Lamb is the main thing that is grilled and used in kebab and shashlik. You have not lived unless you've had proper lamb shashlik or kebab.

Good lamb is great, bad lamb is worse than pretty much any other meat done poorly. I usually order it only from higher end restaurants or more authentic "foreign" restaurants.  Ordered it at a P.F. Changs once and it was awful.

 

I was up in Burlington this weekend, had some awesome food for my girlfriend's birthday dinner.  Slow braised boneless beef short rib, red wine, rosemary reduction, truffled root vegetable pureè.  Paired with a really good red wine that I have no clue what it was because I told the waiter I know nothing about wine and let him choose it for me. And  Also had some great Chana Masala from a Nepalese place.  Where they had Heady Topper and Focal Banger for only $5 a can.  Any of you beer fans out there who aren't from the north east of the states, be jealous.

 

(Although I think Tree House has some beer that's just as good as Alchemist brews, and it's much closer to me.)

I've never had lamb. All of my family and friends are sort of picky eaters and they like to stick to what they know so I've never had to opportunity to go to a Greek restaurant or anywhere that would serve lamb. Hell I have a hard time getting people to go to a seafood restaurant with me. How can people be so unadventurous that they won't even eat seafood?

It'd be interesting to have this conversation about fruits and veggies. Like, fruit here in the Midwest is mostly just have apples, oranges, and grapes, with some seasonal stuff like peaches and pears. Veggies are like broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and if you count them, onions and potatoes. There's also the like month and a half where people go crazy for corn on the cob, every damn year. Trucks and trucks of it just sitting on the side of the major roadways, with signs proudly declaring their fresh corn for sale. It's the worst.

 

There's also like canned or frozen stuff, but I'm not really counting those. I've never seen a place to buy peas in pods outside a farmer's market, and even then it's rare.

 

I'm curious what it's like even within other places in the US. I literally can't imagine the corn frenzy going on outside the corn belt, that's just unreal to me.

It'd be interesting to have this conversation about fruits and veggies. Like, fruit here in the Midwest is mostly just have apples, oranges, and grapes, with some seasonal stuff like peaches and pears. Veggies are like broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and if you count them, onions and potatoes. There's also the like month and a half where people go crazy for corn on the cob, every damn year. Trucks and trucks of it just sitting on the side of the major roadways, with signs proudly declaring their fresh corn for sale. It's the worst.

 

There's also like canned or frozen stuff, but I'm not really counting those. I've never seen a place to buy peas in pods outside a farmer's market, and even then it's rare.

 

I'm curious what it's like even within other places in the US. I literally can't imagine the corn frenzy going on outside the corn belt, that's just unreal to me.

I wouldn't call it a frenzy, but there is definitely a seasonal corn surge here.

It'd be interesting to have this conversation about fruits and veggies. Like, fruit here in the Midwest is mostly just have apples, oranges, and grapes, with some seasonal stuff like peaches and pears. Veggies are like broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and if you count them, onions and potatoes. There's also the like month and a half where people go crazy for corn on the cob, every damn year. Trucks and trucks of it just sitting on the side of the major roadways, with signs proudly declaring their fresh corn for sale. It's the worst.

 

There's also like canned or frozen stuff, but I'm not really counting those. I've never seen a place to buy peas in pods outside a farmer's market, and even then it's rare.

 

I'm curious what it's like even within other places in the US. I literally can't imagine the corn frenzy going on outside the corn belt, that's just unreal to me.

NE, right? I feel pretty much the same

I don't think there is that much of a craze for it - then again, you can only park a car for of corn so many places in the middle of the city. I do tend to buy it when it's in season though. It's cheap and good for you after all...

NE has a weird surge for corn and pumpkins. But I'm from jersey so our fruits vary a little. Way more cranberries

I've noticed that the local grocery store for my parents has become significantly more diverse over the last 5-10 years. After I got sick way back when, and my diet became more limited (think celiac), one of the things our family branched out into was a lot more squash. This led to doing most of the grocery shopping in town on the way home rather than at the local store on weekends because the local store, because things like spaghetti and butternut squash just weren't available. To their credit, they actually did start stocking them on request, and the amount they bring in has really gone up in the last couple years (it was for a long time a competition among the few squash eating locals to see who could arrive first).

 

There is certainly a rush of certain things, like corn on the cob and pumpkins in august and october. Grapefruit is also a lot more plentiful during the summer months, though I've noticed it hangs around all year, which is nice because it's probably my favorite fruit. Blackberries and Raspberries are the same way (I prefer them wild though, as both grow readily in Nova Scotia. Much more flavor).

 

Things like peas on the pod are definately buyable here, though that might just be at CostCo. Knowing that I will forget things, and might accidently throw in a non fruit/vegetable:

Apples (~5 kinds), Oranges, Peaches, Cranberries (normally frozen or canned), blueberries (summer), raspberries (summer), blackberries (summer), cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, bananas, pineapples, lettuce, spinach, cabbage (red and green), bell peppers (green, red, orange, and yellow), onions, green onions, potatoes (many varieties), squash (spaghetti, butternut, acorn, and zucchini), apricot, limes, lemons, peaches, string beans (normally frozen or canned), grapefruit (pink and red), grapes (green and red), cherries (normally frozen I think), celery, and carrots.

 

I'm sure there are things I am forgetting, especially things that I never buy. I've also included stuff that I can only confirm showing up in it's frozen state, because I suspect those things do show up fresh seasonally as well.

I've fallen quite hard.

Peaches, Cranberries (normally frozen or canned), blueberries (summer), raspberries (summer), blackberries (summer), cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, bananas, pineapples, lettuce, spinach, cabbage (red and green), bell peppers (green, red, orange, and yellow), onions, green onions, potatoes (many varieties), squash (spaghetti, butternut, acorn, and zucchini), apricot, limes, lemons, peaches, string beans (normally frozen or canned), grapefruit (pink and red), grapes (green and red), cherries (normally frozen I think), celery, and carrots.

 

Can't forget the summer strawberry boom when all the local ones start hitting stores.

I spent a good 15 minutes chasing little guy around the kitchen today....

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a little rascal 

I was trying to take some picture of it to send to someone who I will be loaning him to, but he wasn't having any of it. Ran right out of his box and across the room.

I've noticed that the local grocery store for my parents has become significantly more diverse over the last 5-10 years. After I got sick way back when, and my diet became more limited (think celiac), one of the things our family branched out into was a lot more squash. This led to doing most of the grocery shopping in town on the way home rather than at the local store on weekends because the local store, because things like spaghetti and butternut squash just weren't available. To their credit, they actually did start stocking them on request, and the amount they bring in has really gone up in the last couple years (it was for a long time a competition among the few squash eating locals to see who could arrive first).

 

There is certainly a rush of certain things, like corn on the cob and pumpkins in august and october. Grapefruit is also a lot more plentiful during the summer months, though I've noticed it hangs around all year, which is nice because it's probably my favorite fruit. Blackberries and Raspberries are the same way (I prefer them wild though, as both grow readily in Nova Scotia. Much more flavor).

 

Things like peas on the pod are definately buyable here, though that might just be at CostCo. Knowing that I will forget things, and might accidently throw in a non fruit/vegetable:

Apples (~5 kinds), Oranges, Peaches, Cranberries (normally frozen or canned), blueberries (summer), raspberries (summer), blackberries (summer), cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes, bananas, pineapples, lettuce, spinach, cabbage (red and green), bell peppers (green, red, orange, and yellow), onions, green onions, potatoes (many varieties), squash (spaghetti, butternut, acorn, and zucchini), apricot, limes, lemons, peaches, string beans (normally frozen or canned), grapefruit (pink and red), grapes (green and red), cherries (normally frozen I think), celery, and carrots.

 

I'm sure there are things I am forgetting, especially things that I never buy. I've also included stuff that I can only confirm showing up in it's frozen state, because I suspect those things do show up fresh seasonally as well.

 

We have pretty much all mentioned plus chilies, tangerines, all sorts of iceberg, frillice and whatnot salads, pears, peas on a pod everywhere, coconuts, garlic (lots of different sorts), bilberries instead of blueberries (much better and sweeter, almost the same thing). And that's in pretty much every slightly larger store.

 

It is somewhat of a note from the Soviet times when it was somewhat difficult to acquire exotic fruits and vegetables at times, causing discontemt, to never have even an illusion of not enough choice at stores nowadays.

Speaking of groceries, I haven't been able to get to the store for a month for various reasons.

 

When I'm better, I'm going to stock up on dry goods (pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, flours, etc), meats (beef and chicken mostly), and certain somewhat freezable perishables (non-fancy store-bought cheese, milk). At least one month worth if I would be unable to buy more. I hate not being able to cook nearly more than I hate having to clean up afterwards... Depressing I can't stock up on fresh vegetables. Oh well.

frozen fruit is pretty good. If you got a blender you could make smoothies for the whole month

Frozen fruits are fine (and indeed, smoothies are good!), but fresh veggies are so good with hot meals. Roasted spinach, or broccoli, or asparagus... :( I love those with a meat and something else (macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes or such). And then there's salad and so much else that require fresh vegetables.

Kevin was the best backstreet boy

I think you can throw all that stuff on the list of things I forgot, except billberries. Strawberries, pears, and tangerines are an oversight, the rest is stuff I've never cooked with that I can remember.

 

My all time favourite youtuber One F Jef has started making videos again (he's been doing only streams for a long time), and all's right with the world once again.

Had bald eagle wings 12 hours ago and I'm still paying for it

Was in Lithuania to see the final of the Baltic Basketball League.

What started out well ended up being a complete wash.

 

Now I have a terrible hangover.

Was in Lithuania to see the final of the Baltic Basketball League.

What started out well ended up being a complete wash.

 

Now I have a terrible hangover.

s/o to jonas valanciunas

Gave employment info etc. to landlady about a house. We're probably not going to get it because she's a terrible person and is trying to raise the price $150 a month after having an open house at the previous price.  She's probably going to counter-offer at that price and I'm going to promptly tell her to go [bleep] herself.  It's a 1000 sq foot house and she's trying to get $1600 a month out of it. She was already overpriced at $1450 a month, even if it is a nice house.

 

Moral of the story: [bleep] em.

It was about 23 hours before I was able to feel normal again. Never ordering bald eagle after this.

It was about 23 hours before I was able to feel normal again. Never ordering bald eagle after this.

Was that karma for eating our national bird?