LindaK

If your kitchen design includes an island or peninsula, you can extend the countertop overhang by a few inches at the end, instead of the usual one inch. That's what I did when I planned my kitchen. It's barely noticable but gives me enough overhang to clamp on my pasta maker. To keep the clamp from damaging my countertops, I simply use a kitchen towel to protect it. Works like a charm.

Marcella Hazan agrees with you for much the same reasons. In The Classic Italian Cookbook she includes water in her list of essential ingredients and praises it as "the phantom ingredient in much Italian cooking," cautioning against "an overindugence in stock, wine, and other flavored liquid."

What about a bechamel thinned with stock? or a velouté (stock thickened with roux) if you're looking for something lighter.

Using a whole chicken seems like a waste of expensive meat. A good stock will extract all the flavor from the meat, nothing you can use afterwards. All the flavor is in the stock. As Nickrey notes, a pressure cooker does this very well. The best chicken stock I make is from the Modernist Cuisine recipe, which uses wings and ground chicken. It can be expensive, if you go buy a pound of ground chicken at the market, or it can be affordable if you save meat scraps.

Another vote here. You don't need an $18 chicken for good stock. Adding a lb of wings to a carcass not only adds flavor but body, and if you have any raw chicken scraps to grind and toss in, even better. Quality wings don't have to cost you a lot, I can get them for $2-3 lb at Whole Foods.. A pressure cooker will also make a big difference. Not as cheap as "better than boullion" but you don't have to make it everyday, just when it really matters to a recipe or when you hit a sale.

I've only just discovered taggescia olives and I am enamoured. A small black olive from Liguria, Italy. Full flavored but still delicate with no bitterness, and the shop where I buy them sells them packed in their own oil, which is fabulous in its own right. Expensive but worth the splurge.

Beer flavored kettle chips. I had to try them. I could taste the beer, but it was eclipsed by too much cheddar for my taste. Nice thick chips.

It sounds like a great trip, now you have me thinking about something similar. I can only offer second-hand info or general recommendations: On his blog, John Talbott’s recently reported his food highlights on a trip to Brittany. I’ve never done a real tour of Champagne (that must be remedied) but I do buy a lot of small estate champagnes, so I know which producers I’ll seek out when I finally get there. Favorites include Camille Savès, Aubry, Paul Georg and Lallement. There are a couple of old discussion topics here that might be helpful: L'Assiette Champenois - Lallement -near Reims Champagne restaurants and accommodations

Wow, I've always thought that Thunderbird was an urban legend. Nothing I can mention can compete with that.

I followed my own advice and kept it simple. Salmon with sorrel sauce, herbed potato salad, and haricots verts. Sorrel, herbs, and beans from my garden. I would have roasted the potatoes had I seen the video first! And a glass (okay, two) of sancerre. Superior booze indeed. A toast to Mrs. Child.

Incredibly, Julia was born 100 years ago today. Reading the news coverage is making me weepy over my morning coffee. NYT and Boston Globe stories. Cook something French today! Difficult or time-consuming recipes not required. Indeed, that would miss the point.

Low end dining...you can probably still find fried brain sandwiches if you look for them. Then there's the St. Paul sandwich, sort of like egg foo yung on white bread, with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. If you have a car, frozen custard at Ted Drewes is a classic. Gooey butter cake may kill you but it is good. I loathed the St Louis style pizza (cracker crust, provel cheese...don't ask) but you may want to say that you've tried it. St. Louis has a very large Bosnian community and there are some good family style restaurants in South St. Louis. The bread is addictive, even the New York Times agrees. You can also get surprisingly decent cajun food in St. Louis. Crawfish abounds at the some of the blues bars in town. There are a number of microbreweries in STL, but I don't know all the new ones. When in town I still go to the Tap Room for Schlafly's beer, which is great, and their burgers and fries are wonderful.

The Liberty is a cool hotel but not a food epicenter. Cambridge St dining caters to the staff at nearby Mass General Hospital and Government Center, while Charles Street aims for the tourist trade. There are a few reliable neighborhood places that appeal to Beacon Hill residents, such as Pierrot Bistro, Lala Rohk (Persian), and bars like Cambridge Garden. The hotel itself is home to one of Lydia Shire's restaurants, Scampo. I've only nibbled at the bar (good lobster pizza) and hear mixed reviews of the restaurant. If you're looking for something special not far from the hotel, I have two suggestions: # 1. take a stroll across Beacon Hill to No. 9 Park, one of Barbara Lynch's earliest restaurants and still one if the city's best. From the Liberty it's a pleasant 15 minute walk through one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. # 2. hop on the Red Line (just outside the hotel door) and go two stops to Central Square in Cambridge and head over to Craigie on Main, another of the area's finest. They're very different from each other, No. 9 has a comfortably refined atmosphere, Craigie seemingly more casual but the food is not. Both will cost you, but are worth a splurge. Reservations recommended, though you can try to snag a seat at the bar without one. If you're not going for high end but still want to stay nearby, there are other good casual dining options in Central Square. My personal favorites include Rendezvous and Central Kitchen. If you'd rather explore other Boston neighborhoods, there are lots of suggestions earlier in this topic. Enjoy!

I planted sorrel in my garden this year and now that it's coming in, I've been asking myself the same thing. I know I want to try some sauce recipes, which go well with fish. Usually that involves heavy cream but in Plenty, Yotam Ottolenghi uses greek yogurt, which sounds good too. Other ideas I want to try: - with eggs, such as a frittata, omlette, or a bed for scrambled eggs - with potatoes, either chopped into a potato salad or wilted inro a gratin (thanks, Paula Wolfert for that one) - surprisingly both Diana Kennedy, The Art of Mexican Cooking, and Andrea Nguyen, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen both have recipes with sorrel

Dan, interesting that you're using chiles in your brew. Earlier tonight I caught up with some friends at a local pub and while there sampled Night Shift Brewery's Viva Habanera beer. It was smooth, more malt than hops, with a touch of sweetness balanced by the citrus/floral of the habanero pepper. The heat was very muted but it was there, catching you a bit at the back of the throat but it always stayed in the background. Not at all spicy but nevertheless a sipping beer.

Me too, and thinking: "thank heavens, it's not just my imagination..." One dish with a poached or soft-boiled egg on a menu is nice. But lately I'm seeing dinner menus with two or even three egg-centric items. I don't know if it's just trendy or unimaginative, but it's boring. But PSmith, to your point, I am with many others here. The overdescription of menu items--and providing the provenance of everything--has been standard here in the states (at least in many restaurants with ambition or pretention) for a long while. When it highlights the main ingredients, fine, that often tempts me to order something. When it's every marginal ingredient and seasoning, it seems like overkill. Am I the only person who enjoys trying to figure out the "secret" ingredient? Of course waitstaff should know the details in case of questions about allergy concerns. But otherwise, I prefer the anticipation of a little mystery.

Antdad, thanks for sharing the video. I've never done a fritter with a batter like that. The chef says it's a Coleman Andrew's recipe, so I took a look in Catalan Cuisine and sure enough the recipe is there. I'll have to give it a try. Something that I noticed was that his salt cod had the skin still on. I'm jealous--I have never found salt cod with the skin, and I've been looking for some time. There are a few recipes that specifically need the gelatin from the skin to make an emulsion. Another thing, I am down to my last pound of salt cod. I've been buying mine from an Italian market near my office, so I stopped by after work the other day. All gone! They sell it seasonally only and won't have more until October. Grrr. I know I can get salt cod elsewhere, but their product is very high quality, good for dishes like esqueixada which really demand the best. I'll have to think carefully how to use what I have left. Regular grocery store salt cod should be fine for fritters, though.

So, what to make when you've defrosted too much salt cod? Esqueixada (shredded salt cod salad) In Catalan Cuisine, Coleman Andrews aptly describes this as "catalan ceviche." Versions range from the very simple to the elaborate, but they all have a few things in common: soaked (but not cooked) salt cod, pulled into shreds, and tossed with a piquant oil/vinegar dressing. Like ceviche, it's rich but refreshing. Made here with chopped tomato, chopped olives, herbs, on shredded lettuce. It made for a delicious appetizer on a sultry evening. Fritters No special recipe here. To the cod, potato mixture, I threw in a handful of fresh, chopped herbs and some finely minced jalapeno. I've gotten in the habit of separating the eggs, adding the yolk and whipping the egg white before adding it. It's an extra step but quick to do, and it really does lighten the fritters. Served with lemon wedges.

interesting, I've actually appreciated the TJ grinders--which are not throw-away, you can refill them with whatever you choose. I have a row of dedicated grinders for salts, peppers, and other large spices, thanks to TJ's salts and peppers sold in inexpensive grinders. But I agree with your point, it is too bad that they don't also sell the spices in bulk.

Baron, that is really beautiful--what gorgeous colors. As with your terrines, you have an artist's eye. And I have no doubt that it's delicious. The chorizo, pepper, cod combo is inspired. This one is on my short list for fall. So after your post I am somewhat embarrassed to add my imperfect installment. With hot weather here, I've been playing with salads and spent some time researching summer salads using salt cod. I see it frequently in winter salads with citrus (which is delicious) but rarely with summer ingredients. Coincidentally I defrosted some salt cod yesterday and threw a salad together tonight based on what I had on hand. It was tasty but not transcendent. Salt cod salad with roasted pepper, celery, parsley, cilantro, capers, and olives. Too much going on visually with the cherry tomatoes, but hey... Oddly enough, I think the problem is that I poached the salt cod. The citrus salad mentioned above briefly broils, then soaks, the salt cod, before shredding it into a salad. The result is much more delicate, which really matters when using it in a salad. Lesson learned. i defrosted too much salt cod, so I'll have to use it up in the next day or two. Maybe fritters? I haven't made them in ages.

Baron, bravo encore! What, it's not enough for you to slay us with photos of your masterful terrines? How do you serve these beautiful examples of charcuterie?

My Baltimore dining experiences are mostly outdated and today when I’m there I generally treat myself to blue crab, either steamed with Old Bay or in crab cakes. During peak crab season—now!—it doesn’t get any better. Otherwise, I tend to seek out old favorites from my (poor) graduate student days. A couple that might appeal: Brewer's Art: gastropub/microbrew specializing in Belgian-style ales The Helmand: Afghan food, unusual and delicious. The pumpkin and the leek-stuffed ravioli with yogurt sauce are must-tries. Finally, if you are looking for interesting art with your food, check out the American Visionary Art Museum. Fascinating place with a very good restaurant on the 3rd floor. Hopefully others can suggest some fine dining ideas. Enjoy your well-earned vacation!

The markets here in Boston are overflowing with corn right now. The ears seem smaller than usual and it isn't as sweet as some years past. But it's still very tasty. Almost all of it is the "butter and sugar" corn that grows well around here.

Can someone explain the UV wand--do they really work? Any preferred models? A quick search shows them ranging from $25 to $200.

Soups. Especially Asian noodle soups such as pho.