Carrot Top

Ricotta is made with whey. I do sometimes make a "formaggio fresco" with whole milk but it's not ricotta. ← Well, then, we will call this "formaggio fresco", Franci, or maybe "American home-made ricotta" as similar recipes are all over the internet *and* in published cookbooks by respected authors. I use it in place of store-bought ricotta in recipes, as did my MIL who was born in Italy. Words. . .difficult things sometimes. Do you make ricotta at home with whey? If so, would you be so kind as to share the recipe?

Before me sits a bouquet of roses. They are pink, and they smell very very nice. I like them, but then I think: Can I eat them? Probably not. They're probably sprayed. Next year, maybe he'll send me a steak. If you have access to unsprayed roses, have you used them in cooking? How?

I do almost the same thing - it is something to make that is *so* unfussy. The epitome of home cooking at its best. The only differences are that I shape the mixture into rounds (heh, like Rebecca, I am avoiding certain words today ) - uh, spherical shapes, then roll in fine breadcrumbs before gently pan-frying in a mixture of butter and olive oil. I use lots of black pepper in the recipe and sometimes add some thyme and nutmeg. Other "sauces" go well with this, also. Chutneys, salsas, mustard-mayo, herbed mayo, or even a quick cheese sauce. I love that spelling. Gives the word a bit of class(e). I may decide to borrow it and always use it, if you'll allow.

Ricotta is astonishingly easy to make. Here's a recipe.

Would you mind telling your fridge I say "Happy Valentine's Day" to it? I feel that I love it, in this moment.

LOVE them! (Though saying them might take some practice . . . )

Isn't the Grapple just an apple with flavoring added? Is that what you mean by blended? Or are you thinking along the lines of pluot (plum/apricot)? ← Yes, I was thinking more of the "cutesey" sort of things like the Grapple, which as you say, is an apple injected with grape flavor. I'm glad you understand and accept me as I am, Johnny.

Now to shift gears *just* a bit, I must mention a comfort food well-loved by many: Canned Spaghetti on Toast. A good recipe to settle your tummy if you happen to have drunk too much champagne. Alternately, at other times, it is positively affected by the best spice: Hunger.

No, I don't know that one. But I bet, with a bottle of champagne between us, we might invent a good "rounds song". A bite of caviar, a bite of toast, a sip of champagne, a verse of song first from one song then the other. . .and so on and so forth, till allllll the caviar (and toast, of course!) was gone.

I liked it momentarily but find that now another voice is speaking to me (you know, in my head ). It's saying Caaaaaaaaa veeeeeee aaaaaaaaaarrrrrr. rrrrrr. RRRRrrrrr. Caaaaaaa veeee arrrrr. (There's a pop tune in the background with the words dimly heard "I hear you callin' me. . .") Caviar on toast might be like finding the Devil in Heaven. Lovely.

"The smell of buttered toast simply talked to Toad, and with no uncertain voice; talked of warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings, when one's ramble ws over and slippered feet were propped up on the fender; of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries." Kenneth Grahame, Wind in the Willows Good butter, with good toast, is a simple perfection that can rise in a mythic way above its ingredients, really. But then of course, a bit (or more) of poached marrow is never astray on toast. Or even a luscious spread of fresh ricotta well topped with scatterings of punguent fresh cracked black pepper and slivers of herbs from the garden. Toast is a little square door that you can hold in your hand that leads to heaven.

Caponata.

2000-2050 1. Pizza, Expanded ( ) Pizza with pineapple or dipped in ranch dressing or with buffalo chicken on it, etc. 2. Burgers, Morphed ( ) Veggie burgers, burgers with grain added (not as something to "stretch" it but to make it "healthy" . . ) 3. Waters to Fix You ( ) Waters with vitamins, weight loss waters, waters with mysterious extracts, waters whatever they think will sell to people who are buying health in a plastic bottle of water. 4. The Blended Fruit (like the Grapple). 5. Tacos.

Yes. . .I daresay he was. In my imagination, he looks like Simon from the Avengers. Without the bowler, of course. Pity about the fork-in-the-throat thing. It's a shame that Emma wasn't around to save the day. (She probably was out buying new boots-to-save-the-world in. They do wear out so quickly nowadays.)

Very good... a film I adore, partly because of that Fig Scene. ← My goodness. insomniac, you are so good at this that I am not sure whether you should write a book on the subject or merely head down to the pub to make bets on your guesses! You all are rather incredible, actually. I am awed, truly.

← I never remember a single thing from movies, but "Night of the Shooting Stars" just popped into my mind. Probably wrong, but anyway. (Or "Amarcord". The quote sounds Fellini-ish. )

I like the way Mr. Andrews says "Really!" in this scene. Isn't that the perfect retort when being attacked by gunmen. Ah, and what lovely wreckage of the table. Maybe that's what's needed when guests stay too long. It just has such a satisfying air about it. ................. Thanks for the second installment. I liked it even more than the first.

There's a book I've been meaning to look at for a while, and today was finally the day. Eating Architecture Chock-full of "food in art" in both visual and conceptual ways. It reads a bit too much like Artforum for me to concentrate well on it (though there are lots of pictures, that helps ) but for those with a taste for this, it is a banquet. An amazing book, fantastic resource. Much more to chew on than simply the architectural/food link. It's not just about "buildings and food".

Yummy. My mother was a non-cook, so none of that stuff for me growing up, but I do know those who have fond memories of things like that. Now you are making me want marrow on toast.

I just leafed through a book that seems to have just the sort of thing you are looking for, Jessica. Four hundred and sixty-four pages of it, in fact. Fashionable Food - Seven Decades of Food Fads Full of quixotic fare, loaded with recipes of interest.

Milk Toast.

The polls never close here. Do continue to vote for your favorites. I just hate counting things, so thought I'd get started so there wouldn't be too much to do all at once.

(But you *do* sound like an English major, SB. )

Here's the totals so far for 1950-2000. All combined in one category, for purposes of essentialism. Top Defining/Iconic/Emblematic Foods of the USA: Burger 10 votes Fried Chicken 8 votes Hot Dog 6 votes Coke 5 votes Pizza 4 votes (with the addendum added that two women are ready to fight for it. . . not a thought to be discarded . . . ) Sandwich/Hero 4 votes Apple Pie 4 votes ............................................. There were twenty-seven other suggestions which had either one or two votes each. And I'd like to add "potato chips" somehow.

Wow. That was an unexpected surprise, and a very nice one, Owen. Who would'a thunk it, of Syracuse! A lovely story. Strangely enough I've heard of Salt Potatoes, though I've never been to Syracuse. For several years I was responsible for defining the menu for the "New York State Festival" held in Washington DC which was one of those "members of Congress meet big business" events. Part of the process of defining the menu was to take, sort, then choose or discard. . . the food ideas of the members of Congress' representatives in meetings that they came to solely to fight for their voting district's specialities. Salt Potatoes on the menu was argued by someone who really made an impression on me, I remember. I think I got samples and booklets and lovely letters all about Salt Potatoes. They are much beloved. Can't remember whether I did finally include them - will see if the menu is around here somewhere . . . The only other food argued as strongly came from Buffalo. Red Hots.