Lindacakes

I am currently enjoying a little cordial glass of horseradish vodka in front of the Christmas tree every night. Get the best vodka you can, peel and cut the horseradish into chunks, and immerse the chunks in the booze. Take the chunks out after three days. Your booze will be slightly tinged in color. You can mix that in a bloody Mary, if you like, but I prefer the clean cold taste plain. You can freeze it quite well, too. Peeled and cut into sticks. Use 'em as you need 'em. Grate a bit into your raw oysters.

I had one of those Sunbeams. It died, I revived it, it died again. Subsequently, I bought another. And another. On eBay. Don't intend to live without one.

I get grits from Falls Mill. Keep the supply frozen. Usually used as grits and eggs. Very nice fried eggs, sunny side up, with grits buttered, salted, and peppered. Nothing better. My parrots have always loved grits. They don't get butter, though.

A follow-up: To me, opulent can mean Rose of India on 6th Street. It has all those lights . . . Decision to invest in caviar and champagne for the couch instead, and a good one, I think.

Maggie, you have such a way with words. While I flipped through it, I imagined the party I would throw. With no work. Just heat 'em up, Joe. I felt empty and cheap afterwards.

There is a recipe for a standing rib roast on epicurious that is so delicious, I had guests who had cleaned their plates and were asking for seconds before I had everyone served. It has this remarkable crust composed of peppercorns and allspice . . . If you are interested, PM me and I'll dig out the recipe.

Thank you -- all of these are on the short list. Although, it doesn't have to be what is considered a top tier restaurant, just a pleasureable one.

I'll second that. Sea salt caramel. Splendid beyond belief.

Sat down with a blank calendar for December yesterday. Filled in the vacation days, the holidays, the parties, the day the tree needs to be up, the days to visit the parents, etc. We got left with a lunch on a Sunday. For us, to celebrate Christmas together, my partner and I. I'm thinking it's a different opportunity, something we never do. Lunch. Any ideas on where to eat lunch, something special? Not stuffy, but opulent, maybe . . .

Word. That's why God invented whipped cream.

I do what Paul has mentioned: primarily butter, but with some lard. And I agree about perfecting the simple technique. It isn't easy, it's elusive. I've tasted a lot of pie and very, very few pie crusts are something I'd put in my mouth without the filling.

The Hawking Theory espouses that when the last piece no longer exists, it has been absorbed into the Pie Hole, and will be available to you post mortem on the other side of time.

Wow. I have to make it now. I have been eating a lot of coconut cake lately because this particular coconut cake has seven minute icing and I don't have to make it. And coconut cake is probably the sexiest cake. That is amazing.

Hi, Robert! What an interseting concept: I'm looking forward to reading your book. I've been thinking about this concept of the bartender not getting the respect he deserves. Question maybe you can answer: in what ways do bars differ from the past? In their physical set up and patronage? I'm wondering if the modern bartender is beseiged by huge amounts of drink orders, loud music, huge crowds, etc. in a way that the great bartenders of the past may not have been . . . I'm trying to envision the perfect physical bar: is it round like a donut? Does it have multiple stations (i.e., line forms here for all things vodka)? Are there menus? Touch screens for orders (select three from column B)? Mulitple bars, one on each of the four walls? I've always had more pleasant drinking experiences when the bar wasn't crowded. Happy Repeal of Prohibition to you, Linda

Chalky crust you mean? It's all in the crust for me. I'm a crust meister. I think Little Pie makes sweet potato. They're in Grand Central, now, I think, and 43rd Street on the West Side. I deeply studied pie until I could replicate the crust of my mother. Now I can, so I'm spoiled. However, Pillsbury Ready Crust, is, in my opinion, better than 90% of most bakeries. They started formulating it with lard and it's not bad.

I think I heard the space-pie continuum rip when Duck uttered the words, "I actually forgot we had pie." Blaspheme.

Absinthe Atomizer: Green vaseline glass, bulb sprayer with a tassel . . . Pifff. Pifff.

I don't like the Hens, personally. Little Pie Company, although some are better than others. Apple walnut sour cream is the best.

Followed James Peterson this year -- very short boiling of the carcass. Very refined broth. Have left behind long boils.

Turkey sandwich on sour dough with . . . gasp . . . MIRACLE WHIP. Lettuce and tomato. Salt and pepper. White and dark.

Can I ask a question about the corn itself? Can you freeze it successfully? The mail order popcorn just arrived: there's a lot.

Honey, I have been known to cut and eat the pie for breakfast ON Thanksgiving, before the turkey. Yes, I had pie for breakfast. In my house, a 9-inch pie serves four, or two twice. Which is what we did. And it was superior this year, an incredible silky texture brought on by unhomogenized organic dairy ingredients (milk and cream). What I want to know, gfron, is what is a sugar cream pie? Can I have a recipe? Please?

I agree that the small pecans from Sunnyland are exceptional this year. They have a product that is beyond delicious -- chocolate covered pecans. They come in individual serving bags, about ten pecans to a bag. I don't know what they do, but a suspect that the pecans are roasted in some sort of lightly sugared butter before enrobing . . .

She thinks it's styrofoam!

Here's the second one. These are suprisingly good and suprisingly like fruitcake. Very, very tasty, too. Holiday Date-Nut Cookies Epicurious.com / Bon Appetit / December, 1992 1 pound pitted dates, chopped 8 ounces candied pineapple, chopped (about 1 2/3 cups) 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Brazil nuts (about 8 ounces) 2 cups blanched slivered almonds, lightly toasted (about 8 ounces) 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs Preheat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. Combine fruit and nuts in bowl. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix to separate pieces. Combine remaining 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until light. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Mix in fruits and nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer to rack and cool. Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container. Makes about 6 1/2 dozen. NOTE: The bottoms of these cookies get quite brown – I baked at 350 for ten minutes. These are really delicious cookies, very addictive. The batter is very delicate and adds just enough to the fruit and nuts. Try with macadamia, pecan, coconut, and pineapple or any combination of two fruits and two nuts. Try making them in a mini muffin pan – bite-sized fruitcakes.