Annie_H

Grain and bean bowl--hot smoked salmon, crispy skin, prosciutto bacon, kimchi, kale, white miso/hijiki broth

A few weeks into the initial lock-down, a group of young co-workers asked me to join a texting recipe exchange group. All in their early-mid thirties. Two have toddlers. Not one of them cook at all. TJ and WholeFood shoppers--FreshDirect for bulk staples. Milk, eggs, etc. Bagged salad kits, TJ frozen food meals. Small kitchens and tiny fridge/freezers. About that same time, Zwilling on-line had a pandemic 4 quart Staub dutch oven for 99$ free shipping. I suggested a decent chef knife and a good cutting board--minimum 15inch wide--best 18". They all purchased the Staub and still thank me. Oxo cutting board over wood since I knew they would not know how to care for a Boos. Sticker shock when I suggested the Victorinox. (under 50 bucks). The Mercer culinary is 18$. I have two similar 8inch at the beach home purchased 20 years ago from a downtown restaurant supply that we used to teach our young nieces and nephews knife skills during week long family reunions. Mine have similar heafty handles and nubby plastic that seems comfortable for many different hand sizes. (DH hides his good knife and I hide my egg pan from house guests). Not everyone needs or has a kitchen tool/pot/pan obsession. Or knows how to take care of them or cares. One of my co-workers loves her chef knife she uses but it is a steak knife with the serrated tip so it does the job for her fine, 😂. (she did not know it is a steak knife) Most of these co-workers are back to pre-pandemic habits but they learned so much at that time. Some are still baking bread but every couple of months. Not twice a week. One husband advanced to Forkish pinch-and-fold and purchased a book or two. Now pizza is his obsession. *I sent out many packages of yeast for a few months.--Costco container in the freezer. Most purchased flour for the first time but did not know why or that yeast was hard to find at the time. Or that yeast was needed for bread.

I do the same. Ordering less often---every 2-3 weeks now but do stock up on favorites. I've come to expect out-of-stock items or no-longer items. Something as simple as the Faulk sea salt I love and have a few boxes now. It is ground fine like powder so I no longer need to spice grind sea salts. Stocked up on the ThreeLittlePigs offerings and the shelf stable gerkins, olives and the toasts--2 for 3$. Pastrami and prosciutto in the freezer. Last order they sent 4 packages of proscuitto--ordered one. (!#🤪) My pantry and freezer is healthy/full now. I like all the sausage especially the merguez.

I soaked three 1/2 pounds last night and simmering away today. And a mixed grain--wild rice, wheat berries, quinoa and lentils. A few choices for 2-3 days. Smoking hatch chilis, tomatillos, and a couple salmon fillets, a few merguez links. I am also surprised when I get the notice for more RG beans but always welcome the variety once in the pantry. (I think) Is it quarterly?. Maybe 3 times a year with the free shipping code might be best? Always a great quick gifting item so no complaints here.

I have a few favorites in rotation. If you experiment in a new posting thread I will chime in. I have a dozen snap-top jars for various condiments and chia breakfast puddings. This week I'm freezing mango and sheets of puree. --ginger, mango, lemon. I'm not vegan or a hippie but I like it with a bit of dried fruit and nut granola and skyr yogurt. Soaked overnight in coconut water or chocolate milk. 4-5 variations in rotation. 7-8am snack--that is all I need most days skipping breakfast.

Oh, I would like that. I know about the pea flower having researched years past for colorings. I've only had the many layer cake at work for a birthday. Shocking how many did not care for it. --Carvel ice cream cakes are usually preferred, 😂🙄 I like odd seasonings with salty, savory, and a bit of sweet. *edited to note. I do like Carvel and WhiteCastle in moderation.

Gorgeous meal. What was the Pulut inti flavorings?--not listed on their website. I like that they use natural colorings. Either spirulina or cabbage/baking soda for the blue. red cabbage makes blue. (I hosted an LGBTQ bbq spring 2019. Made a blue pasta salad and coleslaw) BLTAvocado last night. Potato salad, Hatch chili corn and bean salad off camera served at the table

Shrimp roll and lobster roll,...

Another bean club on its way. Pre-covid not an issue as I always used doubles or extras for gifting. Last summer I used the free shipping code and stocked up on my favorite flageolet and corona. Nice summer bean salads. That put me over the edge of stocked pantry beans. Made a nice fresh corn and bean salad tonight,-- fresh basil, using RG creamy limas and vaquero that have a gorgeous blk/white cow print. Their liquor gets merky dull purple grey about 15-20 minutes into cooking. Most beans lose their colors after cooking. I'm thinking about keeping a hot kettle on the back burner and draining the murky water with fresh hot. Sure the cooking water has flavor but for a summer bean salad might be nice to embrace and preserve the white/black. The only other one that keeps the color that I know of is yellow eye. Broth water I can add to pups food me thinks. Not something I usually save for our meals/soups. But do us it if freezing grains and beans for later soups---use it as a wet broth so it freezes better having liquid in the pint/1/2 pint.

Wednesday night after a FreshDirect delivery I made a home smoked sausage puttanesca trying some new-to-me pastas. With an overcooked semi-succotash. Missing fresh tomato and zucchini. Good enough. Added Persian cukes and fresh beans to the table. RG white limas were a good choice. DH always gets a heftier plating than mine. Hard to judge his appetite.

Steamed lobsters and local corn. New shells so they were tender and salt water briney. 1 and 1/4 pound at 9.99lb. The 4th will be lobster rolls tonight.

Started a gallon of fermenting hot sauce. Some oven roasted. Room to add a half dozen smoked tomorrow. A few black cardamon and some slices of mango.

A bit ambitious for a Monday night but prepped the salmon mix Sunday night and formed and rolled in crumb Monday morning to rest all day in the fridge. Extra credit--I've had some squash blossoms collecting in the fridge. I like this crumb. I made a big batch. Panko, cornmeal flour, lots of pepper, smoked paprika, urfa biber, (sp)--into the spice grinder for a quick zip. Smoked salmon croquettes,

That looks really good. Most often, most always, I see 16-20 or smaller cut in half and only three lined up. All of it looks good especially the broths. Good for them. Lots of care and love in that kitchen. We did a four rack box smoker day Sunday. Mozzarella and Irish white cheddar on top over an ice block. Second rack--tomatillos, onion, garlic. Then two 6oz salmon filets. Lower rack--one pound, 4 links, of fat WaldenLocal juniper berry sausage. Not at all difficult like it sounds. Took the cheese and salmon out at one hour and 15 minutes. Sausage one hour 30min. Finished roasting in the oven. Left the veg in for 2+hours but pulled the elec cord. (fridge smells amazing). Many meal/lunch choices for a few days. Salmon and sausage papparadelle over a mixed sauté of greens last night. Pasta tossed in a 1/4 pint of master stock and a blob kimchi paste. Soaked it right up and perfect.

Is that 1.49 a pound for fresh in the Kroger pic above? So cheap. I can't find much of anything with heat for under 5$ a pound near me. Farm stands and farm markets are usually near 10$. Fresh picked corn prices are coming down. Peppers maybe in a few weeks.

Depends on the variety. I ordered Sandia this year. They should be 3-5 inches. I usually order BigJim. They are 8-14 inches. 'Hatch' is the HatchValley in NewMexico where they are grown. They just have good growing conditions and the perfect soil for the crop. Not even sure how many varieties are grown in the area. I read a history at some point. The original was somewhat like an Anaheim. So that would be in that 6-8 range Shelby mentioned. Some have argued that not much of a difference exists but all crops do better in some locations over others. They started a Chile festival in the early 70's I think. That put them on the map. Once faster shipping methods became standard, we can order straight from the farm. I'm guessing surrounding towns/counties have similar growing conditions so I don't think they would be much different. A friend from NewMexico swears they must be grown in the HatchValley. I think most important is the drum roasting. It's a once a year event even if in a grocery parking lot. I roast/smoke mine but we like the light smoky flavor in our salsa and hot sauce. If the Sandia are too hot this year, I'll add some tomatillos and/or a few poblanos. Years past using BigJims, it turned out a bit mild so we went through it fast. HatchChileStore

I went down that rabbit hole during the wing-a-long. I don't even like chicken wings but it was fun and actually rather good. No plans to repeat the menu at all. Just saying, food coloring has been used for years in baking--cakes etc. Adopted in savory years ago. Not in my pantry.

Another good product if you like fermentations. I just started a cabbage kraut and a kimchi this morning. Small batch. Two quarts. I have a few restaurant past favorites that are long gone.(one sushi chef retired and one lost their lease) Cracking the code is difficult but have made some close hacks. Grated carrots and fennel salad marinated overnight. Adding the fermented seaweed is close and even better...

What is Noh powder? Cane sugar, corn starch and red dye n#3? This has been coming up recently in my searches since the 'wing-cook-a-long' a few months ago. I searched for a spice blend not sweet. Most Chinese/American restaurants are sick sweet and rancid stir fried rice so oily. (not all---just the shit ones with delivery menus tucked daily in NYC doors). Something called 'red cooking' ,and a fermented red rice used for color. NYTimes, SeriousEats, CooksIlustrated, etc, on and on, all mention red food dye. Like sweet soy sauce---just full of sugar. Dark soy often caramel coloring. I can add my own sugars and salts. I don't need a fridge full of condiments. A good soy sauce and a good unseasoned organic rice wine vinegar. Keep it simple and add what is needed when needed. Beet root powder, hibiscus, amchur, fresh ginger, mesquite and coconut palm sugar for a mild sweetness---mushroom powder for umami....

Many easy quick meals this past week. Freezer master stocks and miso.. A new obsession since last NewYears is a fermented seaweed. FreshDirect has it so will be ordering more. Roasted garbanzos. Dumplings.

Bananas, grapes, cherries, etc. I only take a few and what I will use reasonably. Priced by weight at checkout I have no issue taking a smaller amount even if they are packaged in big bags in the bin. 3 green bananas, two ripe-ish. One very small bunch of grapes. Or three small bunches if they have a variety, a bit of each. (serious eats roasted grapes are amazing) DH had issues for years about following grocery rules. Respect the product in front and if we all play along, less waste. F that. If a dairy product in front has a 3 day shelf life and one in the back has two weeks.... Years ago we shopped together and I pointed out by weight and priced by 'bunch'. --and checking dates.

^^^the garlic is really good, firm, and fresh. I just used that one last night. I only have roasted frozen from last summer. Ordered a few more varieties to up my harvest next year. I'm rolling dice again as I do every few months. We lost a favorite market, Fairway, a few years ago. One stop shopping, with a Costco visit every 6-8 months.--random specialty shops for cheeses, meats, bakery, etc. Now it takes 4-5 stops for the same what Fairway offered. Bouncing back and forth between FreshDirect and WholeFoods this morning. Neither gives me what I want. Stop the wasted time and suffering and just order both. 🙄 FreshDirect has local seasonal produce now. They are 20 years+ from a Bronx fulfillment center. No NYC groceries with the overhead of high dollar real-estate. They win. They have live lobsters ---fresh new shell, and a noodle maker in Brooklyn I like. A case of mango at a good price... Marquis makes many different noodles and wrappers. Ordered a few varieties. (covid lockdown I ordered from Baldor) And a case of mangoes... WholeFoods has half of what I need and not much local. But they have Chemex filters. Crap TP, and limit on tissue, one box. No store now supplies all.

Looks like trumpet. Slight variations depending on manufacturer.

I keep a basic pantry and crisper drawer. Lime, lemon, onions (a variety), potatoes, shallots, garlic, leeks, greens---kales, chard. Home garden veg in good supply now. My herbs are in fabric pots so moved to part shade. Cilantro bolted two months ago but started a few more pots for the Fall. Fortunately dried dill is one of the herbs that holds its flavor dried. Misfits fills the void of produce I can't grow in my climate. Recently plums and peaches. Last week I stocked my thin pantry for the Fall. Shelf stable olives, tube tomato paste, ThreeLittlePigs salami, pickles, prosciutto, with long fridge dates. Butter and cheeses. Organic dried fruits and nuts. Stocked up for the Fall and into the freezer/fridge. No plans to order for a month or more now. I ordered one pack of ThreeLittlePigs prosciutto. They sent 4. I must have a gold star on my invoices but still makes me uncomfortable getting so many freebies. My salads under shade frames do so well all season.

Sohla knows her way around a kitchen. I'm just not convinced about the moisture being completely eliminated in the frying of the garlic. Also way too much of a project in the process. Labor intensive. I always have fresh garlic and shallots. I prefer to make garlic chips and fried shallots fresh. Korean chili flake is already ground and properly sourced are mild. I did add a couple dried Thai hots to my last batch. Sesame seeds are not expensive and add lots of crunch. The FDA, UCDavis, UofIdaho, etc., all warn about garlic in oil. It needs to be commercially acidified for safety. Properly dried. UCDavis on garlic. All say four days max in fridge. Sohla does fry to a roasted color but so many other recipes are adding it golden or near raw. She loves heat. Our OP is looking for mild. Why I consider chili crisp one of the 'no recipe' recipes. Need to find a combination that the family likes. (or restaurant patrons). I opened the jar of FlyByJing last night. Hard pass. The 'crips' at the bottom are excellent. More than 1/3rd of the jar is oil. Not oils I would use. The oils have barely a whisper of flavor. At that price point $$$, not worth it.