Annie_H

Last week I made falafel. A full pound of garbanzos soaked overnight. 60% for the falafel. The rest simmered/cooked for humus. I need to write this recipe down. Cleaned the cuisinart bowl to make a dressing. On the holiday menu for baby apps night before the big meal. Spoil my favorite elder sister. Usually baby crab cakes, shrimp rolls, Dads favorite oyster stew.

The confit recipe just solved my NewYearsDay menu dilemma. Both families have used ham hocks, bacon, lots of fats going back generations for black eyed peas. Grandmother traditions. Too salty, over baked to mush. Salty spiral hams. A bed of blanched/roasted veg. Leeks, celery, fennel, 1/4 pint of veg stock...yada, garlic, olives, cherry toms maybe. Pile of BEPeas to cover and bake with a 1/2 pint of veg stock... Lemon and good olive oil. Maybe fresh rosemary. And/or fresh toasted sage. The top layer of this recipe is meaty with beans. Both of our families have vegan, gluten-free, so this rich bean dish is on the meal plan. I like a dish that all will like. Mixed greens---collards, lacinato kale, garlic, miso, under the beans to the bake--no need for meat fats.

The confit went quickly into my Fall rotation after the first bake. I think of it as a method up to interpretation like many recipes. Like the no-recipe-recipes. Last weekend with roast chicken I used lots of lemon, fresh rosemary and garlic with coronas and Domingo Rojo. 1/4 pint of stock with a mole style spice blend--made a nice 'gravy' with the chicken. Good olive oil on top then baked. I have lots of olives but keep forgetting. LGDress would be great.

Fantastic. I was hoping to get feedback and the time off/back on the highway. Bookmarked it for the holidays when/if we travel south. I keep wanting to visit the Balthazar Bakery in NJ. (no bagels). My family would prefer bagels but DH's family have the sweet tooth gene.

It was a fun ride for a few years and most welcome 2020. BC(before covid), I always had a quick house gift when visiting friends without shopping. Probably year three I started using the member code to order favorites. Not had any of those in over a year. DH was shocked when I mentioned giving it up for a while. He is pantry blind. No idea the last box is unpacked and on a lower shelf and now another. --I do like this last box selection. I'll order again after we make a dent in this back-up. Asked for an e'mail alert when a favorite is back in stock. (the little green flageolet) I order garbanzos, lentils, and wheat berries from another supplier so I am bean stuffed. I cooked three full pounds last weekend along with a big winter master stock to freeze for quick soups and stews and barely made a dent in the pantry stash. Friends with two teens use the member code every time. I will always appreciate the quality and variety. Maybe order once a year for a few years.

Another short and sweet 6 minute informative video for shaping. shaping rolls DH is the bread baker in the household but I took over shaping a few years ago. Like Ann_T mentioned it is 'tension' on the top side that is important for a better second rise and a round form.

Eater I-95 food stops. Eater has some travel food stops. Not familiar with these but Pete's. Not sure if the bakery listed has bagels. Nice thing about RocklandBakery are the prices. They deliver wholesale all over the city. They have a killer pumpernickel/rye swirl loaf and an adjustable slicer at checkout. At any given time about 75+ breads to choose from.

Providence is a nice town. Where I went to school. Rockland Bakery is our stop when on the road to upstate. Might be a bit out of your way. But possibly a Providence to Rockland, then a google maps mileage check from RB to home and see the distance difference. Off the Paliasades Pkway it is just 5-7 minutes off the highway. Nice that it is a quick stop. Big parking lot, straight to the back, stop for gloves and a bag and help yourself. The bagels are so fresh they are too hot to handle. I'm in and out in less than 15. During the holidays always a half dozen cars filling big carry-on luggage to take home---probably Florida. Might even avoid some 95 traffic if you take the NewJersey way home. Jersey has some dry counties with many malls and stores are closed on Sundays. Just restaurants open. I took these pics a few years ago...

Taco night. Pulled Pork Kimchi White corn tortillas.

Surprised blue dolfin finds a lobster rolls amusing.

Young freshly soaked and planted seeds have everything they need to sprout and grow. They pack a suitcase full of food/nutrients surrounding their embryo for food germination needing only water. Micro/macro greens sprout quickly. Peas and sunflower seeds need an overnight soak. Radish and small seeds no need. On the table in 5-8 days. A longer germination seed like mesculin, herbs--celery, basil, cilantro, chards, etc, need 3-4 weeks to harvest. They need a bit of food after a couple weeks. I only use a strip led above my pantry micro green shelf. Like a night light. Reminds me to check for moisture. Day 4-5 they need some attention getting close to harvest and very thirsty. Can be a dance but if close to your cooking triangle like most tiny NYC apartments, not an issue. Back in 2018-19 I gifted a dozen friends and co-workers with micro-green 'kits'. Only half kept up with it but were so thankful during covid lock-down. Salads for days in rotation. They were familiar with the process. One ex-chef friend took my gift further and has never looked back. Grows 24-7. 365 days in rotation.

Pizza night. Like every other Friday night. The usual three cheese, prosciutto, olive, cherry tomatoes, pesto under a potato edge. Missing roasted artichoke but will order soon.

You know exactly what that is. You are well aware of the various lobster roll wars. Not interested in playing that game. I do a hybrid. Two live lobsters steamed 80%. Set aside, pick and chill. Freeze a few ounces for bisque. Prep dinner and sides. Quickly re-heat lobster in butter with lots of lemon and into a light wet dressing with inner tender celery stalks and leaves, minced coarse. Might be a bit of bib lettuce I toss in the same bowl for a side salad. A whole lobster boil with corn, potatoes, etc I still just like lemon over an oily butter bath. You do you. I like my lobster roll lightly dressed. I've had the Connecticut 'only butter' roll and did not care for it. Enjoyed it fine but not my preference. Also do not care for butter basted steaks, burgers, or eggs. Love good butter but not a oily bath.

I grow pea shoots and micro greens year round, in rotation, in my pantry on a 9inch wide x 30inch shelf. Since 2015-ish. First hand knowledge on the cost to grow. Four varieties of peas. Some varieties do get leggy and woody depending on variety. Just 24 hours can make a difference. A good farmer will catch that and harvest properly. These were started the same day but the one on the left is leggy and I just taste and cut only the tender. One third of the tops usually. The pups get the lower stems minced in their food. A four/six ounce harvested bag costs me about 50cents. Round up to one dollar and that is 20 bags for 20 bucks. I do buy bulk but just one pound bags of seed. A farmer buys 50 pounds+. And has overhead costs. I'm just pantry farm to table in 5-7 days. About twenty minutes of my time. If I harvest properly, pea shoot stems are tender. Purple stemmed RedRambo radish stems are always tender and spicy.

We have been on a lobster roll kick, --ordering a couple live ones every other week from FreshDirect. I see no reason to comment or compare prices for my lobster rolls vs Fulton, 40$ served with homemade potato chips, or any NYC rolls starting around 25$. Sides extra. Mine cost at home 8-9$ each including a side shaved fennel/celery salad, or similar, and a chili crisp potato salad---enough extra salads for next day. But I have no overhead and prepare myself and clean up. I do prefer mine over ones I've had out. But dining out is a pleasure and a choice.

No offense taken. Na. I prefer to keep it as described like the rest of the informed culinary universe. Salman BLT Avocado We prefer prosciutto 'bacon'. Crisped in the oven. It is lean, less fat. Doesn't shrink or render a load of fat in the bottom of the pan. Why pay for all that fat weight when I don't care for bacon fat used in cooking.

Tomorrow.... need to collect a few more.

I can go back a dozen years In pics mid October and find garden produce when trying to put the garden to bed. Herbs are suffering but now have an abundance of zucchini flowers again. (started a Fall crop). Might be my last summer salads. Dogs and burgers

Local pub fare in NYC for 20+ years. Often toasted challah. Will not argue. BLT to us.

Still hanging on to summer meals. Another BLT. Salmon, prosciuttoBLTAvocado. RG Marcella bean and potato roast, rosemary and garlic.

That is too bad. I've had a half dozen varieties over the years including from a good local butcher but it suddenly became way too salty and not a mistake since it remained salty after a few purchases. Misfits is FabriqueDelices brand. Easily our favorite. I use a tBsp of avocado oil, (tolerates high heat), in a cast iron stovetop, few minutes, then a 1/4cup-ish water, cover and steam. 5-ish minutes. Then into the oven uncovered to roast. I don't think they have been selling it long enough to go bad or off in the freezer. Tight cryo-vaced seal. Hmm, a shame.

Last week I way over-cooked RG cranberries. Mush. I do a similar method for all beans,---no brainer, for me any who. 20 minutes uncovered in an enameled dutch oven. To a boil, then salt and set on back slow burner to simmer partially covered. 30 minutes. At that point with a taste test I can easily judge another 15-20-30 minutes. I do write on the half bag shelved, 'quick cook' or 'long cook'. No complaints as I like having sooo many varieties to try. Should probably keep a little book for reminders. Like I have for sous vide. RG sent a tiny book a few years ago but that is in my SV cambrio. Definitely a sweet spot. Undercooked is so disappointing.

Experiencing that success, (though it could use more spice and more garlic before baking), I think I can improve my Oaxacan black bean recipe. It is good but would be better baked. I've been using a sauce pan. A molé spice blend. Miropoix, bit of tomato paste, 1/2 pint stock. Soaked some RG midnight black beans last night. Will be a nice base for a protein undecided. Maybe a chicken thigh. ---tomorrow.

Good recipe. I soak a couple varieties of RG beans without much of a plan usually. I've made this recipe a couple times with great results. Brings beans to the next level without much effort. "I don’t stir, as I like the chewy crust that forms on the beans at the surface, but you can stir once or twice as it bakes if you prefer a more uniform consistency." I added a 1/4 pint of homemade stock. Garlic, smoked paprika, olive oil, but forgot the olives. I added lemon and a couple pats of butter.

A drive from Calgary to Banff. A well known creamery we stopped. A scoop of rum raisin and a scoop of black licorice. Heavenly. Don't care for rum or raisins unless raisins/dried fruits are soaked in bourbon but have always liked rum/raisin ice cream even as a wee one. Black licorice love I share with my father. We all have odd culinary desires.