Manitoulin test kitchen (Part 2)

[Anna N]

Good morning. Breakfast was leftover lamb stew. I spared you a picture!

Kerry is off in Emerg signing off on a couple of overnight calls then we will be heading to the Farmers' Market for eggs to take home with us and perhaps some fresh garlic. No point in stocking up on anything else at this juncture.

After that we are heading out to Burt Farms carrying gifts for Max. Doubt we will do any shopping there either.

Then begins the packing up . . . . . .

[Anna N]

So perhaps we should have checked the number of eggs currently in the fridge BEFORE we headed off to the market! I have just counted and there are 10 dozen eggs in there. Lots of baking in our futures?

[Kerry Beal]

 

In the spirit of emptying the fridge - the last slice of quiche.  10 minutes steam bake 325F - perfect!

 

 

[DianaB]

Dear Anna & Kerry,

I have just finished reading your adventure from start to the latest update, having thoroughly enjoyed your accounts of each day I was devastated on seeing that for this year you are almost done. I have learned so much from your writing, and from the discourse you have with those who comment on your posts. In particular I was fascinated by your experiences with the combi cooker (which I don't think we can buy yet in England), will you perhaps give an overview of your testing off this machine in due course?

Much of your cooking has both impressed and motivated me, in particular the glorious fruit tarts that kept popping up, those and your breakfasts were enough on their own to keep me reading (such wonderfully cooked eggs so nicely photographed). Cocktails are a project for us to explore this year so it has been great to see your creations and also your stock of the various ingredients.

I look forward to following the rest of this journey and wish you all an easy time packing up and a safe journey home.

Diana

PS we are perhaps not the most innovative of communities here in North Yorkshire, a decent pile of horse muck won't stay long on the road before somebody collects it up for their garden. Rhubarb grows in abundance here.

[rotuts]

posting here as I mentioned this way back on this  *** wonderful *** thread:

 

Herb Roasted Chicken, from Cook's County, the Tax Shelter of Test Kitchen in VT :

 

everything, tax free !

 

http://www.cookscountry.com/videos/2614-herb-roast-chicken?incode=MKSKZ00L0

 

cheers

[Kerry Beal]

Anna and I headed out today to do a few drop offs before we leave.  Our main destination Max Burt's farm to drop around some chocolate goodies, some of his own maple syrup that I had 'aged' on bourbon wood chips and some rum. 

 

Max always makes a point of letting people know that we have brought him stuff - I think in hopes that others will become inspired to do the same!

 

We stopped at two spots thinking we might have lunch on the way back - but the smell of the oil from their fryers was enough to drive us away.  Decided we'd come all the way back to town for some more of the double fried 'poutinized' chips at Buddy's.  The wait was a bit shorter than last time - there were two people in the shack - one taking (and barking) orders and the other cooking.  

 

 

 

[Anna N]

Dear Anna & Kerry,

I have just finished reading your adventure from start to the latest update, having thoroughly enjoyed your accounts of each day I was devastated on seeing that for this year you are almost done. I have learned so much from your writing, and from the discourse you have with those who comment on your posts. In particular I was fascinated by your experiences with the combi cooker (which I don't think we can buy yet in England), will you perhaps give an overview of your testing off this machine in due course?

Much of your cooking has both impressed and motivated me, in particular the glorious fruit tarts that kept popping up, those and your breakfasts were enough on their own to keep me reading (such wonderfully cooked eggs so nicely photographed). Cocktails are a project for us to explore this year so it has been great to see your creations and also your stock of the various ingredients.

I look forward to following the rest of this journey and wish you all an easy time packing up and a safe journey home.

Diana

PS we are perhaps not the most innovative of communities here in North Yorkshire, a decent pile of horse muck won't stay long on the road before somebody collects it up for their garden. Rhubarb grows in abundance here.

Diana,

Both of us thank you so much for very kind and encouraging words. For much more on the combi oven have a look here

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/146617-cuisinart-combo-steamconvection-oven/

Just think we were almost neighbours once (well maybe not...depends how old you are!). I was born in Derbyshire.

Our combi oven will be staying here, stashed safely away until we return in the fall.

[Kerry Beal]

 

Comte de Sureau 

[Anna N]

So I swore I wouldn't buy anything at Max Burt’s farm but I know my daughter and her family are very fond of dried sausages so I bought half a chub of summer sausage. And to ensure we don't starve tomorrow or Monday I grabbed some sliced ham. That meant putting a loaf of sandwich bread together....

The bread is baking.

Then we needed a vegetable for tonight so I was separating the frozen carrots from the frozen peas

Frozen peas = good. Frozen carrots = nasty. As I was doing this Kerry messaged from the grocery store that she was bringing asparagus! Oy vey. Too much green stuff for this carnivore.

[Kerry Beal]

You were seriously separating the peas from the carrots?  What has the world come to?

[rotuts]

""  Our combi oven will be staying here, stashed safely away until we return in the fall.  ''

 

a mistake of sorts.

 

think about the Phantasmagoric  Dreams you 'might' have

 

maybe not.

 

but ...

 

if your did :

 

what's quicker : a short trip to :  the Chocolat Basement , or a hand off on the Next Lunch ....

 

or a trip  at high speed to retrieve it ?

 

[Anna N]

""  Our combi oven will be staying here, stashed safely away until we return in the fall.  ''

 

a mistake of sorts.

 

think about the Phantasmagoric  Dreams you 'might' have

 

maybe not.

 

but ...

 

if your did :

 

what's quicker : a short trip to :  the Chocolat Basement , or a hand off on the Next Lunch ....

 

or a trip  at high speed to retrieve it ?

Afraid the chocolate basement is also bursting at the seams so that's really not an option and besides I rarely drive more than 1/4 kilometre from home any more. In the event of SERIOUS withdrawal have been promised rapid delivery of one to my home from a seller. October is closer than you think!

 

[Anna N]

You were seriously separating the peas from the carrots?  What has the world come to?

Damn! Don't you believe anything I tell ya? Told you I'd do it! Those nasty little orange things just gotta go!

[Kerry Beal]

Tonight's dinner - lovely rib steak sous vide then egged (egg now burning itself out), asparagus, peas (with some small bits of carrot I must say) and the most wonderful roasted potatoes.  

 

 

Anna picked up this dutch potato seasoning at the european store in Sudbury.  Potatoes steam baked at 425 for 30 minutes.  Tossed with some olive oil and some of the seasoning added beginning and end.  

 

 

[Darienne]

I completely agree with Anna re frozen peas and carrots. 

[rotuts]

the P & C 's which I like seem to have disappeared for quite some time in my area.

 

[ElsieD]

Lovely looking dinner you have there. Beats sausages and pasta salad. Thanks for posting a picture of the seasoning. I'll have to see if I can find it at the Dutch store here. Thank you for sharing your time with us. I really enjoyed it.

Elsie

[Kerry Beal]

 

Realizing there was still heat in the egg as it was burning out - and that there was a small pineapple that needed using up - I drizzled a little rum and sugar on it and put it on the somewhat cool BBQ.  Didn't brown much - but was very satisfactory.  

[gfweb]

Damn! Don't you believe anything I tell ya? Told you I'd do it! Those nasty little orange things just gotta go!

 

You can have my little green things and I'll take your orange ones

[FauxPas]

The pain of working away from your kitchen resonates. When we go on our annual high Sierras fishing trip we rent a house-keeping cabin who's kitchen is furnished with Walmartesque mark-down kitchenware. We take our own pots & pans, my traveling knife roll and gadgets. We clear out the drawers of their junk (carefully stored - I do take care), put our stuff in, and are much happier. We also bring the herbs & spices and that we use in our ren faire kitchen, We may be at 7200 feet on the edge of a lake but we still want to cook well.

 

Ha, yes, understand this well. I love reading about the items people can't live without in their kitchen/pantry/fridge when they are vacationing or taking road trips or in temporary kitchens. It's one of the things I love about Kerry and Anna's blogs -  they take their gear seriously! And let us know what they are missing. Sometimes, I think we need another thread on the the stuff we can't live without, that we are willing to pack along with us, as much as possible (planes do limit the possibilities). 

[Anna N]

Good morning. It will be a long, long day of packing. Kerry has already begun but I need a second coffee and breakfast before I can be trusted with any tasks

Toast with ham and grainy mustard. Should hold me through a few hours of trying to fit too much stuff into too little space.

[Kerry Beal]

 Sometimes, I think we need another thread on the the stuff we can't live without, that we are willing to pack along with us, as much as possible (planes do limit the possibilities). 

Think perhaps I started that thread a long, long, long time ago - let me see if I can find it and link to it.

 

Here we go - it's the 3rd topic I ever started on eG.  I recall being thrilled that it went on for two pages - watched it like a hawk.  I've gotten so blasé.  

Edited August 3, 2014 by Kerry Beal (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

This is pretty much the same as my back pocket dinner too, although I don't usually have dairy around the house.  I also often add jarred olives (I like the greek dry-cured ones), artichoke hearts & capers.

 

If you add coconut milk instead of cream and finish off with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (haters can skip), it's excellent served over rice. 

 

ETA:  I usually add a bit of hot red pepper while making the sauce and a squeeze of lime to finish. 

 

ETA:  I can't believe you guys are done -- what will I read in the morning to make me laugh and to inspire?  Thanks for another wonderful installment and really looking forward to the next one. 

Edited August 3, 2014 by SylviaLovegren (log)

[Anna N]

If you add coconut milk instead of cream and finish off with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (haters can skip), it's excellent served over rice. 

 

ETA:  I usually add a bit of hot red pepper while making the sauce and a squeeze of lime to finish. 

 

ETA:  I can't believe you guys are done -- what will I read in the morning to make me laugh and to inspire?  Thanks for another wonderful installment and really looking forward to the next one.

Thanks. You can never have too many back pocket ideas.

So we've been packing for what already seems like days. I've stopped for lunch. Leftover lamb stew for me and Kerry is eating some crispy chicken thighs. Although cupboards and closets and even the van already seem filled to the gunwales there are still no signs of clear surfaces.

[Kerry Beal]

Woke this morning to the sight of a cruise ship in the channel.  It's the Pearl Mist - sails between Toronto and Chicago several times throughout the summer.  It carries 200 passengers in 100 cabins.  

 

 

 

The ship has been here all day - the folks on board are headed off to the Pow Wow at Wiki I think.  

 

It's Hawfest this weekend in Little Current.  I know I've mentioned it before - all Haweaters (folks born on the island) are expected to come home and spend time with their family.  A fair amount of alcohol is consumed this weekend on the island.  Police are imported from many other communities - so there are cops on bikes, cops on four wheelers, cops in cars and even the odd one on foot.  They seem to be having fun on the four wheelers.  

 

I was on call on Friday - figured that would be the best night - it's the teen dance and so less serious injuries I presumed.  Didn't turn out to be the case - the patient that got me out of bed at 3 am ended up airlifted from Sudbury to Toronto.  

 

Today Kira and I walked into town (or perhaps I should say I walked - she rolled) to check out the festivities (actually to look at the boats).  There were all sorts of vendors on the main drag.  There was one selling the little tiny doughnuts (I of course was totally enamoured of the tiny Lil Orbits doughnut making machine), funnel cakes, fajitas, pasta, BBQ and my personal favourite the Twirly Fried Potato.  The new store, the Island Jar, was sampling kombucha.  Would be a nice addition to a cocktail I think.   

 

We can see some of the surfaces now - most of the car is packed - not sure how I'm going to get the child in - but we'll see in the morning!