robyn

A decorating idea. Martha Stewart does a Christmas line for KMart that's all shades of blue + silver + white. Works fine for both holidays. Robyn

that's classic i assume you are referring to shun lee west on W 65th? shun lee WEST, not the awful shun lee PALACE on the eastside, may be the best chinese restaurant in the city, & to characterize as boring signifies a lack of familiarity with the varied number of interesting selections on their menu ranging from mild-to-spicy; or using another criteria - every nite, 7 nites a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year, year-after-year; shun lee has a filled restaurant with both regulars, & newcomers who ALL seem to turn into regulars. to even compare with saigon grill is particularly odd, these 2 are not in the same chinese ballpark. additionally, the much EG- touted grand sichian is very good, but not in the same league as shun lee west! ← I'm not from New York - but I've enjoyed the dim sum at Shun Lee Cafe on several occasions (first found the place on a trip to NYC when I wanted dim sum - but didn't feel like going all the way down to Chinatown to get it). Most recently (last month) - my husband and I hosted a post-bar mitzvah family lunch for about 15 there. Not the best dim sum in the world - but very good. And the service was gracious and attentive. Note that I haven't been to Shun Lee Palace for perhaps 15 years - maybe 20. Didn't like it last time I went . Robyn P.S. Regarding price - it was about $30/person including tip this last trip. But we had a lot of large young men who ate about twice as much as my husband and I usually eat. When we've gone there alone - it's usually about $20/person. Chinatown is cheaper (minus cab fare) - and sometimes better - but it's not always convenient to go there for a "dim sum" fix.

Gourmet Magazine had an article about the silicone pastry brushes and it featured some pretty fancy ones. Couldn't find those here where I live - but I did pick up one at Bed Bath & Beyond - a Pyrex model - for $4.99. Has a short handle - but otherwise is terrific. Another cool thing I bought for myself is a bulb baster which has a flat bottom (so it sits on the bottom and doesn't mess up your counter). You can buy it at the MOMA store - but I picked it up for a few dollars less at Broadway Panhandler. Not one drop on the counter when I was through basting the turkey. Robyn

I wouldn't put someone down for reading good books (or trying to learn anything else) just because she doesn't know how to ask for them properly. Every journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. Imagine if people here adopted that attitude if someone was trying to learn about cooking or eating . Robyn

I do not keep Kosher - so I make a brisket and a (not too sweet) noodle kugel. I've had these recipes for so many years I don't even know where I got them from - but they're good . Don't have to polish the menorah (it's base metal - but I bought it in Israel - so it has special memories). Have to put up the outdoor lights - blue and white - and the Chanukah flag (we live in a big holiday lights/flags for every occasion neighborhood - I'm the only Jewish person on the block - and I like to advertise it ). And we'll be flying to Arizona for a long weekend to visit my brother and his family. Should be a great holiday! Robyn

Just in general - I'm not sure what a "starter knife" is. What kind of knife are you looking for? We have a bunch of knives (although no Shun knives) - and the 2 best knives we've bought in the last few years are a Santoku and an offset utility knife. Use them more than we would have imagined. I have *extremely* small hands (like kid's hands) and my favorite handle style is the Henckels 4 Star. Note that the Wusthof Grand Prix has been discontinued (it's GP II now) - and the handles on those knives are too big for me. My husband has larger hands - he likes larger knife handles - and he can also handle larger knives than I can. I think it's all very personal - and you should definitely "try on" a knife for size before you buy it. Robyn P.S. The single best thing we do with our knives is get them sharpened professionally about once a year.

← I agree - and disagree. Mostly because comfort foods vary in these days of really extended families. For example - I can't bring my fabulous corn chowder (with the fat back) over to my brother's house (most people there eat kosher). And my root veggie puree doesn't go over great with my husband's family because it's not mashed potatoes. But you know something - I made Thanksgiving for 12 this year (my husband's family) - and I made the foods that I like best on Thanksgiving. MY comfort foods. Only deviations were 1) I made a pork tenderloin instead of a turkey because the family ate turkey at noon at the nursing home with my father-in-law; 2) I made creamed onions - which I hate - and apple pie - which isn't my favorite - because my father-in-law asked for them. But they were add-ons to all of MY favorites (I wound up cooking for 3 days to make it all). And tonight there's a small turkey in the oven so I can have my traditional turkey leg to go with all the leftovers. By the way Angela - I don't think that a cheese course goes with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I'm not sure why. It just doesn't in my opinion. Although it's absolutely perfect for New Year's (in fact that's what I eat New Year's - a huge fruit and cheese plate - who has room for anything else after all that cheese ?) Robyn

I'm not sure what's wrong with this - unless the operative word is "insist" when the people sitting next to you don't want to chat (some people like to chat - others don't). My husband and I travel a fair amount - and - over the years - we've had some terrific conversations with couples/people sitting next to us. Best I can recall is an almost 3 hour conversation with another couple at a fancy restaurant in London - they were both doctors - we're both lawyers - and we had a great time discussing the medical and legal systems in the US and the UK. Robyn

I can't speak for Japanese customs - but all kinds of oranges and similar citrus fruits (like Clementines) are a traditional stocking stuffer for many families in the United States (including my husband's family). Perhaps the custom orginated at a time when oranges were relatively scarce - and a special treat. And - of course - the citrus harvest season in Florida begins a little before Christmas (depending on the citrus variety). By the way - I'm enjoying this thread. I live in north Florida - and one of the neighborhoods here is called Mandarin - because there used to be lots of Mandarin orange groves there (Mandarin oranges are one of the few citrus fruits that can be grown in north Florida). I don't think I've ever seen a Mandarin orange in a supermarket here - but I will be on the lookout for them. Robyn

Perhaps the difference is that tomatoes have a fair amount of liquid content. I bought the Kitchenaid - and it seems reasonably powerful. But when you're working with a bowl full of totally solid stuff - without liquid - you're kind of working an inch at a time. It's not the right time of year - but it seems like a good tool for making gazpacho. Have to laugh - I'm dog tired (maybe some of you are too). Do you watch Desperate Housewives? The character who steals Ritalin from her friend's kids? That's what I feel like now - except I'm popping licorice Jelly Bellies . Robyn

Hi Angela (Angela and I go way back - and I lured her to eGullet - she's a terrific cook ). It's not a parsnip puree - it's a rutabagas/turnip/parsnip/sweet potato/carrot puree . And I found that the immersion blender won't turn 7 pounds of these veggies into a puree . So I had to go through my old routine - first the food mill - then a quick spin in the food processor. Doesn't sound too bad - but it's bad - because I have to do multiple batches when I'm making so much. My kitchen winds up looking like some people were having a food fight. Oh well - at least I got the messiest thing out of the way today. Tomorrow is soup and pie and a couple of veggies day. I'm making a corn chowder - which usually has chunks of potatoes in it. I wonder if it would be more elegant if I gave the immersion blender a whirl? Perhaps I'll experiment with a little and see what happens. Or maybe I shouldn't mess with a Julia Child recipe. Robyn

But health insurance companies can and do charge higher premiums (or deny coverage) for people whose health profiles make them higher risk (everything from people who have high blood pressure - to people who smoke - to people who are fat - etc.). Robyn

Sounds good to me. I don't know what Panera is but i think I assumed it was some kind of artison sandwich. I think we mostly agree on things. I was thinking a higher fat/higer cal "real" meal is more often than not a better "deal" than McAnything, nutrionally. aesthetically and spiritually. Robyn writes: Farmers markets? At least it's somewhat better. UFW-picked fruits and vegetables form California?... ← Panera is a chain - mostly soup and sandwiches. I took a quick look at the UFW website. The UFW doesn't seem to cover too many companies. I suspect the Teamsters is a much larger player. Florida (where I live) is pretty much a non-union state. And as labor problems mount in agriculture - the response has generally been 2-fold: 1) try to get technology to do the work of manual laborers; or 2) switch to crops that are less labor-intensive. As for farmers markets - I don't have a problem with them - but the stuff that's grown locally where I live isn't particularly varied - mostly cabbage and potatoes. The local farmers markets tend to sell the same stuff that's sold in grocery stores. Robyn

Mandatory posting of nutritional information in all restaurants? There are big legal obstacles unless you apply the law equally to all restaurants. Robyn

So what food do you buy where the people who produce it are well-paid and well-off? BTW - I don't think Paul Prudhomme eats crummy food - but he goes around in one of those motorized carts - the kind that only older sicker people used to use (but now lots of younger fat people use them). Robyn

What would the holidays be without a new kitchen toy or two? Bought an immersion blender. I know the obvious things I can do with it (like puree a soup) - but what about the things I'd never think of? Robyn

Perhaps the people here have access to such information - but if you read through lots of messages in lots of threads - there's a disturbing message to be found in quite a few. A lot of people who write messages here are overweight. Now you're a doctor (although I don't know what kind - hopefully not a PhD in music in light of your medical statements ). And we both know that it's not in the cards for most people to look like Twiggy. On the other hand - even for people who have a family tendency to carry a few too many pounds (like me and my husband) - there's a range - between looking ok - and being a blimp. And the difference between being at the low end of that range - or the high end - or off the charts - is making personal decisions about what you put in your mouth on a day to day basis. It's the difference between high calorie high fat food being an occasional treat - or what you eat every day. And you know - even if you're thin - eating something like an extreme Atkins diet is bad for you (I have a friend who basically ate lean meat most of the time - he looked great - but wound up with hideous diverticular disease/colostomy at age 40 from lack of fiber in his diet). So I think it's important for adults to exercise self-restraint - and to eat sensibly. And it's doubly important for adults to impose that sense of restraint on their children. And if their children go to schools where the food is garbage - it's important for them as parents to protest and take whatever actions are appropriate so their children don't eat garbage most of the time. I don't see any reason why schools should accept money from outfits like Coca Cola so we can pay lower property taxes. Robyn

The major problem I have with these "media events" is that the problem isn't only MacDonald's - or fast food - it's that high fat high calorie diets are bad for you. Doesn't matter whether you're stuffing your face with a bunch of Big Macs - or a steady diet of traditional "southern food" cooked by the best chef in town - it's too much fat - and too many calories - and frequently much too much salt - as well as little or no dietary fiber. I mean the same people who denounce Big Macs will sing the praises of more "gourmet" type food which is equally bad for you. BTW - the guy in the movie was eating about 5000 calories a day - which is a ridiculous amount of calories for a normal person. I don't have the best eating habits in the world - but a lot of what I see makes me look like a saint. Robyn

Agree that it isn't all black and white. Heck - "gourmet" meals are probably a heck of a lot worse for adults than a Big Mac - but most people don't eat like that day in day out. The most important thing is what you eat most of the time - not what you eat once in a blue moon. I've never been a stickler in terms of eating ingredients that are "organic" - as opposed to simply healthy. I'm not sure if there's a big difference between organic carrots and regular carrots - but it certainly doesn't bother me if someone wants to buy "organic". Robyn

Just wait until it's 6 PM and you're exhausted and don't feel like chopping carrots. You'll remember I said this, Rocks. ← You're right - and it's not only true if you have kids. There are lots of other things in life that are exhausting. But there is that vast middle ground between home delivery pizza and everything made from scratch dinner. It could be a take out roasted chicken (believe it or not - they were 2 for 1 for $5 this week at my local market). With some frozen veggies. Could be salmon salad or egg salad with salad things like tomatoes and cucumbers. Could be pasta with a jar of sauce and a quick side salad. Or a simple soup and sandwich. Or scrambled eggs (we like to eat breakfast for dinner). There are dozens of things you can make that won't get you a blurb in Gourmet magazine - but they won't be totally lousy for you or your kids either. Was just thinking of the soup and sandwich. You know that Campbell's soup is in trouble because people wouldn't take the time to open a can of soup with a can opener - put it in a pot with a can of water - and heat it. So now there are pop-off tops - and soups you don't have to add water to - and soups you can put in the microwave - but cripes - how hard is it to make a can of condensed soup? BTW - if your kids want to eat total junk - don't let them. There are more difficult things in life than telling a 4 year old how to eat (like telling a 60 year old who's bigger than you are how to eat ). And a decent diet begins in the grocery store (if it's not in the house when you're eating at home - you can't eat it). Robyn

The recipe I gave you above has the ingredients for a marinade. At least here in Florida - most people marinate pigs. Robyn

I would suggest that you, or the FDA, would tell me in what part of the duck that temperature is measured. Breast, thigh, leg?? this is very misleading. woodburner ← Won't be me because I like my duck rare (and my burgers too). And I only cook duck breasts. I was just quoting what the government web sites say. Robyn

Actually- the reality is that except for the very young - the very old - and the immuno-compromised - our GI systems are remarkably tough - and will stand up to a lot of of abuse. Which is why thousands of people don't die every Thanksgiving from poor food handling practices at home. Robyn

Duck - for Thanksgiving? Reminds me of that scene in A Christmas Story where the family is forced to eat Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant after the dogs eat the turkey. I will however note that this is a very trendy recommendation (and I am somewhat traditional). By the way - as far as the recipe goes - I have assembled a collection of recipes from newspapers and magazines over the years. I cut out the recipes that look interesting - and then try them. Can't tell you how many I used to discard after one use in earlier years - when I didn't know much about cooking. Recipes that just didn't make sense on their face (although I didn't know enough to know that). Even today - there are plenty of recipes published by some very famous people in some very famous publications (including some very famous expensive cookbooks) that simply do not work (although their failures may not be obvious until you try to make the recipe). So my #1 rule of thumb is never try a new recipe when company is coming - unless it is - for example - one of 4 veggie dishes at Thanksgiving - and I can toss it if it stinks. IOW - I wouldn't be too hard on this particular food writer. There is plenty of blame to go around in the industry (and I'm sure a lot of people who write bad recipes are much better paid than she is). Finally - I would add that it is hard - even for a professional - to cook a whole duck properly. I had duck at Per Se - a whole duck - and all they served was a small portion of the breast. I was told the legs were "inedible" (although I suspect that they perhaps found life as an ingredient in another dish). The first time I cooked a whole duck at home - it was so bad it took my husband 10 years before he let me make duck at home again. It's much much easier to cook a duck breast - and that's what I make at home these days. Robyn P.S. 180 is the government recommended "safe" temperature for duck.

I'm fond of the sweet potato pie on top/pecan pie on the bottom since the former is usually kind of bland and the latter is too sweet/sticky. This is the filling recipe I use: Bake 2 medium sweet potatoes in the oven - cool and peel Combine sweet potatoes and 2 tbsp of butter in mixer. Beat on medium with paddle attachment until smooth. Add 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/3 tsp salt and pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Mix until well combined. Add 1 cup half and half, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Mix until smooth. Sprinkle 3 tbsp light brown sugar and 1/2 cup toasted and roughly chopped pecans evenly over bottom of prepared crust. Pour in filling. Make egg wash of 1 egg and 1 tbsp heavy cream and brush over edge of crust. Bake pie in oven for 30-40 minutes at 375. Cool on wire rack. Serve with whipped cream. By the way - Costco sells pecans at a great price. They're also on sale at lots of grocery stores here now. Robyn