JanMcBaker

I'm nuts for Utz--- especially Grandma Utz's lard fried chips. Which is why I only buy them in the 25 cent bags-- otherwise a single portion for me would be one of those larger bags!

I was the late fourth of that party. While waiting for my late train, I contemplated skipping dinner. Boy, was I glad I didn't! I finally got to the restaurant a bit after 7:30, and thank you to TarteTatin, Jeff and Charlie for waiting for me before ordering. After looking at the menu, and based on Jeff's previous experience, I felt comfortable going with whatever Todd sent from the kitchen. While it cost a bit more than the price fixe, it was certainly worth every penny! It was all good, but for me the beet salad and the lobster truffle mac and cheese really stood out. I do like a bit of crust on baked mac and cheese though. From the entrees, the filet with the foie gras croquette was amazing-- talk about gilding the lilly! The foie had melted and just flowed out over the filet when the croquette was cut. What a sauce that made! That, and the red snapper with wild rice and cranberries was outstanding. I might have thought the same about the veal and the cod if I had tried them first, but my stomach and my taste buds were both getting overloaded so that might have affected my appreciation of them. We all passed on dessert, but as Charlie noted, Todd sent a place of gelato and sorbet....... Very nice! Filled as we were, they were just enough of a nice taste to end the meal. My favorite was the apple cider and clove sorbet. Very refreshing, and a nice balance of apple and clove flavor. Clove is so easy to overdo, but not in this sorbet. It was a nice, smooth note of clove, rather than a harsh, overpowering bite of it. Nice meal, nice people, and and all around nice time! Thanks to Jeff for putting this together, to both Jeff and TarteTatin for the wine, and to Charlie, TarteTatin and Jeff for a lovely evening!

Oh my...... This meal I just shared last night with 3 other eGulleteers at Mandoline in Philadelphia..... One of the dishes was a filet mignon topped with...... a foie gras croquette! When Tarte Tatin cut into it to divide it among the four of us, melted foie gras poured out over the filet. While not initially intended as a sauce, I guess, melting made it so and I sure wouldn't have minded licking that plate!

hmmm...... On reading about the Le Bus move, I immediately pictured an ice cream sandwich---- a croissant stuffed with some Bassett's IC. weee-haa!

I don't have the catalog at hand, but King Arthur's had a granola recipe in their 'Baker's Catalog' that I've tried and liked. Definitely more than just sweetened oatmeal flakes! There was an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, with oil and honey. It was baked at a low temp for a couple hours . I think they were the main ingredients, and the recipe made about 15 cups.

Oh all right, be that way! I did take a look at your link-- that does look like nice dinnerware. I was a bit intrigued though, by part of their description---"The salad plate...or use as a cover in the microwave-safe. " Talk about a multi-tasker! Mine only heats up stuff!

Could well be, at least perhaps for some items. Reading the posts, I was reminded of a small contest I participated in several years ago concerning angel food cake, which I had never made before. The recipe for all to try stated to put the batter in pans, rather than a single pan. I checked various cookbooks and all used the standard, single tube pan, but I was also struck by the variations in the amount of sugar used in different angel food cake recipes- like from about 1 cup to over 2 cups! I thought that was one of those all-the-same, single recipe items, but noooooo........

Wow!! They sound like the real deal! I was getting ready to try my hand at making my own. Haven't had a real bagel in ages!

I know---- sounds like a perfect experiment for Mythbusters though!

This just emailed to me from my sister--- Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing - imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try. BAKED STUFFED TURKEY 6-7 lb. Turkey 1 cup melted butter 1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is good.) 1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT) Salt/pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey's ass blows the oven door open and the turkey flies across the room, it's done. Now, wasn't that easy? And, you thought I couldn't cook...

I had forgotten what that commercial was for-- all I could think of was Ren and Stimpy! And how about the All-Clad pitch at the beginning of some cooking shows---"...All-Clad----is a state of mind." huh? I love All-Clad pans, but just what the heck is that supposed to mean??

Assuming they have plain white, how about Corelle? Got a load of them from a couple garage sales a year or so ago and they do hold up well to getting banged around, unlike our previous set of dishes. They'd get cracks at the edges and I didn't even know how they got there!

Based on what I've learned from using Mimi Sheraton's recipe from her book 'From (In?) My Mother's Kitchen', here's a couple observations, but I'm not sure if they'd also apply to matzoh balls from a mix. Anyway, her description of what the batter should be like before cooking helped me a lot-- something like loose mashed potatoes-- not real solid. I also try to keep the water or broth simmering, not at a boil. When I've had the liquid boiling, the balls puffed up at first, then deflated and got more solid than I wanted. Some recipes say to keep a lid on the pot but I've never found not having a lid on to be a problem-- it was the consistency of the batter, and simmering vs. boiling liquids that seemed to make the biggest differences. Hope this helps!

Thank you for the information!

So, having recently been introduced to fresh roasted chestnuts and finding them lovely, I'm wondering if any local eG'ers are familiar with local sources of fresh, lovely chestnuts. Not roasted-- I'll take care of that part myself. Thanks!

And did you hear the sound he made when the waitress brought the food to his table? His eyes were on the food at the time!

I know what you mean. This show feels different from her earlier ones, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it-- it's more than just the 'American' measurements. I think they're looking more staged-- like they were more natural and free-flowing before.

HEY!! Food Network's web site has the Atlanta episode listed for tonight at 9:30 and Sunday at 11, both Eastern Time!

What are free-range pancakes? ← Oohh, and there's nothing quite like the sight of those pancakes running free across the plains....... They sure do make an odd sound though......

That sounds good! Got a recipe for it handy? ← Found it! It's been at least 10 years since I made this, so I don't recall how it turned out or if I made any changes to the recipe. It was in a book of recipes from various B&Bs that we were giving to my sister as a gift. We had something very similar at a B&B and thought it was a great way to feed a group without too much fuss in the morning. Harvest Overnight Casserole 2 lbs. bulk sausage 2 apples, cored & sliced 9 slices bread, crusts removed & cubed 3/4 tsp. dry mustard 9 eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese 3 cups milk Lightly grease 9"x13" baking dish Cook & crumble sausage in skillet Drain & reserve pan drippings Place sausage in baking dish Saute apple slices in sausage drippings In a bowl - combine apples, bread cubes, mustard, eggs, cheese & milk. Mix well. Pour mixture over sausage, cover & refrigerate overnight. Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover & bake for 30 minutes. ← Thank you so much Kathy!

That sounds good! Got a recipe for it handy?

Yeah, it's called 'That's Hot!'......

Well darn! Sandy, was it the pictures, or did that food look even better last night than on our first visit there? Sure sorry I missed it, but I know there will be other times. I do like those chicken hearts, along with all the other stuff of course, but I'll be darned if I'd go to all the trouble of skewing those little suckers! And I'm assuming it was a reflection on the TV, but that 'scandalous' picture with the black guy made it look like he had some weird pink mustache!

#2. Maybe something like Lifesavers could be looped with the line to hold up the cupcakes, if you wanted to keep with edible items. #3. Maybe get hunks of styrofoam and use a round cutter to cut out cupcake-sized pieces to put in the paper cups, then frost? Just a couple of thoughts, having had no practical experience with such a project!

That would be the place..... But I can't figure out how to get the picture from my desktop to here..... So I guess use your imagination!