Susan in FL

That's my favorite reply so far!

I enjoyed your photos. Thanks!

The super markets carry packages of hearts and gizzards together, but as is printed on the packages, "mostly gizzards," and of course just livers are widely available. Good idea to check Asian markets.

Good questions. I was also wondering when we will see the "regular" Beaujolais on the shelves.

They do rock. I wish I could find a place to buy just hearts. When we cook the giblets of a whole chicken, before dinner for that treasured snack, one giving the other the heart is such a good way to say I love you. Then besides that, he eats the liver and I eat the gizzard.

All my wine drinking centers around the food and wine that is the meal, but that includes some wine just by itself sometimes. Mostly that's sipping while cooking dinner... I love that. Or drinking a glass of Port after dinner, by itself. Once in a while I drink wine on its own or as a cocktail, but for the most part I'm among those who do not separate food and wine. We rarely eat dinner without wine, unless we're matching up food and beer.

Sounds like fun! Thanks, Brian. I have added it to our list. Now, if only we could spend a month and go to every place we have had recommended, or have considered... and I would report back upon my return. I should have been a John Mariani when I grew up.

Happy Birthday to the Dinner! thread... two years old on the 10th!

From what's available in our area, I prefer Schweppes, and I like the little bottles in a six-pack... perfect for a couple of vodka and tonics without being concerned over the rest of the bottle going flat. When I do buy larger bottles, I freeze what's left in ice cube trays, and use them to ice the drinks.

I thought it was a belgian endive salad... So did I, all this time!

Surprising replies. For boneless, skinless chicken breasts to slice for salads, I just briefly lightly saute them in butter, S & P... only until just cooked through and they retain the juices.

Next week is my friend's and my trip to the Palm Beaches, staying at Singer Island. I posted a note in January, asking for ideas of where to dine, and it was merged with another thread from two years ago. Just in case there are any new members to reply or anybody has any updates, I wanted to check once more before we go. Please let me know if there are any recommendations to add to the earlier thread. Thanks, everybody.

We invited another couple for dinner last night -- unusual for us on a weeknight. Finger food for starters: Flour tortillas, spread lightly first with Neufchatel and then with mild salsa from a jar, each rolled tightly around a blanced asparagus spear, chilled and then cut on the bias into pieces; and melon & prosciutto. Mixed grill: Lamb chops, quail, Italian sausage; White truffle risotto (Roberto Donna's recipe); Beautiful hericot verts. Salad of romaine, tomato, and onion, dressed with EVOO and golden balsamic vinegar, topped with gorgonzola and pine nuts. Strawberries and green seedless grapes tossed with sugar, vanilla, and fresh mint. Before dinner, Sauvignon Blanc, and another not-so-dry white blend for our friends; and with dinner Cabernet Sauvignon, and another not-so-dry red blend for our friends.

Oh yeah, the lemongrass! I forgot about it, since it's at the other corner of the house. Last year's had grown about 7 feet tall, so I cut it down and planted a new clump next to it. I was hoping, but wasn't sure, but yes there is new growth coming from the old guy. I have a lot of teeny tiny seeds from what I cut off. Has anyone ever planted lemongrass from seed?

Not that I've discovered... Cool, huh?!My husband took charge of dinner. The grilled pork turned out wonderful. It was juicy and delicious. He made some great accompaniments, and I am trying to talk him into his first eG post. Please welcome him, if I can convince him to describe how he made the sauce for this pork!

This is the time of year that the herbs do best for us. It will be more difficult when it's hotter. I'll post some photos later. So far... Rosemary (Grows so well, we use it as shrubs and trees.) Bay Laurel (It's about 10 years old, and has traveled from town to town in Delaware and then to Florida and has had at least two resurrections.) Sage Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Thyme Lemon Thyme Chives Basil Oregano Mint Cilantro Not herbs, but in amongst the herbs, is a pineapple and an aloe.

We're between courses. Redfox, thanks for the artichoke idea. It's been a while since we've had that, and as soon as I saw your photos, I knew I wanted some tonight. I love this place!! We decided to use the side burner of our new grill which is a deep fryer OR steamer OR warmer, instead of stove top, so there wasn't room to place them upside down. We'll do that next time. Here's a "before" photo of them, And here's an "after" photo of them. The pork is cooking on the grill's rotisserie even as we speak.

That's my kind of steak sandwich! P.S. Belated Happy Birthday

Lots of great looking and sounding food was consumed this weekend! Jake, both of those menus sounded especially good. Bleudauvergne, I know the feeling of forgetting to photo because of being so eager to serve something. I'm sure the quail were delicious, and beautiful as well. Beautiful! And steaming them "upside down"... I'm not sure it makes a great deal of difference, but we do ours tops up, or if the stems were too beautiful to cut off, on their sides. We'll try placing them that way next time we do it. Who knows, maybe tonight?! Do you use a splash of vinegar or wine or anything? Friday night we were out, happy hour eating. Saturday we grilled beef tenderloin steaks and baby vegetables, and by request of my son, "mom's potato salad." He flew from Pensacola to Daytona with some other Navy Flight Officers this weekend for my birthday, and brought them to dinner. Last night we realized that we had never grilled hamburgers and hot dogs on the new grill, and did that. Zinfandels both nights.

Thank you very much. I was wondering if maybe that part was true. After all, that's what got -- literally -- almost all my attention!

P.S. I see that the link I posted here is now gone, and I think I'm glad because it sure made an April Fool out of me! I was so amazed at the reference to Sam Calgione as a former model, I paid too little attention to the rest. I was really had on this one. To the writer and my dear friend who sent it to me... you got me. Good job!

Thanks for the info, OGG. What Clifford mentioned would have been good to consider, but I didn't think about the difference between propane and natural gas. We're good to go with propane. I'm not about to change grills!

Thanks everybody for the compliments on our "new loved one," as you called it, Mabelline. It is kind of like being a new proud parent! And about the capon... what a find that was. I intended to buy a "regular" whole chicken for the rotisserie that night, but when I went to the store I found goose on sale for 99 cents a pound. So I scooped up a few of those for us and underneath in the same section they had [mistakenly?] priced all the capons the same! Don't you just love it when that happens? So we have a supply of capon and goose. (Do you say goose or geese or gooses in this context?) Jin, a comment from you is a real compliment... I so admire your cooking! Last night we grilled swordfish steaks with a mango glaze, asparagus, baby corns, & baby carrots, and had a side of pasta with sauce of anchovies, garlic, & EVOO. We don't have lighting hooked up outside yet, so we've often been grilling and picture taking in the dark. It's a good thing the time changes this weekend.

Thanks! We are pretty much resigned to trips to Lowe's. How they do it at the Lowe's nearby is exchange the empty tank for a full one. A Lowe's worker gave us a tip, though... he said that having them refilled at camping grounds is inexpensive, so we're going to check that out and consider the distance and convenience factors and all. That's a great idea of a propane line, too, and well worth considering.

I think maybe the holes are from armadillos. They are sort of cone shaped holes. Sounds like that would be a good thing, if they do love to feast on ants and other bugs! Thanks for the link; they are interesting animals! I don't know if this photo will show, but here is one of The Holes In Question. Thank you for you garden consultation services, Robyn!