Kim WB

For this reason, I cook with Olive Oil, but not EVOO. Many manufacturers produce a "light tasting" olive oil..not lite as in calories, but "light " as in flavor...it is very mild, close to the tastelessness of a vegetable oil..but again, with monosaturated i/o polysaturated. Of course, as mentioned, I agree that any kind of sustained high temperature process like deep frying needs vegetable oil, but for most sautees you can use the healthier option. EVOO is for salad, maybe to drizzle in soups, or for finishing a dish, IMHO.

Helena, this sounds wonderful. Where do you purchase the rabbit sausage? PS, feel better.

Lentil Soup with Porcini mushrooms, on the stove now. Picked up some Black Olive bread at Wegman's I need to make a salad, I'm just going to raid the vegetable bin..I have some baby spinach, I think. Lindemann's bin 65 Australlian Chard I cooked for myself and only one kid, my youngest son, the the non fussy one! He won't eat the olive bread, It's too chewy and he got his braces adjusted today...I'll make him an english muffin or he'll have a handful of ritz's. And he'll just have iceberg with ranch dressing. Since its just the two of us, we are going to break a major house rule, and set up a blanket in front of the TV and watch a Friends rerun. His mouth is really sore, and it makes him feel special to break the rules with mom.

I hope so! But honestly, the pediatrician has been saying, "Don't worry, he'll get bored and his body will crave new foods than bagels, pasta and grilled chicken" ...EVERY year! He won't eat chocolate, even won't eat certain brands of potato chips ( whcih are on the short list of acceptable foods) because they are "too salty". His diet is SO bland, it is amazing.

Do you use canned anchovies? About how much in, say, 1/4 c. ceasar dressing? And how do you store the left over anchovies? Thanks.

Do your home made muffins have all the nooks and crannies? That is one thing I never considered making, I think Thomas does such a good job. What recipe do you use? Is it still Spring like in MN?

Banana bread. Nutty, with chocolate chips. I live near a produce stand, so I have walked there in a snow storm for overripe bananas. Also I make rice krispie treats, not sure why, it started when the kids were young and we were snowed in. My daughter called from college during the first significant snow of the season, said she bought rice krispie treats but it wasnt the same...ah, memories.

WE had the opposite experience. On our first visit, Nobu was WAY to full of itself...its one thing to be tourists, its another to be treated as such. While everything was very good, there were no ground breaking dishes...a rather traditional omakasee...then, on a second visit with a noted NY foodie, with reservations made thru Drew Nierporrent, it was even better, much more intense flavors and combinations...an eel roll stood out, along with a five spiced scallop dish. However, the room and "vibe" was not good//too many people too impressed with themselves. Everyone looking really urban, no one smiling. What's with that? Morimoto lacked the attitude, and the room was, as Steve mentioned, really something special. But the meal itself was truely balanced, sublime. To me, there is an aura about the grace and simplicity of Japanese food, and if the temperment of the room matches, it can really be a special meal. That's what Morimoto was to me. Perhaps the food at Nobu and Morimoto was equal: the dining experience was not.

klink, while the kielbasa threads you have posted get downright POETIC sometimes. nothing beats the memories from your grandmother. I am going ot be 40 soon, and I visit my grandmother 2x a year in Chicago...and thel ast time I brought a tape recorder. I don't know how old you are, but I commend you for recognizing how special this correspondence is...and, um...PUT ME ON THE LIST, too, Please!!! Would you like a "pre-order" deposit to help with the costs of all the machinery? Also, if you get updated machinery, I will gladly buy your grinding atachement.

Yes, you are so right...and when I'm cooking solo, I succeed. But its actually not very often I have all three kids (13-18) in the kitchen, so it was a bit of an exception. Priscilla said: "Nice Romaine salad, the vinegar for which was a white wine vinegar from 1989 that just has gotten better and better over the years." Romaine is an under rated green, in my opinion. It holds up so much better than many greems if you are adding cheese or other proteins. I was exhausted tonight...had picked up some beautiful tuna, marinated it in a litlle EVOO, lemon, pepper, and a few good shakes of a special dry rub I concoct...a version of Emerill's rustic rub, but better and roasted spices. Then a LOT of chpped parsley, which absorbs the oil and kinda makes a crust. Seared it in the grill plan, rare. I was planning to make quinoa, and a nice salad composed and lobor intensive salad with cucumber ribbons...but instead, threw a baked potato in the oven, , and sliced the cukes with a little Rice Vinegar and sugar. I have a son, Connor, who is 15 years old, He hates to eat, he dislikes strong flavors, and is very picky. He hated breast milk, soy milk, formula... this is not a new characteristic. He has NO enthusiasm for eating..and its not physical, and he's healthy and growing...but he eats white or beige food.. and will eat a certain brand of jarred tomatoe sauce. He hates any stong flavors: no to soy , ketchup, won't eat a burger. Today, when I boiled his usual pasta and grilled his plain chicken breast, I pulled a fast one. I added a jar of Gerber's carrots babyfood to the sauce. It worked. He ate it. I mean, he takes a multi, but its not the same.

Yes, it is..though the kitchen suffers. Looked like a tornado hit it. The biggest difference between home cooks and restaurant chefs is that THEY have a diswashing/clean up staff!

Tonight, I was a short order cook, but got to clean out the fridge, so it wasn't too bad: Husaband was working late, so I made sure we had some Ham from the farmer's market and good rye bread for when he comes home late tonight. Daughter home from college had some roasted egg plant dip and a chopped romaine salad. And a pop tart. Son # 1 had frozen raviolis, plus a grilled chicken breast, I used the grill pan, I don't love the end product, but he does...this is the kid that eats mostly white food. Son # 2 had the last half of a bag of baby carrots, boiled and then a quick turn in melted butter and Vermont Maple syrup...college daughter just came back from our house in Ludlow, VT, and brought some back, we were running low. 3 red potatoes, mashed with skins on. loads of butter and salt, and a ham steak. I had leftover braised cabbage, made with apples and turkey sausage. A chunck of Asiago. And a glass of Archipal Cab/Merlot blend, 1999. There is finally some room in the fridge, so even though it was a lot of pots and pans, it was worth it! edited for schpellink.

I agree, and very elegantly and eloquently expressed. Heck, I feel that disparity even if I defrost some Homemade chicken soup, or make the same soup that day. While the end product is the same, there is something psychological, "from the earth and hands" that comes into play.

but also very salty and sweet Ah, so we can add Ms. Levine to the list of those that needed to partake in this calssic hangover remedy And yes, its very salty, and a little bit sweet. Part of its magic, you see.

Is Lee Hanson still the chef there? IT's such a pretty place, I have not been there in years. Aaron Burr's residence, if I recall.

Taylor ham is a chopped and mildly spiced pork loaf...the size of a soft salami. Pale pinkish color, becomes a deeper pink/red when cooked. Original was Trenton Porkroll, but a few other brands are now available. Consumed by countless NJ partiers after massive quantities of alcohol, known to have qualities that actually ABSORB the alcohol remaining in your system, when paired with egg, cheese and a kaiser roll. I believe it works like the inside of Pampers..kinda solidifys the juices and the alcohol rumbling around in the morning after gut.

Hi Linken, welcom to the NJ board..I am always personally happy to have an addition that eats in central NJ! Have you been to Mei Thai, and how would you compare the Pad Thai to that? Is Pad Thai right on that main drag in HP? I have not driven through there in a while..this is the second posts that specifies HPark..I'll have to revisit the area.

I've made it at home, and enjoy the taste of all game ( quail,pheasant, squab especially) but usually do not order it in a restaurant because it is a difficult bird to eat. Too many bones, to much digging for the meat..what kind of presentation are you considering, Chop?

Thanks for the comprehensive review, Roz. Sounds like its worth a visit. Anyone interested in a non-official e-gullet lunch there next week? PM or reply to thread.

Oh, I'm all about trying new things...I'm pretty accomplished in most areas of the kitchen..I just don't have a comfort level with deep frying, and baking makes me nervous, too. I've totally turned around my cooking, adding lots more vegetables, whole grains, and healthy preparations..something about hitting my 40's, I think!

I give you credit for this...I have a fear of deep-frying. Which is probably just as well, as the nutritional detriments are considerable, but still, I'd like to be as adventurous as you have been, as a self proclaimed "new" cook of sorts!

Yes, thanks...sometimes one can get so wrapped up in the content of the thread, they treat it like a face to face conversation! So, Fromage Blanc is closest to cream cheese, but with a lot less fat. I bought some today, will look forward to experimenting.

I make this Good Housekeeping layered taco dip ( cream cheese, chili, sourcream,salsa) which I have been trying to NOT make for years...but since we often Super Bowl with the same group, it is regularly requested. We order wings from Cluck U, and then make pizzas with the kids, lots of toppings to choose from...And so an ice cream bar for dessert, though now that the kids are older, we might make a switch to regular cakes and pastries. Edited it to mention that if the Eagles make it, all bets are off...who knows what kind of party that might entail...NJT, from exit 8A south,its Eagles territory.

How do you use fromage blanc?

I suffer from self-induced food fatigue, only because I try a new preperation of an old standby, am reminded of its diversity and deliciousness... and then overdose. I bought two butternut squash s every week since mid September, and had gratin, sooup. roasted, stuffed, etc variations all the time...then, after Thanksgiving, I bought my usual squashes...and they remained untouched. Now, I'm on to Brussel Sprouts and cabbages..am braising a red cabbage, apple and turkey sausage dish as I type...but in two weeks, I might run from them at the farmer's market. I have gone for Indian food for lunch once a week for the last six months, I bet. I've not gotten weary of that, however. But a similiar thai streak last year left me with pad thai fatigue.