Gifted Gourmet

I remember reading this article on frozen dinners in Slate sometime ago ... I don't rely too much on frozen items but, as noted here, from time to time, they fill a need (for speed!) ... Stouffer's frozen food items are relativley decent and, although I am not going to say that they are as good as a homemade original, they do fill a need ...

Link didn't work for me .. how about this and then a click to enlarge the prints ... Nicolas Larmessin

right as usual, Rogov! Most delightful and very smooth ... farewell, Kedem port ...

When I made cheesecakes as a caterer, I chilled the finished cake overnight, removed it from the springform, and placed it on a heavyweight pastry circle made of thick cardboard ... it never was a problem and I still had my pan ... for me, chilling it overnight was the key.

I have done this particular technique myself with much success ... assuming that it works because much of the moisture stays inside the potato, even as the exterior gets crispy ...

Thank you, Mike, for reviving this thread! You are so right about Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis ... together they brought this type of cooking back to life and gave it new exposure to a new generation of southern cooks ... hope your Boiled Peanut Cookies were as delectable as the book was delightful!

The International Herald Tribune has this to say: ... and haven't the people in the United States been accepting smoking bans with compliant good humor?

The Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, and the Tom Collins all came from the Prohibition era ... many cocktails we know today were invented during the Prohibition such as the Long Island Iced Tea, the Highball and Gin & Tonic. Bartenders were well paid and tipped for supplying the public illegal substance of alcohol... the Brandy Gump Cocktail, Rolls Royce, Gin & Sin, Charlie Chaplin, Grand Royal Fizz, Shady Lady, Flying Dutchman, French 75, Hurricane, Absinthe Special Cocktail and many others... interesting question, Thinking Bartender!!

I ordered Porto Cordovero, Fine Ruby Port, this very day .. along with other wines ... thank you for offering the name and your skilled, professional advice yet again!

discussion and recipes which look good! ISRAELI COUSCOUS WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PRESERVED LEMON some terrific ideas here for Israeli couscous ...

I don't drink this stuff .. I poach fruit in it for its flavor .. hard to find a kosher port in this city .. this was ordered from NYC on the Net ... I know there are good drinking wines which are kosher ... some guests like the sweet, sticky ones for nostalgic reasons ... And, of course, we do buy other kosher drinking wines for our meals though .. Yarden among them ... many are merlots which my husband enjoys and I buy chards and other whites for myself ... Living in Atlanta, we have a propensity for sweet things like Coca Cola, the home of that beverage ... but our tastes in wine are somewhat more developed ...

I always believe that the comments requested can be handled in a diplomatic fashion ... not intending to cause unhappiness or inflict acerbic barbs ... but, if I am not pleased, I may indicate this by not returning ...

Pictures, as promised, for this joyous holiday of Sukkot:

sourceWas this possibly what you were thinking about, Robyn?

Fancy Fromage Fobs ... ... I actually like these a lot!

I certainly do know about hot and buggy .. I live in Atlanta and my daughter fled our sukkah upon seeing the first daddy longlegs .. and, since she grew up and went to California, it is just my husband and I who eat in our sukkah now ... but, by evening, it gets cool and we enjoy our meals outside ... Your stuffed squash is also my favorite: made it this morning and the reds and golds of the poached-in-port cranberries look sublime next to the gold of the acorn squash skin ... pictures shortly ...

A small, half melon of any type? a pineapple?

It was! and still is! I have served it at many meals so far and still have a quarter of it left in my freezer ... never gets stale ... the $40 was well worth every penny!

I ordered this deep, dense chocolate cake from a local vegan bakery and I have no idea how they made it but it was extraordinary ... my daughter is a newly-minted vegan and wanted something special ...

here is the photograph index ... and the amount of pictures you will see is staggering! I think this site may well keep one busy for some days ...

Most extraordinary! I like the pictures and story for: Sunday, May 14, 2006 The Sugar Bag Tree

Our etrog: source for this quoteinteresting thread on esrogs ...

We eat in our sukkah, which is up already on the patio, every night of the holiday .. unless it is raining .. then I head for the kitchen to eat and remain warm and dry ... I will take pictures of what I make and will post them as I have before ... at this point, probably a lamb roast for the first 2 nights and then some dairy with salmon and yummy desserts.

Real ain't always so pretty ...

Nigella is quite a woman .. but her life has certainly had some startling ups and downs ... Nigella Lawson: A sweet and sour life I think that the reason so many love her unabashedly: she is real