Jaymes

Is it off-color?

Here's one with sour cream. And not so much garlic as the others. Perhaps it's closer: Gazpacho Blanco 2 C good-quality chicken stock 3 medium cucumbers 2 C sour cream 2 T lemon juice 1/4 t garlic powder 1/4 t pepper salt to taste Peel, seed, and coarsely chop cucumbers. You should have about 3 cups. In blender or food processor, process cucumber with 1/2 cup chicken broth until smooth. In bowl, by hand, combine cucumber mixture, remaining stock, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder and pepper. Chill thoroughly. Correct seasonings. Garnish as desired with condiments: chopped tomatoes, green onions, green peppers, toasted slivered almonds, halved green grapes, croutons.

And you'll get back to us of course??

Marinating lamb in yogurt is very typical of Middle Eastern dishes. Here's another one you might like to try: Tah Chin (rice & lamb in yogurt sauce) Ingredients in order of use: 3 to 4 lb shoulder of lamb (trimmed; bite-sized chunks) 2 C plain yogurt (better if you make your own, of course, but if not, store-bought will do) 1/4 t ground cinnamon 1/4 t salt 1/4 t pepper 1 t saffron 2 1/2 C rice 1 1/2 t salt 1 egg, beaten 1 t saffron 2 qts water 2 T salt 1/2 C butter Refrigerate lamb in yogurt, cinnamon, salt, 1t saffron overnite. Combine rice and salt with enough cold water to cover and allow to soak overnight. Next day: Remove lamb from yogurt mixture (reserve yogurt), arrange in ovenproof casserole and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. To reserved yogurt mixture, add 1 egg and 1 tsp saffron; beat to combine. Drain rice that has been soaking. Bring to boil 2 qts water. Add 2 T salt and drained rice and boil for 10-15 minutes. Pour rice into colander and rinse with lukewarm water. Remove lamb from baking dish and set aside. Combine yogurt/egg mixture with rice. In bottom of baking dish, melt 1/2 C butter with 2 T water. Over melted butter arrange half of rice. Scatter lamb cubes over rice. Top with remaining rice. Cover tightly. Bake at 400 for 14 minutes. Then reduce heat to 325 and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Serves 6. (Note - this sounds complicated, but is actually quite easy)

Here are several of Kafka's gazpacho recipes, including white grape ones. But they do have garlic, and don't have yogurt. So may not be what you're looking for. Gazpacho recipes from Barbara Kafka PS -- Are you sure about the yogurt? Did you ask? Did they say? Or are you just guessing....because if you're sure, you can probably come up with a pretty close approximation by using these recipes as a guide, and then doing a little experimentation with adding yogurt and various other ingredients.

I've been doing butterflied leg of lamb on the grill for 35 years. It's my standard "go to" dish for small dinner parties during the summer. I posted my recipe and method in Recipe Gullet sometime back. Here is it is: Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Big KA here. It's swell. Although I, too, like Neil, have noted the leaking out of the center hole if you're not careful and you put in too much liquid. But over all, love it. Especially the small bowl. For small batches of dips, flavored butters, that kind of thing.

Here's some stuff to get you started: How the Columbia River Gorge was formed: "When Glacial Lake Missoula burst through the ice dam and exploded downstream, it did so at a rate 10 times the combined flow of all the rivers of the world. This towering mass of water and ice literally shook the ground as it thundered towards the Pacific Ocean, stripping away thick soils and cutting deep canyons in the underlying bedrock." And this: Driving the Columbia River Gorge today.

Here's what I did last summer, just in case you want to get out the map and look: Portland (where you fortify yourself for your trip with oyster stew at the downtown Oyster Bar), and head out east along the Mighty Columbia River, one of the world's most impressive. Through The Dalles, the most famous (and many say the best) wind surfing in the world, supposedly John Kerry's favorite, where you can see the sparkling, rushing water filled with the bright sails of the windsurfers, as snowcapped Mount Hood looms in the distance, and continuing along the Columbia, where for centuries the Native Americans caught their dinner, through some of the most incredibly powerful landscape you've ever seen (and I don't care WHAT you've seen; I used to live in Alaska, and I'm telling you this is some of the most incredibly powerful landscape you've ever seen) (you should look up the utterly astounding, and damn near unbelievable, history of the Columbia Gorge) and then to Walla Walla, home of the Walla Walla onion and a GREAT little Thai restaurant, and then across the Snake River through Clarkston and Lewiston and into Idaho and the Nez Pierce Indian reservation, and then up to Missoula driving past the same innumerable mountain streams that guided Lewis & Clark, and through national forests, one after the other, and stopping at too many historical markers to count, and then dipping down into Yellowstone with the spectacular Grand Tetons out your car window, and then across northern Wyoming with the Devils Tower off to your left just before you hop onto Hwy 16 down into Custer, SD, and by then the Harleys will be swarming around you like big, black, shiny blowflies, swooping and darting on their annual migration to Sturgis, and then to the heartwrenching and awe-inspiring Crazy Horse Monument, where the great Sioux Chiefs like Standing Bear said, "We want a carving in the rock of our guy, and we want it bigger, MUCH bigger, than those four white guys you cheating, lying jerks carved into our sacred Black Mountains," and then through the bizarre and weird and wonderful Badlands and on east toward Sioux Falls. And after that, frankly, I don't care where you go.

You've probably got your mind made up, but I can tell you that last summer, I drove the Columbia River Gorge. And it was one of the most spectacular trips I have ever taken in my entire life. And I've taken a LOT of spectacular trips.

Key/Mexican limes do have a different flavor from the large Persian limes. The Key/Mexican limes are smaller, with a slightly sweeter, more complex flavor. The Persian limes are mainly just sour. But there are several companies that bottle the Key/Mexican limes, most famously in the US, this one: Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice. I'd think that you might be able to find it in a specialty food shop in Copenhagen. Or order it online. More info on limes, their taste and origin. And more. It appears from these websites that limes originated in India and Southeast Asia. It does seem likely you could find a source in Europe to order bottles of the juice.

For any of you not familiar with these folks, they are legendary for their sausage (also known as 'hot links,' and 'hot guts,' in Texas). In fact, you just have to say "Elgin sausage" and everybody knows you're talking about Southside Market. And they make pretty good brisket as well. But those hot links are their claim to (considerable) fame. Aside: The name of the town, Elgin, is pronounced with a hard "G." That's because years ago, the matriarch of the Elgin family (the original settlers after whom the town is named) changed the pronounciation from the more familiar soft "G." She was a teetotaler, and anti-booze crusader. It just really frosted her to have to say the word "gin" every time she said her name.

I don't usually put meringue on Key Lime Pie... I prefer whipped cream prepared thusly: add to taste some sugar, Meyer's rum, and a dash of vanilla (although you don't really need vanilla with the rum; I just enjoy adding it). Sometimes I use Captain Morgan's spiced rum. I whip the cream and flavorings together and hold them in a separate container in the fridge. And then serve the pie with a just-added generous dollop of the rum-cream on top. We like the pie quite tart, so I make the whipped cream fairly sweet to balance.

Shiner Bock

I love the flavors of eggs combined with tomatoes. When I was a kid, I did put ketchup on scrambled eggs, although not fried or coddled. But now, I love eggs with salsa or hot sauce, or slices of fried tomatoes on the side, or chopped tomatoes in omelettes. I have no problem understanding why folks that like the flavor of ketchup eat it with eggs.

Golly, Mr. Ruhlman, are you the "pretty boy graduate from an overpriced trade school"?I don't know. Didn't Bourdain graduate from CIA or something? And the girls seem to think he's pretty hot. Michael has wholesome good looks. As for pretty, is there a doubt who the prettiest is? I'm tempted to say Chef Fabio, but I respect Michael's request to stop taking cheap shots. Cmon it's a TV show. First season. Some things could be better, but it's not the end of the world. Mostly I wish it were longer. I hope for a second season. Frankly, I'd be pleased if someone called me 'pretty' regardless as to what came after it. And yes, it is just a TV show, and a darned entertaining one. I, too, am enjoying it. It definitely beats much of what else is on. And, as I said earlier, I even ordered the book and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. So, 'pretty boys' notwithstanding, most of us out here are rooting for you! And I particularly want to thank you for coming to eGullet to discuss it all with us. Really adds to the fun.

Golly, Mr. Ruhlman, are you the "pretty boy graduate from an overpriced trade school"?

Is THIS RECIPE in the book?

Well, in that case, I'll repeat my offer. If you're going to Gold Beach, I have some recommendations.

An ignominious end for sure.

Ellen's right. Wash your hands before you unload the dishwasher. Most utensils should be pointed up, just as others have said, to decrease the propensity for nestings. Sharp knives should be pointed down, just as others have said, to decrease the propensity for stabbings. And also as others have said, when the water is whirling around at high temperatures, it makes no difference up or down in so far as the cleaning goes.

Last summer, we went on quite a road trip that included the entire length of the Oregon coast. We also stopped in Lincoln City and ate at the Blackfish Cafe. It was, as you say, very, very good. And it's also a place where I got quite an insight. Like most trendy, stylist North American cafes, the waitstaff is young, attractive, upscale. Thin and tres chic. But appearing every now and then from the back of the house was that staple of the American restaurant kitchen -- the silent, hard-working Mexican man. Going quietly and diligently about his business of cleaning the tables, bussing the dishes, undoubtedly supporting an entire family, most important, his mama, back in Mexico. I have been living in Texas and am quite accustomed to seeing Mexicans always toiling away at these menial jobs. But seeing him, so far from home, slaving over our dirty dishes, really brought home one fact. This entire nation runs on the backs of Mexicans. I tried to slip him an extra $20 for his mama, but he said he wasn't allowed to take it. So I called over the manager and insisted.

How far south are you going? I've got some recommendations for Gold Beach.

I used to have the same problem with my husband. For some reason, he loved to make pasta salads. They were always bland. If I added something within his view, or something he could easily see in the salad, he'd become quite insulted and say I "ruined it." In order to keep the peace, I had to toss in inconspicuous things while he wasn't looking. I found bottled herb and spices mixes best. Easy to grab, easy to toss in, hard to spot. Garlic salt always helped and was my number one choice. Also good were cajun spices like Tony Cachere's and Emeril's. And Mrs. Dash. Hot sauces and flavored oils also worked as did balsamic vinegar and/or a squeeze of lemon. I eventually left the boy, so now I put what I damn well please into my pasta salads. In addition to the ubiquitous EVOO, anchovy paste, capers and olives (a la Pasta Puttanesca) are favorites. As are good-quality canned tuna in olive oil and fresh, sweet onions.

As others have pointed out, everybody drinks beer with BBQ. But the main thing I want to tell you is that you are incorrect in your generalization that "BBQ sauce is cloyingly sweet....." Only in certain parts of the US is BBQ sauce that sweet. Throughout the country, the preferred sauces vary from the really sweet (which I agree with you is cloying to the point of being unpleasant), to a very thin, vinegar-based hot chile preparation, much like Tabasco, with no sugar added whatsoever. And many varieties in between these two extremes. However, one drinks beer with it all. Or lemonade. Or iced tea.