Manitoulin — change is in the air.

[ElsieD]

12 hours ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

 

I love celery—but I like EVERYTHING!

I even like lovage which is like celery on steroids! 😁

 

Love lovage.  I had it growing in my back yard, back in the day when I had a back yard.

[Smithy]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Love lovage.  I had it growing in my back yard, back in the day when I had a back yard.

 

I also have lovage growing, next to the house. It reproaches me every time I step outside, because I forget to use it. "Celery on steroids" is a good description.

[heidih]

Regarding lovage: when we sold it in gallon pots at the botanic garden it was marketed as "Bloody Mary plant" because the thick hollow stems can be used as a straw in the beverage to lend celery taste; plus it looks cool

[Katie Meadow]

A super memorable meal for many reasons was one we ate near Walla Walla several years ago. It was cooked by an artist who grew lovage. It was a simple pan-fried steak with a lovage-butter sauce. When I grill steak I rarely bother with sauce, just a dry rub, but this combo was dynamite. 

 

It's been a while since having lovage, so I can't really compare the flavor to anything. When it comes to celery however, I can't imagine life without it. How would you make egg salad or tuna salad or chicken salad or potato salad? I have never in my life eaten celery with peanut butter, though, and I'm not about to start now. 

[Anna N]

 No photographs of lunch: a cup of coffee and the last of the cherries which I picked over.  Those that went into the bin were probably no worse off than the ones I ate. It just seemed they had reached a time when one ought to bin some of them!  

 

So far the day has been taken up with various and sundry chores. Did some laundry, peeled and froze some ginger, gave some asparagus that we bought yesterday a little tender loving care,  froze  some white squishy bread so it doesn’t all go mouldy before Kira and I have made short work of it.  Then I tackled dinner. 

 

Kerry and I did not discuss what would be on the table tonight (we rarely do). So tonight, as usual, she is in for either a surprise or a shock!  But once she has fed and changed Kira, chatted to her hubby and made a cocktail and some tea,  she is usually perfectly happy to sit down to whatever appears in front of her.

 

I will make it a surprise for everyone and hold off until we eat it to post any photos. 

 

 I have never eaten lovage. 

 

 

[Anna N]

Looking for your best advice. Committed the cardinal sin of not checking on the availability of ingredients, again.  I swear I saw apple cider vinegar. Only in my dreams apparently.

I am in the middle of making the Everyday Cucumber Salad from DeepRun Roots.

 

I have sherry vinegar, white vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar but no apple cider vinegar. What do you think?

[rotuts]

taste the sherry and the WW.

 

only a drop or two 

 

go for tart-ishy fruit.

[Shelby]

10 minutes ago, rotuts said:

taste the sherry and the WW.

 

only a drop or two 

 

go for tart-ishy fruit.

This.

 

And I've also made it with just white vinegar.

[Anna N]

 Thank you, @rotuts and @Shelby.

 

Next question:

 

I want to cook a dish which normally calls a bain marie. I hate mucking about with boiling water and shallow pans. I have a CSO. Why can’t I do it in there?

 

If the original recipe called for a bain marie at 300°F  for 5 to 8 minutes or until bubbly (I will have to go longer because it’s been refrigerated), would you go steam bake for the same amount of time?

 

 You can’t ask me what it is or you will spoil the surprise!  

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Porthos said:

 

Are my eyes playing tricks on me or does the oven accommodate full-size sheet pans?

3/4 sheet pan

[rotuts]

300 F for a BainMarie ?

 

typo ?

 

live on Saturn ?

 

I can't imagine how the CSO would kill this at 300 steam

 

but something is wrong asking g for a BainM for 300 F

 

[ ed,: Rotuts as Sooooo tempted to call a BainMarie a B.M.  but better thought prevailed  ]

[Anna N]

8 minutes ago, rotuts said:

300 F for a BainMarie ?

 

typo ?

 

live on Saturn ?

 

I can't imagine how the CSO would kill this at 300 steam

 

but something is wrong asking g for a BainM for 300 F

 

[ ed,: Rotuts as Sooooo tempted to call a BainMarie a B.M.  but better thought prevailed  ]

 No typo.

 

I have made this recipe many times before but never when I owned a CSO.  Basically it is pre-cooked before being poured into ramekins and brought back up to temperature slowly in a bain marie so we are not actually cooking anything.  Probably isn’t critical at all but I just wanted to put it out there and see what you all thought.

 

Same abbreviation had occurred to me but, like you, I decided better not. 

 

Think I will just put it into the CSO probably at a little higher temperature, maybe 325 maybe 350 and just keep an eye on it.  I will use the gentler steam bake function out of respect for the “emulsion”?   We can get specific after dinner.   

 

 

[Shelby]

My tiny 2 cents--in my experience the CSO cooks/bakes things faster than my oven.  I'd leave the temp at the 300....but what do I know lol.

[Anna N]

 Kerry asked me to post photographs of our “bar”.  She is open to get suggestions as to how to use up some of it. I think it will be more helpful if we take the time to move the almost empty bottles into a space of their own so you have something more useful to work with.   Stay tuned for when one of us has the energy and the ambition to undertake this task. We might need a couple of cocktails first. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2018 by Anna N (log)

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

My tiny 2 cents--in my experience the CSO cooks/bakes things faster than my oven.  I'd leave the temp at the 300....but what do I know lol.

Good point!  Thanks. 

[rotuts]

@Anna N

 

 

"  brought back up to temperature slowly in a bain marie "

 

you will do fine in the CSO on steam-bake at what ever temp you think will give you the same results

 

Id tent the ramekins so their is no ' rain ' or condensations on their tops

 

if you are not actually cooking anyting

 

and the steam-bake Fx keeps the items moist

 

why not go a bit lower

 

as  the only Ba.Ma's Ive ever used can't really get to 212 F ?

[rotuts]

Im not a mixed cocktail person

 

I did study the Daiquiri some time ago

 

dark , tart

 

what Id do

 

if you can not keep your Bar

 

and choose not to transport S.

 

the last day

 

get a few gallon jugs 

 

very clean

 

mix in the remainder up and take it Home

 

"" The Manitoulin Remainder "  cocktail has now been invernted

 

just saying

 

you could spray it on Bugs and the like if you didn't enjoy it 

Edited July 21, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Anna N

 

 

"  brought back up to temperature slowly in a bain marie "

 

you will do fine in the CSO on steam-bake at what ever temp you think will give you the same results

 

Id tent the ramekins so their is no ' rain ' or condensations on their tops

 

if you are not actually cooking anyting

 

and the steam-bake Fx keeps the items moist

 

why not go a bit lower

 

as  the only Ba.Ma's Ive ever used can't really get to 212 F ?

Yes. My thoughts were the same on covering them. Like I say it’s really not going to be critical. I’m probably overthinking everything. I can do that sometimes.

[Shelby]

9 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Yes. My thoughts were the same on covering them. Like I say it’s really not going to be critical. I’m probably overthinking everything. I can do that sometimes.

I'd stick to the 300 or maybe a bit lower and keep a close eye on it.  CSO's are speedy and hot lol.

[TicTac]

I just made a garden fresh cucumber salad with white vinegar yesterday.  Just balance it a bit with salt and sugar.  I add a ton of dill and black pepper.  Good stuff.

[Okanagancook]

 The bar does need to be spread out so we can see the ones hiding in the back.

[ElsieD]

@Anna N  Bought some of those mangos at Costco yesterday and just had one.  They are very good.  I also looked for the Libertè flan but could not find them.  Are they worth looking for?

[Kerry Beal]

 

We were asking for lunch suggestions at the nursing home today - and the mother of one of the girls who works reception mentioned that the band office was having a fish fry. I'd had really good food there before - so over we went!

 

 

We didn't realize it was going to be free! Felt a little guilty.

 

 

This lovely fellow was waiting for us when we came out.

 

 

 

This is what was left of the bread at 3:30.

 

 

[gfweb]

How do you get to > boiling temp in a Bain?

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

@Anna N  Bought some of those mangos at Costco yesterday and just had one.  They are very good.  I also looked for the Libertè flan but could not find them.  Are they worth looking for?

Didn't find them at Costco - really bought them for the bottles. Making your own is better.