Abra

Annie, is that all fondant? And what colors did you use? It's spectacular!

A lot of us are devotees of Union. That would be a very exciting place to cook.

But of course, are you nuts?

One of the links upthread said not to eat more than 17 at a time. I just wondered if that's silly, or if there really is some sort of toxicity threshold for adults. And if I'm pregnant, it'd be a medical miracle!

Short classes? I'm there! Please try to get him to let us know before they all fill up!

I ned yuon right about now! Tepee, have you heard about a limit on how many nuts one should eat at a time?

That skewer presentation looks gorgeous. I think I'll try that. No chicken sashimi for me, thanks!

Wow, I had no idea! What I have is just the nuts, no fruit, which sounds like a good thing. Thanks for that link, Johnder, and that terrific-looking recipe, Carswell. Ok, crack 'em and soak 'em it'll be. I wonder how long they'll keep unshelled in the fridge - it feels a little early for chestnuts, although I do have some in the freezer from last year.

I bought some fresh gingkos because I'd never seen them in the store before, but now I don't know what to do with them. Suggestions?

Because you save the best for last?

Sure, I'll take a couple of strawberries if you have extra. I have one little Alpine strawberry in a small pot, and get maybe two dozen tiny but delicious berries every summer from it.

I'm thinking that a guide to special substances to be ingested whilst perusing this blog is in order.

Tam, it's not too late for this year. Very soon, as soon as it cools off a bit, you can plant spinach and salad greens for a Fall harvest. They won't germinate if it's too hot, but will grow well into the Fall.

We can buy many Middle Eastern ingredients in Seattle at PFI (Pacific Food Importers.) They have freekeh (not that I know how to cook it yet) and all sorts of carob and pomegranate molasses, Mymouni stuff, halvah, Turkish coffees and teas, shredded filo, and some spices.

Sure, put them with pasta, but in this weather I also like to toss them into a giant salad. On a pizza is nice, too.

No neck or giblets here either - I can't imagine why they do that, or where all the goodies are going. Won't stop me from buying it, though.

I've always gotten them from King Arthur Flour, which is the link Fernwood posted above. They're very nice, not waxy or artificial-tasting when baked into cookies or muffins.

To get into the Olympics you'll have to cross over my home-island of Bainbridge, so be sure to PM me.

Does tamarind paste = tamarind concentrate in this case, the kind that comes in a small tub? I love tamarind and this sounds intriguing.

I think I'd make a demi-glace with the bone, that way you can add a little bit to all sorts of stuff, greens and beans being chief among them. After all that work, I think you should make it last as long as possible.

Not only was it gorgeous, it was delicious, I feel privileged to have tasted it! What great plans do you have for the bone?

A few years ago we rented a house in Provence for a couple of weeks, and so shopped at many of the local markets. Pretty universally it was considered the height of rudeness to touch any of the vendor's produce. You were expected to ask for what you wanted, and you could say how soon you were going to eat it, and even ask for and receive a lesson on how to cook or eat the item in question, but you were not to touch! It took some getting used to. Thank heavens I never saw a big stick involved, though.

Dude, you were in Seattle and didn't tell us! 5 Spot changes its ethnicity every month, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. It might be Polish the next time you're down here.

You're right, Sackville. Our food is way underpriced compared to much of the world. I still remember the $30 roasting chicken at a shop in Geneva, and that was 10 years ago. Smart Chicken is proving the old adage "you get what you pay for." Today I'm making stock with a gigantic pile of SC bones from all my recent recipe testing. I can't imgine that any difference in the stock will be noticeable, but if it is, I'll report back.

I took down the prices for all the Smart Chicken products we had available in the store today - all organic: whole chicken - $2.59/lb, on special boneless skinless breasts - $6.99/lb, on special bone in thighs and drums - $3.49/lb boneless skinless thighs - $5/49/lb It's expensive, but it's worth it to me.