Margaret Pilgrim

Apologies in advance for thread drift, but for about a year we have been buying and very much enjoying Irish and Finnish butters. $3.99/8oz. Lovely color and flavor, excellent melters. I have to admit that we go through a LOT of butter. These (Finlandia and Kerrygold) fit our use and taste.

A cautionary note regarding various masa and corn products. Buy close to your needs and watch best-by dates on dried corn products. In our (recent) experience, they are a favorite host for pantry moths, eggs and larvae, and easily enter your household unnoticed in packaged goods, grains and grain products preferred. I have tossed some 20 pounds of masa, corn meal and polenta in the last several months. And I'm not winning. Once introduced to your larder, they are uncomplaining guests who happily accommodate themselves with what's available after you get rid of the original product they came in in. We think we are rid of them, only to find we are just between birthings. This morning, husband announced that he killed 4 before breakfast and is sure we are at the beginning of a new cycle. They prefer whole foods, not white flour, altho they will go for pasta, maybe the egg, and dry cereals. We have opened brand-new 'Cheerios to have a moth fly out of the sealed plastic inner bag. They readily chew through plastic. Our pantry looks like a glass and tin forest.

Absolutely agree! And using Young's double chocolate stout kicks it up a notch.

Using an outdoor wood oven is work. You don't just start a fire and walk away; it must be attended for well over an hour before you reach backing temps. You need a good heat-sensor gun. There is a lot of watchful waiting before that seemingly simple 2 minute pie comes out of the oven. And keeping fire at baking temps if your are cooking for a party. There are three parts to wood fired oven pizzas. The dough, toppings and construction; fire building and maintenance; and the actual baking. Timing is everything. So coordination is essential. Making pizza for a crowd is WORK! Even when guests "make their own", they have to be mother-henned or else they wind up with calzone...as their overloaded pies topple over onto themselves off the peel and into the oven. Plus, yes, ash. And wood storage. And preparing kindling or small natural fire starter material. Ours is at a weekend place where husband is often consumed all day with maintenance chores. Hence my learning how to make plausible pizza in the kitchen range oven. Life is short; wood burning pizza ovens are a project/hobby/lovefest, but work.

BRAVA!

We installed a model from Forno Bravo. You can tart it up as much or little as you please. Ours is country-rustic. Note that these are not turnkey, or "light match" ready. They arrive as large HEAVY sections which must be masoned into place then plastered. Bases and further treatment are up to you. Ours has been installed for 10+ years. Husband jokes that we now have cost per pizza down to under $100 each. So do consider.

I cannot envision life with a retired husband and without a microwave. There's an old saying, "For better for worse but not for lunch." Enter "planned overs" and the microwave.

Husband has actually been requesting what we call cabbage noodles. Apparently an Eastern European dish. But I amp it up by braising slaw-sliced cabbage in butter/water, then adding cooked narrow egg noodles. More butter if necessary (😀). He will have seconds at dinner, then stand over the pan with his fork...

I REALLY need to be Moe.

Eggt(s) Benedict

It is indeed Spring! So much for health food. Now on to frites and prawns (mayo, cocktail sauce, lemon)

Mario Batali makes cornmeal gnocchi.

Sent up a joyous "Woohoo" when I found a local source for fresh abalone steaks. I realized they would not be the ab of my Central California childhood or classic mid century San Francisco restaurant ab, but we had to try it. 4 small seemingly whole (altho represented as steaks)n abs. Not pretenderized, so I got out a chopping block and my scallopini flatener. Push and shove movement rather than pounding. Tough little buggers. Husband came in and insisted on taking over. I didn't argue. Dipped in egg and cracker crumbs, sauted in butter. LEMON. Not your father's ab, but tender as love and approaching delicious. Zucchini braised in buttered veal broth.

I was amazed/appalled yesterday to see All-Clad selling sets of two non-stick pans for $49.99. A new direction?

Just a thought, for those of us who don't normally stock lard, one can always save a small jar of drippings from pork roasts and such. Best best lard I can source comes from a butchershop that makes and sells carnitas!

We are not worthy...

No, no, no...I don't do jam. For me, Toast. And butter. And more butter.

A 2nd generation Mexican woman gave me the following recipe and instruction. 1 cup flour, two tablespoons fresh lard or shortening, shower of salt, enough hot water to bind. LET REST, COVERED, AN HOUR. Roll out on very lightly floured board. Turn dough frequently to encourage a circle. Grill in an UNGREASED cast iron pan. Keep warm under a towel. Works pretty well.

Funny, this coming up now. For two days I have been seriously Jonesing last Century abalone. 2 martini lunches at Bardelli's on O'Farrell: avocado and grapefruit, then abalone steaks. But, hell, in those days we even served abalone at small dinner parties. Mise: abalone steaks, egg beaten with splash of seltzer, fresh saltine crumbs mashed to meal, unsalted butter. Beafeaters, Noilly. Make martini. Heat butter to bubbling. Dip steaks in egg, then very lightly in crumbs. Lay steaks in hot pan. Throw back half a martini. Turn steaks. Toss down remainder of martini. Plate abalone. Heaven! Just today I saw that a locsl purveyor is offering fresh abalone STEAKS. I will check it out soon, and if true, I'm gonna git me some.

You're due a drumroll!

Will toss out an alternative baking process. We preheat the oven in our gas range to 550 for half an hour. Form the pizza on a thin baking sheet. We use a thin aluminum cookie sheet. Place ()on the sheet) directly on the oven floor. This thin crust pizza took about 5 minutes, if that. Crust was brilliantly crisp. Our style, with minimum effort.

We have pretty much settled on Carl'sJr for burgers and specialty (filet of fish or chicken) sandwiches. Fries are acceptable. We usually order one simple sandwich and one "meal", then share the fries. All of this, a year old since we haven't gone for fast or slow food away form home for a year due to covid.

Put another way, I&O HAS CACHET. We only tried them once when they first came to our area, but except for the buff kids serving, it's just another FF burger. And someone is going to have to walk that extra. mile to better McD's fries.

An aside, several years ago I bought green plastic "grass" for the kids' Easter baskets. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving, although I never saw how it traveled, I was picking green strands up for months. Crumpled green tissue paper works for me.

Leg of lamb rotisseried in the fireplace Roasted carrots, and "roni".