Suzanne F

Nope. Well then please, o educative eGulleteer, 'splain me what is Festivus.

Thank you, Jack. This beats the hell out of Saveur.

Is Festivus anything like Saturnalia?

Since we ate out on Thanksgiving, tonight I made the traditional holiday Spaghetti Carbonara (fans of Calvin Trillin will understand). Salad of leaves, red and green bell peppers, cucumber, and the last of the pickled artichoke hearts, with a vinaigrette of the artichoke oil plus oregano vinegar. Alkoomi Frankland River Chardonnay 1999 (from Western Australia; a gift from our friend who owns The Little Bigger Place)

I don't think Eric is saying that he should have been seated; just that he should have been treated like a human being. THAT indeed sucks. As if he were saying, "You fool, if you wanted to eat here so much, you should have known when to come; it's your fault that you came too late, you stupid person." There are any number of things the manager-type could have said, such as "I'm sorry you're disappointed; we will be open xxxxxxxxx" or even simply, "Sorry." But it is unconscionable to make a statement that blames the customer (at least, in these circumstances).

Suzanne's First Rule of Cooking: Never throw out usable* fat of any kind. Fat carries flavor. It can always be used to saute other foods to coat vegetables to be roasted to sweat mirepoix for braises and soups to add to foods that need a little extra fat, such as ground meat to make the roux for a flour-thickened sauce You get the idea. Besides, foie gras fat is a pretty damn expensive item to toss! *Usable being the operative word here: if it's burnt or otherwise unpleasantly flavored, toss. Otherwise, strain, put away tightly covered, and enjoy!

Actually, I've heard a lot of good things about the George Forman. Not for grilling steaks, but for other stuff. So why not?

I hope at least it's colder upstate than it is down here in the city. So that if you ever get the oysters, they'll still be edible.

Since we've been going to Azafran (downtown here on Warren Street) a lot, I really want to do a compare-and-contrast with CM. Well actually CM sounds a lot more adventuresome, but . . .

Oh, NY Times Magazine had a recipe -- with picture -- for starrygazy pie some time ago. So cute, the little heads all poking out of the crust. I've got it in my files.

Bacon, and lots of it.

Cool! That's a great show! Welcome! Come back often, y'hear? If you want really complicated, you can bone out the whole bird, spread the inside with stuffing, roll it up, and make a galantine (poach and serve cold) or ballotine (roast and serve hot). I did that one year, with a stuffing including crumbled chorizo and fresh cranberries, plus the usual bread and veggies, and it was very tasty. Or take fifi's tamale suggestion (sounds really good to me).

Not more than a couple of days. And pour a little water or milk over them so they don't dry out. You can also do the ice-cube-tray thing with them, one per cube space, and freeze them. Or freeze them a few per container (stir them together with a little liquid first). Note on the container how many yolks and how much liquid, so you can adjust the recipe you eventually use them in. When you use them, thaw them very slowly, and they'll be fine to use in anything everyone else is suggesting.

Too late for Xmas, but Chocolat Moderne is a new chocolatiere here in NYC. Beautiful, delicious stuff. (Disclosure: Joan is an acqaintance)

No, no, that should be HAPPY BURGER to Elyse!! (and a belated HB to her mom). F&P: no problem. It will be nice to have you back in the fold, I'm sure.

Maybe because vodka is not really a flavoring agent? The good ones are bland and the bad ones are bitter. If I were to try it, I'd do it virgin and serve the shot on the side.

The pseudo-medico-scientific-pop-psych self-help book I'm editing right now refers to people who "classify themselves as full-time vegetarians" and to the "health-conscious [who] are choosing vegetarianesque (so-called 'closet vegetarian') diets." Maybe this is why the general public has such bizarre ideas of what "vegetarianism" means? And why some people say "I'm a vegetarian, but I eat a little meat sometimes" ????? WTF?

Probably depends on the BTUs of the burner/hob. But also, what is the temperature at which gas or propane (if that's what one has) burns?

What's a lectin? And aren't many of those the same foods that are GOOD because in combination they give complete protein? I'm confused

Quick recount, since I'm getting ready to make the rezzy at Blue Smoke for Saturday, 1/3/04, at 1:00pm: elyse SuzanneF + HWOE alacarte Blondie johnjohn laurelmilan Picaman MHesse and, we hope, Dave the Cook and some or all of his crew. as of 12/16, 2:24pm. If I left you off, I apologize. Please post on the thread.

Was that the whole dish -- mac with lemon sauce!!? Oh, the sauce was fabulous! But the mac was badly cooked -- that is, unevenly -- and didn't absorb the sauce. It came alongside something else, I forget what. (Maybe I posted about the meal? It was in January 2001.)

Or just with lemon thyme, the herb.

That sound great except for the macaroni. (The most disappointing dish we had at ADNY was some sort of "macaroni" with lemon sauce. I contend that the French should not attempt pasta.)

Regular rice pudding isn't healthy????

Yes yes yes. Almost anyone with a brain can learn a job; but the right attitude and dependability are what you need to keep it.