hathor

Roasted little birdies. I'm not sure of the legality of this dish either, some people here in Umbria say its OK, others say it is certainly illegal. But, a local restaurant that shall go un-named served tiny, roasted song birds. We didn't know what they were until they came to the table, our premises being any meat on stick should be tried (spiedini). They were absolutely delicious. I didn't eat the heads, but my dining partners did with relish.

-Get LIVE trout -Grab and dunk in boiling court bouillon. Or is it water? and according to Escoffier you'll have what is called Blue Trout . Ok, this might be a little too simplified but as I remember it that is what is involved in the process especially the LIVE fish. Elie ← Wait...so you don't gut the fish first? Just dunk it in the boullion? I'm all for serving a whole fish, but that seems a bit much....

Adam, what does 'blueing process' mean? That trout looks lovely. Did you catch that fly fishing?? I firmly believe that NO ONE ever really catches trout that way....

Cool! I'll be in until around 7PM so I hope he makes it before then and has a chance to ask for me. I'd love to say hello and chat with him about other dining options. ← Hello Katie! We may crash happy hour in a few minutes if you don't mind. We are in Philly to have dinner with our son and his girlfriend. As always, you are a font of info on the Philly dining scene!

Ciao Cakewalk! I just bought some 'fetal' purple and green cauliflowers at Chelsea Market. 15th St and 9th Ave. Meaning they were little bitty baby cauliflowers. Have fun!!

Welcome home and welcome back to the kitchen! A little culture shock?? A little market frustration??

Ore: Cinghiale is dead right about bringing in food. Its the "Bonnie and Clyde" method of importing: sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you get caught and pay the price. Taco Bell!! Ore!!!

You have a 20 foot deep pantry???? In Manhattan that would be a one bed room!

Fabulous! Even the wines! What exactly is 'gammon'? What lucky guests to be invited to this feast! ciao!

Dear Jerkhouse: depends on how hungry you are. Certainly won't kill you. Some people like it, some don't. 'Course some people eat fish skin too.....

I can honestly say, its not everyone who has brined stags tongues hanging out in the pantry. My, what a quandry!! You definetely need something green and crunchy there...whatever looks good in the market is my guess. Wish I was in Scotland to barge in on this feast! Ciao!

Blind enthusiasm checking in! I was recently introduced to the Verdichhio dei Jesi that is mentioned upthread. Its fabulous... I can still taste it on my tongue. Bit flinty, fruity, crispy. Excellent with some fish. There are also some lovely Grechetto's from Umbria that are outstanding paired with fish. More enthusiasm than tech knowledge....

I'm back in the land of high speed internet...whew! Boy, you don't look at this thread for a few days and its just amazing what it going on! Great food everywhere. Behemoth: try using the left over braised meat as a ravioli stuffing. Last night was a small Oscar party which was far more entertaining than the actual Oscars! Veal saltimoboco, roast cauliflower, roast fennel and some crispy green beans. Followed be a green salad and some pecorino with a killer mustardo (sp?). Then some strawberries in balsamic. Yum. Last week, we were in our weekly local market and the fish man was there. Now in Umbria the fish man is considered exotic and somewhat dangerous. Its the land of meat, what can I say. Anyway, we struck up a conversation, and one thing led to another and we went home with a mountain of little bitty fishes. They cooked up into one of the best tasting mixed fish plate I have ever had. And here's the little guys:

Buon viaggio!! Have a wonderful, wonderful time!! Needless to say I'm craving that pesce right about now. ciao!!

Andiesenji and Shalmanese, thank you. What you are saying makes sense. I wanted to run this by some more knowledgeable people than myself because I really don't want to do it again. It was impressive and scary. Thank you.

But, why did the lemon juice cause the fat to vaporize? Unusually high heat? Steam heat?

I had an odd thing happen the other day, and thought I'd check in with the more scientific crowd here: I was sauteing some pork chops, as I've done 100,000 times before, plain chops, little bit of olive oil and thyme. When the chops are done, I squeeze some fresh lemon juice over them while still in the pan and then serve. Only this time, when I squirted the lemon juice, the whole pan went 'woosh' up in flames as if I had poured in cognac or some 100 proof whiskey. So, my question is, why did the lemon juice spontaneously ignite?

Kevin, everything looks wonderful as usual! The scallop frittata really looks yummy. And as far as my being patient...patience is a virtue, and no one has ever accused me of being virtuous!! That's the beauty of cooking, there is always something new to try, just around the bend!

Sitting here in a snowstorm in Italy, that gumbo is looking mighty exotic....I'm a long and hungry way away from andouille. Wonder if some sort of smoked pancetta would work... man, those gumbos looked good!!!! I'd love to try the turducken or ballontine or even a pate` for the next round.

Divinia: I checked US Customs regs in the past few months and parmesan is OK to bring in (hard, cured cheese are ok). For now. But Ore: I've seen weeping people have their sausages and salumi taken away at the customs counter...so think about this. Unless your socks are really smelly.... Yesterday we wound up in Norcia, salumi and pancetta heaven. We brought a few different types home, but there was enought there to make your head spin!!

Do not be intimidated! Adam is only in Tuscany!! You are all over in Italy...at least in spirit. Anchovies, onion and parsely may not be photogenic, but they are mighty tasty! Where are we next month??

So that's what that is!! I've been seeing it at the market, but its too bloody cold here right now to stand around chatting about it!!! Will keep an eye out. Thanks.

I just printed out this whole discussion so I can make some notes, as I've been similiarly confused. A question: what exactly is guincale? My gigantic dictionary only mentions pillow, and the prosciutto pictured in my book does not resemble a pillow in the least. Many thanks for all the good info!

Great dinners all around... Pattimw can I get a paraphrase recipe on the sage croutons? They sound yummy. And that stampot (sp?) looks really interesting! Valentines day was at a friends house who has lots of Thai and Indonesian chilis, so I guess the 'red' inspiriation was a lot of chilis! Last night we had an Italian chef over for dinner...so I thought I'd cook some American flavors, which by the way, do not taste the same using Italian ingredients. Primi: Quick saute of shrimp with lots of garlic, chili and spices finished with lemon Secondi: roast quail with a deep, rich bbq sauce, celery root puree, brussel sprouts made Pennslyvania Dutch style (with onions and sort of sweet/sour), and roasted cauliflower because it seemed only right to turn another person onto the fabled roasted cauliflower. Followed by insalata with a roasted pear and gorgonzola served with a lovely desert wine: Panatelleria. Ok. so by the salad we were going a wee bit French and then I found some of the chocolates we collected in Venice so it was definetly fusion food by the time we got to the espresso!

mmmmm....rossinis..... now, those I got to taste in Venice! The meal looks fabulous, as usual. Carini ravioli! (what's a cardoon?)