SLB

I now have my mother's table, which I would not have chosen for myself and which holds some not-altogether-pleasant memories, for both of us. It was her formal dining room table (with matching sideboard). I don't think it's the very best anything, but it was solid middle-class stuff from 1970. It's now my everything-table. When I got it, about 3 or 4 years ago from my brother who didn't want it anymore, I resolved to reject its care with flourish, with the exception of basic cleaning, and barely occasional oiling. Part of the reason for this is my inner child's enduring sulk; the other part is, I really do want a very different table to anchor my dining. Also, it has rounded ends, and I hate rounded wood anything. Basically, I want a very nice picnic-style table. And I kind of thought that I would eventually get that, in my next. home or something. Well. I realized about a year ago that it was not likely that my life is going to actually involve me purchasing another very large table. Because I am now middle-aged enough to be thinking, how much more shit you gonna buy?? With what money?? And -- why, again??? And I have concluded: this is gonna be the table for the duration. I mean, anything can happen. But, what is probably not gonna happen is, me buying the 8-9 foot table of my dreams. So then, I took a look at what I had done in the few short years that the thing has been in my possession. The finish has scratches now. DEEP scratches! Some places, the finish looks like it has straight-up crazing! You know, like with old ceramics?! The half of the thing that sits in the morning sun looks . . . different. My mother is so, so, so angry with me, assuming that its allowed in the afterlife. THROO!! She took so much pride in this table, I remember being tasked with taking the Pledge to it WEEKLY as a child. Repeat: WEEKLY. Sigh. So now I am studying tablecloths. I want a nice one that fits the whole table with all the leaves (I have some -- my mother's, all nice and white, some with lace -- which fit the smaller version). I don't want the tablecloth to live on the table; I just want to have an option. It's a hard purchase, it turns out. Anyway, I also decided to get some placemats, since I'm going to behave like a grownup at this table now. I got some nice linen ones, for company. They don't match -- that was a bridge too far. And I got these rubber-plastic ones from MoMA, for every-day: Doodle: And Scratch:

I have a little niece/god-daughter (we haven't figured out what we are to each other, besides in love -- her mother is my best friend, and both of her parents have become kind of shattered in the wake of their divorce, so we spend a lot of time together with me loving her up. Especially with food -- ) Anyway. I gave her the Kenji book, and while I often rue the fact that it's TOO LONG FOR A BEDTIME READ, AAARRGGGHH -- its plot makes magical sense to littles who live in New York City buildings, where so many children live wondrously multi-culti lives. And NYC -- parts of it anyway -- is still a place where small children can end up at some neighbor's table for a snack without it being, you know, an Administrative Project. The book's refrain "we need more data", is now our shorthand for eating some more food. We love it. I'm ordering all the other suggestions, right this second.

@blue_dolphin, it sounds like you have landed in the good life! Meanwhile, I've recently developed heartburn, which is entirely avoided by dinner at 630p. It can be hard with work and the New York version of socializing, which is meeting out for dinner at a restaurant considerably later than 630. But I aim aim at 630 as often as I can. Heartburn is for the birds.

I have the Atlas, I generally prefer a handle to the twisting (something unresolved in an old cubital tunnel problem). But I want the Weber moulin, damn.

Testify. I'm going to make this next week. Because I am going to be in a home where someone else bought the jamon iberico.

Here is the UMaine Webinar. I don't miss those heady early-pandemic days, but I do miss my Tuesdays with these ladies:

I took the multi-part preserving [webinar] course from University of Maine a few years ago, and the question I posted on the steam-canning day was: why would anyone water-bath anything, ever? The answer was: for things that need longer water-bath-times than can be accomplished in a steam-canner. I got it, immediately. Specifically, I heard a charge: go forth with steam, with everything that can be steamed.

Yellow-meat watermelon, oh God. It's been too, too long. I think not since I left Mississippi in 1997. ETA: I think I'm gonna cave and get this book. My inflation theory is, same ole' meat, tricked out sauces. The LGD alone seems like such a great ambassador of the rest . . . .

I saw this and immediately wanted to make it for the kids in my life. And also -- ahem -- for me.

@Okanagancook, I'm in for the Salad Dressing Thread!

JoNorvelleWalker, what is your opinion of the Copper Coeur, now that you've had it for awhile?

Shelby, I've been swinging through here looking for what's doing in your preserving kitchen. I find the reruns riveting!!! Last year I realized that, basically, I want to come out and help your Putting-Up like with Ronnie and The Hunter.

@Annie_H, I might need that full recipe.

I love my Hedley&Bennetts, with one caveat: pay attention to weight. Maybe it's not necessary with the cross-back, but if the thing is on your neck, and you plan to be in it all day . . . some of them are a lot heavier than others. I seem to be sensitive to weight on my neck, and I learned this the 80-plus-dollar way. People like Tilit a lot, but my beautiful red Tilit fell apart quickly. I'm sure it was defective, but have no idea whether that is a common problem there. I have two linen pinafores (one is rough linen), which I wear for the hot weather. I echo something someone said upthread -- the drape will slacken as you bend over, so take care if you're near fire or something like that. And, let's not kid ourselves. Linen is not a textile that ages well. My "dress" apron is AOS. It's shiny black tablecloth material, with hot-pink stitching. And my dirt apron (in my life it's not for food, it's for dirt work) is from HandyMaam. I love this apron. It's priced totally crazy, like a lot of, you know, American-Maker-Hipster. But I do love it: https://handymaamgoods.com/collections/workwear/products/the-drapron I think it would work well for barbecuing or frying or work where the fabric needs to be thick.

Nancy speaks for me. It took me probably fifteen years to admit that I actually do not like añejo tequila in anything. If fact, I only modestly like it neat, and would always privilege the reposado option for that kind of thing. With the recent rage of "artisanal" tequilas, maybe I'll revisit the añejo universe.

Any New Hampshire insights? I'm trying to get myself back to the Whites in the next year, and I like to bookend my Very-Good-By-Comparison Camp Food with Very Good Restaurant Food.

I wonder if it's lobster bisque that I'm remembering; does it have a teeny hint of green curry (as in, bringing NYC-basic Thai food to mind)??? I don't remember it being creamed though, which I think is what makes bisque, "bisque". In fairness, I may not be remembering exactly everything, because it was a vacation sandwiched between awful work-crush; so, you know, drinks . . . . But whatever it was, that's what I had en route to Acadia, and then broke camp way early to get some more of on the backside.

I love, love, love Portland. And once left Acadia something like two hours early in order to permit time to get me a bowl of the Eventide chowder before a flight out. Thank you for sharing this, I'm going to try to get there before next winter. I need all that food you posted.

I'm not sure if we've discussed the heirloom beans grown by Charley Baer. He carries a bunch of common beans, but specializes in New England heirlooms, e.g. Soldier; King of the Early; Marfax; Yellow-Eye. The brand is known to people who frequent farmer's markets in Maine, Massachusetts, and NH; but now have a functional mail-order system (you used to call and have a delightful conversation with a woman who had an old-timey Maine accent, I could've talked with her for days). Anyway, they're going to be profiled this Saturday on a New Hampshire PBS show called "Preserving New England", I thought folks here might be interested. https://nhpbs.org/schedule/summary.aspx?progId=WeekendswithYankee605&fbclid=IwAR0qbZVITiWkvfsz60d0sHKuiQj-15g9qXA3gDjd3OyMLXsjj8JHjuDpZOI

I am embarrassed to report that one can find the answer to this question by googling "freezing raw potatoes". I have nothing to say about why I didn't think about that option until @FauxPas's kind response. Did I mention, it was late? It's been raining for three days, maybe that's it. I don't know about me, y'all. But that is another thread . . . .

So, my survey late last night found that all internet affirmations that latkes can be happily frozen are talking about already-cooked latkes which are then frozen. Is there some reason nobody freezes their latkes raw but pattied-up?? Does something bad happen to potatoes in the freezer???

Yep, that is the Ikea countertop; and I agree that it's actually a decent product although I would never drop the actual sink into one, which is what the folks who built this kitchen did on the parallel line of this galley. The rotting particle-board is the cupboards. I think it was made to require renovation every decade or so. Which is against my religion . . . but the truth is, my lower cabinets floors are going to straight-up fail any day now.

Years ago, I purchased some rare-earth magnet knife strip thingies. In my mind, it was @rotuts who emphasized the need for the strength of "rare-earth" magnets. Well. I finally had a friend put 'em up. Heavy-use to the left (mostly); less-use to the right. Just in time for the whole new kitchen I need. In fact, the walnut was bone-dry, I oiled everything good before the drilling. Sigh. But. It's exciting, anyway. Amidst the dilapidation, and Ikea particle-board decay, and mess. [And, no. I certainly do not need three serrated knives. Two of 'em were supposed to be gifts. The rest of that is another board, or at least another thread . . . .]

Maybe you could mince or blend them after rehydration into the dressing? I don't think the slices will come back nice for eating otherwise raw.

@TdeV, I actually have both of those books, I agree that they're pretty good. But mostly I came away from them more comfortable adapting my own regular food (which tends toward high-calorie anyway). Everything turned out fine! Even that sticky messy mass of rice!! It was actually delicious, and the six-year old scarfed it down like a champion. Boiled sausage is not the most delicious thing ever, but I fixed it with salt and red pepper flakes, and the truth is that the texture was quite nice in the soup. The slaw concept worked out really well, it added a fresh note which was great by day 3. And no one died or even felt sick! The half-dehydrated half slow-thaw frozen seemed to work out fine, even though we just did not have the fuel for the 10 minute boil that I was trying to push. And, finally. It was too much food. I'm not sure why I was so terrified that it wouldn't be enough food. It was, like, twice as much food. I kept thinking, you children are not eating enough . . . . @palo, I was in FL for a day and an excellent seafood meal. And to pick up other goodies: in fact, the first camp-night's dinner was actually ribs from Jenkins, I called ahead and ordered three slabs and a bunch of non-mayo-type sides. The main thing we were doing, after pre-gaming on ribs and ribs-sides at Stephen C. Foster State Park, was several days of canoe camping in Okefenokee (GA). Thanks for the support, guys. I was freaking out, when the dehydration theory went south due to weather, I was quite anxious that I was gonna kill people, either through food poisoning or else through homicidal rage from having to portage three coolers full of food that was supposed to been dehydrated.