pam claughton

I've had good luck when I've microwaved the potatoes just enough to get them soft, maybe 4 minutes or so. Then chop or grate, whichever way you prefer, saute chopped onion in an skillet with plenty of butter, and maybe a slice of bacon for added flavor. Add the potatoes, and let them sizzle away, stirring every so often over medium high heat, until they get to the desired crispness. I like them good and crunchy, so I'll let them sit longer, and stir less, so they get nice and brown. Another thing I've gotten addicted to, thanks to someone posting here, is pressed potatoes. Take a cooked potato, slice in half add butter to a skillet and put the potato in skin side up. Take another heavy plate or skillet and press hard on the potato so it flattens out. I leave the other skillet on top, and throw the whole thing in a 400 oven for about 20 minutes or so, until the bottom is very crunchy brown. You end up with one, big giant hashbrown that fills an entire plate. Could add onions to the mess as it cooks too for added flavor, will try that next time. Pam

I'd like Sauteed Spinach or Broccolini with that dish, and it sounds wonderful. I love Scotch Bonnet and Salmon, never thought to mix the two. I bet either Zucchini or Summer Squash might work too, both are mild, light veggies.

I tried a recipe out of my new Braising cookbook, Salmon braised with Pinot noir, wild mushrooms, fresh thyme, leeks and bacon. I would definitely make again. Also made these Italian Lemon Cookies, hopefully this pic will work, it's my first attempt at doing this! Pam

Lobster Stew, or filet mignon with blue cheese crust and red wine/shallot reduction sauce. Passion Fruit and dark chocolate creme brulee, swirled together Pam

I love many of the usual suspects, onions slowly melting in butter, chicken roasting in the oven with lemon and rosemary, just about any cookies or cakes as they bake, fresh ground and brewed rich coffee The only smell I literally cannot stomach is egg salad. I cannot even be in the same room if someone is eating it. The reaction is physical, my stomach starts to heave. Odd, because I like eggs otherwise, just can't handle them hardboiled and chopped up. Pam

Good luck with the contest. The recipe sounds great, just from the title. Cauliflower is big right now, especially w/cheese. Pam

Yes, congrats on the 27 lbs. I've always gone up and down, (am up at the moment), and I know how hard it is to do, especially when you love food. I've had the best success with WW as well. Thanks for the pics of the steel cut oats. I didn't know that Trader Joes had a version. I almost bought the McCann the other day, it's been ages since I've had it, but it was like $8 or something ridiculous for a small can. I do like it though, and it keeps you full for hours, so I may head to TJ's and pick some up soon. Pam

I worked for years at a seafood restaurant on the Cape that was not computerized. We filled out handwritten dupes that we turned into the kitchen to order our food. When the order came up, the dupe was spiked. There was a waitress who worked there for close to ten years who was scamming them the entire time. She was super friendly, baked cakes for everyone, especially the managers, so she was one of the 'favorites'. But then they caught on to her. She was always the one who one upped everyone, no matter what you said you made, even if it was your best night ever, she made more. So, people started wondering, and paying closer attention. They finally caught her in the act, she had a great scam going. Whenever a party paid cash, she'd swipe their dupe off the spike and throw it out. So, there was no record of the order. She was pocketing an extra few hundred or more a night this way. The restaurant is now computerized.

Just had to second the recommendation of Lala Rokh. My husband and I visited Boston a few years ago and had a great meal there. Glad to see it is still recommended. ← I've also heard great things about this restaurant, but haven't been. No. 9 Park is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. They are open for lunch too, so if you don't want to spend too much, you'll get the same excellent food for less at lunch. I've also heard that Torch, in Beacon Hill is supposed to be very good, small and romantic. Haven't been myself though. You really cannot go wrong in the north end. Good food everywhere. Pam

I haven't been to Monica's, thanks for the tip. Will have to check it out! Be glad that you're back in the South...we are getting pummelled again today with snow. :)

Use it all. The shells have loads of flavor. This link is the best lobster stew recipe I've ever had, and I've tried many. This is a simple recipe where instead of making a separate stock, you actually simmer the shells in the cream/milk/butter/sherry mixture, then let it sit in the fridge over night. All the flavor seeps into the milky broth, and is divine. I even went a bit over the edge, and after pouring out the liquid, added more cream/milk/butter and simmered it again...so I used the shells twice, and got just as much flavor the second time. This recipe is from Lydia Shire, who runs Boston's Locke Ober seafood restaurant. She was a guest chef on Emeril. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_20192,00.html Pam

This reminds me of a woman I used to work with. We were both waitresses at a Cape Cod restaurant and she would always bring in the most amazing cakes whenever it was someone's birthday. Her cakes were made from scratch and had a whipped cream, mousselike frosting with a hint of liquor. They were just to die for. She was a character, so generous, but then we found out she'd been stealing from the restaurant, and was fired. Made us wonder if cakes really were from scratch.... Pam

In my family, any get together means there must be cake for dessert. When I bring food to my grandparents, all my grandmother cares about is if there's cake for dessert! She could care less about dinner. I'm not a huge cake eater, but do have fond cake memories from my childhood. My best friend Judy's mom always had a yellow cake with chocolate frosting in the refrigerator. Whenever I'd go over there after school, she'd offer us a slice, and we'd sit and watch soaps with her while we ate. To this day, I love a nice, icy cold moist yellow cake, with thick fudgy frosting, all courtesy of Betty Crocker, of course. Pam

What was family culture? Italian on holidays, homemade ravioli, tons of food. During the regular week, it was average american single mom menu, baked chicken, spaghetti, steak potatoes and peas.... Was meal time important? Yes, and no. When mom wasn't working the night shift, we'd all sit down together and eat and catch up. If she was working, it was in front of the TV, fighting about what to watch. Was cooking important? No, my mom was too tired, and too busy to get into cooking. Except at the holidays, when she'd bake cookies and the best pies. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? Hmmm don't remember. Who cooked in the family? My mother. I played around a bit, mostly baking then. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occasions? Special occasions, until I grew older, then we'd regularly go to lunch on weekends. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Yes, but moreso at the grandparents when all the kids would be there. When did you get that first sip of wine? Beer, very young. Wine not 'til college. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Yes! I grew up actually convinced that there were only about 5 different meals that existed. My mother just didn't have the time or energy to get creative with her cooking. Her favorite meal was steak, potatoes, and peas, so we had that a lot. Except that for some reason, though she'd always order her meat medium rare when we went out, at home, it always was cooked well. So I grew up hating beef. Didn't have my first taste of the wonders of medium rare until I was in college and went out to eat with friends, and tried Prime Rib. The pink, juicy meat was a revelation! A whole new food group had opened up for me. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? The Italian side from holidays is definitely here, lots of pasta, and seafood. And I'm also a meat lover now. :) Even though other threads cover memories of specific foods or dishes, please include those memories here if they illustrate your family's food cure. One thing that stayed with us was my mom's baking, particularly the italian pizzelle cookies that you make on the hot electric irons. My sister and I have carried on that tradition, and my grandfather just found my grandmother's old machine, buried in a cabinet. He cleaned it up, and presented it to me just last week with a request for more cookies. So, I'm looking forward to trying it out. Pam

To the sherry drinkers, I picked up a bottle of Dry Sack at my local shop because this was really all they offered for Sherry. Is this a good one for a new sherry drinker to try? How does it compare with some of the others that have been mentioned? thx, Pam

Some of my favorite light whites are Trimbach Pinot Gris, smooth, and light, great with shellfish under $20 Hogue Johannisburg Reisling, crisp and fruity, and dry, a steal at 8 or 9$ Mirassou Chardonnay--the lightest chard I've had, very smooth, and fruity, and only 8 or 9$ as well. Just discovered it last week at a tasting. Surprisingly good! Oh, one more, Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, crisp, dry, light, another great w/shellfish wine. Usually around 12$ I like their Chardonnay too. Pam

But of course! Although I did go out for Mexican today, and there were no leftovers....either the portions got smaller, or my appetite is bigger. Let's just say I need to start the diet asap. :) Pam

Actually, I think it seems a little condescending, and waaay too casual. I've been a server and would never do this, and as a customer, I just want a server who is personable, but most importantly who knows the menu inside and out. I would HATE it if a server touched me.

I go out for Mexican! And bring the leftovers home and eat for the next few days. Pam

Wendy, Have you been to the Herb Farm just north of Seattle, in Woodinville? My brother lives there, and hasn't been yet. When I get out to visit, we're hoping to go. My best meal of 2004 was Rosa Mexicana in NYC, also Clio, Mistral, and Radius in Boston. Am hoping to get to Per Se this year

Put cottage cheese into a blender to make it 'look' like ricotta. Did that years ago for a dinner party. Had one container of Ricotta, but needed more, and ran to the store, and had to get cottage cheese. Figured if I could blend it up, it would taste the same as ricotta. Well, it worked, but I managed to break the blender in the process and send cottage cheese flying around the kitchen. Yes, they really do mean it when they recommend not sticking knives in blenders. It was an impressive feat. Pam

This is my new absolute favorite soup. It's more like a stew, as the soup braises in the oven, the flavors meld, the soup thickens, and the boneless chicken pieces become meltingly tender. It evolved as an experiment, a variation of coq au vin but using boneless chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken, and white wine, or even no wine. Just flour and then brown in oil, a pound or so of boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces, about an inch big. Brown in small batches, and set aside. Into the same pan add 3 medium onions, sliced thin. Saute until almost carmelized. It may seem like a lot of onion, but they reduce, and almost completely dissolve into the soup, adding a rich sweetness. If you want to use white wine, add 2/3 of a cup or so at this point and let it reduce for a few minutes. Add the chicken back in, a few handfuls of chopped carrots, ( I make this super easy by using prewashed baby carrots, and sliced mushrooms) baby new potatoes, 2 or 3 parsnips, chopped (they add a great sweetness), add the carrots, then the mushrooms, and about 2 cups of good chicken broth. A spring of Rosemary and bay leaf and you're set. Cover and bake at 325 for about an hour and a half. The chicken will absolutely melt in your mouth at this point, and will have a nice rich coating. And of course, it tastes even better the next day. Pam

Stupid Question Alert! Please forgive me for asking this, but I'm wondering, do you need to be a fan of dark meat to like Duck Confit? I generally prefer breast meat, so am wondering how the confit method affects the flavor? In other words, is there I chance I might like it, even if I'm not normally a fan of leg/dark meat? Could the breast meat be prepared this way, and would it make sense to do so? Thanks! Pam

Jason, Thank you! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I do appreciate it. I did end up just using the Syrah...hopefully it will be ok. I'm saving this info, and will shoot for a Pinot next time. :) Pam

No, it was probably a soft-shell. Lobsters are rarely in the tank too long, that is not a common thing at all. The window for molting is several hours, not for having a soft-shell, that goes on for weeks. It is hard enough to protect them, but there is a noticeable difference in hardness. A soft-shell lobster will gush tons of water and have less meat. Hard shells, will be packed, just full of meat. It's a seasonal thing, so you don't really have much of a choice.