Liza

Ben, Should you receive a ransom note with a paw print on it, it's from me. That Sophie... Liza

Has anyone gone to any of the feast day celebrations at nearby Pueblos? We're near Cochiti, Tesuque, and more, and would be interested in investigating Pueblo cooking. El Rancho de las Golindrinas, a living museum near Cerrilos, has a fall harvest festival where they cook bread in the kivas and make wine, just as people did hundreds of years ago.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? There was a lot of arguing in my family. The food wasn't really the focus of the meal. Food was often a reward- we'd be allowed one bottle of soda a week if we were good. Was meal time important? It was deemed important but in a sort of "We're going to get together at the table, damnit, and you're going to sit there and behave and listen to what a hard day your father had" way. Was cooking important? I have fond memories of potato-chip chicken, stewed peaches, and...brownies? I used to help my mom make them. Let me put it this way: there was cooking, there was food, but there didn't seem to be any enjoyment in either of them. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? Elbows on the table would be luxury, so to speak. Pot smoking, beer drinking older brothers bore the brunt of the penalties. Who cooked in the family? My mom. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? We'd go for Chinese food occasionally and to Friendly's on Tuesdays when my dad had late office hours. (I'd be interested in hearing from other children of physicians, by the way, regarding the importance/ lack of food in context of childhod). Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? I often ate at a pull-out drawer in the kitchen but only because my brothers teased me quite a lot. When guests were over, I was lucky enough to 'help' in the kitchen and enjoyed listening and sometimes sharing in adult conversations. One of the only times I felt included and vital. When did you get that first sip of wine? Had to be at a Passover sedar. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Does my mother muttering, "Can we just get through this once without fighting?" count? Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Tuesdays at Friendlys for awhile. Apparently I wasn't an adventurous diner for awhile and ate spagetti with meatballs quite often when dining out. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? Hopefully not much. Davy and I cook together each weekend, planning the menu together and taking turns with the CD player accompaniment. We eat dinner together every night we can, and usually he'll plate mine and I'll plate his - even if it's just a sandwich. No fighting at all.

And that they're allowed to sell raw milk cheeses. Damn Kraft and their little green bottle.

Mario Batali is always reminding us to use salt-packed. He rinses them in milk before using, which sort of makes me wonder about why, but he's St. Mario so I question only quietly in the privacy of my own soul.

2nd Avenue Deli matzoh ball soup; toasted bialy.

Re: Stinking Bishop - I've gotten it at Dean and Deluca with frequency, and just saw it available at Fairway. Smack 'Ma Girdle, I've only seen once, at that was at D&D, too.

Ah, sorry, I splain: I was there recently and was impressed with the cheese list. But! I am completely willing to reconsider and have heard lovely things about Bar Demi... So I shall leave it to the group to decide.

I shall daintily step up to the cheese plate and set to organizing a cheese-off at the Tribeca Grill. Is any particular day of the week better for those interested?

I made my way up to Fairway on Sunday morning in hopes of securing some American goat cheeses for the vertical tasting. They had all of two: Coach Farms and Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog. That, my fellow cheese lovers, is pathetic. No Laura Chenel. No Judy Schad. No other varieties from Purple Haze or Midnight Moon. ("Midnight Blue?") At Murray's, I found Judy Schad's Old Kentucky Tomme, Purple Haze and Midnight Moon. Again, no Laura Chenel (a pioneer in American goat cheeses). And bewilderment when I asked for Capricious, voted Best in Show at the American Cheese Society conference. Let's start a petition. Let's stage a rally. Let's demand these terrific cheeses be available in NYC! (Note: The Tribeca Grill has a new cheese offering and DOES have Laura Chenel's sublime goat cheese on offer. I propose a cheese tasting some time in the near future.)

Yet again, I fall beneath the radar. I brought American goat cheeses and I swear I was there.

We've both been given clearance to take off from Dec. 14 through the new year and will be decamping to Tesuque NM for the entire time. We've eaten in Santa Fe a few times and enjoyed meals at a range of places, including The Old House; Zia Diner; Cafe San Marcos (in Cerrillos); Burt's La Taquieria. Wondering if there's any place an hour or even more away that we should make plans to visit. We usually cook quite a lot out there but would love to find an off-the-beaten-path place (like Cafe San Marcos - a feed store/restaurant) that's worth a meander. Thanks in advance, Liza

Waistlines? We don't need no stinking waistlines!

I thought Babbo was one of them clothing optional places.

Getting to the lobster, I'll add that we made Thomas Keller's Butter-poached lobster and found the resulting dish to be quite delicious and moist. Chef Keller recommends pouring boiling water over the lobsters, though we just bunged them in a pot of boiling water for three minutes. This firms up the flesh while not cooking it through. After two-three minutes in the water, take out the lobsters and extract the flesh. Carefully.... Then poach the flesh in lots of lovely butter.

I'm dropping the squashes (ouch) and going in on smoked seafood with our hostess.

I dig ya on the Carneroli - much prefer it to Arborio, but that could be just me. Scrambled eggs and rye toast last night.

Yes, Mighty W, the indoor butcher in Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Avenue). I hereby offer to test it out for you.

I've been enjoying more savory combinations - tomato chutney with goat cheese, for instance.

In the current Food Award issue of New York magazine, there's a shiny-paper-printed Zagat guide to heartwarming movies. Looks like the empire is expanding, just around the middle of course.

Oh Mighty W, Wondering if you've cooked domestic rabbit - we've been satisfied with D'Artagnan. During a visit to Chelsea Market this weekend we noticed that Frank's butcher had what appeared to be hare from a small producer. I've talked with one of the main purveyor's at Franks and know that they have relationships with some smaller producers - perhaps a rehearsal dinner before the big one?

I, too, was surprised by the turkey cover. Daring on all fronts indeed.

Just noted that the Boquerones have an expiration date of September 2002. Not good. But I must say that whoever makes Zabar's raisin-pumpernickel bread, makes it really consistently well. Really dark ,really pumpernickel-ly, with that nearly burnt aftertaste. It's tasted the same for as long as I can remember.

I'm kvelling from Jean-Georges' Beet Tartare. And anticipating lamb shoulder with curry leaves, cinnamon, quince, and yet again, whatever the hell else Davy puts into it. But the beet tartare? Brilliant.

No sardines tonight. Short ribs rubbed with a spice rub of cumin, cloves, many kinds of crushed peppercorns, coriander, bay leaf, allspice, salt, and cinnamon. Seared off in olive oil then braised in tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, Wors. sauce, tomato paste, white wine. And whatever the heck else Davy threw in there when I wasn't looking.