Sandra Levine

Too late for this year for you, but I made an Italian-Jewish-style vegetable "lasagne" from Joan Nathan's Jewish cooking in America that uses soaked matzos to stand in for the pasta, so it's starch and vegetable all in one dish.

I, too, have been away many years. As others have said, it is because of Steve, through eGullet, that I made many new acquaintances, some of whom have become real friends. Steve gave so much to so many people. He did not have a long life, but it was a rich one. My condolences to Ellen and PJ.

Risotto also tells you when it's done.

I had the same problem -- The dough would expand and come apart. But, as you say, they were very flaky, tasty cookies. I like the rugelach dough much better, if I can just figure out how to hold them together. ← Be very careful not to overfill. After the hamantaschen are formed, and egg-washed, and on the cookie sheet, try putting the whole sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes of so before baking.

I think the difference between the two is the amount of sugar, marzipan having more than almond paste, but it could be the other way 'round. I think you could substitute, being mindful of any adjustments you may need to make on the basis of sweetness or, possibly, dryness.

How about something along the lines of "What I'm drinking (fill in the blank) isn't in the price range you requested, but (fill in appropriate blank) would be. I don't see the point of trying to blame a service issue of upselling on the customer.

My mother made only one dish, but she meant to learn to cook, and she had a copy of The Settlement Cookbook, 25th ed., 1943, with recipes that she wrote out on little pieces of paper and stuck in the book. The only page that shows any sign of use is the one with the recipe for banana cake, her specialty.

Is this the same website that eliminated off-topic chat? Oh, I see. It's the eGullet Literary Review, not the forums.

I've had a classic Waring with the four-lobed 1-qt. glass jar for over 20 years. A few months ago, it started screeching and I began to think about a replacement. One day, though, I turned it on without the jar in place and the motor sounded fine. I got a new jar and blade assembly et, voila -- everything old is new again. I still can't figure out what happened to the old jar, but it had something to do with the dishwasher.

I chop up the tentacles and mix them with feta, bread crumbs, parsley and oregano. It's important to stuff very lightly, because the filling expands.

Thank you. The best part was finding the original plans at the Art Commission. They are among the most beautiful architectural drawings I've ever seen.

That would be a wonderful adaptive re-use of this building. FYI, I did much of the historic architectural research for the restoration of the building.

In New York, beer can be sold in grocery stores and supermarkets, but not wine. Food cannot be sold in wine/liquor stores. What does the state have against a picnic?

Maybe in France, but in the U.S., they were served at the 1904 World's Fair. Nathan's opened its hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916.

I bought my K5A in 1977. It needed an adjustment once, but it's still going strong and I'm an enthusiastic baker.

Great Grandma Gussie's rice pudding is very different from the usual creamy pudding. It's firm all the way through, more like a cake.

There have been many wonderful blogs, but this one may be the best ever.

I'm so glad you are doing this, Sara. I've always been a fan of yours and have felt for some time that you deserved better.

I've never made this nor have I ever been served it, nor would I eat it if it were served to me. Mac 'n cheese is another story altogether and my love for it led to eGullet in the first place.

We almost always stay home, and drink champagne with a late supper of something like lox, onions and eggs or baked macaroni. This year we will be spending a long weekend on Cape Cod and going to my sister-in-law's party, at which she will no doubt serve a baked ham and pommes anna.

No respectable bagel is boiled in sweetened water. Neither would it have sugar in the dough. The slight sweetness in a real bagel comes from malt, not sugar. It's hard to find a real bagel nowadays.

Those cakes are fabulous!

I really appreciate the honesty of the professionals who admit to using mixes, and confirming something I've long suspected.

Glass of iced tea or Perrier. "Drinkers" have a glass of chardonnay or white zin, with ice cubes in it. Salad, salad, salad, with dressing on the side. If one is feeling decadent, something from the bread basket, with a little olive oil. Any protein is lean -- broiled fish with lemon. One dessert per six lunchers, and it is NEVER to be finished. Anyone who eats pasta, anything with fat in it, or (horrors) orders her own, separate, dessert, is talked about behind her back when she goes to the restroom. The above meal takes at least 2 1/2 hours. ← That would be a rather hearty lunch for the social x-rays. I remember reading about the ladies pretending to eat, but really spitting the food into their napkins. The linen and laundry bills for restaurants "catering" to the social set were enormous.

It's a status symbol. The "respect" you get is not for your foodiness, but for the contents your wallet.