Smithy

If you're willing to discuss your relationship with and attitude toward editor(s) over the years, I'd be curious to know whether and how it's changed. As you have gained stature in the world of culinary writing, do you find editors more willing to leave your style alone? Did you have to fight to maintain or develop your own style, early in your career?

I've made the Evening Garlic Soup once now, and even though I misread the directions and put in too much vinegar, it was still good. I plan to make it again, this time properly. May I ask a question about the mechanics of a recipe? I think I'll learn some kitchen chemistry from the answer. What purpose does the vinegar serve in this soup? I'd have assumed it was simply for seasoning, except for the way in which it's added. Why add it to the broken egg yolks, then add that mixture to the soup, instead of adding them in separately?

Hi, Paula - At last, I understand the hedgehog reference! I thank Lucy for posting that lovely introduction, and I thank you for making yourself available to all of us for this spotlight. I'd like to know how, if you're willing to discuss it, the use of recipe testers affected your writing experience. If I understand correctly, this was the first time you'd used outside help testing recipes because you usually do all of it yourself. How did the testers' comments and viewpoints affect your working procedure? Did you get any surprises? What insights, if any, did you gain by having many people work through recipes and comment on them before the revisions were sent in? The real test, of course, is whether it worked well enough that you'll do it again.

One thing you could do with the ground meat is to make kofta - basically, a Middle Eastern treatment where the ground meat mixture is wrapped around skewers and grilled, then served with good sauces. I'm pretty sure there's discussion about kofta over on the Middle Eastern forum. Chili con carne, and spaghetti sauce with ground game, are two other standard ground meat treatments. I don't think they do anything to show off the flavor, necessarily, but they use the meat well. As for the un-ground meat (you still have some of that left too, yes?0 I've had good success with venison stroganoff, using my favorite recipe for beef stroganoff and substituting deer meat instead. I also am very fond of marinading the venison using my mother's shish-ka-bob recipe then grilling the meat (this works for kebabs or steaks) or searing the meat in a pan and then building a pilaf around it. I haven't had antelope in ages, but as I recall the recipe worked just as well on antelope.

I have that pan, and it works well enough when I need a pan that size, which isn't often. It has 2 drawbacks, both of which you've identified: 1. It overhangs my largest electric coil just the same way as it does your flat-top burner. I can tell that the the heating isn't as even as I'd like despite the clad bottom. By the way: by "flat-top" do you mean "glass top"? If so, having the pan overhang onto the glass nonburner surface may be an issue for your stovetop. 2. It's HUGE. That makes it more difficult to wield (and to clean) than my other pans. Unless there's a lot of food to cook at once I don't use it, so it is one of the less-used pieces in my kitchen. That being said, there are times when I need to saute or sear a lot of meat at the same time, and this is the only pan I have big enough to do the job without crowding or having to rotate pieces in and out. It has plenty of surface area to make a lot of sauce from the pan juices. It does the job well enough. Why get rid of it, since it's a freebie for you? I paid beaucoup bucks for mine! Unless you have a glass stovetop, that is.

One use seems to be just using it as a cooking fat - instead of butter, for instance, for sweating or sauteeing something. A lot of recipes in Paula Wolfert's new edition of The Cooking of Southwest France call for duck fat, goose fat or unsalted butter as the cooking fat for onions and garlic. Edited to add: I'm still hoarding duck fat to make a confit, so I don't know much about this. I hope someone else chimes in with better uses.

It looks like you have about as much counter space as I do. I take it the table under the pumpkin is your main prep area? Your dining room is lovely! I wish we had a dining room - but then, we like having an eat-in kitchen, too. The cabinet under the sink makes me laugh. Does Cashew like to explore when he isn't sleeping?

Too late, we polished it all off last night anyway. It was that good.

Dear Stephanie, Our evening Sunday night was so much fun, I thought you’d like to know the Monday night epilogue. As you’ll recall, we feasted on the Roast Chicken Stuffed with Garlic Croutons in the Style of the Corrèze from Paula Wolfert’s new cookbook, The Cooking of Southwest France, and all of us agreed it was wonderful. What you didn’t know was that I’d considered serving our group the Evening Garlic Soup in the Manner of the Corrèze, from the same cookbook. I’d decided against the soup at the last minute, partly for fear of overdosing us on garlic (some people think that’s possible) and partly because I realized that the soup stands almost as a meal in itself. Last night I cooked the soup for our family. It isn’t a difficult recipe: take some finely chopped onion and thinly sliced garlic, sweat it, add flour and cook until it’s starting to brown, then add beef broth. As that simmers, separate the yolks and whites of two eggs. Beat the whites until frothy, and whisk in cool broth. Break up the yolks and stir in some red wine vinegar. Add the yolks and whites at separate stages near the end of the cooking, and serve. I’m omitting some seasonings, but you get the idea. This recipe has gotten rave reviews both for its simplicity and flavor from some of the eGulleteers, so I was expecting great things from it. I was a little surprised at the vinegar in the egg yolks: what was that supposed to accomplish? I wondered to myself. The mixture was pretty pungent. Still…others have loved this soup, and I don’t know much about French cookery. Something interesting would happen. I added the eggs as instructed, finished heating the soup, and served. It looked lovely. Russ took his first sip before I sat. “What do you think?” I inquired. He replied, “You first.” Uh-oh. That usually means he’s not keen on something but doesn’t want to say so if I really like it. I sipped. Not bad. Pretty darned tart, though. I kept sipping. We started adjusting – maybe it needed Worcesterhire sauce? Soy sauce? Cream? The flavors were pretty good, but it was a very vinegary recipe. Hmm. Is this Southwest French cookery? I looked at the recipe again. It said “4 tsp red wine vinegar”…not “4 tbsp red wine vinegar” as I’d read the first 5 times, and had done. Be very glad we had the chicken instead! When I serve you this soup, I'll be able to do it properly. Cheers, Nancy

Welcome to the world of blogging, Maggie! How cool that you and Wendy live in the same 'burb but didn't realize it until now! I read and reread until I found out that the arancini coating was risotto, and that the whole thing is fried. That sounds wonderful. Do you know if this is something one would do with leftover risotto? Have you ever tried to make arancini from scratch? Of course, when I saw Cashew, I said "awww" Edited for speling

So, Mr. Foodblog Czar, now that you've done it, what do you think of blogging? I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did, and as much as I enjoyed reading yours! Well done, Stash. Edited to add: I just went back to the beginning and realized this wasn't your first time; I was thinking of another blogger. Any new insights this time around?

Stroopwaffeln! I want to know how to make stoopwaffeln! Great thread idea, Chufi. I know little about Dutch foods except stroopwaffeln and the odd bits I can get when I stroll up the road from the main train station. Some of the sauces for pomme fritje (sorry, don't remember how it's spelled there) are worth the trip alone, but there are a couple of bistros along there with nice fare. How typical it is of Dutch food is another question, and I look forward to learning more. MelissaH, Chufi will have a better answer for you, but I'll start with what I think makes me stand out when I'm there: running shoes/sneakers/whatever you want to call the Nike/New Balance/Converse sort of sporty footwear, and colored Goretex or other synthetic jackets. Stands us out as Yanks every time. Solid-color coats and leather footwear blend in much more. Chufi, would you agree? (Sorry if this is too OT.)

Hmm. I didn't remove the wingtips, but I did have them tucked under the armpits, so to speak, to keep them from cooking too much faster than the rest of the bird, and then the elbows tied to the birds' sides. The legs were trussed so the drumsticks came close together enough to keep the stuffing in. I may not have trussed the bird tightly enough. I'm sure I have a book or three at home that show me how I should have done it. I'll check tonight if I get a chance. I like the wooden-handle-in-the-cavity idea, and it might work even with a bird stuffed tightly as I had it. I'll try it next time. As it was, I was trying to use a wooden spoon and a nylon spatula to turn the bird by gripping the outside, and as I noted upthread it tended to be more an affair of tipping it up than of picking it up. Thanks, folks, for the tips. Do be sure to try the recipe!

Oh the horror! Whatever that burrito thing is (with the Mexican Gravy) may be one of the most repulsive things that I have ever seen. ← Talk about a train wreck! I think that cookbook outdid just about everyone on this thread! Well...maybe except for the curry and, er, hot dog.

Carswell, you're reading the recipe correctly. In my case the bottom of the pan (Le Creuset enamel) was slick enough, given the juices that were flowing, that the chicken skidded the vegetable/bone mixture out of the way. Two things that might have caused that (I'm guessing here) are: pan too big for the chicken (although my next size down would have been too small) or, as you note, my tipping the chicken instead of picking it up and laying it where it needed to go. Maybe we're identified another technique issue: I didn't have a good way to grab the bird and maneuver it (I hate using clean towels for that, but also hate poking it with a fork) - hence the tipping instead of picking it up. I thought I had it trussed properly, but the rounded sides weren't a good balance point. Are you saying that a properly trussed chicken is more squarish, or will otherwise balance on its side? Do I need to go look at some photos? Next time I'll try some photos to show the technique (or lack therof). I just finished the leftovers for lunch. Wonderful.

Skosh (pronounced with a long o sound) .is military slang--comes from Japanese sukoshi which means a little bit. ← Fascinating! Thanks for that tidbit! Just last night I was watching Julia Child demonstrate what constitutes a pinch vs. a large pinch. I don't think she gave equivalent measurements, though.

Yesterday I cooked the Roast Chicken Stuffed with Garlic Croutons in the Style of the Corrèze. It was a big hit at dinner, and I'll definitely do it again. Still, I had some puzzlement and frustration with it. The frustration came because you're supposed to tip the bird on one side and roast for a while in the casserole (I was using my Le Creuset oval French oven), then on the other side and roast, and I couldn't get the darned thing to stay on its side. Meanwhile, every time I moved it the skin would rip. There wasn't much intact skin by the time I finished, and a fair amount remained on the pot bottom (where it later contributed to the sauce). The chicken is sliced before serving, so the lack of skin wasn't a big deal...but it would have been better with crispy skin. The remaining skin wasn't crispy. Looking back on it, I remember that the chicken cooked more quickly than advertised; maybe my oven was hotter than I thought. When I got to the stage of leaving the lid off so the chicken could finish cooking (and presumably crisp the skin) I realized the chicken was already quite tender. I took it out for fear of overcooking and drying the bird out. Next time, for want of a thermometer that I trust, I'll do each side rotation a little more quickly. The puzzlement, among all of us, was that the bread stuffing was in the form of slices. Why slices, instead of dicing? I reread that recipe many times, and if there's a stage where the bread slices were to have been cut more, I missed it. I tell you, that was one tender chicken. It was a big hit with us and our dinner guests, despite the puzzlement over the bread. The flavors were excellent - rich, earthy, warming - and the chicken was very tender. We tend to like a lot of sauce, gauche gourmands that we are, so next time I may make more if possible - but really, there was plenty of sauce to go around. Add another keeper recipe to the list. Sorry, no photos.

Thanks so much for taking the spotlight for a bit, Stash, and showing us a part of your life. I agree with Pan; yours is probably one of the most unusual food blogs ever! I can definitely see more muscle in the 2003 photo, too, so your plan is working. I've been thinking about those whey shakes and other high-calorie liquid meals. How do you think they'd do for people with ailments who need to keep eating but have trouble doing it? My father lost so much weight during his chemotherapy because the food nauseated him. There's a thread about chemo patients and eating somewhere around here. Would your diet lend itself to their predicament?

Ah well, can't be perfect all the time. ← 'Sokay. You got the frequent and plentiful meals part right.

Me, too, for the moment. Eagerly awaiting the "now", i.e. "after, sortof" photo, except that it will signal the last day of this very interesting and unusual blog. I'm so glad you asked about brussels sprouts. I had no idea there were so many good-sounding ways to prepare them. Now I have a lot of different methods to try. This is yet another reason the blogs are so much fun. ObGeekAlert: I've been enjoying your tag lines - and I got the SWIII reference - but I've been teetering all week on the brink of calling you on the "hobbits/packrats" reference. At last, I fall over the brink: where did you get that? They certainly circulate things - mathoms (a most useful concept)come to mind - but I don't remember Tolkien ever suggesting they were packrats. Is that one of Peter Weir's additions? Sorry if this is too OT...but it's been grinding away...geekiness prevails...

I'd guess it's a combination of never having been exposed to it, at all - or properly done. Case the first: I don't know many people who don't like duck, but I know a lot of people who've never had it. It isn't as common in supermarkets, and it's far more expensive in those markets that have it (as well as restaurants). The more frugal cooks and eaters are likely to leave it alone based on cost; the less adventuresome cooks and eaters are likely to leave it alone based on the "I dunno" factor. Then there's the problem of having something done properly so you want to eat it again. I've eaten my share of octopus and squid, and the best I can say is "eh". I don't dislike them, but in the wrong hands (mine, and many restaurants') they're likely to be rubbery. Why bother? I'm sure I haven't had them properly prepared, but where I live it doesn't seem likely that I'll find them otherwise.

You're not the only one! Popeye was also my inspiration for eating spinach, for the same reasons. Mom thought it a bit odd, but she wasn't about to wreck a good thing by questioning it. I still like canned spinach...it's one of my guilty secrets around the house, for an easy dinner, when nobody's looking.

I never could fathom that bright green mint jelly - why anyone would put that in his or her mouth, much less why it was supposed to be good with lamb, was beyond me. However, I ran across a mint sauce in one of my cookbooks that showed me just what fresh mint, treated properly and mixed with the right ingredients, could do. That was a revelation, and it at last explained the origin of the bright green jelly idea. I wish I could remember where I found that sauce recipe...no doubt it's lurking somewhere in my bookshelves.

Well, what ails you? C'mon in, the water's fine, and you've a lot of lamb lovers here to help you swim, so to speak. Any particular cuts or dishes you like better than others?

I'm none too fond of stinky cheeses meself, although it's a taste thing. I've heard that the deep-fried caterpillars and beetles are very good: crispy on the outside, creamy and a bit spicy on the inside, similar texture to french fries, as long as they're hot. (I haven't tried them, and I confess that I haven't gone looking to do so. ) Is it the gross-out factor that stops you on those? What about jellied eels? I continue to be amazed at the amount of food you're putting away. I know, you've explained it. It's still staggering.