JLN67

She will be sorely missed. I loved watching her show on PBS, Baking with Julia. The show inspired me to go to pastry school.

Oh dear. May she rest in peace.

No! It can't be over already. Thank you for creating such a beautiful blog, Bleu. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Oh. my. goodness. This blog is really something! I'm so enjoying it!

Hershey's Kisses

Chocolate!

Last night we had roasted duck, potato gratin, and braised Brussel sprouts. We also had a nice Gigondas to drink as well as an after dinner espresso.

I loved her two books on cooking! I need to re-read them myself. Thanks for the reminder. I'm currently reading An Alphabet for Gourmets by M.F.K. Fisher. I'm also finally getting around to reading my copy of Cookwise.

I'm really enjoying your blog, Kristin! It's incredibly interesting.

Jackal, I have been utterly capitvated by your fabulous blog. The beautiful pictures really are quite amazing, and I almost feel as if I'm right there with you. Thank you for taking the time to share your world with us. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

A few of my favorite teas are: * Earl Grey by Grace Tea Company * Prince Wladimir by The Kousmichoff * Christmas Tea by Betjeman and Barton * Cinnamon Plum by Republic of Tea * Darjeeling by Golden Moon

I coudn't believe the cover either. Unbelievable.

Doing a web search, one site said they are seasonal: "On the eastern coast of the USA, Nabisco Mallomars (Northeastern USA) are very popular and also the oldest known example of marshmallow biscuits; the first cookies were sold in New York City in 1913. Today, New York City consumes 70% of all the Mallomars purchased. [ ] Because they are made with dark chocolate, Mallomars are not available from April to September, since they melt easily in the heat of summer..." Maybe you can't find them because they may not be in season, yet. Who knew? You should read the article since they also mention other similar cookies. Those others may be sold in your area and may be a (poor) substitute until you can get the real thing. Also, you can ask your supermarket manager if they carry them or can they order some. If they're available, that's one way of getting them in stock. Stock up and freeze them for the summer months. I didn't see them listed on the Nabisco web site either but they may be available only in certain regions of the country, too. If you have a serious "jones" for them, here's a place where you can order them online. I have never ordered from them so I can't vouch for the site. I would just be cautious about ordering them during a warm time of year. Thanks for the info, Toliver! Oh how I'd love to get a box of Mallomars delivered to my door.

I couldn't agree with you more! I especially like the dark chocolate one's. I also love Mallomars, but I'm not sure if they're making them anymore. Can't find them around here to save my life.

My first cookbook was probably the booklet that came with my Easy Bake Oven I had as a child. As an adult, it was the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Can't say that I use that one very much now.

My MIL loves to put large globs of mayo on her pizza. I find it so completely disgusting. I can't even look at her when she takes a bite of it.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? Middle class Midwestern fare growing up in the 70s and early 80s. Was meal time important? Extremely important. I can barely remember an instance when we weren't all together for dinner. This is where we discussed our day. Was cooking important? It was very important. We very rarely ate out at resturants. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? No penalties, just a reminder. Who cooked in the family? My mom. As my sister and I got older, we were expected to help out in some way. At one point when my mom felt unappreciated, she went "on strike" and we (dad, me, and my sis) were forced to cook. It was a very interesting week to say the least. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Eating out was a special treat. Going to McDonalds was a big deal for us. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Nope. We were expected to sit with everyone and behave properly. When did you get that first sip of wine? Wine or any alcohol was not prevalent in our household. But I was probably in middle school. We'd have a special Christmas dinner and mom & dad always had a glass of wine. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Every night at dinner we'd say grace. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Mom tried to keep the menu as varied as possible. She enjoyed cooking and was good at it. She loved to try new dishes. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? Not too much, actually. I'd like to have a set time for dinner every night. However, my husband often works late. A lot of times he ends up heating up a plate I've made for him. During the weekends is when we tend to have nice, more elaborate meals.

A handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Okay, I just finished counting mine. I've got a grand total of 129, plus 2 more on the way.