Annie_H

Glazed ceramics, used for decades, and more, make me nervous. I don't understand the 'seasoning' once in the home. And fully glazed. I hauled one home from a SurLaTab sale in SoHo a half dozen years ago....I used it immediately, then ordered another half dozen on-line. For gifting that holiday. (RG bean, spice blends, etc). Frustrating mine has no 'maker marks'. We all have so much crap not used...this one is a stellar favorite for all things baking. If I had to pare down to 2 dozen most used....from 300, a good ceramic casserole, mine specific, would be a top-ten keeper. I have roasted, baked, from pasta, eggs to frittatas...chicken Marbella...no soak, wipe easy clean rinse and into the dishwasher. (I paid 15$ on sale) Mine are black glazed inside and sides. Raw ceramic bottoms.

When I win the lottery my personal chef will receive your pics so I can enjoy the same....😜 Freezer and crisper drawer shopping. Classics and easy meals in our rotation when busy and tired. No recipe needed...a bit different each time. Merguez, snipped with scissors into baby meatballs, braised, then 1/2 cup Rao's, chunk of gorgonzola dolce, olives. Crispy skin salmon, fennel, red onion, hatch chili... Years past with company this would be separate platings...

I was unaware the old concords are not available. We get our fill from some we put in the garden 25yrs ago. Not much. 20 pounds maybe. I'm terrible at pruning and tending. The seeds are horribly toxic to dogs so I have to fence the whole thing during ripening. Question about those that use FreshDirect. They have been around some 20 years and many friends have used them that long. I tried the first time last year first days of lockdown and we were pleased. Then no delivery dates were/have been available for months so gave up. Just checked and they seem back to normal but reviews are not so great. (maybe pandemic related?). I realize so many complain for various reasons due to circumstances out of the suppliers control. Wondering if it is risky to order certain things like oysters. We have been using Baldor since they announced in the NYTimes they would deliver residential mid-March 2020. I fear they may stop that soon being a 'restaurant delivery only' pre-pandemic. We would see their trucks early AM all over NYC for years. We have ordered consistency every two-three months since the beginning. No delivery charges but the minimum is high. No issues there since we stock the pantry like a Costco haul. (only have used Costco insta-cart twice...when t-p came back in stock... and Amazon twice). Insta-cart add-on fees really add up. I appreciate all the shoppers and delivery but not thrilled with how insta-cart treats their shoppers. Baldor has excellent product, customer service and the delivery drivers are over the top accommodating. Thrilled to keep their jobs during all this mess. NYC restaurant chef are picky and check everything as it comes in the door.

I have two round ones. Love them. One almost alway in the dishwasher. I've had them about 5 years now. I have square one but it is a bit small. Size maters, 😜 Good score on the Bamix.

Dinner plate after some oven time. Stuffed with wild rice, merguez, gorgonzola dolce. Fennel, red onion, fresh hatch slaw.

Oh, no, the quality is excellent usually. Like any produce from the garden or grocery will, once harvested, start to suffer. Like the lime uncovered in my crisper from 3 weeks ago compared to the fresh ones. Horrible storm and airports shut down. I have a hard time complaining about some suffering produce. They offer a higher shipping with guarantee but i've never had an issue. With the guarantee and a pic I would have a new box sent this week. Here is a pic from my files 2018. Ordering straight from the farm to my door will often be quicker than what is found in the grocery. (transfer station, trucking, loading dock, then shelved...maybe sits a couple days before purchase). My box traveled the country diverted. When they estimated delivery sept 7th, yikes. Would have been a slimy mess for all that handled the box. They offered a 50% off a re-order but I can't put blame on the farm for delays from the Delta variant and a deadly storm. I can usually, like this 2018 pic, start processing my various ways, over the course of a week or so, then the remaining start to turn a bit pink/red....my delayed box this year is at that point now. I need to process asap. What is left in the crisper now will be some fresh pico, in another fresh slaw, etc. Another roasting tomorrow and be done with it. 2nd pic is 2 dozen roasted whole and a batch roasted sliced in rings, (six one quart zip-locks), and two 10 inchers stuffed for last nights dinner.

Odd to be on a humus kick after a long hiatus from the dip. Made some grains and beans and salad options for a storm prep thinking power outage was eminent. We were spared but nice to have a fridge full of snack options. Bonus salad dressing adding AC vinegar and a bit of toasted sesame oil to the blender jar to rinse the good stuff, no waste.

Hatch chilis were three days late due to the storm. Picked a bad week to order. From NewMexico to CO, to OH, to MO...then NewJersey. At one point they trackers said to expect on the 7th. Thankfully they came this morning. 90% are fine and firm/fresh but not nearly as nice as usual. I have 20 of the biggest and straight in the smoker for stuffing...a load cut into rings in the oven...turkey roaster. Lots to process. This much and more in the crisper drawer....

Have you tried y-tube on-line trouble shooting?. My fridge is counter depth and specific sized. I know so much about it via videos. I know exactly what to do when I get an ice water build-up at the bottom of the freezer and on the back....every six months. 12 years now. Best fridge I've ever had for veg. And freezer temps. Veg lasts forever and never a hint of frost/freeze. We had a hinge re-call 6-7 years ago. The tech that repaired gave me some hints as well. Freezer shopping a few years ago was an epic nightmare via big box stores. Like shopping for a mattress. If you can keep what you have running tip-top while shopping...without expensive repairs.... My local mom and pop suggested adapting my cabinets....no go. They are 50year old teak original. Not easy nor would I want to. It took a while but found a perfect match.

A half a pound is about 4 servings? We cook that amount in a 4 quart dutch. Or the 3 quart all-clad. Depending on shape. Two servings for dinner and the rest for next day lunches,... maybe a pesto or with beans and a salad type dealio. Olives, etc. I put a colander over a big soup bowl in the sink. Drain the pasta, then back into the dutch. Toss sauce in that over the pasta. Enough pasta water in the soup bowl if needed. Scoop out with a coffee cup. A recent braised short rib ragu and a braised meatball meal, I did not toss the sauce with the pasta. They were new-to-me pastas, brass extruded, I wanted to taste with a new spice blend...pepper, coriander, lemon peal, smoked chili flake,....just a test for a future seafood pasta. We really liked the pasta with the pepper blend, fresh hit of lemon juice, and a toss of olive oil, then the ragu. Different animal. Nice change. Lock-down and time off work, we went way off our usual scripted comfort zone. (I used a 5 year old gift card from Eataly...no deadline. 200$ in pasta)....that was a fun on-line shopping day

I've tried all above and then some. Agree everyones mileage will vary. How fresh when purchased, your fridge. For me anyway, treating all veg and herbs as it hits the kitchen with a clean sink, colander, trim anything with a root end, then into a standing clean water bowl enough for the stem ends to have a drink. Onto clean kitchen towels to dry off on the counter or a zip in the salad spinner. I do have an herb garden just outside the kitchen on the deck. Cilantro bolts so I purchase. I re-plant in succession every few weeks even partially shaded but it hates the heat. Cilantro gets a root end trim, then into fresh water, inch, in a jar. A dry paper towel in the top of the loose thin plastic bag keeps the tender leaves from coming in contact with the moisture that forms inside the plastic. Same with basil out of season purchased. (I have plenty in the garden now) I put the cilantro jar in the door of the fridge so it does not get lost and crushed. Easy to check it right in front of my face. Rinse and freshen the water and check for slime. Asparagus should be sold at the grocery sitting in water, but I still trim the stems a half inch or so, then into a similar jar of water with the p-towel in a bag topper. Standing up. I only buy it if it is very fresh with a tight head. Usually ends up in a fridge clearing frittata. This cilantro is on its last legs. A week old. I'll use it tonight. The stems still look good so maybe in something tomorrow. I froze a tray I have mixed feelings about but had to give it a go last month....needed to pinch the basil tops. Cilantro, mint, Thai basil, celery leaves, chives. Another method that works well is rolling in a kitchen towel, then into a bag. This is celery I grow like parsley. Mint, thyme, rosemary likes the cloth roll. I sprinkle a tsp of water on the outside of the cloth, then into a bag. My fridge crisper keeps a killer temp. Food is expensive. I have never had produce last so long. I know the difference. The beach house fridge is BS carp. Worst fridge ever. Crisper drawer moved to the very top. We keep re-fillable water bottles at the bottom where the crisper should be....nice and frozen to pack for a hike. I harvested some more squash blossoms this morning. In a take-out container with a p-towel. Best advice I can offer is to take something like your next bunch of cilantro and split it up. Try a cloth roll and a water glass/p-towel into your fridge door. Somewhat related is the new Misfits members 2020, that were/still are confused and unaware about produce storage. The box comes with 90% free of any bagging. Most have never had celeriac, fennel, various radish, golden beets with the greens attached, lacinato kale, radicchio, escarole...stuff it in the crisper and it is limp the next day or two. Trial and error, rinse and dry, pack in a bag with or without a damp p-towel....

Nice selection. All the miso varieties! Freezer shopping for Storm Soup. Pint of ham and bean, pint of bone broth. Parm rind. Pack of tortillas from the freezer, soaked in water, seasoned, then slow roasted. Made a batch of pesto pasta, humus, salads prepped....in case we lost power. (did not thankfully). Horrid storm. Added a handful of pasta to the soup.

Crispy cast iron salmon skin over RG corona beans....and some other stuff. Garden herbs, sofrito.

Ann_t's birthday dinner is gorgeous. I did the same August 15th for my birthday. I requested homemade scrapple/varregated eggs breakfast, stuffed squash blossom brunch/salad...then lobster rolls dinner....thankfully it fell on a Sunday. DH loves prep and chopping but not seasoning/finishing. So we had lobster rolls Sunday, scrapple/eggs Monday, then squash blossoms Tuesday. Three day birthday. My eyeballs were too big for prepping all that.

The NJ locations recently bought by Amazon. Fairway started expanding only a dozen years ago. And just the NY metropolitan area. Conn, LongIsland, NJ. Maybe a dozen locations? 15?. A shame. I miss it.

Sloppy BLT-Avocado. Pickled golden beet...

I take it season-by-season. Baby steps looking at herbs and spices to add to the spice cabinet. 5-6 yrs ago, January, I decided to explore hot pots, noodle bowls, brothy veg heavy soups and light chowders after the holidays. (not pea soup 🤪). HMart varieties of ramen, different noodles. Fresh greens, bok-choy, etc. Previously I mucked up winter meals with heavy stews and braises, curries. Going off-script in the months that heavy foods are expected, became lighter warm meals with fresh crisp sides. Now Jan-March are light. Extended. I braised some short ribs a couple weeks ago. About two pounds. Enough for a couple meals and a lunch. Ragu was excellent. Having spices available makes it interesting. So off-script having a braise in early August. Whole spices can be toasted, then ground. I'm stuck with some dried herbs I should toss. Basils, cilantro, tarragon, to name a few. Hay/dried straw zero flavor maybe a hint of mint, a hint of skunk. Musty. Barn-yard over-tones are one thing...(kinda nice)...moldy straw with minty tooth-paste?...nah. Dried sage, rosemary, chives, summer/winter savory, thyme, dill...do fair really well off-season. Many have both fresh and dried culinary uses. My cilantro was freeze dried with the stems. I had some hope. Nada. I was suckered into a dehydrated tray of squash blossoms a few days ago by a blogger. Sandwiched between two trays. Gorgeous if I wanted to impress. But my crowd laughs at decoration. (even edible decoration). Edible for sure but a culinary dud. No taste at all but a Michelin food star serving a perfect scallop on top....🤪 If you and your lovely wife have a meal that is obsessive like my #12 in Corona Queens,Vietnamese, not easily visited now, obsess at home to make it easily even a weeknight.

I bought mine for salmon. Holiday stocking stuffer 2019. (we are not big gifters usually) A last minute thing. Had it running outside the kitchen door in the snow within an hour. Brilliant during lock-down. With 4 racks I'm always searching for other things to go in while it is running anyway. Peppercorns, lemon zest salt blend...chunk of feta, cherry toms, olives, garlic, lots of lemon slices...need to try tofu! The salmon from BristolBay Alaska is flash frozen sushi grade. I've taken out a couple fillets straight from the freezer into the smoker. I should receive my Hatch end of next week. First batch I plan to smoke whole for stuffing.

Made a kick-as** humus. Crisp papadum. Veg for dippers...paper thin golden beets...might be the last stuffed squash blossoms. Nice veg meal.

Simple comforts. Braised meatballs. Good pasta. I do usually toss in sauce...not important this go around. SCarolina family is vaccinated but delta variant sick...on the mend. NewOrleans family with two toddlers and a grandmother on oxygen have evacuated...took her out of elder care.

Big apologies for my newbie posts....They keep getting duplicated and clearly an annoyance. I lost a posting that may have made sense earlier...

Kalustyan's did renovate recently?. Maybe ten tears... or am I remembering an earlier time. It was so packed that only one skinny body could navigate the isles. Always such a fun 'bucket list' for those that would appreciated such a thing when visiting. Like taking my BIL to GrandCentral for a pan roast at the OysterBar counter. A good soup dumpling in Chinatown. So many good ones but we all have our favorites. When I moved to NYC the automat was still in operation and my bank was Bowery. Only two locations. Such a treat to deposit a check and have a pan roast and a dozen oysters as a destination treat. Bank of pay phones GrandCentral main floor, one vacant, but had gum stuck in the coin slot. (shudder, germ disgust). I never cared back then.

Kalustyan's has a magnet draw whenever I am in the neighborhood. That was the game changer for me. The gateway to making my own spice blends a dozen years ago. A BBQ dry rub, then a lemon pepper Mediterranean for chicken and seafood. A umami bomb dry rub for burger, steak and meatballs. Then a visit to my parents in late June, once we were all vaccinated, after two years not seeing them...(early 90's age). EasternShore Chesapeake Bay. I dreaded using the 'salt lick' OldBay, so I cruised a dozen on-line recipes and kept tweaking. We rented a beach-front cottage not to disrupt their elderly habits. Excellent choice as we had our mornings with the pups on the beach...prepped and cooked for them all week as I always do and filled their freezer with easy heat-n-serve meals. Mom's spices, above the stove, are years old. Small tin of good olive oil I gifted a dozen yrs ago was rancid. etc. I packed a few kitchen crates as always. A few knives, a small enameled dutch oven, an 8inch cast iron...a dozen spices....darn rental did not have a cutting board. (used a cardboard box)....then borrowed one from mom. I do write down all my blends but I'm horrid as a recipe writer. Mostly for my reference and friends and family. I use MountainRoseHerb and ButcherPacker. Then some various searches via Amazon. Two new ones to me just a couple months ago....CacoaChiliPowder and MesquiteRub. I use spice house blends for ideas, then tweak and use what I have.

Just do a brain prep. Can you handle a produce delivery next week. I'm in an odd garden lull. Fruit trees not yet, berries not anymore, zucchini insane but who cares, leeks, potatoes, carrots a few weeks away....tomatoes always now. Easy gardening. I visit and pick. A box of hatch is an easy prep right now. Mid September would be nuts.

BigJim does have some heat. Last year I ordered Sangria. We decided this year we want the BigJim and can add a bit of habanero if not spicy enough. Too spicy ruins it for me. I think smokers are like ovens...all different. Smokers may be more oddly different. Last weekend we had sausage lower rack, then salmon fillets, then upper rack a variety of cheeses on a tray of ice packs. Mozzarella, cheddar, chunks of pecorino. Cheeses I did 45 minutes, salmon and sausage 1.5 hours, (sausage pre-cooked a bit in a cast iron pan)...smoking salsa/tomatoes/tomatillos/garlic/chilis....one hour for our liking. Good smoke flavor without killer char smoke. Our smoker kicks in about 1/2 hour after plug-in. When the chips start smoking, trays go in. Shallow trays for salsa and peppers. Last weekends cheese. Pecorino so good on popcorn.