Margaret Pilgrim

Shain, thanks much for this. FWIW, I find a two tined fork, like a small carving set fork, invaluable for "fluffing" rice and pilaf-like foods.

The couscous pictured above is actually moghrabiah, Lebonese couscous. Slightly larger than Israeli. Cousins.

KISS. If there are no better (intelligible) instructions on the package, boil in salted water until tender. Husband said I could have let this boil a few more minutes, but it was not much more than al dente.

Beets with Momofuku ranch (Sarah Leah Chase's) Hungarian chicken, with Israeli couscous

Blistered shishitos, Maldon salt. Pasta with raw tomato sauce, Sungold cherry tomatoes courtesy of country neighbors.

That shouldn't exist here, as we respect and learn from others' taste and experience.

I dogsit....

Roasted or split and grilled Cornish hen with Cape Cod beach plum sauce.

Totally agree, and expand your list to include hand formed pastas, puff pastry and friends, croquembouche, ballotine of chicken, etc, etc. These are all flights of kitchen fancy, projects one undertakes for the "fun" of it. If they don't sound like fun, I'd steer clear.

Granted it's a surprise squelcher, but there's always the good, old, "If you could have anything in the world for your Birthday Dinner,..that I can create in a rental kitchen...what would it be?"

What would he order were you able to go out? That's a start...

Nice shape. Are they filled?

Combining last night's leftover grilled chicken and steamed rice, new egg, scallions, peas and scrap of bacon -> Fried Rice

I guess it would depend on the viewer. Some would be inspired to follow along. Others to say, "Screw it. I'll buy mine." In all events the video is a valuable anthropological document.

Totally agree. I don’t know Diane’s suggestions. My point was that newbies should not be discouraged by seemingly complicated versions from experts or food media. Again, JUST DO IT.

Returning to my KISS mantra, I think that ma=y food media publications make a simple family/village dish too complicated or at least too sophisticated. You moosh some corn porridge onto a carrier, a leaf or paper, add some savory stew or just cheese and seasoning, wrap it up and steam it. It isn't rocket science nor is it difficult nor does it require a village worth of mamas. So many of the internet food renditions are cute, but not necessarily more delicious, and certainly not more heart warming.

I'm in!

"Home did", as my Texas friend used to say, is way, way better than all but a very few even mamacita for sale versions. And, yes, tamale parties are legendary affairs and certainly wonderful comraderie. But give me a couple of quiet hours and the job is simpler if not social. Someone compared the process to a dumpling party. Save me from that also. .

It's definitely usable. The/your question was how to preserve it for winter/later use. My sick sense of humor emerging, you pass it on to a friend, like you do fruit cakes, who passes it on, and the end-guy carves it into a Martha Stewart Jack--o-lantern.

Or you can use aluminum foil. But IMHO corn husks add a degree of flavor. Maybe not. Maybe they just make the kitchen smell good.

This made for "food after oral surgery", not for company, custard. Did the trick. Was gone in 24 hours, as was any pain from husband's extraction.

I have never considered saving zucchini as such. But I can easily see freezing cookies, breads and cakes, as well as putting up some pickles, sweet and dill. You might even successfully freeze zucchini latkes. eta I suddenly love the idea of zucchini cottage cheese dill bread.

I used to make them with some frequency. Sometimes I'd buy the masa ready to use from La Palma market o 24th St., and sometimes making from harina. Fillings = "tablecloth stainer" or green chili and Oaxacan cheese. Important to access husks that are moderately fresh, i.e., not sitting in the store for a year. Otherwise, pretty straightforward. Both folded or tied eds. No pics on this computer; maybe when I get home...

Another candidate for my last supper.

We have had a KOBE for 5+ years. It's good. But the effectiveness and owner satisfaction with range hoods depends on how one cooks. I turn out three meals a day, 7, cooking on high heat several times a day. Although I put the louvers in the dishwasher pretty regularly, schmutz accumulates inside the hood. In theory, one should wipe down the interior of one's hood once a day when in regular use. I don't.