SobaAddict70

You could always, with a little editing and a little permission from Jason and the powers that be, publish your diary entries (not responses and subsequent discussions, just your initial diary entries per thread) at some point in the future. I don't know the legality of that from an IP perspective but I'm sure something can be worked out with the right persons or powers. Anyway, something to consider. SA

Matt, next time, order some lassi instead of going for the water. Dairy products generally act as a laxative when combined with spicy foods. Also bread (which the naan does as double duty). But then you probably already knew that. SA

I think you have what it takes to be whatever you want to be. Class standings are hooey anyway. But keep it up, grrl. If you thrive on time pressure as much as I think you do, you'll do fine. ::thumbs up:: SA PS. I have to say, your threads are the first thing I read whenever I open up this site on any web browser (for convenience's sake I never log out), and also I look forward to reading new entries. Take care and be well, R. -- S.

tonight -- tagliatelle with tomato confit, green salad w/ oil and lemon juice, Haagen-Dasz strawberry ice cream. Evian. Ahhh....Haagen-Dasz. I'm spoiled now. SA

Like chili pie. hehe SA

I thought the original Spanish saying was "a spendthrift for the oil, a miser for the vinegar, and a madman to mix them together." I could be wrong though. SA

I don't expect this issue to become law for several years. In fact, I expect a class-action lawsuit any day now, from some obscure angle in the City Charter to cause the courts to block passage of the bill on constitutional grounds, or soon after the bill is passed. Yeah, that's the ticket. SA

That depends on if you have a lot of time on your hands. Seriously, if using fresh tomatoes, absolutely. You'll taste the difference, plus no seeds getting stuck between your teeth. I sort of do half and half if using canned or packaged tomatoes. Depends on if I feel like doing the extra step. SA

Cuz it has stuff like salt and seeds in it. Good to do, if you're going to adjust for seasoning later on. SA

Did you know that historically speaking, a marinara sauce has no relation whatsoever to tomatoes but to seafood? Originally, marinara sauces contained fish and shellfish, but over the years, the sauce has devolved into its present form -- aka sugo di pomodoro. Anyway, not sure about where you got your last batch of Pomi tomatoes, FG. I usually toss them into a pan that has sauteed garlic and EVOO. Sometimes I'll place them in a colander lined with a cheesecloth if using crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes, to get all that extraneous liquid out of the way, then toss them onto the pan -- then cook everything down until the tomatoes have thickened to a jam-like consistency. At that point, flavor has concentrated and far surpasses any commercial product out there. Sometimes I use this in lieu of tomato paste. I suppose you could add a few grains of salt halfway through the process. SA

Thanks for the Mexican rec. Is it true Mexican (use of moles/huitlacoche (sp)/authentic spicing) or just plain Tex-Mex? If the latter, I think I'll pass. Jordyn -- I may be dining solo, but plan on being with other people. Depends on availability of my friends. Thanks again, SA

Pomi definitely. Ditto with Liza et al. re fresh tomatoes. SA

Mikeczyz (or others), Per my first post, I believe these were my preferences. Any help would be appreciated, thanks. Thanks for the kokkari rec. Any other non-Chinese or Japanese recs? When I have the time, I'll check out SF-related threads. I visit SF about once or twice a year, but don't usually keep up on the dining scene thereabouts. As for my eating habits, Gary Danko should not present too much of a problem. That said, I'm more interested in food quality, presentation, composition, and overall experience, than prodigious quantities (this is not to say that Gary D's food amounts to that, but just as an indirect way of answering your query). Thanks again in advance. SA

I don't drive, and also don't have a driver's license, so anything outside of SF or not immediate access to BART is out. That cancels French Laundry, for the immediate future. hehe SA

Besides Fifth Floor and Chez Panisse in Berkeley, where should I consider going? I will be in SF from Sept. 27 to October 2. Not interested in Chinese or Japanese food this time around. Also not a wine or beer drinker, so please keep that in mind. I'm looking to spend about $100 to $120 per meal, tops. Is there any place that I should book in advance, besides Chez Panisse? Danke, SA

Sunday: Broiled spicy Italian sausages, w/roasted sliced potatoes, red/yellow/orange bell peppers, Italian frying peppers, grape tomatoes, red onions. Drizzle of EVOO. Splash of raspberry vinegar. Lots of bread to soak up the juices. Nectarine sorbet that a friend brought over. Perrier. SA

stuff them with ricotta cheese and either bake or roast them until the figs are tender make a fig chutney: chopped figs, jaggery (or brown sugar), cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, dried chilies, grated coconut, cardamom (make sure to use green pods), ghee, chopped onions. Toast the spices first if using fresh whole spices, then grind in a spice grinder; fry the onions and spices in some in some ghee until the onions are lightly golden, add the figs, jaggery and grated coconut; cook until the figs are tender, stirring frequently so as not to let the sugar burn or caramelize over much, adding a T. or so of water every few minutes) bake them sliced with some lemon juice, grated lemon or orange zest, chopped crystallized ginger, a splash of dark rum -- until tender, then serve over ice cream or pie.

Sorry to hear about the risotto, FG. Was it particularly difficult to get the toothfish, seeing as how its being overfished? SA

My issue is that people overuse EVOO/balsamic vinegar/white truffle oil, etc. to the point where they're using it just because its there. I prefer to think of EVOO as something you'd use to enhance a finished dish at the last minute of cooking or before serving, or if its something ethereally simple, like uncooked tomato sauce. Very often, NOT EVOO (like plain OO) will do just fine, esp. if the flavor will be obscured by something else (citrus for example). I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Help? SA

True gazpacho (the Andalusian version) does not have chiles of any sort and is made in an earthenware or clay bowl. Think of it as a liquid salad. This is how I prefer to make mine. Another gazpacho you might try is gazpacho blanco ("white gazpacho"), which contains among other things -- blanched almonds, white grapes, cucumbers and garlic. True gazpacho has: tomatoes, cucumbers, red wine vinegar, Spanish EVOO, salt, pepper, bread, onion, garlic, bell peppers. The soup should be partially crunchy solid but most of it is liquid. SA

I am *not* doing the wedding food. I'll leave that to the professionals. The most I've ever cooked for was about twenty people, and that was several years ago. At that point, things become less intimate and more prone to disaster (I kind of wonder how caterers do things actually). The twenty person extravaganza was only made possible by cooking numerous dishes large enough for six servings at most. I don't do very well when it comes to projecting quantities -- simply doubling or trebling the amount of salt for example probably isn't a solution. Thanks anyway. I'd been planning this for a few months and was kind of nervous....glad to see that things worked out. SA

Yesterday I took off and shanghaied my best friend's apartment for prep, for a pre-wedding dinner party I gave for him and his fiance and five other people. He has way more space than I do, not to mention he has a REAL kitchen (one with adequate counterspace). Three of the guests were vegetarians (they eat eggs and dairy thankfully), and the groom is allergic to cilantro and eggplant, and has a STRONG dislike to nuts in general. I had done some initial prep last weekend by making a quart of roasted vegetable stock and a similar amount of chicken stock. Shopping was done around early morning (I prefer to get most of the ingredients (excepting staples like EVOO) for dinner, the day of the dinner, both for freshness and flavor quality). Apps: Porcini tagliatelle with uncooked tomato sauce (for the veggies); sweet and spicy pear and cashew salad. The salad would've been perfect for everyone except for the dried shrimp in the base, and the nam pla in the dressing. Made the pasta early on: to semolina flour and eggs, added some chopped reconstituted porcini, and some of the soaking liquid. Made the tagliatelle using their pasta machine. Uncooked tomato sauce: chopped grape tomatoes, chopped plum tomatoes, EVOO, salt and pepper. Refrigerated everything separately for assembly right before dinner. At serving, cooked the pasta, tossed with the tomato sauce. Chiffonade of basil. Drizzle of EVOO. Salad went much the same way: dried shrimp, pears, halved cherry tomatoes, toasted cashew nuts. Dressing -- lime juice, nam pla, brown sugar, minced garlic, serrano chiles. At serving, tossed the salad with the dressing and plated everything. Second course: roasted pepper, onion and black bean soup. I normally make this soup with tomatoes but didn't want to overwhelm everyone with an attack of the killer tomatoes. [g] Avocado butter: Mashed 2 ripe avocadoes, folded in a little unsalted butter and a tiny amount of chopped chipotle chiiles en adobo. Creamed together and let chill for a few hours. Roasted yellow, orange and red peppers, onions, garlic, and carrots in some OO. Combined the roasted veggies with some black beans and the roasted veggie stock. Pureed in a food processor; returned to pot. Made a second batch with the chicken stock. At serving, topped each bowl with finely diced roasted carrots and a dollop of avocado butter. Mains: cod with mushroom-herb crust and tomato jam; spiced lentils with apple crisps and curried yogurt (Recipe from "Grains, Rice and Beans" by Kevin Graham; Artisan, 1995) (this was for the vegetarians); carrots with cumin; simple rice pilaf with saffron (cooked with the last of the chicken stock). Made the tomato jam early on: 1 lb. plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped; EVOO and a small pinch of sugar. Cooked for about half an hour, until the tomatoes thickened considerably. The cod: sauteed mushrooms and shallots in unsalted butter until mushroom liquid evaporated; folded mushroom mixture into another mixture of creamed butter, egg, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Garlic, shallots and more thyme in a baking dish. Added clam juice (would have made fish fumet in advance but didn't feel like it), then cod fillets. Breadcrumb mixture over fish. Sent the cod to the fridge until later. Carrots: crushed some cumin and fennel seeds and some cloves. Heated OO, added crushed spices, carrot slices, orange juice, grated orange peel, minced garlic and ground coriander. Cooked until carrots were crisp-tender and sauce thickened somewhat. Salt and pepper to taste. Lentils: sauteed onions, added garam masala (see Note 1), bay leaf and Granny Smith apples. Added lentils and roasted vegetable stock. Removed bay leaf once lentils were done. Apple crisps (these were done after the tomato jam): sliced apples, lemon juice mixed with confectioner's sugar. Glazed the apples with the lemon-sugar mixture, dried the apples in a preheated oven (200 degrees) for five hours. Yogurt: garam masala (see Note 2), diced baby bananas and plain yogurt. Assembly: Baked the cod fillets; transferred to broiler and broiled until topping became crisp. Transferred to platter; reduced cooking liquid with some unsalted butter, added salt and white pepper. Plated the fish with some sauce and tomato jam. Served the lentils, yogurt and apple crisps separately for people to mix and match as they chose. As I am a lousy baker, I had bought a tarte tatin and some quality vanilla ice cream for dessert. Coffee, mint tea. I had asked people to bring whatever wine of their choice to dinner (at least one red and one white). Evian, Perrier and tonic water for the non-alcoholically inclined amongst us. =) 1. Masala for the lentils: mace, black peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ajwain seeds, ground ginger, ground nutmeg. 2. Masala for the yogurt: grated coconut, sesame seeds, black mustard seeds, saffron, green peppercorns, white peppercorns, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds, ground nutmeg. All in all, it was a success. If I hadn't prepped at least a week in advance, things would've been different. Thank god for mandolines and food processors. SA

In cooking terms, it means exactly as you found the definition. When they turn pink -- that is, they lose their translucent nature and are more "solid looking". SA

I think you can post the recipe as long as you acknowledge your source and make explicit reference to it (i.e., cite author, title, publisher, year of publication, and page numbers if applicable). I frequently do and haven't gotten whipped for it yet...[heh]. Fat Bloke and/or Jason might be able to better answer your question. As for me, my default is either Boston or Bibb lettuce, watercress or arugula, and either mint, cilantro, basil, or parsley, tossed together. Add a simple viniagrette of OO, white wine or Champagne vinegar, sometimes a garlic clove that's been minced, sometimes a small amount of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and that's it. Sometimes, its a bit more complicated -- shredded duck meat and skin (or shredded white-cooked chicken), julienned red, yellow and orange peppers, mache, chopped cilantro and mint, a little stir-fried glass noodles (for heft), and a tiny amount of chipotle en adobo (for bite); dressing of peanut oil, Chinese black vinegar, light shoyu, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and finely minced candied orange zest. SA

Yay for Nina! Finally someone other than myself who thinks that a cardinal sin of cooking is overuse of something like EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Seriously folks, EVOO and balsamic are special things, like white truffle oil. Sometimes plain old white vinegar and OO will work just fine. I thought I was all alone in the world... SA