Manitoulin test kitchen

[Anna N]

Perhaps it isn't intended to be a light, airy loaf, but rather a good, dense chewy bread instead? At least, that can be your claim. ;-) It sounds like the perfect accompaniment to some good cheese, spread atop like cream cheese or eaten on the side.

This was the perfect opening for me to add my voice the chorus that says, "keep on posting!" You two have my rapt attention, and it's clear I'm not alone. Blog on!

I am sure it wasn't meant to be a light, airy loaf but a bowling ball…? I had hoped it would go with cheese and perhaps it still will. But despite the finger poke test it really barely rose at all and that is my concern. Thanks for the support.

[Anna N]

I wish I could come for a visit! I love this thread. How you get so much baking, cooking, shopping, eating out and working at the hospital done on a daily basis amazes me. It's time for you to invent a cocktail called The Manitoulin, to celebrate the fact that cocktail hour must be very long in the late daylight hours. That way we can all follow along in spirit and in spirits.

What a brilliant idea and right up Kerry's street! Wait till she gets a break at the clinic and has a chance to post. Bet she is all over this idea. Thank you.

[Porthos]

. It's time for you to invent a cocktail called The Manitoulin...

It would need Canadian whiskey as an ingredient.

[Anna N]

So after our disastrous night with popcorn where Kerry ended up with the dental catastrophe, I offered to take over the role of meal planner. The only meal that gets any planning at all is the evening meal. We each fend for ourselves at breakfast and lunch. The things I like to take into consideration are what's in the house, what's available on the Island, what I feel like making, and what neither of us would likely have at home.

Tonight because I didn't plan well enough to take anything out of the freezer, our protein will be SousVide strip loin steak finished on the little green egg, and homemade French fries. I'm betting fries are a rare treat at Kerry's house. So I will give them their oil blanch shortly and then they will be quickly finished when the steak is done.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Another view of Manitowaning.

 

 

As per the request - a 'Manitoulin Paper Medivac'.

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

My hope is to be able to say one or all of the following:

 

"Make mine a Manitoulin"

"Honey, while you're up, get me a Manitoulin!"

"Man o man i toulin"

"I'm coolin' with my 'toulin"

 

Is it cocktail hour already in Manitoulin? What is the time diff, say, vs west coast?

[Anna N]

Kerry said to tell you it is 4:30 in the afternoon and the sun is over the yardarm somewhere! (She is feeding the rug rat an avocado and finds it hard to type and drink as well).

[Porthos]

Kerry said to tell you it is 4:30 in the afternoon and the sun is over the yardarm somewhere!

 

That is one of my father-in-laws favorite sayings. What is in the Manitoulin Paper Medivac?

[Kerry Beal]

Equal parts Canadian Whiskey, campari, ramazzotti and lemon.

[Kerry Beal]

Strip loin (cause apparently I don't know my rib eyes from my strip loin in Costco)mushrooms and french fries.  

 

 

For those not easily offended!

 

[Shelby]

Looks perfectly delicious.  I want to snatch a fry.

[Anna N]

Looks perfectly delicious.  I want to snatch a fry.

Reach for the strip loin. It was amazingly tender and tasty.

[Porthos]

My daughter just saw the picture of our dinner plate and wanted it. I agreed.

[Tri2Cook]

Ketchup and fries is one of those perfect item/condiment matches. Like hot sauce and eggs. Dirty secret: I've been known to eat a few fries when I didn't really want them just because I wanted ketchup and it seemed like it would be weird to eat it with nothing.

[Jacksoup]

I have lurked on egullet for so long, it's shameful but after your post that you think folks are bored when you don't get many responses, I had to join. I love following your time in Manitoulin and elsewhere. Thanks for the effort you put into this .

[Kerry Beal]

Jacksoup - we are flattered that you chose us as your first post!  Welcome to posting on eG.

[Kerry Beal]

 

I want you to ignore the backs (cause when you push a little piece of freeze dried strawberry into a mold - sucker is going to float and interfere with your backing off) and look at the shine on these.  I don't think I've ever gotten white chocolate to shine this much before.  

 

I have two molds with me here in Manitoulin - and only because I picked them up from someone on the way.  I polished the molds with 99% isopropyl alcohol.  

[ElsieD]

Wow. Just wow.

[Chocolot]

Where did you get 99% isopropyl alcohol?

[Kerry Beal]

Pharmacy.  They keep it behind the counter.  The 70% stuff is out on the shelves.  Apparently here they have a problem with people drinking it - though why the 70% is OK I'm not sure.

[Anna N]

Good morning although it is almost lunchtime. Breakfast was walnut raisin bread with some Cashel blue cheese.

It has been a crazy morning. My number two son is driving up from Southern Ontario today. He will spend a week in the cabin on the lake not far from here. I promised him a loaf of sadwich bread and dinner this evening. I also decided a loaf of banana bread would be good to take to the cabin with him. Then Kerry and I wanted to get to the farmers' market first thing. Just as we were about to go out of the door, the hospital called. So we detoured to Emerg where Kerry dealt with her first crisis of the day and i used the time to increase my step count for the day by pacing in the parking lot.

We made a very quick visit to the market and here is our haul:

The garlic is fresh and I hope to dry it for my daughter. One of the cartons of eggs will go to the cabin with my son. Kerry will use the rhubarb to participate in the bake-off.

Kerry drove me back to the house with the groceries, grabbed two slices of walnut raisin bread with butter, and flew back to the hospital. Don't know when I might see her again!

I had made the dough for the sandwich bread before we left and expected to shape it and put it into the pan when we got back. But somehow I suspect my measuring was off! I did not have dough but a very wet batter. I added flour to it in a rescue attempt. However it required a lot of flour. I realized it would no longer fit in the nine by five loaf pan. I trimmed it to 900 g of dough and hoped for the best. But as insurance I began another loaf. So this is the first opportunity I have had to sit down and post.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Chocolate fondant to take to work.  When I left around 1:30 there was a crumb or two left.

[Smithy]

Well, working backward because one should always do dessert first: that chocolate cake looks fabulous, but it isn't what I think of as a fondant. I thought fondant was a glossy coating akin to frosting? Educate me, please, or else I'll resort to Google later.

Those candies are truly glorious! Definitely WOW-worthy.

How did the walnut-raisin bread turn out? It was obviously edible. Was it as brickish as feared, or did Anna save the day with it?

Those fries look like something I absolutely, positively want to make at home. [i ignored the ketchup, but thanks for the warning! ;-)] Methods, please? Anna mentioned an oil blanch for starters.

I'm looking forward to your contribution on the rhubarb topic. We northerners need to keep that one going, it seems.

Finally: Jacksoup, welcome! It's good that you came out of lurking; you chose a worthy first topic for the event. Here's hoping you post more.

[Anna N]

I am going to let Kerry answer Smithy's question about the fondant. Very same thought occurred to me but I didn't ask!

The walnut raisin bread was not bad but I do think it could be improved a lot.

The fries are potatoes that are soaked in icy water for about an hour, then blanched in 325°F oil, left to cool, then plunged into 350° oil just prior to service.

So the mis-measured bread appears to be fine:

I used the extraneous dough to make this on the theory that if it has sesame seeds on it then Kerry will eat it:

The banana bread dipped a little in the centre but I bet my son will have no complaints:

And the insurance loaf turned out fine:

For you weinoo. Both sandwich loaves were done in the cuisi-combi using 20 min steam at 100F followed by the bread cycle 350/375F for 25-30 mins (foil covered top for final few minutes).

[Anna N]

Just got an instant message from my son. He is about 35 minutes away now. He has been driving since just after eight this morning and it is now almost 4 PM. He will absolutely be ready for the icy cold beer in the fridge.

Kerry lit the little green egg before she left on yet another call to the hospital. I have some sirloin caps (picahana) sous viding and I am about to put some corn in its husk to soak. The corn will be cooked in the Big Easy.

And the potatoes will be these:

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/crispy-smashed-roasted-potatos.aspx

You can take shortcuts with them but they'll never be as good as when you follow the recipe to a T:

Boiled and draining:

Squashed and ready for salt and oil: