Monday evening: Monday, Monday . . .

[liamstliam]

1. It's been looking for Spring for a couple of days. There are new lambs in the field on the way to work. There is at least one baby pig and one calf on the way to work as well. Unrelated: We saw three vultures huddled together in a field the other day, and Alethea saw some of "my" deer and pointed them out.

2. Dinner tonight was sort of a creative Shepherd's Pie, in layers. I sliced the ptatoes thinly, put them in, then browned ground beef with onions and garlic, snow peas (we had them) and covered it all with various cheeses. Three layers total and in the oven. Wiating for it now. Crockpot pot roast tomorrow. (I stopped at the Hickory Grove Smokehouse). You gotta love a place that has intsruction on what to do with arriving pigs posted next tot he cash register.

3. I do have a question. If you do not brown the pot roast before cooking it, what's the difference?

4. I love CD Baby! Great service. Funny e-mails. And you gotta love any place that has a listing for "Angry Folk." The only srtist there right now is described as  "Clannad meets Bob Dylan."

5. This story is one of the reasons that the both the local paper and Upstate New York amuse me so much. Keep reading, it gets more and more amusing.

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

I like CD Baby too - some of the few commercial emails (along with Timbuk2's) that have ever actually made me smile.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Browning the meat before you cook it helps create more and better flavor - the heat interacts with the amino acids to break them down and create different flavor compounds.

It's called the Maillard Reaction - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction - and it's the same process that makes pan sauces so yummy. :)

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

3. I do have a question. If you do not brown the pot roast before cooking it, what's the difference?

The browning seals in the juices so the meat's not as dry.

[gingicat]

1. Take pictures, please?

3. Richness of flavor. The Good Eats Fan Page or Cooks Illustrated website should have a good detailed explanation.

The browning is done . . .

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

And everything's in the crockpot.