Megan Blocker

This just seems like so much more work (and not as good) as plain grilled cheese. What's the f-ing point, Sandra? Explain, PLEASE!

No, the real reason is that she's getting kickbacks from the companies that provide said packaged garlic. That's just my humble theory.

Indeed they are. Krispy Kreme was founded in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1937. Here's a link to the "History" section of their corporate website.

Fruit cocktail? Really? I don't know how I feel about that... ← I'm with Lesfen on that bit...I would think you could leave it out, maybe add a little extra milk to make up for the missing liquid from the fruit cocktail. Reminds me of that recipe from Steel Magnolias for "Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa" - cup of fruit cocktail, cup of sugar, cup of flour, mix together and bake till "gold and bubbly." Eek.

I mean, how could it NOT be good? Man alive. How many bites of this do you suppose one person can handle? I do love Ms. Paula, and am amazed that her entire staff isn't in the cardiac unit, assuming they're the ones who eat all of the food made during the tapings. Wowza.

Yum, Priscilla! That sounds delicious (especially the pickles, onions and tomatoes)!

I think there's actually been quite a bit written on this and the history of American home baking in general...here are some links to some nifty-looking books from Amazon! Something From the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950's America Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food

What about the definitive non-professional reviewers' forum - Zagat's? In NYC, at least, it's definitely a tool people use when deciding where to eat. It could be argued that peoples' feedback is tempered by being part of a mass response, and by being consolidated to the point where comments completely lose their original context. However, I would venture to say that this guide is far more influential on a day-to-day basis in the lives of average New Yorkers deciding where to dine than, say, the NY Times reviews.

For molds and the like, you may want to try Dehillerin, on rue Coquilliere in the 1st. They have everything you can imagine when it comes to cookware. For ingredients, you could try La Grande Epicerie, at Bon Marche on rue de Sevres in the 7th. I haven't specifically shopped for the things you're looking for (my shopping in Paris tends to run toward those things I'm bringing home to the States), but they have a pretty amazing food hall.

No pictures tonight! Had a friend over and made chicken paillards with a warm tomato, corn and basil relish. Also had a tossed salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and romaine, dressed lightly with a red wine vinaigrette, as well as a small boule of French bread from Eli's. To drink, a white Burgundy. Dessert was great - bread pudding (made with challah) with blueberries, topped with homemade whipped cream. The challah made it nice and light, and the blueberries were perfect! Oh! Someone had seconds of the pudding, so I snapped a quick picture... Edited to include new photo and a link to the bread pudding recipe.

Bread Pudding with Blueberries Serves 6 as Dessert. Bread pudding is a classic dish, an example of the kind of peasant cooking that comes of using every odd and end available in the house. It's a great use for stale bread, but it's also worth going out and buying bread just for this recipe! 8 egg yolks 3 whole eggs 2 c light or heavy cream 2-1/2 c whole milk 1-1/2 c sugar 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 loaf challah or brioche bread 1/2 c fresh blueberries, washed and picked over Pre-heat the oven to 315 degrees Fahrenheit. Make the custard: In a large, heavy mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, cream and milk until well-combined. Add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until sugar is thoroughly incorporated. Set custard aside. Prepare the bread: Slice the bread into 3/4 inch thick slices. Remove and discard the crusts from each slice and cut remaining bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Assemble the pudding: Line the bottom of a large oval baking dish (approximately 10x15) with a layer of bread, then sprinkle on the blueberries so that they are evenly distributed. Spread the remaining bread cubes on top of the blueberries. Pour the custard mixture down over the bread and berries, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes before putting it in the oven. Transfer the oval baking dish to a large baking pan filled with enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the pudding. Bake the pudding for 60-70 minutes, until golden brown and cripsy on top. Remove from the oven and cool on top of the stove, in the water bath, for twenty minutes. Remove from water and cool for additional 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG1391 )

Your point being that we shouldn't cook with it, since it's not the original formula?

I love Alice's Tea Cup, though I am very far from being a connossieur on tea houses. It's adorable, the staff are very friendly (if a bit spacey), and the tea selection is fantastic and very broad. You can get all of the teas either in a to-go cup or loose and by the ounce. You can also get most of their pastries (including their amazing scones) to go. If you are dining there, I would recommend the pumpkin scones and the watercress salad. Heavenly!

Ditto. I've been, and it's a great neighborhood place, definitely solid and very good for the price, but not on what I would consider the traditional NY Times two-star level. I really think we have to ignore Frank's stars. I don't think they mean anything in the overall context of the star system (even if there can be some semblance of understanding where things fall within his own reviewing history). Do you think his goal is to prove that rating on a scale of 1 to 4 is outdated and no longer workable? Or is he deliberately trying to stir controversy in order to increase his readership? I, for one, would not read his reviews if it weren't for the painfully hilarious prose (thanks to John for going more in-depth on that than I did above), and to see whether he's managed to rate yet another restaurant at the two-star level. It's a game. If he stopped doing that, I don't know that I would keep reading.

Here's a link to today's review of Spigolo, right down the street from me, and now destined to be more crowded than it was before. My favorite Frank-ism from the review: PLEASE.

Last night it was tandoori grilled lamb chops and sweet pepper and onion bruschetta at Devi in the Flatiron District. Yum!

Frozen is great for some recipes, though, and you can stock up way ahead of time. I have to say, some frozen veggies (mostly corn, peas and spinach) are one of the few things where I find the frozen more useful than the fresh.

When I was growing up, my dad used to make something called Caca Chicken (so-called, I think, because it didn't look terribly appetizing), and it had Coke in the sauce. I remember really enjoying it - but, then, I was about 7, so I couldn't vouch for it now. I suppose I should try to get his recipe!

Today was a use-what's-in-the-cupboard kind of night, since it's too hot and gross to venture out to the market. Made a sort of riff on coq au vin, using a dry riesling instead of a red wine, as well as some bacon, onions, garlic and thyme. Should have had mushrooms, but there were none in the icebox! Forgot to snap a photo before chowing down; what you're looking at are the two pieces that will be dinner tomorrow night!

You can say that again. As for that other board - MAN! Has anyone had a look at the "Things that used to make me skiddish (sic)" thread? I am dying here. A link (you do have to register - ).

Have you seen the BLTomatoes from the new Gourmet cookbook? Those are just as addictive and delicious...you basically take chopped iceberg lettuce, crumbled bacon and some mayo, salt and pepper and throw it into hollowed-out grape tomatoes. UNREAL. And very Atkins-friendly, so they were a big hit at my parties last year (This being Manhattan, everyone was off of the carbs.).

One that's always been a big hit with my crowd is a curry-chutney spread (topped with scallions and bacon - yum!). There are tons of variations on this, but my favorite is now listed on Recipe Gullet.

Curry Chutney Spread Serves 10 as Hors d'oeuvre. There are many variations on this, including ones that substitute smoked almonds for the bacon (a great tip for vegetarians), but this is my all-time favorite. I often forgo the processing of the chutney - as long as your chutney isn't super-chunky, you should be able to make this without dirtying your Cuisinart! 8 oz cream cheese (light or regular), at room temperature 1 T curry powder 8 oz mango chutney (one jar) 6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the curry powder until mixture is well-blended and smooth. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the chutney a few times (until lumps are gone). Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch quiche or pie dish. Spread the chutney on top, then top with crumbled bacon. Add the scallions evenly to the top. Serve with hearty crackers or small whole-grain toasts. Spread will keep, covered in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge, for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Dip ( RG1384 )

Curry Chutney Spread Serves 10 as Hors d'oeuvre. There are many variations on this, including ones that substitute smoked almonds for the bacon (a great tip for vegetarians), but this is my all-time favorite. I often forgo the processing of the chutney - as long as your chutney isn't super-chunky, you should be able to make this without dirtying your Cuisinart! 8 oz cream cheese (light or regular), at room temperature 1 T curry powder 8 oz mango chutney (one jar) 6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the curry powder until mixture is well-blended and smooth. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the chutney a few times (until lumps are gone). Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch quiche or pie dish. Spread the chutney on top, then top with crumbled bacon. Add the scallions evenly to the top. Serve with hearty crackers or small whole-grain toasts. Spread will keep, covered in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge, for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Dip ( RG1384 )

Then it should have been reviewed in the society column , not the food section. ← Exactly my point. This could even belong in the Dining section (as Rich points out above), but might have been better served as a feature, not a review. Or, rather, the readers of the Times might have been better served. I actually enjoyed the piece for itself, which I may not have made clear enough. I just think it didn't feel like a restaurant review. Bruni may be writing for the Times' perceived (or real) audience. However, since that audience includes faithful little old me, I think it's ok to say that I would have liked to read a true review (not necessarily food porn, but something that felt less like something they just couldn't squeeze into Thursday Styles).