Margaret Pilgrim

Grilled zucchini with red pepper sauce and creme fraiche, with a heritage pork, Momofuku sauce on the side.

Beets, oranges, red onion, blood orange infused olive oil Spaghetti carbonara, guanciale, pecorino

On the West Coast, Spreklels made/makes beet sugar. I can't say I've seen it in stores in years.

Ooooooof!!! Sending all good thoughts and our thanks for taking one for the team. I remember being in a fast food joint where the late teen-age fry-cook was the French fry oil in shorts and flip-flops. Cringe-worthy.

II buy cheap dried bay leaves in the Mexican seasoning department. Always add as part of a bouquet garni (dried bay leaf, fresh parsley and thyme tied together with string for easy removal) in meat braises, , in beans and split peas, in potato soup, chili, Mexican sauces. About 2" of leaf is enough.

And then there was the time s couple of weeks ago when I removed the Mississippi roast from its pot onto a wooden board so we could reduce down the juices a bit. Left the board on an adjacent unused burner only to suddenly smell “campfire”, burning wood. #%£¥!!!!! Yup. Bottom of carving board on fire. Put it out under water but it is seriously scorched. Who knew maple ignited so easily? I was sure it was several inches from the in-use burner.

I remember making quite excellent pie crust with corn oil. Corn oil and milk, if I remember correctly. And my still favorite carrot cake is made with oil.

A few months back, I started a new after dinner dishwashing routine. I wash all dishes, glassware and silverware, and any very lightly used pans, but just leave well used pans on the stove, filled with water and Dawn. In the morning, regardless of what was stuck on the night before, they wash clean with just a swipe of a sponge. How come I've been fighting stuck-on pans at night for all these years???

Off topic. but one of my favorite mine vignettes = a sign posted at a Sutter Creek, CA gold mine, "This is rattlesnake country. If you encounter a rattler, please report it to the gift shop." Huh? Where Dollie Dimples behind the cash register would do WHAT?

And need to be treated very differently from usual American "baking hams". I.e., we wouldn't "bake" a prosciutto or Iberico or an untreated fine southern ham.

No, no. no. no! Make your own out of ham and fresh add-ins. No aversion to SPAM, but this is a different animal from what's in that can of SPAM spread.

Some 70 years ago, my father clipped out a recipe that became a family regular, essentially potted ham (although his recipe called for SPAM). Grind together (today, I use a food processor) ham, cheddar cheese, hard boiled egg, onion, raw celery, raw carrot, dill pickle, sweet pickle. Bind with mayo. Add mustard if you like. And/or dill. I use this with many leftover big-meats, beef and pork. Works less well with poultry, IMHO. Use as sandwich spread or on crackers. Kids tend to wolf it. Men, too.

Bits and pieces: leftover pork chop, stray mushroom, grilled romaine, shishitos, slab of focaccia.

When our son asks this question, I tell him to look at and smell the questionable fridge resident. It shouldn't have any off smell or appearance. Me? I've left crepe batter a week.

Now, THAT’S a concept.

You're nailing them, weinoo. Crepe batter lasts for a number of days in the fridge. A convenient resource for fast meal or snack.

Can you make these soft and chewy by adjusting baking time? They look fabulous!

Country spare-ribs with almost-choucroute

fwiw, this butcher also carries Llano seco pork at about 2/3 the price of the Berkshire. I haven't tried it but it seems to be well raised. Next time, maybe, but we are so very satisfied with the Berkshire.

Two blocks from house = excellent private supermarket with butcher. About 1 1/4" thick. Cast iron pan, stovetop; sear, flip-flop, flip-flop, rest, slice/divide. These are just over 3/4 lb each.

Picked these up today $18.99/lb. One chop serves two people easily

Ours, before the assault

I finished off the last of ours for breakfast this weekend. Microwaved. No condiments, just savored its glorious beefy flavor. Our family usually fights over the Yorkshire, but this year, with just two of us and a double batch, we finally had "enough" to go around + leftovers..

I continue to enjoy French SAVEURS, which is a totally separate magazine from our SAVEUR no S. Again both food and travel or culture. And Regal is quite good although slightly downmarket.

The only subscription I still maintain is a French mag that is/was useful for both improving my language skills, cooking and travel. Cuisine et Vins de France Excellent recipes, wine reviews and visits to both popular and obscure locations. I have found that attacking a foreign language through a subject with which you are familiar is a comfortable route. You know the terms and the gists of many recipes, so you can extrapolate new and unfamiliar words. Heartily recommend if you have any interest in French food and culture...and wine.