Carrot Top

Wow. I am impressed. By all of you! Wild grapes in a tree is so poetic and sweetly romantic... I once knew a guy who ate roast groundhog (even started a thread on it here) Herbs! They make everything good...(and we know what a 'dinner with herbs' is better than...) Lemons, almonds, pecans, peaches, fig, plums...an Arabian Nights fantasy under a full moon.... Whippets...now you know they are to hug not to cook. Snowangel...that cabin place is a dream come true. Sorrels for soups from the woods.... Ducks and chickweed and samphire and clams! Who needs anything else! And avocados...the perfect food...and such gorgeous eggs! I took my walk outside my home today. As I left the door I wished we still had the stray dog we'd taken in when we lived out in the countryside. We named him Tramp and he was true to his name...he just disappeared one day never to return again. Tramp used to flush out wild turkey from the hayfield in season and bring it to the door, brown mixed beagle-tail a'wagging with pride. (No, I never did get up the nerve to eat those turkeys though they were beauts!) As I walked out the door today, I almost trampled on some dandelion leaves...they'll do for a salad. Looking across at my neighbor's yard I weighed my conscience and decided against raiding her garden for tomatoes and peppers, and walked on....there is a pond down the road a bit behind this suburban grouping of houses, and there are small, very small fish in there...so if worms could be found there would be fried fish for supper...to place upon the dandelion salad. Here is some common chicory, blue flowers announcing its weediness to all...along the road, and with a bit of a stretch some wormy crabapples can be grabbed from a gnarled old tree sitting alone in an overgrown patch of pasture. Hmmm. Now I'm thinking Tourte Blette? There are some cattails absurdly planted in someones front yard as decor...and it would be a kindness if I yanked them out of the ground for it looks ridiculous...but no... this is supposed to be a wilderness walk not meanderings into the neighbor's yards walk, so I pass them up. But I do make a note of where they are...(just in case hunger really strikes one day, you know). Almost back home from this walk, and here is this messy mulberry tree. Too many, too soft, but better than nothing, so mulberries with sugar and cream will be dessert. As I enter the back door, I glance over across the street towards one of the few remaining working farms in the area. The beautiful black cows nod and nuzzle the earth. Steak Florentine? No...they are better just to watch, from across the road...and even better than that, to see every morning as you drive by with the music from the radio blasting to wake up. They do a little dance in time to the music...and the laugh they give is probably better than the meat they might! Amazing what one can find, right outside the door....

Waverly Root on samphire: 'an English plant known also as sea fennel, descr. long ago as "of a spicie taste with a certaine salntness,": not to mention the samphire which is the seaside purslane, the prickly samphire which is the sea parsnip, the Jamaica samphire which is saltwort, or the marsh samphire which is saltwort too, but a different kind, known also as chicken claws or glasswort, since it was once used to make glass, a safer use perhaps than eating it, for John Gerard wrote that "a great quantitie taken is mischievous and deadly," but it did have the advantage that "the smel and smoke...of this herbe being burnt drives away serpents." Euell Gibbons gives the name of his chapter on Purslane as "India's Gift to the World" and has written four pages on the subject...included in his description is the note that "Purslane is neither pungent nor bitter; it has a mild acid taste and a fatty or mucilaginous quality which most people like, but a few find it objectionable.....It is this mucilaginous characteristic, which makes purslane a valuable addition to soups and stews, serving, like okra...to give these dishes a desirable consistency."

Some of the persimmons that are bred to come to market are bland and tasteless...just as all other produce, particularly soft fruits, can be. But I must tell you, I had to stop myself a bit earlier from adding an extra post to this thread that said only "There is no such thing as too many persimmons." My favorite fruit. Glorious, they are, when 'right'! (I am searching on the left for the 'clickable smilie' that has a drooling happy face but can not find it....)

Okay...you are all going to think I'm crazy (so what else is new ) but a memory just came to mind of hearing or reading of samphire being used instead of angelica, in a candied form to decorate desserts, sometime in past history (and obviously in a geographic place where angelica did not grow but samphire did). Anyone else ever hear of this?

Mmm hmm. Samphire. Grows along the shore in New England and Maine...it is one of those things I think of as being the wild summer foods of childhood...a nibble of samphire, a handful of blackberries, some small sweet wild strawberries, a bitter mouthful of sorrel...sour popping little Concord grapes from the vine, enough green apples to make you sick.... It is so precious to me in this category of thought that I like to keep it there and not move it into the 'general foods to cook' category!

'Etrog' and 'oiBoi'...my life is expanding in both ways of intellect and plain falling down laughing after reading this thread. Have heard of citron...but never heard the word 'etrog' which sounds to the untrained ear like something from Star Wars. And 'oiBoy'...now I can spend the rest of the day happily imagining what else besides used etrogs would be listed for sale there....

No, Chris, you're not being moralistic....food is not only a pleasant part of our lives but part of our emotional interiors. So if you watch someone slap-hazardly (yes, I meant to write that for it says what I mean ) make a mess of something that has been beautiful to you .... This is the second part of this recipe-giving thing...is that words, even in the same language, are not the same thing to one person as they are to another. Even in simple talk of food. And it is not just the home cook that can be susceptible to this sort of mistake...it can happen in professional kitchens too. When I first became responsible as a chef for more than one kitchen with me in it able to keep my eye on everything that went out...talking my way through directing what needed to be done by anyone else to them...able to be there in what is sort of a...partially choreograped and partially free-style dance that ends in lots of plates of food going out as perfect and glowing as they could be to the diners sitting in their anticipatory chairs...I made the discovery that even chef-to-chef, simple words can mean different things. I used to write little vague descriptions on index cards too, with ingredients and very very general method...and would give these to the cooks or chefs that were responsible for making them...as I would have to leave to go to client meetings, or to the other kitchen...or out into the office to discuss menus, budgets, staffing, bills, goals. Ouch. Phone calls. Complaints. Questions...from the guests. What was that that they had been served? It wasn't like 'you' made it. It wasn't the way it's 'supposed' to be. It wasn't the way we expect it. Sigh. Trust me, every thing I have ever really learned was learned by screwing up badly then jumping around in mad crazy circles to fix it. So...that is why (in a non-professional setting) I will tell other people to physically write down the recipe themselves as I talk through it...so that there is already a participatory sense...and so when or if things go wrong...well...it was not just a one-way communication. They were involved in the process and had the opportunity to ask questions if they needed... And that is why (in a professional setting) I learned how to write the easist-to-follow (i.e. short and to-the point) while at the same time most painstakingly specific 'Standardized Recipes' that could be written. There is a lot to learn even in this simple category of communicating by words. I love the idea of a 'verbal tradition'...the idea of dishes of delicious food wrapped inside a few warm words transferred from person to person in a happy sharing way...and having everything turn out right. But as with so many other things...all I can say is...(ironic tone here) 'How often does that happen?' But we keep trying, we keep trying. What else can ya do?

Look out the window, into your back yard. (New Yorkers, walk to the closest park...forget about staring wonderingly at the dustbins in the concrete alleyway...) If you had to find something to forage, something to gather, something that you could eat...what would it be? How would you prepare it? (I'll write my own response a bit later...the lights of a fairly decent restaurant are twinkling from a bit down the road...need to get over there and have a good meal first...)

Thanks, all! Hmmm...I am sensing the flavors and colors just by reading this small bit....will post with more questions as I delve a bit into my own research...

A simple persimmon upside-down cake is always nice....

To be serious for just one moment, I'll weigh in that tasting menus can be done in small spaces (but also add that probably not if there are children around...they would have to be shipped off to China for a while if that were an option). For three years in a row, in a one-bedroom smallish apartment in Brooklyn Heights, I had an April Fool's Day tasting menu party. It was planned to show tastes that would surprise and delight, with the added interest of the foods not being what you would expect them to be...i.e. a pizza that looked real but that was really 'sweet' rather than savory, etc etc... The thing that was called a kitchen in this apartment was attached and open to the main room of the apartment, which luckily had large french doors overlooking a garden so that people would want to wander out there and away from me stressing slightly in this thing called a kitchen. Buffet-style with changes in-between courses was the only way it worked...and the only way it could ever have been done (for 20 or so people) was to plan like a general waging a war. The place looked like a war had occured when it was all over...including my small black Pomeranian dog...he looked like a wobbling and battered soldier, for he kept escaping from the bedroom into the crowd and drinking their alcoholic drinks when they were not looking (you know how these German/Scandanavian type dogs can be....total lushes if they have a chance). Great fun though...will do it again when there are no 'little ones' about underfoot!

It is true that sometimes the lobster on the kitchen counter can be a better and more entertaining companion, particularly after you've imbibed a few or more tastings of the fruit of the vine (all in the interest of research, of course). It makes for a really satisfyingly fun time if you hypnotise him to stand on his head in seeming worship to listen, mesmerised, while you tell him your confidences, stories and philosophies. A occasional slight wave of an extended skinny little red lobster leg is all that is needed for happy encouragement. And besides, he'd likely rather listen than be boiled. Just an idea, mind you.

Hate to mention the dreaded words 'Food TV' but there is an excellent listing of green tomato recipes on their website, including some unusual ones like a Turkish Green Tomato Soup....

Recipes for pickled green tomatoes? Hah. I guess you have your work cut out for you today! (Yes, those barrels of pickles on the Lower East side are to die for.) Pickled Green Tomatoes --------------------------------------- 2 lbs. (1 kg) green tomatoes 3 fresh or dried red chilis 3 to 4 sprigs dill 3 bay leaves 1 1/2 T. mustard seed 1 T black peppercorns 4 to 5 whole cloves 4 C (1 liter) cider vinegar 1/2 C water 4 T honey or sugar 1 T salt Whole cloves or garlic and/or sliced onion optional 1. Prick each tomato in several places with toothpick to allow flavors to fully develop throughout. 2. Place in hot sterilized jars with the chilies, dill, bay, spices (and garlic or onion if you wish). 3. Boil vineagar, water, honey or sugar, and salt in pot for five minutes. Remove from heat and let stand till warm. 4, Pour warm vinegar into the jars. If there is not enough liquid to cover the tomatoes, top off with cold vinegar, then seal. 5. Tomatoes will be ready after a month but best after two to three months. ...................................................................................................... Mmmmm. Nothing like a kitchen filled with the smells of pickling!

Interesting flavor combination...was it from your imagination or from another source or 'ethnic' sort of background in pickling? Tomatoes being botanically a fruit, of course it makes sense the vanilla component working well, as it does with so many other fruits. Great idea.

Yum. Simple to make...delicious, well-balanced flavors and very healthy...and I would bet my boots children would love it too. A 'Can't Go Wrong With This One' recipe. Thanks, Marlene.

Liebling is a rather Runyon-esque character, isn't he. A writer that held a huge personality...and one that was clearly his own and not created by 'media hype'. There are some writers that have a way of expressing themselves...so that the feeling you get is more of eating the words rather than reading the words. There can be a sense of rollicking adventure....as you munch or gobble or taste your way through rather than watching or imagining or thinking your way through....Liebling does this in spades! Thanks for the link!

Good question....I guess every person has to decide that for themselves... Anger can be a very strong emotion...

Nice article...thank you. My favorite line was "Now we'll use some butter, because...why not?"

Agreed. And what is terribly upsetting is that not only are many restaurants struggling along on slim profit margins....just trying to keep their guests happy and well fed....but the employees who are doing this job of making people happy are in many cases disenfranched, in terms of being part of the American Dream, because so few have health insurance. Small restaurant owners can not find the profit margin to offer it, often. This is a subject for a separate thread, (that I don't want to start because I will get too pissed off at the state of things) but your comments made me think of it....

I was just going to write in and add a quote I recently saw...but it now sounds dreadfully dull after you, tommy. But I am not afeared of being dull, so will add it anyway: "Dialogue is the oxygen of change".

Oh...to get a bit more to the point rather than my previous indulgence in the la-la land of one of my favorite hobbyhorses to rant on about... 'Surveys' by 'reputable' (does anyone wonder why I put in those quotes?) newsagencies report that American families eat three to four of their weekly dinners out at some sort of food facility (I haven't seen whether it is mostly fast-food or sit-down places...) so nope...it is not 'special' anymore for many folks but just a part of life.

I think the decision of whether a person decides to state what they feel about a dining experience and then how, exactly, they choose to express that feeling.... has much to do with their own personality.... and their own past experiences (in the arts of both assertiveness and speaking clearly and kindly ) in hopes of improving a situation. As with any potentially confrontational situation, it should be approached both calmly and with some sort of internal emotional preparation. If you are frightened of 'confrontation' or too angry half the war has already been lost. If you are unable to objectively and clearly and calmly voice specifics of what you see the problem being...again, you've put yourself at a loss. Many people have been raised to avoid confrontation. Confrontation is not pleasant to start with but it is unavoidable in life, and if you do not speak up your two cents will not be heard and the people in the other 'camp' will continue on as they have been. Should there be confrontation at a mealtime?...at that one very special time that people demand more of than say...an oil change? Not in a perfect world. But if a calm clear voice is not heard, the world will get no closer to perfect. Sniping and declaiming, after the situation has passed, to other people, about how terrible it all was....well....is it something you would want done to you? Or would you prefer to hear it to your face in a helpful manner. What we give is what we get. If not always and immediately in day to day reality, then eventually. (i.e. what comes round goes round). And certainly inside ourselves we get what we give. And that is who we live with at the end of the day. I try not to 'complain'. I would rather attempt to find the good, state that, then also state what I saw as bad....if the situation warrants it. Sometimes I'll ask if they can tell me 'why' this happened. It helps to not put a person on the defensive. Then if they are still blooming idiots, tell them so with a smile and walk away.

Yup, always better to travel the different direction than the crowd, I think....

I agree with your mother, Toliver...and for all of the reasons you listed plus probably more. To be a 'homemaker' in today's world is to be similar to a dinosaur, or close to it. It is almost an extinct species. When given the variety of choices in life, women (who used to be at home cooking, providing the daily meals in general) in todays world will naturally for the most part choose what seems will be most rewarding. My career history is as follows...( I've made a notation, also, with 'smiley faces' of the effects the statements I make about myself affect people I meet, the responses I generally receive.) I was a working chef who became an executive chef in a fine-food environment. I was a VP in the Operations Division focused on foodservices and made lots of money. I am now at at-home Mom and will remain so till my kids no longer want me to greet them with a hug as they get off the school bus. So...I think it is unlikely that many women will choose to stay home and cook in today's environment. And for two-income families that work outside the home all day long...even moreso for those with children...it can be mind-numbingly tiring to try to sort out a decent meal to cook at home. So yes...family style restaurants come to the rescue. (And there goes the paycheck, unfortunately! ) It is good to read eGullet, though, for here....there are people who are still trying to make good food at home...whatever their situations! Great to see!