Suzanne F

Happy Anniversary, Snowangel!

I saw one of those once at Bridge Kitchenware and was similarly mystified. They said it was a leg-of-lamb holder. Looks like an instrument of torture, but made from beautiful materials -- silver and bone or ivory (ah ha! leg-of-elephant holder!).

Thanks! That's good to know; guess I WILL get it now.

Why on earth would you want to take this in capsule form? The whole point is THIS STUFF TASTES GOOD!!!!

Italian/Indian: Restaurant name: Who's that Gnocchi on my Tabla Dhoti Signature dishes: Tiny potato dumplings in curry sauce; spinach-cheese dumplings in curry sauce; semolina dumplings in curry sauce. Ambience: Live music; customers are encouraged to jamm and to strip to their skivvies and eat without implements (right-handed only).

For a projected article for The Daily Gullet, I need a flavor, um favor from the membership here: may I ask that anyone who has a Cold Stone Creamery in their area send me their comments about the ice cream? I know, I know, I'm asking you all to do my research for me (Fat Guy, am I learning from you or what?), and it's tough work, but please be assured that I'll return the favor when YOU need something tasted. Yes, I know it's a big chain . Does that bother you, or are you cool with it? Their ice cream flavors can be just a wee bit over the top Do you love any? Hate any? Why? Is there anything else about Cold Stone Creamery that you especially love or hate (staff, store decor, corporate philosophy)? Please PM me with your comments. Or post them here. If you pm me, unless you tell me not to I will probably post them on this thread after the article is done. Thanks in advance. Let the licking begin!

Didn't there used to be Entomophagy/Down-Home-American: Crispy Critters?

Claire, I love your taxonomy!! I am not ashamed to admit that my all-time favorite cracker is . . . regular old unsalted saltines. They may be ubiquitous, but they're not worthless for all that. They're the blood type O of crackers, the maiden aunt of crackers. They are there whenever you need a* cracker, and they always do what a cracker should do. They are modest. They make everything you put on them stand out. They have many other non-cracker uses. They crunch when dry, and make the most wonderful mush when you crumble them into soup or chili. Their flavor is mild but balanced -- a teeny bit sweet, but not too; slightly nutty; not overly alkaline; not greasy, yet properly shortened. They are small enough to eat in one bite, but support two or more bites of topping. They are GOOD. (Please note, I do not mean the whole wheat versions, or the low- or non-fat or totally-unsalted ones; just the regular kind, but without the extra salt on top.) Thank you, Kim, for giving me the opportunity to post this paean. I've wanted to for a long time. * I do NOT like Uneedas. Too big, too clunky, too alkaline.

Word.

Gah. Is is real lemon, as opposed to ReaLemon or "lemon flavor" of the artificial sort? Wait, why am I bothering to ask?

You don't know what pie birds are???? Pie birds are little (usually) hollow ceramic doohickies, (usually) shaped like baby birds in desperate need of feeding (think wide open, upturned mouth). You put one on top of the pie filling, under the crust, with the open beak poking up and out through a hole in the center of the crust. It functions as a chimney to vent out the steam, so that your top crust won't get all gummy from interior moisture, won't crack, and . . . what else, Maggie?? As for me, I collect weight.

So far: Italian/Vegetarian, open only for brunch: Saturday morning cardoons Cajun/Virgin Islands/Italian: (Don't mess with my) Tout Tout Fungi Porcini: Cornmeal Mush with okra and cepes. Probably more to come.

Oh, I don't deny that there's plenty of discrimination. But I disagree that any top chef "unconsciously" promotes anyone -- because then that chef is NOT being a good manager. FYI: When I did my externship at Le Bernardin, which followed a fairly classical brigade system, the tournant and saucier were both women; pastry was all men; I was initially put to work with the garde manger, but soon got to work with all the stations, sometimes directly with the chef de cuisine. I don't quite understand what you mean by "physical and mental limitations." Whose? When I had to, I would heft 50# sacks of flour and crates of potatoes. But yes, I knew enough to ask for help when moving a full stock pot. And I've worked with guys who fell apart when they cut themselves, and both men and women who never had their complete mise ready because they could never develop a system for themselves. As for being "smarter and more internally organized" -- well, I question that women who work in kitchens are in general more intelligent than men who do. But we have to WORK SMARTER because we have to work MORE, to prove ourselves.

It depends on who's playing: sushi in California, crab cakes in Baltimore, bullets at Yankee Stadium, and so on. Now, now! We wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea that Yankee Stadium is dangerous, would we? I don't care. I'm a Mets fan.

With all due respect to Steve Klc, he's full of shit. I have worked in kitchens where I was the only woman, or the only woman LEFT, or the ONLY cook of whatever gender -- and I worked in a kitchen where the exec, both sous, the pastry, and half the line AND prep were women. And other situations in between. I also quit one job where even though I had 5 years of experience on the line, I was offered a position BELOW garde manger -- while I saw guys with minimal or no experience right out of school working the hot line. (I took it because I was desperate for a job, and really liked the chef's food; but my first night I came to my senses.) Of course no chef is "truly gender-blind" -- at least, not until they learn the capabilities of their cooks. Some never get it; some do manage to get beyond noticing only the obvious differences of physique and ACT LIKE THE MANAGERS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. And you know what? We, male and female both, can help the ones on the cusp to get over learned culture of the type Klc describes. This should not be a female against male battle; it should be one of "I can do the work you want done, the way you want it done; can the other person?" And Steve, if you want to challenge why I'm not in restaurant kitchens anymore: it's because I know my physical limitations -- can't get up after crouching down to get something out of the bottom back of the lowboy -- NOT because I'm tired of fighting discrimination. I didn't have to fight it; all I had to do was show the chef what I could do.

another vote for the green-handled Italian jobbies: Sanelli. Inexpensive, good balance, that great rubber grip, and good edge. And inexpensive, did I mention that? And clearly unlike anyone else's knives ("Oh, sorry, I thought that was MY 10" Messermeister/Wustoff/Global") Bragard Egyptian cotton? Laundry bills?

Brine: yes, with water, salt, lemon or lime juice, hot sauce (lots of all) Buttermilk: never. I guess I still harbor a few kosher sensibilities, which prevent me from mixing any milk product with poultry. Coating: basically all-purpose flour with lots of Old Bay and/or Goya adobo mixed in. Extra ground black pepper. Sometimes other flours, e.g. chickpea, as well (in which case then possibly a bit of ground fenugreek and curry powder, either Indian or Jamaican). I like spicy. I leave lots of the brine on the chix so the flour sticks. No batter, no crumbs. Frying medium: canola oil, sometimes with some cheap tasteless olive oil that I need to get rid of. And if I've filtered it to reuse, some chicken fat as well. Frying container: either my AllClad Chef Pan (kind of like a wok with a flat bottom and handles) or my new 12" cast iron skillet. White or dark: what are you, crazy? Take a chicken, cut it up: 2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 pieces of breast, and cut the backbone in half. The last is the best part, of course. Is this "Southern fried?" I don't know. I don't care. I like it.

I always add Mexican or Dominican oregano to my salsa verde (tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro). If yours is that kind, add it to chili and other Latino dishes.

Indeed. Indeed, indeed. But remember, too, that not everyone who goes to c-school ends up in a restaurant, or even cooking professionally anywhere. There are many, many different jobs out there (have a look at the IACP website). And I think that those of us with experience in other industries, and other skills, have a lot more options for that variety. And Belmont3, Have a blast at school!

I am considering buying this book. There is one copy left at Amazon Japan, how do you like it, do you cook from it. I own none of her books and thought this would be a good place to start. I don't really COOK from most of my food books. I read them to learn how to use an ingredient, or to get new ideas for using standard ingredients, or to find how to substitute a new ingredient for a standard one -- that sort of thing. The point is, I like to READ them. And Elizabeth David is, as they say, a very good read. She tends to be a bit vague sometimes about quantities, and assumes you know how to DO things. She writes the way I like to cook. Mostly you're reading her descriptions of food, and her opinions. The volume in question has something closer to standard recipes than many other of her books. But it still has plenty of her voice.

It depends on who's playing: sushi in California, crab cakes in Baltimore, bullets at Yankee Stadium, and so on. Seriously, sort of: one reason I love those Time-Life books is that they came out just as the world was changing from somewhat insular, local (sometimes VERY local) cuisines to a broader acceptance of different foods all over. So they give a snapshot of the last days of "authentic" foods -- but in a way meant to educate us and open our eyes and palates. Like that picture of your kid still enjoying being a kid, just before turning into a surly adolescent.

"Many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese -- toasted, mostly." Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, chapter 15

Okay, here's a first cut of my list. BTW, I cheated*. 1. The Oxford Companion to Food (Alan Davidson) 2. Larousse 3. Elizabeth David Classics (Mediterranean Food; French Country Cooking; Summer Cooking)* 4. Mrs. Beeton 5. The Art of Eating, (MFK Fisher. Includes: How to Cook a Wolf; Consider the Oyster; Serve it Forth; The Gastronomical Me; An Alphabet for Gourmets)* *to me, this is cheating. But at least I didn't say"Time-Life Foods of the World" as just one. I figure I won't actually be cooking from the books, just reading them. So I wanted ones packed with information, evocative, and READABLE. Anyway, maybe I'll come up with a B list, Matthew.

Someone, please post this as a sticky on all the cooking threads. (I HATE the word "authentic" when applied to food. ) Thank you, snowangel.

So we had too much orange juice in the house ( 3 half-gallons). What to do? Something with an orange sauce? Which devolved into: Fillet of Australian Baramundi, crisped on the skin side in cast iron, then finished in a hot oven Cellophane noodles with slivered carrots, snowpeas (mangetouts), mung bean sprouts, and scallions (DAMN!! just remembered that I meant to add some toasted almonds, too.) Orange sauce with juice, ginger, garlic, chili-garlic paste, sriracha All garnished with cilantro and slivered scallion greens. Mixed salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Dr. Frank Riesling. Kinda wish I had a camera; it was really quite lovely, all those colors.