hathor

....mmmmm...... looks mighty good! I like the looks of the frico!

Thanks Heidihi! Bulk is an issue, I do need to figure out what I'm willing to carry around. I know..or at least I think I know that I want to step up from point and shoot, but I'm not sure how much convience I'm willing to sacrifice. Decisions! Decisions! I think the Canon d10 or d20 is overkill for me...not to mention pricey. I'm still researching..so, I'll check back in with questions, if that's ok!

We were still on the soft food diet over the weekend due to our son getting his 4 wisdom teeth out...poor boy! Friday night: classic osso bucco (when our son was little he would ask me to make 'that soft meat" . I couldn't find any orzo at the market, so I wound up with 'fegola' a Sardian pasta. It looks like big bread crumbles, but its a pasta. Anyone know anything about this pasta? Can't say we loved it... Saturday night: full table of family and friends Aperitif: Caiparinia's...mmmmm!!! Way too good! Saffron risotto with asparagus (speaking of at home sous chef...I spent years training my son's girlfriend to sous...now they are just friends..all that training..but she was there on Sat night and was in charge of stirring the risotto and did a fine job! ) Gigantic platter of chicken in garlic sauce with garlic, onions, vinegar peppers and sauteed spinach. We tried to take photos but my camera is just a piece of junk!! Mixed green salad with blood orange dressing. Lots of Spanish wines...although we had a really young Sangiovese with the risotto that was just perfect.

My current camera is driving me...directly to the camera store! Does anyone have anything to say about the Canon EOS Rebel? Nikon d70 might be overkill for me....but the Powershot might be enuf. Then again if it passes th tanabutler test...who am I to argue??

Alberto: excellent info on mugwort! Recently read how "artisinal absinthe" is making a comeback. jpdchef: exactemente! It was Cuban oregano. Highly recommend this if anyone else ever comes across it. Very unique flavor.

Took me 5 minutes to figure out that micro poaching meant microwave, so I"m definetly in. Last night was cholesterol and protein overload...our son was going to the oral surgeon for some teeth extractions, so he wanted a 'last meal'. Poor boy! Filet mignon with lots of bernaise sauce (way too time consumming...you know the prep to pleasure ratio? very skewed) Sauteed green beans spritzed with key lime "Farmhouse" potatoes: boiled in boullion with their skins and finished with a glob butter and mustard...sort of a rough mash. Some very good red wine...Australian shiraz.

OK, I'll bite: what's mugwort?? I thought that was like a Harry Potter made up word! Speaking of oregano: has anyone else come across a variety of oregano that is very large (5 times normal oregano leaves) leaf, curly, varigated, bit hairy and very...sturdy. I bought some in the NY market..and dried it. Incrediblely pungent flavor.

Alberto has said it all. The only other thing I do is to keep some basil on the windowsill and nuture it along. OK, so then its just a little accent flavor, but at least its reminder of better weather to come.

Nice lemon cookies Pam! Last night was a big Sunday supper: Roast chestnut ravioli with butter/sage and more chestnuts. Delicious...but so rich. Pan roast pork chops finished with thyme and key lime juice...and a little bit of the cheese stuffing from the roasted tomatoes. Vegetables: crispy zucchini strips, sauteed radicchio (how do you spell that??), roasted sweet onions, and stuffed cherry tomatoes (gruyere, garlic, shallots, rosemary) Full bellies all around!

Try this review that was in the New York Times: Digital Camers

If "signature dish" = comfort food, then I guess its spaghetti bolognese. If its most requested its steak au poivre. And the most requested vegetable is a roasted cauliflower in white sauce. Go figure!

Howdy, Bob. Welcome. (I live very near to Gilroy, myself.) Wanna try my recipe for garlic bread? Ultimate Garlic Bread concoction Mix in a smallish bowl with a fork: 1 stick butter, softened A few cloves of crushed/minched fresh garlic Grated parmesan cheese (about 2 TBL.) Italian Seasoning (less than 1 TSP.) Slather thickly on slices of (preferably) Alfaro's 4-Seed Sour (a local bread, but do your best), and broil until the butter and cheese are molten, and barely golden brown. - - - - - - - - - - Give it a try and let me know what your wife thinks. I ← Ahh!! Cheesy Bread!! As it is fondly refered to by my son and his friends...we do a variation on this using olive oil instead of butter, and adding some chopped chili peppers to the mix. YUM. Last night we had an honored guest for dinner, so we had delicious lobsters. Simple salad and potatoes. Ice cream for desert. Classic Americana!

Rosemary foccacia. I'm incapable of controlling myself. And the pignoli cake..mmmm...... Its a wonderful place.

I am currently available for left over consumption. That sounds really good!

What fun! Now for the questions: a) how/where are you going to get the ingredients? b) where are you posting from? c) what on earth is backwards braising?? My imagination is running wild! d) do you have a camera? photos would be nice.

Dumb question: where do you get the syringes? Aren't they 'controlled"?

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So much depends on where you will be and where you will be staying. Most hotels/albergos will have some sort of buffet type breakfast which usually includes some breads, cheeses, fruits, salami, etc. I've never seen steel cut oats... My advice for fun is to seek out a local bar and have your coffee there. Head to the piazza. That's where you get to 'take the temperature' of the town, so to speak. Who is friendly with who, whose big dog is that anyway...etc. etc. Very communal way to start the day. Some of the older gentlemen like a little sweet wine in the morning. There is nothing so comforting as being absorbed into the sights and smells and sounds as town comes awake. Brunch ruins your appetite for lunch. No cappucino after 11:00 a.m. the milk ruins your taste buds. Lunch is a not something to be missed. Have fun!!

OH,Pan...things have changed dramatically in 17 1/2 years. You wouldn't recognize the Star Ferry if you saw it now. There's a Starbucks.....

Many thanks for sharing!! I am sooo missing Hong Kong food now! It is without a doubt one of the finest eating cities in the world.

I'm sorry...but I have to disagree with you on this one. Our last trip there was one of those full blown nightmares that you can only laugh about. And one thing is certain: the waiters should not assume that they are the only ones who speak Italian. Good lord! Details can be provided if you're interested. But Balthazar and Chez Jacqueline are good examples of tried and true, in my very humble opinion.

Thanks to this thread, I got a fancy-dancy immersion blender. What a wonderful toy! Nothing was safe.... I diced, whipped and beat everything I could get my hands on. Excellent fun...! I also got new tongs. Can you imagine your faithful, trusted tongs up and dying on you?? New tongs are nice, but they haven't stood the test of time yet.

Speaking of spectacular flying coffee grounds: anyone ever use a Mokka at altitude?? When we ski in Utah, the base altitude is 8.000+ feet....if you don't let that sucker completely cool down before you unscrew it, the results are truly spectacular!! Think 'dirty bomb'..... Actually...opening a bottle of seltzer up there is also pretty entertaining...

I've been told the way to engage the sense of sound at a meal, is to click glasses with your dining parnter. Works for me.