What I learned today

No need for a prescription. From Amazon I bought Daily Immune Support Supplement from Silver Biotics. Also purchased two small spray bottles. I use it on burns, scratches and other skin issues. Works great and many people take a tsp. or more a day. Ingredients list says Purified Silver.

Paul., sorry re burn but glad it's healing.

I had some colatura di alici (fish sauce from Campania)around, have been sprinkling on grilled vegetables. But Saturday we (well really Betsy) made the classic dish with it, spaghetti alla colatura di alici,
https://www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-c ... h-colatura
Wow, something so simple but so great. We were out of parsley so Betsy used mint, worked well.
This stuff is expensive but worth it.

[Jenise]

I have not experienced Italian fish sauce but it's on my radar, Dale. I understand it's good stuff. There was a recipe for...oh let me see if I can find it. BRB.

No need for a prescription. From Amazon I bought Daily Immune Support Supplement from Silver Biotics. Also purchased two small spray bottles. I use it on burns, scratches and other skin issues. Works great and many people take a tsp. or more a day. Ingredients list says Purified Silver.

The stuff I have is silver sulfadiazine cream, 1%. Topical use only. Needs Rx (or,at least, it did).

[Jenise]

Jeff, it still does. That's what I was referring to. We have a jar here leftover from Bob's 2nd degree burns when he dumped a hot pan of grease straight from the oven on his foot, which was wearing a sock, which soaked up the oil and sustained the burn. That's what the hospital used.

Don't give up. A friend who's husband cooked all meals relied on invitations for a long time after he died suddenly at a young age. Scientifically minded I gifted her McGee's book on food science thinking that would get her interested. No luck. She does have a sweet tooth and started making cookies and simple cakes regularly. She often forwarded me recipes that she thought looked good and this meant that she wanted me to cook them for her which I was happy to oblige [ what got me into Nigerian dishes ]. When I started emailing her some very simple but tasty recipes [ Lebanese red lentil soup ] that did not require any involved techniques and for which she was successful she started to get involved. Knowing that she didn't like to fuss with ingredients or spend long intervals in the kitchen but loves to bake I offered some demo lessons on bread. Today she took 1 doz New York Water bagels, 2 loves of no knead whole wheat bread and 6 Almost Chocolate Mousse cups [ in a recent WaPo article ] to her two children and their spouses. She's on her way. I couldn't be happier that she's found success and satisfaction in cooking for herself, friends and family. Only about 8 years in the making.

That's a great story, Christina.

You are your friends guardian angel in disguise Christina, what a lot of patience and love you gave to your friend.

Yesterday was another day of heavy work for the second weekend in a row as our boys took turns coming up to help with my husbands 900 square feet of work shop and attic above it. Yesterday, we tackled boxes from Amazon, and other places, that I thought he was breaking down and putting in the recycle bin. Nope, he was saving them all. So, after a long day of dealing with boxes. son wanted a classic family dinner and I gave it to them. Rib Eye Steaks, and a fillet mignon for us ladies, marinated, and then grilled outside on our Weber Gas Grill. Yukon Gold potatoes brushed with garlic infused olive oil and then coarse sea salted onto the skins, and then baked. Roasted veggies, carrots, brussells sprouts, garlic, red onion, roasted with olive oil, sea salt, red pepoper flakes, and Chico Honey. I had Tirimisu and Chockolate Tuxedo Cream Cakes for dessert, but we all forgot about them. I also forgot to serve a salad of fresh, sliced oranges, and avocado slices, dusted with chili powder and fresh lime juice. Our son found a huge box of family photos dating back for decades, so we separated them into piles for the three kids, to be distributed later.

I am inviting a friend over for peppermint tea, and dessert this afternoon, and will share a few crazy stories with her, and show her my pile of broken down boxes that will take weeks to get rid of. My new rule....break down the box the same day it arrives and put into recycle bin!!! Contact bachelor, neighbor next door who does not cook, garden, or order online, and see if I can use some space in his recycle bin.

[Jenise]

Christina and Karen, love you sharing the stories of family and friends. And Karen--re the boxes--I can relate. I laughed because I know just how you felt discovering those--it's painful and funny at the same time, and I know that's my future. Bob does not like to get rid of things. Never has, but it's getting worse.

My closest Trader Joe's is 90 miles away so I always do a slow " Aisle Job" and spend a good amount of time in front of the spices since that's where I found a wonderful dry Ajika. Found yesterday: Everyday Seasoning. Would not have bit except this was whole spices in a grinder jar. Labeled from South Africa and it is fantastic for a quick fix for a lot of possibilities. Grinding fresh is especially attractive as I don't buy mixes in general that are already ground. The mix is coarse sea salt, mustard seed, black peppercorn, coriander, dried onion, garlic, paprika and chili pepper. Very nice

[Jenise]

Oooh! That sounds good! I'll look for it. My latest TJ thing along with the Ajika (thanks to you) is their onion salt. I have a lifelong fondness, thanks to my grandmother, for pan fried pork chops that have been liberally seasoned with onion salt. Those with a milk gravy on mashed potatoes--heaven on earth. It's very similar to the Fox Point blend by others, a mixture of oniony things not just the plain powder of Grammy's days.

Yesterday I learned that a 50/50 blend of honey and ground chipotle adobo is to die for on roasted pork. Thank you Rick Bayless! Can't wait to do it on ribs.

I love the Fox Point Blend and have used it for a long time.

What I learned yesterday, again, because I cannot seem to stay with the stove like I should is not to leave a pan of beautiufl browning baby Yukon Gold potatoes. They were going to be a side for leftover steak. I dressed them with garlic olive oil, coarse sea salt, garlic powder and dried rosemary. Put into a non-stick pan and put the lid on. Check after a few minutes, they were just starting to get nice color. Walked away,, got caught up into some silly western I was watching, and ran back to the stove. Yep, they had good color, for sure, very brown, almost black. BUT, the insides were creamy and very tasty, and I did not mind the dark side either, with a bit of sour cream, they were just fine. I burn bread too, so rarely serve it with any dinner. You would think I would learn to stay with the stove....or at least be in the same room!

"Yesterday I learned that a 50/50 blend of honey and ground chipotle adobo is to die for on roasted pork. Thank you Rick Bayless! Can't wait to do it on ribs." Jenise what type of pork roast did you use? I am going to do this over the weekend, love the idea.

Ideas flying around here like lovely hummingbirds. I was recently gifted a jar of raw, unfiltered jalapeno honey and was ruminating on how to use other than as a condiment for an aged goat or sheep's milk cheese. I am sure that Jenise's pork needs the smoked flavors of the chipotle but it got me thinking. A honey Urfa or Marash pepper combo should be a killer on braised lamb shank.
Jenise, the Everyday Seasoning is great on pork and potatoes. What I used in last nights schnitzel.

I love the Fox Point Blend and have used it for a long time.

What I learned yesterday, again, because I cannot seem to stay with the stove like I should is not to leave a pan of beautiufl browning baby Yukon Gold potatoes. They were going to be a side for leftover steak. I dressed them with garlic olive oil, coarse sea salt, garlic powder and dried rosemary. Put into a non-stick pan and put the lid on. Check after a few minutes, they were just starting to get nice color. Walked away,, got caught up into some silly western I was watching, and ran back to the stove. Yep, they had good color, for sure, very brown, almost black. BUT, the insides were creamy and very tasty, and I did not mind the dark side either, with a bit of sour cream, they were just fine. I burn bread too, so rarely serve it with any dinner. You would think I would learn to stay with the stove....or at least be in the same room!

Learn from me: set a timer. For anything, everything. Three minutes? Sure. Gives me a fighting chance to get back in time.

[Jenise]

"Yesterday I learned that a 50/50 blend of honey and ground chipotle adobo is to die for on roasted pork. Thank you Rick Bayless! Can't wait to do it on ribs." Jenise what type of pork roast did you use? I am going to do this over the weekend, love the idea.

I used a pork shoulder, a 9 pounder. Followed Momofuku's guidance on the Bo Ssam: (Day before, mixed about a cup each sugar and salt, coated the meat with it, threw excess mix away, left on the counter until the cure started to melt and meat surface turns bright and transluscent looking, refrigerated, then at bed time I rinsed the cure off (was concerned about overcuring, roast was under cure for about 10 hours.) Covered and refrigerated overnight. Next day put it on a rack and roasted at 300 F for about six hours, fat side up as you would know to do, turning several times thoughout. At about the four hour mark I started basting with the 50/50 blend of honey and chipotle (bought a canned adobo that was already ground so didn't need to put it in the blender, as Rick Bayless did). When done, I put it in the warming drawer as I needed the oven for another bake, and served it about three hours later.

Ah, so right. I set the timer for putting water in the pool, or draining out. Thank you for the reminder of using the timer. I even have one that I can wear around my neck...

[Jenise]

Alexa's now my timer. Coincidentally put one in the kitchen the same week my last timer died, not even realizing how useful she would be for this. Never replaced the old timer!

I use a race competition multi-timer that I bought back when I was attending Indy Car races in person. It has countdown (with alarm), elapsed time, and interval features. I haven't found a use for the lap timer in cooking yet. I also haven't found a culinary use for the hundredths of a second precision yet, although frying pappadums comes close to needing it.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

I haven't found a use for the lap timer in cooking yet.

I'm sure our collective hive mind can come up with some creative suggestions for you!

I haven't found a use for the lap timer in cooking yet.

I'm sure our collective hive mind can come up with some creative suggestions for you!

My first thought was candy-making. For example, candying orange peel requires repeated boiling in simple syrup, let cool, add more sugar and boil again, let cool.... Would make for very long laps, however.

Don't forget to turn up the volume......When not wearing hearing aids and even if I can not hear the oven timer which has resulted in carbonized brick bagels. I have resorted to my iPhone time which for some reason starts out loud and immediately goes soft (?) so that if I don't hear the initial ring I end up with more carbonized bricks. Damned hereditary hearing loss !!

[Jenise]

Today I learned why so many traditional Portugese desserts feature heavy use of egg yolks. It's because way back when, the nuns in the many convents located in that country used the egg white to starch their habits--ergo, extra yolks!

Don't forget to turn up the volume......When not wearing hearing aids and even if I can not hear the oven timer which has resulted in carbonized brick bagels. I have resorted to my iPhone time which for some reason starts out loud and immediately goes soft (?) so that if I don't hear the initial ring I end up with more carbonized bricks. Damned hereditary hearing loss !!

Christina, does your iphone have a timer with a vibrating feature? If you put it in your pocket, your could feel the vibration...