Rachel Perlow

The brandade was excellent. 95% as good as the one I tasted at Bid's last meal. Suzanne's Country Pate was great too. I'm glad I missed out on the mocklate.

I wanted to add my thanks to Suzanne and HWOE for their wonderful hospitality. Elyse is an amazing baker and everything turned out exactly as she intended. She will be selling some of her baked goods at Bloomfield's Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons (that's in NJ, click here for more details). The recipes for the sorbets, ice cream and larb balls are already posted on RecipeGullet.

Lime - Ginger - Mint Sorbet Serves 10 as Dessert. Worked really well, the very first time I made it! Icy, spicy, minty, refreshing sorbet/ice. This would be excellent as a palate cleanser for an Asian meal. 1 c Sugar 3 c water 1 bunch fresh Mint leaves, washed (it is not necessary to remove from stems, but if you don't then trim the stems into short lengths) 2 oz finger of fresh Ginger, peeled and finely diced 1/4 tsp Salt 2 Limes (zest one) 1 tsp Lime Zest, finely grated 2 T White Rum Combine sugar and 2 cups of water in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved, reduce heat to low. Add 1/4 of mint and ginger. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place remaining 1 cup of water, and the rest of the mint and ginger in a blender or food processor. Puree for 1 minute. Pour into a large bowl through a wire mesh strainer. Press and squeeze to remove as much juice as possible. Discard pulp. Place steeped mint and ginger into blender or food processor along with about 1 cup of the sugar syrup. Puree and pour into the bowl through the strainer. Do the same with the remaining sugar syrup. Press and squeeze to remove as much liquid from the pulp as possible. Discard pulp. Add salt to mixture in bowl. Squeeze 2 limes through the strainer into the bowl. Taste to see it needs more lime or sugar. Add lime zest and rum, stir. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Freeze as per your ice cream maker's directions. Spoon into airtight container and firm in freezer for a few hours before serving. Makes approximately 1.25 quarts. Keywords: Dessert, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Fruit, Hot and Spicy, Blender, Food Processor ( RG568 )

Lychee & Key Lime Sorbet Serves 8 as Dessert. Served at the Second Annual NY Potluck Dinner. 1 c Sugar 1 c Water 1/4 tsp Salt 1 lb fresh Lychees 6 Key Limes, juiced 2 T White Rum Combine sugar and water in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved, remove from heat, add salt. While sugar is dissolving, peel lychees and remove seeds. Puree in blender or food processor for a minute. Strain and press fruit through fine mesh sieve, discard pulpy brown bits remaining in sieve. Juice key limes through strainer into lychee puree. Add fruit puree to sugar syrup. Taste - you may need another key lime or a little more sugar if the limes were very tart. Add rum, stir. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Freeze as per your ice cream maker's directions. Spoon into airtight container and firm in freezer for a few hours before serving. Makes approximately 1 quart. Keywords: Dessert, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker, Fruit, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, Southeast Asian, Blender, Food Processor ( RG567 )

Good, now we won't have to stop at the Balthazar Bakery in Englewood, NJ. How about including a note saying you made it for the potluck and include a link to this thread in the notes section. That reminds me, I have to change the larb balls recipe, we added cellophane noodles to the meat mixture. I call a "rather large platter" a dinner or soup plate for the lettuce, and several smaller bowls for garnishes. Now we're talking. Jason and Rachel? All charged up and ready to go.

We'll bring the crate & lock'm up in the house after the crowds gather, if that's OK with you.

The real question is, are the kids dog friendly? Well, not too friendly. Toddlers tend to hug the poodles too hard.

Cool! Do you have the equipment for this?

Re: Veggies - We need something to dip into Suzanne's hummus, may as well be green beans & carrot stix. Re: Ice - between our cooler & Suzanne's I think we'll be fine.

With the maybe's & kids we're at approximately 32.

How do rental agencies expect the tablecloths to be returned? Cleaned or dirty? Stain treated? Also, I find Shout Gel works better than regular Shout or Spray & Wash.

A salad sounds great to me Aquitaine. Our appetizer is wrapped up on lettuce, so it's kind of salady too. In general, since we have proteins and desserts covered, the only thing left to bring is sides. So, if you still can't decide what to make, just roast some cauliflower or steam something green.

Jason collects rum. Check out the rum forum.

Could use this thread as a swap meet? List things you have and don't use and see if anyone wants to trade for it? For example, I have that Kitchen Aid attachment (wedding present) and have yet to use it.

You're welcome. I'm planning on taking step-by-step photos the next time I deal with a watermelon.

After digging in a little with a spoon, how about using a bamboo skewer to poke several holes in different directions into the flesh? Drain out juice, add alcohol.

Haven't eaten them there yet, but CustardThing (formerly Margie's) in Bergenfield is now doing lunch, including Panini. I was discussing their sandwich press with them last time we were in there.

The RSVPing is mostly so we can get a headcount, and so Fink knows how much to bring. Let's set the RSVP date for Sept. 14th, OK? ~~~ Current RSVP list: Curdnerd & family - supplying the location, that's enough (unless you'd like us to sample some of your bread & cheese ) Fink - bringing the cooked pig(s) at the reduced price of $4 per person Fat Guy & Ellen Jason & Rachel Perlow herbacidal Kim WB Lisa1349 LReda & Sue & children pnapoli RockADS21 Rosie & Lowell Suzilightening - since she's planning on arriving late, she should probably bring a dessert (how late are you planning on arriving?) Tommy & the Mrs. JosephB & Donna (& pup? Are we bringing our dogs now?*) jogoode - maybe KatieLoeb - plus others from the Philly area Andrew Fenton & the Mrs. - Banana Pudding! =Mark

I've never spiked a watermelon. But, if you really want the booze with the fruit, make a sorbet, granita or slushee with the watermelon - easy to add vodka to that!

I was thinking this was BYO in that everyone brought something to drink & share, in addition to their food potluck contribution.

As I've already gone through 4 watermelons this summer, and troubleshot both a watermelon ice cream and a watermelon sorbet, here's my accumulated wisdom: Choosing: If you are buying a whole watermelon, get the kind with seeds, they taste better. Larger with a paler side on the bottom, not green all the way around. When tapped it should sound kind of hollow. No bruises or cracks please. Wash it!!!! I got so sick last year very soon (and for about 48 hours) after starting a watermelon. Now I always wash the rind with soap and hot water, like it's a dirty pot, before allowing a knife to pass through the rind into the flesh. Storage: If you are only using a little watermelon at a time, don't hack the whole thing up. Start at one end. Immediately place the rest of the watermelon cut side up in a large bowl and wrap it with several pieces of plastic wrap. The wrap sticks to the bowl better than the fruit's rind, and the juice won't leak out and make a mess of your refrigerator. After the first cut (with the round end), cut slices several inches thick at a time, then re-wrap. By the time you get to the level of the top of the bowl, you should have a piece about the same size as the first piece you cut off the monster - so cut it all up. Store cut cubed watermelon in airtight containers. Surgery: This is assuming you aren't serving the whole thing at a party, but enjoying it with just your family. Using a long thin-bladed knife (like a carving knife, not a chefs knife) You start at one end, cut about 8 inches off. Cut a slice off the end about an inch thick. Place thicker cut side down and peel like you would any large fruit or vegetable. Get off all the white rind. Pickle or just throw out the rind. The seeds don't start until an inch or so into the flesh. So, start by cutting nice thick slices from the perimeter of the peeled watermelon chunk on your cutting board. Cut into inch or two cubes and put in a large bowl. This flesh is seed free, but isn't as sweet as the heart, so don't put anything into a storage container until you're finished cutting it all up - you want to evenly distribute the sweeter heart. Your cutting board will need a good wipe at this point. Now you have the seedier part of the watermelon to deal with. Cut this vertically into quarters. There is another seed free zone in the very center - cube this up and add to your bowl (sneak a piece, this is the very best seed-free part of the watermelon!). Now for the seeds. They appear mostly in rows with gaps in between, so you can cut out additional seed-free sections of this area as well. For the really seedy part you have a decision to make. If you are going to be very picky and get every seed out (I rarely have more than a seed or two in my finished product - 90% seed free? that's for amateurs!), you will end up with some very small pieces of watermelon from this section. If you aren't as picky, just get the all the visible seeds out when you do your first slice (into batons), then cut into cubes. A demitasse or grapefruit spoon are best for getting out the seeds. For the perfectionist, plan on making a granita or sorbet with this section - it is the tastiest part. If you want to do so, the easiest thing to do is cube, briefly puree in blender then strain the seeds out with a wire mesh sieve. Add a little lemon or lime juice and freeze in an ice cream machine or an ice cube tray with popsicle sticks (or a popsicle mold). If you aren't going to make a frozen dessert, then slice pieces about 1/2 inch thick and use a fork, demitasse, or grapefruit spoon, to get out all the seeds. Cut crosswise a couple inches and add to your bowl. Whatever isn't served immediately should be stored in an airtight container. Watermelon Popsicle and Granita (Tupperware® Ice Tups)

I already posted it and linked to it above, but here's the link again: Watermelon Sorbet. I used a combination of Key Lime & Persian Lime and the Cruzan Citrus Rum. I think the sorbet would be fine with either the Lemon or the Lime, but not the Key Limes, they're a little bitter and a pain to juice. It's been in the deep freeze for several hours and is still of scoopable texture, so hopefully it won't go rock hard by Saturday. The mint is really very subtle. The sorbet could use more to bring it up to the barely noticable level, but I wouldn't go subbing in mint extract. That would be too obvious, better to leave it out if you don't have any or aren't sure about using it.

1:30 it is. Current RSVP list: Curdnerd & family - supplying the location, that's enough (unless you'd like us to sample some of your bread & cheese ) Fink - bringing the cooked pig(s) at the reduced price of $4 per person Fat Guy & Ellen Jason & Rachel Perlow herbacidal Kim WB Lisa1349 LReda & Sue & children pnapoli RockADS21 Rosie & Lowell Suzilightening - since she's planning on arriving late, she should probably bring a dessert (how late are you planning on arriving?) Tommy & the Mrs. JosephB & Donna (& pup? Are we bringing our dogs now?*) Curdnerd - *what's the opinion about dogs? Since we've decided to go potluck for the sides, etc., and Fink is charging $4 per person for the pork (in other words, we're not doing the 50 person minimum on-site cooking thing), I don't think it is necessary to publicize anywhere besides eGullet.

We're doing a BBQ themed potluck in September in NJ. You could always come to that!

I've renamed this topic, since it is no longer "proposed" but actual. I think we should do this earlier in the day than most of our get togethers, lunch instead of dinner, since it is outside and quite a drive for most members. Curdnerd - is 12:30 good or would 3 PM be better? (that's when you said your oven would be free) So, who's in and what're you bringing? Curdnerd & family - supplying the location, that's enough (unless you'd like us to sample some of your bread & cheese ) Fink - bringing the cooked pig(s) at the reduced price of $4 per person Fat Guy & Ellen Jason & Rachel Perlow herbacidal Kim WB Lisa1349 LReda & Sue & children pnapoli RockADS21 Rosie & Lowell Suzilightening - since she's planning on arriving late, she should probably bring a dessert (how late are you planning on arriving?) Time to start thinking about coming - the more the merrier!