SobaAddict70

yup, it's the Creole/Acadian one.

guess what I want to make when artichokes start coming in at USGM:

They shouldn't be all that different, but it might help if you posted a pic.

Shane -- it's not my recipe though. thanks anyway. tonight: One-egg omelette, baby cauliflower greens The greens and shallots were cooked in olive oil, then dressed with a touch of sesame oil, red pepper flakes, sriracha, sea salt, black pepper and garlic chives. One-egg omelette: one egg, 1 teaspoon cold water, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Prepare as you would a normal 2- or 3-egg omelette by frying in unsalted butter. Baby cauliflower and olive bruschetta Cauliflower and olive confit -- chopped baby cauliflower, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, olive oil, shallots, capers, Moroccan oil-cured olives, rosemary. Simmer over low heat for one hour or until the cauliflower becomes as soft as baby food. Serve over toasted semolina bread or Italian bread. Crispy heirloom potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, baby arugula Potatoes -- parboil potatoes in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, then marinate in enough olive oil to cover along with fresh sage or oregano, for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then roast at 350 F for 30 minutes. The mushrooms and arugula were cooked in olive oil, with salt and pepper. Mussels steamed in Belgian beer, with ramps and pearl barley Mussels -- steamed in Belgian beer for 3 minutes, then drained and shelled. Discard any mussels that do not open. Pearl barley -- simmer 1/2 cup pearl barley in 1 1/2 cups Chinese chicken stock (chicken stock, garlic, ginger, scallions, sea salt) for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, then for 40 minutes on low heat or until all liquid is absorbed. Ramps -- chopped ramp stalks and bulbs were sautéed in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, to which was added the cooked pearl barley and chopped ramp leaves, slivered uncured Casalingo salami and the cooked mussels. Taste for salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, then serve immediately.

shane -- I love your dinner; if only I had a balcony, then I could grill to my heart's content without setting off the smoke alarm. tonight: Insalata di tonno e ceci -- spring greens (chickweed, fava greens), with Italian tuna and chickpeas. You can use canned chickpeas (as is, drained and rinsed; or simmered for 20 minutes with 2 cups cold water, a pinch of sea salt, some sliced onion, carrot and celery, then drained) or prepared from dried (soak overnight in 4 cups cold water, then prepared with the onion/celery/carrot treatment). To the cooked, drained chickpeas, add good quality Italian tuna packed in olive oil, finely chopped red onion or shallots, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper. Spoon atop some greens, then serve immediately. Fresh sardines make an excellent substitute for the tuna. Asparagus, eggs and cheese Steam or simmer asparagus; fry an egg in unsalted butter, then serve over the asparagus. Spoon some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese atop the asparagus and egg, and some melted butter. Taste for salt and pepper, then serve at once. You don't need much else -- maybe a glass of white wine and some fruit.

thanks RRO/dcarch. lots of great-looking stuff. tonight -- a REALLY late dinner, just something I threw together in 15 minutes: Potato gnocchi, with black trumpet mushrooms, mousseron mushrooms, ramps and cabbage flower Doable in about 15 minutes, including prep. Warm some olive oil, add some chopped ramp stalks, the black trumpet mushrooms and fairy ring (mousseron) mushrooms. Season with sea salt and black pepper. When the mushrooms are tender and the ramp stalks have started to brown, add the ramp leaves and chopped cabbage flower. Let the greens cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While you're doing this, bring some lightly salted water to a boil, and drop in the potato gnocchi. The gnocchi, if they're freshly made, should take about 2-3 minutes to cook. When the gnocchi float to the top, lift out with a slotted spoon, then add to the pot with the ramp and mushroom mixture. Toss once or twice, taste for salt and pepper, then spoon into warmed serving bowls. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then serve immediately. Also, take a look at the NYT op-ed article below when you get a chance. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/opinion/pay-people-to-cook-at-home.html

Spring themed dinner tonight -- most of the ingredients are from USGM, but some like the baby cauliflower, fairy ring mushrooms and Casalingo (uncured) salami are from Eataly. Originally I was going to do potato gnocchi, with ramps and black trumpet mushrooms, but I underestimated the amount of food. So guess what's for lunch tomorrow. Asparagus, poached farm egg, pecorino Crotonese cheese Warm spring vegetable salad -- fava beans, baby cauliflower, chickweed, French breakfast radishes, yu choi flowers and shallots, with a white wine vinaigrette. The radishes, cauliflower, fava beans and shallots were cooked separately in lightly salted water, then blanched in ice water. The chickweed, cauliflower and fava beans were then sautéed separately, then plated, then topped with the remaining vegetables. Dressing: 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons dry white wine, 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste. Seems like a lot of work, but I think it's delicious. Baby cauliflower. I've placed an American quarter coin next to it, for size comparison. Casalingo salami, cabbage flower, fairy ring mushrooms

The thing that comes to my mind is Egg Beaters -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_Beaters , but as Lisa points out, there are different varieties on the market. Shel -- this link explains more about egg substitutes: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm

someone who likes Shake shack over Mcdonald's, or hamburgers from the local greasy spoon joint over White Castle, is that person a "foodie"? there's an eG member, can't recall his name, who knows all about hot dogs from the dirty water food carts all the way up the scale. is he a "foodie"? someone who thinks Paula Deen's creations are the goddess' gift to mankind, is she a "foodie"? that's the problem with labels -- because, depending on whomever it is who answers, any of those people could be "foodies" or, they could be people who just like to eat but don't see themselves as "foodies". Louisiana Creole is "fusion" -- it's French-Spanish-Portuguese-Amerindian-African. traditional Mexican is "fusion" -- it's Lebanese-German-Spanish-Amerindian-Chinese cuisine. "fusion" doesn't just mean a modern mish-mash of cultures like Korean-Mexican. it's been around since humans have travelled to other parts of the globe and back. if technicalities matter, if you want to consider modern usage, "fusion" has been around since the 1960s, but it wasn't until chefs like Wolfgang Puck came onto the scene that 'fusion' as a concept really took off (although even some people may quibble with that). my argument is that "fusion" is just a word for something that's been around since the dawn of time, where an apple and an orange decide to have some sexy fruit funtime and a baby comes out nine months later. to answer your question directly, consider this: what is sometimes thought of as traditional American cuisine -- baked beans, Southern fried chicken, BBQ -- has its roots in many disparate cultures but is uniquely our own. something like pizza is "fusion". you've got taco pizza, pizza with BBQ lamb, pizza with General Tso's chicken, and pizza with sausage in the crust. the other day, someone on Facebook mentioned they had spam musubi pizza. (blech.)

tina -- thanks! you can also roast them and eat the beans, fuzzy second skin and all. i didn't know that until recently. dcarch - those look like really FAT leeks. i've never heard of hostas (and i read the thread). tonight, a riff on spaghetti con vongole: spaghetti with mussels and ramps. the mussels were steamed with white wine, then shelled. the cooking liquid was strained, to which was added some saffron. add olive oil to a skillet, warm over medium heat. add chopped ramp stalks and bulbs once the oil shimmers. when the ramp stalks have browned, add the mussels, chopped ramp leaves, finely minced Italian parsley and oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like. stir in mussel cooking liquid. let cook for 2-3 minutes. stir in cooked drained pasta. cook for 1-2 minutes. then stir in (optional) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits. let the butter thicken the sauce. toss once or twice, then remove from heat and serve immediately.

really? my usual are Quattro's, Violet Hill and Knoll Krest. which others? maybe they're expanding into other lines of production, which could be a good thing.

Fried farm egg with "pork-infused" tomato sauce and pinto beans. "Pork-infused" tomato sauce -- crushed San Marzano tomatoes cooked with onion, white wine, smoked bacon, Chinese pork sausage and pancetta. The eggs were fried in olive oil; the beans were soaked overnight, then simmered with a basic mirepoix and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.

basque -- nice pix as usual. keith -- that is a lovely hunk of fish. c. sapidus -- you have plantains! i'm envious. patrick -- how was it? panaderia -- shrimp pizza is new to me. looks great! chris -- gummy shark? shane -- glad that you enjoyed it. it's a very rich dish that should ideally be made for more than one person. there is a reason why i don't like cream-sauce based dishes. dejah -- looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back. for tonight, three courses. the first two are vegan, the third is vegetarian. i might cook again later tonight, depending on how peckish i feel. spring greens salad with yu choi flowers salad: baby arugula, claytonia (better known as "miner's lettuce" or "winter purslane"), yu choi flowers, chickweed the dressing: 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons white wine (a dry white wine like a Basque txakoli will work wonders here), 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste. whisk all liquid ingredients together, then taste for salt and pepper. salad-making is a lost art that needs to come back. next: fava greens with sweet and spicy ramps fava greens are the leaves from a fava bean plant. they have a delicate texture and a flavor reminiscent of spinach but without the "bite". these were sautéed with ramps, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped pistachios, crystallized ginger, shallots, dried cranberries and leftover dressing from the salad. finally: "asparagus and potatoes" -- homemade sea salt-and-sherry vinegar heirloom potato chips, asparagus, hard-cooked farm egg and winter purslane. the potato chips sound complicated, but are really nothing more than potatoes that were sliced by hand (skin on), then fried in olive oil, drained and seasoned with sea salt and sherry vinegar. there's a light dressing of white wine vinegar and olive oil.

spring is in full swing here in nyc. not bad for a day that began in the upper 40s and ended in the upper 60s. this week: claytonia (you know it better as winter purslane or "miner's lettuce"), scallions, mussels, yu choi flowers, ramps, fava greens, unsalted butter, pinto beans and various herbs. i'm sure i'm forgetting one or two things...

BTW, and I'm sure you know this -- New York Noodletown is also BYOB. we had a nice Spanish white wine to go along with most of what we ate. very reasonable corkage fee too.

the casserole. it's not something I'll order again.

some pix from earlier this year: roast duck and wonton noodle soup seafood noodle soup baby suckling pig yes, I'm in love... oyster and chinese bbq pork sizzling casserole we thought this was the least successful dish of the bunch we ordered stir-fried pea shoots with garlic

so there was an article that appeared recently in the Times, with Michael Pollan and Michael Moss (he's the guy who coined the term 'pink slime') on the decline of cooking in America. you can read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/dining/making-lunch-with-michael-pollan-and-michael-moss.html?hpw&_r=0 mostly leftovers tonight, but there was this to start first: Ramp and cheese omelette (ramps, unsalted butter, eggs, sea salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese) I didn't begin cooking until 9:43 pm -- had to wash the dishes in the sink first. Finished at 9:54 pm, so 11 minutes. If you're telling me that you can't wait 11 minutes to make something to eat, you're hopeless as far as being a member of Homo sapiens is concerned, in my opinion. I don't mean to sound sanctimonious or self-righteous, but it really annoys me when I hear people say "cooking is too difficult, takes too long, or is too complicated, so why bother?" or "it's quicker to do takeout". Well, I do takeout too occasionally, but I don't lean on that as a crutch the majority of the time. That people have been taught to think of cooking as something not worth their effort is worrisome to me. Going to a McDonald's is actually slower than making an omelette, in this specific instance -- it's 3 blocks away from my apartment so getting there would take about 10-15 minutes depending on how fast I'm walking.

plantes -- thanks. I like the fruit salad shot. mm -- stunning as usual. tonight: leftovers mostly, but this was tonight's app: Creamed mushroom bruschetta, with caramelized onions Recipe, courtesy of Chef Chris Pandel, from Balena (Chicago): http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1014695/Creamed-Mushroom-Bruschetta-With-Caramelized-Onions.html even by scaling down Chef Pandel's recipe, it's quite rich. must've gained like 2-3 lbs. just from eating it. also, the version pictured above has some chantrelles as well (not as much though, as I had some scraps that needed to be used before they turned).

$6 US for one dozen is slightly more expensive than those sold at USGM -- $5 if memory serves for one dozen chicken eggs from Quattro's, $4.50/5 at Knoll Krest. I don't know if the eggs I've always bought from either of those vendors are heritage chicken eggs. I'll hazard a guess -- probably not (but I'll be sure to ask the next time I restock! as this topic has now piqued my curiosity). As for the taste and color: yolks are a more intense orange/yellow, whites are firmer, and there is a richer/"eggier" taste than regular supermarket eggs. By regular, I mean the ones packed in your typical styrofoam egg trays and not the slightly more upscale brands (whose labels I can see in my mind's eye, but whose names escape me for now). Slightly off-topic, but this link explains more about heritage meats for those of you who are interested: https://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-meats.jsp

Fairway has been selling fava beans for the past couple of weeks. Normally you'll not see fava beans until late May/early June at USGM, so I scored some to satisfy my craving until then. last night: It's quite simple -- fry pancetta, guanciale or bacon, then add minced shallots and shelled fava beans. Deglaze with white wine, taste for salt and pepper, stir in some chives. Eat. next: Pasta with spring greens (beet greens, Red Russian kale), anchovy and lemon

for something like rosti, you can also invert a plate on top of the rosti, then flip and slide the rosti onto the pan that way. less mess.

tina -- thanks. i agree with liuzhou; much prefer your version. keith -- looks awesome. plantes -- nice color. tonight, a celebration of ramps: Poached farm egg, ramps, pecorino Crotonese cheese The ramps were tossed with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a small pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then roasted at 375 F for 15 minutes. If you don't have ramps, asparagus is a wonderful substitute, like so: next: Fava bean, ramp and chickweed risotto Once you master making a regular risotto, the sky's the limit. Contains ramps, fava beans, chickweed, vegetable stock, Arborio rice, white wine, sea salt, black pepper, light cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, unsalted butter and chives. for those of you who are unfamiliar with chickweed: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Chickweed.html ramps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum fava beans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fava_beans ramps are pungent enough that their stalks can serve as a substitute for onion or shallots. add the minced stalks to some melted unsalted butter before adding the rice. sauté for a minute or two. you'll want to watch their progress closely, since if you wait too long before adding the rice, the stalks will discolor which will ultimately affect the color of the finished risotto.

liuzhou -- that sounds positively dreadful. basque -- yummy. patrick -- love the chicken pr0n. kim -- I think when you make it from scratch, Mr. Kim will crave it. you just might make a monster, lol. tonight: Spring vegetables (baby golden beets, French breakfast radishes, baby carrots, beet greens), vanilla butter sauce Fairly straightforward -- prep the vegetables, then simmer in lightly salted water for 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender; drain, then blanch in ice water. Vanilla butter sauce -- http://gildedfork.com/lobster-ravioli-with-vanilla-butter-sauce/ but scaled down for one person. Baked cod with Chinese pork sausage, pancetta and smoked bacon Adapted from this recipe at Food52 (with lap cheong sausage, pancetta and smoked bacon from Flying Pigs Farm (http://flyingpigsfarm.com/ ) instead of linguica, and I omitted the red bell pepper): http://food52.com/recipes/17757-roasted-cod-with-linguica

Kim -- thanks. I find that a short simmer in lightly salted water helps tame any "bite" or "harshness" with French breakfast radishes. you don't want to cook them for too long. 5-7 minutes, followed by blanching in ice water is perfect.