monavano

I'm almost afraid to ask; what is it??

Thanks!, and I will post the recipe next time I make it. This version was very good, but not my original "mona's meaty minestrone" because I didn't have all the ingredients. I want to be sure that all my measurments are correct. Ah, research is so hard! I'll be sure to PM you with a link to my post to be sure you get it. I have yet to make Larb myself. We have lots of ethnic restaurants nearby, and in particular one fantastic Thai place which does eat in, take out and delivery. Needless to say, it's a easy as dialing the phone to get larb. But, I should do it myself to see how it turns out. NB, it sounds like your larb turned out great. Congrats!

My part of the world is Italy, and I scratched my head about this for about three minutes before I realized what the answer was: Italians rarely recommend a restaurant as offering the best of any particular food. They simply say it's impossible to get the best in a restaurant and that you would have to taste their mother's version. My (Roman) husband and I heard this just one too many times, since we KNOW the best fagioli con le cotiche are his mother's. So we had a competition, four friends' mothers' fagioli con le cotiche -- very friendly and informal, just a series of dinner parties. But sure enough, our horse came in first, by a mile. ← This is my way of thinking!! I'm originally from Philly and you know who makes the best cheesesteak? Me!

Dinner tonight was an entree salad with tuna and lots of crunchy stuff And meaty minestrone soup, because I can't wait for Fall!

Want to get that ground beef into small, fine little chunks, like when you make it for tacos? Start by placing the ground beef into a pan over medium heat. You dont want the protien to cook too quickly, as it will get tougher and tougher to break it up. Work the meat with the masher, then stir, work it again. This manages to get your ground beef fine ,without jabbing a wooden spoon over and over again. edit to clarify medium heat under pan, not medium pan.

Great report! Thank you.

I love Jersey tomatoes. I remember getting them at farmstands along the road when driving back and forth to the Jersey shore (from Philadelphia). But, are the tomatoes "Jersey" tomatoes because they are grown in NJ, or is there actually a variety of tomato called "Jersey"? I remember them as being big and beefy, like a Big Boy. I'm currently getting my tomatoes from a farm in Smithburg, Md which is jus south of PA. They have been outstanding this year.

Those peaked my interest the most. Thanks so much for posting the recipe Heather. I'll let you know how they turn out!

*kicking myself in the butt* Gawd, that sounds good! I'm not going to miss the next one. Great job, Busboy. Any chance for recipe postage?

Ha! But they do have good peaches. I passed over thier corn last week fortunately, and wound up getting this unbelievable Mirai corn from Toigo. It wasn't cheap, but it was wonderful. Did you happen to see if Toigo was still selling corn? I was as Eastern Market yesterday, so am pretty much marketed out for the weekend. ← Not to brag or anything, but if you'd come to the crab cake t, you could have partied with the man himself -- and the inimitable Vas -- and wandered out with a dozen ears or so . As it is, I'm giving it away at my office today (after having made corn relish and set aside sufficient earage for my own personal use). ← You're right! But, my very kind neighbor brought me fresh Lancaster County corn yesterday. 8 ears! I already have my second batch of cheddar corn chowder in the freezer (that will be great in cold weather) and made succotash on Sat. Corn relish sounds like a good idea for some of my ears....

Sorry but I don't like bagels. Everyone at the library likes Bagel Station here in town, especially in the fall when they do their pumpkin bagels. Which place in Parsippany do you like? ← Not sure of the name. My MIL always had them when we visited them. I know it's on Rt. 46. Maybe an eG'er knows it. It must be in the water, because they are the best bagels! eta: The Lake Hapatcong area is gorgeous. My DH interviewed for a job in the area and we were scoping out housing a few years back.

This is my kind of breakfast! Whenever we get Chinese for dinner, I get a large hot and sour soup so I can have on serving for dinner, and the rest for breakfast the next day. It's a great way to start the day. And, that bowl is beautiful!

Great market! Purple potatoes and purple beans! Who knew? Being in N. Jersey, do you have a favorite bagel place? My favorite come from Parsippany.

Ha! But they do have good peaches. I passed over thier corn last week fortunately, and wound up getting this unbelievable Mirai corn from Toigo. It wasn't cheap, but it was wonderful. Did you happen to see if Toigo was still selling corn? I was as Eastern Market yesterday, so am pretty much marketed out for the weekend.

Soup is calling, isn't it? I'm with you that even in the heat, I love cheddar corn chowder. This is Ina Garten's recipe, with a little thyme and paprika added.

Not sure this needed a new thread, so I'm posting about the reopening of Eastern Market here. The new temporary building is open, spacious and bright. Lots of community turned out for the ribbon cutting and to patronize the merchants in their new digs! It was really a great morning for DC. See full report here.

I agree with everything you mention-I personally like Giada and I think that people love her personality and smile. Easy Italian fits a big demographic-cooks who want to make tasty, homemade Italian meals in a short about of time. I doubt that Giada would have been given the Today show offer if she wasn't popular. But I'm wondering what serious cooks think of tv chefs venturing away from the food and cooking arena into other areas of media? ← Well, I think most serious cooks and FN are mutually exclusive post Molto Mario, which I absolutely loved. IC excepted. I see more serious Chef's on PBS type programming on shows such as "Chef's Afield" and such. Which reminds me, if anyone gets Create TV, there are some really good cooking and food shows there.

You get an entourage after F&W nominates you as best new chef? Thanks for the link to the interview segment.

Giada has been co-hosting now and then on the Today show for a while. I don't see why someone from any other profession shouldn't delve into television if they have the desire and talent. Her food chops are well established. She's got credibility and several years of varied cooking and entertaining shows under her belt. Why not? I think that her years of working in a studio and taking direction have helped her a great deal. She's got a great TV presence. My sense is that she did several food segments and really clicked with the crew. And, I don't think FN is behind her increasing mainstream appearances. Tiki Barber, a former NFL star, also co-hosts on the Today show vs. staying strictly in the NFL announcer arena post retirement. He's very good at it too.

I have heard from a very reliable source that Maria Gallagher has left Philadelphia Magazine, as of the current issue. ←

How about the bar at Kinkead's or Corduroy? Both places will get you fantastic food at prices that will give you a good bang for your buck. http://www.kinkead.com/kinkead/kinkead.htm http://www.corduroydc.com/

I've started seeing phrases like "ecoganic" pop up at the markets around town. A quick chat with one of the farmers confirmed my suspicion: the paperwork and regulations required to claim the official "organic" label are so burdensome small operations that they they grow organically but don't get certified and can't use the "O-word." ← I got the feeling there's a lot of red tape too. I've seen vendors with signs saying that they grow organically, but are not certified.

Grilled flank steak and peaches, potato and onions with Italian seasonings, and salad. For dessert, cheesecake with blackberries.

It is Toigo corn. It's yellow corn that is sublime. It was labeled as "miri", but I believe it is probably "mirai"(pronounced me-RYE) corn. It's a sweet corn, but actually tastes like corn, not just a burst of sugar in your mouth. It was .75 and ear, but worth every penny. I'm sticking with it until the season's done! Have a safe journey home!

From Dupont market yesterday. Am working my way through this bounty already!