SLB

As always, you and these photos are making the book basically irresistible. In the meantime, if I heard Dave Arnold correctly, McFadden is the guest on next week's episode of the "Cooking Issues" podcast.

First was pureeing tomatoes and chilies for the salsa picante to go with posole. Next was pureeing more tomates and chiles to go into Mexican picadillo de carne molida. [I seem to have Mexican food on the brain these days . . . .]

My neighbor gave me an immersion blender several months ago -- she is purging and turned out to have two of them -- and I only just now pulled it out to finally use. Man are these things useful! I don't know why I haven't BEEN had one!!!

@patti, nah. All I see being revealed is your extraordinary cooking triumphs. This project is such a blessing, and it's also an inspiration. Not just the service aspect, but also the fact that the food looks so good; to echo @Maison Rustique, there's another layer of feeling cared for when the item looks all nice, like restaurant food! Also? You sound like you are having a lot of fun, I'm enjoying everything about this thread.

Oh, I've never done this at the butcher! This is what I put on the cut sheet when I buy the whole side -- butt cut into smaller roasts.

My butts come divided into 3 smaller roasts, too. I mean, that's how I request them. I had pulled one out and had it seasoning hte last few days, and decided to do it a la Smithy's onion soup mix idea. Except instead of potatoes, I have put green plaintains in the bottom. The reason for this is, I bought these little mini-looking bananas the other day thinking that they were a sweet banana; I was coming from the gym and out of my mind with hunger for something sweet, and I saw the banana, and paid zero attention to the fact that they were plainly sitting next to the the plaintain bin, and not over by the sweet fruit. I just bought em. And nearly choked when I tried to shove one in my mouth outside the store, immediately after purchasing. So, I had a few mini VERYSTARCHY plaintains left. They are now providing a bit of a bed bed for 2 pounds of pork butt that has been sprinkled with lipton onion soup mix. I figured, I like mofongo with pork chunks in it, so . . . . I'll report back. NB: This butt looks like it's been brutalized because I cut out about a pound of it to separately confit for tacos. I wasn't ravenous when I did that, but I must've been mad or something. It looks like that butt got murdered, I realize.

Hostess at Marie Callender's Denver (that's how we answered the phone). My mother had directed me to get a job there as a Strawberry Girl, which was the job where you cut strawberries all day for pies. At the interview, I was informed that the hostess job paid a little more, so I took that one. I was 12. Later, after I got my driver's license, I took a second job with a catering company on weekend nights. I liked that job a little better because the workers ate for free. Mostly I was a server but sometimes I worked in the kitchen prepping, which I liked better -- both the labor that was entailed as well as the coworkers on that side -- but no tips. I wanted money. I wanted to go farfaraway to college, and I wanted money. At least that's what I remember thinking at the time. In reflection, though, I think I just wanted to get me some of the kind of food that was served in restaurants. I wanted to work around food so that I could eat more restaurant food.

Whoops! Sigh. My first ferment fail just had to be in the year of our LORDHAVEMERCY food prices. Sigh.

Well, I was just thinking more limited to home-preserved food in jars. But that was an enjoyable re-visit. And I caught my breath sharply to see @heidih. Thank you.

Testify. I'm heading down there this evening for respect. And vinegars.

You know what I would like to see? Peoples storage facilities for their canned stuff. I don't know why I find those photos so much fun. And I for sure don't know if they belong in this thread. But I like seeing the goodies amassed and organized. And I like seeing the creating shelving/structural solutions. Don't even get me started on root cellars. Just sayin' . . . .

Very little preserving happened the last couple of years, I mean none. But this year, I got my act together to freeze corn when it was cheap at a random farmstand I passed on Long Island a few weeks ago. And I took advantage of the last of the green beans to go dilly, with Kevin West's "recipe".

Thanks so much for giving us what you could, Shelby! I admit I was thinking, isn't it Huntin' Time again??? It's always wonderful to read this thread, and I've come to rely on the regular hits of inspiration. Now all I want is giblets.

That's what I'm calling it now, too. And those Sasso birds look incredible. Mmmm.

Queries for the Bluestar owners here, about the knobs. First, have you found that the markings on the knobs to endure? Asking because mine are almost entirely rubbed out, including the one that was new in January 2023 when I had to replace the entire oven thermostat assembly: Second, have your knobs remained capable of snug attachment to the post? Because mine fall off if you barely touch them.

What rotuts said, damn. Looking at that made me hongry! I've got a pork butt brining for this week, but I need to dig into the beef side of the freezer next. I've enjoyed this thread, and am a little sad that the beef farmer I've bought beef from for the last several years is no longer offering quarters.

Darto is offering 20% off of everything, starting today. The exact announcement begins: 20% discount on all our products, before possible changes. Starting today, August 12, at 12:00 PM (GMT-3), Argentina time. The details: What are these changes about? Due to the context that we are currently going through regarding global trade, we could have to make some changes in the short term. We are currently working to continue offering the best possible price and shipping service. In consequence, we are offering a 20% discount on the regular prices of all our catalogue, including our 2025 Red Dot Award-winning Juicer. Is everything first quality? This sale includes both first-quality and factory seconds. Most of them will be first quality (around 95%). Factory seconds may have minor cosmetic scratches but are 100% functional. What if I get a factory second product and I do not like it? Are these used or returned items? We do not offer refunds or returns. All items sold are brand new, including factory seconds. This is my first time buying. I have seen comments about an oil coating on the product and that it feels sticky. Our products are washed and then coated with linseed oil to prevent rust during storage. This oil is safe for consumption but may turn brown over time. We recommend removing the oil with hot water and detergent before cooking or applying additional seasoning. Is the Keychain available to add to my order? Our beloved Keychain is still out of stock and will not be available in this sale. We hope to have it back soon. When will I receive my order if I buy it in this sale? Do I have to wait for a couple of months like the pre-sales from previous years? Shipments are scheduled for delivery starting August 18th. We currently have the items already manufactured, it will only take a couple of days to prepare the packages and print the shipping labels to start with the deliveries. Will you notify me before my package is sent? Yes, we will send you a notification email with your DHL Express tracking number once your order is ready to leave our store. How long will the sale last? This sale ends when the stock of 200 units per model is sold out. Where do I buy the products? Only through our international website: https://www.dartointernational.com/ How many products can I buy? You can order as many products as you want. How much does shipping cost, and what about import fees? Shipping has a flat rate of USD 20 for orders of 1 item and USD 15 for 2 items or more, regardless of the model or destination. This flat rate includes import taxes for countries where they apply them, so you won't incur any additional fees (DHL charges them directly to us). Do you ship to remote areas or countries that are far away from Argentina? Yes. We have already shipped to 95 countries and territories, including remote locations. We always aim to go even further! We ship only through DHL Express, with delivery times between 5-7 business days once the package is handed over to them. Here are the 95 countries and territories we have currently shipped to: United States - Canada - England - Ireland - Norway - Sweden - Denmark Netherlands - Germany - Italy - France - Spain - Slovenia - Dubai - South Korea - Japan - Vietnam - Hong Kong - Philippines - Singapore - Australia New Zealand - Argentina - Uruguay - Brazil - Mexico - Paraguay - Lithuania Ecuador - Belgium - Austria - Romania - Israel - Greece - Taiwan - Malaysia Costa Rica - Finland - India - Thailand - Aruba - Russia - Saudi Arabia Switzerland - Morocco - Belarus - Jamaica - Czech Republic - Estonia Poland - Hungary - Chile - Puerto Rico - Scotland - Montenegro - Colombia Luxembourg - Turkey - Panama - Malta - China - Cyprus - Iceland - Bulgaria South Africa - Greenland - Croatia - Serbia - Madagascar - Peru - Slovakia Brunei - Guatemala - Indonesia - Guam - US Virgin Islands - Portugal Bolivia - Ghana - Latvia - Albania - Georgia - Kazakhstan - Kosovo Venezuela - Bahrain - Ukraine - Bermuda - Lebanon - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Cambodia - Angola - Bahamas - Kuwait - Qatar Which countries are included in this sale? This sale is available for all destinations except Argentina.

That lima bean photo has me inspired, I think that bean is on deck for cooking. Thanks!

I made the "Healthy Soup" yesterday, p 434. It was horrid! I should've known something was up with the "healthy"; but the real flag was the 2t salt, for 3 quarts of liquid, 3 lbs of chicken; and a pound of green vegetable (I used bok choy). Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna be able to eat it. But tricked out with copious olive oil (or, let's keep it real: bacon grease); cheese; and A WHOLE LOT MORE SALT.

I loveLoveLOVE Marsh Hen Mill's grits, all of the varieties. And I get that instant grits are genuinely inferior. But when camping you just can't cook stuff for that long -- even if you had the time, you don't usually want to commit the fuel that is necessary to simmer something slowly. That's why people usually eat instant oatmeal; I was trying to switch out for grits because I like them better and corn has a little protein in it. It sounds like I'm stuck with Quaker for this scenario.

In this Year of Our Lord 2025 -- are there still no exceptional instant grits??? Should I make and dehydrate my own GoodGrits? Asking for those of us who eat in the backcountry, and want grits every day instead of oatmeal . . . .

To report back on my corned eye-of-round -- I braised it at something like 200 degrees in the oven overnight over potatoes. Which is, I guess, a kinda-sorta SV. I don't remember what the braising liquid was, but I think it was leftover turkey broth that my neighbor gave me from last Christmas. It came out very tender and tasty, and made for good sandwiches as @rotuts promised; and even better hash, tricked out with frozen roasted hatch chilis. That said, I don't love the sweetness of the Ruhlman brine recipe, and made a note of this in the e-file. And I might not like Penzey's pickling spice either, too much of *something*. Maybe allspice? Anyway. It was good enough. But I'm going to have to play around next year.

@TdeV sorry to have been unclear. I mean that the EYB universe includes several online recipe sources, which apparently have been been indexed. If you include them in your personal library, your searches will produce results from those sites as well as your designated books and magazines. For example, my library includes 7 "blogs", like Smitten Kitchen, Food52, etc.

You can include preferred websites and blogs in your EYB library, as long as they are independently within their indexed base.

Costco Harlem (NY, USA): 5 dozen in two flats, $22.49. Not organic, obviously.