Megan Blocker

I went to the Real Food Market yesterday...not a lot of vendors (about four or five by my count), but everything on offer looked great! I bought a loaf of white bread from Angie, and went home to make a chicken salad sandwich. The bread was delicious!

I have no doubt - you guys are AWESOME.

Chufi, that looks beautiful! I was so inspired that I decided to make a couple of crepes myself, but a small batch - just one egg, a little flour, water and milk. The first one was not as browned as I would have liked; the next two came out well! Filled two with just butter and sugar, and one with Bonne Maman peach preserves.

Mmmmmmm, pad thai! I had a chicken salad sandwich today...poached a chicken breast (skinless, boneless) in some chicken stock and gave it a large, rough chop. Tossed it with some homemade mayo, chopped cucumber (seeds removed) and red onion, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Threw it on a couple of slices of delicious bread that I bought this morning at the new Real Food Market at Lafayette and Spring along with some crisp romaine and sliced plum tomatoes. On the side, a tomato and onion salad with some homegrown, windowsill basil.

I had a chicken salad sandwich today...poached a chicken breast (skinless, boneless) on some chicken stock and gave it a large, rough chop. Tossed it with some homemade mayo, chopped cucumber (seeds removed) and red onion, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Threw it on a couple of slices of delicious bread that I bought this morning at the new Real Food Market at Lafayette and Spring along with some crisp romaine and sliced plum tomatoes. It was really good...I ate the leftover salad with a fork when I finished the sandwich, and it was a little salty, but with the bread, tomato and lettuce, it was perfect.

They are SO GOOD, Sam. So good.

OMG, I LOVE the banana split panini idea. I am going to co-opt it for my friend's five year old. He will worship me. I, in turn, will worship Tupac. Also, that shot of the torch and the asparagus? Priceless.

Another pantry dinner tonight, I think! I have the following on-hand, and am thinking grilled chicken breast, warm potato salad, and quick pickles/cucumber salad: - Skinless, boneless chicken breast - Three yukon golds - White onion - Kirby cukes - Shallots - Mayo - Mustard - Rice wine vinegar - Red wine vinegar - Basil - Olive oil - Sugar I'm pretty wiped out today after a long (3 PM - 11 PM) office party last night...might just scrap it all and order in. Stay tuned!

Can you imagine? I don't know what I would say if someone did THAT!

Starwich is reviewed in the "$25 and Under" column in today's Times. Here's a sampling: I agree about that short rib sandwich. Mmm-mmm good.

I usually divide my bill evenly with my dining companion(s), regardless of who ate or drank what. (The one exception being a friend who's a recovering alcoholic - I don't expect her to subsidize my wine habit.) We usually decide on a total together and just divide it down the middle (or in thirds, etc.), assuming that, over time, any discrepancies will come out in the wash. That makes the tipping conversation a necessary and upfront one.

Does it have bones, skin? What part of the chicken? ← Boneless, skinless chicken breast. I really am leaning towards making something like your dish since I have asparagus and corn. I may use pasta or beans as the starch. I have some extra yolks and Meyer lemons leftover from an almond lemon cake I made this weekend so I'm also going to make some lemon puddings. ← Ooooh, sounds good! As to my dish, do it! It really hit the spot - spicy and fragrant. Yum.

Does it have bones, skin? What part of the chicken?

I have a reservation here on July 5th (taking my mom when she comes into town). Anything I absolutely have to try?

Yay! I love fruit, too! Especially berries, grapes, watermelon and apples. But, wait! You don't like melon at all? Not canteloupe? Not honeydew? Not watermelon? Huh? ← Tupac, look forward to seeing your culinary life close up. By the way I think I've found my fruit soul-mate...love pretty much all of it except melon and cantaloupe. My Mom tells me I even rejected them as an infant. ← I'll take yours!!!!

Yay! I love fruit, too! Especially berries, grapes, watermelon and apples. But, wait! You don't like melon at all? Not canteloupe? Not honeydew? Not watermelon? Huh?

I generally meet those folks for a cup of coffee instead! In reality, I would rather take a picky eater (of which I am blessed to know very few) to dinner at a burger joint than at a CF, if only because of the wait factor. I am not a food snob, and I have no problem with chains as a concept (see my lust for In-n-Out Burger, McDonald's French fries, and Krispy Kreme, for a start), but I just don't see the point of waiting a long time and paying a decent amount of money for something that is a pale facsimile of something else (such as the bastardization of puttanesca described in the article). End of story. Of course, living in Manhattan, CF is not even an option, so I don't really need to think about it too much. That said. Why do you think some flavors that CF highlights are popular? I can't get their menu right now (some server issue, it seems), but the Time article says that the last few years have seen the CF add "Asian, Caribbean and Latin American flavors" to their menu. Not foods, flavors. Leaving aside the question of whether or not you would eat there, is this what American cooking is all about? Taking inspiration from other cultures and making it our own? And what's lost and/or gained in doing so? ETA: Here's a link to the CF menu. As I suspected, a lot of things that are pseudo-Mexican, Asian, and even Italian. Burgers top the "Specialties" section; potstickers and summer rolls appear in the appetizers.

I made this meal on Saturday entirely from things I had in the house: - Rice fettucine - Sriracha - Soy sauce - Garlic - Frozen peas and corn - Pine nuts - Chicken breast - Vegetable oil - Rice wine vinegar - Lime zest - Basil And man, was it good!

I'll be there, bright and bushy-tailed, first thing on Saturday. Can't wait!

I KNEW IT!!! Go, Tupac! Can't wait to see what this week has in store for all of us...

Holy man, that looks so good. Drool.

Two answers: yes, no doubt ... and yes, hence the need to skim the liquid with care ... ← Absolutely. I'm sure someone more knowledgable will correct me if I'm wrong, but one of the main reasons braised dishes exist is to make tough or dull cuts of meat more tender or flavorful (witness the older hens or capons traditionally used in coq au vin, or braised short ribs). Therefore, unlike in grilling or roasting, the entire goal is to use the fat (and stock, wine, herbs, etc.) to flavor and tenderize the meat. Therefore, yes, there will be and should be more fat in something braised than in something roasted on a spit, say.

And if you're serving the dish later, just let it cool, and you can use a paper towel to collect the fat from the surface, even. Unless you want to save its goodness for something else!!!

It's interesting...I haven't been to Cheesecake Factory in more than five years (and even then I only went the once), but I have noticed the trend for Americanized ethnic food at restaurants that don't really sell themselves as ethnic. Sort of like the trend for chicken satay writ large. I don't get it - especially since it's so much more expensive, usually, than the real thing. But maybe it's a convenience thing. If Mom likes Chinese flavors and the kids like Italian, and Dad wants a burger...cha-ching.

Well put, H. du Bois. FFB, I'll stuff the toes with cotton. Well, if they're pumps. If they're sandals...I'll come up with SOMETHING!!!