a nearly uneventful week of good food and drink

I found some killer pork belly at CAM in the Bethel / Olentangy complex and made it into bacon, I didn't brine it long enough (impatient), but it's still decent bacon.  I learned that brinng for 3 days and more is really necessary for a proper cure (prior to smoking).  I smoked with Hickory embedded Kingsford to 148F internal.

 Here is a sample cooking.  Frankie now wants a ham and bacon sandwich for school.

At the end of the last school year, I added a four bread delivery to the silent auction.  My last delivery of a "spent grain whole wheat boule" was so late, I tossed in an apple tart.  The recipients were tickled.

I tossed a basic wheat/white straight dough in the oven for some pita to accompany hummous for a quick dinner meal.

I always seem to forget how nice a Turkish coffee is, sweetened and brewed with a couple cardomom pods.  I got the ibrik last year while in the North End of Boston.  This is an easy coffee to make, try Lavash's sometime for a great example of what it should taste like.

I tried out a super duper thin crust pizza.  My usual 10" diameter pizza is made from a 200-225 g crust, in this case only 150 g.  I had to increase the fat content to keep it tender while in my Firedome.  Still might try playing with more dough preps, I really like California Pizza Kitchen's pies.  Trish likes it, but I still like a little thicker crust.

Also, Firedome development is done.  It's a reliable tool now I.  The final snag was simply an apprentice-length period to learn how to cook with a live fire.  The equipment design is nearly as simple as the first version and is solid.

I'm crazy about ribs lately; add briquettes, a water tray and don't peek for 5 hours, then sauce 'em and cook another 30 min and done.  Less looking, more cooking.  Pick the ribs carefully, we prefer a leaner back rib.

We inherited about 50 lbs of these not-good-enough-to-pick pears.  They are destined for processing into spirits.  The processing will be laborious and an experiment, but with great payoff.  While preparing one for a sugar assay (ca. 15 Brix) ...

I shredded my index finger tip.  Despite some intense pain, nearly passing out on the way to the ER shuttled by my worried and loving family, the surgeon said I got lucky.  I should heal with as much function as I had before.