Alex

And some folks this year won't have a choice of using Great Lakes whitefish, as there's a shortage that's due, in part, to the severe winter in the U.S.

Echoing Lady T et al., It feels good to see many of the old names, and to know you're still around. It reminds me of my family's funerals--which is appropriate, I guess, as we were a kind of eGullet family, complete with disputes, friendships, growth, common bonds, and annual reunions.

Big bump: It's for sale on moofi today (and beyond?) for US$199.99 + 5.00 shipping (new unit, 1-year warranty).

Steven's obituary in The New York Times. RIP, Steven.

I have no doubt that it could be halved. Depending on the pan, it might need less than the two hours total cooking time. Monitor it accordingly. However...the recipe says "20 appetizer portions," but that depends on the size of your portions and whether anyone asks for seconds (which some probably will). Not to mention it keeps for at least five days in the fridge, so you could give some to your guests to take home (and, of course, keep some for yourself, if you like).

The recipe I recently posted here says either is fine, just be careful to not puree the fish. I've always used a food processor (pulsing and scraping) and it's turned out fine each time. The 15 minutes in the KitchenAid helps to break down any remaining larger pieces.

How about a Jerusalem kugel for one of the starches?

It's used for sanitizing all sorts of non-porous stuff (dishware, countertops, etc.). This is the very concentrated version I use. (There might be cheaper ones, but this is the only bottle I've needed so far.)

In 1995, David Foster Wallace took on an assignment from Harper's to write about a voyage on a Carribean cruise ship. The article was published in 1996 as "Shipping Out." It was later retitled as "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again", as the title essay in his 1997 collection. As might be expected, there are several passages about food and dining. Here's just one footnote (DFW was fond of footnotes): Essay, part one Essay, part two And to echo Dave Barry's article referenced in Mjx's post, Wallace wrote a piece in 2004 for Gourmet -- "Consider the Lobster" -- which begins with the Maine Lobster Festival, and the eating of lobsters in general, then turns to the ethics involved in storing and killing lobsters. There's not much overt humor in the article, but he gets in a few good zingers, such as:

This would be the person to contact (you might know him already). And donations can be itemized as a tax deduction (I've done it with cookbooks).

An ArtPrize sculpture! But seriously, as an occasional beneficiary of Tory's baking skills (also see here), I'd like to thank in advance all the suggestioners (suggestioneers?).

Akin to Chris's post, I made stock with wings just once, albeit not via pressure cooker. It was passable, but Chris's approach produces much better stock; it's my go-to method.

I have no idea one way or the other about the pot because I've always made mine from this recipe, originally in Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking In America, in which the mixture is baked in a bundt pan. I've usually used 100% whitefish. It often met up with some initial skepticism, but virtually everyone who's eaten it has said it's the best-tasting "gefilte" fish they'd ever had. It's denser than the traditional simmered version. I've often served it with a lime-horseradish concoction.

I made his pineapple sorbet yesterday. Just pineapple chunks, water, and sugar (not simple syrup!) in the Blendtec. Great stuff. Very slightly grainy, but that's expected, and it wasn't objectionable at at all. I might play around with it a bit, if and when the weather gets warmer here in the Frozen North (of the U.S.). Pineapple-lime? Add a bit of tequila or white rum? Any other ideas?

Just by chance, I found a close-dated large jar of the Jif version at a Big Lots for $1. At that price, I couldn't resist. Lo and behold, I preferred it to Nutella. It was more hazelnutty, for lack of a better term. I also just picked up a couple of 2-for-1 close-dated jars by Pernigotti Neroguanduia, from Italy. It, too, is less sweet and more hazelnutty than Nutella -- which makes sense, as its first three ingredients are sugar, hazelnuts, palm oil vs. Nutella's sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts. The same Big Lots carries Nutkao. Has anyone here tried it?

I also bought it at a deep discount. Sorry, but I don't think it's miserable at all. I tuck it underneath the sheet pan before putting it in the oven -- no problem. It's great for roasting vegetables. I don't think I'd use it for lasagna, though. I don't think I'd buy it if it were significantly more expensive than regular parchment, though.

Thanks to Paul for starting this thread. I had no idea. To honor (and support) Marie, I ordered three bottles.

Google "avgolemono sauce"

Alan Richman's cred aside, I think that pretty much any "best of" list is published primarily to attract buzz (like this forum), and ultimately readership and advertising dollars. I've eaten at only one of the 25--Nico Osteria, in Chicago (#10 in the always-annoying slideshow). This post pretty much sums up my experience there (good but not great; moderately overpriced). A few months ago, my cousin and I wanted to try the highly touted ramen at Daikaya (#15) for a mid-week lunch--located downstairs vs. the Sunday brunch upstairs--but the place was a madhouse. We wound up having a great lunch next door at Graffiato. Ivan Ramen (#24) is on my short list for when I visit NYC in a couple of months.

Now here's something you don't see (or taste) every day: Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich (at one of Mike Isabella's places in DC).

Two, bought at the going-out-of-business sale of one branch of a local bookseller (lousy location; the others are thriving): The Breath of a Wok -- Grace Young and Alan Richardson The Best New Recipe, Revised -- Editors of Cooks Illustrated

xkcd on creating a very strong password

That's exactly what I did last night! I've used Joyce Chen's recipe since forever; she specifies white pepper.

As always, just follow the "YES" (¥£$). Most of the time I'm simultaneously amused and incensed by the intentionally misleading names of lobbying groups and their ilk, but "Citizens for Health" is especially disingenuous, especially given the growing body of research about the addictive nature of refined sugars.

-Caviar/Quail Eggs/Potatoes -Merlot Lettuce/Petite Radishes/Baby Carrots/Red Wine Vinaigrette -Beef Rib Eye/Blue Cheese Crisp -Chocolate Malted Cake/Vanilla Ice Cream -Mignardises (maple syrup fudge, lavender shortbread, cotton candy with orange zest) The full story