SobaAddict70

Oh -- btw, I'm on a weight GAIN diet. heheheh. I weighed in at 148 this morning -- 7.5 lbs heavier than last Monday. Ultimately, I'd love to be 155-160 of muscle by this time next year. I probably gained something along the lines of .5 lbs. of muscle since starting working out last Monday (which btw, was the first I'd been in my entire life). It's gonna be a long and hard road, so wish me luck. Soba

Like you, Mr. Mayhaw? Life in the foodie fast lane, in Louisiana? heheh. Soba

It's possible that you're referencing the recent study published by a Dartmouth professor that pokes holes in the "8 glasses myth" but I'd point you towards here and here and also here. It may not be currently accepted theory, but that's for the eggheads to duke it out. Soba

Hm, are you looking to do a pan-Italian pasta tasting menu? Or something totally different? My one request: NO DESIGNER RAVIOLI!!! And by that, I mean when lobster ravioli was all the rage two years ago, I couldn't turn around without being confronted by a menu that had...lobster (or some other variation thereof) ravioli. It was the "seared tuna steak with mango salsa" food fad at the time. Otoh, I'm perfectly open to foie gras ravioli. Can't have too much foie gras. Soba

That may be, but when you're engaging in vigorous exercise such as weight training, it's advisable to drink as much water as possible -- not only during your workout, but throughout the day -- in order to keep hydrated as much as possible. I'll let the trainers amongst us clarify and correct me if need be. It's just good health common sense to drink as much as possible, hence the "8 glasses a day". Me, my love of water is well documented here on eGlutton , but I can see where it might be a concern for other people. Soba

Clearly El Gordo forgot to budget for a receptionist. Soba

Don't forget to drink LOTS of water. 8 glasses a day if you can manage it. Or 2 large bottles of Poland Spring should do the trick. Soba

Birthday dinner Sunday night at Prune (celebrating my 33rd b'day which passed this past Thursday -- Xmas Day for those of you who are calendar challenged -- plain old December 25 as far as I'm concerned.): Roasted marrow bones [parsley salad, toast points] (me) Breaded sweetbreads and bacon (my companion) Dry-aged steak in a port-wine reduction, parsley butter (me) Can't remember what he had. Chicken, I think. But not sure. We also had a side of stewed chestnuts with fresh ricotta. This was a high point of the dinner. Orange sherbet (stunningly fresh and sweet. There was a second flavor that I eventually manged to pinpoint to buttermilk. A bit unusual, imo.) (me) Apple galette with rosewater and orange sauce (my companion) Not bad, although the bits of pickle in the parsley salad that accompanied the roast marrow bones were a bit of a surprise and off-putting. The sherbet might have been better if they had left the buttermilk out and used regular milk instead. The steak was an unusually fatty piece of steak, but otherwise tolerable. I note that after the two tables next to us left, the sound level in the room reduced considerably. I give the experience a 6 out of a possible 10, meaning that I might come back....in about nine or ten months. Not a "go-to" place in my book, although my companion thought otherwise. Soba

and me as well. S.

Probably about as legal as banning babies from X-rated movie theaters or from underground sex clubs. Which is to say, not illegal at all. But then again I'm not a lawyer -- I'm just a paralegal. Any legal eggheads out there wanna weigh in on this one? Soba

I'd be interested in seeing whether there are similar experiences to Mark's at places like FL, CT, JG and ADNY -- over the course of a year. Maybe a blog is in order. Soba

If you have EVER been trapped in an enclosed environment for more than an hour (oh, like a trans-continental airplane flight on Delta 2 years ago as was the case with me), you can guess what MY response would be. My discman ran out of battery juice halfway through the flight and I was forced to endure the ninth circle of hell for at least three hours. Soba

Dinner tonight was broiled steak, couscous and roasted cauliflower. Soy milk. Apple cider. Last of the tangerines. Soba

Jack, do your guests know about eGullet? Here's a warm and hearty welcome to any of them that might decide to delurk. Now you have to tell us what you're planning for New Year's. Soba

Aren't those Californian requirements too? Specifically the power Hollywood lunch kind. Soba

Made me snort protein shake all over the keyboard. Soba

Well, I gained 4 lbs. in 4 days. Interesting to be sure, but I'm not quite sure it's what I want. 4 lbs. in 4 days = 4 lbs. of FAT. Not complaining now....but down the road I might. Soba

NYTimes Weekly Update Wednesday, 24 December 2003 Thanks to Suzanne F for last week's Wednesday DIGEST. Me, I was too busy running around at work to even THINK of eGullet. --Soba A. Dining In/Dining Out Section Artisanal Butters (Kay Rentschler) Homemade Christmas Tastes (Amanda Hesser) The Flower Drum (R.W. Apple, Jr.) A Sampler of Sparkling Ciders (Eric Asimov) Sidebar: Click on the box marked "Wines of the Times: Apple Cider" to begin the online presentation. Breakfast Rituals (Nigella Lawson) The Minimalist: Churros (Mark Bittman) Azalea (William Grimes) La Palapa Rockola (Eric Asimov) All About Mixology (William Grimes) Caviar, The World Over (Florence Fabricant) Pairings (Amanda Hesser) Recipe: Roasted Oysters and Meyer Lemon Dining Grab Bag: Letters to the Editor Corrections Recipes in today's issue: 1. Piped Butter Cookies (Spritzgebäck) 2. Brittany Butter Cake (Gâteau Breton) 3. Good Fruitcake 4. Eggnog 5. Cheeseball with Red Pepper, Olives and Smoked Paprika 6. Granola Muffins 7. Bacon and Egg Bake 8. Raspberry and Oatmeal Swirls 9. Churros B. Elsewhere in today's Times... Mad Cow Traced To Washington State (Matthew L. Wald) Lag In U.S. Inspections (Marian Burros and Donald G. McNeil, Jr.) Burger Club: Not What The Doctor Ordered (Sandra Blakeslee and Marian Burros) The Rise and Fall of Parmalat: Part Two (John Tagliabue) Sidebar: What The Auditors Never Knew (Floyd Norris) The Sky Is Falling: Mad Cow Disease Impact On Wall Street (Reuters) Food Shortages Imminent In Zimbabwe And Other African Countries (Michael Wines) Food Pantries As Economic Indicies (Richard Lezin Jones) International Ban On American Beef (Matthew L. Wald and Eric Lichtblau)

You could try soaking the cod, cooking it with salt, pepper and EVOO until brown, and serve it with a warmed sweet and sour sauce. Baccala fritters. Baccala, sauteed in EVOO along with a battuto of garlic and Italian flat-leaf parsley, salt, pepper and lemon juice. I take back the comment I made about brandade. I came across a recipe recently that calls for brandade made just with salt cod, cream and EVOO. It's served with shaved white truffles on crostini. Not bad for salt cod, eh? Soba

Re the cod: nothing that involves fish cakes or brandade, please. Kind of short on time atm, will think of something later. (promise) Soba

Thanks tryska, for the forum link. Soba

My problem is I'm lactose intolerant. Lactaid is out -- gives me gas and diarrhea. I'm currently exploring a medical solution to the problem, but my question is, what kinds of weight gain powders or shakes are good for someone who's lactose intolerant? For weight gain bars, are there any with a low sugar content? I'm not seeking to bulk up so much as being able to put on lean muscle. Today is the first day I'm joining a gym -- in my entire life. Pray for me, someone. Now you know the reason why I cook so many boneless skinless chicken breasts. Like Carolyn's bf, I'm an ectomorph. Classic ectomorph, he of the high metabolism and ravenous appetite. At 6'1" and 146, it's my New Year's resolution to be 150 and muscular (or even some semblance thereof) by this time next year. I wish there'd been a weight-gain thread like this before. Not too many foodies I know besides JJ and me who are on the other end of the physical spectrum. Soba

I'm on vacation until 12/31/03. Yay is me!!! Nice blog, Jack. We really should do a best of blogs one of these days. Someone please explain to me what the difference is between Yule and Christmas? Kind of dense. Oh, and what's the origin of Boxing Day? Is there a Boxing Day food tradition? Soba

ok, I'm in (for next time). ditto on the fried bay leaves. My guess is that it's a dessert digestif of some sort, kind of like Batali's version of Chinese sweet red bean soup. Soba

Always a pleasure to read your reviews, lxt. Soba