LindaK

Hi there, I've not yet chimed in to say how much I'm enjoying your blog. And I'm with Heidi, that bucatini all'amatriciana looks perfect. I also like Locatelli for my pecorino--great for nibbling as well as pasta.

Over in David Lebovitz's blog, he talks about the book and his experiment with her recipe for chocolate ice cream. He posts an adapted version of the recipe, too.

I've only tasted it in a braise, never cooked with it. The flavor was distinctive but not so gamey that more timid diners shied away. Definitely tender, so the braise technique worked its magic. Braises freeze well.

Since the topic has shifted from a conversation about service dogs in grocery stores or restaurants to a general conversation about service dog laws/regulations or what constitutes a disability, we think the topic has run its course as a food-related discussion and we’re going to close it. We appreciate your thoughtful input on the subject.

When I make a quiche or tart I use the same pastry dough recipe regardless of whether I'm using a large or individual pan. I roll the pastry out to the same thickness and use the same blind baking technique w/weights. Same oven temperature. The cooking times are different, depending on size. I've never experienced any difference with the results between big and small. The only distinction between my technique and yours is the buttered foil lining. I've never buttered mine, nor have I ever heard of doing such a thing. Tart/pastry crust already has plenty of fat, why add more? Perhaps you're making your crust soggy, hence the tearing?

These sound a lot like storzapretis, the Corsican gnocci that I discovered via Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. They also use ricotta and greens (spinach and mint). They were fantastic and much easier to work with than potato gnocci. I like the idea of using chard for a change. I have Ana Sortun's Spice cookbook and took a look at her malfatti recipe. The two are very similar. btw, make lots, they freeze really well.

One of our local food truck operators has been blogging for a long while about his experience of starting and running his business, Clover Food Lab. The drop down menu on the right lets you sort through the posts by categories like financing, licensing, packaging, cleaning, etc. There's even a download of a presentation they gave on how to start a food truck: Food truck 101. Though some info is specific to their locations in Boston and Cambridge, MA, there are many interesting observations about the daily joys and troubles of the food truck business that might be helpful. No affiliation, though I am a fan of their food.

So you think that because they are "free" when you dine in, they should just give them away at the takeout counter as well? This point has been puzzling me since this topic began. I don't see a similar quarrel when a high priced restaurant sends out a free amuse bouche before the meal. I had a lovely one last weekend, and would love to stop by the same restaurant and say, "hey, can I have a little plate of risotto with Ipswich clams? Gratis, of course." You may say, well, Linda, you dropped $80 on food and drink at that restaurant that night, you covered the cost of that amuse. Most likely. I assume that chips and salsa are a cost-effective amuse for many of the Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants that do the same. It's all relative. No such thing as a free lunch.

Big claws on those guys! So maritime style means nothing but lobster? Here in New England a lobster boil means lobster + corn + potato + etc. cooked together.

Would you recommend this book, over others, if someone was looking for a first book for making ice cream? It sounds like a good balance of technical info and recipes.

Wow, what a tour. I was struck by the bin of huge dried shrimp (camaron seco) and the enormous fillets of dried fish above them. How are they used in Mexican cooking?

Since we’ve exhausted the food-related side of this issue, we’re closing the topic. Thanks to everyone for their contribution--and to gfweb for the last word.

If you're in the mood for splurging, you can up your clambake theme a notch and serve lobster rolls. The lobster salad can be made in advance, just butter and toast the rolls at the last minute. Sides such as corn, slaw, etc. are easy and won't make a mess. I like the broiler better than stove top cooking for faux grilling. Anything on a skewer cooks quickly with little mess--shrimp, lamb, etc. Just remember to soak the skewers so they don't incinerate before the food's cooked.

I hate pizza that's overloaded with toppings. Often I pick much of it off. When ordering pizza where I know from experience that they pile on toppings, I often request less--less cheese, less whatever. It usually gets a laugh from the waitstaff, who are accustomed to requests for more. Here's a habit that I see and just don't understand--folding a pizza slice before eating it. What's that about?? I've never had the bad manners to ask--until now.

The J-1 visa program has been used extensively in the food service industry for years, particularly in parts of the country with high seasonal employment but few year-round residents to take summer jobs as waiters, dishwashers, etc, The State Department’s website on the program: J-1 Visa The site includes links to the various sponsorship organizations which are authorized to act as intermediaries between the student and employer. I searched the websites of a randomly-selected half-dozen. All offered placements in hotel kitchens and restaurants. Still other organizations appear to specialize in placements within the industry. They all charge for their services. Or take a look at a site that aggregates J-1 job listings and search for chef, waiter, bartender, etc. Lots of demand within the food service industry. As Annabelle noted, these are all short-term, seasonal positions that are meant to be cultural exchange experiences, not regular employment. That's no excuse for any employer to treat these students badly, of course.

Use the eggs to make crepes, especially if you have buckweat flour to make galettes. Mushroom filling would be great, maybe with spinach too. Do you have time to make egg pasta? Mushroom sauce works well with fresh pasta, or if you're ambitious, make a filling for lasagne, cannelloni, or ravioli.

As usual, EatNopales, I learn something new almost every time you post. I'm looking forward to seeing how you integate these traditions with your daily cooking, especially with kids. Thanks for blogging!

If I have leftover rice that I can't use soon, I freeze it. It thaws and reheats in no time and can be really convenient to have on hand. It's usually a bit on the dry side but I'm usually using it as the base for something with sauce anyway. I've seen the frozen rice at TJ's but never thought to buy it. The cost seemed awfully high for just rice.

Hi metea, and welcome to eGullet! And no excuse needed to bump up an excellent topic like this one. There's been a bit of discussion on the subject over in the topic pressure cooked stocks and in the general pressure cooking topic starting here. So far my experience with pressure cooked stocks has been limited to chicken but the results have been great.

It worked remarkably well and made the assembly so much easier. I don't know why I never thought of it before. And the cake was good! No under-appreciation here, it was happily devoured by adults and kids alike.

The lemon-y sauce needs to be balanced by butter and jus from the meat--broth won't give you the flavor or body that you need. The chicken/veal should be very thinly sliced so that it cooks quickly and browns lightly, at which point the butter will be lightly browned too (though not to the point of beurre noisette). Remove the meat, deglaze with the wine and lemon, reduce a bit, and add capers to finish. Return the meat to the pan to warm and coat with the sauce. It's been a while since I've made it, but it's a classic, very easy and very good.

Everything does look beautiful. Great pickles. I prefer my pastrami sliced more thinly but it still looks fabulous.

This topic has stuck in my head, so thanks to everyone here I'm making an ice cream cake for a pre-hurricane birthday party tonight. Four chocolate layers, a little syrup flavored with rum, a thin layer of seedless raspberry preserves, vanilla ice cream, chocolate buttercream icing outside. It's a little late to ask, but how do you form the ice cream layers? In the past I've softened the ice cream to a spreadable consistency, spead it over the cake, and gotten it in the freezer asap. Today I think I'll try something new--use the cake pans to form the layers (lining them with plastic wrap first). In theory, it will let me form ice cream layers of the exact diameter which I can then refreeze to firm up a bit before inverting them onto the cake layer. I've always worried that the softened ice cream could make the cake a little soggy before it all freezes again. Plus, no crumbs to deal with when spreading the ice cream. Has anyone tried this? Any other suggestions for assembling ice cream cakes?

The simplest and most effective way I know to remove seeds and skin is to use a food mill.

We're watching Irene in Boston, too. Even if we get off lightly compared to other parts of the east coast, I'm assuming there'll be some power outage. I love the big ice cube idea, I'm going to start filling loaf pans when I finish this post. It's easy to imagine how violent weather could compromise the water supply. Last year we had a major water main break that contaminated the water supply to the greater Boston area. Fortunately, the water was safe for bathing but not for drinking or cooking. Area stores ran out of bottled water quickly. At least we've had warning about Irene, I had no trouble finding water when I did shopping today. This afternoon I harvested as much as I could from my garden--tons of tomatoes, tomatillos, cukes, and chard. Tomorrow morning I'll harvest as much basil as I can turn into pesto. I'm expecting everything will be flattened by Monday. So sad, the end of the summer harvest around here, most likely. But if it's only the garden and not my roof, I'll be grateful.