PRIME STOUT

primed and bottled 11/24/2012

2 row pale malt
black malt
chocolate malt
flaked barley
flaked oats
roasted barley
Chinook hops
Northern brewer hops
Wyeast American Ale 1272
Corn sugar priming

12/08/2012 finally ready, excellent beer !!

Visit http://peabodypico.wordpress.com/ for more beer recipes and fermentables.
PEABODY PICO

Thanksgiving Day 2012

Photos and comments from Thanksgiving Dinner
Fruit salad
Spinach salad

Sauteed brussell sprouts with raisins
Asian sesame snap peas
Rack of lamb
Risotto con Porcini
Mashed potatoes
Stuffed potabello mushrooms
Panko breaded chicken
Butternut squash
Bread

Autumn apple tart
Pine nut cardamom sand cookies
White chocolate macadamia cranberry cookies

shopping

That's New Zealand Lamb Racks

Here are some current prices from the warehouse Club. Fruit and vegetables are good, some highly priced but we expect to have the freshest produce year round ! I don’t mind paying for fresh food vs. already prepared and packaged produce, but there is a limit.

The food demonstrators set up their stations at both ends of short isles that run perpendicular to the main meat counter at the back of the store. I guess as they are close to the section of what food they are showcasing with samples. As you can guess I usually don’t stop and sample their offerings. Now that placement of the food demonstrators causes limited access to the small isles were the food is ! With their carts set at both ends, half of the width of the entrance to the isles are blocked. To me, it doesn’t make sense, if you are trying to sell more product and at the same time obstruct access to it with the people and carts that hang around grazing on the samples..I’m otta there !I have to pull the ol’ ” leave the shopping cart at the end of the isle and elbow my way in” maneuver. Usually, I just browse the area to satisfy my curiosity and price gauging of products. I realize that floor space is critical at a retail store but give us room to maneuver around, especially when the shopping carts are over sized and the crowds are thick. This is probably why I usually go shopping during off peak times and then complain that the selection is lacking. (Seeing Oxtails in the meat cooler is something I have seldom seen and a dish I’ve always wanted to make so it was worth fighting the crowds.)

We are abandoning the turkey this year for the Thanksgiving dinner. ‘Nuff said.. the decision was reached for each member to cook a dish (or two) of their preference, an entree and or side dishes and or desserts. Turkey didn’t make anyone’s list.The home chefs will be clashing in the kitchen vying for oven and burner space and time! It also gives us a chance to try different recipes other than the old standbys.

For me, we could have a turkey for Christmas, but as in the past, some of the Holiday meals have been with a crown roast of pork or beef prime rib roast. Ham is good, but tired. Hopefully I can chronicle the event with pictures, but usually most of the persons who I photograph make faces to express their displeasure with having their image plastered on the Blog !

The place of the gathering had changed from an original plan of other than here at home, at else where with a larger crowd, to back here with a smaller gathering. Usually we split the dinner and dessert times to permit those who wish to dine at one location to visit and have dessert at another.

My share for Thanksgiving Dinner will be ……..rack of lamb, fruit salad, bread.

BTW, recognize your food providers during the Holiday crush, if you don’t usually cook. The cook or chef needs time off now and then and the best gift is a meal you cooked for them.

Happy Thanksgiving in advance !

One of the best parts of going shopping is returning home and sampling the purchases……

A new hobby

considering blogging this on a separate blog or page… Stay tuned. recipe to follow …
See PRIME STOUT

how’s your krausen ring ?

Celebratory meal

The wife is meatball maker today.

I’ll bake the bread, a good starter that I keep in the frigde, going. The one loaf I didn’t get a picture of today.

Often if we have a gathering that requires the table to be cleared, a scrabble board appears….. My mother in attendance…

salad is served

don’t mess with cook, errr ..I mean chef..

getting down to business

the annual dessert presentation to me !

a gift from Poland

More to follow…..

More loaves

Just a post to file another bread making session. Some seeds in this recipe ,a starter and yeast combo fermentation. Iitalian stye shapes with the double loaf pan. Snip top (using scissors).

Tomato Meatball Soup

As I was getting ingredients for meatball, pasta and sauce, the recipe took a turn. Why not more of a soup stye than just pasta and meatballs.

After discovering some frozen meatballs in the freezer, and a can of crushed tomatoes on the shelve along with some pasta , the original recipe in mind was just pasta and sauce with meatballs.
Now with the addition of soup stock, green peppers, green onions, brocolli leaves with herbs and spices to the recipe, the tomato meatball soup was the final result. Sort of like a minestrone tomato soup. Serve with a topping of olive oil, grated cheese and a side of bread.