Comfort Me

Two peeves with one stone. I don't approve of restaurants giving the customer a time to vacate. Nor do I approve of a customer lingering over an empty table out of spite. Neither seem very civilized. In the current economy, restaurants do need to turn the tables over in order to make ends meet. Reduction in turnover results in fewer covers results in decreased profits results in restaurants closing results in people unemployed. Having waited tables, I know how the "Godot" tables made a cut in my bottom line. But I wouldn't dream of tossing their asses into the street. We all like being led to our table at the time we reserved -- and hate to be kept waiting for our table. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all live in a world just slightly larger than ourselves and think about how our actions affect other people. Then maybe restaurants wouldn't feel the need to evict customers. And I'd get my table at the time reserved.

Guessing now: Smith? For the record, my college (State U. of New York at Purchase) had no fraternities or sororities... You've made me laugh so hard -- a blast from the past! When I was a t NYU, a friend was dating a (dreadful, shrewish, hateful, jealous, pretentious, anti-semitic, wasp-ish, mediocre) girl who went to SUNY-P and visited frequently on weekends. I was dating this lovely, zaftig yiddishe maideleh with good self esteem and feer of no one who, every time she would see said horrible woman would ask "How are things at SUNY-P?" Except she pronounced it "Soon 'Ya Pee". Always made the harpy unhappy, which made my day. I haven't thought about that in 15 years. Thanks!

A friend of mine cooked for a Hillel house, and while she really enjoyed cooking in a Jewish setting, she found it to be a thankless job. I can imagine that a house full of self-absorbed kids out on their own for the first time could be an environment which would offer plenty of challenges and very little in the way of appreciation. That said, I've often harbored a desire to cook for a sorority or fraternity or a Hillel. Nothing makes me happier than feeding a crowd.

Try Middle Eastern or Arab grocery stores. Call them and ask when or if they carry them. If they know of the interest, they might just order them. I live in Chicago, and I can find them in almost all of the ten or so Arab/Turkish/Lebanese markets I know of. I'll be honest -- I order them for centerpieces. I've never known how to eat them. The one I tasted was chalky and unpleasant tasting. So I just buy them 'cuz they are pretty, pretty things. Hmmm....I'm sounding a bit shallow today.

Next we'll find out that all restaurants are ACTUALLY owned by Haliburton! Which would explain how I was overcharged at dinner last night.

I really loved the article, but one thing really gave me the wiggins. Schmaltz in egg salad. I could hurl just thinking of it. Now I need a seltzer.

Is my tongue worth $17 million? Depends on who you're asking....

Alford & Duguid have a recipe in their new "Home Baking" for a bread baked with a whole quince in the center. I haven't tried it -- YET! The picture is quite striking!

I know I'm not alone in sending warm wishes for a speedy recovery to Mrs. Mayhaw. Do you guys need anything? Are you set for the holidays? Instead of a cookie swap, I'm sure many eGulls would be happy to send you a dozen cookies!

I was raised in the South, and grits are an important part of my culinary catalogue. I haven't tried the artisanal grits, but share an aversion with many for the "instant grits" -- which might be more accurately called "instant schmutz". I am very particular about my grits, so three times a year I drive to Shipshewana, Indiana to a place called E & S Sales -- think Trader Joes for the Amish. I buy 15 or 20 pounds of stone ground, course grits for half the price per pound of the store brand instant stuff. They also have flaked hominy (eaten like a cereal -- haven't tried it yet, but I worked up the courage to buy some the last time out!). THis store, btw, is paradise for me. 20 or so different flours -- in 50 & 100 lb. bags -- 10 different types of sugars, stone ground corn meal, etc. And the flour and corn products are mostly locally grown! I'm getting off topic, but the grits are the best. One way I love grits is with queso fresco and chopped chipotle peppers in adobo.

I'm thinking of profiteroles filled with a cardamon-scented rice ice cream.

Adam: Excellent work. Thank you. Question. I want to make a chocolate pasta. Don't try to talk me out of it. My recipe for pasta is the same ration of semolina and OO flour. Would you suggest I replace part of the OO flour with cocoa, and if so, do you think 1/2 cup will be enough? What problems should I look out for when executing the formula? Thanks so much. Your piece really got me excited.

Gertude Davlin's Latke Cookies Serves 7. One of my grandmother's favorite recipes -- I wanted to keep her name on it instead of mine! A wonderful cookie for Chanukah or Christmas, these cookies are delicate and quite rich. Because they are fragile, they are not suitable for shipping. Don't be worried by the absence of egg or liquid in the dough -- it will still hold together nicely. Yet another miracle of Chanukah! 1 lb Butter, at room temperature 1 c Sugar 2 c crushed potato chips, crushed between paper towels to absorb grease 3 c all-purpose flour 2 tsp vanilla extract powdered sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Crush potato chips between layers of paper towels to absorb the excess grease. 3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the potato chips and mix gently, but well. Gradually add flour and vanilla. 4. Roll a rounded teaspoon of dough into a ball and flatten by hand. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should not brown. 5. Remove immediately to cooking rack. When slightly cooled, roll cookies in powdered sugar or dust the cookies with powdered sugar run through a sieve. Note: Pecan meal is very good added to this recipe. If desired, add 3/4 cup finely-ground pecan meal when adding the potato chips. ( RG780 )

Gertude Davlin's Latke Cookies Serves 7. One of my grandmother's favorite recipes -- I wanted to keep her name on it instead of mine! A wonderful cookie for Chanukah or Christmas, these cookies are delicate and quite rich. Because they are fragile, they are not suitable for shipping. Don't be worried by the absence of egg or liquid in the dough -- it will still hold together nicely. Yet another miracle of Chanukah! 1 lb Butter, at room temperature 1 c Sugar 2 c crushed potato chips, crushed between paper towels to absorb grease 3 c all-purpose flour 2 tsp vanilla extract powdered sugar 1. Preheat oven to 350°. 2. Crush potato chips between layers of paper towels to absorb the excess grease. 3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the potato chips and mix gently, but well. Gradually add flour and vanilla. 4. Roll a rounded teaspoon of dough into a ball and flatten by hand. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should not brown. 5. Remove immediately to cooking rack. When slightly cooled, roll cookies in powdered sugar or dust the cookies with powdered sugar run through a sieve. Note: Pecan meal is very good added to this recipe. If desired, add 3/4 cup finely-ground pecan meal when adding the potato chips. ( RG780 )

Oh! I almost forgot! The Ranch Cookbook from The Ranch at Ojai, California. They had a vegetarian onion soup mix that was great! I've been looking for it -- it belonged to an old employer, so I no longer have access to the book. I should have written it down!

I always, on the day after Thanksgiving, throw the carcas into a pot with a couple of cups of chicken broth, a bunch of water, and onions, celery and carrots. I let it simmer for a couple of hours, throw in -- gasp! frozen "country" vegetables and canned tomatoes, a couple of bay leaves and a nice bunch of thyme. When the veggies are done I toss in cooked, drained pasta (this year some wonderful pasta rings that held up very well). Pleanty of salt and fresh black pepper. Very comforting. Very rich. And since the day after Thanksgiving is always a Friday, and the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown Friday night, I always have an easy soup. Actually, I always invite guests for that Shabbat because dinner -- soup and a turkey potpie -- are so easy, I can spend extra time on a great dessert. This year it was a persimmon babka. More than you wanted to know, I know.

Well then, let's not discuss Winter Months if we ever chance to meet. I just spent five minutes trying to pronounce it to your liking and I have failed miserably. I am afraid that it comes out feb-uh-wary every time. I do not however say Illuhnoise or Hiwayuh, so we can discuss states of the Union if you wish

February! There's an R in there! "Feb-u-ary" is like taking a bleeping rake across a blackboard. I have spent time in France, but I am certain there are plenty -- nay, MANY -- French words I do not pronounce correctly. And I would be most appreciative of a well-intentioned lesson in pronounciation. What I don't need is someone who looks down on me, snorts, say's "of course" and walks away to talk about me behind my back, while all the while hoping to suck an extra buck out of my wallet. I rarely pay extra for condescension. The best menus are those which give the guest a choice. Difficult to do with wines, but easy with food. Beche-de-mer can be described as sea cucumber, soubise as a creamy onion sauce.

I use a quality Almond Extract. If dipping, I then use almond as a garnish. I also have used half vanilla and half almond, which is a nice, round flavor. The chemistry of Marshmallow really limits you on what you can do, and since I'm afraid I am science-impaired, I haven't tried anything more exciting. The almond and the almond/vanilla are both excellent in hot cocoa -- something that is on my mind today, with the 5-degree wind chill!

Can you imagine being a member of the waitstaff there? Anyone who waits tables knows they have to deal with prima donas every day, but this place sounds like they recruit the uber-prima-donas. (Ooh -- gratuitous mixing of foreign languages. The editor in my wife would rear its ugly head and start yelling at me.) I wonder what these guys are over-compensating for? Anyway, I'm not even the least bit interested in dining there. I picture the place full of middle-aged impotent white men with their 23 year-old-trophy wives taking out their perverse domination fantasies on the service personel whose only wish is to provide good service, earn a living, and go home.

Last night I was eating alone, so I made a quick salad with ginger dressing, some steamed carrots, and an omelette. As I was wisking the eggs, my eyes lit on my jar of Furikake. So, on a whim, I poured the eggs into the skillet, the sprinkled on a liberal dose of Furikake. MOST yummy. I just recently found Furikake, and reading all the varieties made my mouth water. I love dashi, so I'm going to look for Furikake with bonito. My wife will love the salmon flake. I'll just have to hunt around Chicago looking for more varieties! Tomorrow I'm going to have rice, egg, and Furikake for breakfast. I'm drolling just thinking about it!

Bernard Clayton's Pastry book. While a difficult one to read as a novel, as I am prone to do with cookbooks, it is so incredibly detailed and an ease to work with.

Proffered as an indy flick! Project Name: "Cafe au Lait" A film noir piece set at a window table in Chicago's famed Ann Sather's Belmont Avenue restaurant in 1985, "Cafe au Lait" is a story of love found and love lost -- all over a bottomless cup of coffee. The sepia-toned photography is augmented with a soundtrack including Etta James "At Last", The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody", Cass Elliot's "Dream a Little Dream" and Vicki Carr's "It Must Be Him". Danny Young, a twenty-something gay avante guard artist who also doubles as a waiter, is on a date of sorts with Elaina -- a smalltown girl at once both naive and experienced in the ways of the world. Men have used her for physical gratification, but Elaina longs to be loved. Danny has taken a liking to Elaina and worries that others are taking advantage of her. They talk of relationships, outlining the worst love has thrown at them. Danny tells Elaina she shouldn't sell herself short -- that she deserves a man who will treat her with love and respect. Elaina assumes he is interested in her and daydreams of being loved by someone who values rather than uses her. Danny begins to talk about his art and how it requires him to look closely at life and to see what others might not see at first glance. As they talk, Danny pours cream into his coffee and, without stirring, brings to Elaina's attention the turbulent world of beauty made by combining the coffee and cream. Having noticed this beautiful dance in his cup, he vows never to stir his coffee, if only to preserve the fleeting beauty for one more moment. Elaina sees combining the coffee and cream as a sexual metaphor and makes her intentions clear. Danny is surprised by her assumption and tries to let her down easilly, telling her that he isn't interested in a sexual relationship with her, but rather a friendship. When she contiues to try to seduce him, he tells her he is gay. She is offended, hurt, and humiliated. Before leaving the restaurant she picks up her spoon, stirs Danny's coffee, and rushes out into the rainy night, leaving Danny to contemplate beauty and loss. To drown his sorrows in a cup of coffee with cream.

I have no shame. If I'm gonna binge, it's going to be high in fat, salt, and things that have little relationship to food occuring in nature. For me it's the extra-large bag of fried (crunchy) Cheetos! With a quart of milk. Man, that's living. As Cartman would say, "Hey! I want my Cheesy Poofs!"

Oh, Man! I'm sorry your first experience sucked. NO! Injera is not bland or tasteless. It is, however spongy. It is tangy and yeasty and should taste slightly fermented, which it is. I love almost everything to be found on an Ethiopian menu. I am particularly fond of vegetables and legumes and find myself more and more skipping over the lamb and fish and heading straight for the vegetarian tastings. I especially love cabbage and potatoes the way they are prepared at Addis Ababa in Chicago! (Sorry, I've not spent time in the Pacific Northwest.) Regardless of what you order, the flavors should never be one-dimensional! They should be robustly seasoned -- they should make your mouth sing! One look at an authentic Ethiopian recipe would leave you dumbfounded by the volume of spices used! I had one recipe which called for 1 cup of the spice mixture! Go to the Blue Nile. Ask your server to guide you through the menu and point you towards their specialties. And I hope you enjoy yourself AND the food! Be sure to report back.