SobaAddict70

It's the method of delivery that makes you say this. I had the same thought as weinoo -- it's a gentler, kinder version of AW.

* coat them in a light breading and deep fry them. * cook in a wine sauce * in broth or stock, with some pasta and vegetables, or maybe dumplings or ravioli I like mine with a mixture of ground pork, veal and mortadella. Onion, garlic, parsley, a pinch of nutmeg, a little milk for sweetness, breadcrumbs and egg for binding.

I use both. Less waste that way. Of course if it calls for a garnish, I'll use the green parts -- but I'll also find a way to incorporate the rest in the dish.

1 cup shelled butter beans will be about 1 lb. unshelled beans. If you figure 1/2 cup = 1 serving, then 6 lbs. should do it? I might be off by a couple of numbers. That's a lot of beans to go through...

You could try paksiw na pata (braised pig's feet) Ingredients are pig's feet, water, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, sugar, dried banana blossoms and a couple of bay leaves. Serve over steamed rice. My grandmother occasionally makes fried bananas as a side dish. These are miniature bananas -- I don't think you can get them here in the U.S.

Thanks Pille. Kim -- They have a little tenderness to them while still retaining some firmness. The taste mellows a bit, although there's still some bite left. It doesn't need much except maybe a squeeze of lemon for brightness, or chopped herbs. Light dinner last night: Ricotta gnocchi with zucchini, celery, green garlic and mint Dom. de la Rablais Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Zucchini matchsticks and bias-cut celery briefly sautéed in butter. A tablespoon of green garlic paste stirred in; chopped mint to finish, along with a touch of salt.

Been on a semi-vegetarian kick lately. Some meals in the past month: Angel hair, asparagus and spinach soup * French omelette, spinach and radish greens sauteed in butter, roasted radishes with marjoram and mint * Sheep's milk ricotta gnocchi with chanterelles, zucchini and nasturtium flowers * Roasted asparagus, Parmesan cheese and slow-cooked egg * Sweet polenta, mascarpone cheese and strawberry confiture * Asparagus risotto with ramps "pesto" Spring minestrone * Fromage blanc omelette with green garlic, pan-fried potatoes * Broccoli rabe and beans with sourdough-garlic croutons and cheese Corn should be making its appearance in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to it.

No, we're not deraling it. I ask this question because I want to know, assuming an abundance of fresh tomatoes are not an issue, if people would still prefer to make tomato sauce from canned tomatoes. If so, why? Thanks, Starkman ← Fresh tomatoes in season. It's an important distinction that you've left out. I'd have no difficulties making a cooked tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes. But I intentionally limit myself by using only vegetables in season -- so consequently, I don't see myself making this sauce all that often...unless I bought a tray of toms at the peak of the season while they were at their most flavorful, and canned them myself. That's always a possibility. I did make this a couple weeks ago using Pomi crushed toms. Occasionally I break my own rules. edited for additional clarification -- fresh toms are available year round in supermarkets and believe it or not, at USGM here in NYC; however, the ones on offer out-of-season are hydroponically grown, cost more (as much as $7/lb.) and in my opinion, don't have that same "oomph" as toms that are available in-season. so with their limited availability -- from about July through the middle to end of October here in NYC, I want to use them in ways that don't necessarily involve a cooked preparation. perversely I think it's kind of limiting -- to use an ingredient that's at the height of its glory in something as mundane as red sauce. and based on some of the responses here, there are people who want to add stuff to it so that it's not just a simple tomato sauce anymore, it's something else. if it works for you, that's great! it's just that I have a different thought process.

What? With a ton of tomatoes that usually come in when one plants even a few tomato plants? Hek, people are usually giving tomatoes away! Starkman ← I just feel that with tomatoes being in season for only four months out of the year, there are better things to do with fresh toms than in a cooked sauce. This is a separate topic btw. Not meant to derail the thread.

My standby varies according to mood and whatever's on hand. A well-stocked pantry is really key. For instance, tonight will probably be spaghetti with green garlic paste, lemon, wild arugula and olive oil. This will take about 10 minutes, literally. I picked up some green garlic paste from the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago. Wilt some arugula in a pan with a little olive oil, add some chopped lemon zest, the green garlic paste, a little salt and pepper, maybe some parsley and that's it. By the time the sauce is ready, the pasta should be done. Can't beat that. But let's say that I didn't want that dish tonight. We could take a look at my refrigerator and see what's in there. A current snapshot of my pantry involves: olive oil oil-packed tuna spiced black olives parsley marjoram thyme mint chives fresh fettucine fresh angel hair pasta oil-packed anchovies garlic red onion, gold cippolini onions, white onions, shallots lemons a hunk of Parm-Reg cheese a tub of sheep's milk ricotta a tub of fromage blanc a heel of sourdough bread a loaf of rye bread There's quite a bit more than that of course, but that's not the point. I'm pretty sure I can make something simple, easy, quick and delicious using three or four ingredients from that list in less than 15 minutes.

I do it because I enjoy it and because cooking gives me pleasure. I'm single and I don't have any real responsibilities. I have a great deal of spare time in the evenings and on weekends. I also recognize that other people have different circumstances, like yourself. To you, I would say -- make time if and when you can. It doesn't have to be a complicated effort. Cooking as therapy has an immense value that cannot be overstated.

I don't know, Steve. That sort of vaguely rings a bell, and could be fun. Anyone know the name of that place? ← Otto definitely as long as alcohol doesn't enter into the picture. That easily adds another $10 to $20 to the price tag. For reference, an appetizer, pizza, pasta, dessert, wine and dessert wine [2008 prices] totalled about $70 for one person, tax and tip included. You could try Redhead. I know it's in the EV. I'm not familiar with the WV all that much.

When I was working for S&C, one of the menu mainstays for lunch or dinner was omelettes. There would be an omelette bar set up and you could pick and choose what you wanted for fillings. I always thought it was a novel way to present a meal. "Breakfast for dinner." Plain omelette, spinach and radish greens sautéed in butter, roasted radishes with marjoram and mint, rye bread I didn't heat the pan enough so the eggs had difficulty setting. Usually my omelettes have a more traditional shape. Turned out ok though.

Eh, their loss. I hope things work out for you Randi.

The ricotta gnocchi from a couple weeks ago was such a hit that I think it'll be making a semi-regular appearance for dinner going forward. I've also decided to pair it with seasonal ingredients because, let's face it, tomatoes are in season only four months out of the year; other times I have to resort to hydroponically-grown or commercially prepared or imported from some place in South America. And I think if you do it this way, it opens up a realm of possibilities that you might not have necessarily thought of before. *gets off soapbox* Sheep's milk ricotta gnocchi with chanterelles, zucchini and nasturtium flowers

doesn't sound very local to me either. Um... so what? Last I heard Bourdain wasn't presenting himself as a preaching, living embodiment of slow/local/seasonal/organic/small farm food for everyone. You're saying what, exactly? That Bourdain doesn't practice what Waters preaches? I don't see that he is obliged to do so. ← I'm saying that AW's answer is germane to the question as it was asked and skewering her for a meal that runs contrary to the principles she espouses is a little unfair. Maybe if the question had been phrased differently, she would have answered differently! But we'll never know, will we? You want to tell me that AB is unpretentious? Explain to me how roasted bone marrow spread on French bread with crushed sea salt comes across as unpretentious, because I don't follow.

Found a much more detailed account on Eat Me Daily. ← Funny how doesn't sound very local to me either. ETA -- it's unclear to me why AB gets to go on a wild flight of fancy while AW gets skewered for doing the same. The question wasn't "What would you like for your last meal as espoused by the culinary principles you live by?. Furthermore, someone upthread mentioned that AB usually tries to relate to people with a common touch, this read to me more like an attack. Quite frankly the Eat Me Daily account is packed with anti-AW tripe that it was difficult for me to take it seriously as a piece of reportage. The bias is so thick you can substitute it for cream cheese on a bagel.

Could someone translate the first few lines of that recipe for me? I think I've figured it out, but I want someone else's trained recipe translation mind on it. ← replace "garlic" with water in the first instruction and should make more sense.

Um... No. Actually, none of them is a factual statement. They are all statements of opinion. And, more to the point, they convey the sense of "my choices and priorities are better than your choices and priorities." ← Sorry, I didn't read your original statement closely enough. I typed my reply in haste this morning. Yes, I see they're all statements of opinion. And to expand on my other point, that if those statements cause you to feel put upon, well, some people might react negatively, while some people might listen to you, and of those that listen, they might choose to use your information as they see fit depending on other factors. So people perceive AW as condescending. So what? Do they really think she talks like that all the time to everyone she encounters? Even the people who she works with? That's....interesting. I feel as if her critics want her to be the perfect media figure for the foodie community. Not going to happen.

HUH? Who is asking you to? This would be, e.g., the implication that one should forego $100 shoes in favor of $100 worth of organic food from the farmer's market. I'd say that there are plenty of reasons to think that buying $100 of organic food at a farmer's market is better - yes, there, I said it - BETTER - than spending $100 for a pair of shoes. I'd say that the $100 spent at the farmer's market is good for you, good for the local economy, good for the planet. Can you seriously say the same for a $100 pair of shoes? The point is that when you tell people that your choices are better than their choices, they can feel like you're talking down to them, etc. For example, I could tell you that spending that $100 on a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières is better - yes, there, I said it - BETTER - than spending $100 of organic food at a farmer's market. Or, I could tell you that spending that $100 on a hemp shower curtain that doesn't contain any non-degradable plastic is better - yes, there, I said it - BETTER - than spending $100 of organic food at a farmer's market. Or I could tell you that spending that $100 to attend a performance of your local symphony orchestra is better - yes, there, I said it - BETTER - than spending $100 of organic food at a farmer's market. Or I could tell you that spending that $100 on a ticket to the Citymeals on Wheels benefit gala is better - yes, there, I said it - BETTER - than spending $100 of organic food at a farmer's market. I could go on, and I could give examples of reasons why each of these things would be so. How's that make you feel? ← All of these are factual statements. If you feel they're condescending, then the problem lies with yourself, not with the speaker -- in my opinion. Does AW need to moderate her tone? Depending on your point of view, maybe she should. But people will do what they want anyway, so why bother?

Brodetto di pesce, topped with anchovy-garlic croutons This version uses 2 cups Belgian light beer in place of white wine. There's cod from Blue Moon Fish at USGM, likely caught this past Friday. That's as fresh as it gets. Also some shrimp and squid, but those were from Citarella.

Ramps and asparagus omelette Fiddlehead ferns sautéed in butter, with a touch of lemon juice Ramps season is almost gone. *sigh*

I thought that her entire argument/proposal/vision [use whatever term suits you] is based on making peoples' lives better by improving the quality of food that they eat in addition to the methods by which that food is produced. And I think maybe part of our culture needs to change -- from an outlook where convenience is prized as a means to an end. I recognize though that that's asking for a lot. In a perfect world, yes, we would be 100% local/organic/sustainable. But that's not how things operate now. And it could be that we might not be able to achieve this vision without the massive socio-politcal/socio-economic upheaval you speak of. Accordingly, I'm not sure how productive it is to talk about what could be when in fact, we don't know for sure that it will be. So it might be better if we limit the discussion to what people have to work with now. Maybe we can change how the system works without having to reinvent the wheel. The idealist in me is at odds with the pragmatist. I can't cite studies or numbers or anything like that. As I said, I'm just starting to read about this whole topic.

Is that what Slow Food really advocates? I don't think so -- but then I'm a newcomer to this topic, so I could be wrong.

That's one way to look at it. Decidedly negative, if you ask me. It leads me to believe that there's something else that accounts for the negativity, because she's not advocating something that's inherently bad for anyone, in my opinion. People will do what they want to do -- and that's fine, but actions do have consequences. This isn't a value judgment, but a statement of fact. I see her as presenting a way to live better, and if you want to change your life, she opens the door for you.