MaryIsobel

I believe that one of my first profound thoughts was when as a child of about 5 or 6, I wondered why "hobos" in ther vernacular of the day, drank from bottles in brown paper bags. I asked my Mom and she said "I guess they think it looks nicer." That woman never uttered a mean word about anyone in the 45 years that I knew her.

Wow - what a gorgeous bounty - I'd be eating those around the clock.

Big silicone spatula fan too. For years I had Rubbermaid spatulas, going back to my wedding shower in 1998. Once I discovered silicone, I've never gone back.

My kind of wine glass - why keep gettin up to refill when you know that eventually you will drink the whole bottle?!

Black cod is in my top three types of fish: halibut, sablefish, black cod. Had not thought to try burnt butter (or brown butter) with fish, but I can taste the combo in my mind. Will have to scout out some decent fish. Thanks!

Looks like my kind of meal. Also curious about the cauli

Thanks - will check it out.

I had not heard of Swabian, I have now learned something new twice today - both times on eGullet.

Your meals are not only beautifully photographed but they are truly mouthwatering.

Certainly not an authority but I have done that and am here to tell the tale. I find by the time I have all the lids and rings on, the first ones have "pinged" and the rest continue to do so. We all have to judge just how "by the book" we want to go. So big disclaimer: Just sharing my personal experience.

I have never had a Zombie but now you have inspired me to investigate them. It will be payback for the time my husband surprised me, and believe me I was surprised, with a Singapore Sling. Sweet and nostalgic right? No. I have told hime 20 times about projectile vomiting Singapore Slings in my early 20's. He is a kind man, I guess he just blocked out my story and thought it would be a blast from the past.

Aren't those the best kinds of dinners? I love the chaos I guess.

63 years in and I still learn something every day. Thank you for that clear and succinct information. If I had a fainting couch, that's where I would be right now, thinking of your corn chowder with a "plop" of fresh lobster. I have had too much disappointing lobster (although I have had some good ones) that I am leary of buying or ordering it. I had great lobster in Nova Scotia and PEI but they are clear across the country so we don't get there often.

Found some perfect cherry tomatoes at a farm stand today and had feta languishing in the fridge, so yes, I made what is now known as TikTok pasta. I have to admit, it is really good and pretty darn simple. Snipped the last remaining leaves of my basil plant to add last minute - will have to replace it tomorrow. Served over rotini, salad on the side. The picture is post bake, pre mush. I seldom manage to take "plate photos" because I serve family style and well, I live with two men who are not at all interested in me photographng their food! It was a tasty dinner for very little effort on my part.

If I could get the quality of takeout that you do for the price you pay, not sure I would cook very much at all. Take out options here are few and far between; not good, not healthy and stupidly expensive for what you get!

If I could get the quality of takeout that you do for the price you pay, not sure I would cook very much at all. Take out options here are few and far between; not good, not healthy and stupidly expensive for what you get!

Being on the North West side of the Pacific, I have never heard of soft shell lobster. Here 6-9 dollars would not get you much lobster at all. Are they like soft shell crab? You can eat the whole thing, shell and all?

After a thankfully uneventful trip home from Mexico, we very much enjoyed a simple dinner of barbequed hamburgers and fresh corn, eaten on our deck. It is PNW cool and no humidity to speak of. Blissful and not in the least taken for granted.

Interesting. Don't know if it is available here, not sure I could try it without my beloved Tenessee Walker flashing in front of my eyes. I did have cows too but understood from the get go that they would become dinner some day.

I have never had horse (although I have had horses, but not to eat.) Is it comprable to beef, taste and texture-wise?

They were my mother's and now they are my favourite for pies too.

Yes, they were so small. There was only a bite or two from each body. I'm sure they added flavour though. I certainly won't miss this humidity.

Reminds me of our poor old Gravenstein. It's at least 60 years old and has been badly pruned more than once.An ice storm a few years ago amputated several of it's limbs. It still produces a paltry amount of apples but I have a sentimental attachment to it.

Our last night here. Shuttle picks us up and noon and we fly out at 4:15 (fingers crossed!) The humidity has been really hard on us, so we have been eating lightly, at our condo a lot of the time. None of the restaurants here are air-conditioned, so makes it hard to enjoy a meal. Our condo has AC so we keep retreating to it. Tonight we went to La Caleta. My husband had octopus, my daughter had cocnut shrimp which oddly was served with mashed potatoes, but the tamarind mango dipping sauce was really delicious. Sweet and sour with a little bit of heat. I had seafood soup which was great, shrimp, mussels, crab, octopus and fish in a zesty broth, with diced raw onion, cilantro, lime and a habenero served on the side. I passed on the habenero but added every thing else. The crab were tiny so the only meat worth working for was in the body.

Thanks @BonVivant Your user name is certainly accurate. You have taken me to places that I will likely never see - the beauty of virtual connections.