petite tête de chou

Maybe a touch of lemongrass? Seems like it would be nice as a palate cleanser instead of a dessert.

I don't like any olives that aren't black and come from a can that says California. And boy, those olive bars look soooo tasty! Glistening orbs in various oils with bits of herbs and spices. Plus, I love finger food. I like olive bread. I adore olive oils. Tapenade with lots of cream cheese is so-so. I figured that I would at least try a green olive every year in a martini to give it fighting chance...the magic still hasn't happened. -sigh- What a loss for me.

I write a list over the period of a couple days- it gives me a chance to notice that we might be out of something. The usual culprits are always included- milk, juice, TP etc. I walk to and back from my grocery store, so its very important that I don't forget something vital. A very pissed of lady am I if I have to make two store trips in one day. Over the weekend I did a 'big trip to the city' to stock up on all my dried goods (a variety of beans, pastas, rices etc), spices in bulk (cumin, chili, bay leaf, etc), olive oil (5 one quart bottles at 4.99 each), vinegars (cider, basalmic, red wine) and many other staples. The list for this trip was compiled over a period of three months and was very detailed. I don't go to the city very often (obviously) so the list had to be thorough. But I did grab a beautiful basil plant that wasn't on the list.

You could use purslane in place of spinach in a quiche or savory tart...with bacon, of course.

Sandwich- crusty baguette, grilled onions and bell peppers, cheese and mayo. Or eat cold- thinly sliced, over the sink with a salt shaker and a glass of wine. This might seem wierd, but I like cascabella peppers soaked in soy sauce with cheese and meat. Salty, creamy and spicy!

In addition to the suggestions above you could add chunks of a firm, white fleshed fish, clams or even crayfish (crawdads). As far as sides go, a variety of breads (sourdough, hearty wheat, cornbread, buttermilk biscuits), lots of icy cold fruit with mint (melons, grapes, etc), a variety of sliced heirloom tomatoes with evoo and basil, green bean or three-bean salad (with bacon?). Since I consider a boil pretty filling (esp. with bread) you might want go light on the appetizers. Crudites with a variety of dips (get the folks used to eating with their hands ). Or, if you don't include crab in the boil perhaps crab cocktails? Don't forget the lemon wedges!

Pizza- Roasted red-pepper n- garlic sauce Herbed chicken breast Mozzarella/parmesan Slivered red bell peppers, slivered onion, olives and artichoke hearts. Green salad. Beer. Yum.

Perhaps grilled (or roasted) baby artichokes (or artichoke hearts) drizzled with evoo, lemon juice, s/p?

Exactly! Would my husband think something yummy (like the last Widmer) could be hiding under the vegetables? Nope! The crisper drawer is the best !

"Hungry Like the Wolf" was a hot, hot, hot Duran Duran song/video. A party tune for many '80's folks. Hmmmm, I wonder how many children were conceived to it?! LOTS!

Well, that IS a bit strange. My only Capricorn friend has the widest variety of salad dressings in his 'fridge than any of my other friends.

Off shopping at Ikea.Carrot cake is my husband's favorite cake. I always use the recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook. Like the one Carolyn Tillie recommended, it contains coconut and pineapple. But I agree with petite tête de chou--what criteria does one use to judge carrot cake? Just an aside, carrot cake is my husbands favorite too! I think its more 'homey' and less processed and 'fancified' than most cakes.

This certainly isn't an original idea but a grilled cheese and avocado sandwich is awfully tasty, especially with tomato soup.

The best recipe would be determined by what you're looking for in your carrot cake. Very moist? Drier, more cake-like? To do nuts/raisins or not? How strong do you like the spicing? Personally I prefer the cake to be moist (but not overly so, like many zucchini cakes are) and not too sweet. The cream cheese frosting is where I want the sugary sweetness to come in. I've had nuts crushed and scattered on top which is good, since I don't want them in the cake itself. No, no raisins. That said, Cooks Illustrated's web site has a better than passable recipe.

Nice to know I'm not the only one up late drinking on a Thursday night!! Indeed, you're not alone! And what fun, taking deliciously pointless quizzes. Gimmie a quiz (and a Widmer) over a sitcom or boring conversation (slow, agonizing death) any night!!

"Scorpios are more likely to engage in dipping than the average person. And, after Ranch dressing, Scorpios prefer Italian. Scorpios are most likely to be younger women and have children. They are team players and tend to be highly educated, have higher incomes and be Internet savvy." Hmmmmm, not bad! Tho' I'm not a dipper, and ranch dressing really isn't my bag, I DO like Italian..MEN! Also, I lead allll my teams to stupendous victories using my as yet unequalled scholastics and treat them all to lobster dinners with my fortune gained through my greatest invention, the internet, of course!!!

Susan, I can barely contain myself! That is the funniest thing I have heard in a while..aside from your signature! Ohmigod..

Shredded chicken burritos. Spiced the chicken breasts with garlic, ancho, cayenne, sea salt, black pepper, cumin and pimenton de la vera. Medium heat until almost done, but not quite. Remove, plate to cool. Same skillet, onions, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, red pepper flakes, mexican oregano, dash of sugar and sea salt. Sautee on med high, turn down to med-low. Shred chicken, roll meat around to absorb the released juices. Turn vegetables to med-high. Add cumin, ancho, garlic, slightly brown (the smell tells you when the right time is to add the chicken). Push vegs to side..add a small pool of UNfiltered corn oil- heat till bubbly, add chicken. Mix well, cook for approx. ten minutes (allowing the chicken to cook through, absorbing the toasted spices and vegetable juices). Test for salt..add a VERY healthy amount of rather coarsely ground black pepper. Once the chicken begins to stick (yummy toasty meaty spicy goodness) remove from heat. Add- at your pantrys avail- black olives, cilantro, lime juice, sprinkles of your fave hot sauce, maybe green onion. Boy-o prefers whole wheat tortillas toasted over a hot burner. Shredded romaine lettuce, chopped white onions, Tillamook cheddar/jack cheese, sour cream and homemade (my god, there IS no better) salsa...and beer of choice. Tomorrow is his birthday, and we shall be having the same dinner...at his request. For dessert, his favorite, home-made carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

My man cooks zero-zilch-nada. Doesn't make coffee or tea. If I ask nice he'll crack open a beer or soda. Even then, he does it with a dour 'tude. When we were a younger, unmarried duo he would make spaghetti with ground turkey breast and store bought garlic bread (gah). He doesn't do dishes, either. And we have no automated dishwashin.' Good thing (mostly for him) that I am a 'domestic' gal!

For eating them fresh I couldn't give better recommendations than those already suggested. If you have any left (!!! ) I would oven dry them- very slowly. Approx. 200 degrees, or even a bit less- lightly oil (evoo) your baking sheet. And they really must be dry before storage (I prefer a wax-paper lined glass jar) otherwise they develop mold or/and an 'off' flavor.

Euell Gibbons has a chapter in his "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" book dedicated to Pokeweed. Apparantly you aren't supposed to eat the seeds, old stems or root- poisonous no matter how you prepare them. The young leaves and sprouts are edible after first boiling them in plenty of water for 10 minutes- put back in the pot with a wee bit of water, some fat and simmer for about half an hour. The book is quite good..funny and enlightening. But I still do further research on any plant targeted for my table as there is quite a bit more information available these days.

Malva (malva rotundifolia)-blue, Logwood chips (haematoxylon campechianum)-purple/red color. Be sure you read about them from a reputable source before ingesting them.

Dark chocolate truffles Cherries, blackberries and Pinot Noir

Blackberry cinnamon rolls Blackberry nut dumplings Blackberry cheese blintzes Blackberry barbeque sauce for meatballs or pork chops Blackberry truffles, fudge or chocolate dipped blackberries Blackberry meringues, creme brulee or blackberry crumb coffee cake.

John Ford, John Wayne, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. The conversation would be stupendous, the food simple and Irish. Brown and soda breads, hunks of beef and lamb (or mutton?) with roasted vegetables and a rich sauce. Perhaps bread pudding or cobbler. Whiskey, bourbon and tequila (Ford and Wayne liked it on their yacht trips). Strong, chewy black coffee, cigars and a piano. It would be a very late night.