eG Foodblog: lovebenton0, Pam R, snowangel - North of the 30th paralle

[srhcb]

And, for anyone who has any information, if a vehicle sits outside all night with a 6 year-old battery, will it start the next day when it is this cold?  It's currently -10 with an almost -30 windchill (I'm operatiing on F, not C).

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Any modern vehicle should start in temperatures down to -30 if it turns over. A six year-old battery is nearing the end of its useful life though. Using synthetic oil will help the engine turn over in very cold weather.

And, don't worry about the wind chill. Cars, being inanimate objects, can't "feel" cold. The wind will cool them off faster, but they can never get any colder than the ambient air temperature. I used to have to call all the local tv weather people every winter and correct them.

SB (lots of experience with cars and cold) (and physics)

Edited February 4, 2007 by srhcb (log)

[snowangel]

So, I knew the troops would rebel over soup for 10 days. So, I pulled some steaks of the freezer tonight (chuck eyes; the price was way right), and Paul did the manly thing.

(acutally, I was the one to start the grill).

And, pretending it was summer, I fired up the stereo in the kitchen:

Summer music! The stereo is a car stereo over the totally crappy hood we have (yes, we'll replace it, in time). On the other side of the soffit are some really great bose bookshelf speakers that were a reward for giving birth.

A bottle of wine, bought soley because of the name, and actually drinkable:

If we didn't have kids, we'd have a bunch of collectible cars and sports cars.

Note that when I took this pic of Paul, it was 10 below with a screaming windchill. Yes, grilling in the winter is just a fine thing to do.

Plated, and a horrid photo, but given the demands of motherhood once the food hits the table, understandable.

Butter-sauteed frozen green beans on the side as well as salad. Note: the Pictsweet brand of green beans is not very good. And, another note that salad greens do not transport across a frozen parking lot at this time of year without a cooler or newspaper as insulation.

Stay tuned for stories about the Super Bowl, and some preps for said event.

Edit: replace a photo. These photos are hard to keep track of!

[srhcb]

I've not tried Fraboni's bacon, but it is on the radar for this coming summer, some day when we take Hwy 73 home from the cabin.  Another favorite meat market on the way to the cabin is F & D in Virginia, and I know for a fact that they carry a couple of sausages and porketta that bear the Fraboni's name. Are we better off getting there off 53 or 73?

I used to be able to get Fraboni's bacon custom sliced by Dave, my Butcher, before my local market closed last year. (I still haven't fully recovered from this tragedy ) I thought it was pretty good.

Fraboni's products are widely distributed throughout Northern MN, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're available somewhere in the Twin Cities. I'll find out.

If you were heading North towards your cabin via Hibbing it would be about 10-15 minutes quicker to catch Hwy 73 in Moose Lake than to get on 53. Besides, 73 has lots of scenery and sharp curves. Somebody who enjoys driving a car like an SHO could have and make pretty good time.

Another interesting route is to take 37 out of Cloquet, to Cnty 7, to 37, to Hibbing. 7 follows the railroad tracks the trains use to haul the taconite from the Range to Duluth, and it has a couple very long straight stretches and no cops. I've made my best time on this route, even though it's a couple miles longer than 73. In a modified Mustang I got from my shop in Chisholm (5 miles east of Hibbing) to 45th & France in Edina in exactly 3 hours.

SB (does not advocate violation of speed limits) (even for bacon)

[judiu]

The paper for my list tomorrow:

Today's list (note the stuff crossed off!) and tomorrow's list:

If anyone has any questions about the items on the list, let me know.  Oh, and these sheets arrive splatted from Heidi's school; my counters are clean!

And, I'm aiming for a kitchen shot or two every day:

Comments:

I really love my kids and family.  They are my life.

We did see the ruby slippers.  They look much more tarnished in real life than in this picture.

The timer.  The poor thing is on it's last legs.  My dad gave it to me right after I got out of college (some 25+ years ago).  I love this timer.  What I really like about it is that when it hits zero, it chirps for 30-60 seconds, and then starts counting the other way, so that if you are outside and don't hear it, you know just how long whatever is in the oven has been over-baked, or whether the sprinkler has been on for 4 hours and flooded the basement.  Plus, it fits nicely in a pocket (handy for grilling; a timer my single most essential grilling tool).  Anyone know of another timer that counts backwards once it hits zero and you miss it?

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I haven't read this entire thread, but my TruTemp, that I bought at Target, couts down and then up, and also has a plug in temp probe, so, like Alton Brown, you can set it to signal at a given temp, too. I love it!

[prasantrin]

(big deli area here, which even had kanom krok --sp?)  (anyone know what that is?)

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Kanom krok!?!??! Which market was this? I'm going there the next time I'm in MSP! I've never seen them outside of Thailand (though I've never been to other areas in Canada or the US with large Thai populations).

Kanom krok is like ableskiever (SP??).

I prefer kanom bah bin, though ( or is it bin bah?). did they have that?

[Pam R]

Pam, talk about the ethnic dining and grocery scene in Winnipet.

We have lots and lots of it.

And, for anyone who has any information, if a vehicle sits outside all night with a 6 year-old battery, will it start the next day when it is this cold?  It's currently -10 with an almost -30 windchill (I'm operatiing on F, not C).

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Is it plugged in?

[snowangel]

(big deli area here, which even had kanom krok --sp?)  (anyone know what that is?)

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Kanom krok!?!??! Which market was this? I'm going there the next time I'm in MSP! I've never seen them outside of Thailand (though I've never been to other areas in Canada or the US with large Thai populations).

Kanom krok is like ableskiever (SP??).

I prefer kanom bah bin, though ( or is it bin bah?). did they have that?

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Let me know when you're in the Cities next time, and I'll take you there, and we can have breakfast at Al's.

But, back to kanom krok. One of the cookbooks in my collection is Crying TIger by Supatra Johnson. I'm not sure it's a great cookbook, and it isn't very big, but I love it for a couple of reasons. First off, she doesn't just describe the various vegetables and herbs, but shows acutal photos. Second, it is the only Thai cookbook I've seen that has a recipe for kanom krok (think rice flour, coconut cream, some sugar and salt, and green onions, in a pan almost identical to an aebleskiver pan).

Growing up in Thailand, early on in the 60's, it was a common street food, but became less common as time went on.

Think slightly sweet, slightly savory, crispy on the bottom and creamy in the middle and on the top.

[snowangel]

Pam, talk about the ethnic dining and grocery scene in Winnipet.

We have lots and lots of it.

And, for anyone who has any information, if a vehicle sits outside all night with a 6 year-old battery, will it start the next day when it is this cold?  It's currently -10 with an almost -30 windchill (I'm operatiing on F, not C).

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Is it plugged in?

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Pam, I know you have lots of it from my last trip to Winnpeg for the Folk Fest! Is one particular ethnic cuisine/grocery store growing or changing?

And, no the vehicle does not have a plug in, but, Diana's friend's mom realized that she could take them tonight and pick them up in the morning to avoid problems. Something we think about it here! Reminder to self. Install plug thing in vehicle (which I know how to do!).

Off to get some more preps done for tomorrow!

Oh, and Pam, do you grill when it is this cold?

[judiu]

So, we're having grilled sandwiches tonight (I think they are now called pannini!).  Paul and I had a discussion about this during our non-dinner last night, and his mom always used Crisco to "butter" (his word) the bread.  Now, while I have Crisco on hand for pie crust in case I don't have lard, Crisco on a gilled sandwich?  Comments?

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GACK!

[hsm]

Ladies, I've enjoyed your blog on many levels. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share.

And thanks for the inspiration! That and the freezing temperature resulted in two soups made here this week. An empty-the-fridge minestrone and a roasted carrot, garlic and ginger soup. Had to use packaged chicken stock, but added fresh orange and lemon juices, red onion, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, caraway seed, pepper and, when I tasted too much salt, a little honey. I know, the caraway seed was a little crazy, enough with the Cs, but still, above average.

[maggiethecat]

Ah, Pam, plugging in your car, something every Canadian knows about. In my time we had parking meters that were plug-ins.

Ladies, never could the elements have conspired better with the theme of your blog. Thank's for giving us flash-frozen prairie folk a blog that radiates real-life warmth. This blog is like a giant hearth.

We had chicken pot pie tonight, classic winter comfort food! But we did poach chicken for the veloute -- that counts as soup making, right? I agree with lovey about undesirabilty of chicken breast for stock, but with chix breast at 88 cents a pound...

I used the Jacques Pepin/Scott Peacock method for poached chicken that produces lovely chicken consomme and tender meat: bring the water, chicken, aromatics etc. to a boil, cover and turn off the heat for an hour. Works every time, especially for les poitrines de poulet.

[dockhl]

(big deli area here, which even had kanom krok --sp?)  (anyone know what that is?)

←

Kanom krok!?!??! Which market was this? I'm going there the next time I'm in MSP! I've never seen them outside of Thailand (though I've never been to other areas in Canada or the US with large Thai populations).

Kanom krok is like ableskiever (SP??).

I prefer kanom bah bin, though ( or is it bin bah?). did they have that?

←

Let me know when you're in the Cities next time, and I'll take you there, and we can have breakfast at Al's.

But, back to kanom krok. One of the cookbooks in my collection is Crying TIger by Supatra Johnson. I'm not sure it's a great cookbook, and it isn't very big, but I love it for a couple of reasons. First off, she doesn't just describe the various vegetables and herbs, but shows acutal photos. Second, it is the only Thai cookbook I've seen that has a recipe for kanom krok (think rice flour, coconut cream, some sugar and salt, and green onions, in a pan almost identical to an aebleskiver pan).

Growing up in Thailand, early on in the 60's, it was a common street food, but became less common as time went on.

Think slightly sweet, slightly savory, crispy on the bottom and creamy in the middle and on the top.

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Susan~

are these eaten as a dessert? Sound delicious.............

if you don't have an ableskiver pan, is there a reasonable substitute?

Kathy

[judiu]

Well, with some help from one of the kids (let's just say the long hair), my dinner photos disappeared.  Suffice it to say that homemade cream of tomato soup vs. Campbells was a no brainer.  There's something about the familiar about the can that just flat wins out.  I lost the battle, thinking that the homemade version, while not as homogenized, was the better bet.

But, grilled sandwiches!  Reminder to self to include them on the menu more often.  I don't really like melted cheese, but you get the combo going of oozy and crispy, and Oh! 

OK, so, the good, the bad and the ugly:

FIrst, the bad:

Try as I might, I could not take a better photo of this can, but Winter Hands.  What a pain.  I keep getting these little knicks, and splits.  This stuff saves my life.  Available at most quilting shops.  Paul says it stinks, but he still loves me.

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Oh,my Gawd; discover Blistex! Available virtually anywhere, and heals up cold weather cracked fingers overnight. A good slather of the ointmen before bed, and fingers are healed next morning. Get the ointment, not the waxy lip-balm stuff. Just the greatest, and no funky smell, either!

[lucylou95816]

I apologize for not remembering which you wonderful ladies said it, but someone made a mention of homemade creme fraiche?  Is that a recipe that can be shared?  I am intrigued.  Thanks for a wonderful blog ladies.

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Stephanie, basically, what I do is a cup of cream (heavy whipping kind) and two tablespoons of buttermilk. In a clean container on the counter for 24-48 hours. Longer in the winter than the summer. Hmmm. Thinking a dessert item for tomorrow now that you reminded me that I have the fraiche.

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Thanks Susan....no straining right, just sitting on ten the counter? Is it covered or not. Thanks, I am going to have to try it since I just discovered a love of it.

[lucylou95816]

funny you guys mention abelskeiver today, my Danish friend came over and made us a breakfast of them..My BF and I were thinking of the kinds of filling that could go inside..ham and cheese, etc. I may have to buy a special pan now.

[Pam R]

Pam, talk about the ethnic dining and grocery scene in Winnipet.

We have lots and lots of it.

And, for anyone who has any information, if a vehicle sits outside all night with a 6 year-old battery, will it start the next day when it is this cold?  It's currently -10 with an almost -30 windchill (I'm operatiing on F, not C).

←

Is it plugged in?

←

Pam, I know you have lots of it from my last trip to Winnipeg for the Folk Fest! Is one particular ethnic cuisine/grocery store growing or changing?

And, no the vehicle does not have a plug in, but, Diana's friend's mom realized that she could take them tonight and pick them up in the morning to avoid problems. Something we think about it here! Reminder to self. Install plug thing in vehicle (which I know how to do!).

Off to get some more preps done for tomorrow!

Oh, and Pam, do you grill when it is this cold?

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Sorry! I'm trying to get images uploaded.

I'll try to get real answers about the ethnic markets/restaurants to you later (or tomorrow).

Plugs in cars - is this not an American thing? I'm pretty sure my dorm parking lot in Minnesota had power . . . I do park in a garage these days, so I rarely have to plug in. But I don't think you can buy a car here that isn't ready to plug in - can you?

Susan, I can't grill outside when it's this cold. I ... just ... can't. I'd say I'd grill to about -15 C. According to Environment Canada's Wind Chill - Minutes to Frostbite Chart I'd get frostbite in 3-5 minutes right now. I love to use the bbq - but I'd rather keep my ears.

Umm. I just checked Environment Canada's weather report for current conditions. It's -48 C / -54 F right now.

Ladies, never could the elements have conspired better with the theme of your blog. Thank's for giving us flash-frozen prairie folk a blog that radiates real-life warmth.  This blog is like a giant hearth.

I think your poached chicken for pie counts. I think your chicken pot pie itself counts! It's perfect cold weather food.

[Pontormo]

Well, I would like to thank all three of you soup mavens for what we are about to receive tomorrow morning: cold Artic air to blast us until the end of the week!

Only partially rueful, mind you. When you're used to winter, it's hard to do without, so a period of chill is welcome. Just could NOT imagine grilling under the conditions you document here!

I know Snowangel has peeped at Maggie's soup thread recently, but should you need further inspiration, it's been lively as of late. I heartily endorse Klary's split pea soup ; next up for me is a variation on this apple rutabaga soup, minus the heavy cream along with a few other adjustments, though it will certainly not appeal to anyone who finds parsnips or carrots too sweet for soup.

And while, I haven't finished culling through all the regional cooking threads in the Italian forum to link posts that demonstrate the wide variety of great soups that country has given to the world, here's another resource: Italian soups. I strongly recommend ribollita, though La Jota has many happy fans, too.

Stay warm!

[snowangel]

Some answers to many questions!

The vehicle in question is the only vehicle we have owned that did not have a plug thing, but trust me, if it did, we have plenty of the big orange cords!

The danish pan and the kanom croc. I'm sure one could use mini-muffin tins. But, kanom krok is street food. Savour, sweet, and devoured on the spot.

When it gets cold here, Paul and I get inspired to grill to prove we can do it. Many, many years ago, we were far up north (this was before kids) and it was so (insert naughty word) that we were all drinking whisky. It was so cold that booze was freezeing in our glasses. As we say in MN, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Bag Balm vs. Blistex. No contest. I've been bag balming for years. The stuff is greasy and wonderful, and according to Paul, the scent is decidedly unromantic. This stuff is really, really good! Plus, Blistex has some sort of minty or mentholy scene that I simply can't tolerate (long story).

Stay tuned for another question in a minute or two!

[snowangel]

Well, I would like to thank all three of you soup mavens for what we are about to receive tomorrow morning: cold Artic air to blast us until the end of the week!

Only partially rueful, mind you.  When you're used to winter, it's hard to do without, so a period of chill is welcome.  Just could NOT imagine grilling under the conditions you document here!

I know Snowangel has peeped at Maggie's soup thread recently, but should you need further inspiration, it's been lively as of late.  I heartily endorse Klary's split pea soup ; next up for me is a variation on this apple rutabaga soup, minus the heavy cream along with a few other adjustments, though it will certainly not appeal to anyone who finds parsnips or carrots too sweet for soup.

And while, I haven't finished culling through all the regional cooking threads in the Italian forum to link posts that demonstrate the wide variety of great soups that country has given to the world, here's another resource: Italian soups.  I strongly recommend ribollita, though La Jota has many happy fans, too.

Stay warm!

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Apples and rutabagas? Surely you jest!

But, I'm rather intrigued by an Italian Wedding Soup. Hints and suggestions, please, because it sounds liek just the trick for a family who wants meat and pasta, and a family that I think also needs some veg tossed in!

(edited to add: the family turns their nose up at split pea soup, or any soup that is totally green)

[snowangel]

Since I am entertaining tomorrow, and I have a boatload of stuff to do (and, I don't do daily lists on Saturdays), I need to get to bed, but, first, a question.

Think back to what I purchased at the Asian Market, and look at the following two photos:

What am I going to make? It's something I've made often enough that I don't even have to look at the recipe. I've loaded up the dishwasher with the prep items, and it is redolent of sesame oil and ginger.

And, yes, I did cut my finger, and it bled all over my crocs. Which were easily washed. All praise to plastic shoes.

[Pontormo]

But, I'm rather intrigued by an Italian Wedding Soup.  Hints and suggestions, please, because it sounds liek just the trick for a family who wants meat and pasta, and a family that I think also needs some veg tossed in!

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While it's not quite as late here as the clock on eG indicates, I can't believe I am still up, so let me briefly urge you to do a search for a post by Hathor (Judith)--or send her a PM, especially since I ended up using my ground beef for something else entirely. I think she documented the soup in the Dinner thread once. You just need a really good recipe for polpette--meatballs--and since I think I spied The Splendid Table on your bookshelves, you might have a good one around. (I like to soak torn, fresh bread in buttermilk or plain yogurt whenever I make meatballs.) At any rate, dark, bitter greens are surely involved in Judith's version, so no icky sweet factor!

* * *

I like forward to reading the pages of this thread I overlooked, but Pam R, thanks for the lesson on kasha, something I've been meaning to make one of these days.

Edited February 4, 2007 by Pontormo (log)

[Pam R]

Yet another shopping trip this afternoon. Like Susan, it was a pain going out to shop today. The parking lot was full, and it was freezing and slippery. I had to take my glove off so that I could get my loonie into the shopping cart - and it was painful!

And I want to know why this grocery store doesn't have all the cashier lanes open on a Saturday afternoon. It's not as though it's EVER slow on a Saturday. What's the point of having all the lanes if they aren't going to be open?? I shopped here on Christmas Eve too - and they weren't all open. WHEN are they all open? Huh??

I digress. Back to the blog!

Groceries:

I never shop this often/much in one week for home.

First thing I did was get my sesame sauce together. I based this loosely on a recipe Shaya sent me - it was wonderful. Now, I couldn't find my mortar and pestle - so I toasted the sesame seeds and then poured them into the food processor while still hot. The machine did almost nothing - then I added a little soy sauce and water, and the seeds started to break down. I'm not sure if the sauce should have been smoother or not - but everybody loved it, and there was enough left over, that some of it went home with my guests. Plans were to use it as a sauce for chicken later in the week. I may try this myself. The sauce included mirin, sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, toasted sesame seeds, vinegar (I used rice), and water. Consensus was that it needed a little more of a sesame kick (they're crazy - it had 300 g of sesames as the base!!) - so we added a little toasted sesame oil.

Next up, chicken/mushroom wontons.

Ground chicken, chopped crimini mushrooms, water chestnuts, green onions, soy sauce, mirin, toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic, egg white and store-bought wonton skins. My friends got here just as I was about to begin making these - so they took over the wonton forming. These were a hit.

Table ready for dinner to start:

Along with the wontons we had fried tofu, medium tofu, pea pods, baby bok choy and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). I meant to have some noodles as well, but forgot to get them. All OK though, we all had more than enough.

On to the eating portion of the evening:

Empty platters:

Steamy, foggy windows:

For dessert - fruit - lychee and fresh pineapple. Perfect.

[lovebenton0]

it's almost soup at my house.

just not thinking right this week, not enough oxygen. i should have made noodles the night before. i shouldn't have taken the camera into the sub-frigid weather, even for a shot of frozen lake michigan, then waited to do the soup and noodles until camera was charged.

so, for a look at what has been happening here this evening.

first, yes, yes, yes, the bread machine does knead dough like a champ and whipped my noodle dough right up. [it needs a name. can't keep calling it the bread machine and nope, bm just doesn't work for me. ]

two eggs, half tsp salt and two cups of ap flour.

now, it's soup.

i love these noodles and makes me wonder why i don't indulge in them occasionally. only takes half the recipe of noodles for a 3 to 4 qt kettle of soup. so i can enjoy the rest later. they'll keep for a few days in the fridge.

dessert bread is rising. also kneaded by the machine.

any guesses...

i'm sure i'll be having it tomorrow, but nice treat for brunch.

[maggiethecat]

Lord love a duck, Pam, it's colder in the Peg than it is in Whitehorse! Looking at Environment Canada's map, Winnipeg is the coldest place in North America with a town name. I truly hope you have nowhere to go tomorrow. It makes the rest of us look like wimps, and it's cold enough here to do damage to monkey testicles and witch's bosoms!

If Paul isn't in bed yet, and you're really worried about your battery, Susan, spread some newspaper somewhere and have Paul remove it from the car and bring it inside for the night. (It's gotta be larb for tomorrow, right?)

Apple and rutaba soup -- Yum! I'll definitely be checking out that recipe, being both an apple and a rutabaga fan.

Lovey, I don't make noodles nearly often enough, and with the KA pasta attachment I have no excuse. I am in awe of your hand-rolled, hand cut noodles -- Batali would give you big props.

[Pam R]

Maggie! You do have a way with words. This is the joy of living in WinterPeg. We can be the coldest place in North America in the winter, and the hottest place in the summer.

Alas, we're catering a funeral in the morning, so I will be up and about early. I'm just thankful that I don't have to stand in the cemetery where there's no protection from the wind.