SobaAddict70

Nope, but I guess I'll have to get that too. "Buvette" is high on my list, along with a book on Chinese cooking, Eileen whatshername. I saw the one by Suzanne Goin -- Lucques, was it? Wasn't really impressed by that...

Ratatouille We also had: broiled porgy, red-skinned potato salad. I'd never made ratatouille before. Guess I'll have to eventually get Mastering the Art of French Cooking (by Julia), so I can compare notes. The version pictured is made according to the recipe in "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters.

I've only had it at high-end sushi palaces like Kurumazushi. The typical stuff is a pale shadow of the real thing. That being said, we don't know your palate. Before you go to the trouble of ordering it, you'll probably want to eat at places that do offer it. I don't know swestern New Jersey, so can't help you there.

The Trenton NJ transit line passes through your neck of the woods. How do I know? My partner and I visited his sister yesterday; she lives 10 minutes away from the Trenton stop, in Pennsylvania. You don't have to drive into NYC just to visit the city. USGM is about 20 minutes away from Penn Station. Just a thought.

French omelette with summer black truffles, green beans Sautéed okra, spicy tomato sauce We also had potato salad with Indian mixed pickles (lime, green mango, carrot), and Italian plums.

They're available at Union Square Greenmarket, in evil New York City.

today: porgy, chicken thighs, plums, zucchini, eggplant, nasturtium flowers, radishes, peach and raspberry pie I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple of other things...

Dinner for two: Vegan corn chowder. Garlic shrimp, Israeli couscous Escarole with anchovy and olive Donut nectarines for dessert

Fava bean "hummus", served with multigrain pita chips (not shown) Roast cod, summer black truffles Green beans braised in tomato sauce

"A Play on Caprese" Pan-toasted shishito peppers, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, dressed with sea salt, black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil My basil went south so it was time to improv. Pasta with uncooked tomato sauce Begin with finely chopped onion and minced fresh parsley (proportions are up to you but a good rule of thumb is 1 medium onion and 1/4 cup fresh parsley), slowly cooked with 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over low heat, in a covered saucepan for 30 minutes. While the onion is cooking, chop your tomatoes. For this dinner which served two hearty eaters, I probably used 4-5 medium heirloom tomatoes. Chop them -- whether coarsely or finely is up to you -- and place them in a bowl. Bring your pot of water to a boil, seasoned with sea salt. Prepare pasta until its al dente, then drain. When the onion is done, taste for salt and pepper if necessary, then remove from heat. Combine the pasta, the tomatoes and the onion/parsley mixture. Mix well. Taste for salt and pepper once more, then serve at once.

Probably because it involves dough. The form of the dough doesn't seem to be an issue.

News to me and my mom, who once swore that she couldn't keep up with the pace of my milk consumption when I was a teenager. She'd buy a gallon of milk on Saturday and it would be gone by Monday. Generalizations are bad, mmkay?

seems Gourmet supports Weedy's comment above: http://www.gourmet.com/food/gourmetlive/2011/101211/the-world-of-cilantro

I think they count. Noodles are basically dough rolled out or hand-pulled, then cut or formed into shapes. Dumplings are dough that have been rolled out, cut, then folded over a filling. Kind of like ravioli.

An underlying issue is food loss. Most people will toss the seeds without another thought. From my perspective, that's wasteful. Strain the seeds and use the resulting juice in a cucumber tonic, or as part of a vegetable broth. Rather than tossing the seeds in the trash, put them in your compost bin.

Some recipes may specifically call for it; then, it simply becomes an issue of aesthetics. I usually don't.

I prefer Castelvetrano olives.

CSAs are not for everyone, but if you have an adventurous spirit and are willing to explore possibilities, then they might be a great opportunity for you to broaden your horizons. The randomness is part of the deal, and for me, a route I'd be willing to undertake if I didn't already have access to a year-round farmers' market.

You don't have 30 minutes a day to devote to cooking? All of those gadgets are great, but you're still going to have to learn some of the basics (i.e., how to chop and slice, how to scramble an egg) and that takes time.

if the OP wants a super gadget for just about everything, he should plunk down $400 to $500 for a Vita-Mix. it even does windows and the kitchen sink.

for me, that one super gadget is a French chef's knife. cost less than $20 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. for others, could be a cleaver and a wok. you can use a wok for all sorts of things, not just Asian food. steaming, for example, or smoking meat or fish, or making scrambled eggs. what is necessary isn't always expensive.

honestly, all you really need is a good knife and a couple of pots and pans. the rest will take care of itself over time. if I were in your shoes, I would get none of these. listen to your fellow eGulleteers. many of the suggestions provided above will start you off in the right direction, ESPECIALLY since you're a newbie to cooking.

Tunisian potato salad Polpettine in tomato sauce Polpettine -- little meatballs typically made of ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and pork. For this version, I used 100% ground pork, mixed with grated onion, slivered lemon zest, stale bread soaked in milk, beaten egg, chopped prosciutto di Parma, sea salt, black pepper, and minced oregano. This mixture was then formed into balls, dredged in flour and fried in olive oil. The sauce consists of a 1:1:1 mixture of chopped onion, carrot and celery (with leaves), sea salt and black pepper, slowly cooked in the meatball drippings and olive oil, to which was added ripe plum tomatoes and a little water. Simmer the sauce, covered, for 15 minutes, then add the meatballs and cook uncovered until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve at once. Of course, you don't need to have them in tomato sauce. Other ideas include but are not limited to: dredging in breadcrumbs and frying them in oil; cooked in broth and served as a first or main course; or cooked in a wine sauce.

I'd recommend checking out the salad thread in case you haven't already.

This.