Essegi 2020: lol!

Essegi · Mar 27, 2020

dragonsfire said:
Still looks good

Thanks, but not enough. When all that is ended i plan really to try with sourdough btw...

Malarky said:
Sorry for your loss Giancarlo. Please continue to post so we know you are well.

on a happier note, a good use for your pesto...
My wife and I made gnocchi and tossed it in fresh pesto (fresh as can be using frozen basil/oil puree from last season.)

Thanks. Personally i don't think i'll have problems, i'm staying at home as much as possible and i'm quite healthy (it's years i don't have fever or similar. If only i had good joints too,..). I just exit to walk the dog within 100m at home (and luckily there's no one) and sometimes i buy something at the nearest supermarket...

Gnocchi and pesto are a good combo indeed! Often i put some potato cooking with pasta for pesto (as far as i know potato and green beans are intended to be used on pesto on the original recipe, boling with pasta, i never use green beans tho). So gnocchi are good. Typical pasta for pesto is trenette (similar to fettuccine).

stickman · Mar 30, 2020

Sorry to hear of your Uncle's passing Giancarlo, here's hoping it doesn't spread to your Aunt as well. It's gonna be a crazy year but there are worse ways to deal with it than spending lots of time in the kitchen.
Nice to see your Chile seedlings looking (mostly) so well and spring starting to emerge where you are.
Cheers!

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

Devv · Apr 2, 2020

Hi Giancarlo,

Sorry about your uncle. These are scary times affecting both of our countries in a bad way. And the whole world as a matter of fact. My brother-inlaw had been in bed since March 21st, has pneumonia as well. Scary times for sure.

Now, the wife has been eyeballing that bread! She made 2 loaves this morning, what we call or know as Italian bread. The long loaves with sesame seeds on top. They came out good I think. But she wants a better recipe. With this virus running around we don't buy breads from the bakery or fresh produce. So we're creating our own.

Stay safe buddy and prayers for you and your family

Essegi · Apr 6, 2020

I putted away lights and i moved peppers for the night (in the day they are outside):

Spots are a copper pesticide. Guess won't hurt a bit...
Btw plants are fine. There also some kumquat or something similar i started from seeds. I'll see...

Also, at last i made pasta that was seriously missing: gricia

Then i grated other cheese to top that.

This is an amatriciana without tomato. It's probably even more authenic than amatriciana.
At the moment tose roman dishes are my favourite pasta. It's incredible that removing or adding just 1 ingredient the dish changes so much and is still wonferful.
So we have:
-cacio e pepe: just pecorino romano and black pepper. Sounds really simple, except that when you taste it and it's soooooo good!
-gricia: pecorino romano, black pepper, guanciale. Just guanciale over a cacio e pepe. Changes all, except that it's still awesome.
-amatriciana: pecorino romano, black pepper, guanciale, tomato, optional hot pepper. Like a gricia plus tomato, hot if you want. No need to comment that.
-carbonara: pecorino romano, black pepper, guanciale egg. Like a gricia plus egg. No need to comment that either.

I can't recommend enough that recipes, that are fast, easy to do (but tricky, except for amatriciana) not expensive, and above all, some of the best thing you can taste.

stickman said:
Sorry to hear of your Uncle's passing Giancarlo, here's hoping it doesn't spread to your Aunt as well. It's gonna be a crazy year but there are worse ways to deal with it than spending lots of time in the kitchen.
Nice to see your Chile seedlings looking (mostly) so well and spring starting to emerge where you are.
Cheers!

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

Devv said:
Hi Giancarlo,

Sorry about your uncle. These are scary times affecting both of our countries in a bad way. And the whole world as a matter of fact. My brother-inlaw had been in bed since March 21st, has pneumonia as well. Scary times for sure.

Now, the wife has been eyeballing that bread! She made 2 loaves this morning, what we call or know as Italian bread. The long loaves with sesame seeds on top. They came out good I think. But she wants a better recipe. With this virus running around we don't buy breads from the bakery or fresh produce. So we're creating our own.

Stay safe buddy and prayers for you and your family

Thanks guys! My aunt has been in hospital for a week with serious issues. As far as i know she's not worsening her conditions... Maybe even a bit improved. It takes long to recover, it seems...

Scott, good luck for your brother in law!
for bread i've noted that it isn't that simple to find good recipe. I have a book that i'm reading that speak about yeast, technic and recipe and it's interesting, but not always is well explained.
I guess youtube is a good source.
I went to a bigger supermarket and, while they don't have that broad selection of flours, almost all were finished... Except for the unexciting standard 00. I found a Petra 3 that should be a good one... I've kneaded a loaf, i'll cook tomorrow morning...
When all that is finished i'll go to a mill near here to make some shopping. And then maybe i'll start some sourdough.

PaulG · Apr 6, 2020

Hey, Giancarlo, any way you can
ship some of your pasta and bread?

Glad to see your plants are getting
some outside time.

I started to put my rocotos out during
the day this morning. Will bring them
in on the colder nights.

Good luck, my friend. Stay healthy!

Essegi · Apr 7, 2020

Haha, Paul, thanks!

The one i baked this morning was better than others... Still not enough, i want bigger holes.

tsurrie · Apr 8, 2020

Nice looking bread Giancarlo.

The last one I made was a bit sour, I left it too long to rise.
I really need ti figure out the timings.

Essegi · Apr 12, 2020

Happy easter everyone!

Today plants on ground!!!

Looking the fence, this is my schematic frome nearest home:
Left row: Bhutlah Scorpion, Bhutlah Scorpion Chocolate, BTRSLP, Apocalypse Chocolate, Hidalgo, Tampiqueno, Calabrese
Right row: Bhutlah Scorpion, Bhutlah Scorpion Chocolate, Hidalgo, Tampiqueno, Calabrese

Calabrese are hard to spot since they're tiny and the farthest on both photos.

Here some to be giveaway and other stuff, i've repotted almost all remaining peppers:

tsurrie said:
Nice looking bread Giancarlo.

The last one I made was a bit sour, I left it too long to rise.
I really need ti figure out the timings.

Thanks Uros! The more i watch stuff, the more i learn i'm doing all wrong, the hard part is to learn how to do right! :rofl:

CaneDog · Apr 12, 2020

Happy Easter Essegi. Looks like a sunny one and plants in the ground is fantastic!

Devv · Apr 13, 2020

Wishing you a late Happy Easter Giancarlo!

My Internet was down for a few days...

My brother-inlaw is getting better, day 23. He's still really weak, but now mobile. Thanks for asking.

Good to see plants in the ground and looking so good! And the wife's saw the bread, she already has a recipe for tomorrow.

Essegi · Apr 19, 2020

Thanks guys!
Unfortunately today a couple of plants has broken cause neighbour cutting the hedge:

Are those 2... On left the small calabrese... I noticed this some hours after the incident and i had to remove the top part (that part alone was like twice the one remained). I guess the plant will recover since is still so small.
And on right a Tampiqueno: that has a serious damage. Was broken for at least 3/4 trunk section at 1 inch height (you know, i saw the upper trunk forming 90 degrees with lower part)... At least i was able to raise up the plant ans stick it to a small rod... Now the damage has been done around 11am and the photo is of 7:30 pm... Seems in a good shape now... But who knows?
Yeah, i have another plant each on ground and other still to give away, but still sucks hard.
Also, the biggest plant (the other Tampiqueno) has been struggling for 3 days, now seems fine...

Do you guys have some advices about saving that plant? If the plant seems fine next days i have no idea when removing the support (now it's sticked firmly with an elastic, i can't keep it forever that way).

Now food time!

I finally managed to find some really good flours and on the nearest market, they usually don't have those (Rieper brand, its' a good one).
So yesterday i started sourdough with just whole flour and water and i've just made the second step. Tomorrow i'll have an idea if things are going fine... This evening i had to find some foam and i found some bubbles, and had to smell like a fruit too ripe... And it smelled like that.

Bread basket arrived.

Now it's strange, probably i've closed badly the recipient, after first step of working the dough (still wasn't using new basket) upper surface was dry. Never happened before and was not recoverable. Bread was ok, not quite what i hoped, taste was ok, consistence at least was epic, best i had tiil now.

For lunch cacio e pepe

I used pepato sicliano (sheep cheese spiced with black pepper graind) instead pecorino romano since it's softer, and was good!

And Gyoza for dinner! I made wrappers too.

Also mushrooms, black and white pepper.

Cooking is pan fry, steam, then pan fry again.

I didn't even try to make them look well shaped. But they was good the same!

CaneDog · Apr 19, 2020

That's unfortunate news, Essegi. It sounds like your neighbor was quite careless. I don't have lots of experience fixing broken stems, though I've done it a few times and have done grafting as well. I'd think to give it a loose wrap with plastic wrap for a several days in order to keep it from drying out so much as it's healing. Also, I'd plan to leave the splint on for quite a while. It may heal a fair amount in 7-10 days, but I'd probably plan to give it a good few weeks with the splint so it could grow more and be stronger against the wind. Even when I removed it I might stake the plant to be safe. It doesn't seem as though there should be any hurry to remove it unless it is attached so tightly (and with non-stretchy material) that it starts to choke the stem as it grows.

With your plants having been rooted in for a week since transplant and having good root systems should do a lot to help them recover more quickly. Is the Serrano broken above or below those low lateral branches? If it's broken above you should be in good shape no matter how the main stem does.

Food looks great - as always!

Essegi · Apr 19, 2020

Thanks.
Unfortunately it's broken very low. Like 1 inch from ground.
Good advice for the plastic. I'll wait tomorrow to see if it's the case, since till now looks good and putting it would be difficult. The plant is near the rod and maybe i should cut a branch to apply the plastic. I think it's mandatory not to move the rod for now.
But i'll decide tomorrow, also now it's dark. I hope night is less critical.

CaneDog · Apr 19, 2020

I hope it heals for you - and that your neighbor is more careful in the future. I've experienced myself that sometimes wrapping a stem or branch isn't practical and trying to wrap it is likely to do more harm than good.

Good luck!

Devv · Apr 19, 2020

I just ate Pizza and now I want to try the Gyoza

That really looks good!

And the bread, funny how the wife always come by to have a look. Like you, she is on a search for perfection. She complains about the bread she makes, me I'm crunching it down...."what?"

So sorry about the neighbor. Offer that person a ghost pepper heat range pepper, and tell him it's a sweet pepper :rolleyes:

I think CD hit it on the head with the advise regarding the damaged stem. I've had to mend a few peppers and tomatoes with splinting and it works almost every time.

Essegi · Apr 20, 2020

Tampiqueno still looks flawless... But today was cloudy and sometimes with a faint rain... Not too windy luckily...

Here the damage:

I've seen that there are 4 lateral branches unded the break point, including the one just where the damage is. So i think the plant will just survive. Better if with the upper part....

Hidalgo is setting pods:

Here's sourdough starter after 2 days, just before feeding it:

I guess phase separation is not good... Yesterday there was water above... Now in the middle... That evening i mixed it well with a teaspoon for 5-10 minutes... I hope it's better now... Btw it smelled much more sour than yesterday and that's a good sign.

CaneDog said:
I hope it heals for you - and that your neighbor is more careful in the future. I've experienced myself that sometimes wrapping a stem or branch isn't practical and trying to wrap it is likely to do more harm than good.

Good luck!

Next time better to cut hedge before planting stuff and all is ok!

Devv said:
I just ate Pizza and now I want to try the Gyoza That really looks good!

And the bread, funny how the wife always come by to have a look. Like you, she is on a search for perfection. She complains about the bread she makes, me I'm crunching it down...."what?"

So sorry about the neighbor. Offer that person a ghost pepper heat range pepper, and tell him it's a sweet pepper

I think CD hit it on the head with the advise regarding the damaged stem. I've had to mend a few peppers and tomatoes with splinting and it works almost every time.

Ha ha, good idea Scott!
Btw i understand your wife... Friends sometimes tell me that things are fine while they aren't.

For Gyoza i just followed first google recipe: https://www.justonecookbook.com/gyoza/

Devv · Apr 20, 2020

Thanks for the link to the Gyoza recipe! Being we are captive in our own home, it will be made

What I wouldn't do right now to be able to go to a nice restaurant, have a few Long Island Iced Tea's, and eat until they roll me out of the place!

But you have to watch the neighbor taste that pepper!

Essegi · Apr 24, 2020

Nice, Scott! Be sure to post them!

Broken Tampiqueno looks still perfect...
Maybe it slowed its main grow, it seems lower branches are growing more... Still, i think i'll see a pod on the main trunk next days...

Both Hidalgo really wants to set pods!

Damn, rewatching photos i spotted that bug! Now i go to send them away!

I guess Hidalgo pods will be bigger than Tampiqueno, but we'll see. If it produces something like, let's say, a big sized Serrano and a bit smaller than Jalapeno it would be perfect.

Today pizza. Was a good one, still so far from perfection...

Half plain margherita, half plus Asiago, anchovies and capers.

Base margherita, added crudo di Parma and stracciatella after cooking:

That's really a good combo!

That section just starts to be interesting... So much room for improvement, tho...

Sourdough today... After some regression, yesterday i did something wrong but really worked.

Now birds used that pot to make their nest... On next week probably it will rain, i'll see to cover somehow without causing hassle.... Cats are a more seriuos matter...
I'm buying some batteries for remote camera control, it's years i don't use it, i hope are just batteries... So i can set tripod and camera near then shot from distant. Hope it will work!

CaneDog · Apr 24, 2020

Essegi said:
Damn, rewatching photos i spotted that bug! Now i go to send them away!

I guess Hidalgo pods will be bigger than Tampiqueno, but we'll see. If it produces something like, let's say, a big sized Serrano and a bit smaller than Jalapeno it would be perfect.

I've done that before and then wondered how I could have possibly missed seeing it the first time.

He does blend in well.

It will be interesting to learn how the 2 Serrano compare all the way through tasting.

Great picture of the bird!

Devv · Apr 24, 2020

+1 on the bird pic, and I love those pots!

Yum, Pizza! I had some for lunch

Wife has bread in the oven!