Annie_H

We are always on a zip-trip to catch the ferry to NFLD. Ozzy's lobster roll, night in StAndrews. (smoked salmon just up the road)---Masstown has local veg so we stock up. We have never fried at home so it is a treat trip up and back. Had Ches's once when InLaws visited. Good. MassTown is better. (their lobster rolls are horrid) Gormless, lol. I had to look it up as well. We called our BIL 'no-pants lance' for years....now X-BIL. Gorgeous mustard sauce and buns and grill thighs...corn, peach.

Treat yourself to fish-n-chips at Masstown Market Lighthouse if it is anywhere near your road trip. Ugh, moving.... truffle eggs, all of it---looks amazing. Smoked 16 boneless skinless chicken thighs and another tray of mixed cheeses. Chicken over a mixed grain. ---froze some chicken for quick meals, made a chicken salad for a couple lunches.

Score card? Thumbs up? Memorable enough for another visit? Just an observation but a bit generous for tapas. Party of four maybe perfect. Tapas I want shared small bites. Less meat but two of the 'sushi' seems skimp. A quarter of the octopus dish. Tapas done well is a bit like a tasting menu a-la-cart. (the kitchen giant plastic squirt bottle)....on the platter with the torching. Taste is obviously most important but the visual without being there in person---tacky. If the passion exists I can let certain presentations slide. My last memorable meal highly recommended (NYTimes) was more about the company. No memory about the food at all. The first app was 5 for a party of three. I get the three, five, seven visual but just put 6 on the plating. I think they were very tiny porcini arancini. Over a very chatty cocktail, two left and uncomfortable who dives in...anywho--- might be another posting about memorable meals or a dish over the years...

Apologies if I've posted this before---(newbie navigation issues). I get the FDA e-mails. But also use FSN, FoodSafetyNews. They follow re-calls but also the investigations and follow-ups. A bit more global. Investigations ahead of any re-call. The chicken and shrimp has been disturbing being a cooked product used in institutions for cold salads and maybe a shrimp cocktail. Most being served meals are already in hospice or elder care or hospitals. Weakened immune systems. Thankfully my MIL moved in with my SIL the week into NYC lock-down. (they are in SCarolina). She was happily in a semi-retired elder community but would, and did, become in a not so safe environment---lockdown isolated. Instead they created a nice family bubble with close family. FSN takes the personal digging/searching out of the process---or a bit easier. A header with 're-calls' and another for 'investigations'. Link, HERE

I'm so sorry for those that knew him over the years. His written voice was so calm and kind. I started following EGullet maybe ten years ago but only once twice a month. (work crazy I never joined) Condolences to his family and friends. I hope they are aware of his vast knowledge and personal additions here and can view and reflect at some point. (or if personal to this forum---maybe not.) -sorry for the loss

Weeknight quick WhiteMisoGingerDumplingVegHijiki soup bowl. Still putting off any shopping or ordering...no eggs in the house, but I like the challenge of garden, freezer, and crisper drawer shopping....

Really nice ginger/garlic sausage. The new, maybe young and passionate butchers, are making nice tender lean sausages. Less a salt-lick fat greasy product. Weeknight meal was a bit postponed so my pretty veg of antipasto veg combo sat under a heavy cast iron on the griddle too long. Zucchini, carrot, leek, fennel, red pepper, hatch chili...mushed. (I knew better but s*it happens). Made nice lunches. A few slices of sausage over a pile of fresh slaw/greens/grains. Kimchi.

Ceci Neri are new to me and very good. When unfamiliar I make a 1/4 or 1/3rd pound to test the cooking time and taste. Add the time to the rest of the bag. Had some with an avocado brunch salad. Then a dinner pesto, and a noodle bowl. Nice to have some meaty little gems with a spoon and broth after the chopstick part of the meal.

It appears they just launched a couple weeks ago. Link, HERE Sweet Marias just posted their yTube video just a few days ago. I've been using a FreshRoast 800 for about a year now. It holds 8 ounces. Love it. The Behmor lasted about two years and never cared for it. Fussy.

Sunday braised short ribs. Tomato, potato, yellow carrots...smothered by a big brunch salad/slaw...fennel, greens, herbs, cucumber, carrot tops, yellow beets, red onion, prosciutto bacon. Nice prepped Monday lunches.

I'm all about mixed grains and beans. Not necessarily about a nutritional profile. All about variety. Not sure when I purchased the Staub baby grain pot. 5-6 yrs ?. (zwilling sale). A dozen grain and two dozen RG bean club choices in the pantry it is a no-brainer to combine the textures and nuttiness. Green split peas, quinoa, etc, on their own as a side, ?, not a great texture. I make a mixed grain once a week. Always different. Wild rice, winter/summer wheat, soaked porcini mushrooms, hijiki, (with salmon smoked or cast iron seared). I like it for breakfast, or any lunch bowls. A few bean varieties combine really well. Warm or in cold salads. Every couple weeks a soaked batch of garbanzos...1/3 spiced and roasted, 1/3rd for a small batch of humus, and some for anything that might like a few beans. Not leftovers. All is planned for a few day lunches. I have a two day limit. DH has no issues 3-4 day. I switch to lunch salads by Wednesday...sometimes freeze a pint in broth for soups. Any extras go into the pups diet. (minced in the cuisinart) Since the holidays 2019, 5-6 container salad snack choices have been our lunches. Avocados, Jammy ramen eggs. (a recent favorite)

That is good to see. Always room for more BBQ. Decent burnt tips in LIC. We lost a favorite lunch spot that had an excellent short rib sandwich on Fridays. I've been making a decent MomofukuBoSaam. Good bark. Maybe not yet 'mastered' but equal to some and the freezer packets do make nice quick meals and lunches. Nice big russet quartered till soft. Pull out with a spider. Skin steams off easily. Cut smaller when cool. Use the same water for a bit of pasta. Any veg/bean that makes sense or on hand. I like the potato. Texture. Shared link of merguez scissor snipped into small meat balls. Small portion with a big side salad. Quick mid-week meal. (and make a couple lunches at the same time)

I slacked on taking quick pics of my deliveries the past couple of months. It is so helpful planning a meal or two. Last Friday, Misfits, two days late, 🙄, but still fresh, and ice semi-solid.... I can look at my photo file at work and see what should be used and plan. Especially the meat share. Digging through the crisper drawer and freezer....not fun. Last night, Sunday, I rolled and braised a bavette. With yellow carrots and potatoes. Onions. Fennel slaw/salad. I can prep in my head on the way home...weekdays. Plan lunches. Weekends I can plan ahead and thaw. What does not work in NYC I realized via some friends....random deliveries and delays. Total lock-down and sitting home fine. (ish) I still have a few friends getting WaldonLocal meat shares. If not home that day they have neighbors to 'heads up' the delivery. Pull the box inside their apt. 10 years in Greenpoint, then 20 years in Williamsburg, bklyn. We had a neighbor kleptomaniac. (I wish he had stolen the rotten Idaho potatoes my brother sent)...we were out of town and they froze in transit. If we unloaded the truck from the elevator, then back down for another load, something would be missing upstairs. Once we did not knock and he forgot to lock his door. Hello, our plants, just purchased, were right inside his door. Jerk. When we moved out, a stainless small restaurant trolley never made it to our new home. It had two boxes of French bistro glasses. Did not notice until after a few months of unpacking. Jerk. Anywho, I'll plank some garden zucchini, red pepper, hatch, leeks, toss in olive oil....stove-top grill. Hint by looking at what is in my crisper pic...and maybe a slice of fennel.

Theatre popcorn has artificial butter flavor, chemicals, (yellow dye), and way too much salt. Balance all that salt with a BigGulp sugary soda. Shudder. Correction. Possibly not all theaters. I just avoid the popcorn salt-lick.

Whirly Pop was a game changer for us. Picked one up at a yard sale 10+ yrs ago or so. Embarrassing to bring it in the home since we don't care for single used 'gimmicks'. Not much storage room....small kitchen. It has prime real estate now in the cabinet directly under the front left burner on top of a dutch oven. Guestimate smidge of avocado oil, 1/3rd cup Amish baby white hulless (amazon). I've never timed it but it can't be more than 3 minutes. (DH is the popcorn maker). 3-4 times a week. Toppers rotate but the favorite is just romano, recently some I smoked. Microplane or a batch I've run through the Blendtec to a powder. I like nutritional yeast. Bob'sRedMill. I stock it for house guests. Decent back-up. I also use a bit in pizza dough. It cuts through the gluten and makes it easy to stretch...if you have ever had that spring back issue. Also embarrassing to admit I have three back-up whirly type poppers. Buy them when I see them. Different brands. They seem so fragile and ready to break any minute. Never have. The aluminum one is zippy in the time factor. If I make popcorn I wing the corn kernel amount, too much, and it is often all over the floor and stovetop. (pups are happy). DH not so much. Elder pup loves popcorn.

Kimchi Dogs. Rare in our home but after a crap work week....purchased for a BBQ as a back-up but tossed in the freezer never used. A Costco purchase when we needed t-p a few months ago. Quick thaw freezer shopping....impatient I grill cast iron Staub griddle from frozen. RG bean testing a new spice blend. A baked bean dealio without the salts and sugars.

I'm loving the story of ZEF you posted. Seems they are killing it. That is how start-ups get recognition and investors for a permanent location. I wish them future success. Smart to limit what they can do....50$ minimum, one day order. They can plan their cook week and not get overwhelmed producing an inferior product. Smart. Good energy. Wish I had that locally. Looking at the offerings....wow.

That is interesting with the controls. I wonder where it came from. Has a 50's vibe. I like that it has a ten minute timer, switches to a three minute cool-down after 7 minutes, but you can dial back a few minutes if it has not hit second crack. (or a personal preferred roast). We like full-city with a bit of oil but not 'oily' like an expresso dark. Yes, the trial 4-8 pound samplers are a good deal and a good way to try new beans. This recent order was the first time in ten years I opted out. Last month we really liked a Guatemala variety so I stocked up the same batch before they ran out. In all the years I only had one sample bag that did not roast properly, tiny beans, and were so rock hard after roasting they jammed my burr grinder. Fortunately a bit of surgery fixed it. I still recommend new to roasting to try the red popper with 4 lbs of beans. 20$. I still use one at the beach house. But that is non working vacation time so not a time crunch issue.

For sprouting, fenugreek likes a good drink of water to soften the seed case. Not a full soak covered, but a rinse in a mesh colander, rinse again a couple hours later. A tsp of peroxide in a 1/2 cup of water for the final rinse. Pea and sunflower like a full overnight soak. Sunflower benefits from a peroxide soak as well. (the shells can often harbor some bacterial molds). I get about 95% germination in all seed as long as it is relatively fresh...2-3 years stored properly. A few like to be grown in darkness. Keeps them tender...like corn, 😂

Pesto and quick pickled hatch chili, cucumber, red onion

Killer and a favorite. Lobster roll... Just a simple weeknight miso ginger noodle bowl. Garden veg pile. Pint of bone broth from the freezer. Familiar and comfort. Alway different depending on the crisper veg drawer...4 minute ramen. New to me RG black garbanzos. Italian CeciNeri. Never bloomed or absorbed much water but held firm and creamy. Very nice. Approaching the cooler season to have quick choices in the pantry.

I bookmarked that one. Duck in most forms I've usually have out about and trust the chef. A few holidays past I wood fired whole ducks rotisserie but most family/guests don't care for it, 🙄...more for me. Nice cheat recipe. Sous vide might be my first choice also. I don't use it often but when I do it is a golden ticket in the pocket.

Thank you for taking the time. And the links I'm not familiar with. Baldor does have a local Hudson Valley section. They seem to have a good relationship with farms. Friends that use FreshDirect say, as you did, unpredictable for perishables and prefer to shop the neighborhood in person. Excellent for pantry staples. Heavy crap. I passed for now. Have a cart going with AmazonWFoods. I'll survive without some oysters until the holidays. Even Fairway years past, the fresh clams were only great looking, in person, once-twice a year. And we had a surly jerk behind the seafood and meat counter. Cheese monger was excellent. I agree that instacart is problematic but I had shoppers that texted me with pics and possible substitutions....even a pic of NYStrip package choices. So yes, it varies. But looking back, what a godsend to have had the services when we needed it. (9 dollars for a heavy load like three gallons of water is a bit much)...they drive up to my garage door....and does the shopper get the extra tip?...heavy charge?. I had trouble getting filter cartages for a bit. My RO system was testing fine but needed changing. The purchased water gallons tested horrible, lol. Just on the edge of acceptable. We did change our own filters eventually and it works so much better than the 'expert' home visit guys....via y-tube trouble shooting. I did order I-Gourmet once but the 'silver palate' seemed excessive high-brow with lack of appetite early 2020. Pate and HomboltFog. SuperMarketItaly many know about was a better fit for on-line shopping.