bavila

Am I reading this correctly? Was that steak really just 2.5 euros?

Ok, now that I KNOW that Commander's is open, should we opt for Commander's over Ralph's? (Might be too late to change the reservation, though.)

My husband is always calling me a camposina when it comes to (some of) my food tastes. That looks gorgeous to me! And count me in on the rose-philes. I don't mind them being underrated though -- more for me.

More on the roasted squash seeds please. I saved some from last night's acorn squash and would like to roast them. When I've tried this before it hasn't quite worked for me. What kind of squash? How'd you separate the stringy mess from the seeds? Time/temp? Any other details I should know? This is probably elementary to many of you out there, but I need help bumbling my way through! Oh, and another question -- is how you eat at home in NY similar to how you eat in Montone (sequence of courses, style, etc.)?

Ok, I'll fess up to being one of the Home Depot (even Office Depot) geeks. And the molino looks like a feed store to me. I love the smell in a feed store -- usually nice and humus-y. Loving the blog! Oh, and the porchetta reminds me of cochon de lait in Louisiana. My knees get weak over fire roasted suckling pig!

Why hate her so much? The word "jealousy" comes to mind...

To quote the great B.Kliban "bite they little heads off, nibble on they tiny feet!" (though in the case of bunnies of course one MUST eat the ears first - that way they can't hear themselves scream ) ← When I was little I could never eat anything with "eyes". Every so often my mother would have to sneak in and throw away stash of stale bunnies, Santas, jack-o-lanterns etc. The eyes are, after all, windows to the soul; be it chocolate, dough or marshmallow! SB (still not real comfortable with the idea) ← I'll eat those chocolate souls! And yes, ears first on the bunnies...

305 or 350? Thanks for blogging and for sharing Kira with us.

East coast Louisiana ex-patriate piping in on the nuked roux. Make SURE you cook at ever shorter units of time and stir, stir, stir. Otherwise you'll have a nice lump of coal (or several itty bitty ones) in your roux. Ick. I'm not bothered by the microwave technique, but it's never seemed to really be any more convenient for me -- maybe having the scalding pot on the stove is just better for my visually-centered brain than trying to remember what the heck I have in the microwave that went off 10 minutes ago.

I smell seafood gumbo.... (oops, you said courtbouillon...I missed that the first time around) Nice roux. What fat did you use? Are you from Louisiana? I thought that roux looked pretty native. Moab looks gorgeous, but all that lush turf next to the "beyond organic" produce looks a whole lot less than organic, methinks...

So, Artichoke, how did it go? Do we get pics? Or are you too busy honeymooning?

I've had really bad experience with bagels in the West. How was that one? It looks ok.

Huh. I don't think I've ever seen a fresh lychee either. Maybe that's what I just ran over with my jogging stroller (icky mess). Will have to go back and see if there's something worth stealing from the neighbors.

I meant to reply to this: All the snake ate was mice. The cat was eating the snake's food and at the time we had the snake (his name was Bob -- and our cat's name is John), I had to drive 45 minutes round trip to get the feeder mice. So John eating Bob's lunch was just not cool -- I was afraid Bob would go into python mode and eat my kid in his sleep or, worse than that, come to my room looking for something to tide him over. I just grabbed John by the back of his head, right by the jaws and squeezed; when he opened, I reached in and yanked. It was pretty nasty. At one point, I was such a girlie girl, you can't imagine. ← Oh dear, I'm crying over the hilarity of this image. Ah, motherhood and pet feeding -- not for the faint of heart.

Food hoarders unite! I had the samw comforting feeling when viewing the freezer shot. I sometimes have a bag of veggie scraps going for stock as well... Much of this went away recently when I purchased a large (for my small freezer) order of pastured meats from Polyface Farms that I had to stick in the freezer.

Hmmm... Chappaqua public schools... I'm guessing they'd feel pretty "private" to much of the rest of the country... BTW... on yesterday's list: buttock? Can I not read?

I can answer that one since my favorite is Jiff. I'm assuming he means any pb other than the natural stuff( just ground peanuts) ← Yep, Jif it is. Extra crunchy. ← Have you tried the organic peanut butter (made with Valencia peanuts if that means anything) from Trader Joe's? We were Jiff lovers and started going the natural/organic route -- and found most stuff just tolerable. Oh. My. God. The TJ's stuff tastes like Jiff, but soooo much better. And of course, better for you.

I like the Guinness fried oysters at Galway Bay on Maryland Avenue in Annapolis.

Last Saturday I picked up my first order from Polyface. We had their hot dogs (no nitrites or nitrates) that night, and they were quite tasty grilled. But the lack of curing will take some getting used to. Funny, isn't it, how we can miss preservatives and junk when we're accustomed to them? I'll be roasting one of their beautiful broilers tonight. And if I get motivated this weekend I'll make some stock with the 5 lb of chicken backs I bought from them. Between reading Nina Planck's "Real Food" and "Holy Cows and Hog Heaven" by Joel Salatin (Polyface farmer), I've decided I want to try baking my own bread. Anyone happen to know of local or regional grain producers?

I can so do without the Dome and the game... Though I'm not sure how else to hook up with A&S friends. Maybe a call out for drinks at the Swizzle Stick after the game. Dinner reservations have been secured at August for Saturday night. Lunch will be at Ralph's. I've booked my airline ticket and will now arrive early enough to think about Friday dinner, though it will likely be after a Newcomb reception. What would be good for something small? We're going to stay at the Renaissance Pere Marquette on Common. Breakfast recs nearby? Thanks y'all.

Odd bed fellows and namby pambies of all sorts abound in the nation's capitol, Brooks. Do keep us posted on the fundraiser.

Good stuff. Thanks! Now what about breakfast?

My 10 year reunion has been rescheduled for this year. I plan a trip to meet up with girlfriends, and I'll be in town less than 48 hours, Oct 27-29. Care to help me plan my dining? Friday I'll likely arrive 8:30pm and make my way to the W (I think we're staying there, anyway). What would be good for a nice welcome back snack and cocktail? Don't think it's wise to plan a full-on dining experience that night. What to do for breakfast on Saturday? I did Elizabeth's not too long ago. Want to try something different. Our class luncheons are tentatively set at Commander's or Ralph's on the Park. How likely is it that Commander's will be open by then? Would Ralph's be a better choice (open longer, a little more settled) even if Commander's is operating by then? I have some sway in deciding for my class. Not sure where the game will be played (Tulane v. Army --- snore...), or if we'll go. So the afternoon is a question mark. Saturday dinner out. Hard to pick just one. My last two trips I did Dick & Jenny's and Upperline. Don't think I can convince my girlfriends to go out to Longbranch. Am leaning toward August. Any thoughts? Sunday I'll be off to the airport early. Probably the best time for beignets on the run.

My votes as well. The creole would be a good choice now in the height of tomato season up here. Or skip the trinity and go for a fried shrimp poboy. Mmmmm........... So glad I'm going to New Orleans in October. Edited to correct Dan-Quayle-esque spelling error. Doh!

I've bought Prima (crisp and sweet-tart, green with a red twinge) my last two trips to the FM, and they are my new favorite. But to keep things interesting, I might pick up some Jonagold or Empire next week. Does anyone else find the skin of Stayman too thick for eating out of hand? Does it bake well?