Suzanne F

And then there's the stuff you have to drink to prepare for a colonoscopy. It has finally left my mind, although it took a couple of months (its effect was a hell of a lot faster on the rest of my body ) But to get back to supposed food items: fat-free cream cheese. Not only does it taste nothing like cream cheese, but it has the mouthfeel of latex caulking (I presume). And fat-free carrot muffin -- I just found some wrapped in a tissue in my jacket pocket, placed there because there was not trash can in the store. Come to think of it: fat-free ANYTHING. aaaaaaack.

Ah yes: Two vultures are getting on a plane. Each has a dead rabbit under each wing. A crew member stops them as they are about to get on, saying "I'm sorry, only one carrion per passenger." We won't be watching the game tonight (concert subscription), but I hope the lamb we'll eat before we go will not be considered "lamb to the [Enos] Slaughter." :ducks and hides a second time:

Again??? WHOO-HOOOOOOOOO! Just say the word, and I'll be there, with or without HWOE (although he can be helpful talking the little ones to sleep )!

I wasn't so much thinking that the bones would be a problem -- just that it would work better if you could open out and flatten the pieces. Bones are very good indeed! The last time I made duck confit, I didn't have quite enough duck fat to cover. So I added the chicken fat I had. Still not enough. Added the processed lard. Still . . . finally topped the whole thing up with olive oil. It tastes fine. The only fats I won't use are beef and lamb, because they are just too strong. And hathor -- thanks for the tip about Dynasty. I could do with some quail now.

That's what we all say.

Oh, hope things are working out all right for you. OTOH, a lot of people find that the concentration needed helps take their mind off their troubles. Cooking as therapy, and all that.

The one time I tried, I was doing it on top of the stove and didn't pay attention. Oops, deep-fried quail. Delicious, but . . . The only reason I haven't done it since is that they are pretty much a specialty item here and not easy to get. But if I did, I would use semi-boneless quail (can you get them that way there?), or at least I would spatchcock them before salting -- the better for salt penetration and removal of excess moisture. As for cooking time, well, that's what thermometers are for, to check that the internal temp. is right.

At Jean Georges, we ate a foie gras brulee that was incredibly wonderful: the slice of foie was indeed topped with caramelized sugar, done to the point where there was no sweetness left, just a crackly, crunchy, slightly bitter topping. I don't see why it wouldn't work on a lobster custard.

I nominate this for best trick learned on eG!!! That is one smart kid. But my own oops for today: I will never again dump a can of gandules (or any other bean) into the slow cooker when I have already added the peppercorns, whole cloves, etc. etc. that I know I will have to strain out.

I knew we could count on YOU to be fair-minded! Let's see: depending on tonight's outcome, the dish of the day will either be rocket salad, or St. Louis ribs.

Don't we all? Is your avatar a cake of yours? It's beautiful!

I also find that it helps to cook down the schmaltz removed from soup, roasts, etc. It has a lot of water in it (more than some other skimmed fats) which can allow it to develop mildew or mold. Think of it as "clarifying" the fat as one does with butter. Once you clarify it, it can last for months in the fridge. Of course, I grew up in a household where the globs of fat pulled out of chickens were roughly chopped and cooked with minimally-cut onions in water, until the water had all evaporated, the onions were deep brown, and any bits of skin and other flesh had turned into wonderful, crunchy greven (gribenes to some ). The only way to deal with greven is to hide them until they are cooled, and then scarf them down. Some people add them to chopped liver, but I view them as the cook's own treat. As for uses of chicken fat: what, you don't know how to cook???? But of course, it is the only shortening to be used in knaidlach.

Uhhh, does the 2-volume Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America count as one book or two? And I forgot before to mention the TONY Eating & Drinking Guide 2005. sigh.

Oh no. It's barely 2 days since I last posted, and . . . 2 more. Marcella Says . . . (well, as I've lamented before, my clients don't normally give me a copy of what I work on ) Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop. Hmm, I see a certain closeness in design between the two books -- same typeface, similar greenish cast . . . I wonder if HarperCollins got a good deal on the inks? Actually, there's something rather comforting about the similarity, although I can't put my finger on it. Besides the quality of the recipes and the illustrations, do you prefer some books over others because they just look better to you overall?

Well, clearly, the sauce sensed her fault-finding attitude. Although, she's right: Les Halles is not the best anything. But what did she expect him to say? "Les Halles is an okay place to go, if you don't mind crowding and noise and can't find any better place to get into"?

Oh, Jason, you mean you're going to make Monica pay you even more???

Oh. My. God. :drool: Hmmm, there's got to be a reason to go to DC soon . . .

There's also a thread about it on the DC etc. board. moderator's note: These threads have been merged here. The DC thread no longer exists. A note has been posted in the DC forum alerting members to this thread. Note to Fat Guy: you can be very proud of your "children." Edited to add: I've asked on the India and Indian Cuisine board for others to continue posting their recipes and stories. I can't wait to read them, AND to cook.

It wasn't inedible, just disappointing. That is, not so awful as to warrant sending back. I'm pretty sure they knew we didn't like it, since most of it was left uneaten on the plate, unlike just about every other plate. And, um, we were pretty vocal, and I KNOW they were listening to some of our conversation. I mean, HWOE and I kept comparing it to the pasta course we had at ADNY -- another loser -- although this wasn't as bad as that one.

Ah, you beat me to it! I was just about to post about it. What I want to know is: why did Monica ever do any other kind of work? She should have always been a food writer.

But what of the growing number of male anorexics? After all, eating disorders are not limited to one gender.

Uh oh, misreading alert! I'm sure GG knows that I meant it in all good humor. You couldn't possibly believe I was being serious, could you? And you don't agree that scare articles like that are a bunch of rubbish? Re: sushi: think about that lovely piece of tuna belly -- IT'S LOADED WITH FAT! That's why it's so unctuous and delicious. As for avocados and nuts, they are about the healthiest fats around. Look, if you bring up a baby on a fat-free diet, the kid's nervous system never properly develops. Something about the myalin sheaths??? Many vitamins are fat-soluble: if you do not eat fat with them, you get no benefit. And you develop deficiency diseases, and you go blind or die. But at least you'll die thin.

Just a quick note on the food: that was cobia (the fish). Bond Girl and I had great fun dissecting the dishes; we mostly agreed on the flavors, textures, etc. He Who Only Eats, well, he just ate (and drank). His only negative was to point out--quite correctly--that the pasta was unevenly cooked. Bond Girl and I had the regular tasting, HWOE the vegetarian, and they substituted the vegetarian courses for the ones Bond Girl doesn't eat.

Maybe not quite pornographic, but the photo on page 132 is definitely beef-cake!

Thank YOU. I too have real sympathy for those who suffer from eating disorders, and worried my comment might be considered too flippant. (For all I know, others are bristling at it; please, I meant no offense.) But aren't eating disorders based on concerns about control of one's own life? So I wonder how any restaurant -- which by definition removes most of the decisions from the diner -- can be of help.