Tag Team eG Foodblog: Light My Fire!

[Safran]

The rain is mercifully missing us.

(...)  My order to Amazon is going to be bigger, I think!

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Ah!!! Excellent reward!!! And what do you plan on ordering???

[Marlene]

we've just returned from running several errands. Got some lovely dry aged rib eyes, some of which may make an apperance for dinner tomorrow night. Asparagus for tonight, and broc for tomorrow. (See, green veggies!)

Don has just made me a Mother's Day mimosa, which I am about to take out to the back deck and sip on! It's quite breezy here, but the sun has come out and our back yard is pretty sheltered.

[snowangel]

...but the sun has come...

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This word "sun." Could you please tell me what this means? Does it have a look or a feeling?

[snowangel]

My table is set.

A few comments. This table is really, really cool. The middle is a lazy Susan. My folks bought this table in Thailand for something like $75.00 years ago from some friends. For a period, neither my folks nor I had a DR of the dimensions that would accommodate this table, so it was out on loan. Our DR is perfect for it. The table did not come with chairs, but I was able to buy chairs that look like they were made for the table. The odd birch chair belongs to Heidi. She eats out of a bowl, and uses a spoon.

The silver is my mother's sterling. I borrowed it for Easter last year, and haven't returned it yet.

I got married in 1981, the last of the hippy dippy age (as Sara Moulton called it during my interview with her), and naturally, we didn't get china or silver. Well, I seem to have the silver ( ) and now I want china.

So, the table.

Time to grind some sausage! It just might be cocktail time. I've worked really, really hard today.

Oh. Am I supposed to soak the plank for the salmon? Looks like I will be grilling!

[lancastermike]

My nephews party became an indoor event with much of the activity in the garage. He is a very nice young man and we were happy to see him. My mom was there and we than drove to see Maggie's mom. We have yet to see the sun at all today. However, as of this time it is not raining.

Mike, are you amazed at how much more your new dishwasher will hold? This one I have is so much older than the 30-year old KA Hobart I had at my old house.

Oh yeah, plenty of room. I did just get the racks from the smoker and they fit with ease.

I could only do one in the old one. I am running them on the scrubber cycle, the first time I have used it, so I will be interested to see how they come out.

Your table is lovely Susan. Order lots of stuff!!!! You worked real hard on mothers day. Did you get the new Weber, or has Paul repaired the old one enough to allow you to use it.

You can get Weber from Amazon. That's were my WSM came from. They have remote smoker thermometers as well. Order whatever you want. Tell them I said you should

Edited May 14, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[Kim Shook]

Pulled pork, this pulled very nicely, no chunking.  It really was done

close up pork porn. Some good dark bark, nice pink smoke ring, really nice inside "Miss White"

Tonights dinner. Pulled pork sandwiches on fresh bakery rolls.  Maggie has Swiss cheese and barbecue sauce on hers.  Mine is just pork.  With Herr's jalepeno flavored potato chips.  We had another capiphirina before dinner.  This really has become our favorite springtime drink.  A diet coke with splenda was the beverage at dinner for me tonight.

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Mike, we (Mr. Kim & I) are in awe of your butt. However, we are deeply disapproving of and frankly disturbed by the butt cheese ! That is just WRONG, dude!!

[mizducky]

So, in honor of Mother's day, I have vacuumed, put clean clothes away, done a load of laundry, and mopped the kitchen floor.  My order to Amazon is going to be bigger, I think!

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Oh dear. This made me think of a line out of yesterday's Prairie Home Companion broadcast--a mother in a skit was heard to say (paraphrasing from memory): "What every mother *really* wants for Mother's Day is to be left alone to sit and read a book in peace." Yeah, definitely put in a BIG Amazon order--you deserve it!

Mike, we (Mr. Kim & I) are in awe of your butt.  However, we are deeply disapproving of and frankly disturbed by the butt cheese    !  That is just WRONG, dude!! 

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Oh dear again. I fear this line has succeeded in bringing me to join the ranks of giggling (virtual and chronological) ten-year-olds.

[snowangel]

HELP! I'm so immersed in sausages that I've sort of forgotten about dinner. Looks like things are grillable. Should I soak this plank? Does it go over high heat, or on the side of a banked fire that doesn't have the fire underneath? Should I season the salmon?

I need answers soon. I have worked really, really hard today.

[Marlene]

Definately soak the plank, otherwise, it will just burn. I soaked my cedar plank yesterday for 20 minutes.

The salmon i think goes on the plank over low heat

[Dana]

Back to breakfast, Susan----I made the muffin recipe in the March issue of Fine Cooking today and was very pleased. The method gives you a base recipe that you can add various flavors to. The muffins came out light, but still muffin-y with a somewhat course crumb yet very tender. I made pineapple and ginger today, but cranberry/orange is on my list.

[Marlene]

Operation Grill Clean Up was a success. pics on that later as well as everything else. Dinner prep is well underway here. The roast is on the rotisserie, the asparagus oiled and waiting for roasting, the potatoes ready to go in and I'm making a port wine reduction to go with the beef. I think I need a drink now.

[Marlene]

Ok Susan, the little booklet that came with my cedar plank has a couple of recipes for planked salmon.

it says place the salmon skin side down on the plank,. It wont' take long 10-12 minutes. But then what the hell do i know about cooking fish?! It's got a marinade recipe for the salmon too and says to marinade for 20 minutes.

[lancastermike]

Susan,

The sun came out and I was stunned. Called Franklin Mint to have medal struck.

Yes soak the plank, cook the salmon on it until it is done, the plank itself may burn even after the soaking. I keep a spray bottle of water on hand to hose it down if necessary. Not over the highest heat. Away fronm the hotest part of your fire. Depending on thickness of your salmon 10 to 12 minuts should be enough. Skin side down, cant hurt to rub a little olive oil on it, a little salt and pepper. It is something to watch. i am putting the crabs on in a few. The sun has me blinded. They look nice and I think they will come out fine. Pics after dinner

[eJulia]

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Aww... Marlene.. this is just too cruel!

That is cheesy porn if I've ever seen it! I've got to go the the store for a wheel of brie and a fresh baguette now....

[snowangel]

My sausages are stuffed (but not twisted), the sky has lightened (I'm still unfamiliar with the term "sun" although I think I have these dark glasses in my car that I no longer understand), and we have had nothing other than a couple of sprinkes. The chimney has been lit and the board is soaking. SHould I oil one side?

Mother's Day and all of the work I have done is going to get expensive. A cookbook, yet another bowl for my mixer and a new stuffer. Details later.

[lancastermike]

My sausages are stuffed (but not twisted), the sky has lightened (I'm still unfamiliar with the term "sun" although I think I have these dark glasses in my car that I no longer understand), and we have had nothing other than a couple of sprinkes.  The chimney has been lit and the board is soaking.  SHould I oil one side?

Mother's Day and all of the work I have done is going to get expensive.  A cookbook, yet another bowl for my mixer and a new stuffer.  Details later.

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Susan

Oil the fish and you will be fine. Grilled soft shell crabs. MMMMMMM. Pics to follow shortly

Edited May 14, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[lancastermike]

The grilled soft shell crabs were great

The coating and sauce, butter, Crystal Hot Sauce, lemon juice and capers

The crabs salted and peppered. These are the first of the season here. My regular seafood guy told me he would not have them for a while. I called another place and they said Saturday would be the first they had them this year. These were not real big, and were pricey, no surprise for the first ones of the year.

Crabs with butter sauce poured over, ten minutes or so until,

the crabs hit the grill

crab close up

more asparagus, but it is so good this time of year, and it is great on the grill. Sorry to the vegatable fans.

plated, Grilled Soft Shell Crabs with Lemon Butter Caper sauce and Grilled Asparagus with Olive Oil, coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Thes were just delicious. The crab sweet, the butter sause rich and tart, the aspargus crunchy and salty. Oh baby. Really, really good stuff

Tonights wine, Tuscan white , very nice with the crabs.

This was a great end to a nice day inspite of the lousy weather. Maggie loved it as well. We will have desert later. Relaxing a little on the porch. Sunday night is Sopranos night. Perhaps desert while watching to see if Tony has anyone whacked tonight.

Edited May 14, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Tonights wine, Tuscan white , very nice with the crabs. 

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Ahhhh - the Terre di Tufi! Perfect with the crabs no doubt. Dinner looks great!

[lancastermike]

Tonights wine, Tuscan white , very nice with the crabs. 

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Ahhhh - the Terre di Tufi! Perfect with the crabs no doubt. Dinner looks great!

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Yeah it was Katie. Wonderful dinner, great wine. Thanks to you for the tout.

[Marlene]

Unlike Susan, I had a fairly relaxing Mother's Day. We dropped Ry off at his Dad's at noon and his dad and I spent some time organizing our summer schedule. During the school year, we switch off a week at a time, with change over normally on a Sunday. Summers tend to be at least two weeks at a time and occassionally, including this year, a month each.

Then we took off to do some shopping. We found our lanscaping lights at Canadian Tire and while we were there we bought one of these Kevlar (s?)gloves. Don tried it tonight while working with a hot bbq and this thing rocks.:

Off to Whole Foods, where my butcher friend took a whole dry aged rib eye roast and cut it into steaks for us. We also got a couple of kick ass butts, a brisket and some flank steaks. While we were there, we happened on this collection of mustards and finishing sauces. The mustards include, a horseradish mustard, a garlic mustard, a triple crunch mustard and and extra extra hot mustard:

Don found a couple of hot sauces for him:

Before we tackled operation BBQ Clean Up, Don made me a mimosa.:

Now, our BBQ hasn't been cleaned in quite a while. Before we started, it looked like this:

When we were done, it looked much better:

Time to switch to CC and coke and think about dinner. But first, I need to kick my baby cat, Shadow, off my chair.

[Marlene]

Dinner tonight, a spit roasted prime rib, ready for the rotisserie:

Garlic Roasted potatoes ready to roll:

I started the red wine reduction and oiled the asparagus

The roast on the spit, ready to come off:

Garlic roasted potatoes:

Roasted asparagus with drizzled balsamic and shaved parmesan:

Plated. End cut for me. Mother's choice!

[snowangel]

I have worked my effing butt off tonight. Dinner was wonderful. It did not rain. I have a small modicum of light left, so I am going to do what this mother really wants to do on mother's day. Have a cocktail while weeding and gardening. Back in a little bit. Oh, I will also need to twist the sausages.

[CaliPoutine]

Off to Whole Foods, where my butcher friend took a whole dry aged rib eye roast and cut it into steaks for us. We also got a couple of kick ass butts, a brisket and some flank steaks. While we were there, we happened on this collection of mustards and finishing sauces. The mustards include, a horseradish mustard, a garlic mustard, a triple crunch mustard and and extra extra hot mustard

Those are great mustards. The last time we went to St. Lawrence Market, we picked up 4 of them. I had a hard time choosing which flavors to try.

[Marlene]

Those are great mustards.  The last time we went to St. Lawrence Market, we picked up 4 of them.  I had a hard time choosing which flavors to try.

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We love mustards. There were a few flavours we didn't pick up this time around. But then again, we'll be back there soon enough! I'm thinking the horseradish or garlic mustard would work well with carpaccio!

We are finishing off the evening with a nice Grahams Tawny Port. I think early to bed for this girl tonight, knowing I am blessed with my boys and how well they treat me. Not just today, but really every day.!

[snowangel]

So, the surgery on the trusty Kettle was successful, although the bright silver parts look odd in something so old.

This new "damper/scraper" thing is very tight, and could be a factor in tomorrow's butt smoking here. Who knows, but I think this is a different Kettle than I smoked on but a few weeks ago.

But, before dinner, there was some stuff to grind, bind and stuff.

Grinding the meat.

Given the height of the KA's grinder thingie that you put the meat on, the counter is NOT the place to put this. So, I do it with the KA on the floor, using a chair one of my kids got as a first birthday present to sit on. Yes, I'm wearing lime green crocs. They have become my signature. I'm also wearing a t-shirt with a saying.

And, yes, I do all my own stunts, unless they involve being on a ladder or at great heights. Let's face it, I gave birth three times and stepped off the delivery table within minutes of each delivery (and wanted to go home). Enough said.

So, we get the bowl from the freezer into a bowl of small ice (the bowl of ice has also been in the freezer, as has the paddle.

So, the meat has been ground into a bowl in a bowl of ice. I transfer it to yet another bowl and stick it back into the freezer. I'm really happy to put the meat into the big ass Tupperware bowl and press plastic wrap over it, making sure to not have a flat layer on the top, but rather form the meat around the bowl, so that there is an even layer, so it all gets nice and cold. Meantime, I'm rather proud of myself, because the temp of the meat has never gone above 35 degrees.

Then to the paddling. Paddles. I have a new, but lame instant read at the ready at all times to tell me what and where I'm at, and whether I need to stop and re-stick-in-the-freezer.

Then, my folks arrived, and my mom got an upper body workout. The meat was much colder than last time, so it took more to use the plunger thing (reamer?) to push it down into the casings.

Voila! Big sausage:

She got a bit fast at one point (Diana and I are a much better team), so that when I twisted them, two burst. I don't have any more casing, but need them, so think that the burst meat may just find it's way into a pasta dish unless I feel like a trip to the meat market tomorrow to see if they also have nice fatty butt.

But, back to the task at hand. Not only the diced meat mixture went into the freezer after the dicing, but also the grinder attachment, the bowl I'd grind into. Everything but my hands. Us Charcuterie fans are devoting quite a bit of freezer space to keeping the things cold for the grind and bind. I've also discovered that the little cheap ice cubes I buy are better to use between the bowl I'm grinding into and the bowl that holds the bowl are better than the big cubes my ice maker provides.