skrattypants

congee is the best cure for hangover gut. something with caffeine--preferably cold--is needed for the headache. aspirin (two only--anything more has no therapeutic action in the body) if your stomach doesn't hurt, ibuprofen if it does. i never waste opiates when i feel too cruddy to enjoy them. my problem with excess drinking is that i can't sleep. o sure, i crash hard for 2 hours and then i'm up. back in my wild party days, i used to make pies at 4:00 AM, the distract-myself method of hangover treatment. and the resulting pies made my roommates happy enough to leave me alone and be reasonably quiet the rest of the following day.

and watch the alcohol in whatever wine you choose. the new world tendency to make everything 14% and higher doesn't lend itself to spicy foods. the wine drinks hot enough already.

wonderful in lemonade or apple juice.

they have a sign for everything. sometimes two or three.

just the insides (pulp, seeds, juice) of the passionfruit are needed. i always think of baby guppies when i open one.

i can't count them all because i can't find them all. i buy cookbooks for a local specialty shop so every month i'm adding another dozen to the pile. i love the simpsons episode where marge is lying in bed, reading "Recipes to Think About in Bed". i only cook from the ones that don't close anymore.

my favorite dining room story couldn't be heard by the average ear--thank gods. one lunch hour, a group of deaf women were seated in my friend john's section--he was thrilled for the opportunity to try out his expanding ASL skills. one woman ordered the little pizzette du jour and john asked her what toppings she would like. let's just say the sign for "mushroom" and the sign for "blowjob" are very similar...

leftovers in our household are referred to as: cobb salad (summer) fried rice (autumn) soup (winter) omelettes (spring) it's all in the terminology

a kilogram is 2.2 pounds 0,05 liters is approx 3 tablespoons and a teaspoon 500 grammes is about 17 and 1/2 ounces (a little more than a pound) lemongin will be next to impossible to find in the states this jam will taste infinitely of bananas, if that's what you want. otherwise, i have a nice recipe for peach and passionfruit jam, but not just plain passionfruit. 3# fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped 6 cups sugar juice of one lemon 10 fresh passionfruits, pureed sprinkle the peaches with half the sugar and allow to macerate overnight. bring the sugared peaches to a boil and then simmer about 15 minutes or until the peaches are tender. add the reamaining sugar and other ingredients. bring to a boil again and boil until mixture begins to set (about an hour or so). ladle into jars and process.

i found the richlite to be unduly heavy and feel it dulls my knives quickly. the bamboo is nice. i guess i like the idea of it being a sustainable crop as much as its performance. in the end, i still prefer something i can run through the dishwasher.

my favorite creme fraiche recipe: open fridge door. put finger in creme fraiche. insert finger in mouth. repeat prn.

remember that they'll undoubtedly sit in the ups truck at least one night. ship them early in the week, so they don't have to sit through the weekend. i would NOT freeze them. as they thaw, all that condensation has to go somewhere. where it will go is all over your caramels, possibly making them a gummy mess. just pack them in a well-insulated container and wrap it in newsprint. if you're doing overnight, sling in a couple of ice packs. if possible wait to make sure the temp in their destination isn't above 70. melting isn't the problem. sometimes heat and fluctuation will make the sugar in caramels crystallize, causing them to become gritty.

for your next lao laan xang trip: the curried squash with tofu. we have tried replicating it at home, but can't quite. another suggestion for a person who likes a little heat-- try pavlov's pizzas (also on willy street). they only have carry out or delivery, but you won't be disappointed with their cracker-thin crusted, slighty spicy sauced my bleu heaven. on state street, don't miss chautara. fabulous nepali food, especially the korma and the masala dosa. and if you find yourself down on monroe, try yirgalem for delicious ethiopian fare. i would go there just for the injera. take friends so you can order--and share--a slew of things.

actually, henry doane owns the blue marlin. the eastside farmers' market is smaller but growing, and imo, the better place to shop. downtown is more of an...experience (and not always a pleasant one at that). farmer john's cheese is fabulous. he does italian-style cheeses; grab a big block of his parm before the market closes--it'll hold quite a while in the fridge. tart's pastry and preserves is terrific. tuesdays are the only night i really have dessert--we'll split one of her market basket cakes. i'll second the north american rotisserie suggestion. i'm so glad they've reopened, especially on late-work days. they make the colonel and boston market taste like 3-day-old road squeezins. o wait, the colonel and boston market always taste like that. besides l'etoile, our favorite madison restaurant is lombardino's. patrick o'halloran has done amazing things with an old spaghetti house. the menu changes every two months. http://www.lombardinos.com/