Susan in FL

I use my Dutch oven, also. Klary, thank you for the Diane Seed recipe!

Like your other blog, this one is great, Pam. I am following along with enjoyment and in amazement of how much you do. I love the egg shell photo. The one thing that is missing for me is the meaning of the phrases that are not in English.

To put some challenge into this, I might make a dessert/ sweet risotto. Klary, could you point me to the recipe for the souffleed orange risotto with orange, almonds, etc.? If necessary, I could look for a book in the library.

I think I can say I have pre-participated in this cookoff, several times!

No problem, as far as I'm concerned . . . I was thinking to myself, ahhh what a good idea for a brunch! Then when it kept going on and on, I did start to wonder. We've been planning to have friends over for a Sunday brunch soon, and I haven't been sure what to serve. I'll put some tapas on the menu. Thanks for the idea.

Thank you for the compliment, ChefCrash! I do love the close-ups, too. I give it an honest try, but it's difficult for me to separate the presentation and atmosphere and everything that goes with the meal, from the food. I'm glad you enjoy the shots. We had "Champagne brunches" on the porch both days this past weekend. It's a late post, but here it is. Saturday was simply scrambled eggs, bacon, and sliced tomato. Sunday I made up a dish that was a cross between an asparagus, ham & cheese strata, and a gratin. I spooned a little space in the middle of it for a whole egg to bake, so it had both custardy egg with the bread (the strata part), and a yolky egg to ooze all over it when we dug in. The fruit and vegetable garnish . . . what you see is what we got. It's what we happened to have on hand. (Megan, there's even a slice of cucumber in there. )

This thread is way good. One of these days, I am going to go start over, from the beginning, and note every topping or combination of toppings that I want to try. I did buy some nutritional yeast this week, but haven't used it yet. Is there anything you all do with your yeast besides put it on popcorn? I bought a huge quantity of it in a health food store.

That's so funny. Mine was $2.99 for 5.3 oz. I like it too. Are there any other loose teas that you've tried? ← Wow, a much better price. No, this is all I have tried so far, but I'll get more. First I have to drink up more of my supply of this and all the bags I have. I can see that I am at risk of getting carried away with this. I noticed that, and I noticed that it became too bitter if I let it infuse for too long. I was used to some teabags that I've kept in the water for a long time.

Good line up! I had Tuppers Hop Pocket and Victory Hop Wallop. Yards Love Stout, and what a great name... We have some of that, but one of the bottles we opened had uncontrollable head. What is it about stouts (or is it their names, lol) with that? The 4th homebrew we made was 4-Play Stout, and it had uncontrollable head (got infected.) Remember the days of the Burgess Bedroom Brews, RP? Now I am content to read about Chris's, Michael's, and others' homebrewing. If only I could sample some homebrew, though... It's been a long time. Hoppy Brew Year!

That's exactly what I do. I look around to see what it's being served in and if it's a mug, ask for a wine glass. The responses are interesting. Of course we're talking bar bars here, not beer bars. Some are thrown, and some say "cool!"

Recently I also bought a tea pot with a strainer and some loose tea, to add to the variety of what I drink. I don't really know what this means, but the lady at the Thai market recommended it to me... On the bag it says maeda-en SEN-CHA Green Tea. It was $4.59 for 5.3 ounces. I enjoy it.

Agreed!You know I certainly would drink a beer from a seidel / mug if I were with your friend, would listen to his pitch, and be in keeping with a tradition.

I'm so glad you're going to make an IPA. I remember just enough from our brief period of homebrewing several years ago to know basically what you're talking about. I'm really enjoying how you are treating going back to it. And, it's so cool that the guys at the homebrew shop were glad to hear from you. Beer people are like that. Besides the Eroica for bittering and Phoenix for aroma and the dry hops, are there other reasons for selecting them? Are they favorites of yours or did you choose them because they are more classic for an English IPA? Can you give an example or two of a domestic version that's like the recipe you're using?

Why's that? The thicker glass holds the temperature better. Mugs are a little heavy and unwieldy though; I like pints as well. ← I don't know... never thought about the why before, but you got me to think about it, so that's a good thing. It feels good to my lips is the first thing I think, and beyond that... I think thin glass showcases the taste of the beer. If I'm really into tasting it, similarly to wine, it can be swirled and smelled and all that better than it can in a mug. I don't like the thickness of a mug. I don't try hard to keep a beer cold. Very cold beer can mask the taste, although I do like it a bit colder than many beer enthusiasts. Then there is the visual appeal, of course. A thin glass looks prettier -- shows the beer's color and its looks, whereas a thick glass or a mug hides the beauty. ...Aesthetics, and it seems more elegant, and more conducive to savoring.

I am pleased to post this reminder that the current course offering of the eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI) is going on now, and it's about beer! Chris Holst, aka cdh, is the eGCI Instructor for the course, Homebrewing for the Absolute Beginner. The course consists of four classes. The first class was posted yesterday, and each will be spaced two weeks apart. It's a wonderful opportunity to "brew along" with a skilled and knowledgeble homebrewer. Read, and follow along here, and post questions and discussion here. Cheers, and enjoy!

Bruce, that looks and sounds wonderful. I love having grilled pineapple with ice cream for dessert, and that's a good idea for after Thai food. It's cool that you mention that you're getting the hang of Jasmine rice. So am I. In fact, the last time I cooked it, I was so thrilled with the result -- both the flavor and the looks of it -- that I almost posted the picture. On second thought I didn't, wondering if you all would think I've surely gone off the deep end for getting so excited about how my rice looked. But now, I'm going to anyway. Just as hoped, when I finally took off the lid, the grains of rice were "standing up firmly."

Interesting. Still, my favorite glass for beer is a wine glass. I like the glass to be thin. Pints are OK, but I really do dislike mugs.

That is yummy looking.

Here's the 1991 version of the recipe. It's been really interesting, seeing the differences they chose to make in the 65 recipes. Thanks for reminding me of this collection! There are a few more I want to make and I had set the magazine aside. It made its way to the bottom of a pile. I've got it out from under there now. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I should include some of the 1952 French Vinaigrette in the meal somewhere.

Good plan! I've been saying that I'm going to Mt. Dora for ages. I've heard wonderful things about it, even recently. I didn't hear anything about a tornado. (Hi, Robyn! Good to see you posting.)

Anna, it's almost your name brand of cream!!

Cool! This is perfect timing. Even though it isn't a very photogenic process, it will make those inquisitive ones among us, like me (aka nosey ), delighted. I am looking forward to both of these contributions.

...And he's going to include photos! I'm happy about that, as well.

That Thai feast looks wonderful, Susan. My kitchen is always a mess after I've cooked Thai. Even if I mostly clean up as I go along, with all the last-minutes stuff at once, in the end it looks like a disaster area.

Oh my... duck gizzards. Duck gizzards?! If I could get a pound or so of duck gizzards, I might go totally insane with delight. Can you get them, more than just collecting them from the innards when you buy whole ducks?