LaNiña

evoo overpowers all but the most strongly flavored greens. what's the point?

I'm in love with a salad from "Fusion Food Cookbook" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison. It's called something like salad with candied walnuts and goat cheese. It's a major hit whenever I make it. I can't post it, right?

great minds think alike.

Or how about places that allow you to *feel* like you could have a private moment, even if not necessarily private... aka...places to play, er, footsie.

Sometimes I use canola oil and a little walnut oil - that may be my favorite. Although I do use non-virgin olive oil too...I'll try the grapeseed.

I shared a bottle of 1998 Jannasse this evening. Delicious.

How does it compare to Patsy's on E. 117th St?

A happy and a healthy and many more.

My favorite salad in the world is mache, thinly sliced radishes, and a classic vinaigrette made with NOT VIRGIN olive oil, and red wine vinegar, NOT balsamic.

I keep reading here and there that the '99 Brunellos are gonna be a huge hit, like the '97s, but obviously are cheaper now, and not yet available - but can be pre-ordered. Opinions on that?

berries. so often when i buy blueberries, they taste bad. and rasberries are almost always spoiled, at least the bottom layer...maybe that has to do with freshness, but it's SO common...

woof. arf. yap.

Oh FG, you're so tricky

Are we talking food cooked at home, or food cooked "professionally?"

Copeland Marks' "Sephardic Cooking" has a section on Indian Jewish cooking, and his "Varied Kitchens of India" has some Indian Jewish stuff as well. I have some recipes from Jewish Indian families that were handed down to me by the women in an ex's family (he's a Jew from Bombay, family is in Israel now, as are most of the world's Indian Jews). If anyone's interested, I'll dig them out.

I just hang up the sprigs to dry, then pull the leaves off when it's dry. Sorta like drying flowers.

Pasta with Zucchini and mint sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 90 grams butter 3 medium zucchini -- grated 250 grams cream cheese 1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup milk 1 clove garlic -- crushed 1/2 cup fresh mint sprigs 250 grams fresh pasta Heat butter in pan, add zucchini, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until zucchini are just soft. Blend or process cheeses, milk garlic and mint until smooth. add to zucchini mixture, stir gently until heated through. Add pasta to large saucepan of boiling water, boil, uncovered until just tender; drain. Return to saucepan, gently stir in zucchini mixture. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Serving Ideas : extra parmesan cheese

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Mint and Garlic on Spaghetti 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves, or more to taste 3/4 pound spaghetti In a large skillet, place the garlic and 2 talespoons of the oil. Cook over low heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until the garlic is golden, about 10 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick but chunky and some tomato liquid still remains, about 10 minutes. Turn of the heat and season with the salt, pepper and mint. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Reheat the sauce over moderate heat. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with a third of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the spaghetti; toss lightly and serve.

How about some pesto, with a nice amount of mint added? Make some mint ice tea, how about some mojitos...

Seems like I hear about lots of events when it's too late for me to go because of conflicts or sell-outs...I'd love it if people would share information about tastings and wine dinners and classes, etc. in the NYC area. Thanks.

Simon, do add the optional fresh dill.

The white was Austrian,one of Gluckstern's. http://wineavenger.com/otonella.htm

What was that you said about it being time for bed last night, FG?

The rose was a 2002 Mas des Bressades, Costieres de Nimes. And we were on the #7 train for all of 15 minutes. Big whoop, as the say in Joisey. The raw shrimp is nothing like a ceviche. In a ceviche, the seafood is marinated in lemon/lime juice and essentially "cooked" by the acid. In the dish we had today, the raw shrimp is tossed in as the salad is being made, which is after it's ordered. The shrimp is raw. Maybe that's why it's called raw shrimp salad, hmmm. We also had a mussell omelette, one of my favorites, some papaya salad (spicier than the shrimp salad), bbq chicken, sticky rice, coconut rice, ground pork with broad noodles, and something else I can't remember right now. Oh yeah, and the marvelous coconut drinks they serve - nothing quenches the heat (spice, I mean) better than that. As Slaphappy said, "it's quite the sensation."

I never ever use pre-mixed curry powder, and any Indian cookbook worth its spice would never include it in a recipe.