Posted on 10/31/2020 6:51:00 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
A recent Lee Valley newsletter had an article on carrots - harvesting, storing; and included a 'refrigerator pickle' recipe for carrots that looks very easy and good:
http://www.leevalley.com/en-us/discover/gardening/2020/october/make-the-most-of-your-carrot-crop
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I recently purchased one of these embossed rolling pins; a lot of them appear to come from Poland, as mine did; but I received mine very quickly. Haven't tried it yet, but am looking forward to using it for Christmas. They make many different designs, including one with reindeer and Christmas trees, which I also want to buy for a darker, spicy cookie. (They generally come with recipes; but if you search for 'embossed rolling pin recipes', you can find recipes for different flavors of cookies, and good instructions on how to make the best use of the pin - you want a rather stiff, somewhat shortbread-like dough, well-chilled.)
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After seeing a video recently, I found myself wondering what would be the most fun job in the world. Among those I personally came up with, Ravenmaster in the Tower of London had to be near the top of the list. (Imagine a Corvid three or four times the size of the crows that most of us are used to seeing - with a wingspan of up to, and possibly more than, four feet!)
The current Ravenmaster is Christopher Skaife; he's written a book, and has often been interviewed and featured (along with the Queen's birds) in news stories:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ba7uILkqY
-JT
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Well, they all look like an awful lot of crust for one pie.
I like a nice ratio between crust/filling :-)
In all honesty, I usually make the ‘French’ topping (do we STILL hate the French? LOL!) which is a cup of flour, 1/2 cup chilled butter, cut up and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. (9” pie.)
Whirl in the food processor until crumbly and top your pie with that. It will seem like ‘too much’ but it’s not. Bakes up beautifully and always gets rave reviews.
Keeps that crust to filling ratio in check. ;)
Help!
My goofy family wants to have FISH for Christmas Dinner. Beau caught some really LOVELY Halibut in Alaska this summer and they’re all anxious to have that on Christmas at our house.
So...I was thinking of doing a knock-off of the traditional Italian (we’re NOT Italian, LOL!) ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ with some substitutions.
https://www.eataly.com/us_en/magazine/culture/origin-feast-seven-fishes/
Acciughe Marinate alla Ligure (Marinated Anchovies)
Brodetto di Branzino (Wild Sea Bass Soup)
Crudo di Pesce (Fish Tartare)
Paccheri con Sugo di Mare (Seafood Pasta)
Pesce al Forno (Baked Fish)
Pesce alla Griglia (Grilled Fish)
Pesce in Umido (Fish with Roasted Fennel and Taggiasca Olives)
How about something along these lines:
Shrimp Cocktail
Salmon Salad or a Smoked Salmon plate (served w/crackers)
Clam Chowder
Baked Halibut
Shrimp Scampi
Baked Potatoes or a Potato Gratin Dish
What light dessert would go good with this? Lime Jello in one of those old fish-shaped molds? LOL!
I’m not beyond doing something silly, and they would love it.
All ideas welcome!
Just one of the dishes you can order for the Feast of the Seven Fishes at the famed Rao's, NYC.
The Vigilia di Natale features an appetizer, of baked Little Neck clams stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs; deep-fried calamari, shrimp, cod and julienne zucchini with remoulade and marinara sauce; a seafood salad made with crab, shrimp, calamari and lobster along with diced celery, Gaeta olives and parsley in a citronette; Baccalla salad made with salted cod tossed with sweet cherry peppers, capers and olives in a lemon dressing; or octopus salad with celery, fingerling potatoes and octopus tossed in a warm lemon vinaigrette.
For the pasta dish, you have three choices — linguine and clams tossed with garlic, white wine and parsley and topped with tomatoes; lobster Fra Divolo in a spicy marinara sauce or Tagliolini Fruiti Di Mare with a mix of clams, mussels, calamari, scallops and shrimp in a light tomato sauce.
As an entree, choose from shrimp scampi, shrimp Fra Diavolo, fillet of sole Franchaise with sautéed fennel in a white wine and butter sauce and salmon Beurre Blanc over sautéed spinach.
Rao’s is located in NYC and at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Pretty! And totally achievable on a Dollar Tree Budget. ;)
Thanks for the ideas. I can replicate all that, easily. :)
OK. Those ‘fish cookies’ are adorable!
Maybe I’ll just serve dishes of Goldfish Crackers for dipping into the Tuna Tartar? LOL!
Works for me.
(Salty stuff is especially good, once one has had a drink or two.)
I hope that you and yours enjoy a very happy Thanksgiving, and many blessings for which to be grateful.
Lobster Fra Diavolo (Lobster in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Ingredients 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 (1 1/4-lb.) lobsters, cleaned, tails cut into 6 pieces, claws cracked open, shells reserved 1⁄2 cup flour 2 tsp. crushed red chile flakes 1 tsp. dried oregano 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbsp. tomato paste 1⁄2 cup cognac or brandy 1 cup seafood or fish stock 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed 1 bay leaf K/salt/p lb bucatini pasta, cooked tb chopped parsley
Instructions Heat oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Toss lobster pieces (including reserved shells) in flour, shake off excess, and add to pot; cook until shells turn red, about 6 minutes. Transfer lobster pieces to a plate; set aside. Add chile flakes, oregano, and garlic to pot; cook until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add cognac; cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, and bay leaf; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, partially covered, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Return lobster to pot; cook until cooked through, about 10 min. S/p. Add in/toss w/ pasta.
Lobster is probably beyond the budget, but maybe some Whitefish substituted?
Thanks! Same to you and yours!
I’ll be seeing the family tomorrow and will see what they think of the Seven Fishes idea.
Maybe I can pawn some of the cooking off on others? ;)
Probably just as tasty w/ whtefish. Try it.
Some say monkfish, crayfish, crab, or langoustines are good swaps. .... to get lobster’s flavor and texture, although there will be some subtle differences.
Maybe scallops, shrimp, or clams in a pinch?
Oooo! Scallops! Good call!
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s going to be interesting!
If I was going to do a fish dinner I would make my cioppino, tomato based soup with lots of different seafood in it. Let me know if you want the recipe.
I’m seeing the same crowd tomorrow, so I will ask them if they seriously want to go forward with this idea. ;)
Drinking hot cocoa could make you smarter — especially if it’s enriched with this
studyfinds.org ^ | 11/24/2020 | Chris Malore
FR Posted on 11/25/2020, 9:48:41 AM by mac_truck
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — As winter arrives, hot tea and cocoa naturally become popular drink choices with a lot of people. A new study finds drinking cocoa is not just the popular choice, it may also be the “smart” choice as well.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham say consuming flavanol-rich products, such as cocoa, increases one’s mental performance.
Flavanols are a group of molecules which occur naturally in fruits and vegetables. They’re a member of the plant flavonoid family and are common in cocoa, grapes, apples, tea, berries, and even wine. While previous studies reveal these molecules can improve brain health, the new report finds they also stimulate brain-blood oxygenation levels. The results show this actually helps people to think faster and perform cognitive challenges more efficiently.
“We used cocoa in our experiment, but flavanols are extremely common in a wide range of fruit and vegetables. By better understanding the cognitive benefits of eating these food groups, as well as the wider cardiovascular benefits, we can offer improved guidance to people about how to make the most of their dietary choices,” lead author Dr. Catarina Rendeiro says in a university release.
(Excerpt) Read more at studyfinds.org ...
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