Falling Back on Island Time

[andiesenji]

I was the fortunate recipient of a batch of Andie's ginger in the past!  Wonderful stuff.  

 

Hoping to hear that you get your valve job done and get back to your usual routine.  Must be just about killing you to sit!

I have problems sitting at the computer - edema in my feet and legs - so I have to be in a recliner and also sleep there because can't lie flat.

Right now am limited to no more than 30 minutes sitting at my desk and then must be 2 hours with feet elevated. 

Am reading a lot but the inactivity really gets old after a while. 

I am using my automatic appliances more.  Electric pressure cooker - the rice cooker, the slow cooker and the bread machine - pre-programmed where applicable.

[Kerry Beal]

Freeze dried Kimchi that I brought up.  Much better than TJ's version because its much drier (I suspect TJ's version is dehydrated not FD'd).  

 

 

 

We are imagining the possibilities - party mix with FD'd kimchi, roasted seaweed bits, freeze dried bacon, maybe some rice crackers...

 

 

[Anna N]

How about some freeze-dried cheese? Already has the makings of a umami bomb!

[Kerry Beal]

We shall market it and call it Umami Bombi!

[MelissaH]

How would Umami Bombi work, crumbled into popcorn?

[Kerry Beal]

Good question - does it have butter?

[rotuts]

Id grind the Umami Bombi into a powder, not too fine.

 

you would need the Popcorn to have coated w something that would allow the UB to stick.

 

a little melted butter would work, just enough and not too much.  shake it up  etc.

[MelissaH]

I'd also wonder about trying just the freeze-dried kimchi powder with a little sesame oil as the sticking agent. However, someone with a freeze dryer will have to try that experiment.

[Kerry Beal]

I'm a bit of a bag today after being in the ER for a good part of the night.  It's the med student's fault - she wanted trauma - so we provided her with trauma.  

 

So this morning we headed out for a last cruise through the flee market just cause we could.  Nearly froze to death in there.  Then off to get some more eggs to bring home with us.  We missed the farm the first time by - we were misled into thinking there was a sign saying 'eggs'.  So we had a nice long cruise along the road that goes up to the wind farm.  

 

 

 

Charolais cattle owned by the people who have eggs.  A rather interesting terraced hill - not sure if man made or natural.  

 

 

A rather attractive pile of dirt I thought.  

 

 

Picture fails to reveal what it contains - but there is note paper, a hygrometer with a very easy to read scale and a little apothecary shot glass.  The Citrus Magic is a spray that removes sticky stuff - there is a bit of sticky stuff left on some of my absolut bottles that needed removing.  

 

 

A few dozen more eggs!  10 dozen to be exact.  

 

Edited to add an appropriate apostrophe.  

Edited October 19, 2014 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Kerry Beal]

I'd also wonder about trying just the freeze-dried kimchi powder with a little sesame oil as the sticking agent. However, someone with a freeze dryer will have to try that experiment.

Anna says she ain't going to try that, no how!  Not a fan of popcorn.  I haven't had any since the tooth incident of the summer.  

[MelissaH]

Well, the other option is for you to lend me your freeze dryer. (Or just bring some kimchi and let me know the next time you head over the bridge to this side of the border.)

[Kerry Beal]

Well, the other option is for you to lend me your freeze dryer. (Or just bring some kimchi and let me know the next time you head over the bridge to this side of the border.)

It would be up here with me if it was small enough to do that!  Will make sure some makes it's way to you for experimental purposes.

 

Edited - again for errant apostrophes.  I can't apostroph properly when tired I guess!

Edited October 19, 2014 by Kerry Beal (log)

[andiesenji]

That "terraced" hill looks like a lot of hills in the "kettle morraine" region of Wisconsin where the hills (mostly gravel under a thick surface of soil) were shaped by the retreating glaciers as they melted. 

Some of the hills on my folks farm (actually a "hobby" farm) looked like steps had been carved on purpose around the circumference of the hill but it was all natural and some of the trees on the hills had been there from long before white settlers moved in.

[Kerry Beal]

That "terraced" hill looks like a lot of hills in the "kettle morraine" region of Wisconsin where the hills (mostly gravel under a thick surface of soil) were shaped by the retreating glaciers as they melted. 

Some of the hills on my folks farm (actually a "hobby" farm) looked like steps had been carved on purpose around the circumference of the hill but it was all natural and some of the trees on the hills had been there from long before white settlers moved in.

Very likely the case here too - the terrain of the Canadian Shield came about by the glaciers scraping everything down to bedrock.  That picture shows one side of a lovely little natural valley - there were 'steps' along the back and on the other side as well.  

 

It just looks so perfect for pasture - steps for the cattle to get in and out of the valley!

[Kerry Beal]

 

Applejack Rabbit - with calvados in place of applejack and pink grapefruit juice in place of orange.  Very satisfactory made with some Max Burt maple syrup.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Max Burt strip loin with green veg!

[Shelby]

That veg looks pretty filling.  I hope you had enough room.

[FauxPas]

That veg looks pretty filling.  I hope you had enough room.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Anna is the only one who had veg on her steak.  But she managed to save room for plated dessert.  Vanilla bean ice cream, kahlua and a chocolate shard.  

[Darienne]

You two certainly do eat well. 

[Kerry Beal]

Experiment day!

 

Freeze dried a baguette - had it in my mind that that steam oven might be useful in the reconstitution of bread.  Not a resounding success.  

 

 

 

First we tried steam - then started thinking that perhaps that would gelatinize the starch on the outside and interfere with  moisture getting into the loaf.  Took it out, ran it under the tap a couple of times and put it back in supersteam at 125 for a while, started to get quite soggy.  Let it sit to try and redistribute the moisture.  Then gave it a convection bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  

 

 

You can see a couple of rather dry spots at the end.

 

 

Where a lot more moisture got in through the areas where some of the crust had cracked off - we got some soggy areas.  

 

In all the taste was kinda funny - perhaps a bit stale.

 

Anna has suggested we try again with a known baguette - and reconstituting immediately after freeze drying to remove any stale issues.  

 

Will need some work on the rewetting too - perhaps the chamber vac to suck moisture right into the crumb?

[andiesenji]

Very likely the case here too - the terrain of the Canadian Shield came about by the glaciers scraping everything down to bedrock.  That picture shows one side of a lovely little natural valley - there were 'steps' along the back and on the other side as well.  

 

It just looks so perfect for pasture - steps for the cattle to get in and out of the valley!

Same for the dairy cows in Wisconsin.  They stay on the hillsides because much of the lower, flat areas between the hills is boggy. 

[FauxPas]

 

Max Burt strip loin with green veg!

 

Nice looking strip loin, did you use low-temp cooking? Or...?? 

[Kerry Beal]

Anna gave then a couple of hours at 54.5C from frozen - then a minute or so on each side on the little BGE.

[Deryn]

I am not sure that freeze dried bread is meant to be reconstituted but thank you for your efforts in trying to do so. Did you try eating a bit of it before you wet it, etc.? If so, what was the texture, taste, etc.? Could you imagine a use for it in its freeze-dried, non-reconstituted form?