Manitoulin — change is in the air.

**Smithy** · July 15, 2018

11 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Here’s what the 12 V cords are helping me test out

PID controller? Or a transformer/power supply? If I'm reading it right you're running at least one EZtemper.

Edited July 15, 2018 by Smithy
Spelling (log)

Anna N · July 15, 2018

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I'll play!

Yes there are scallops. And yes those are dipping sauce bowls or perhaps pickle bowls as part of a Japanese meal.

Yes mangos from Israel. They smelled marvellously of mango. We’ve had them before and they were to die for.

Yes that is olive wood and it will serve as a plate if you will.

Yes the white plates are designed for Japanese dishes although not necessarily sushi. I like them because they have a design on them such that any deep fried food should drain.

I am not seeing anything cast-iron in front of the wood unless you mean that little two indentation wooden serving dish.

No the cooling rack has been here forever or just about forever. It is a Pampered Chef product and wonderful. Not that I'm a fan of many of their products. Kerry has two more at home because she loves them that much.

I have had Kumatoes before and, yes, sometimes they have been a bit of a disappointment.

The thing you think is a salad dressing dispenser is a rather stupid peppermill. We have a wonderful magnum that works far better.

Hope I got all your questions answered if not fire away.

Edited July 15, 2018 by Anna N
Typos (log)

**Smithy** · July 15, 2018

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am not seeing anything cast-iron in front of the wood unless you mean that little two indentation wooden serving dish.

That is what I mean. Please tell more about its design and use.

Thanks for all the other answers! I look forward to seeing them in play. Even though you're suffering in the cocktail department.

Kerry Beal · July 15, 2018

19 minutes ago, Smithy said:

PID controller? Or a transformer/power supply? If I'm reading it right you're running at least one EZtemper.

One of those plug-ins actually had two cords attached so I could probably run two EZtempers

Kerry Beal · July 15, 2018

Following the Esquire formula we made our cocktail tonight using Havana club anejo, fragoli, lemon and Aperol - we are considering calling it a Flaming Archie

Anna N · July 15, 2018

4 minutes ago, Smithy said:

That is what I mean. Please tell more about its design and use.

I can’t offer you much more. Kerry found it in HomeSense and knew that I was looking for small dishes and it called out to me. Instinctively I’m thinking wasabi and/or mustard.

Kerry Beal · July 15, 2018

rotuts · July 15, 2018

Wow !

no comments ?

looks a bit tasty

with doe mushrooms

and some Horseradish ?

Anna N · July 15, 2018

1 hour ago, rotuts said:

Wow !

no comments ?

looks a bit tasty

with doe mushrooms

and some Horseradish ?

The shank was better at the lower temperature and we will still leave the other one for 72 hours. However, I do not think that this is the best treatment for beef shanks. I believe they would do much better in a long slow braise with some red wine and aromatics.

The other things on the plate are some roasted mushrooms and of course some horseradish.

demiglace · July 15, 2018

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

Following the Esquire formula we made our cocktail tonight using Havana club anejo, fragoli, lemon and Aperol - we are considering calling it a Flaming Archie

Have you created a commemorative cocktail for your trips to Manitoulin?

Kerry Beal · July 15, 2018

7 minutes ago, demiglace said:

Have you created a commemorative cocktail for your trips to Manitoulin?

That would be the Closet Negroni!

JoNorvelleWalker · July 16, 2018

4 hours ago, Smithy said:

That just looks like good food. Have you had the Kumatos before? I have been disappointed in them the once or twice I've tried them, but they're popular enough that I may have gotten bad batches. I go for Camparis whenever possible, except during Fresh Real Local Tomato Season (coming soon to these north woods, I hope).

I have a couple Kumatos in my bedroom at the moment. They are usually OK. I may have them for dinner. I only recall one container of Kumatos that didn't have much flavor.

But I'm with you. For supermarket tomatoes my favorite are Campari. I just read on Wikipedia that Campari is a trademark in the US and "can be produced from different varieties, such as Mountain Magic." Strange coincidence -- Mountain Magic is what I've been growing on my balcony the past several years. I am in the wrong business. Mountain Magic seeds sell for $150,000 per pound.

TicTac · July 16, 2018

10 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I have a couple Kumatos in my bedroom at the moment. They are usually OK. I may have them for dinner. I only recall one container of Kumatos that didn't have much flavor.

But I'm with you. For supermarket tomatoes my favorite are Campari. I just read on Wikipedia that Campari is a trademark in the US and "can be produced from different varieties, such as Mountain Magic." Strange coincidence -- Mountain Magic is what I've been growing on my balcony the past several years. I am in the wrong business. Mountain Magic seeds sell for $150,000 per pound.

Your figures seem off, otherwise I am sure many would flock down that path as well...

Here one can purchase 5,000 of said seeds for $830

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/tomatoes/cocktail-tomatoes/mountain-magic-f1-tomato-seed-2513.html

Google suggest that there are roughly 120,000 - 190,000 cherry tomato seeds per pound.

Which puts it roughly at $25-30K/lb

Still a nice chunk of change!

If you want an amazingly sweet and fairly low acid cherry, check out 'Sweet Orange Cherry tomatos' - I grow them every year and they are the nearest thing to candy grown on a vine.

Edited July 16, 2018 by TicTac (log)

Anna N · July 16, 2018

Good morning. It’s a sticky and somewhat cloudy morning here in Little Current. The temperature is 21°C with an expected high of 26°.

Kerry is on call for the next 24 hours.

I started my day with two cups of coffee and one of these incredible mangoes that Kerry bought from Costco.

My “hedgehog” needs work!

I have a question for those of you who make cabbage rolls.

Normally I soften the leaves in boiling water but it is a really challenging job when you are only slightly taller than Sneezy and lack the biceps of Popeye to be constantly lifting a large head of cabbage out of a tall pot of boiling water.

I know you can freeze the cored head of cabbage but that takes forethought and planning. These are not my strong points.

So this morning I did a little googling and came across a method that sounds almost too good to be true.

Wrap the cored cabbage in a clean, damp kitchen towel and microwave x 10 mins. Pull off leaves and repeat every 5 minutes or so.

I will definitely try this but I would love to hear if anyone else has heard of this method or, even better, has tried it.

lindag · July 16, 2018

i'll be very interested in this as well....I face similar challenges and have avoided dealing with that big cabbage, depriving myself of one of my favorite meals.

I've tried some recipes such as 'unstuffed' cabbage where the chopped leaves are mixed in with the filling and made into a casserole but they just don't taste the same.

my favorite recipe is from a very old (late 60's) Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Quite simple and very tasty. For some reason I never copied the recipe into my software so it's fortunate that I've save the book for all these years.

Edited July 16, 2018 by lindag (log)

MelissaH · July 16, 2018

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

I have a question for those of you who make cabbage rolls.

Normally I soften the leaves in boiling water but it is a really challenging job when you are only slightly taller than Sneezy and lack the biceps of Popeye to be constantly lifting a large head of cabbage out of a tall pot of boiling water.

I know you can freeze the cored head of cabbage but that takes forethought and planning. These are not my strong points.

So this morning I did a little googling and came across a method that sounds almost too good to be true.

Wrap the cored cabbage in a clean, damp kitchen towel and microwave x 10 mins. Pull off leaves and repeat every 5 minutes or so.

I will definitely try this but I would love to hear if anyone else has heard of this method or, even better, has tried it.

I've done the boiling water and the freezing. This is the first I've heard of microwaving, but I bet it works. Here's what I wonder: is it possible to wiggle off the leaves from the cored cabbage, one by one, and then give them a brief microwave steaming to soften them enough to roll? Then you'd have the rest of the head of cabbage raw and unadulterated, and therefore suitable to make into salads or slaw, or for shredding onto fish tacos, or other things that aren't as good with cooked cabbage.

Kerry Beal · July 16, 2018

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

Good morning. It’s a sticky and somewhat cloudy morning here in Little Current. The temperature is 21°C with an expected high of 26°.

Kerry is on call for the next 24 hours.

I started my day with two cups of coffee and one of these incredible mangoes that Kerry bought from Costco.

My “hedgehog” needs work!

I have a question for those of you who make cabbage rolls.

Normally I soften the leaves in boiling water but it is a really challenging job when you are only slightly taller than Sneezy and lack the biceps of Popeye to be constantly lifting a large head of cabbage out of a tall pot of boiling water.

I know you can freeze the cored head of cabbage but that takes forethought and planning. These are not my strong points.

So this morning I did a little googling and came across a method that sounds almost too good to be true.

Wrap the cored cabbage in a clean, damp kitchen towel and microwave x 10 mins. Pull off leaves and repeat every 5 minutes or so.

I will definitely try this but I would love to hear if anyone else has heard of this method or, even better, has tried it.

Why don’t you put the induction hob on the floor?

Anna N · July 16, 2018

So I just pulled the second shank which had spent 72 hrs. in the sous vide.

On the theory that any more cooking would dry it out even further, I opted not to do any searing. But by the same token I removed that outer layer of skin and gristle since it would not be spending any time with some beneficial heat.

I do not believe the extra 24 hours made any noticeable difference to the tenderness or anything else. I stand by my opinion that this is not a cut of meat that benefits from being sous vided.

But I saved the bone with its marrow, some of the flesh and even the bag liquid in case Kerry is in any kind of mood to play around with making gravy or whatever. It can certainly be binned if she opts not to do any of those things.

And because I believe anything served on a skewer instantly becomes more attractive and tastier:

With horseradish cream and a kumato. The latter was perfectly tasty.

Anna N · July 16, 2018

5 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Why don’t you put the induction hob on the floor?

Because bending down is almost as challenging as reaching up.

Kerry Beal · July 16, 2018

4 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Because bending down is almost as challenging as reaching up.

True that!

Anna N · July 16, 2018

Snack time! Rainier cherries also from Costco.

MelissaH · July 16, 2018

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Snack time! Rainier cherries also from Costco.

Those are my favorites for eating. (Not so good for cooking, though.)

Around here, they're selling for about $6 (US)/lb still. The ordinary red sweet cherries are about half that. I always have to debate whether the rainiers are twice as good as the reds. For me, the answer is often yes.

Toliver · July 16, 2018

On 7/14/2018 at 4:47 PM, Anna N said:

That Morimoto cookbook has been drifting through Amazon's Kindle ecookbooks section for some time but never with a low enough price so that I could post it in the "Crazy Good e-Book Bargains" discussion. :sad: