Squeat Mungry

My mother and her mother used a combination of Barbados sugar and cane syrup in their justly celebrated pies. Yum! Squeat

Like maggie, I have an excellent timer in my head -- I've never worn a watch, and I never use a timer. One time I fell asleep, though, and lost a toaster oven.

Gary, you must be out in the fogbelt -- the moon was big and beautiful from my place in the Mission! Inspired by this thread, I even remembered to walk into Chinatown at lunch yesterday and buy a mooncake. It was my first one ever. I was very excited about it, but I'm sorry to report I was underwhelmed. I probably should have gone to Golden Gate Bakery, but I just ducked into the first bakery I saw. Cheers, Squeat

Actually, I think they do think ahead -- or think they do. I think PETA and the other animal rightists actually believe that if they can get a foot in the door with legislation against foie gras production (which is relatively easy for them to portray as snotty, elitist rich folk being mean to those cute little ducks), it will pave the way for all kinds of legislation banning most kinds of food production involving any animals at all. Farfetched? Almost certainly, but I think their perspective is, shall we say, skewed? That's just my opinion, but if I'm right it is also indicative of the cynicism and disingenuousness I see on their part. I mean, if they aren't choosing foie gras just because it's an easy target, why don't they concentrate their efforts directly against irresponsible feedlot practices and factory farming, both of which are often much more blatantly cruel than forcefeeding waterfowl, and certainly affect many, many more animals? Why pick on the little guy? Because they can. Personally, I love foie gras, but can hardly ever afford it, so I won't actually 'miss' it that much. But I do object to what I perceive as bad and unnecessary legislature and a potentially horrible precedent, not to mention the destruction of a family's income, and an artisanal business that was obviously the result of passion. Edit to correct an obsolete word. (I hate it when that happens!)

Thanks, bloviatrix! I just bought this and the Joan Nathan book on eBay. Thanks, Pan. I thought the name was familiar, but I hadn't made the connection. Squeat

I do all three. I always have butter in the freezer, in the fridge and on the counter (yes, for at least one week, easily). When the countertop butter is used up or has gone rancid (easy to tell with the tip of a finger and ones tongue, but this hardly ever happens because I go through it so fast), it is replaced with butter from the fridge, which is replaced with butter from the freezer. This way I always have cold butter for making biscuits, and room-temp butter for spreading on them. Easy-peasy! I always buy unsalted for better salt control in cooking, but when I spread it (on bagels, toast, muffins, whatever) I just sprinkle some salt on top. Cheers, Squeat

I'm a total goy-boy, but have had a long-time interest in Jewish cooking, and Jewish culture and the Jewish faith in general. (I can even read biblical Hebrew, though not exceptionally well.) A quest for non-mushy latkes is actually how I found eGullet! bloviatrix has been a tremendous resource for me via her generous PMs in response to my specific inquiries, in addition to her eloquent and informative posts in the forums. I'm very grateful to her. A couple of other resources that have been helpful to me: Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America. I actually haven't bought this book yet, but it is at the top of my list. I have had it from the library several times and it is very useful. A dear friend in Columbus, Ohio (may she be written in the book!) sent me a delightful book called The Rogue's Guide to the Jewish Kitchen, by Daniel Rogov, David Gershon and David Louison -- a Russian, a New Yorker and an Israeli (I don't know which is which) who put together a bunch of recipes and stories in the mid-80s. She also sends me recipe clippings from the Columbus newspaper! Yeah, Shira! Gifted, thanks for the great topic, and for linking the article. I just adore the Chronicle's Rent-a-Grandma series. Brilliant! Cheers, Squeat

Thanks for the thoughts and the links, folks! I guess 'nakashoku' is a fairly recent term, according to Hiroyuki's link. Is that a fairly accurate translation, "somewhere between eating out and cooking at home" -- and does it sound strange to a Japanese ear? As for Delica, I've only literally had samples of their food, which they were giving away when they first opened. I've been meaning to go back and try their salads and 'deli' stuff. It all looks so pretty! Cheers, Squeat

Another three for me (all snagged on eBay): Robert Wolke, What Einstein Told His Cook Harold McGee, The Curious Cook William Grimes, Straight Up or On the Rocks (does this one count?) Squeat

Mustard, or cornichons? C'mon man, don't make us guess! Oh... I guess the whole blog is about guessing, I guess? Seriously, looking forward to it, except that I'm lousy at games. Carry on, Squeat

I haven't had FoodTV since I had to give up cable two years ago due to a financial implosion caused by unemployment. The only things I missed were Sara Moulton, Alton Brown, Mario (but NOT his braying sidekick) and the Melting Pot. Frankly, I think some (but certainly not all) of the Public Television cooking shows are better-produced, and pander less to the 'lowest common denominator" than the stuff I remember on FoodTV, and I hear it's gotten even worse since then. Squeat

Article here. They give a brief description of over three dozen sites, from the obvious to things like wine country vacations, vintage charts, wine radio on the web, etc. Cheers, Squeat

I happened across this article in yesterday's Baltimore Sun (free registration required), and it caught my interest. Have eGulleteers living in Japan noticed this trend? Do you agree that the younger generation are afraid of cooking? Do you avail yourself of the commercial sozai available? I have sampled the offerings at Delica rf1 here in San Francisco, and they are beautiful and tasty: Has anyone been to a Delica in Japan? What is the quality of these commercially-prepared "home-cooked meals"? The article implies there is a wide range of prices and quality. Anyway, I'd love to hear opinions on this phenomenon, if it really is one, and not just media hype. Is it really a serious threat to the tradition of home-cooking in Japan? Cheers, Squeat

Wow. I learn something new on eGullet every day! (Actually, it's usually several things a day.) Seriously, I have never heard of this, even though some of my best friends are long-time servers in high-end restaurants. Not something that would necessarily come up in everyday conversation, though, I suppose. I assume the perspective is from the main entrance to the dining room? Or is it something more esoteric like the kitchen door or facing north or something? You'd think I would have noticed this over the years, but I never have. Then again, I am never at a restaurant at start of dinner service, prefering to eat later. By the time I get there, those pesky patrons have moved everything everywhere! I'm going to keep an eagle eye out on empty tables from now on, though! Back on topic, what I look for is clean stuff: table top, tablecloth, glasses, silver, no greasy shakers, etc. Cheers, Squeat Edit to add: yeah, restrooms, too. Nothing kills my appetite quicker than a dirty restaurant restroom!

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Food Section -- September 22, 2004 Janet Fletcher profiles two generations of the Dito family, who are recreating their native Calabria in the Oakland Hills. The daughter, Rosetta Constantino is offering two Calabrian cooking classes this fall in Emeryville. (See linked article for details.) Recipes given for Fried Italian Peppers With Anchovies, Spaghetti With Roasted Tomatoes, Marinated Eggplant, Handmade Long Pasta With Braised Pork Rolls, and two kinds of Friselle (a Calabrian specialty bread that looks like giant bagel halves).Karola Saekel examines that classic, grilled cheese, and its many permutations around the Bay. She mentions the two new books on the subject by Bay Area authors: eGullet's own Marlena Spieler's Grilled Cheese: 50 Recipes to Make You Melt and Laura Werlin's Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill and Sandwich Maker. Recipes include Marlena's Grilled Sandwich of Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto & Fig Jam and Werlin's Grilled Sandwich of Ricotta & Marmalade With Chocolate Sauce. Tara Duggan digs up Gypsy peppers at the markets. The link gives a list of where to find them in the Bay Area. Recipes for Gypsy Pepper Vinaigrette and Gypsy Peppers Stuffed With Manchego Cheese & Corn Over Greens.This week the Tasters have at frozen cheese-filled ravioli. The winner: locally-made Genova Delicatessen & Ravioli Factory Ricotta Cheese Ravioli. At last Limon has new and larger quarters on Valencia near 16th. (I wonder if a walk-in might be possible now?) Jocelyn Bulow (Plouf, Chez Papa, Chez Maman, Baraka) is doing it again, this time on the Embarcadero with brasserie La Suite. What's New. Karola Saekel recommends several new small books to add to your kitchen library this fall. Got your moon cakes yet? If not, make your own! Linda Furiya has a recipe. This year's Moon Festival is on September 28th. Harvest Fest Sunday Supper at the Farmer's Market will benefit CUESA during the Harvest Fest weekend October 15-17. If you can't make the Supper try to get to the Sustainable Happy Hour from 5-8 p.m. Friday, October 15. Pascal Rigo will helm the as-yet-unnamed restaurant in Chip Conley's new Hotel Vitale when it opens in March at Mission and the Embarcadero. GraceAnn Walden has this and more in the Inside Scoop. Tonight and tomorrow, Cote Sud will offer a special four-course prix fixe dinner honoring the late Julia Child. 10% of proceeds will benefit the UCSF Children's Hospital kidney transplant program. Finally, Jacqueline Higuera McMahan tells how to smoke a chipotle, and gives recipes for Grady Spears' Chipotle Meat Loaf and Chipotle Roasted Mushrooms. Whew! All caught up! Cheers, Squeat

Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Food Section -- September 15, 2004 Carol Ness, along with Citizen Cake's Elizabeth Falkner, Farallon's Emily Luchetti and Bay Area baking whiz Carolyn Weil, analyzes Splenda in the Chronicle's test kitchen. No recipes are included because none of the tested pastries met the test-kitchen's standards. They give some tips on adjustments to make if you insist on using the stuff, and compare it to a slew of other sugar substitutes.Carol Emert looks at the recent shakeup at the James Beard Foundation. So, presumably, does the Chronicle, which took 3 awards last year.Marlena Spieler gives an olfactory account of the aromatic meal she had at Paris' L'Arpege, home of the legendary Alain Passard. She gives recipes for Nasturtium Soup and Roasted Endive. Deborah Kong gives a rundown of Hong Kong-style dessert cafes which are attracting hip young Asian-Americans all over the Bay Area. The Taster's choose among oatmeal-raisin cookies. Guess what? The winner has no trans-fats, and is organic to boot! Tara Duggan, the Working Cook, gives both a 'Fast & Fresh' and a 'Now & Later' recipe. The 'Fast & Fresh' is Tuna Fillets With Squash & Tomato Saute and the 'Now & Later' is Calzones With Peppers, Artichokes and 3 Cheeses. Diane Teitelbaum has wine recommendations. The Cliff House is back and celebrating. The upscale Sutro's opened last week in its brand-new home adjacent to the original 1909 building, which will house the more casual Cliff House Bistro. Let us all hope the food is better in this configuration! All this and more is What's New. Cheers, Squeat

When I visited Costa Rica in 2001, I had some excellent coffee. In fact, I bought some there to bring home. In Cuba on that same trip, I had the best cup of coffee in recent memory at the Hotel Nacional in Havana. Cheers, Squeat

World's Best Bathrooms. Not all of these are restaurant bathrooms, but some are. Oddly, I've actually been in three of the bathrooms on this list. One is the mens room at the Madonna Inn. This is actually a restaurant bathroom (well, it's actually off the bar adjacent to the restaurant). Bathroom recommended. Restaurant and Inn unfortunately NOT recommended. Bar was so-so. The other two I've been in aren't restaurant bathrooms. (They were two of the bathrooms at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, but maybe they do count since there's a cafe there. Anyway -- they're absolutely amazing!) Cheers, Squeat

Sadly, I don't even have to check. I have one bottle of each: Laphroaig 15 yo Lagavulin 16(? I think it's 16) yo Cheers, Deprived Squeat

I haven't had a working stove for almost a year now, for various boring reasons, but mainly due to my own lameness, which we need not delve into on this thread. Anyway, I get by just fine, and I don't even have a microwave! I, too, have a deLonghi convection/toaster oven, and I have a two-burner hotplate that I can boil water for pasta on while I make a sauce on the other burner. One thing I bought that I highly recommend is a Presto Multi-Cooker. I use this for absolutely everything! It roasts, steams, boils, stews, deep fries and comes with a crockery liner that turns it into a slow cooker! Affordable, too. I got mine on sale at my local hardware store for $25.99. Good luck! Cheers, Squeat Edit to add I also have a regular toaster, an electric skillet and an electric kettle, as well. And to say that there is a possibility my toaster oven is a CuisinArt.

Well, that must be why I've never been bothered! I always assumed I was just lucky or something, but I am always wearing my contacts except when sleeping, so that must be it! (I lose and/or break regular glasses far too often for them to be practical for me. Thank goodness they make cheap sunglasses -- you wouldn't believe how fast I go through those!) Come to think of it, I do seem to remember some stinging when I was a kid and still wearing regular glasses. Well, whadda ya know -- guess I'm not so special after all! Cheers, Squeat

I definitely think Old Fashioned should be on the list. Rob Roy as well. Used to be you could go anywhere and get a Gin Rickey, too. Greyhound or Salty Dog, anyone? I've never been asked to make an Aviation.

I vote for quiche as well. They freeze beautifully, and are so handy for a quick supper when you don't have time for anything else.

As a kid I was a bit unusual in that I really didn't care much for sweets (still don't). But I did want a birthday party for my friends every year, and they of course expected cake and ice cream, which my mom dutifully made. But the best part was that my birthday candles weren't on the cake for me to blow out, they were on the rim of the Giant Bowl of Potato Chips that my Mom prepared for me each year -- my absolute favorite food and a very rare treat indeed when I was a kid. And, since it was my birthday, I got to eat as many as I wanted! Yay, Mom! I still eat potato chips on my birthday every year. Cheers, Squeat

Oh man, I love figs! Right now (late summer to early fall) is when fresh figs are harvested, though dried figs are available year-round. I love to eat figs out of hand, but they are also great with braises and roasts, especially of lamb and pork. I'm getting delicious ripe figs at the Farmers Market, but I don't know about the quality of figs at midwestern supermarkets. Sorry. Cheers, Squeat