Gifted Gourmet

Monica, I always think about the ways in which your writing enriches TDG ... even for those of us not terribly familiar with India and its foods and customs (nor even the basil!) ... How very beautifully and very touchingly you write! I am in such awe of your many talents! My favorite line is this: Your highly insightful perceptions always make me smile, or laugh, or, on occasion, even cry .. you are a gifted woman! It takes one Gifted Woman to appreciate another! Thanks again for this piece! Keep writing!! GG

Maybe there is hope for Greenville dining yet ... the building of the Clemson Center may be good news

Who would ever have expected that the very mild-mannered, innocuous, saltine would have garnered this much discussion?? Perhaps this is a propitious time to watch for a spike in their stock? Almost makes me question why there has been such a spurt in growth of "flavored" crackers ... garlic-onion this and parmesan-garlic that .... maybe all people wanted was to be reminded, ever so gently, that saltines need a public "rebirth"??

Considering what it costs to publish a book, this is a very nice touch ... Spell check needed on Amazon? What is this world coming to??

Not giving up on the $10,000 grilled cheese sandwich competition, I have located this as yet another "technique" to use in my experiment ... another way to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich blackened is another Prudhomme specialty ...

Napa News article If you can make it in Napa, you can make it anywhere, as the song goes ...

Now that is one recipe I certainly would remember!!

Thanks for what appears to be validation on my idea of using fresh salad dressing on fresh leaves ... bottled just can not begin to compete . .. and I also "rinse" my Maille "emptyish" bottles out with some vinegar to prepare a great dressing! Thanks, Bux!

Nope, Suzanne, I know about making "Souffled Crackers" but this is a butter-dip with sprinkled seeds on top .. crunchy personified ...

a bit of fine EVOO and red wine vinegar to perk up your apathy, tommy?? Do you always have such violent emotions on these subjects?

possible recipe here? I have made this with matzos, instead of the soda crackers, for Passover and it is divine .. called Caramel Matzo Crunch ...

article from the International Herald Tribune Any validity to Kelly's argument or just more grandstanding with his opinion??

But I always think that fresh garlic and fresh herbs sitting for ages in a bottle, under the weight of an oil and vinegar, must disintegrate to some extent ... no??

Because the French wine industry is looking for some way to improve their sagging sales, this apparently was a concrete option that they thought might "fly" .. one of those clever "whatever works" ... I personally don't see it as a food but then it doesn't affect me ... and I, too, enjoyed the article from the IHT!

Paula Deen kicks saltines up a notch here This is mighty good when you need a "base" for an appetizer!

How many people here actually have duck fat sitting in their refrigerators?? Schmaltz perhaps but duck fat?

My thoughts exactly, Jinmyo! What is the purpose of Thousand Island dressing anyway? Is there anything more sickly sweet and more noxious to obfuscate the delicate leaves of lettuce??

International Herald Tribune article Interesting article ...

I have and have had no bottled salad dressings in my refrigerator for a few years now. I always opt to make my own and the one I am making these days is an olive oil/wine vinaigrette with fresh garlic and parsley, etc ... can't bring myself to put anything heavy on a salad during these hot, sticky summer days. Somehow, bottled seems to heavily preservative laden for my tastes. And no thousand island or sweet french gluey anything .. ever!

Frankly, forgive the poor pun please, Jason, your reviews had more depth and insight and many more variables upon which you conducted your July 4th "survey" ... but this is a good beginning for the Forward .. thanks for passing it on!

a very fine place to start ... I use them by themselves and not mixed with a lot of other stuff as in a potato salad .. seems a waste really to obscure their marvelous flavors .. ever the purist, I!

It's called a restaurant ...

Here you will find the collection of digests for a number of media which are located in the Southeastern states. This week's Southeastern Forum Digest includes, in alphabetical order, by city: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is running an article for its lead on fruit, which is predictable, yet welcome in the final days of July, some of our hottest. Recipes which accompany this refreshing article include: Sugar and Spice-Grilled Bananas Fruit Gratin Roasted Honey-Rum Pineapple Oven-Roasted Fruit Cinnamon-Sugar Spiced Fruit Kebab Raspberries and Cream Fresh Fruit With Mint all of which appear simple and quick to prepare, and something I would be more than willing to hunt down the appropriate fruits to make! The recipe of the week at the AJC is Chicken With Fresh Apricots, Ginger and Cracked Almonds: Atlanta Creative Loafing explores two local Mexican restaurants, each of which has great appeal for those who enjoy Oaxacan cuisine: Apparently one of the outstanding things to enjoy here is the salsa bar ... The second restaurant, Fandango is equally interesting, but for different reasons: Oaxacan cuisine is both intriguing and highly sophisticated, offering a new taste of Mexico few can enjoy away from the source itself! The Birmingham News from Alabama has a special section on the way in which the city has become more and more cosmopolitan in its dining. In one section of this multilayered article there is this: The Charleston Post and Courier has a remarkably deep article on heirloom tomatoes, including their flaws and all .. delightful read if you enjoy these rosy fruits of the summer: The Charlotte Observer is running their lead article from our own eGulleteer, Kathleen Purvis, on pork tenderloins and how their preparation has changed over time: an excellent read if you enjoy this cut of meat as well as an article entitled "When food fights back, I'll bow out" which details her challenge with stone crabs: .. recipe here for a marvelously simple mustard sauce which is from the very famous Joe's in Florida. Luscious!Charlotte Creative Loafing has an article on the local favorite, Austin's Caribbean Cuisine: and concludes with this piece of sage wisdom: Memphis Commercial Appeal this week looks at turnip greens, a staple of the typical southern diet: The article includes a recipe as well for those who wish to make the dish at home.The Nashville Tennessean about a local salt contest winner, Nikki Norman, who won in two of the categories: drinks and appetizers. I don't know about you but both of these recipes make my mouth water. Triangle.com has an article on an oriental favorite, Ming Garden, which promises to be much more interesting than the average Chinese restaurant: The News Observer which covers the area including Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill has a dynamite article this week on the "Confessions of a Chile Head" ... quite a lively, frank discussion on how the writer developed the hot spicy habit: This article rocks if you are a chile afficianado!Which pretty much winds up the Southeastern Forum Digest for this week ... will update as more newsworthy articles appear during the week.

Food and Wine Fine Cooking Cooks' Illustrated

gwilson had asked about savoury stuff so I picked this one .. La Madeleine does have some savoury stuff in puff pastry ...