DaleJ

I recently bought baccala from Conti, but haven't tried their stoccafisso. Darrell sent, along with the baccala, a stapled-together little disseration on both baccala and stoccafisso. Just incredibly interesting stuff including an argument that the discovery of the new world was demonstratively aided by the use of stoccafissa as principle foodstuff of Columbus' voyages. BTW, the same pamphlet warns that stoccafissa, unlike baccala, not only requires a week or so to become pliable but that it exudes a powerful aroma in process. It also costs about $25 per pound. I think the adventure must be done and I'm going to invest when my baccala is gone.

Kevin: FWIW, you cah get stoccafisso from Corti Brothers, Sacramento. 800 509 FOOD and ask for Darrell who will be stunned (as I am) by your noble efforts.

Since there have been two of us for some time, we eat all breakfast and dinner meals in our dining room. Lunches are at work. The table, granite topped (and given to me by a grateful granite supplier thirty years ago) suggests formality but we usually us paper napery. The exception is midday meal on Saturday when we gather around for public tv cooking shows. Interestingly, the adjacent (actually part of the same large room) "living room" has been occupied only once since we built the house seven years ago. Someone came over after some sort of ceremony and we sat around and talked. At dinner parties the crowd always gathers around the kitchen island to watch the cooking show that I provide. (Enjoy showing off.)

OMG, smelts! Twenty five years ago "a mess of smelts" was a spring and summer standard at the London Chop House in Detroit. Sadly enough, I haven't tasted one since.

I guess I should have remembered this days ago, but l"Incontro is a restaurant at the edge of Campo Santa Margherita in Dorsoduro. The chef is Sardinian and, to the best of my recollection, there is no fish or seafood on the menu. A rarity in Venice.

OMG! I buy a .750 liter bottle a couple of times a year for the nightly martinis and never thought about keeping the bottle in the fridge. If its gone bad I guess I don't notice since I only use a few drops at a time.

In one of Pierre Franey's books he makes shrimp scampi by broiling butterflied shrimp with garlic, bread crumbs and olive oil. Thats it, no sauce. I serve it over rice.

In the winter of 1957 two friends and I were in Union Station, Chicago, to board the train for California. One of my pals had a bottle of Johnny Walker Black under his trench coat. As he reached for his ticket the belt slipped.

I have eaten fegato several times in Venice. Many places feature liver and onions and its rather a local speciality.

Luckylies: Kindly illuminate me as to basic means of poaching in the microwave. Thanx.

Since about a month ago I bought both Bouchon and Les Halles I tried Bourguignon a couple of times. First, Keller's. It was wonderful but incredibly complicated. The next time I sort of combined Keller's and Bourdain's recipes with little, if any, compromise.

peppyre: I think, front to back, two hours should do it (again, depending on your ambient humidity).

I make pasta virtually every weekend. And I have it mastered. Put about a half to three quarters of a cup (I never measure) of cake flour in a food processor. Add twice as much unbleached flour. Crack two eggs into the FP. Whiz it and while operating add (very carefully) perhaps a teaspoon or so of water. When it forms a ball turn it off. Dump on a floured counter, form into a ball and cover for a twenty minutes or so. Cut the ball into four pieces and process each in a hand cranked pasta machine on the widest setting a half dozen or so times. You may have to drag each strip in flour to keep from clogging the machine. Lay each strip down and diminish the setting by one notch. Run each strip through twice and set the rotors to the next smallest setting, etc., etc., stopping at the second to last setting (if making ravioli) or the last if making fettucini, etc. Drape the strips over coat hangers or other horizontal surface (I use the back of a laddrerback chair) so they can dry. Allow to dry for a half hour or so (depending on the ambient humidity). Place the cutting rollers on the machine and process. Scatter the strands on a dusting of corn meal so they do not cling to each other. When sufficiently dry package in a ziplock bag and freeze.

What puzzles me about downsizing is that, I'll wager, the product in most cases is the least expensive part of the package. The container, its distribution and advertizing must cost more than seven ounces of tuna.

My wife and I, both architects, have visited Italy spring and fall for the past six or seven years. After about two or three trips we confessed to each other that, in fact, it wasn't the buildings or great spaces that drew us back. It was, of course, the people, lifestyle and, above all, the food and wine. Next April we will be in Basilicata for the orechiette, in Sorrento for the limoncello, in Umbria for cinghalle and Rome for all of it at once.

Just noticed the post about sources. Duh.

I've enjoyed cotechino in Italy several times. Does anyone have a US source with at least a modicum of quality?

I make pasta just about every weekend (recreation?) and always freeze it, both fettucini and ravioli with various stuffings. I now find that to avoid glopping together its best to freeze the stuff separated on a plate or sheet pan for an hour or so before placing in freezer bags. Keeps forever.

GG: Any tips as to where Boone Hall Plantation is? I'm only a couple of hours south and could attend. Sounds like fun.

Buon Natale, Judy. My limoncello is always cloudy. And all the while I thought it was a fault. Hooray!

Shalmanese: You are a true scientist and I am impressed with your tenacity. I'm going to keep trying. Thanks.

I used the toaster last evening and produced very thin toast. I'm determined to accomplish this interesting concept. Will try the micro, roll the bread before cutting, etc. After all, a loaf of that pasty-ass bread only costs a buck.

I'll try the toaster this evening. I guess that I could have figured this out when I read "toast" in the original thread.

Shalmanese: Where you failed to manufacture a cracker, I succeeded. Inspired by your invention, yesterday I bought a loaf of squishy white bread (first one in twenty years) to try your recipe. I cut a couple of slices with a 4" round cutter and ran a rolling pin over them and placed them in a 300F oven for a few minutes and produced a nice flat cracker. I'm inspired by your thread and pictures. What did I do incorrectly?

Gee, I thought someone would have mentioned drawn butter by now.