SLB

I agree that a cinnamon bun as a dessert -- and not as the starch-accompaniment -- does not sound unpleasant. Meanwhile, I am making @JAZ's chili con carne right now. And I went to put away the stuff, and realized that I used caraway seeds instead of cumin. People I don't really love caraway. I like it in rye bread, alright. The bag is dated 2013, which is back when I was baking bread. I am not happy about this. At all. And -- obviously I still have covid-nose.

God. My mother's face got dreamy at the mere mention of "coffee and cigarettes". She eventually had to give up both. Every now and then, I would make her a cup of full-caf coffee; I really don't have words for how glad I am that I did that, actually broke an actual rule. Meanwhile. I can still summon my first piece of cheese that you cut with a knife. It was at the neighbors, a place I came to hang around often.

I'm catching up in here after awhile away, I'm sorry to see you and yours had Christmas covid too. But it's wonderful to reconnect with your road-life! And I want ribs for dinner tomorrow, along with my peas and collards. I wish I had thought of this before just now, though.

I confess: I am struggling with this. Struggling hard. I got as far, conceptually, as chili with something like that sugar-sweet cornbread like from the ole Marie Callendars (site of my very first job in 1983, at an age when I thought basically everything that one ate in an actual restaurant must be just fabulous. Even it was candy-passing-for-food). But. I could not get any farther. Chili and CINNAMON BUNS???

This. I don't get it.

Two BOXES!!! Jo. You gotta get eatin'. . . .

I enjoyed Rose Levy Berenbaum the other night. Although the opening focus on her book advances was a little odd, and seemed to put her on the defensive. Maybe there's some history there between the host. Anyway, I thought it was great.

Interested! I thought I did not like chili, because I grew up eating it over spaghetti. The noodles were boiled, and then steamed in the top of a double-boiler for several more hours. I do not think this treatment came from the Italian tradition. Saltines alongside, always. Have I ever mentioned, I ran away to college?

For those who use "Light" olive oil as a neutral-ish oil -- including frying -- is there a mass-produced brand you like? In answer to the topic's query -- I like pig lard for almost everything. Which is why it runs out over here before the meat does . . . . I also use peanut or corn oil, and after reading this thread, want to visit refined safflower oil. I love the price of canola oil, but experience a not-always-pleasant taste with it. I am currently trying to avoid other true "seed" oils for my deep-fry purposes (People. I fry a lot of food, is the truth. I like fried food.). My understanding is, "Light" olive oil does not have the taste of extra-virgin olive oil (which is fine, great even -- when you're looking for it); and retains some kind of monounsaturated value. And you can fry with it, and it costs like something that sane people might fry with. [I guess I also need to know -- can you reuse it???]]] Somewhat off-topic -- my neighborhood is generally populated by people from the Dominican Republic, and the oil that dominates the regular-store shelves hers is cornCornCORN!!!! I'm very curious about the corn-oil connection.

Thanks so much for sharing, Shelby. I admit -- this blog makes me want to learn to hunt. It's late for me; but . . . But.

That's quite an endorsement!! @Duvel, this was just spectacular. There is no happy-family like a happy-family, camping in the chilly rain. And, I now know the source of the grumpy when my campsites are rained out: we've been bringing along gin!? Also, I learned a new term of importance to my meat-loving self: "carvery". Thanks so much, Duvel! And to your family for letting you share so much of their fun with us.

Top of the morning to ya'! It's been a strong week!

Oh, it's gone. I was just saying, it was a little crazy. The past few months, I've been patiently waiting on the Falk sales. I just got turned around on the quarts.

I get that, @weinoo, totally. And, it's helpful. The pan which the new rondeau purports to replace was a 3qt Copco enameled cast iron pan which I inherited and loved, but which was ancient and had gotten to where it was chipping enamel into my food. It was hard for me to get rid of, because of how much I loved the cousin who gave it to me. And, oh my goodness, her food. [This is irrelevant, and not merely complex-emotional; in fact, it's totally crazy. Do you know how it beat-down a person gets to feeling when picking enamel chips out of a dish that has been cooking all day??? Sigh.] Anyway, size. I don't know why I'm anxious that what was done in that old pan cannot be done in this new and more awesome rondeau, since I wasn't at all trying to alter the use-case. Honestly? I'm probably just thinking, hundreds of bucks, you better go ahead and gross up. Investment pieces, I get the jitters. Thank you.

I was afraid you'd say that . . . .

One thing these fancy pans can do is rouse you out of cooking slump. In this vein, I ended up with the 3qt rondeau, but I am thinking I need to exchange it for the 4-qt. The 3qt (24cm) seems a touch too small. Just a touch. I'm having a hard time settling. Which is probably because I don't need neither one of 'em. A condition that makes every potentially legit distinguishing principles disappear.

guurrrllll . . . . Damn.

'TIS HUNTING SEASON ON EGULLET!!!

Sorry for the delay -- I meant it positive! Specifically: awe. I am awed at this hospital's food. Seriously awed.

Seriously. Stir-fried duck and ginger???

First and foremost: wishing you a speedy mend, @liuzhou. That food, though? It's looking awesome from over thisaway. Awesome. It's been too long since I've had good Chinese food, dang. In the mid-80s, one of my cousins married a woman who was the head dietician for the VA hospital in Chicago. This.Woman.Could.BURN!!! Meaning -- could cook her butt off. ohmyGOODNESS was her home food good. When my parents were ailing, she was always coming through with all of these amazing suggestions for packing more calories into the food, so that any bites I could persuade them to get down would bring the most bang for the misery. I would call her all the time, I guess for more support than just feeding tips. She retired and moved back to her very rural Alabama home, which happened to be (sort of) near a facility that I had to travel to regularly for work. I would always -- ALWAYS -- aim to drop in on her country kitchen after a day's work, which would add a full two hours to my trek home. Two hours following, ahem, having been well-fed, country-style. I never ate her hospital food, but somehow I believe this woman was throwing down for those vets.

It turns out that fruitcake can be one of the most wondrously wonderful things on earth. But that first slice I had, when I was something like 8? I think one of my aunties had sent it. People. It was an abomination on the LORD. And the revulsion stuck with me for DECADES.

I don't know what I'm gonna do. I too cut down to the LITE plan, and I split even that with a good friend. My problem is, I also want to consume local East Coast growers beans. I hate missing the special beans, though. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Yes. Why, you got an extra thermostat down thataway???

This just in: Hi [SLB], Just received an update from Bluestar. They no longer make the mechanical thermostat assembly anymore, it has been upgraded to electronic To purchase the upgrade kit it is $335.24 (does not include S&H or labor cost) [APPLIANCE REPAIR TECH]