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Oh yeah, and speaking of creme brulee, for those of you who keep back issues - October 1995 Gourmet magazine did a "Last Touch" on the dessert. According to them, brown sugar gave best results when using the broiler for caramelization, raw sugar when you've got a blow torch. I just like fire. Thanks for the welcome, Matthew! :)

Black bean soup, carrot ginger soup (can't believe I haven't seen that one listed yet), any soup that's served with a grilled cheese sandwich, all good. However, being a transplanted New Englander, number one soup means PROPER clam chowder. By that I mean your tomato should be banished, save cream for your coffee, I just want the clam juice. If you have to sully it, a dash, and only a DASH of milk. Go ahead, have a bowl of that and tell me the Puritans were joyless.

For a vegetarian version of this week, I'll skip out on the Beef (no one will be around to eat it) and sub in the Gratin of Eggplant, Tomato and Zucchini - pg 201 of J & J. Won't sub the Creme Brulee for anything, because it's creme brulee and therefore it is always welcome in my home.

I'd like to join you guys but the thing is I mostly eat vegetarian (avoid the burning stares of death) with a bit of fish. However, meat is welcome in my kitchen (I don't eat it because of strange allergic reactions, not because of any sentimental attachment to things with higher brain functions) , and I think knowing how to cook meat is important for good vegetarian cooking. Could I play along on appropriate courses? I should be able to foist off the results on someone I know.

Reports of my bacon have been greatly exaggerated. Except maybe in this thread.

Caserta's can be found at 121 Spruce St. It's also conveniently located near the highway (route 6) so that you can see the giant name on the side of their building, which allows you to miss the exit while reading it.

For your Friday night in Providence, I have to suggest Caserta's Pizza - I may have lived in Chicago for the last 4 years but I still say this is some of the best Pizza in the US. They also created the Wimpy Skippy - spinach pie with pepperoni fails to describe it properly. Very casual atmosphere, and also near the city's Italian district, Federal Hill, which should be fun over Columbus day weekend. If you go to Caserta's, could you mail me some? :)