Susan in FL

Lucy, welcome... really, really welcome! Awesome post, thanks for the good information.

Thank you from me, as well Helen, for the interesting and informative post. I've always liked beef, but in recent years I've gradually changed some of my food preferences and eating habits and I eat less of it, not because of BSE or any scares, but just because. A big factor is that over the course of my adult life, either the quality of meat has declined or my taste has become more discriminating. Probably that would be both. It just doesn't taste as good to me. I've never known as much about beef as eG has taught me. I've always thought that marbling makes for better flavor. The taste of it being most important to me, I would like to ask this question. Putting aside all animal rights issues, etc.... grass-fed, grain-fed, animal-protein-based fed... indoors, outdoors... what makes the beef taste best?

Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar, no doubt.

I've never had a problem peeling shallots. Maybe that's why.

Quite interesting!

Thank you, Matt, and beans. It's one of my pride-and-joys, with the original hardware, etc. It does not run, but I can put ice in there. Good topic, antiques and food & kitchen things!

Nice to get a possible explanation. Thanks for the post. Clifford, did you get a hint of this "match"?

What is Butter Chicken? I like the sound of that.

I forgot to respond to your inquiry about John Mariani's book... I find that to be very helpful, as well.

Perhaps Carol Field's Celebrating Italy? It's about the festivals, celebrations, harvests, holidays, etc., and their foods, and includes recipes.

Jimmy Buffett also... I Will Play For Gumbo

Very good dinner tonight... Marcella's roasted lemon chicken, which is my all-time favorite way to cook a whole chicken. Besides the lemons inside, I added rosemary, thyme, and some thick slices of ginger, and it was a kosher chicken. Yum, the best. "Diet french fries," a recipe from Miavita. Make a breading of potato starch and seasonings, and shake the french-fry-cut potatoes in it, and then bake on a pan sprayed with Pam. With some good malt vinegar, it was almost like the real thing! Sauteed vegetables, with just a little EVOO, butter, and stock. 2000 Clos bu Bois Cabernet, which isn't highly rated, but this is twice now that we have really liked it. Edited to add the french fries recipe.

I didn't follow that very well. I'm going to track this and see what it's about. It looks interesting.

Three Muskateers bars. That's all I'm saying.

Thanks! We still own a home in Slower Lower DelaWhere? and my husband is going up there soon on business for a few days. He'll be checking that out. Please keep me posted if you find out more. Hopeful, too...

A brew pub, as in brew their own beer on the premises?!

I'll be thinking of you, as on all Friday the 13ths.

This weekend we did Friday night happy hour on Thursday, and have cooked and eaten at home since. Friday night multi courses, with a main theme of shellfish, each with different wines, slowly spread out over the whole evening: Starter - "Crostini," one with topping of homemade tapenade, and one topped with a butter and Dijon mixture and a slice of daikon 1st course- Alaskan king crab legs, jumbo! They were on sale, thank you competition for Superbowl shoppers. Next - Mussels in a mildly spicy ginger and lemongrass broth. Our lemongrass growing in the back yard is taller than I am. Main course - Seared fresh (dry) scallops, with a black bean vinaigrette, and baby vegetables Chocolate truffles and also some Anthon Berg chocolates Saturday we had a first course pasta with lobster, prosciutto, baby peas, shiitakes, and a splash of heavy cream (a not oaky Chardonnay), followed by rack of lamb with a tapenade crust and roasted cauliflower and broccoli (old vines Zinfandel). Dessert was Cabrales blue cheese, slices of Asian pear, and toasted pine nuts (Port). Tonight was pasta with Bolognese ragu, salad, and a cheap Italian.

I'm not a local and this is not seafood, but I wouldn't go to DC without stopping into Galileo for a serving of Roberta Donna's truffle risotto, for a lunch or part of a progressive dinner, if not for a full dinner. Just a thought... I'm quite a fanatic about that risotto. Your plan looks wonderful! Please report back!

It's been fun doing a search on this. One of my son's best friends went to school there, and I'm looking forward to asking him about the blue cheese. Have you made this recipe, or any of the others online? I'm going to order some! Thanks for the tip.

How interesting! I had no idea.

I think you are right. That's what too much white wine will do to you. It felt good to get back to red meat and red wine tonight. Thanks for the follow-up!

Here are the (approximate amounts of) ingredients for this batch: 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons raw sugar Finely grated zest of one orange 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon A few fresh gratings of nutmeg So far I've used it just on buttered toast, and I'm looking forward to having it on oatmeal, some morning this week. Yum it's good.

That is beautiful, Matt. I love antiques, and use this ice box as our liquor cabinet, as well as storage for some other food items.

True Confession... Cole slaw dressing is the one thing that I don't make from scratch. I so rarely make cole slaw and when I do, I use bottled dressing and I can't even remember the name brand. Damn, CRS strikes again.