Abra

Jim, I might really take you up on it, if that's a real offer. We love Portland and always need an excuse to come down. When will they be ready, and will you really have enough? And if that doesn't work out, I'm delighted to have a mail order source. I've never had nocino, but vin de noix is a wonderful treat that I've only had in Provence, and I'm longing to have more. Lucy, do you have a favorite recipe? Do we think it matters a lot what red wine you start with? Something Provencal?

Last year I missed the green walnut window and I'd really like to make vin de noix this year. Does anyone know where I can get a household-sized quantity of nuts?

Don't forget to get your hair confined somehow. And cut your fingernails. You know this, of course, but I'm just adding it for the record.

Don't forget red wine and dark chocolate!

Oh, these are beautiful! I've never made a terrine, and now I have to get going on them. I don't have accents, sorry, but one question I have is about how to keep the filling from shrinking away from the croute - the pates en croute in Las Halles photo, which are all presumably made by professionals, all seem to have this problem. Besides the book recommendations already made, does anyone have a good online source for molds? I'll be away from cooking, and maybe even from here if I'm unlucky with my connection, for a couple of weeks, but I'd love to try some terrines when I get home.

Thanks! The guys seem to think that McMenamin's in Centralia would be "more manly."

Any updates on this place, or any good place in Chehalis? I need to lunch down there tomorrow.

Garlic Soup This smells fantastic while cooking and cures all ills! Adapted from the Gilroy Garlic Festival Cookbook. 1 qt chicken broth 20 cloves garlic 5 sprigs parsley -- minced 6 sprigs cilantro -- minced 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp dried basil 1 T mint leaves -- minced 1/2 tsp pepper 1 lemon salt to taste eel garlic cloves, leaving them whole. Place all ingredients except lemon in a saucepan, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Before serving, juice the lemon and stir juice into the hot soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Keywords: Vegetarian, Soup, Easy ( RG1188 )

Garlic Soup This smells fantastic while cooking and cures all ills! Adapted from the Gilroy Garlic Festival Cookbook. 1 qt chicken broth 20 cloves garlic 5 sprigs parsley -- minced 6 sprigs cilantro -- minced 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp dried basil 1 T mint leaves -- minced 1/2 tsp pepper 1 lemon salt to taste eel garlic cloves, leaving them whole. Place all ingredients except lemon in a saucepan, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Before serving, juice the lemon and stir juice into the hot soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Keywords: Vegetarian, Soup, Easy ( RG1188 )

Rent a dog, now there's a concept! Have you ever done it? What do Japanese dogs eat?

So interesting! Kris, how did you learn Japanese food? I mean, not just the individual dishes, but the system pf putting together Japanese meals? unless you've already covered that elsewhere...

What really jumps out at me is that Portland seems to have gotten short shrift, considering what a kick-ass food town it is. I've only been to Harvest Vine, of the nominees, but I adore it and think it's unique and deserving of an award.

I wish I could have gotten the blood too! Carswell, that list looks like I want to eat each and every dish.

Yesterday I cooked my first rabbit, a feat which I undertook with great trepidation. It was for a gathering of Seattle eG members you can read about it here. But before the dinner came the moment of facing up to three pitiful, frozen bunnies. If you suffer bunny-squeamishness, just quit this thread right now! I Googled around a bit and found some pictures on bunny butchering techniques. Here my bunnies are in their original form, sans fur. I see lots of bones and little meat, plus an unfamiliar anatomy. Eek! A few deep breaths and lots of whacks with a good, sharp knife later, the bunnies were reduced to this I set aside the rib cages for making broth, in which I would later cook the saffron potatoes that were to be one of the side dishes for the dinner makings for bunny broth. I did this in the pressure cooker. While it was cooking I made a little pate out of the livers, with shallots and Armagnac added for additional interest. Then I browned the bunny bits spread them with Dijon mustard, and let them snuggle up to some fennel stalks for old times' sake. I covered the bunny with a layer of sauteed onions, garlic, fennel, and bacon slivers, then poured an entire bottle of pastis over all. That's a lot of pastis! Once braised, I thought the sauce was way too intense, so I turned some of it into a pastis and cream reduction to drizzle over the finished bunny. Rabbit with Pastis and Mustard, plus saffron potato gratin (cooked in the rabbit broth, no cream) and assorted springtime vegetables. Really yum, so long as you like pastis. So, now that I've overcome my Bunny Anxiety, what's your favorite bunny dish?

I too think chicken feet make the very best stock. I just don't enjoy peering into the pot while the stock is simmering as much as I would otherwise.

Even with that recipe, I'm sure I'll never make calissons, which are pretty much Food of the Gods, as far as I'm concerned. That texture seems impossible to achieve at home, and where would one get crystallized melon? However, the rest of the recipe looks fabulous and now I think I'll try to make some calisson ice cream, but with bought candies. Thanks for that link, swisskaese, that's a neat site.

You can use a bechamel to good effect where some dreadful canned soup is specified, but I think you're going to be disappointed with this dish. It's sort of bubble and squeak-ish. How about a dish with wild rice, dried cranberries, toasted nuts, fresh herbs - a sort of Thanksgiving play on ideas? I think the risotto sounds good too, especially with some Madeira to round out the turkey flavor, and maybe some good sauteed mushrooms.

I recently bought a container of nougat de Montelimar from L'Epicerie. It was little crunchy bits, very crisp, not in the least chewy or tender, like other nougats I've eaten and loved. This had its own charm, though, and was the sort of thing that you'd use to cover the sides of a cake instead of nuts. I think Lesley C. is describing what I had.

We had our first meal there today at lunch. We love this place, and will be back many times. The food was gorgeous and delicious, the service was impeccable, gracious, friendly and helpful. The space is very nice, the bathrooms are spotless and interesting, and the fireplace is where to sit. And it's cheap beyond belief, for what you get. Our tab was $27, and we brought home enough to make a really nice dinner with the leftovers. Try the Grilled Beef in La Lot Leaf appetizer. It's the best of its sort that I've ever had. I also highly recommend getting the Bun Dac Biet. It's a version of the rice noodle bowl with several things on it, except that you can order it on a platter instead of a bowl. In fact, our server encouraged us to do this, and gave other helpful advice about the menu as well. What we got was a platter with a pile of grilled pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp (my favorote, a whole large shrimp grilled with head and tail on, so you eat the whole thing), as well as yummy sugarcane shrimp, then a pile of rice noodles, pickled carrots, a mountain of Thai basil, mint, and cilantro, a pile of rice paper wrappers, and a bowl of warm water. You dip the rice paper, spread it on your dish, fill it with whatever you please, and then look silly trying to roll it all up neatly. It was really wonderful.

I just put the whole thing, skin included, no foil, in a 450 degree oven. A big beet takes maybe an hour and a quarter, a small beet about 45-50 minutes. Let them get good and soft, pop them out of their skins, and eat just as they are. Roasting makes them really sweet and earthy.

You can toss them in a salad. Make chicken broth and use them instead of celery. Chop them and use as you would fresh dill. Use them as a bed in your steamer when steaming fish. I love fennel!

Wow, I've found some neat new sites already on this thread - thanks! I like Shatila for baklava of all sorts. Each shape has a different filling, and the flavors and textures are all distinct. And inexpensive for what you get! I too get a lot of stuff from igourmet, Zingerman's, and Sweet Maria's. I also like Adriana's Caravan for unusual spices and all sorts of neat ingredients (thanks to the Rosengarten newsletter for introducing me to this place) Another great place (local here in Seattle) is The Spanish Table for Spanish ingredients, an incredible collection of inexpensive cazuelas, and a huge assortment of paella pans.

Lucy, will you please include a picture of yourself, so the Cult of Lucy can have an image upon which to fixate? Seriously, I love to see the bloggers in their blogs - it just makes the story more complete for me. I was surprised to see you cooking the frites. When I've bought poulet roti in France the potatoes were always underneath in the rotisserie, soaking up the chicken juices. Is that a regional difference?

Thanks - I would probably have blown off that step too, so I'm glad to learn from your experience and not have to have tough cajeta myself.

Fabulous, Andie. I love it with goat milk, and have never seen a mixed-milk recipe. I'll be making this for sure. I'll have to double or triple it for my large slow cooker - drat, I'll have too much DDL. Oh well, I'm sure I'll think of somehting to do with it besides eat it with a spoon. That's a weird step, adding in the milk at the last. Do you know what that does?