karma police

Any other good tofu houses other than Jong Ka Jib? I will actually be moving to Philly (well somewhere on the mainline not really downtown) from Atlanta. Believe it or not Atlanta has an amazing assortment of ethnic eateries. I don't want to have to give up good kimchi soon doo boo so I'm hoping there are lots of options. Once I relocate I am sure I will annoy with posts about where to get good tacos (with tortillas hecho a mano), the best Indian and Bangladeshi places, pho, and other things I can't live without. I promise to do a seach of this board first... Anyway, lets just start with tofu houses (unless this is "the" place I need to know about.)

For those of you on the East side of town, you are blessed with great markets. On the Northwest side we have Whole Foods and Fresh Market which are both great and both very expensive. I am thrilled to see Sandy Springs as one of the new locations. I can't imagine TJ's siphoning enough business from YDFM to be noticeable...

Out of curiosity, were you able to prepare the dishes and eat with your guests or did you take the role of chef and stay mostly in the kitchen? What dishes did you prepare? The reason I ask is that I am thinking of doing French Laundry recipes for Christmas but I don't see how I can actually sit down and eat if I do. Sorry for the hijack Charity...

This looks amazing. Did you caramelize the endive first or put them in raw?

I would suggest you consider some labels from smaller estates. Some names I would say you put on a shortlist would be: - Punto Final - Viña Cobos - Finca Las Moras ← Thanks for the suggestions. Are these readily available at the wine shops around town?

I will be back down in BsAs in a few weeks. I have picked up some Rutini and Luigi Bosca on prior visits. Any others that I should seek out to bring home?

The best thing I did on my kitchen renovation was to use electrical outlet strips next to the undercounter lights. They are still GFI but the backsplash is not cluttered with outlets and each run has more receptacles than I could ever use.

Yeah count me in for the dinner at Quinone's room.... Any word on what is happening at the Dining Room once Chef Menard leaves?

Zucchini sauteed in EVOO with garlic and fresh oregano. Finish with a splash of wine or squeeze of lemon. Toss with rotelle and parmesan. Goodness on a plate in 20 minutes. It is one dish I never tire of and make endles variations of.

I love every herb and spice, except one: TARRAGON. I find it positively repulsive. It is sad becuase it is used so extensively in traditional French cooking. Every time I think I will try it again, I will make a dish, people will rave, and I can't get two bites down....

Definitley Aji (Jackfish) I am jonesing for some sushi now....

This sounds interesting. Can you give rough proportions -- how many leeks? fresh chiles? Do you roast them? What kind of cheese? I'm feeling the need to gratin some leeks and chiles!!

A little off topic but I'd love a good Christmas pudding recipe. I have been making steamed puddings for the last two Christmas' and need a new one for this year. Last year I did orange and fig, the year prior was cranberry. Would love to try a good traditional recipe.

I like to take red peppers, cut along their "creases" to make boats. Stuff with very thinly sliced zucchini, garlic, thyme, sal, pepper, evoo and Italian fontina. Top with bread crumbs and a drizzle of evoo. Bake until warmed through and brown on top. Always gets compliments. To be fair, I believe I found this in a Marcella Hazan cookbook yeas ago but do not recall which one.

eunny has become my culinary inspiration. Everything she cooks looks amazing!!

Southerners rejoice -- I just discovered grits are core!!! Northerners feel free to be appalled. I wonder if that makes polenta core as well (less the butter and parmagianno)...

I will be very interested to hear how everyone's weigh in goes after a week on Core. I want to switch but am scared I'll gain weight -- it has taken me 6 weeks just to lose 10 lbs. If I could stop counting points and stop being hungry -- that would be a good thing! Also, I find myself eating the same things over and over just because I know how many points they are so the Core program would definitely add some variety back. I just can't figure out why fruit flavored FF yogurt with isn't core when FF yogurt and fruit are both core foods.....

Okay, I'll come out of lurking. I too do Weight Watchers when I feel the need to drop a few. I can't do the low carb thing, I don't like to be told I can't have something -- I'd much rather moderate how much I eat. Do any of you have interesting "points friendly" meal ideas? When I'm on WW, I find myself doing a "meat and two" -- mostly because it is so tedious to calculate points for anything more interesting. I'd love some ideas a little more "culinary" than offered on the WW site.

While on this topic, does anyone have any experience with smoker/charcoal grill combo units?

She annoys me with all her garbage bowl and "how easy is that" nonsense...but I do confess to looking there when I need a quick dinner option.

Don't laugh but I love this recipe by Rachel Ray Bog Burgers

Is the "mother" the white stuff or the dark stuff. I have a bottle of red wine vinegar that has dark specks in it but I would not call in mucilaginous (thank God). The dark specks/swirls were not there when I bought it. If I can make my own vinegar, I'm all over it though.

Mabelline, thanks for the reply. I cannot imagine my grandmother using ricotta but can certainly imagine cottage cheese. The odd thing is when you said a strip of cheese, I had a flashback and it was indeed a strip of cheese she put in: it wasn't grated. I can sort of half remember an assembly line of sorts and each enchilada got "one" from each of the piles:chees, chiles, etc. I will Google and see if I can find a reference to the Gebhardt's recipe.

My grandmother grew up in Fort Worth and eventually settled in Austin. She used to make these amazing sour cream enchiladas. As I recall they had some sort of sour cream and cheese mixture with a green chile down the center of each one. I believe she added jalapenos as well. They were topped with a red sauce. There was always a dish of pickled jalapenos and carrots on the table which partially explains my ability to consume food that is fiery hot. Unfortunately, no one has the recipe and I have no idea how to actually make them. I have searched the Internet for sour cream enchiladas but the recipes are never ones that describe her meatless ones. If anyone has a similar recipe, I would be most grateful. Between Jaymes' carnitas thread and this one, I am dying for some good Tex-mex!

Headed down to Seagrove Beach on 30-A next week. Any "must do" restaurants down there?