Mellowing in Manitoulin.

[Kerry Beal]

Haven't decided yet! Perhaps buttermilk pie. I'll likely use some in the cheese biscuits I make for rounds on Tuesday.

[Anna N]

 

Lunch. Still enjoying that gorgeous steak....all of it!  

 

After lunch  I prepped the beets we bought at the farmers market and they are in the little CSO at 300F steam bake as is apt according to all the experts on that thread.

 

I also took a pork shoulder roast from the refrigerator and salted it according to the ASM technique ( Arial salting method)  advocated in the book Taste & Technique.  Regrettably there is not a grain of Guatemalan sea salt in this whole town house probably one of the few ingredients we don't have. 

 

I peeled some of the aforementioned Carisma potatoes and found them to be quite a lot firmer than any supermarket potato, almost like a freshly dug potato.  I plan on giving them a brief sauna in the CSO before roasting them. 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

 

 So we found these at the Punjab Market in Hamilton and of course had to bring them with us. I have done a little research and so far the only thing I've come up with is a cocktail using the nettle syrup.  Their website is not especially helpful and neither is their free recipe book.  Anyone? Anyone? 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Anna is doing the Hanky Panky tonight!

[Anna N]

11 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

 

Anna is doing the Hanky Panky tonight!

For one this is a "stiiff" cocktail someone commented. A few more sips and I might be the one who is stiff.   Hope I am still compos mentis enough to finish making dinner.

[Shelby]

Wooo Hooo!  Hanky Panky!

 

I think @gfron1 would have some ideas about what to do with the nettle and pine needle syrups.  Maybe he'll see this and stop over here.

[Smithy]

Hanky Panky!  What a great name for a cocktail!  Now all you need is for Kerry to be drinking a Hokey Pokey.

[Anna N]

9 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Hanky Panky!  What a great name for a cocktail!  Now all you need is for Kerry to be drinking a Hokey Pokey.

Kerry unfortunately is on call again but from overheard one-sided telephone conversations with hospitals and nursing homes I'd say she's dealing with enough hanky panky for all of us!

[Kerry Beal]

 

A lovely dinner of pork shoulder, the Carissa Potatoes roasted, and tomato salad.

[Anna N]

 

 

Well y'all I think I just made my very first maslin brick. Compact and solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Over proofed I think. It was doming nicely but by the time Kerry popped it into the oven there was no evidence of any doming at all. I think I need to make a major adjustment in my thinking about ambient kitchen temperatures. My sister's kitchen  in the British midlands is so cold that a refrigerator seems superfluous. The kitchen here in the townhouse seems to vary between 72 and 78°F depending on who's doing what.  I do know the condition of the dough is more important than the timing but I use the timing as a rough guide as to when to check on the progress. Epic failure this time but I am not going to give up,. 

[Shelby]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 

 

Well y'all I think I just made my very first maslin brick. Compact and solid as the rock of Gibraltar. Over proofed I think. It was doming nicely but by the time Kerry popped it into the oven there was no evidence of any doming at all. I think I need to make a major adjustment in my thinking about ambient kitchen temperatures. My sister's kitchen  in the British midlands is so cold that a refrigerator seems superfluous. The kitchen here in the townhouse seems to vary between 72 and 78°F depending on who's doing what.  I do know the condition of the dough is more important than the timing but I use the timing as a rough guide as to when to check on the progress. Epic failure this time but I am not going to give up,. 

Hello croutons.

[Anna N]

@Shelby

 I dunno I think if I tossed the croutons in my cast-iron skillet I might well end up with a cast-iron colander. 

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

@Shelby

 I dunno I think if I tossed the croutons in my cast-iron skillet I might well end up with a cast-iron colander. 

LOL

 

Well throw some chunks in a cuisinart and make bread crumbs?

[Anna N]

17 minutes ago, Shelby said:

LOL

 

Well throw some chunks in a cuisinart and make bread crumbs?

What and ruin the cuisinart?  Thinking I will set it aside until I have enough to build a doghouse and then crawl inside it.   Or perhaps I should take up burglary and I can throw it through windows to get an entrance.   The possibilities are really quite endless.  

[Kerry Beal]

Doorstop?

[Shelby]

I need something to put behind my boat tires for the winter so that it doesn't roll.......

[Tri2Cook]

I took inspiration from your steak. Just me and the kid for thanksgiving. She won't eat turkey and I didn't really want to do all of that for just me so we started our own new tradition. We did our dinner today instead of tomorrow and it was steak (just grocery store striploins but they we're tasty), sautéed mushrooms, caesar salad, baked sweet potato and homemade bread. And I cooked an extra steak because Anna's leftover steak meals looked too damn good to not make sure I had extra.

[gfweb]

So Canada has TG before Halloween?

 

Brilliant! esp if you ignore Halloween altogether.

 

Does that mean your stores start Xmas stuff in October?

[Kerry Beal]

Yup - second Monday in October I think. Ties in with harvest being over.

 

Halloween starts in August. Saw my first couple of Christmas hints over the past week or so.

 

 

[Anna N]

9 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

I took inspiration from your steak. Just me and the kid for thanksgiving. She won't eat turkey and I didn't really want to do all of that for just me so we started our own new tradition. We did our dinner today instead of tomorrow and it was steak (just grocery store striploins but they we're tasty), sautéed mushrooms, caesar salad, baked sweet potato and homemade bread. And I cooked an extra steak because Anna's leftover steak meals looked too damn good to not make sure I had extra.

What I love to see is somebody starting a new tradition when the family dynamics change. 

[Anna N]

So I have been awake for at least an hour. There is no sign of life from Kerry's room but she was on call overnight so I have no idea if she slept all night or spent it in the hospital. I have just made my second cup of coffee and the Brit in me spotted the pork drippings from yesterday.  And there beside the pork drippings sat my very own rock of Gibraltar!  I carved off the thinnest possible slice and am now enjoying "bread 'n' dripping".  

[Tere]

plenty of salt I hope?

 

[chromedome]

10 hours ago, gfweb said:

So Canada has TG before Halloween?

 

Brilliant! esp if you ignore Halloween altogether.

 

Does that mean your stores start Xmas stuff in October?

Yeah, I saw a "Maxine" on FB yesterday with the Maxine character in a store aisle grumbling "Nothing says Halloween like Christmas decorations."

[Anna N]

12 minutes ago, Tere said:

plenty of salt I hope?

 

And pepper!  Quite yummy. 

[chromedome]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

What I love to see is somebody starting a new tradition when the family dynamics change. 

 

The obligatory turkey counts as a "new" tradition for me. My parents loathe turkey, and my sister and I were indifferent at best, so we never had it at holidays when I was growing up. We usually opted for a roast (beef or venison) or a ham, instead. When my kids lived at home I did the same, or would mix it up occasionally with a big roaster chicken or something like that. I'd buy a turkey while they were cheap over the holidays, but usually broke it down uncooked for multiple future meals, instead of roasting it. I still maintain that the traditional big ol' roasted turkey is about the least interesting thing to do with the poor bird. 

 

I didn't start doing turkey at home until my (American) second wife came along. She was a big fan of the traditional meal with all the traditional sides (except Brussels sprouts...she was a super-taster, and couldn't abide anything bitter). I'd never eaten green-bean casserole until she made it for me, either. I'm sure some families in Canada make it, but it's not as much of a "thing" here. I've lived in six provinces, and don't think I've ever seen it on anyone else's holiday spread. 

 

My current GF (second wife passed away unexpectedly a few years ago) is also a fan of the turkey, so that's what we did this weekend.