slbunge

SanPellegrino Limonata cut with a bit of sparkling water or club soda is a decent approximation. Although my point of reference is the stuff was from a huge English summer event. For all I know, I was drinking some second-rate concoction.

Mine is the MyWeigh 6001 and I couldn't be happier. Easy to clean. User friendly controls. Takes up very little room either on the counter or in the cabinet. All for around $35.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Here's a recipe for a Celeriac salad or slaw (adapted from the Farmers' Market Cookbook) 1 lb celeriac 1 1/2 T white wine vinegar (or Champagne) 2 1/2 T mayo 2 t Dijon 1 T heavy cream (milk is ok but add a bit more mayo) 1 1/2 t fresh tarragon salt and pepper Peel celeriac and cut into matchsticks (put matchsticks into cold water as you go). Drain well and toss with vinegar. Make dressing with mayo, mustard, cream, tarragon, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with vinigar-ed (?) celeriac and chill at least one hour.

Not sad at all. A state being tops in production has a very large downside for the artisinal cheesemaker. It is probably nearly hard to be an artisinal cheesemaker in high production states (California, Wisconsin, New York) as it is in a lesser-producing state because most (all?) high production dairy operations no longer pasture their cows (other than letting them out of the parlor to make room for the second wave of milking). It is pasturing, rather than custom designed feed, that ties the world-class cheeses to a place. You probably didn't mean that you hope for high production from Vermont, johnnyd. Nonetheless, I thought I would pontificate.

I think that the landlord and some of the respondents are painting with far too broad a brush. The fact is that vegans are a subset of the larger society (as are smokers, hunters, musicians, and scuba divers). Therefore, there will be x% of vegans who are 'sociable with a positive vibe' and y% who are 'mean-spirited an judgmental'.. It seems wrongheaded to think that all vegans are either 'peaceful and comforting' or 'unpleasant' or 'hypocritical' or whatever. They are just people.

Hey! We just moved her from Milwaukee. Is that restaurant you drive and hour to visit on Hwy 100 between National and Oakland? I'm blanking on the name right now. Sorry, off topic. Great post galleygirl. One other grocery related item is wine. Any thoughts on a place with a great wine selection. I was impressed with Brookline Liquor Mart. Incredibly helpful finding wines in my price range. Are there others?

This thread about Santa Cruz makes me wonder...is the Pink Godzilla is still around? I had one of those 'meals that turns your life around' there about, er, 10 or 11 years ago when some friends were living there. I have no idea if the food was outstanding compared to other sushi places in the area but, at the time, I was a midwestern rube and sushi virgin. I think I'll remember that meal for a long time (cue the wistful looks and string instruments playing quietly in the background). Anyway, just curious.

If you can find a place that seems to do a brisk business in salted anchovy by the pound I think it is worth trying. You will find that the salted versions tend to produce much larger, meatier fillets. Clean up a whole batch at once and store them in good olive oil in the refrigerator. They last 1-2 weeks that way. As with everything it's a tradeoff. I think you get much better flavor with salt-stored anchovy because you have control over the type of oil they are swimming in and you have substantially higher meat to salt/oil ratio. That said, for convenience you can't beat the jar. I usually steer clear of the cans simply because the times I have used them it seems to be very small chunks rather than fillets. I'm finding it harder and harder to find salted anchovies. It used to be that most Italian groceries that had a deli counter carried them but it seems that prepared white anchovies in oil are taking over.

If you can find them fresh (you pretty much have to be coastal and either catch them yourself of butter up your fish-monger) they are fabulous gutted, marinated, and cooked over hot coals. Sardines are actually easier to prepare this way because they are larger. In the height of the summer tomato season, a great tomato bread salad with olives, basil, and anchovy is one of my favorite meals. In the winter, a nice pot of bagna cauda with vegetables and bread can be a nice appetizer for a dinner party with close friends. Another favorite is thin crust pizza with a tangy tomato sauce, a few blobs of fresh mozzarella and white anchovy fillets. Yum. I'm definitely part of the Anchovy Lover contingent.

I never thought about a poached egg in kale-based soup. Yum. One of my staple kale soups is similar to johnnyd's. -I add dried red chili to the onion and olive oil. -I make a 'stock' by just simmering the stems of the kale in hot water. -And I add brewers' yeast. -I usually puree about half the soup in the blender. Kale and new potatoes are a good match. Colcannon (or is it champ) is another fine example there they are used together. Essentially cooked kale mixed with mached potatoes. A little bacon grease doesn't hurt if you have it around.

Gosh that looks fantastic. I really like jarred cajeta on ice cream. (I haven't had a jar around for a while so I have forgotten the brand I used to buy.) Strangely, the caramel yogurt from Stoneyfield Farms tastes quite a bit like cajeta. The texture is different of course, but the flavor is there. Good looking sandwich also.

The great thing about your Hancock location is that just about every Madison restaurant mentioned on eGullet is withing a two-mile radius. A couple of less-discussed places that would be good for quick eats while trying to move into a new place include: Bandung on the corner of Williamson, Wilson, and Blair has solid Indonesian food but can be busy; Lao Laan Xang on Williamson (Thai/Laotian) used to be excellent although I have heard rumblings that their kitchen isn't quite as good these days; Jamerica on Williamson is a gem of a Jamaican restaurant and sort of grocery store; Ancora on King St has, by far, the best coffee in town; Eldorado Grill on Williamson has a menu with some Southwest US influences and is a bit more expensive than the others I mentioned. Be sure to get familiar with the Willy St Coop for fantastic produce with great local sourcing. They also have a respectable fish counter, decent prepared deli items, and lots of crunchy-hippie stuff that is hard to find (teff flour, kasha, etc.). Their prices are more fair than Whole Foods and it will be far more convenient for you. It is the thing I miss most about living in that neighborhood. Actually, the best break from moving in will be to take a bottle of wine (Star Liquor on Willamson is the closest non-college liquor store) with some picnic stuff from the coop and head to the Memorial Union Terrace to sit outside by the lake as the sun sets. Be discreet with the wine (I have often used a backpack and opaque plastic cups) and they will leave you alone.

Ha Ha Ha! I have fond memories of reading that 'lively' discussion.

What was the source for the treats?

Tell me, tell me, what do you do to a wahoo that makes it worth feeding to people? I find it to be a challenging fish in the kitchen. You can it. Seriously. In my opinion, Wahoo is far better canned than fresh. The flavor deepens and sort of mellows so that you have a very fine meaty flavor rather than a sort of greasy/gamey taste. The other thing that canning does is to develop the texture of the flesh so that it is firmer and less mushy. Albacore is somewhat similar in being quite a bit better canned than fresh. So, get out your pressure cooker!

How'd it taste?

My in laws have a cabin that they use for weekends. After putting a coat of varnish on the cabinets, my father in law opened one of the cupboards and threw the can of varnish inside so he'd remember to take it home with them when the weekend was over. My wife and I arrived the next morning and her mother made lunch for us. As we bit into our lovingly prepared sandwiches we all looked at each other trying to gracefully spit out the varnish-laden bread! Bread is just about the perfect vehicle to soak up all those nice petroleum volatiles.

I'm from Wisconsin where we have a few 'artisinal' gems but are far more geared to mass-production of booooooooring cheeses. The concept of this program seems great and it seems well-matched with the state of Vermont (or my interpretation of what Vermont is about). Artisinal cheesemakers are well served by regions with strong ties to the land, an independent streak, and a thriving rural economy. I'd really like to see programs like this add to the depth and breadth of cheeses we can all get at our local cheese shops.

That is a truly bizarre list. I mean to have 'pork' just sort of buried there amongst a bunch of wild animals (or pets) that only a very limited number of folks will ever eat. Medallions of fox loin anyone?

I go with the combination of typewriter method and the 'round the horn method. Usually one line from left the right and then around in circles. I'd say that suggests I'm rather disorganized. How about those little corn cob holder things. Anyone use those? I usually make a tight left-handed grip around what is left of the stem and the leaves of the husk I have peeled from the ear (we cook the corn in the husk on the grill). My right hand is used only to steady the ear as I dig in. It ain't pretty, I'm sure, but when I have a great ear of corn in my hand, I don't give a damn.

Thought I would revive this thread because I (finally) made these waffles last night/this morning. Thanks, mamster, for bringing my attention to this great recipe. As we were eating them this morning, my wife commented (and I confirmed) that they taste similar to croissant or brioche. Great yeasty flavor and a really nice crispness to the exterior from all that butter.

Sea to You was a pretty good find. They seem to be geared toward those who are making sushi at home. Several different varieties of roe (including nice lookin cod roe sacks an uni that was likely not local), seawead salad, pickled ginger, squid salad, and marinated baby octopus salad, and uni are available by the pound. They had a few different grades/varieties of tuna (including Big-Eye), yellow-tail, and salmon available in chunks or filets that you could get cut to order. Also, a number of shrink wrapped packages of sushi cuts like yellow tail, Big-Eye, bluefin tuna, and o-toro if you didn't feel like cutting/prepping it yourself from the chunked fish. Lastly they had some very fresh looking whole Boston mackarel on ice for $1.95 per pound. I came home with chunks of tuna, hamachi, salmon, a bit of roe and a mackerel. Made a few nori rolls last night with the tuna and hamachi. I had them gut the mackerel and have posted to the boards (here) for cooking assistance. I thought that Sea to You was a nice operation if you are looking for sushi fixins. Decent prices (sushi quality tuna loin was $12ish per pound). Now that I know what it is like, if I need a lot of options I will likely head somewhere else (J Hook's?). It was clean inside, noone was overly customer-service oriented but I think that comes with the territory when they only sell to the public for six hours per week.

Depends. Since I also got some really good looking yellowtail at the fish-monger I was toying with prepping that for dinner and saving the mackerel for tomorrow. Weather might be better for a ride tomorrow.

Got a really good looking whole mackerel from the fish monger this morning. Gutted with head and tail on, it's about 22oz (I think it cost me all of $4). I'm tempted to just marinate and grill. Before I make that leap, I thought I'd check in to see if anyone has a favorite marinade (or other non-grill recipe) that works well with oily fish.

Had a good meal from El Pelon near Fenway last night (92 Peterborough St). Mexican-ish food that was not terribly creative but well prepared. One nice thing on their menu that you don't find just anywhere is fried plantains with a roasted tomato salsa. Quite good. I know that wasn't on your list but if you are craving good Mexican food in Boston, there don't seem be a lot of options. There was a Thai place next door to El Pelon but I don't know anything about it. For seafood, I have heard people rave about Sea to You on Northern Ave (by the wharf) but it is not terribly convenient for you. I haven't been there yet but I still plan on getting over there this morning. Fresh produce in your area is probably sewn up by Whole Foods (aka Bread and Circus). There is one near Symphony Hall on the other side of the Fens. It ain't cheap but I think 'cheap' and 'great selection' don't go well together here. Perhaps a farmers' market? I'm new to Boston also and still exploring. I'll report back as I uncover things.