ludja

Wow, this thread has ignited a new culinary passion that must be requited--french style macarons!!!! Anyone know if you can get these in the US besides NY? anywhere near San Francisco per chance? Admissin: I do have a cookbook on French cookies and may have to try my hand at some before I go to Paris next! Delights: is the saffron in the cookie itself or flavored in the buttercream? and thanks (I think ) Swedea for the gorgeous photograph!

My best theme party was a North Carolina BBQ in my Northern California Apt. with deck. Carolina pulled pork was the star (may sound like heresy but I made a good version in my oven). Then, fresh cornbread (could not contemplate hushpuppies for 30!), tomato salad w/home made cider vinegar mayo, collard greens and a black-eyed pea salad. Starters were pimento cheese, spiced pecans and pickled shrimp. Served Mint Juleps to start (with the warning for the unitiated that although it sounds so pretty it packs a wollop). This got the party going and was followed by beer and plenty of sweet tea. For dessert, buttermilk pies with fresh peach sauce and pecan pies (no corn syrup as mentioned on a previous thread). Had music from Southern Culture on the Skids, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dwight Yoakam... The theme was completed as the weather chimed in by holding any fog in check and providing a relatively rare (for the Bay area) scorcher in the high 90's. Most of the people had never been to the South or had Carolina bbq but had a great time! Note: Sure this can't compare with Varmints e-gullet Carolina feast but it was very good!

One of the funniest costume parties I heard about was for the woman to come dressed in "bridemaids dresses" they had from being in weddings. You know, the kind that you can wear for another occasion, wink, wink? Not sure what their dates wore... Also, what would be the food? A mimic of wedding banquet food?

Don't know if there is a Trader Joes near you, but they usually have french lentils du Puy at a very reasonable price. Trader Joes

ay yup! classic to garnish stews/tagines butter sauce for fish sounds great! have also used in a vinagrette over sliced tomatoes, heavenly. Also, great in orzo salad with black olives, olive oil and parsley...

This won't put a huge dent in your embarassment of riches... but could save a few for later use by making preserved lemons (Morroccan style)... I've only made this with Eurkeka lemons but I bet it would be wonderful w/Meyers also. I have a tiny Meyer lemon tree; so I only get a handful per year so far!

L'Ambassade D'Auvergne (3e quartier) great regional food from Auvergne; reasonable prices and nice atmosphere. Be sure someone orders the Aligot (potato puree w/garlic, cream and Cantal cheese). First restaurant we ate at in Paris (we were renting an apartment on the same block). Wonderful!

I agree that Bonny Doone has some very nice wines... Just to clear up though--Essencia Dessert Wine is, I believe, from a winery called "Quady". A dessert wine from Bonny Doon that I do like though, is their "Muscat Vin de Glacier". An 'eis wine' made from grapes that they freeze off the vine in freezers... I've always been intrigued by the Essencia bottles also though; sounds nice to make a zabaione with it!

Elizabeth David's "A Book of Mediterranean Food" & Quick Pickles by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George. Both wonderfully inspiring. Got the pickle book cheap at a book outlet store and it is very good. (reading at least; haven't tried any recipes yet). They also give a lot of interesting suggestions for uses/accompaniements with the pickles. Has some asian style pickles in addition to 'american' style.

For 10 people, you may need to make two, but frittatas may be a good idea. Can make a simple one w/cheese and onions or any variety of vegetables. Marcella Hazan's, "Essential Classics of Italian Cooking" has a lot of ideas. Another good one: frittata w/pan-fried onions and potatoes They're often served at room temp so you may need to have it *warm up* after being in the car!

The haggis/Robbie Burns party would be more authentic, but the haggis/George Burns would probably be more fun! Yeah, a joke-telling round robin accompanied w/cigars and lots 'o haggis!! Guess, I inadvertantly contributed to 'email conversational slumming'....

Thanks Ludja, yes they should be gentians. I got the avatar from a public domain clip art page when I searched under that flower name. I have a fondness for blue, as did one of my favorite authors, D. H. Lawrence, who expressed his enchantment by gentians when he wrote, " Oh, what in you can answer to this blueness?" Thanks TrishCT, I wasn't sure exactly what gentians looked like but kind of guessed based on the beautiful blue color! Lovely quote from DH Lawrence; a favorite author of mine also. I'm a nutmegger also (grew up in New Britain/Middletown) but now am transplanted to N. Ca. I plant lobelias out here each year---they have a similar beautiful deep blue color. (Guess I should mention that I make a tisane or something out of them to keep on 'topic' for egullet---but it wouldn't be true...)

thanks for the link; just listened to it... good scottish friends of ours (up hear in N. Ca) keep promising (threatening?) to have a haggis/George Burns party. I am intrigued to try it!

But there are no bones in sushi. BBbbbBBBbad

Ah yes. The beets at Dmitri's. Fabulous. Did you try the sugar snap peas in tomato sauce with crumbled feta on top? My other favorite vegetable on their menu and something I invariably order when I'm there, along with the beets and the grilled octopus. If vegetables tasted like that all the time, children would eat them . Thanks for the tips for next time on the sugar snap peas and grilled octopus. They didn't have the octopus the night we were there.... Had to *settle* for grilled Greek style bluefish...

Bill Neal in Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie has a wonderful (nearly poetic) discussion and recipe on snow cream. The recipe is similar to some described above. (Wish I could quote it here, but as far as I can tell that would be violating copyright?) His writing has a lot more to it than the recipe, but thought I would summarize that. He recommends placing it lightly in chilled dishes (not packing down). Lightly thicken some cream by whipping with sugar and vanilla. He also mentions in classic Southern style that a '"dose of bourbon in the cream will warm all". He mentions this as a special treat in North Carolina when the occasional snow (not sleet or freezing rain) arrived perfect for making snow cream with his kids.

Buckwheat flour may work. Despite its name, I believe it is gluten free and the texture is similar to flour. It may be worth a try.

Pickled okra...comes in a jar in the pickle section. I just thought if there was a lot of it in the market, I could give it a try. serendipity of sorts--went to the dentist in between visiting this thread and browsed the November issue of Gourmet mag there while waiting. They had a recipe in there for pickeled okra! (they post some of their recipes online so it may be worth a look).

Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed post. I have been generally using a drip maker; and not a huge number of cups. I'll make adjustments next time for a crowd.

Thanks Mayhaw Man. I've just flirted with eating okra (despite living in N. Cackalacky for 5 years) and would like to get over it. It's great to have the classic "O & T" recipe and hints from a master.

ahh, beets. I forgot about that. Disclaimer that my mom was and is a great cook--but the only way she made beets was "harvard beets" using canned specimens. Very sweet and gooey--I didn't hate these as a kid b/c they were sweet but wouldn't like that dish now. Now I love well prepared beets. As an aside, just had an incredible beet dish during a holiday trip to Philly at Dmitri's (great restaurant). It was simply perfectly cooked beets in pretty big chunks with lemon, s&p, oil and red onions....yum.

Mayhaw Man: sorry to ask a perhaps silly question, but how are the okra prepped (if at all)? whole small pods? sliced? does frozen okra make a passable version or should wait for fresh? Thanks!

I've seen some interesting Carribean recipes that sound good but that I haven't tried. Fungi -- basically polenta, add in cooked chopped okra, butter, salt and pepper (I'm thinking the 'slime' may not be an issue here, and for me, that's a good thing) Callaloo -- stew with okra, scotch bonnets, and special greens (but can sub spinach and/or kale). Can also make a crab version. Anyone had or made either of these? I've been intrigued and have heard personal raves on the crab callaloo... I should probably also post this on the Carribean board.

Not sure if I'm reading all the preceding posts correctly, but just to clarify... A common standard is one coffee scoop (2 Tbs) per 6 oz water (which is 3/4 cup of water-not 1 cup). Funny, my mom has always made coffee this standard way, but people that came over would always say how great the coffee was, etc. She doesn't use *fancy* coffee, I just think that many people make it much weaker, don't measure correctly, etc. With a standard drip coffee maker, paper filter, etc. the coffee comes out nice and strong but I would never classify it as inordinately so... but I guess it depends on what you are used to.

olives... (as per a number of people above) because I'd only had canned black olives (ugh) and green stuffed w/pimento (because I didn't drink martini's yet).