specialteach

Youth is wasted on the young.

The bottle claims it is a product of Modena, Italy. That's why I bought it (and it was on sale).

Spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce. Just really good olive oil, chopped garlic and roma tomatoes topped with basil and parmasean. Everything organic except the pasta and cheese which were from Italy. Can't believe that this is the last week for tomatoes at my farmer's market. Eight more months until I can make it again. Trying to savor every last bite. So sad.

Picked up a bottle of white balsamic vineagar the other day and am wondering if there is anything special I should do with it? So far I have just used it on salads. I never heard of it, let alone tasted it before. Anyone know anything about it?

This isn't an Indian reipe but is still amazing and meets your criteria. Hope that is okay. Sorry about the relaxed nature of the recipe but it was passed down from my mother... Slice a red onion into rings. Toss red onions, green beans and peeled garlic cloves with good olive oil. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes. The veggies are done roasting when the beans are just starting to brown. Toss with balsamic vinager, salt, pepper and a bit more olive oil.

Thanks for the link. I want to come to eat during New Years! Everything sounded so good. One of the trademarks of the store is their triangle shaped shopping bags. Whenever I go to New York, which isn't as often as I would like, I go to the tea shop in the basement. For the next couple of weeks I have the best lunch bag in the classroom!

At the farmers market I work at one of the farmers likes to eat them raw. Hadn't tried them yet but after your description I can't wait until next week!

Could you give a little more information on Osechi ryouri and the new year? Also, is that the same Takashimaya as the one in New York? Either on Madison or 5th?

Do you think there is a chef like Sooki (I had a cat whose name was Suki years ago) out there in the real world? The writers on that show must be real foodies. How else could they come up with such great writing about food?

After reading this thread I am surprised that no one mentioned roasting garlic. It is simple, delicious and makes your whole kitchen (or apartment if yours is small like mine) smell amazing. All I do is preheat the oven to 450 and wrap a head of garlic in aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of your garlic. Once it is roasted, squeeze the individual cloves to get to the garlic. Some variations include cutting off the top part of the garlic head before roasting or rubbing it with olive oil. My favorite ways to enjoy roasted garlic is spread on a baguette with some soft brie and in mashed potatoes.

I will not go back to a restaurant if one of three things occurs..... 1.) I go to the bathroom and it is not clean. 2.) My entree arrives while I am still eating my appetizer and/or my entree arrives before/after others. (Grouped them together because they are both about timing.) 3.) The waitress/waiter acts like it is my fault there is something wrong with the food. Keeping to the "to insure perfect service" principle, I will tip higher if the server takes it back and handles the matter properly than I would have if the meal had been fine. It happens so rarely that I also take a moment to compliment them to the manager.

Thank you so much. I am going to try it as soon as midterms are over and work settles down.

I am a fan of Tako Grill but am a bigger fan of Aji Nippon. It is about five minutes from Tako on Arlington Blvd., across from Bruce's Variety. Really good Japanese food in a smaller, more intimate feel. It reminds me of Sushi-Ko before the renovation. Have eaten there numerous times when I was one of the few non-Japanese customers. Aways a good sign, especially in Bethesda. Have had two occasions at Tako Grill when the waitress had never heard of what I was ordering (natto, which while not popular in the US is common in Japan and uni). On the other hand their tempura soft shell crabs are out of this world!

Was at the game too. Where I was sitting everyone was watching the chicken and not the game.

One of my favorite comfort foods is a spread of Creme Fraiche, sugar and vanilla. I put it on toasted Challah. Yummmmmmmmmm

Thanks for the welcome torakris. Your description has my mouth watering. Could you post the recipe in English? Thanks.

I completely agree. This kids are being given an opportunity of a life time and they are blowing it. The sad part is that they will probably never realize it.

If you read my rant on "another" board please skip this one, it is much of the same. I am a special education teacher in Washington, DC and have worked with students that come from backgrounds simillar to those of the "15" in the show. Jamie Oliver deserves all the praise and credit one can give. Regardless of whether or not the restaurant is a hit he has done something that few other "famous people" have done. He took a risk on kids who most people have given up on and tried to teach them a trade. And he did it with cameras recording every moment. What's more, it appears that "they" did it the right way. (I promise you there are countless people behind the scenes who we are not even aware of.) They recognized when students were making an effort, even if they were not succeeding, and gave them the extra attention they needed and deserved. They did not feel sorry for these kids. Instead of not accepting excuses they helped solve the problem. They gave second and third chances, understanding that no one is perfect and kids like these need may need extra love and support. They gave these kids a chance to have a career. They made an attempt to make the world a better place for a group of youngsters most would not bother with. And they did it with food. I leave you with this parting thought......Tonight on Capitol Hill there was at least one dinner meeting where the participants walked away feeling very full. About a mile away there were kids who walked away from dinner feeling hungry.

In the middle of the winter when there is no hope of warm weather in sight there is nothing better than Nabeyaki udon and a bottle of saki........just a few more weeks to go.