kitwilliams

Fresca made a sugared version, Caroline? I always thought it was solely a diet drink. The few diet drinks when I was a kid were Fresca, Tab and Diet-Rite Cola. It took me a long time to like Diet Coke as I was a Tab girl through and through! Strange to think that there was a time without Diet Coke...

Rhubarb compote or baked rhubarb or rhubarb jam -- any of the above -- on a croissant. That is my newest favorite thing. Absolutely, unbelievably simple and exquisite. By the way, where do you live, tazerowe? If you're nearby, I'd be happy to come over and help you harvest your rhubarb!

Occasionally I'll have a craving for the long-gone Deep Fried Ravioli from Jack in the Box. Cheese ravioli, breaded, deep fried and served with marinara sauce for dunking. Yeah, I'm on Lipitor now.

I'd watch my back if I were you, AgaCooker!

I've added cream cheese to French Buttercream and it was lovely, particularly because the tang of the cream cheese makes it not so sweet. I'm curious as to how the Italian would work...I say just go for it! Be sure to let us know how it turns out!

if any southern california egulleteers happen to have excess rhubarb in their garden, just let me know and i'll be over with my machete. note to forever young ca: i was sooooo disappointed to read that your "ca" was for canada and not california. disappointed for myself, but lucky you!

I, kitwilliams, hereby promise never to chew out any farmers for charging $2.99/lb (the going rate at my local market) for rhubarb, goddammit.

My dad, a Depression baby, despises rhubarb. I've heard others of this generation refer to rhubarb as "pie plant" so perhaps it was so readily available during those years that it was the only filling available for pies (although it needs so much sugar that it couldn't have been inexpensive to make). Can anyone shed some light on this?

Try the Miller's if you can find it, Debra. I have a feeling you'll like it.

Naguere: The forced rhubarb that you produce over there is not only delicious, but the pale pink of it is STUNNINGLY beautiful! Does anyone know if we do the same anywhere in the US? I've never seen rhubarb here that compares to the beauty of English forced rhubarb.

At the downtown Long Beach, CA farmer's market, a few years ago, I went to a stall with the name "Rhubarb Farms" emblazoned on their umbrella. I looked at their piles of produce and asked where the rhubarb was. "We don't grow rhubarb" was the young woman's response. I told her they'd better change their name. An elderly woman had overheard our conversation and told me that she knew where I could get some. She kindly gave me directions to her house and I met her there a few minutes later where we went out to her back garden and cut enough rhubarb for two big pies. And she wouldn't take any money for it. Ahhh, the kindness of strangers. I've been paying $2.98/lb for rhubarb at Plowboys Market in Huntington Beach. Always end up making compote with the little bit of rhubarb that won't fit into the pie. And now, my new favorite breakfast is a croissant with rhubarb compote. It's almost better than the pie itself!

Has anyone else tried Miller's Gin? Actually, the full name is Martin Miller's Reformed London Dry Gin. "Born of love, obsession and some degree of madness." Smooth and refreshing. Well, it certainly is in the g&t that I'm drinking at the moment! I'm drinking the "Westbourne Strength" which is 90.4 proof. I'm also a fan of Gordon's -- it's my house brand. But can anyone tell me if the Gordon's we purchase in the US is distilled in the UK (I don't have a bottle on hand at the mo)? Just like a good cuppa, a g&t doesn't taste the same here as it does in the UK. Not necessarily better, as I prepare them the same way here and there, but just a tad different. Could be the tonic as well. And as for the bottle, I prefer the green UK bottle to the cheap looking bottle they use here. Hey! Looks are important! As for the Trader Joe's brand...I'm afraid I can't recommend it. I went out and bought a bottle but I find it too sharp. If we finish the Miller's tonight, we'll have to go back to the Admiral Joseph's as there is no Gordon's in the house.

Gorgeous! I'm particularly interested in the lemon praline tart. Is that a praline paste buttercream or pastry cream piped onto the lemon tart? It is so gorgeously smooth! And, if so, is it just almond praline or hazelnut/almond? I particularly love hazelnut and lemon together.

Or, since my upstairs neighbors (and bestest of friends) are the most amazing photographers, I'll have one of them come down and shoot. Problem is, they start work at 10am -- after I've already put in eight hours! Or, I bite the bullet and get myself a digital camera.

Beautiful stuff, gang. Almost inspires me to work on my dessert presentation but, nah...I'm a breakfast pastry baker kind of gal. Are we limiting this to dessert or do breakfast pastries qualify? I've been taking a few shots at work with my new cell phone camera...is it possible to send that stuff to the computer and post it here? I'm sure I'll be charged up the kazoo for it!

Here's the complete list of who Carnival owns. Perhaps listing who they DON'T own would have been easier! Carnival | Princess | Holland America | Seabourn | Windstar | P & O Cruises | Cunard | Ocean Village | Swan Hellenic | Costa | AIDA | P & O Cruises Australia I used to work on board the Princess ships and dined in the Crew Mess. We'd get some of the leftovers from the previous passenger meals, plus an entree specifically for us. Every Monday we'd have Osso Bucco. And Wednesdays, when cruising in Alaska, was Glacier Bay Stew with Dumplings! That's probably why I befriended the Bakers! Oh, the Shortbread and Chocolate Souffles!

Glad I started reading from the top of the thread instead of simply adding a reply as I'm with the Tomato Soup crowd. Just enough to fill an old-fashioned diner-type coffee cup. It is what comes to mind when you mention grilled cheese. I really like the chutney idea too!

Precisely. With egullet as your dining partner!

I'm shocked to find out that this isn't a nation-wide problem (!). I'm with the rest of you (obviously in the western US) who are tired of the pink...pink boxes are never sturdy enough and I think the color gawdawful. I'm thinking that I would prefer a box the color of a brown paper bag, tied with a nice chocolate-colored ribbon. Maybe a tad lighter than brown paper bag -- somewhere between brown paper and ivory. Creamy brown! Ah...now I know. The color of a perfect cup of milky tea!

Our favorite Sunday morning breakfast (mom stood over the stove for ages as there were seven in the family!): crepes filled with sour cream, rolled and doused with an orange/butter/maple syrup sauce. Also good for dinner on a cold, windy, wet Tuesday evening!

Did the purple stay purple and the yellow stay yellow? If it does, you could add in some of the green and have Mardi Gras cauliflower. ← The purple DOES stay purple (although it gets dark and is difficult to tell if you've got it brown and crispy enough -- you have to test it to see ) and the yellow stays a lovely, buttery yellow. The farmer called it "cheddar cheese cauliflower", however I think it looked more buttery than cheddar cheese-y. Come on, now -- the cheddar cheese in my house is white!

Instead of slicing the whole head, I break my cauliflower into large florets and slice in half (or quarter) and try to make them similar in size and ensure that all pieces have at least one cut edge. As does patti (and countless others), I cook it for at least 45 minutes at 425F. I have created four new Cauliholics this week. The purple I had last night was just as stunningly fabulous as was the yellow two nights before!

cakewalk: the purple and yellow (and the romanesco too) all taste like your typical white cauliflower....mayhaps a tad milder?...no, I just went and had a taste (ended up only cooking the yellow last night. need to have some for tonight as well!!!) I think we are going to need a new thread: R.C.A. Roasted Cauliflower Anonymous! "Hi. My name is Kit and I'm a Cauli-holic." Here's another gorgeous pic: must give credit to my friend, Jon Nickson:

Ahhh, Princess Cruises. I worked on the original "Sun Princess", a tiny little ship by today's standards but, as anyone who ever worked on her said, the best and friendliest little ship that ever sailed the seven seas. I became friends with the assistant pastry chef. To earn my chocolate souffle on Wednesday nights, I helped by dishing out the ice cream to the Italian waiters as they queued up to fill their guests' orders (chocolate souffle wasn't often on the menu in the Crew Mess! ). Roger would then treat me to a bowl containing two individual souffles smothered in creme anglaise. Ahhh, the good old days...

Here's tonight's cauliflower for roasting, purchased from Neil at the Sunday Long Beach Marina Farmer's Market: There will be five at dinner...and I don't think it will be enough cauliflower (they are very large heads)...