LindaK

"Pole beans" doesn't really clarify what kind of beans they are, it just means they're the vining, climbing type (as opposed to bush beans). I've grown pole beans of various sorts, both the skinny French filet beans and the flat Italian romano beans, which definitely have strings. The former can be quickly cooked and enjoyed al dente, the latter require longer cooking and need to be cooked through. Folks here seem to be talking about the romanos. depending on the dish, I love them both. I tend to use the thin beans in salads, such as a nicoise. The romanos hold up well in soups or any other long, slow cooking. Both are great on their own as side dish, tossed with a little salt, olive oil, and fresh basil. I like the idea of bacon or pork fat--maybe try them braised w/ pancetta and tossed with pasta, topped with some finely chopped parsley and grated parmesan?

I cannot think of one that I'd be uncomfortable walking in.I've yet to read the article, but on this point I have fond memories of spending a few weeks in a rental apartment in the 10th about 5 years ago. Despite many previous trips to Paris, this was my first experience in that quartier. I must admit, the neighborhood didn't make a great first impression. But it didn't take me long to fall for it, and I've either stayed there or nearby in subsequent trips. What made it easy for me to get past first impressions was that I've spent my adult life living in cities, and not always in the best of neighborhoods. Scruffy doesn't scare me. But if that's outside your experience generally, I can imagine being uncomfortable in some of these neighborhoods, at least after dark.

Scary, Brooks--take 5 years off your timeline and that's the story behind my DLC-8E too. Only you know whether this machine is past the point of no return. I dread the thought of replacing mine, especially since all the new Cuisinarts I see have those little slippery touchpad buttons. Ick. I've only had to replace the bowl once, it's been a true workhorse. Maybe I need to look around and start stocking up on spare parts. Onehsancare, I've never heard of the power strainer attachment. Is it like an electric food mill? Are they still in production?

What beautiful photos. They all look delicious. I am afraid I won't have a kitchen before eggplant season ends, and I'll have to wait until next summer to make ratatuoille. Maggie, I also love ratatouille with eggs, in a frittata especially. And the chickpea addition doesn't sound weird at all, in fact it sounds very tasty. Other favorite uses for extra ratatouille are as a topping for pizza or, chopped extra finely with plenty of fresh basil and capers, with crackers or crostini as an appetizer.

Chufi, your ratatouille looks perfect! I also find myself adding a splash of vinegar to perk it up, depending on how acidic the tomatoes are. Balsamic is my preference, since its slight sweetness compliments the vegetables well. I am intriqued by the corianderseed addition. do you toast it first?

Oh my, this cook-off is a taunt. Being without a working kitchen this summer during my kitchen renovation means that I can't make ratatouille, my favorite end of summer dish. My #1 reason for hoping construction would be finished by Labor Day was so that I could make ratatouille. I have strong feelings about ratatouille. Too jammy, non. Too crunchy, absolutement pas. The recipes that have offered the most guidance to me are from Julia Child's Mastering the Art and Patricia Wells Bistro Cooking but I follow neither religiously. The rules I live by: - cook each ingredient separately - combine before refrigerating - don't be afraid of salt or olive oil - best made a day or two in advance - adjust seasoning before serving. Critical is a generous chiffonade of fresh basil. It's best on its own, at room temperature, as a side dish. But leftovers are versatile--tossed with pasta, on pizza, in an omlet or sandwich... enjoy, all those with a stove to cook this beautiful dish!

This suggestion may or may not suit your occasion, but here it is: the best "frozen" cake I've ever served to a crowd (40+) was a "jellyroll" style chocolate cake filled with vanilla ice cream (with fresh raspberries sprinkled on top before rolling) and served with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. I baked, filled, and rolled five of the cakes and the sauce in advance, and took them out of the freezer about 1/2 hour before serving. just prior to presentation, whipped lots of cream and had the sauce and a bowl of fresh berries ready. Decorated one of the rolls on a platter and used it for the birthday song w/ candles. Back in the kitchen, the others were sliced, plated with the sauce, a dollop of cream and berry garnish, and served to guests. Absolutely delicious, very pretty, and simple to execute, and everyone licked their plates clean. FYI, I used the cocoa souffle roll recipe from Birnabaum's Cake Bible with good store bought vanilla ice cream. Each half-sheet cake served 8-10, so you'd have to make quite a few cakes to serve 250 guests. But they can easily be baked, filled, and trimmed in advance. It wouldn't be one big cake, but if you brought out a parade of them, I think it would have a nice "wow" factor. good luck!

Beacon Hill Wine and Spirits is the other wine/liquor store on Charles Street. Closer to the Public Garden and the Common than Charles Street Liquor. I've never shopped for these items, but if I had to search, I'd start with Marty's on Washington Street in Newton. They have the space for less common items, which smaller stores do not. Call ahead. Their Coolidge Corner location is much smaller.

BekkiM, I love the looks of both your countertops. I've never heard of brown marble, much less seen it. It's stunning, as is the limestone. My dream countertop material is concrete. I adore how it looks and feels, and was certain that I'd use it when I finally renovated my kitchen. My numerous architect friends talked me out of it, citing all kinds of problems. So I've decided to use quartz. I figure by the time I get around to renovating kitchen #2 someday, the concrete folks will have figured it out.

yes, the vacuum packaging really does seal in the smell. Maybe the beagles can still smell it, but otherwise the smell won't give you away. Absent a shop with vacuum seal capacity, I've wrapped things on my own, with many layers, and not had problems. My favorite trick was to tuck small goat cheeses (wrapped, of course) in my shoes.

I agree with Ptipois that it's an ugly word, I thought it was just me. But to Anna's point about the informal family meals anchored by leftovers. I imagine that we all do that from time to time. What I find confusing here is: so how does that require a cookbook? Does anyone know what type of recipes it includes? How is this idea being received in France?

BekkiM, if my comment about laundry sounded like a slam, that wasn't my intention. I'd love to have my W/D upstairs for the same reasons you love yours, but space was limited and the W/D stayed in the basement. I'm a big kitchen towel user too, so I'm envious. I'm very curious about your choice of countertops. I've always understood limestone to be completely unsuitable for kitchens. No problems with it? It's beautiful stone. I'm surprised about your marble, though. I know people with marble who love it.

Here in the Boston area, Jasper White's Summer Shack does mobile lobster bakes. A friend hosted one recently as part of a wedding weekend, and it was a lot of fun. Along with the lobster, there was chowder, corn bread, and bag of mussels, steamers, chorizo, corn, and potatoes. It wasn't seaside, which is always best, but you can't have everything. For folks from out of town, especially, it was an experience.

She did a book signing in Boston for her last book, and I missed it. I hope she returns for this one. For those who have read it, how does this guide compare with the Patricia Wells' books? Those have always been a favorite armchair travel read for me.

I first read about "Slunch" on the author's blog, C'est moi qui la fait. If you read French, you can read her post here about her new cookbook on the topic. I've followed the web site for a while, it's a very low-key, friendly site with some interesting recipes. But I must confess, I don't get "Slunch." Seems like brunch, only for dinner. I'll be interested to know if this trend lasts.

I guess I'm in the enviable position of being in the process of building a brand new kitchen--I'm 6 weeks into a total gut-rehab of what was an old, dark, ugly, cramped, crumbling, disfunctional space--so I can tell you how I answered that question. Good traffic flow, more counter space, more storage space, more light, good ventilation, and a high BTU range topped my list. Once I had settled on the footprint of the room, I used some of that space for bookshelves and a small built-in desk. I'm looking forward to finally having a place for my cookbooks, laptop, etc. in the kitchen. I was also able to squeeze in a full-size fridge, which will be a luxury after years of the small ones. One little detail that I'm excited about is having the countertop on my island overhang by a few inches so that I have a place to attached my hand-crank pasta machine. I didn't have space for a big island with seating, but I always found it near-impossible to secure the pasta machine on the standard small countertop overhang, and I love to make homemade pasta. Working with an existing structure constrains what you can do, esp. in older buildings or multi-family dwellings. I was lucky to be able to vent to the outside and add some exterior windows, not always possible in condo buildings like mine. Unless you're working with new construction, there are a lot of tradeoffs to designing a kitchen. I'd love the kitchen garden someone mentioned. I used to have one and it made a huge difference to always have a wide range of fresh herbs on hand. I also miss the walk-in pantry I once had. Laundry? I've love that too, but decided that I could continue to live with having my own W/D in the basement so I could get the bookshelves and desk. In a perfect world, I'd like a second oven. But for now I'm looking forward to having one that actually works!

mrbigjas, thanks for the update and the pictures--your Blue Star looks great in your kitchen, even without the backsplash. Your service story is heartening, though you shouldn't have needed the repair in the first place. I hope I have a similarly good experience with Blue Star when I need them. It will be a while before I can take delivery on my range. The interior walls on my new kitchen just went up yesterday, the plaster goes on Monday, so there's still a lot to do. But now that there's a real room there again, I can imagine exactly where it will be, and I'm startng to get excited. Let us know what you think of the Blue Star now that you're using it.

Now that I'm in the midst of a kitchen renovation, with only a fridge and a microwave, I'm experimenting with prepared foods for the first time. TJ has some interesting options. The one "find" I would add to the list here is the package of precooked French lentils that I found amongst the other legumes. Except for a trace of olive oil, no ingredients or spices to get in the way of your own creation. With little effort, it made a tasty, traditional lentil salad with parsley, shallots, and vinaigrette. More importantly, it made me forget that I don't have a kitchen.

oh, delicious. I haven't had gooey butter cake since I moved from St. Louis almost 10 years ago. Highly recommended, but everyone should know that a little piece goes a long way--the name is literal. Thanks for the memories!

The menu isn't New England, but Orinoco, in the South End and more recently in Brookline Village, has delicious, casual Venezuelan food at very reasonable prices. The wait at the South End restaurant is long--no reservations--but I haven't been to the Brookline location yet, it looks bigger so perhaps not a problem. they do take-out. web site: http://orinocokitchen.com/home.cfm Chinatown is always kid friendly. Dim sum is always a good choice on a budget. I like Chow Chau City, they have dim sum weekedays at lunch upstairs, and all day on weekends. If you go to the Children's Museum, there's a place around the corner for lunch that I am fond of, the Channel Cafe at 300 Summer Street. So-called because it's just off the Fort Point Channel, an inland waterway in the city. Nothing fancy but interesting and tasty salads, soups, sandwiches. Added bonus, part of the space is an art gallery featuring the work of artists who live in the building. Another nearby place I like is Lucky's, on the corner of Congress and A Streets. Good comfort food, though I'm not sure I'd consider it kid friendly, maybe for lunch. at night there's live music and an active bar scene. For picnics, now that summer is here, the farmers markets sprinkled around town can be a good bet. In central Boston, I frequent the Government Center market on Monday and Wednesday, and the Copley Square market on Tuesday and Friday. They are sprinkled around Boston and Cambridge, so ask wherever you're staying if you have one nearby. In addition to produce, there's at least one bakery often selling sandwiches, savory croissants, etc. in addition to bread, pastries, or pies, and there's someone selling fresh goat cheese at Copley. the season is still early here in New England, esp. for fruit, but there are excellent strawberries right now.

Congratulations on your Blue Star. I hope you get the damage fixed quickly and properly, and enjoy your new stove for many tasty years. What did you do for ventilation? yes, congrats, though I know I would be upset about a less than perfect product arriving on my door step. I hope the Blue Star customer service redeems itself here. Good question about ventilation. What do you have for a hood?

This is very exciting, thanks for bringing it to our attention. I'm not sure I'm ready for farm labor yet, still getting over an accident, but there are some fascinating descriptions on the web site. Too bad you can't search by interest or category, only by department. Still, it makes for fun reading. What a great way to experience France (whose residents are quite hospitable and friendly to les Americains, in my experience). Someday...

I own The Cake Bible, and think it's a great reference work as much as a book of recipes. A lot of what I've learned about flours, fat content of butter and cream, substituting ingredients or baking pan sizes, etc. I've learned from this book. It convinced me to buy a food scale so I could bake by weight and not volume, and now I'm a convert. As for the recipes, most of those I've tried have been very good. I've had a few failures, but I would suspect that it's my fault--I'm not a great baker and I have a lousy oven. Many of the fancier, decorated cake recipes are not of interest to me, so haven't gone in that direction, but there is a lot of info for those who are so inclined. Having recently ruthlessly discarded a number of cookbooks while putting the keepers away to await the end of a much anticipated kitchen renovation (convection oven, here I come!), it was an easy call to keep this one. if there's a corrected edition coming out, wait for that.

Gelateria on Hanover Street, with a couple of dozen flavors (haven't been for a while, I presume it's still there). Some of the nearby pastry shops sell a limited selection. I would add Emack and Bolio's, which is a NYC import., But the ice cream is good anyway (!), and I esp. love their smoothies. Don't forget the local chain, Friendly's. I don't think there is one in Boston proper, but they are scattered around the nearby 'burbs. As a kid, their black raspberry and maple walnut flavors were my favorites.

Proof that those of us here on eG are a little crazy. I love the idea that an oven light can "whoosh," and look forward to trying it myself.