heyjude

Elie, at Bacchus, they substituted lamb or chicken for the chickpeas to make it a dinner dish. The pita was very crisp and the yogurt (Ithink) was drizzled with clarified butter. It was garnished with pomegranate seeds which brought some color. It has been years and I still remember the dish this fondly. I'll try it at home, thanks to you.

This was a splendid class. Every picture tempted me to either cook or eat. One of my favorite Lebanese dishes, which I first had at one of the Bacchus Restaurants in the Washington,D.C. area, is Fette. It seems to fit into your home comfort foods category and I rarely see it on menus here in the Northwest. The combination of textures and flavors work so well for lunch or dinner, but when I asked for it at Abou Karim in Portland, I was told it was breakfast food. Do you have any secrets to share about how to layer this dish?

In 1995, when you visited Powell's Books for Cooks in Portland, you told me that you had actually grown tired of foie gras after being served it by most of the chefs you interviewed. Over the years, how has what you eat (and don't eat) been affected by your research? Thanks to you both for being here. Your books have been so important to many of us. Judy Amster

I got 27 more at the Friends of the Library sale and gave only one to Matthew and Laurie. All were great deals, but the 1st edition Mary and Vincent Price for $5 was a thrill. I'll list the rest in a later post when I can see the spines. The new bookshelves will be built in a week. It will be so fun to arrange all 3500ish by my own quirky system.

4 more yesterday: The New York Times Jewish Cookbook by Linda Amster(no relation), The Vineyard Kitchen by Maria Helm Sinskey, A Passion for Desserts by Emily Luchetti (whose previous books are selling for a huge amount) and The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. I'll keep all of these at least until I run out of shelf space, again.

You knew I'd be back. I have several new books including California Dish by Jeremiah Tower, Laure Werlin's new The All American Cheese and Wine Book, My French Kitchen, the newest America's Test Kitchen edition and Paul Bertolli's soon to be classic Cooking by Hand. The last I gave to mamster for his birthday, but I'll get my own, too. Our move is done and about 1/3 of the books are out and we are bookcase shopping. Somehow the space keeps filling up. Because I sold some prior to packing up, you don't have to change the number. Just trying to stay current. The amount of cookbooks being published between now and Christmas is astounding and even passing over the giftie and vegan types, I will be getting about 75. Someone get a restraining order.

Assuming I have any will at all, I am getting rid of up to 100 or so cookbooks when we move in two weeks. The prospect of moving them all is making us crazy. So, do we subtract some when I have the final number or just wait til I get more in the new place?

I got a wonderful Grandmother-to-be present from a friend called All About Feeding Children by Milton J.E. senn, M.D. and Phyllis Krafft Newill. It was published in 1944 by Doubleday and subtitled The Established Authority on the Planning and Preparation of Child Diets. There is a lovely dustjacket illustrated with pictures of four stages of eating in a young child's life, starting with a bottle. The book is older than I am, but probably has many more offspring. I also got Caprial and John's Kitchen which I think is their best yet. I'll really cook from this one. So, two more for me.

I have seven new cookbooks if you include Dr. Atkins, which I won't be offended if you don't, but once I started the diet, I needed inspiration beyond cheese omelets. Others include Ducasse and The Scoop by Lori Longbotham. It's almost time to cull to make room for new (and old) ones. I'm book scouting this week at several local used book stores.

Herbacidal, the book is Tepper isn't Going Out by the great and much loved Calvin Trillin. His latest is Feeding a Yen.

Thanks for joining us. As mentioned in your bio, Red Wine With Fish is out of print. Have you benefited from its holy grail status among collectors? It sells for as much as $100 and up. We refer to it often. Is it time for you to bring it back(at a reasonable price)?

And he can cook? That light must have shone on him, too. The pix are great. Do this again, soon.

Balls. The all-round cookbook.

9 more, but 3 I gave to Klink and 1 to mamster. The Edna Lewis/Scott Peacock book is a keeper.

The Prices' book is very collectible and many people still cook from it. It's important to know that there were several editions and the original put out by Ampersand in 1965 is worth the most, especially if it's signed. The editions put out in later years by Bernard Geis Associates, G.P. Putman and Grosset and Dunlap go for as little as $35. There were even some bootlegged reprints made in China of obviously lower value. It should be in everyone's collection.

I agree with Priscilla that the Good Cook series which shows up in all the aforementioned places, is a very important addition to your library, too. They are unique in their approach to teaching basics. Owning both sets takes up a lot of shelf space, but you could cook from them for the next 100 years.

Maybe you don't have to go downtown, but going here won't make you forget your Seattle favorites. I admit I was only there once for lunch, but I won't return unless I hear updated raves from someone I trust. The service was pleasant (the waiter called us "ladies" instead of the usual and hated "you guys". The food however was shockingly bad. My friend's meal was ruined by black beans both too spicy hot and undercooked. I can't remember my entree but I didn't bring home the leftovers. It was the desserts which were the worst, 'tho they call them signature and special. The waiter said we would drool over them. We actually ordered four because another friend joined us late and we wanted to forget the mains. We had a vanilla and chocolate creme' brulee which was neither and ugly to boot, an apple pastry with caramel which was woody, a cheesecake with passionfruit sauce that looked so much like bad acne that we barely tasted it and finally a two-person coconut cream pie with a texture not unlike Vaseline and Coolwhip with a crust that had to be broken by hand. We couldn't get a fork and knife through it. Any questions? Mine was, " why was this food allowed to leave the kitchen?"

I love that Costco's come by the dozen. Quantity doesn't quite trump quality, but it's close.

Yanni's deep fryer supplied us with some of the crispest, most tender calamari ever. Another neighborhood(Greenwood)winner worth a special trip. Everything else was good, too and the whole chicken is a real bargain at just $4 more than a half. We had a meals worth left to take home. Call if you want to go.

Hi, Brooke. I've enjoyed all your books and columns-thanks. I've been craving a Provincetown lobster roll(I used to make them at the Town House Restaurant)and I wondered why the top cut bun is used in New England and not elsewhere. Or at least not in the Pacific Northwest. Where and when did it appear?

Spoonbread is another form of Southern cornbread usually served as a side dish to meat or poultry. It is more like a custard or souffle, baked in a casserole, than a bread, but uses the same basic ingredients.

I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday. I'd love to go on May 1st. What say you all?

A week ago tonight, while other Seattlites were already feasting in Vancouver, I was at the Friends of the Library sale. What a goldmine. I got 48 cookbooks ranging from like new in print books at 20% of the cover price to a 1961 Betty Crocker for $4. I had the best of both worlds, getting to Vancouver in plenty of time for some spectacular food. Laurie, who was with me, found a hardcover edition of Fancy Pantry for $1. Does anyone else attend their local sale? What have you found? Suzanne, when i first started collecting, I lived in the white apartment building across 12th St. from The Strand. I still have 100's of the cookbooks I bought there.

What were the sources of your recipes? Home cooks or restaurants? On whom did you try them? Did you have people test them for you? The three you have shared are so appealing. Thank you.

I bought 6 this week, but gave them all to Mamster and Nightscotsman. Who gets the credit? Many, many new titles coming out in time for Mothers' Day. I hope to use some restraint. Or not.