Annie_H

Good design is hard to resist. Just no room for any countertop appliances. Considered it for a while for the far end of the counter run where we prep coffee. But no outlets there. Old school suits me fine. Seldom used far right back burner it lives and pulled to the front left every morning. I did purchase the Breville elec kettle at one point but it hit temp and continued to steam about 30-40 seconds before shutting off with a faint 'ding'...soaking the underside of my upper cabinets. I do love the wooden handle offered.

I've come across that occasionally. The same cooks use cast iron.😂. My Creuset wedding gift starter set is garbage. Not used very often...I put in storage for years. The knobs broke and cracked. Who makes and puts a knob on a dutch oven that is rated for under 350ºf. My first apartment had a small gas stove that cycles on and off. Maybe that heat went up and above? My braiser is wide and low stainless. Stovetop or oven braising. Cover, low and slow, no added moisture. Just some veg that releases lots of moisture. Dual use pots are valuable though. We all cook differently. The only Creuset from that old set I use is the 6inch skillet for toasting seeds and nuts. Low heat and can see the color change on the back burner.

Seeds of Italy has something like 25 varieties. One variety is prized for an abundance of flowers. I ran out last year and forgot to order. But I should have plenty. Top left pic is zucchini fritters. The full stuffed cast iron is egg then parmesan/corn meal for topping a frittata...the bigger than usual fruits are sliced and fanned out with weight on top once the fried green tomatoes come out of the pan. Recipes and uses are endless.

Once the female stigma is pollinated by the male stamen the deed is done. Most varieties will produce many more male flowers so I take some of those and leave a few for pollination. I do take out the stamen and hand pollinate some of the open female flowers. I grow for the flowers and always get plenty of good sized fruits. I like to pick the females small like 2-3 inches. With the flowers attached. The flowers will curl and twist at fruit size 5-6 inches. They no longer need the flowers but it takes a few days to die and drop. This link is short and sweet. hand pollinating I realize it is not what you are asking but you can really amp up production if bees are not plentiful. But the links second pic shows when I harvest. Early morning when the flowers are open wide. The stigma and stamen look very different so I know right away what is what. I harvest and store in a loose lidded container lined in a dry paper towel with a lightly dampened p-towel on top. Or a 1/4 sheet pan if I'm collecting for a crowd. They last a few days, sometimes 5-7, fresh in the fridge. I use clean straw mulch like Kayb. Keeps the soil cool and less splash up onto leaves from soil pathogens. Not sure about early death of plants but take pics. Could be a couple things. One cruddy looking leaf I remove at the base. A hand sprayer with baking soda, shakey-shake. I usually just look that recipe up every year if I see something like powdery mildew. I have about 15 plants. I start with about 25-30 for insurance. Cull and keep the strongest. Cut worms and crap can take out a few. I have three 5 gallon felt grow bags in a heap near the barn doors. Pretty plants those zucchinis and grow fast, and tossed in some trailing nasturtiums, lacinato kale, and dwarf sunflowers this year. So containers do work well. Maybe a better answer is a female flower will perish quickly if not pollinated. Lower pic is harvested later than we like. 4-5 inches but the flowers were still fresh looking.

I should add the direct link to this weekends sale, HERE

Not sure what braiser you want but more was added to their sale this morning when I visited to get the link. Most are out of stock already. So much rain the past couple days all up and down the NEast coast. Seems everyone has been on-line shopping.

And here it is for scale sitting on a 4 quart dutch. That turquoise dutch is going to the beach home so I don't need to travel with it. This was my lock-down Staub stack. All put away now except for the baby grain. Staub calls it a rice cocotte. Holds more than it appears. 4-6 servings of mixed grain. But usually have a 1/3rd or 1/2lb of RG beans going at the same time in another pot. Plenty for a few meals and lunch grain/salad bowls. Almost always end up freezing a half pint or two for soup add-ins or goes in the pups food.

It is this one, Staub grain pot

I figured the same but personally would probably like it. Not a processed junk food lover but do mini taste the TJ offerings work has 24/7 all day long. The young social media production assistants will probably have a case next week purchased with their p-cards. TJ's probably has the same in production already, 😂 I recently had an almond butter filled pretzel dipped in dark chocolate.

I noticed that as well. Food52 etc. Shipping is an issue. We are Staub stuffed. 6-7 years ago I started purchasing 2-3 pieces every cyber Monday. Taking my crappy misc Creuset to the beach house. During lock-down they offered the 4quart solid lid for 99$. I insisted my friends and co-workers that don't cook get it asap. (we had a cook-a-long and recipe share group). Then I started gifting family members. BIL and his wife just purchased a new home PNWest. I can ship direct to them. My SIL visited after her divorce and loved my baby grain pot. Sent her one. My most used pot and lives on the stovetop. She uses hers 2-3 times a week. I paid 79$ and tried to get another at 99$ but is quickly out of stock. (I travel with mine). I made a couple mistakes like a griddle with a long handle. Heavy, I dropped it and the handle snapped off. The handle was always in the way on the stovetop. Perfect now and fits in the oven,😜

The potato salad. A hybrid of a favorite sesame, ginger, chili crisp, with a horseradish, mustard, greek yogurt. Celery, capers, red onion, cucumber.

Massive thunderstorms in the NorthEast. Should end tonight. Had planned to smoke shrimp, merguez, and salmon. Did the stovetop method. At 2o'clock sausage, onion, and peppers with spiced roasted beans. Potato salad meant for tomorrows ribs. 10o'clock is what was left of a watermelon, mango, cherry tomato, pea, feta salad made earlier that we grazed on in the kitchen. Might try the smoked shrimp and salmon tonight. Maybe not. Indoor back-up. Recently I've found that slightly over-cooking and using two varieties of potatoes gives me some creaminess for roasties or my potato salads. Fortunate to have a few things prepped ahead. Storms really toss a wrench into dinner plans. I offered toasted split-top buns for the sausages---no takers.

Zwilling has the Staub 4 quart glass lid for 99$ free shipping. Staub 4 quart

I think I'll take the bait. I've had a saucier file going since 2018. DH is the sauces, grits, and polenta sous chef. Every time he sees one in use he wants one. We don't really need it but I'm sure he will treasure it. Lock-down was an eye opener in treasured past purchases we did not really need but have recent--past 5-6 years previous purchased, that we cherish. I think he will like the traditional classic 20cm and handle. I have a thin stainless architect ruler on my magnetic knife rack. Always checking sizes and rim edges, etc. The 'try me' is too small. And not on sale but I was not counting on a sale to purchase. Since 2020 I would find something then it would be out of stock.

Another quick roasted vegetables because Sunday will be a big mixed grill meat fest.

Tried a new-to-me crispy skinned salmon. My stovetop was packed with weekend prep. Potato salad, dog food, RG buckeyes, mixed grain salad. I usually have good success skin side down in a cast iron skillet. Even without turning I often get more albumin than I like. Onto the steel sheet pan with the prosciutto and artichokes. (cold sheet pan). My broiler has two settings. Hot and XXHot. Even middle rack. Watch it like a hawk. Tamari a few hours in the fridge, then miso glaze, sesame seeds and palm sugar. No turning, no albumin. Crispy skin, rare-med-rare. Oddly very smoky but not enough to set off the 10+ smoke alarms--I had a chirping a few nights ago and had to find out which one had the dying battery. (I buy a couple new ones every year and set them up with the old ones). Pony wall above the kitchen run. This is near tweezer plating or close for me. Except for the chives I yanked from the planter without clippers or a pocket knife handy. And the lemon seed. Horrors. 😜

Tomatoes don't mind being a bit thirsty. The top left plant seems to be mulched with dry mater. I use straw. The leaves look fine and healthy. The worst crime is overwatering. They hate wet feet. The fuzzy on their stems are all root hairs. Underground they know how to seek out moisture and hold onto it. Above ground they will take on all they can get from moisture in the air and damp dewey mornings. I saw that last month or so---maybe the at-home video. Forgot all about it. Putting it on my list to try.

The piquant pickles are not that bad. The spice has a nice subtle kick. Not too sweet and still 'pickle-y'. Will not purchase again but no issues using them. Went into a tuna salad and a weekend bbq potato salad. Just a few.

❤️❤️❤️gorgeous steaks. We had a roadside butcher in the Catskill Mountains 20 yrs ago that would bring the NYStrip to the counter and let us decide the thickness and grind burger meat fresh using our choice of cuts. Excellent sausage. Such a friendly pleasant butcher. When he retired his son took over. The son would grumpily nod to the pre-cut cold undercounted selections and refuse to grind anything to-order. The sausage was so salty it was inedible. Everyone in the community complained but he did not care. (we did not bother to complain being city people with other options)...but decided to purchase a good grinder and make our own burger mince and sausages with good study. We also share that size NYStrip and have nice slices for lunches. Any tail end flips and tender fats go in my burger mince mix. With chuck, brisket, and short rib.

Another quick weeknight pasta dish. Using a thinning crisper drawer. Merguez, fennel, onions. Olives, capers, roasted artichoke hearts. Shitty pasta. Rao's rigatoni. Bronze die and held the sauce fine but too thick. Gummy even cooked perfectly. At least it was Misfits cheap. Still a bummer to make a good sauce and finish with a mediocre pasta.

That came initially from Weinoo. I immediately signed up for their e-mails. We no longer go out for special occasions. We like to be home and cook together. Big splurge. Try new things. I came across Regalis years ago looking for cod tongues but they call it different so I lost the link. Theirs are salted/cured and I prefer fresh. Soft shell crabs are a childhood favorite.

Misfits is pedestrian compared to Regalis but I need my staples. Cold pack I put away right from the box---cheeses, butter, sausages and lamb chops, etc. Salads and cabbage not pictured. We have a couple events next month. Anniversary and B-day. We usually have live lobsters, shrimp and oysters. I can up that game with Regalis. Looking forward to it. I did not see the fine print on the cornichones--'sweet' and spicy. Bummer. They had the un-spiced. Hopefully someone will like them. I can spice my own with chili crisp but the 'sweet' might put me off. I've always liked threeLittlePigs. The bay leaves I did not order and not charged. But I could use them nearly out. Not sure why that keeps happening---freebies.

Regalis is insanely impressive. Soft shells, fiddleheads, (appeared this morning but sold out fast). If I did not have the weekend planned I would have jumped this morning. Many mushroom varieties. Need to open those e-mails asap.

Thermoworks has a site wide 20% off right now with a good selection of silicone tools. Two sizes of brushes. Love the trivets I recently purchased I use as spoon rests, jar openers, pot holders, etc. High heat to 600º and dishwasher safe. I agree they are not good for all things but suits most needs.

Burger night. I'm not a baker but pulled off some good buns. (DH is the bread baker). Recipe makes 8 but I divide into 12. Our burgers are just over 3oz. I like the bun smaller than the burger. I turned the recipe into a no-knead pinch and fold. Winged it and got lucky. Freeze beautifully. Potato and sweet potato chips. Blistered cherry tomatoes and pickled red onion, fennel, frisee. Prefer blue or gorgonzola but had some goat.