daniellewiley

Thank you!! He's a mellow dude so far - we are enjoying him!!! Thank you too for the casserole guidelines - I think that will work. I bought some yummy homegrown cousa squash from the market, so it should be perfect. I'm sure we'll be ordering out lots, but while I'm feeling motivated, I'd like to cook a bit - I've had no cooking all summer due to this infernal heat, so even though it's a time of my life where takeout is acceptable, I'm really enjoying the kitchen time.

So, I'm in the mood for a casserole tonight. I have a nine day old and will also be dealing with my 3.5 year old while I make it. Soooo, I need something easy. I had fully intended to make lots of freezer food, but the little guy came 3 weeks early, and July was too hot to make anything! We had the bris at our house yesterday, so I have a TON of cream cheese left over. It's from Zingerman's, and is homemade cream cheese that is not stablilized with gums. It needs to be used by tomorrow at the latest, and gets increasingly tart every day. It's delicious, but it's not like Philadelphia cream cheese. I also have a ton of white rice left over from Chinese food takeout last night. I was thinking of running to the produce store for some homegrown zucchini? Really I'm open to any veggie that is great in the midwest right now, so tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash, etc. I'm just wondering how to combine and cook everything. I can't find a good casserole recipe that includes cream cheese and rice anywhere online. Any ideas?

Our new favorite is Handel's. I can not get enough of the chocolate raspberry truffle. In fact, it's starting to annoy Dylan (my 3.5 year old), b/c I get it every time. She tries a new flavor each time we visit. Adventurous little tyke!

My mother-in-law always reheats her mashed potatoes in a crockpot. I don't know about 11 hours, but they are typically in there for a long time. Like at least six hours.

Yeah, this sounds like a lot more was going on than just a cranky toddler. What a scary experience. ← We had a scary one as well, a month or so ago. We were at our favorite Japanese restaurant, and a dad BIT HIS SON'S EAR b/c the son wasn't using chopsticks properly!! The kid was maybe 6, and dissolved into tears, holding his ear in pain. It was absolutely horrible.

I have a funny kids in a restaurant anecdote from last night. This would also qualify for any "embarrassing moments in a restaurant" thread that we might have on eGullet. We went to a new Irish restaurant at the mall. It literally opened about a week ago. I normally won't go to a restaurant that new, but it's been over 90 degrees for so long, and we were excited that a new option was available (our kitchen has no A/C and I am 9 months pregnant, so I just refuse to cook in this heat). Anyway, my 3.5 year old goes to Montessori, and has been using real drinking glasses for well over a year. She gets very upset when given a kid's cup at a restaurant and refuses to drink from one. I usually circumvent this by requesting that her drink be served in the same type of glass that I will be getting. Last night I forgot to specify, and the waitress brought over a plastic kid's cup. Dylan freaked out, of course, and I requested an empty water glass. The waitress looked at me like I was nuts and said, "Are you sure?" "Yes, please." "They're really heavy, you know." "Yes, that's fine. I'm her mother." As she walked away, I told my husband that I felt kind of guilty for being so snippy, but he agreed that she was more than annoying. We got the big glass, and within 1 minute, Dylan proceeds to spill almost the entire thing. I was so mortified!! Of course, she would have spilled the kid's cup too, given her wild behavior last night, and the glass didn't break, so it wasn't a disaster - just embarrassing for me. Ah... the joys of dining out with children. Tonight we are having salad in our hot kitchen - I think we need a restaurant break!!

Yum, Friendly's. We actually have one here in Toledo, though it is filthy. Friendly's was always a special treat for us. I went to sleepaway camp, and us lifers (the kids that were there for eight weeks) got a lifer's night out at the end of the summer. Dinner in the parking lot of Friendly's and a movie. The year I remember most fondly was the one that featured E.T. I seem to recall a funny name for the shakes at Friendly's. What are they called??

I worked at Wendy's when I was 15. My friend and I applied together, and they hired both of us. One got to be "Wendy" and wear the costume and the other got salad bar duty. I was the salad bar girl, which is a good thing, b/c you'd be surprised how many skanky men will hit on a 15 year old dressed up as a young schoolgirl with a red wig and freckles. After Wendy's, I worked for a year at TCBY which I loved. I used to fill a cup with heath bar bits and then put on a small squirt of chocolate yogurt. YUM. We got to eat whatever we wanted...

If you are truly intrigued, Annie's makes an organic version that is actually quite tasty and not terribly salty. We like the beef stroganoff. The ingredients list is short, and for a once in a while thing, I don't mind doing it. My husband and daughter eat more helpings of this than many other more gourmet meals!!

I gotta be honest here. I'm sure your brother is a lovely guy, and call me a snob (food or otherwise), but I would've dumped his ass after he took me to a dive bar for date #2. On the other hand, if you like someone, you like someone, and if her worst trait is that she likes the Olive Garden, so be it. Get over it. ← Sweet post. Thanks. Anyway, SHE chose the dive bar - it's her neighborhood hangout. I talked to my brother again about the Olive Garden thing, and he said that she was brought up with that as a great restaurant, and that she doens't really know better. She also is not an adventurous eater. She actually sounds like a great girl -I just had that immediate gut reaction to the Olive Garden thing and thought my fellow eGulleters would have had similar reactions in their lives. I was also kind of shocked b/c they live in Los Angeles. Living in Toledo, I'm super jealous of the food they have access to, so the fact that she'd frequent Olive Garden is all the more counter to my sensibilities. But, the guy is really happy, so I am too.

I love the produce during summer, but with no A/C and 90 degree days so frequently this year, it's just hard to actually cook any of it!! When it's actually cool enough to cook on the grill, I'm OK with fall not coming right away. And local corn just started coming in - yeah!

Hey, it's my younger brother. He's of course a virgin.

There are far more important things in life than restaurant preferences. ← Now, now, Jaymes. Play nice. I can't imagine hanging out in eGullet if it really doesn't matter. Thanks fab! I would actually be thrilled if my brother has truly found someone. I just thought our conversation was funny, b/c he obviously thinks I'm a total snob, and my reaction to his Olive Garden comment kind of proved that he's right. And my first date with my husband was to a dive pizza joint in NYC. NOthing fancy, but totally memorable.

My brother is 29 and has been doing the online dating thing for a while now. He has actually met a woman he really likes, and they are going on their third date this Sunday. So far, they've done coffee (date 1) and dive bar (date 2). This date is dinner out. So, of course, I asked where he was planning on taking her. He has no idea. (He lives in LA, and claims to not know of any place to go - ) I suggested a French restaurant I visited earlier in the year, and he said that he thought it would be too adventurous, perhaps, for a first date. I explained that, for me, it would be an excellent first date! I'd hate a bland restaurant for a first date! And what does my brother say? "Well, she's not you. She loves Olive Garden." OLIVE GARDEN!!???? And she warrants a third date with my darling little brother?? Oh, the humanity. So, I know I'm a total snob, and that she might be a lovely woman, but I can't help but judge her now. And when/if I meet her, I won't be able to stop thinking about the fact that she loves Olive Garden! Am I nuts?

Being Bobby Brown - perhaps the greatest new show of the summer (sorry Bourdain) . You are indeed the queen. And, when I can drink again in a few weeks, perhaps I too will buy a bottle of Carlo Rossi Burgundy and toast you and Bobby and Whitney.

At the Heartland gathering two weeks ago, we had a wonderful zucchini dish. Carmelized zucchini puree stuffed into zucchini blossoms and fried tempura-style. The zucchini was blanched whole, then cut in half lengthwise. The seeds were scooped out and discarded, and the zucchini was chopped into a small dice. This was placed in a large saucepan with sesame oil and soy ( I think - FatGuy was a bit evasive. ) and plenty of butter. It was cooked for a LOOOONG time until it was a carmelized puree. It was then stuffed in the blossoms which were tempura-battered and quickly fried. These were AMAZING.

When it's not terribly hot out (like tonight), we love grilling our dinner. However, since it's a weeknight (we both work) and our kid needs to eat by about 7 at the latest, we don't have much time at our disposal. It's been a very boring summer on our grill. We've done hamburgers twice, molasses-marinated pork tenderloin twice, and every other time has been our special chicken. I rub chicken parts with smoked paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt and tellicherry black pepper and then hand them off to my husband for the grilling. It takes maybe 5 minutes to prep, and they are done in an hour or so. We are so bored with this!! We are grilling again tonight, and I'm in charge of picking up the meat. We won't have time to marinate, and it can't be something like ribs that benefits from longer cooking times. We'll need to have it all cooked in an hour or less. Oh yeah, I'm allergic to fish. Side dish suggestions are also welcomed, though I think this will mostly depend on what looks good. We have zero food in the house so everything will be picked up on my way home from a small local supermarket.

Last night I had Newman's Own Mint Oreos with a glass of skim milk. Sometimes I'll do ice cream (Breyer's mint chocolate chip) or, if I'm feeling healthy, apples with peanut butter.

I, too, had grand plans of doing this, but it's been way too hot!!! Today was the first cool day in weeks, and I had a blast making couscous salad with roasted squash and steamed green beans. But, I fear I won't be able to prepare much in bulk in prep for baby's arrival (about 3 weeks away). Is there a thread somewhere of good freezer foods? Maybe we could bump it up and search for some that don't require hours of cooking. (back to topic) Do any of you eat in your bedrooms? Our bedrooms are the only rooms with A/C, and I've been tempted to make a picnic. I'm so tired of eating out!!

That's a blessing! I went to Kalustyan's this afternoon. Maybe you could start wishing for their equivalent in Atlanta, though I have a feeling from therese's blog that you actually have some pretty good Middle Eastern and South Asian stores in those parts. ← Oh!! I miss Kalustyan's... we lived about a block away. Michael would frequently get a mjadara sandwich there for lunch. yum...

I enjoyed it - not as much as I thought I would, but first episodes are rarely the best of a show's career. I think it was the endless voiceover that got to me. I don't know how to fix that, per se, but for a start, I'd gladly take more direct conversation with the camera. The voiceover made it seem like a more traditional travelogue, while the direct to camera monologues were refreshing and more involving. My favorite scene was the one at Chez Denise - we ate at the same table last year on our first night in Paris!

Well, they aren't here, either. So there! ← Ahh, but you can take a short ride on the LIRR and have access to the one in Oceanside or the one in Merrick. So, you're not totally screwed.

I make a white pizza with homemade ricotta, pine nuts, carmelized onions, olive oil, sometimes some minced garlic and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

I loved those squash blossoms. Those and Kris' couscous salad were my favorites of the night. The other picture I'm dying to see is the one Randi took of the multiple containers of cream that Devilkitty was putting in that soup!!! And, Kris, you are lucky! My kid had me up at 7!!!!

OK, I've been nominated to type up the menu. It's HUGE! Appetizers Guajolote's Beet Salad with Bacon (Alex) Crostini with Fig Jam and Goat Cheese (CaliPoutine) Cream of Mushroom Soup (DevilKitty) Caprese Salad (Alex) Roasted Cauliflower (Tammylc) Sides Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash, Green Beans and Yogurt Dressing (Torakris) Green Beans and Bacon (Jacob - Torakris' nephew) Carmelized Zucchini Stuffed Zucchini Blossom Tempura (Fat Guy and Torakris and Tammylc)* Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary (Edsel) Braised Shiitake Mushrooms (Alex) Palette Cleanser Watermelon Cubes with Gold Label Balsalmic (Balsamic courtesy of Eric) Main Courses Lake Trout with Lemon Caper Sauce (DevilKitty) Braised Veal Roast with Shallots, Sage, Garlic and Dried Figs (Fat Guy and Tammylc) Desserts Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies (CaliPoutine and Jean Blanchard) Musician Tarts (SamIAm) Homemade Ice Cream (Maria's Husband) Carrot Cake Chocolate Mousse Cake Drinks Copious Amounts of Wine *Fat Guy called Cafe Atlantico in DC from Kerrytown to get the recipe. Also, many of those not listed above are helping out as sous chefs; chopping, sauteeing, mixing, peeling, etc.