Carrot Top

You are a wonderful task-setter. Let's hope this doesn't turn into a wild goose chase.

This is how it all started: The definition of vegetable is a broad one - any part of any plant eaten as food could be included [perhaps it is a non-fruit part of a plant] - it is our convention that makes veges savoury things on the whole. Sticking within this convention, with pumpkin a 'vegetable' then pumpkin pie would be dessert vege. How about the Asian sweet bean things? Is that another thread? "Veges for Dessert?" Over to you Karen. ← Yeah, how 'bout those Asian sweet bean things. We need to hear about them. For we do need to get healthy. And we need to eat veggies. What desserts do you know of that are vegetable-based? I'll start by posting a link to some photos of some Japanese desserts I came across recently. I don't know enough about them, but do know that many of them are based on vegetables rather than fruit. They are called wagashi.

I just read something the other day about the "course" thing, as a matter of fact, which noted that the idea of two or three courses, starting with a savory and ending with a sweet but specifically divided into these courses was transcribed in a popular book by a European chef of some court, and that the idea of that custom was then transferred to the "new world" by the few popular cookbook writers of American descent whom had read the European chef's book. I think the thesis was from MFK Fisher, and believe she was speaking of the Victorian period. Janet (The Old Foodie) probably knows much more about this than I do. Much. ............................................... Speaking of veggies at breakfast, of course there also could be veggies at dessert-time. Aren't there many veggies that do duty as a dessert, among them chick-peas in Indian cooking among other cultures?

It's a form of classification based on the study of botany, which was then transcribed in Latin. Does the variance in classification of these edible plants not occur in Indian culture, Miligai? P.S. I should add that I don't completely "get it" either. I can catch some of the defined variances but then there are some things that escape the definitions somehow. So I don't worry about it but sort of place my trust in the botanists. Plus I really don't care how they categorize it as long as it tastes good to me, and for sure one really does not have to place rigid rules on whether a fruit or a vegetable (or even meat or fish for that matter) is suitable for one time or place in a meal based on someone else's definition, does one? A meal started with dessert sounds good to me. Maybe even a dessert made from carrots, a veg, not a fruit. Followed by something made from fruit for the main course. Finished by a braise of meat or a grill of fish for "dessert" or rather, I should say, to end the assortment of things planned in one time to eat in certain order. As a matter of fact, why do we need follow three courses? Why not all on the table at the same time? The only proscriptions against this that would be worthy of following, in my opinion, would be those of one's chosen religion. Certainly no botanist nor cookbook writer knows more than I do about how I want to eat. ................................................................ Sorry, Janet. Got a bit carried away there.

On Thursday May 31 the midwest US be in the middle of the cicada invasion which happens only once every seventeen years. It's also the night of a Blue Moon. I'm not enough of either a mathematician or astronomer to figure out how often that might occur in a lifetime. Blue Moons can occur on an average of every thirty-two months. But it sure does seems like a great opportunity to crank up the grill and choose an appropriate beer for marinated roast cicada. Yum. NPR offers some recipes for Soft Shell Cicadas, EL Chirper Tacos, and Cicada-Rhubarb Pie. This site offers more recipes, Cicada-Portobello Quiche and Cicada Wontons among them. Actually, eating a diet of cicada while it is now available might save enough money from the food budget (if properly invested, of course) to provide for an escape from the noise they make the next time they emerge, seventeen years from now.

I can see that. Therefore, how a (paid) review is written is based on the geographic location of the newspaper and knowledge of the most prominent dining culture that exists in that location, based on demographic information and reader response. "What will be entertaining to our usual readership?" Sadly, in some places, the culture of dining does boil down to "how big will my portion be and how much do I have to pay for it" with no additional information desired that might confuse these two vital issues or waste a reader's valuable time. And if one does not happen to enjoy that particular outlook on dining, then one is just screwed, in terms of finding a review that does not bore them to tears or ruin their perfectly good haircut by trying to tear it out in a desperate furor of a sense of dying from the blandularity of it all. God. How morose-making this all is. It's enough to drive a person to find a large cheap portion of something and gobble it down quickly to quell the pain. Almost, anyway.

Just came across a copy of Mother Wonderful's Chicken Soup which probably would fit in this category. It's mostly a photographic essay into how to make "Jewish Penicillin" from scratch. Including such invaluable advice as It's quite an adorable little book.

Of course there's always stratas - of any variety of veggie etc. And ribollito. Stuffed onions . . . Carrot juice?

SB, you are kind to offer, and I'll PM you if someday the urge hits to need to read one. I've read lots of them in the past, but just felt like getting a subscription this year. Based on the comments above about the latest issues, one wonders, though. Hopefully it is just a sort of lull in the magazine rather than a permanent thing, the sort of lack of spark you mentioned. Do, post after the next issue arrives, though, to let us know your thoughts on it.

I haven't seen any of these before. Here's what it says in the preface:

Almost any sort of veggie souffle . . . Black bean soup topped with diced green and peppers, red onion, and large dice of HB egg to emphasize "breakfast" . . .or, alternately, a poached egg on top . . . Pierogis (potato) with lots of sauteed onion on top . . . Onion tart (without the custard) . . .along the same lines, tomato pie . . . A blend of cottage cheese, cream cheese, and cream with lots of fresh herbs to top black bread with finely chopped carrot, pepper, broccoli, yellow squash, to then put on top of that for an open face sandwich . . . Ah. And then there's always peanut butter toast.

I tried that one several times and couldn't get into it for some reason, but it may have been my mood. Right in front of me now is a new collection "gathered and introduced" by Joan Reardon. "A Stew or a Story" - An Assortment of Short Works by MFK Fisher. From a brief glance I think it looks very enticing, very satisfying.

A big fat globe artichoke freshly steamed to dip its leaves and then its center right smackdab in the yolks of poached eggs. Frizzled prosciutto on the side if you absolutely must.

I would give you an opinion if they would decide to deliver the magazine. I ordered it through Amazon back in the beginning of December 2006 and have not received a single copy yet. Two phone calls to "the publishers" were made (initiated by me, performed by Amazon) with promises that information as to "when it would be delivered" would be telephoned back to me by the publishers. Neither time did I receive any phone calls back with any information. I've just today asked to cancel the subscription. I'll now be richer by forty-seven dollars. But, unhappily, unable to answer your question, SB.

One of my questions would be about any restaurant review: What does it tell me beyond what I can find from popular opinion on the internet forums? There are a lot of people who post "reviews" of restaurants on the internet each day, all across the world. Many of them have well-educated tastebuds and broad horizons in terms of dining experience to base their (unpaid) reviews on. Many of them stand on their reputations in terms of the quality and consistency of their offerings. What is it that the (paid) reviewer has to offer above and beyond these (unpaid) reviewers? It might be advanced knowledge of some sort that can be shared with the reader. It might be writing skills, in terms of being either entertaining or just being able to format a review into a "story" that reads really well. It might be a new way of looking at things. Tying together A and B to create new thoughts about it all. It just might be style, which is surely worth paying for, as anyone who owns a Ferrari knows. Those four things make a professional reviewer worth their salt, to my mind. Otherwise, it all can be found in popular opinion on the internet or in a guidebook that has little post-it sort of notes.

It makes me wonder if there were as many restaurant reviewers around during that time. And I would guess not based upon the different status of restaurants of note at the time and their relative accessibility to the wider public. So either their level of writings should be the milestones to aim for in writing reviews (to my mind) or else the genre itself was broken out of by them, or else the genre itself has changed to be a bird of a different feather, or all of the above. Each of them did, I believe, what I ask for in a review. "Tell me something I don't know." That is, beyond the price of tea in China as it stands today (to be slightly obscure about it all). My kind of guy. ............................................... I'd guess the excerpts posted above are from your new book. I've been looking forward to reading that. 'Cause you're my kind of guy, too.

Interesting, Rogov, that when I think of either of them I think of them as "writers" not critics. And the term "restaurant reviewer" would not even *attempt* the merest nibble at the edge of my mind at the sound of their names. And you've reminded me (thinking of quote-worthy authors) of two things, both from Anatole France: "The good critic is one who tells of his mind's adventures among masterpieces." and "A tale without love is like beef without mustard: insipid." Seems to me that both de la Reyniere and Cur non sky were writers whose words were filled with adventures of mind *and* expressions of love, non? And how often does that happen.

I like Robert for at least three reasons though I don't know him at all in person. First, if there is anyone that has not read the eG forum The Symposium, I can say that there is some really good stuff in there, a lot of it by him. Second, he has an expansive frame of mind, I believe, and seems interested in many things. A thinker. Third, he just sounds like the nicest guy from his posts. I think he smiles a lot. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Brown.

The full article can be found here. ← Yes. They are starting even younger these days, too. Tsk, tsk, though. Somebody didn't do their spelling homework on learning how to spell "celebrity chefs" names. Paula D E E N. (That will obviously reduce the grade point on their spelling test. )

Outstanding link to the youtube video where he makes nadeshiko. Thanks.

Mmm hmmm. I thought of adding another Ur-Answer to my list that had to do with something along the lines of Sense and Sensibility or alternately something expressed in Zen-like or Martial Arts terms but simply couldn't pare it down to a simple expression. Yes, I know what you mean. (As you can see, below. ) Earlier I also started to write a rant about poor management to post here, but just got exhausted at the whole thing and gave up on it. Thank god for the voices of old German women that cry out in the wind through the sizzle, spark and pizazz of being oh so cute in chef's whites, voices that are angry about Sauerkraut Made Wrong. And woe to all the poor managers who think dullardly thoughts about profits that are "good enough" built on shoddy performance. Could be, if there is an afterlife, they might have to eat moldy cold pizza made with a dough based on baking powder and cheese made from chemical leavings, for Eternity.

Interesting how the Spring itself has taken on the aspect of a ritualistic day such as a standard holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, in your story, Chris - with a food that is summoned to mind along with the specific time and the memories. One of those flip-flop mindthings where one feels one is supposed to be celebrating but somehow . . . well of course there is always that somehow. And you are not alone in feeling this thing, this holiday oddness, about the tastes of the food and how the the date(s) the food is linked to simply take on an odd tenor that is totally opposite of what is "expected". A lot of people have these holiday food and memory hot-links that are not so jolly-making as one might wish. Not that that makes any of it taste any better. But there is something I found that might be useful for the season of memory and odd tastes. Something to wear as either a warning to those around that indeed this is the time to beware of pushing the wrong buttons inadvertantly, perhaps, or else just as a rebellious waving of a fist in the air at the world, a fighting back with a jolly brightness of its own. Here it is. (Scroll down to see closer detail.) I might get one for myself, just because it's sort of cute. In an odd way. P.S. Credit where credit is due: Found the link to this from the blog Will Work for Food.

Yes, that's the one. I still have the book if you want the recipe. But I would serve it rather than as an intermezzo as a sort of side, during an outdoor picnic. A side to barbecue. You know, the stuff you make over charcoal? I can imagine. He said beer. ← Any good dictionary will tell you that "Budweiser" is colloquial American English for "beer". And indeed, where would our great country be without it?

I knew there was another good beer recipe rattling around in my brain, and it just rattled itself out of hide-and-seek-land. Marcel Desaulniers (of The Trellis) used to make a Budweiser Beer Ice. Like a sorbet, you know. But beer-y.

So really, what you are saying is, the answer to the question "Why does so much food suck?" is one of the two Ur-Answers. The two Ur-Answers are: 1. Time and Money 2. Sex and Money I didn't notice anything in any of these responses that had to do with Ur-Answer 2, so I will guess that the correct answer to the question is Ur-Answer 1.