AlaMoi

our son in law grew up in a very conservative Jewish family. as the "cook" I plan stuff that is kosher . . . we like him, no reason to 'insult' his beliefs.... I do a mean pizza , , , with turkey pepperoni - actually we don't really see a difference. but, come breakfast . . . pork bacon is his one weakness. I don't cook it and cause temptation . . . he asks about . . . . do not live in a glass house if you are prone to stone throwing . . . . years back regularly did lunch at a ultra observant deli - separate rooms, separate menus, different colored plates, different flatware - they were very serious about keeping kosher.... and it all tasted great!

oh, no! not gonna' think about it! our fridge freezer overfloweth and the chest freezer requires a computerized inventory . . . one (sigh) day I should do the 'learn to shuck' thing. our fish monger does 'dinner&education' events and we attended the oyster bash. the point was to demonstrate the differences between various oyster types . . . including ! differences in 'shucking same' most offering were raw on the half-shell - and indeed fascinating , , , example: oyster seed from the Chesapeake, sent to upper NE/Canada , , same oyster, different environmental conditions - noticeable taste differences . . . as soon as I learn to walk&prep 0-Rockefeller I may opt to refine my . . . whatever . . . I grew up on the Delaware Bay, but cousins were on the Chesapeake side . . . they'd snag an oyster and within seconds, , , shucked and slurped it right on the row boat . . . that's me in the back poling with the oar....

well, I saddled up my steed and sharpened my lance . . . . because local places (including "seafood specialty houses") don't make anything near tasty compared to "historicals" - so I'm gonna' knock over a few windmills enroute to making my own. I've gotten some really good seafood dishes locally - most recently a heap of mussels that were spectacular. but I think the northern adaptation for oyster Rockefeller has gone astray.... also going to try the watercress idea - sounds fascinating . . . need to round up some pernod - and check the dates on the shucked oysters . . . they always have them, but sometimes the best by date is a bit short for two. seafood is the one area where I'm much more observant of "best by" dates....

I wonder if cheese is a 'nawthan' adaptation...?

for those blankity-blank clear plastic welded together in 20 places . . . kitchen shears. I don't even try anymore - cut, snip - whatever....

happen to have a Costco boneless ribeye thawing . . . 406g / 14.32 ounces - a very generous size.... this is for two, at our house...

hmmm. me and some water bottles have had our battles . . . so I went to the shop and . . .

wow! good finds there - many thanks! the usual&customary recipes are just spinach+breadcrumbs+Parmesan - curiously these 'originals' make no use of any cheese.... the recipes are quite similar - I'm looking forward to trying these.

anyone do home kitchen oyster Rockefeller? it's one of my fav appetizers - the "recipe" is dead simple... oyster+spinach+bread crumb+parm . . . well, sounds simple but some are so much better than others. seasoning? I bought some stainless steel "shells" I can get fresh shucked oysters by the pint - Chesapeake Bay stuff - the real deal . . . about 20 oysters per pint. for the bread crumb I'm think pan browned panko&butter; parm is box gratered off a chunk - no green jug junk... first bake to set, then broil to melt. any input ideas as to technique / seasonings / other appreciated!

thanks - copied to my salads folder!

that looks quite nice - could you list out the ingredients please - some stuff I can identify - but others . . .

can you share your technique, please? are you dealing with the vacuum packed slices on a foil board, or something 'freshly sliced?' a upper-end supermarket has a super-deli where I go when I want 'the good stuff' - they thin slice stuff like speck and prosciutto/Spanish jamon "live to order" and use plastic sheets between layers - so there is no such thing as problem separating . . .

DW did a pimento cheese sandwich, the left overs were looking for a home . . . normally not an add. I spend my summers on the Delaware Bay - the Del side was less commercially fished and we would get a bushel/2 of mega-crabs in about 30 minutes... had relatives in the Salisbury/Mardela Spring area - altho we ate more oyster than crab when visiting....

(long story . . . cryptic version . . . ) my grandmother would make buckwheat pancakes for the grandkids over holiday gatherings = 5 children+their kids . . . recently had a "gathering of cousins" (aka the grandkids) so I made a buckwheat starter for "the breakfast party" buckwheat pancakes - vs. the yeast option(s). with homemade butter and (the 'as it was then . . ') blackstrap molasses on offer, real maple syrup for the less inclined.... multiple requests for 'another stack' were registered . . . creating your own starter is amazing simple - flour and water plus 8 days and you're good to go. I must admit I was a little leery, but it was simple, and turned out super great. can post the directions if anyone wants . . .

that's about the only option - thin down the sauce to the consistency you want - you'll wind up with "extra" sauce.

absolutely on the less is more side.... I've tried so many recipes with mayo-and-beyond.... it's ridiculous. I use lump crab meat - for two,,, one pound - I separate about 1/2 of that for chopping and dicing. the variation of "chunk size" is in my experience very important for "holding" the crab cake together. all big chunks - they fall apart.... using one beaten egg per pound - salt+pepper+Old Bay formed in a ring, looks like (with pimento...):

next go-round I'll try more time on the counter . . maybe in 10 minute intervals to see if there's a "magic spot" . . .

"Just shred/chop it and go on." oh . . . I got that part down pat . . .

for clarity: this is concerning the customary supermarket varieties of "smoked salmon" that is pre-sliced in vacuum packs. (as opposed to smoked whole pieces....) we like thin sliced smoked salmon as an accent for various dishes/salads/etc - along with the neo-classical eggs Benedict with salmon vs. Canadian bacon.... the preference is for a "Nova" style - cured with a light smoke. not so fond of heavy smoked stuff. "traditional" lox - cured, no smoke,,,, is not out of the question. seems Nova style has divorced itself from its "Nova Scotia" roots and is done with all the Pacific/Atlantic/Nordic/Scottish/farmed/wild caught salmon family now.... we also do gravlox but that more for oeuvres. but anyway - here's the issue: getting those vacuum packed yummy thin slices apart!! any tips/ideas/tricks . . . ? tried cold, tried allowed to warm a bit. used dull side of a knife/buter knife, metal offset spatula, fingers, fork&fingers . . . the thin slices tear apart - which...buried under an egg,, an assembly of little pieces is not an issue. for other purposes something more pretty would be nice.... prepping for two, DIY slicing from a whole side is more salmon than we will consume prior to fossilization... considered it; I can get super fresh beady eyed pink gilled "whole salmon" from a local fish monger . . perhaps cure/smoke half, freeze the other half for salmon dinner? any supply of unsliced 3-4 ounce chunks?

nada clue - Carbon Off is super powerful - however they "manage" that. spray on, wait, rinse off. smells a lot like lye oven cleaners -

there is a product: Carbon Off a super strength "oven cleaner" in a spray can - I use it on burned on gunk from boil overs on copper pots. works like a charm - use outdoors!!! I have a very old - pre-1920 - Griswold from a flea market that I cleaned to bare metal and have since never done a 'severe' cleaning. outside it has crusty gunk, inside less-crusty. it's smooth as a 'baby's bottom' and is about 99% of Teflon in terms of sticking. bottom line to this is just: don't fret the minor crusty stuff - keeping cast iron 'sparkling clean' is not an especially good goal..

anyone concerned about meat sellers not properly labeling stuff . . . . buy bone-in beef/pork. check the videos of how blade/needle mechanical tenderizing is done - bones in the meat are not going to work with that process. . . .

beef that has been mechanically tenderized must, by Federal law, state that on the label. so, there is that . . . . I buy Costco pork chops - splendid stuff. I buy Costco USDA Prime beef because it's same or less than supermarket USDA Choice. and it's dang good beef. we have a local butcher - his stuff is always top notch - they supply the resto trade in a wide area . . . when I'm looking for a special cut - he's my goto. I also make a point to not over-cook my beef or pork or chicken or duck or . . . .

my never fail pre-heat oven to 425'F/ 218'C qty: 3 144g AP flour note: I use KA AP; you may have to increase decrease for other brands!! if the batter is too wet, you get pancakes.... 1-1/2 t / 7g baking powder pinch of salt cut in 2-3 Tablespoons (30-45g) cold butter - I use the low end when the oven is hot stir in 146g milk - 1% to full - your choice drop / bake immediate on ungreased sheet

((LOooooooooooooong story)) but I deal with metric a lot, so I wrote my own, thence adapted to cooking stuff from strictly engineering stuff....