LindaK

I'm in the potato camp. Everyone loves potatoes as a side. These ideas are all good. If you're looking for something a bit lighter, I've also done a gratin with layers of potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes with great success--since you mentioned it's summer in your neighborhood, I assume you can get good tomatoes that would be worthy. Sprinkle with chopped garlic and breadcrumbs near the end. It's really good. edited to mention that this side works really well with lamb.

With my own oven out of commission, I baked my Christmas cookies last night in a friend's almost-new Blue Star. The oven capacity is amazing. Being able to put a couple of full sheets in the oven at the same time cut my baking time considerably. My friend needed a few adjustments to his range initially, the grill and a couple of the burners, but it didn't seem to concern him--it was an installation issue rather than something wrong with the stove. I don't know if that's typical for Blue Stars or other high end ranges. But he loves it, and I hope to have one of my own in a few months.

While I think I know what a "gastropub" is, maybe you can define it so we know what you're looking for. Pub around here tends to = Irish. Matt Murphy's on Harvard St. in Brookline Village comes to mind. good music too.

oh my. is this a universal problem? I'm starting to specify items for my kitchen renovation and would love to hear more on this. I just spent a lot of money on new storm windows and don't want to the exhaust vent to negate that. Since the heat is on 6 months of the year here, this could be expensive.

This would be a wonderful addition to the eG Calendar. I don't venture into this Forum often, but this is the kind of event I'd like to know about should I be planning one of my occasional trips to France. Great posts and pictures, Lucy.

I think this thread started as a request for "no high-end" recommendations so let me add a couple of well-priced, nothing fancy items: - I have a mid-priced Amana refrigerator (I think Amana and Maytag are made by the same company) and it is great. No frills but well made, energy efficient, and quiet. A bottom-freezer model, which I also like a lot. - my parents love their KitchenAid dishwasher. I don't know what they paid, but I know my dad, so it wasn't a splurge. You might also want to check out the Appliance Forum at Garden Web. Good luck.

From www.answers.com - A succinct reply, thank you. Aside from my general ignorance about steamed puddings, I never thought that steaming = baking, which was part of my confusion. Is this a topic of debate, or is the equation "pudding = dessert" ? Which leads to a second question: are savory versions (not desserts, I assume) generally served as part of a main course, or if not, what is their role in a meal?

I like Jonathan's but they can be hard to find. You can usually cut back on the sugar in a recipe if the apples you buy taste more sweet than tart.

Uh, before all the steamed pudding experts begin the important arguments about pudding basins, clamped lids, cranberries vs. carrots, etc. can someone please tell me: what is a steamed pudding?

wow, I'm really glad I read this--even if I'm not much of a meat eater. great culinary skills on display, as well as food philosophy. and that wine list--wow! this is the first time I've ever begun and finished a post with "wow."

A few years ago I replaced my ancient dishwasher with a Bosch. That decision was based as much on the quiet factor as much as recomendations from friends who loved theirs. I'm very happy with it, but I would concur with Fat Guy's comments that doesn't do a great job of cleaning a really crusty pan (a friend with KitchenAid brags about its ability to clean anything). The features I like most: - the height of the top rack is adjustable. With previous dishwashers, it used to bug me that there was never quite enough room in the top rack for mid-size plates while I rarely needed all the height in the lower rack. I'd gone to the appliance store planning on buying a lower-priced model but the moment the sales guy showed me this feature, I did not hesitate to upgrade. - several energy savings features, including a top rack only wash, which is great for small loads. Another selling point, esp. since the adjustable top rack at the lowest level can hold decent sized plates and bowls easily. Nice between full loads. - it is really, really, quiet.

Agreed. Back when I was a poor graduate student and first visiting Paris, it was a favorite when I had a few extra francs. In more recent years, it was always a reliable place to go when I'd overspent at the destination place but still wanted something better than the neighoborhood cafe. They did a good job with the classics. I still remember the first time I tasted their chilled melon-porto soup during summer and a creamy soupe de potiron during the fall--both were new to me at the time, but have remained favorites.

Thanks for the ideas and links, everyone. I'm definitely looking forward to real Mexican food and plan to bring things home. Ideas on ingredients and equipment would be appreciated as well. Hot dogs? My hot dog consumption is generally limited to a kosher frank when I'm at Fenway Park for a ball game. Doesn't sound Mexican but okay, assuming I head to Tuscon, guess I need to find out what a bacon-wrapped hot dog tastes like.

hello, this is my first posting on this regional forum, so I hope regulars will be patient with someone from New England. I'll be making my first trip to Arizona in February for a conference in Phoenix. Based on the many recommendations I'm finding here, I'm sure I will eat well in my three days in that city. But of course I'm trying to squeeze in a few extra days in the Southwest to escape the cold, snowy New England weather that I'm sure will await me back home. So where do I go? I'll rent a car and will have 4-5 days to explore before heading home. Arizona is famed for its geological, cultural, as well as culinary terrains, and I admit to knowing little about any of them. I know eG is about food and not general tourism. But if folks could point me towards some "not to be missed" destinations that satisfy more than one of these cravings, I can do more homework from there. And if there are any culinary calendar events that time of year, please include those as well, I'd love to experience SW food beyond the restaurants. Many thanks.

Love, love, love salt cod. I grew up with New England codfish cakes, and later found nirvana in brandade. But in the interest of new ideas, I found a delicious dish in a Portuguese restaurant that I've successfully replicated at home. Soak thick pieces of salt cod. Make a tomato-based sauce with sauteed garlic, red and green peppers, and onions (I add a dash of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice). Poach large chunks of salt cod in the sauce. Very easy and quick, esp. since you can/must prepare the elements in advance. I do the final poach in in a copper gratin pan, which makes for a lovely presentation.

Can you elaborate? Any guidelines that you've found to be helpful? I ask because I usually find this to be a trial and error process, sampling flours until I find those I like. I've almost stopped paying attention to the labeling, it's so inconsistent.

Durum/semolina flour does not have to be course-textured. But it usually is, in which case I find it to be totally unusable. If you find it finely ground, like any other flour, it makes superb pasta, firm with a distinctive flavor. But even finely ground, the high gluten level would probably make it very difficult to work by hand. I second the votes for 00 pasta flour if you are doing it by hand. That's the point I was making: Durum flour and semolina are both made from durum wheat. "Semolina" is simply a name for coarsely-ground durum wheat. In Italy, any coarse-ground grain i s"semolina" -- what we think of as "semolina" is properly called semolina di grano duro (as opposed to, say, semolina di mais). It is not possible to get "floury" semolina, because you would then have flour and not semolina. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is true that some companies and in certain non-Italian-speaking countries "semolina" has come to be synonymous with "durum wheat" regardless of the fineness of the grind. I've found that the nomenclature varies widely, depending on where and from whom you buy it, so that the term "semolina" isn't consistent with coarse or fine grain flour. Ask to see the flour before you buy--the difference will be evident. BTW, the fine grain semolina flour works beautifully with a pasta roller. It's the "by hand" that leans me towards the 00 flour.

Durum/semolina flour does not have to be course-textured. But it usually is, in which case I find it to be totally unusable. If you find it finely ground, like any other flour, it makes superb pasta, firm with a distinctive flavor. But even finely ground, the high gluten level would probably make it very difficult to work by hand. I second the votes for 00 pasta flour if you are doing it by hand.

Julia Child's advice on using choux pastry has always been reliable, and she notes that the final puffs lose volume if the choux pastry isn't cooked right away. But she also says that they freeze perfectly and can be reheated straight from the freezer. I've never tried that, but like aprilmei have had good luck recrisping them later in the day. If I were doing gougeres I might save the top sprinkling of cheese for the reheat so it doesn't burn or get tough.

I've never cared for them. Plenty of crunch, little flavor, imho. I love Jonagolds as well, but they are hard to find. Where do these apples come from? There's an orchard that sells 25+ types of apples at my local farmers market. Not a honeycrisp to be found. I'll try to remember to sound them out on the question.

Oh, I miss the restaurant supply store I used to frequent in St. Louis! If anyone in Boston knows of a good one, please let me know. What I liked most about my old haunt was the clearance room--discontinued items, incomplete cases of plates, glasses, etc. were all sold cheap. I have stacks of mid-sized plates that I picked up for $1 a piece, perfect for desserts or buffets. Extra forks, 25 for $10, nice to have on hand. Wine glasses, serving pieces, etc.--you get the point.

So, I finally made a stop at Legal Test Kitchen yesterday, just for drinks and light food. The menu was a little bit of everything, a few items each of raw bar, sushi, and seafood classics, as well as some non-seafood items. We went for the classics: fried calamari (RI style), clams casino, and then split a burger. The clams were delicious and well cooked, tender, not overdone, not too much bacon or garlic--you could really taste the clams. The calamari was not as successful. The batter was too thick, and not cooked sufficiently, so though the calamari was cooked through the dish tasted of the undercooked batter. It was set atop a bed of dressed greens, tossed with the usual pickled peppers, and drizzled with aioli. Some good flavors in there, but the overall impression was "wet." The burger was very good, with extra points for the freshly-baked roll and crispy onion ring garnish. Appetizer portions were small, esp. the calamari. The atmosphere was comfortable, casual but stylish. Tables aren't crammed together. There's a large communal table close to the bar, which is where we ended up sitting and chatting with others (one diner who was a regular recommended the lamb skewers). And plenty of plasma tvs at the bar for watching baseball playoffs. The beer and by-the-glass wine selections are limited, but good basic selections, and fairly priced (wine by the glass, in Boston anyway, can be a huge ripoff). I'll probably give it another try when I have time to order a main course as well. But my first impression is that it isn't destination, but probably not a bad place to land if you're in the neighborhood.

It sounds gorgeous, and must provide a beautiful setting for your food.

Anna, that is a heroic amount of effort for a cherry tomato! It is easy to imagine them bursting. I find that a good rain will result in a general CT explosion. I wonder if ermintrude's marination technique would work, since some of the tomato juice would presumably seep out. While it's an entirely different direction, I'm wondering about a tomato vodka herb (basil? tarragon?) granita, serve in little, CT-size scoops.

Nothing wack about it. The original edition Fanny Farmer cookbook calls for cream to tie all together exactly for the reasons Lilija describes. I've tried it, it works beautifully, just keep the amount minimal. It should still border on crumbly, barely hold together. And yes, lots of black pepper, but please, no bell pepper of any variety. No thyme! If you must have green in this dish, a little parsley perhaps. A good corned beef hash is a wonderful thing.