M. Lucia

Well, my work has been feeding me all week, but tonight I actually got to make dinner before the tech guy from work came over to fix one of my laptops to take for a business trip. (sigh) Anyway, there's nothing like a good homemade meal when you haven't had the opportunity to cook for yourself in a while. I just made a salad of hunks of pecorino and favas drizzled with evoo and sprinkled with sea salt. I had some whole grain toast also. Dessert was watermelon-ice cream shakes garnished with mint from the garden. A spur of the moment blender invention that was great.

ditto on the ice cream i have a terrible habit of getting hungry around six oclock and snacking so much that my snacks turn into dinner, so i end up eating an odd combination of pretzels, chips, peanut butter, a few spoonfuls of ice cream, nuts, etc. but no solid meal pie and other sweets (like dulce de leche out of the jar) are my total weakness

First, welcome, and second, could you explain the cauliflower (does it actually have cream?), everything looks good! I've been doing a lot of cooking recently but have been too busy to post. Yesterday I made my first foray into Korean with bibimbob! I used a wonderful nutty red rice, lettuces, carrots, mushrooms, sprouts, sesame oil, shredded leftover filet mignon, egg, and strips of nori. Tonight will be Cordovan gazpacho and pimento cheese sandwiches by request.

Recent highlights: Black pepper pappardelle with turnips and pancetta (a la Babbo) you must try making black pepper pasta, it's so good! Spring Vegetable Saute: asparagus, artichoke hearts, baby turnips, baby carrots, sugarsnaps and favas I would've added morels if I could afford them Balsamic Strawberries over Ricotta Cheese (sweetened with xxx sugar and kirsch) Roasted Cherry and Goat Cheese Salad with Hazelnuts (Zuni Cafe) Blackberry and Herb Salad with Blue Cheese (used roaring 40s, mixed lettuces, spring herbs and fennel fronds) Lemon Chess Pie

(Carnivores avert your eyes) Vegetarian Chili made with textured vegetable protein, onions, lots of spices and only a tiny bit of pinto beans and tomatoes smashed into it. My friend, king of all things ground beef, approved, the tvp is not the same but it's pretty close. Accompanied by tortilla chips, salsa, and labne standing in for sour cream. Dessert was bought ice cream (oatmeal cookie).

The schedule is now up, thanks for the link HJ. Some highlights include: Sheila Lukins, Charlie Palmer, Emeril Lagasse, Jose Andres, Alice Waters, Todd English, Lidia Bastianich, Suvir Saran, Paul Prudhomme, and many more Meaning of Halal, Cooking Catfish, All About Halwa, the Ramadan Meal/Eid Dinner, Breads of Oman, Coffee Dates and Hospitality, Dutch Oven Delights... Seminars on Farmer's Markets, Immigrant Cooks, Natl. Markets and Sustainable Agriculture, Children's Education, Local Sourcing... they also have a map online, for those who have been watching the tents go up and of course there's music, dance, games, and other fun stuff

I wanted to add that Jennifer's cannele's look more like the one's I had at both Gerard Mulot and Boulangerie Kayser in Paris. Similar interior texture, not too crispy a crust. That being said, I wasn't overwhelmed with those canneles. They were pleasant, but not anything to write home about. So, I haven't yet caught the cannele bug.

What beautiful melon/prosciutto! These days I get home so late from work that I have been cooking at night for the next day, so that I have something waiting for me. A good strategy for us working girls. Anyway, yesterday I had: Roasted tomato Tart with Mustard/Creme Fraiche Sauce Mesclun Salad The tart recipe is based on one that was in Food and Wine a while ago, it's very good and surprisingly easy. I made a wholewheat crust for it and used very small local tomatoes. and for dessert, the ultimate gift: baklava brought from a friend in Saudi!

Won't be cooking because I'll be meeting some friends here: RFD (did make myself a nice Caesar salad for lunch though) just wanted to post because I thought the "cooking with beer" might interest Susan

Just a heads up to the events at the Smithsonina Folklife Festival on the Mall. One of this years highlights will be: Food Culture USA including Alice Waters food education program and chefs cooking sustainable agriculture cuisine and their focus on Oman will include cooks demonstrating Omani cooking and heospitality in the Muscat Kitchen. The festival is June 23-27 and June 30-July 4, the schedule hasn't been announced yet.

Absolutely fabulous

My train was late, so dinner was a quick mix up of: Israeli couscous with spinach, currents and nutmeg. Dessert was more of the giant ginger cookies I made (courtesy of claire over in P&B), which also provided much needed sustenance on the train. Train trips (especially delayed ones) are never good for the well-intenioned sweets I bring back for friends

Well, I've had so much work this week I've purposely kept myself away from this thread (talk about 'mouse control'). Anyway, there went several hours of a beautiful Sunday catching up, and I must say what you both are doing is fabulous! Really inspiring home cooking, I wish I could comment on each marvelous dish, but it all looks wonderful. I know you have some appreciative families and some much needed R&R coming up, but first I can't wait for the mystery basket! Keep up the good work!

^ Chufi, I love braised leeks! Tonight's dinner will be an interesting melange: Chicken Tikka Skewers Vignarola (artichokes, favas, peas, lemon, oil, mint) Goat Cheese Toasts Dessert: ice cream sandwiches made with waffle cookies

The other night was a meal of spring: We began with some Cava I brought back from Barcelona. Then steamed local asparagus, plank roasted salmon, challah bread on the side with fresh butter. Followed by coconut cake (by request), I'm still tinkering with the recipe for this one.

Yes, you can certainly get in to AUB. You could probably just talk your way in at the gate, say you are alum or that you are interested in attending the school. There is a public women's beach south of Beirut, I think it's about twenty minutes, but unfortunately I can't remember any details. You do want a reputable beach or it won't be clean. Many of the clubs there have a one day pass thing that can be around $20 and come with all sorts of perks, a guide book or a friend will have info. I wish I could give you more details but I am swamped with work. That's where your old AUB connections could come in handy- beach priviliges. I know a couple people there but I think they may be gone for the summer. working away and dreaming of lubnan

Gee, I got really used to having other people cook for me while on vacation and had some really amazing meals. Looks like there were some great home-cooked meals here as well. Jet-lagged dinner: Big bowl of grits with lots of butter and salt and a tin of boquerones, glass of Rioja. LaDuree macarons for dessert later...

Haha. BO-18. Zinc. Acid. Monot St? (Went to an internet cafe yesterday to confirm flight and got sidetracked by eG. Back in New York now )

This looks amazing. Could it be because I adore anything made with any kind of fava bean? I'm learning all the time...

Finally, pictures! No really, this is already awesome even without photos. I think this blog will win for best banter. (P.S. I have a good supply of the same maple syrup that my neighbor brings us every year from her summers in Canada. We had to start collecting maple syrup recipes to use the stuff up.)

A good New York deli. This has been the consensus among most exiled New Yorkers I've talked to, particularly expats. To be a ble to walk around the corner and get whatever little item you desire at any hour of the day (sushi, bagel, Japenese candy, curry, all kinds of beer, halwa, carrot cake, batteries). A good deli, the one at 2nd Ave and 9th street comes to mind, is like a microcosm of the city's diversity.

Nice macarons Daniel, that filling looks luscious. (I just ate a Herme noir amer macaron myself) Patrick, I'm surpirsed you like the sparklers more than the korovas. It's funny, when I first made the sparklers I didn't like them at all and now they've really grown on me. Glad someone else enjoys them too.

Behemoth, I haven't forgotten my promise to offer suggestions, but the more I've thought about it the harder its become. It seems most of my great food memories of Lebanon involve meals cooked in the homes of friends and their families. Most of my Lebanese friends didn't even like going out for Lebanese food because it wasn't as good as homemade. The other problem is that I can't remember any names or directioons and I'm in Paris without access to my notebooks. Anyways, dining on the Corniche is very popular for its atmosphere, if not for its food. The Sky Bar atop the Palm Beach hotel is swanky. There is a whole sort of complex of restaurants overlooking the rock that offer good options. We always called it the Movenpick complex, it's pretty hard to miss. In one of the seafood restaurants you can pick your seafood from a big display and then they cook it for you. Marrouche must be mentioned as it is legendary and the original. Excellent Lebanese food, no alcohol. Go for lunch and have the foul medammmes, the best. Maamari Street, Ras Beirut (parallel to Bliss). Socrate on Bliss St is another good lunch option. For felafel, schwarma and any kind of fast food in Beirut, Barbar is the go-to place. It's just north of Hamra Street, 03-433855. They've expanded to take over a whole city block with all kinds of takeout (good fattoush) and ice creams and desserts. Bliss House on Bliss St is also fast food and has the best ice cream. There is the best little place for kibbe nayeh in Ras Beirut whose name or location I can't remember. It's a little two floor hole-in-the-wall that specializes in all kinds of kibbe and particularly kibbe nayieh. I think it's called Abu something, if anyone out there knows of this place... My favorites pastries are Taj al-Malouk's. In my experience most Beirutis will tell you that the best eating is to be had in the mountains outside the city. I went to a few such places, including Jennieh (Paradise), and the food was very good if you can handle to Disney-like entertainment and onslaught of courses. One thing I would say is that all the restaurants that line the downtown area are not really worth your money. It's nice to walk around the rebuilt area at night but the restaurants are tourist traps and will overcharge you. I will think try to think of a nice bday dinner restaurant if I get the chance. And of course, that was only Beirut. I just went back to this little Lebanese take out place I always visit in Paris, right near where I stay in the 5th/6th. The owner is from Zahle, and the food was a Proustian experience for me. Hope you are excited for your trip!

Avocado Gelato!

These sound tasty, would you mind sharing what's in the dumplings? And have fun on your trip, it sounds fantastic! ← Hi Lexy, Traditionally pakori are dumplings made with chickpea flour (besan), spices and water and then deep fried. Now I didn't have chickpea flour but I did have leftover chickpeas, and I just went from there. I generally make things up as I go when cooking using sight/smell as guidelines, so I don't have measurements. In a food processor I blitzed a handful of chickpeas with about an equal amount semolina and seasonings. I used cumin, coriander, fresh parsley, salt, etc. The mixture should look like a coarse meal. Add enough water to make a thick paste, maybe a couple tablespoons. Bring stock or water to a boil. Just before cooking the dumplings add a pinch of baking soda and blitz one more time. You want to encorporate air into the batter so they are nice and light. Drop them by tablespoons into the stock/water and cook for about 4-5 minutes. The dumplings will be completely irregularly shaped and they should be floating. Remove with a slotted spoon. You can then simmer the dumplings in a sauce of your choice. I enjoyed them, and they reminded me of a light type of gnocchi. I used semolina flour because I figured it was closest to chickpea flour, you could also make your own chickpea flour or use another type of flour. Or make a real kadhi dish like this recipe. Whew, now off to the airport!