lala

Yeah, it was funny at the CIA, too. I lived in one of the dorms. We were fed twice a day, but not at all on weekends. There was a student kitchen in B dorm, but it was just scary (we called it 'Tomaine alley'). We weren't allowed to cook in our rooms, but there were ways around that...I lived on curried rice made in a hot pot, while some people got creative with electric woks. I remember making grilled cheese sandwiches with my iron (cover the iron with foil first!). I also walked up to the store each week, to buy lots of fruit and veggies. And about those two meals a day... not always great...remember, they're cooked by fellow students, so... if they were having a bad day, we all suffered! Plus, when I was there, it was strictly classical french for many of the classes. You can only eat so many meals covered in Mother sauces...

Here's a hoary cliche: Schnitzel. I had a pounded out turkey breast cutlet in the fridge, so, for a laugh tonight, I decided that schnitzel would be my dinner. Flour, egg, flour. Saute in olive oil and butter. Flip. Crispy, golden. Deglaze with lemon and capers. Quite tasty, if I say so myself.

This sounds similar to the Orange Muscat vinegar from Trader Joes. I just had a shaved fennel salad with this vinegar and hazelnut oil - yummy!

I never had the liver problem. My mom cooked calves liver beautifully, as she did with chicken livers. Julia's chicken liver pate was a staple in our house. When I was older, and came home for visits, I would cook a meal of anything that my parents wanted. Dad always opted for steak, Mom and I had liver. Mm-mm-good!

Yes, that's the place... 'Just ok'? hmmm.... this is for my birthday on Wednesday... maybe I'll keep looking...

If you want to read a book that's rude and funny as hell, check out the Mssr. Pamplemousse series by Michael Bond. He wrote the Paddington bear books, then must have gone crazy after being so cute, and written the Pamplemousse books. Mr. P is a food critic for an illustrious French food guide. As he travels France with his trusty dog, Pommes Frites to sample the foods of 4 star restaurants, he always gets mixed up in mysteries. You have to appreciate that certain English crude, direct and sexual humor, but I think they're just hysterical. Good for a sunny afternoon.

There have been mentions of this new BBQ place on 15th (Ballard), but I don't recall any postings on the food. Anyone been there? How is it? (and where is it?) Thanks!

A writer who makes me feel as if I'm actually there, and I'm experiencing what they are, not just observing it. Someone who is passionate and engaging, not pompous and offputting, who wants to include me in the experience, not impress me with their own wit.

Absolutely, Suzanne. But while I definitely enjoy making those braised, slow cooking, long preparation dishes (homemade puff pastry, anyone?), I think that we need to give those 15 minute dishes their due. Sure, one can heat anything out of a can in 15 minutes, but to my mind it takes real skill to produce a tasty, not-canned dinner in that short a time. Here are some dishes that I often make in 15 minutes: Omlettes Grilled veggies with meats (indoor electric grill, sometimes marinate the meats while I'm at work, more often use a rub for quick flavor.) Any quick sauté - meat, fish etc. Many veggies benefit from a quicker sauté than not. Here's one: chop some garlic and ginger, sauté to your liking, add pre-bagged baby spinach, and soy if you like. Turn spinach with tongs Just until it's all softened, not even wilted. Pasta, either with sauce, pesto, or a quick sauce made in the sauté pan. For me, the key for quick cooking is to have appropriate flavoring agents at the ready - herb/spices and blends (rubs, etc.), flavored oils and vinegars, etc. For instance, pasta tossed in herb flavored oil with fresh tomatoes, olives and prosciutto. For grilled, or oven roasted veggies, use the herbed oils and vinegar to make a quick 'marinade', and baste them with it. Lots of flavor in no time at all. Grilled cheese sandwich - or any grilled sandwich Sautéed or grilled sausages with veggies Then there's salads... And my favorite, if a little of a cheat: a simple plate of fruits, cheese/s and good bread! Oh, and proscuitto and melon...

Interesting thread... my microwave bit the dust last August, and I've not replaced it. I'm not sure if I even miss it, as I mostly used it to reheat things, which I now do on the stove, or in the oven. Can anyone give me a good reason to buy another one?

Overcooked meat Lima beans Brussel sprouts Canned Peas Green peppers Now that I'm an adult, the list is still the same.

Seattle is not a 'grunge' city - it's 2004, not 1994. We're not all 'computer geeks'. We're not all 'young people'. While there are, as others have noted, many restaurants where is is entirely possible to drop $75+, there are many more excellent, well priced restaurants, where us sophisticated, decently dressed, non computer geeks frequently dine. And I think that if a bartender assumes that you're too dumb to know what thyme is, and a dish is missing ingredients, and the mussels are not fresh, it's something that I would like to know about.

I was at the beach a few years ago, and saw a couple of kids covered from head to toe in a layer of sand. They looked just like they had been breaded and ready for the fryer... I told my friend, and she was horrified...then she looked at the kids, and said "You're right, they do!". Now I can't look at sand covered children without thinking of this. *No kids were fried to make this post.

Shaved raw fennel and oranges. Lovely with salmon or chicken. Caprese

Practice! Seriously, it's easier than you think. Go outside with your skillet (10" is a good size to start with) and a bag of dried beans. Start with a handful or two of beans in the pan and start flipping. When you get the knack of making them turn over en masse, add another handful and repeat. You'll pick it up fairly quickly, though you might feel a right fool while you're doing it. When you get back in the kitchen, start small - a fried egg, toasting spices to go in the mill/mortar, etc. One other thing - once the food is in the air, pay attention to the pan, not the food. The food's got one direction to go, and that's down. If you make sure that the pan is under the food, gravity will take care of the rest. At school, we practiced with a piece of dry toast - that way you'll know if you're flipping it right, as it does a complete turn in the air, and there's no little pieces to fly all over the place. It's all about pushing the pan away from you, then quickly pulling it up and back towards you. The hand holding the pan should make a little circle, away from you, up, and back. It takes practice...

I don't believe I've ever had that. I see some experimenting is in order !

Have not tried those. Are they related?

Pfft ... little bottles ... Just drink the whole thing! I drank more than half a bottle in celebration of finishing my last university exam (ever!) on Tuesday, and I easily could have finished the rest if I wasn't sharing with a friend! Congrats on your last exam! While it can be fun to sip through a whole bottle of bubbly, sadly, as I get older, I'm less and less able to imbibe in such a manner. *sigh* And as I drink less, my tolerance goes down, so I get goofy faster... it's an evil, downward spiral...

Six months seems extreme. If you keep it in a dark cool place it will last longer than that. But fresh oil DOES make a helluva difference. I know someone who once "aged" a bottle of olive oil. Why the hell she did that, who knows, I didn't want to ask. Good (evoo) olive oil is best used in the year in which it's pressed. Many high quality evoo's now carry a press date somewhere on the label. I learned this a few years ago in a lecture by Faith Willinger, author of those Italian cookbooks and guidebooks. She gave out samples of oils from different years/same producer, and there was a marked deterioration in quality (they lost that lovely 'zing') as the oils got older. edited cus I dont' spil too gud when Im tired..

Try a nice piece of aged Parmigiano Reggiano with some really high quality aged Balsamic vinegar (old enough to be really viscous and concentrated - I use a 20 year old) drizzled on it. :wub: This is truly one of the most delicious things EVER. Oh my God, yes! yes! yes! I bought my first bottle of 25 y/o balsamic last year for my birthday (now what does that say about me?) and had great fun drizzling it on lovely things. The only way to improve that balsamic/reggiano paring is to add some slivers of pear. I hate pear - loathe it. But reggiano, pear and aged balsamic is just...swoony.

Mr. Douglas is opening a Greek restaurant. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/food...39_taste28.html Interesting...

Interesting. While I certainly enjoy the little bottles of champers (great for us single gals!), I'm not loving the idea of any wine in a can, let alone a sparkler. Kind of puts it on the level of soda, doesn't it?

Absolutely. That's why we have each other on this site. I haven't watched Food Network more than 3 times in the last month. I'm on eGullet several times a day, and learn more on this site in a day than I have in years of watching FTV.

In WA state: Bing cherries Peaches Blackberries Dungeness Crabs Asparagus Oregon Hazelnuts And I remember one remarkable day in Minnesota, when my Grandfather drove me to the local farm. The owner's son brought in a basket of corn that he had just picked, and Gramps and I scooped up a bagful, along with their still sun-warm beefsteak tomatoes. Lunch, 15 minutes later was boiled corn, and sliced tomatoes. The best.