What I learned today (Take Two)

This week I jumped the shark on Caprese salads. Fresh mozz? OUT. Laura Chenel goat cheese? IN.

I still can't get enough Caprese made with mozz or burrata, but it's always good to have an alternative on hand.

Regarding the ice, it's hard to believe the ATK folks didn't consider the quality of the ice as part of their review. Did they include pebble ice makers as part of the review? Those seem to be all the rage now, although I can't really see the value. I can certainly understand your dad on ice quality. The ice maker in our previous fridge/freezer broke about fifteen years ago, and I initially thought I'd just replace it - it was a simple thing to remove the old one. But then I found out that a new ice maker assembly cost $650 and I wasn't going to pay that, so I went with plastic ice cube trays. They were a pain, and we never had an overabundance of ice (the freezer space was too limited for bags of purchased ice), but the quality of the cubes was far better and I was never tempted to put in a new ice maker. That's in the past now, though, because we put a Scotsman ice maker in the bar as part of the Eternal Remodel. It makes very nice, clear ice and we always have plenty. Only downside is the noise when new ice gets dumped into the bin. That definitely takes some getting used to.

[Jenise]

Mike, I'll never turn down real mozz either. BUT, the tang of goat cheese with the acidity of tomatoes is really a great duet. Sweet tomatoes taste even sweeter.

Re the ice, the Igloo they liked made tubes, so they were hollow in the middle so on top of being full of air they had less bone density, making matters even worse. One of the other two they showed made the pebbles, which were the clearest of the three.

I couldn't live without an ice maker, as I constantly have a 24 ounce glass of water or iced tea at hand and drag it all over the house with me all day long. The old ice trays would really do me in. I do remember moving to England though and being invited to someone's home. Their refrigerator was what Americans recognize as a motel size model though it was what most homes had at the time. It had a diminutive freezer compartment about the size of a ladies shoe box. On arrival our host (also American) amusingly informed us that we would get three cubes apiece over the course of the evening and should plan accordingly.

I do remember moving to England though and being invited to someone's home. Their refrigerator was what Americans recognize as a motel size model though it was what most homes had at the time. It had a freezer compartment about the size of a shoe box. On arrival our host (also American) amusingly informed us that we would get three cubes apiece over the course of the evening and should plan accordingly.

Ha! My wife has memories of being in England, ordering a gin & tonic, and getting one lone ice cube floating in the warm drink. Ice in drinks seems to be one of those things between the US and Europe in which "ne'er the twain shall meet".

Ordered a martini on the rocks at Kings Cross Station. Two ice cubes is all I got.

our CSA gave choice of basil or marjoram last week, as we have lots of basil growing chose marjoram. I think of marjoram as a milder version of oregano, but this bunch is superintense. Used in a butter sauce for hake, in a dish of chicken and greens with mixed herbs and several other pretty dominant. Is this normal, or maybe just late season issue?

[Jenise]

Dale, just like there's Turkish oregano, Greek oregano, Mexican oregano and god knows what else, there might be different types of marjoram. And then even the same one grown in richer and lesser soils will present differently. Hard to know.

our CSA gave choice of basil or marjoram last week, as we have lots of basil growing chose marjoram. I think of marjoram as a milder version of oregano, but this bunch is superintense. Used in a butter sauce for hake, in a dish of chicken and greens with mixed herbs and several other pretty dominant. Is this normal, or maybe just late season issue?

Dale, I grow Marjoram in a free-standing tub on the patio near my kitchen. It grows all year round and has been doing so for years. I only use it for my tomato bread salads with kalamata olives. It is divine in the salad and I always get asked, "what is that fruity smell, taste?'I haven't tried it in anything else. Any ideas? Just did a quick research and this came up: Yes, marjoram can be described as a fruity herb because it has a sweet flavor with distinct citrus and pine notes, which can be perceived as fruity. Its flavor profile also includes earthy and woody elements, and it is a more mild and delicate herb compared to the more pungent oregano.
This is a great article: https://food52.com/story/12734-fresh-ma ... ir-it-with

[Jenise]

So I went to make my Amatriciana yesterday and decided to refresh my memory by reading a few recipes--primarily wanted to know if I used to add white wine or not (seemed likely). I know I added a lof of thyme and a few bay leaves. Glad I looked. Of course, recipes vary widely even within traditions, but I learned that wine is definitely not standard, nor are herbs, and one article even suggested that onions and garlic weren't either (unthinkable!). Instead, the emphasis should be on red pepper flakes and black pepper, and pecorino would be the cheese of choice not parmesan. I probably knew that at some point, but had forgotten which might in part be due to a love-hate thing with pecorino because I've more than once bought some that was super gamey, which I despise.

[Jenise]

So yesterday I learned that flatiron steak is not a good candidate for braising. To my dismay the shrinkage was about 50%. I kid you not. What had been five perfect about 5 oz steaks (for an event I'm doing in December) turned into dinky little undersized strips. The result was tasty enough but texturally not a whole lot better than even cheaper cuts after all that shrinkage. I was looking for filet mignon texture at a lower price, and found there's no value in this cut whatsoever. Grilling? Yes, fine, but not braising.

Speaking of which I queried "Why are flatiron steaks always cryovacced?" The answer was insipid: better freshness, extended shelf life and all that. But yes, then why not cryovac everything? Why only flatirons?

Around here the only steak cuts that come in cryovac are flank steak and skirt steak. I like them for stir-frying because they are very easy to slice thinly across the grain. They also used to be dirt cheap. Then the fajitas craze came along and now they are very expensive, especially skirt steak (the original meat used to make fajitas).

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Tonight I reheated a large container (about 3 quarts) of black eyed peas to sterilize it for further storage. I didn't eat nearly as much of it as I thought I would when I made it a week ago, like maybe only once. So it has dawned on me to turn that into a Southern Thang version of cassoulet, since I also bought some duck legs this week. A little sausage, some collard greens--voila!

So back to what I did, I nuked the container for 12 minutes. When I went to remove it, an unexpected vacuum between the container and turntable plate caused the plate to lift and slide five feet to the floor which, since I was holding the container with both hands, I couldn't prevent. I don't know what size it is--can't measure it now!--and replacements are not easy. There are some cheap ones that people report breaking on arrival or within months, unprovoked, and then there are OEM jobs that cost as much as a whole new machine.

So I thought heck, that one's about 20 years old so maybe it's just time to buy a new one. One that combines MW and air-frying would be particularly interesting.

So here's what I learned over the last hour: the 24Wx11Hx12.5D bookshelf type GE Monogram my pantry space was specifically designed for (it holds a 13x9" baking dish!) has gone the way of the dodo bird. Modern nukers are apparently now designed for your average frozen pizza. Except for the tiny motel models suitable for one frozen burrito, no matter how wide or tall they're all about 15-16 inches deep. And then one has to allow an inch and a half for the plug in back, as I learned when I bought a new toaster oven a few years back. My shelf is only 14.5" deep.

Guess I'm going to buy that cheap glass replacement after all.

Good idea on the variant cassoulet. I've seen one for pink peas, too.

Ouch on the loss of the glass carousel. And, yes, definitely just get another. The GE part may be available, if you think it will be better than the cheapo part. At my old house, we were able to buy parts from Maytag for both a 25-year-old range and a 25-year-old fridge. They keep in stock the things that wear out.

[Jenise]

At my old house, we were able to buy parts from Maytag for both a 25-year-old range and a 25-year-old fridge. They keep in stock the things that wear out.

Oh, I realize. But what I found last night was that the GE (I used the term OEM, for Original Eqipment Manufacturer) parts cost as much as new machines. $16ish for cheapo, $130ish for GE. Have to look again but I'm guessing it won't get much better for a 20 yr old machine.

Very long shot, but if you spy a similar MW in a thrift store, there's your part.

[Jenise]

Very long shot, but if you spy a similar MW in a thrift store, there's your part.

That occurred to me but the chances are pretty nil. Anyway, my new turntable arrived this morning. It's supposedly the right part but 11.25 inches wide where 11.5 wouldn't fit at all. Still, it works!

[Jenise]

Very long shot, but if you spy a similar MW in a thrift store, there's your part.

That occurred to me but the chances are pretty nil. Anyway, my new turntable arrived this morning. It's supposedly the right part but 11.25 inches wide where 10.5-11.0 would be best and 11.5 wouldn't fit at all. Still, it works!

[Jenise]

Today I learned to shop at the Chef's Store more often. Went there this morning to hopefully secure some produce boxes (there were none) and while there checked to see if they had anything that was on my shopping list (in prep for the 85-person Xmas dinner I'm cooking for). And Hallelujah! Shallots, which at a regular grocery hereabouts are $4/lb--a 5 lb net bag for $8.79!!! Regular price, and they're gorgeous.

Btw, here's the maple-shallot salad dressing they're going into:


Maple-Shallot Vinaigrette

Two large shallots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, pressed/minced
1 cup avocado oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Maple syrup, or more to taste

Add some of the oil to a small nonstick skillet and sweat the shallots until softened on med-low heat, about 3-4 minutes, careful not to brown. Add to a jar with the remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously to mix. Taste for balance of sweet/salt/sour, adjust if necessary.

That sounds interesting. I'm writing that down. I like vinaigrette, green goddess, and plain OV just fine but a little diversity don't hurt.

[Jenise]

I really really like it. That touch of sweetness brings a lovely balance to the rest of the ingredients and it's going to be perfect for the combination of arugula, radicchio, chopped roasted hazelnuts and sliced persimmons I made it for. Btw, re avocado oil: olive oil would also be fine but as you'd know it congeals when refrigerated and avocado doesn't, so unless you're going to use it right away choose a neutral oil (I keep avocado on hand as my 'neutral oil', hence this choice).

I'm not a fanboy for avocado oil so I was going to use olive oil. And, yes, it means the dressing comes out of the fridge at the start of the meal prep.

[Jenise]

Really? What don't you like about it? The avocado oil I buy is so neutral I can't imagine anyone having an objection to it.

It's not that I won't eat it, I just see no reason to pay up for it. I've had avocado oil mayonnaise; meh. There's a whole wide world of interesting olive oils out there -- not to mention specialty oils for specialty dishes -- I don't hear much about avocado terroir.

Apropos of the thread title... So, this past Saturday, I made a traditional TG dinner. I've already reported on my roasting-pan-dimensions problem, but the rest of the cooking went smoothly. I had all the ingredients that I like to work with, I had mostly suitable cookware, I learned a bunch about how hot the different burners are, etc etc.

My used-to-be upstairs neighbor, Nancy, was coming over at 5pm to help me transport it all to her apartment (mine isn't ready for hosting yet). I had everything done by 4:15pm, and all but the turkey meat was packaged; Nancy was bringing a large Tupper for that.

Nancy arrives, we load up all the foods, I toss the carcass into the big pot, put some sudsy water in a couple other pans, and we get ready to go. There are two parcels: a large shopping bag on wheels(!) and a regular shopping bag.

Plan: Take one bag into the hallway, go back into the house to turn off the lights, pickup my keys, grab the other bag, and go.
Actual: Take one bag into the hallway, Nancy brings the other bag into the hallway and shuts the door behind her.

So, it is after 5pm on the Saturday of Thanksgiving week and I am locked out of my apartment. Fortunately, I had my coat on but there are no extra copies of the keys anywhere because they are coming this week to re-key one of the locks. And, even if I could reach a locksmith, it seems quixotic to have him break the lock so I can get my keys to the lock he just broke.

I dialed the landlord and the super; left messages.

Nancy put me up for the night.

The landlord met me in the morning and opened the door.

Oh, right: I learned that I have to keep a key on me when anybody else is around.

It's not enough to flip the latch button, by the way. Through experimentation, it seems that this lock will reset the latch button if you lock it. (I don't think that's usual.) So, it's not enough to just leave the latch button open.