Gifted Gourmet

photograph and information on swiss chard Has anyone here ever had this type of Swiss chard? Is it going to hold some of the colors when cooked?

Nope! That is a whole different animal .. the movie theatres where you have to deal with Concession Stand Captivity is what I had in mind here ...

And those sizes? Almost like Starbucks .. the smallest is swimming pool sized and the largest is football field sized ... Oh, you want butter on that? and a small dump truck arrives to pour the melted butter on top ... and the prices? should a box of jujubes really require a small bank loan??

You are not allowed to bring any food or drinks with you into our movie theatre because, of course, we have our own concessions to sell at super-inflated prices! If we allowed outside food and drink to come in, we would be out of business very quickly. The tickets you buy to see our films pay back the film distributors apparently ... while I fully comply and understand the command: turn off all cellphones!, the food issue annoys me no end ..and another thing: a box of Junior Mints, which is marked up 50-75%, is also annoying ... and should a Hershey bar be the same price as a new Porsche??? Do you ever "sneak" in a few of your own "treats" when you go to a movie theatre? What do you take with you? (promise that I won't tell ...) Sidebar here: as a kid, I went to see "The Sound of Music" with my mother .. the woman next to us had 4 kids with her .. she had packed a big fragrant garlicky salami and bread to make sandwiches for her kids after the lights went down .. to this day, I can not hear "These are a few of my favorite things" without conjuring up thickly cut salami sandwiches ... maybe I am aggravated because the woman didn't make a sandwich for me ...

Wasn't this the essence of the study so widely discussed here and everywhere last week? The lower fats did not protect any of the women in the study ...NYT article here Low-Fat Diet Does Not Cut Health Risks, Study Finds and the charts today also in the NYT confirm details as well.

Tribute to Edna Lewis thread is here and we are cooking some of her cherished favorite recipes to honor her memory ...

The meal you made is exquisite, Anne! And the photo is exactly what we were anticipating: vivid and a true gift of the American South! Bravo! Your impressions point out how simple, yet complex flavorwise, southern cooking can be ... which was what Edna Lewis wanted people to experience in her cookbooks.

Just read this on egg nets about which I knew nothing:article on eGullet by Matthew Amster-Burton Desperate Measures: Thai Omelet Too many chickens, not enough cows

Please share how they turned out and what your thoughts were ... and, yes, exposing Californians to true southern cuisine is always a good idea! Judy, hope you'll share these with us in this thread ...I think Edna Lewis must be smiling happily at this thread ...

We do have a thread here on Islamorada ...

Hmmm, king crab legs and a mountain of bleu cheese ... say, Daniel, you wouldn't have a street address for those of us who find both irresistable, would you? You have a blessed meal about to be prepared and I know the photos will make my eyes tear and my mouth water ...

Absolutely! Those potatoes sit up on kosher salt as if they were royalty!

Anticipation building .. can't wait, Anne! Edna Lewis' Thirteen-Bean Soup is one of the dishes I plan to make exchanging only the ham for kosher smoked turkey ... and those Creamed Scallions will also be a must-try ...

I just bought a set of small square white plates and I love the way they make foods look: Dessert on Valentine's day .. lemon squares with fresh fruit ...

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When I got my first set of china for my wedding, I chose from among a million decorated, round plates .. but that was long ago ... and now the newest trend is in simple, basic white or black, square or rectangular plates ... Of course the obvious reason: to avoid detracting from the food presented ... oriental thinking on design is the impetus here: simpler has always been de rigeur ... Have you begun to buy square plates? If so, what did you use before? Simple colors and shapes better? Talk to me! Us, really ... It's hip to be square!

Wow! This will make for a weekend of great reading for me! Seriously, Paul, I appreciate your filling in my 'star anise deficit' with these items .. off to read your links ...

That is a marvelous site with extremely reasonable prices and items of all types! Thanks, Sam! edit:I just bought several saucepans which I had needed .. the prices, even with the delivery charges, were terrific!

a Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon perhaps?

article in Slate Do you enjoy cheese while you are drinking wine? Does this article confirm your own feelings?

My own guess is that they would think the undercooked cheesecake was "raw" and that the eggs which go into cheesecake prep weren't "safely cooked" ... don't know if I am saying this correctly but I tend to believe that you will "understand" what I am getting at here.

Hot fried non-nudist peanuts I have found recipes for deep fried bananas and even deep fried strawberries!

I don't care for a dry cheesecake at all and the ones at home which I make are dense and creamy .. very vanilla-y in flavor ... crust is buttery (crumbs of Pepperidge Farm's Butter Chessmen Cookies), no topping for the purist in me, and I love the first to the very last bite. The center is usually a bit less firm, less baked, and almost a thick sauce ... this what you were referring to? Do you care for those "unbaked" cheesecakes which rely upon gelatin?

This is, without any doubt whatsoever, my very favorite photograph of Fat Guy ... so lifelike and unposed!

I have made these and they are close to the original .. very easy ... 1 lb. raw peanuts, 3/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. water, 1/8 tsp. salt Boil and stir gently with a spoon until the liquid is absorbed ... then simply spread the peanuts out on something like a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 225. Stir and let cool.