake Oreo Raspberry Cheesecake Peaches and Cream Peanut butter cup Cherry Bourbon Oatmeal raisin Cherry cobbler Strawberry rhubarb pie They also offer several types of eggs benedict, breakfast tacos and burritos, stuffed (or not) French toast, breakfast pot pie on puff pastry, and if you insist, more pedestrian choices. I've included a link to the colorado menu: http://snoozeeatery.com/co-menu/ and a link to one location's yelp reviews for the mouth-watering photos: http://www.yelp.com/biz/snooze-an-am-eatery-denver-4 These folks really do have some creative ideas in food, and I was impressed by the visual appeal of all the dishes. The attention to detail is amazing. Out of 597 yelp pics, I only found 2 flaws: the dreaded green ring on a hard-boiled egg and one arugula garnish seemed a little haphazard. That's still hitting 100% after rounding. So if you're looking for inspiration for something different for breakfast/brunch or presentation ideas, enjoy.

Welcome to eGullet, Clementine! I love Greek food and will be eagerly looking forward to your take on it. I think my favorite is spanakopita, but I can't get enough of moussaka, pastitsio, avgolemono, braised chicken with tomatoes and cinnamon, baklava, pita, salads with feta and olives, and on and on. My first husband was Greek American, and his dad, who was from Chios, used to bring us big pans of all of the above, except he did not make his own pita. Now I make them all except the pita, and I am seriously contemplating boning up on and making that.

Beautiful pitas, Smithy! This is a bread I haven't made yet, but your rendition is adding inspiration and motivation to give it a try.

minas, I'm even a fan of Brach's orange jelly wedges. I remember when you could scoop them from bulk bins in the grocery stores as a little kid. I would probably swoon over your citrus creations. They are so pretty, and the peel/rind/flesh layers look so precise and more perfect than Mother Nature makes them. Are they as fiddly as they seem to an uneducated eye?