Manitoulin. If I can make it there…

[Okanagancook]

IMG_0726 (1).jpg

 

To use our new julep cups and our new bourbon - a Mint Julep with the spearmint growing in our planters on the balcony.

Eagle Rare is good too. How did you like the EC?

[Anna N]

Anna - what sprang to mind was that the spatchcock exposed areas for maximum browning but perhaps lost you essential juices/fond bits  for the dressing?

I am quite sure that is one of the issues. However the chicken was simply too big to tolerate a high temperature without being spatch cocked. It's a little silly to attempt recipes from something like the Zuni Cafe Cookbook on an Island were even shallots are hit or miss. But there is usually only Kerry and me to please so we can have great fun while behaving somewhat foolishly.

[Kerry Beal]

Eagle Rare is good too. How did you like the EC?

So far, so good - but I do admit to being a bigger fan of wheated bourbon.

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

 

We made a stop in Canadian Tire in Espanola enroute to Sudbury - saw a few interesting odds and ends in the kitchen department and the seasonal area. We considered the funky turtle light for our little garden - but opted to leave him. 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast from the drive though at Mickey D's.

 

 

Stop Restaurant Supply had this interesting non electric pizzelle maker this time around. 

 

 

Homesense had a couple of these Tyvek 'brown paper bags'.

 

 

 

Also at Homesense - we pulled out this huge coffee table book thinking it was about bread.  Purses - some really ugly purses! I guess baguettes are little bags?

[gfweb]

So far, so good - but I do admit to being a bigger fan of wheated bourbon.

 

Noah's Mill is my favorite sipping bourbon (if VanWinkel isn't available, and it almost never is).

[Kerry Beal]

Never seen that one in Canada - will have to watch for it next time I cross the border long enough to bring something back.

[Kerry Beal]

Very late lunch - at Okinawa Sushi in Sudbury. 

 

 

A sad lonely piece of Inari - could have used a little sprucing up.

 

 

Miso soup and seaweed salad.

 

 

Warm saki for Anna.

 

 

Coconut shrimp.

 

 

Calamari of course!

 

 

Chicken fried udon.

 

 

 

Tempura.

 

 

A very interesting item - "deep fried milk".  It was very tasty - and we were looking up recipes while we were eating - no sign of sugar in them but it was quite sweet. When I was leaving I asked if they added sugar to it - "yup" he said "sugar and ice cream"!

Edited July 19, 2015 by Kerry Beal (log)

[weinoo]

Did you buy a food processor and a table top juicer?

[Porthos]

Is that a citrus juicer next to the Cuisinart?

[Smithy]

It looks like you had grand fun shopping! I'm glad you looked into the book and told us about it. I was wondering about an entire coffee-table cookbook dedicated to one form of bread alone. :-D

[Smithy]

Oh, by the way:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/monthly_07_2015/post-34671-0-13701100-1437264008.jpg

Those folding stepstools are wonderful, but beware of their pinch points when you're unfolding and folding them. They can be especially vicious when you're unfolding them; we've both been bitten from pushing down on the top of ours to flatten it quickly.

[FauxPas]

Oh, by the way:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/monthly_07_2015/post-34671-0-13701100-1437264008.jpg

Those folding stepstools are wonderful, but beware of their pinch points when you're unfolding and folding them. They can be especially vicious when you're unfolding them; we've both been bitten from pushing down on the top of ours to flatten it quickly.

 

I have exactly the same folding stepstool, I think. But I adore mine and don't think I have ever been bitten. Not sure what you mean, Smithy? 

 

I keep mine at the end of a counter run where there is a bit of space before the patio door. It fits there perfectly and doesn't actually need to be folded most of the time, so maybe it doesn't get many opportunities to bite me.   

 

Also, Kerry and Anna - I love Canadian Tire. I think they could use the motto "keep Canadian Tire weird."  Because they really are a bit weird. But it works. I can never stay away from there for long. And I often find stuff there that I really like. Their store here is the smallest square footage in the whole country or something and they are crazily creative when it comes to stacking merchandise. They are supposed to take over the defunct Target store and I hope that happens because I get a serious kink in my neck every time I shop in their current store. 

[MetsFan5]

That calamari looks like onion rings to me. I always look for tentacles- they've my favorite.. Was it good?

I am so jealous of your McDonalds hash browns. I LOVE those things- crispy, salty, hot and delicious!

Edited July 19, 2015 by MetsFan5 (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Did you buy a food processor and a table top juicer?

Food processor $8 at Jarret Thrift store. Love those Little Pro's.

 

Juicer from Homesense - a little more than $8 - cause everyone needs a thousand pound juicer to get the juice out of that one lemon for one's evening cocktail!

[weinoo]

You can sell that one to Hassouni when you're done with it!

[Kerry Beal]

Is that a citrus juicer next to the Cuisinart?

Indeed it is - there were a couple of different brands of them at the store - we played with each kind and this was the one that felt substantial and seemed to come down true on the funnel. 

[Kerry Beal]

You can sell that one to Hassouni when you're done with it!

I recall it was his discussion that gave me the hankering for it.

[Kerry Beal]

Oh, by the way:

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/monthly_07_2015/post-34671-0-13701100-1437264008.jpg

Those folding stepstools are wonderful, but beware of their pinch points when you're unfolding and folding them. They can be especially vicious when you're unfolding them; we've both been bitten from pushing down on the top of ours to flatten it quickly.

Good to know - obviously Anna has learned that lesson as she was warning me when I grabbed it. This one is taller than the others I have purchased in the past (I have one in the van that I offer to Anna to help her get into the seat!) - I can get to the top of all cupboards easily with it.

[Kerry Beal]

That calamari looks like onion rings to me. I always look for tentacles- they've my favorite.. Was it good?

I am so jealous of your McDonalds hash browns. I LOVE those things- crispy, salty, hot and delicious!

They were truly calamari - but the frozen kind that all small northern ontario restaurants that serve calamari buy. I've had worse!

 

The hash browns were suffering from oxidized oil I think - had an acrid flavour I don't care for.

[Kerry Beal]

First a little tale.

 

The day before leaving for Manitoulin hubby and I were in Scarborough with the rug rat visiting a physio who will be doing some intensive work with her after I get back home. We took the opportunity to drop around to Richters Herbs in Goodwood to pick up some herbs that I needed if I was going to make things from 'The Last Course' cookbook. 

 

I stood in front of the lemon verbena with the woman from the greenhouse - she said "just let me go out back and get them from there" - I kinda wondered what was wrong with the plants in front of me - but got distracted wandering around picking up other herbs and when she gave me two plants from the back after a considerable wait - I plunked them in my little box, paid for all and left. 

 

As I was dividing the plants up later that evening - leaving some for hubby to plant in the herb garden at home - I realized that I didn't have any lemon verbena - instead I had two plants called Bakial Skullcap. 

 

Many phone calls ensued - offers for me to return the plants and pick up new ones (not driving 6 hours each way for that), perhaps when I returned home (nope - I bought the damn plants so I could cook with them up here), suggested perhaps it was my fault for not looking at the plant markers when I was handed them...

 

So finally they agreed to send a plant if I paid the postage - they'd ship it that week...  two weeks later, no plant - so more phone calls ensued and on Friday at long last - I received my lemon verbena. (and wasn't charged for postage)

 

 

So here she be!

 

 

A few leaves in some tea for a tea cake.

 

 

 

Lemon verbena infused tea cakes!

[Anna N]

Good morning. Slowly recovering from a long, busy but most enjoyable day in Sudbury yesterday. Busy work this morning portioning the chicken thighs we bought yesterday into meal size packages, vacuum sealing, labeling and freezing. I also portioned up the lamb chops, vacuum sealed with some butter and put them to swim in the sous vide for a couple of hours. These can then be chilled down and thrown into the fridge or freezer. I have never been very confident about how long they can safely be held in the fridge so I have a tendency to freeze them no matter what.

I also threw together the dough for a loaf of challah from Secrets of a Jewish Baker.

No energy for braiding so this will be a section pan loaf.

Kerry has been called into emerg so once my chores are done I will put my feet up and dip into some of the books I bought yesterday.

[heidih]

I am a big lemon verbena fan. Finely chopped in a fresh salad is a tasty use. We did it in winter with apple, a touch of acid & nut oil, but might be nice with stone fruit in summer.

[Anna N]

I am a big lemon verbena fan. Finely chopped in a fresh salad is a tasty use. We did it in winter with apple, a touch of acid & nut oil, but might be nice with stone fruit in summer.

Lemon verbena is new to me but the smell is captivating. I am reminded of the first time I smelled lime leaves. Different smells of course but both exhilarating. Both make me want to cook something!

[Kerry Beal]

 

At the behest of Anna I made a batch of bourbon cream cookies this morning. Anna and I both have fond memories of these cookies from when we were young. These are a perfectly nice cookie - but not what we remember.

 

I think the cookie part of these would make an excellent chocolate wafer to be used to make an icebox cake.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Shelby]

Those look absolutely scrumptious.   Are the cookies soft?  *Shelby wipes drool off of keyboard*