Suzanne F

Beans, thanks for doing this. Alaska is like a whole other world, and it's great to learn about it. (Hope you get the cable hookup working; would LOVE to see the pictures as you describe stuff.)

Hey, I don't care if people know my age. That way they'll be able to remind me when I forget. A frequent topic of conversation when HWOE and I take the subway to Brooklyn is: Which line used to be called what, and where did it go? Please don't get HIM started if he does come to lunch on the 27th (still unsure if he can). FWIW: the Transit Museum (in downtown Brooklyn) has reopened, and is worth a visit. Great fun.

Never mind. It couldn't have been any worse than some of the others that DIDN'T disappear.

Loin LAMB chops, coated with Marie's creamy garlic dressing plus chopped fresh rosemary, cooked in cast-iron grill pan Wild rice + couscous (only had 1 portion of each in closet) Ratatouille made Monday in the slow cooker The everpresent salad, with oo and basil-infused vinegar Seghesio Zinfandel 2000 (omg, 14.9%!!!!!!!! )

Hey, hey HEY! TIME OUT. All three of you, go to your rooms. I don't want to have to tell your father when he comes home.

It's on the right side of the Daily Gullet, in black text. Oh. Thanks. Guess that shows that I don't check TDG carefully enough. Oops. But then there are a lot of members who NEVER do, so I still suggest that it be pinned in Site Talk or Announcements, or both.

Or sheep, for those who don't eat duck. Tommy, where did you see that? I can't find the announcement; but then you're a systems person and I'm just a user. In any case, it should be writ large so that everyone knows, don'tcha think?

Oh, no, it's definitely not just you :pant pant:

Damn! and I missed it!

I just did it with the skin/fat from a piece of pork, and it worked very well (at 300, I think). Remember that you DO have to stir it from time to time, but mostly it does the work all by itself. Edited to add: Thanks for the tip, Paula! Yet another use for the slow cooker.

Thanks, Vengroff, for the reports and the terrific photos. And thank you, chefs, for such great-looking food. I can see now that next time I'm down there, there are LOTS of places I'll have to try.

Mermaid Inn had only a couple of varieties, but they were excellent.

Actually, I might just toast the kasha and grind it and leave it at that. What an aroma!!

No comment.

My stove is a Maytag, and it's not that great. But the cheese, and the beer -- THOSE are great! (Although I haven't had the cheese in a while.) Oh, and Junipero Gin, too (also by Fritz Maytag). BTW: we're having loin lamb chops for dinner tonight. With ratatouille and couscous.

Tommy? Tommy?? TOMMY?!?!?!?!?!?!?

April 1998, Ruth Reichl, 3 stars

Did congee for my friends last night; described on the Dinner thread. I used 1 cup plain rice and 1/2 cup jasmine, in the 6-quart slow cooker, just water and a little salt and white pepper. I'll have to check back in this thread to figure out what regional style that is (if any). Lots of garnishes to add, nothing particularly "exotic" (no pidan, although I did consider it). Everyone said they enjoyed it -- anyway, they ate well. Thanks for all the help here. But one more question: now I've got 3 quarts left over in the fridge; how long does it keep?

Hosted the more-or-less-monthly get-together of a bunch of friends from high school: Congee (plain, just rice/water/S&P) with: - Dried fish with satay flavor (from Aji Ichiban) - Fried Dace (canned) - Fish Balls - Julienned boiled ham - Raw peanuts - "Sweet and Spicy Tofu" - Sauteed sliced fresh waterchestnuts - Stir-fried choy (not sure what kind) - Raw watercress - "Sour Mustard" - Julienned ginger - Cilantro - Scallions - "Fried Red Onions" - Soy sauce - Chili Garlic sauce - Sesame oil - Black vinegar - Rice wine vinegar - Oyster sauce - Fish sauce - Shichimi (togarishi) and sansho and dessert: "Paradise" cake (passionfruit mousse on a sponge base with ladyfingers and fresh fruit topping; bought) and baklava (still from the potluck!)

Canal Street on the N, W, R, Q (some of these might not run weekends) -- these trains run mostly along Broadway in Manhattan, at least below 49th Street. Canal Street on the 6 -- the Lexington Avenue Local. Same connecting station, different lines. (For those who want to mention the J, M, and Z: those do not run through midtown.) Actually, though, the S that runs from West 4th to Grand Street could also work, if you change at West 4th from an A, C, or E (8th Avenue line) or the F on the 6th Avenue line.

Blue cheese made in Iowa by the same folks who make appliances. It is a gorgeous cheese, on a par with the best of the Europeans (ducks for cover) In any case, one of the best North American blues.

As qualified as anyone else who has access to REAL nutritionalists and food experts, I suppose. The food lists in the book are pretty commonsense stuff if you know anything about good nutrition (don't eat chips; or if you feel you must, just count out a few and don't eat the whole bag at once because it will only make you feel worse about yourself). The rest of the book is mostly "Look inside yourself to figure out why you eat too much/stuff that's not good for you; then CHANGE" and "Remember that the people around you may not want you to lose weight, they're scared you won't love them any more, especially if THEY stay fat" etc. It's all pretty basic behavior modification stuff. Just expressed in a smarmy good-ol'-boy way.

Seth, it IS coming together well! Most important is that you cook dishes you'll feel comfortable with (whether or not you've done them before.) The gravlax idea is terrific for arrival time; you DON'T want something hot then, because it's just too much work to keep it refreshed. Also, all the work other than the slicing will have been done a week before -- and as long as you wrap it well, you could probably even slice it the day before, too. And it goes so well with bubbly. (Well, what doesn't? ) But where will people mingle as they arrive, if the LR is set up with the tables? Just asking. mixmaster B is absolutely right about having enough dishes, glasses, etc. If you've got service for 20, that means you're limited to 20 people AND you'll still have to wash up between courses. As long as you'll be renting tables (go with tables for 8 or 10 at the most, so that people can talk) and linens, rent all the tabletop stuff, too -- you'll be able to get all the dishes and glasses you'll need, and you just send everything back without any washing. And you still might want to get a chafer or two with 4" hotel pans to hold the main course. Which was suggested as braised short ribs. YES!!!!! Not expensive at all, easy to do and especially easy to do ahead, delicious, and the vegetables can be built in. The orzo/mushroom pilaf suggestion would work very well with that. So would a huge bowl of mashed potatoes, but that's a lot more work And, of course, lots of good bread for the gravy, and for the cheese course. The neat thing is you'll already have a nice red wine for a cheese course. It really doesn't have to be that many -- even just two will work, and very small portions. Not too heavy at all. Just to make a transition to dessert. Hmmm, if you've served the leek tart as a first, you can't really do a tarte here. How about a spiced baked fruit compote? Nice for the early autumn. You can macerate the fruit days ahead, and bake it off in roasting pans during the main course. Then just plop it into dessert dishes, add a scoop of a (bought) ice cream and a (maybe bought) cookie, and there you are! And I don't know what/where you're getting for wine advice, but may I suggest you talk to the people at Vintage NY, on Broome Street? Think globally, drink locally.

The mention of Nonni's biscotti reminded me of another: Almondina. Ultra-thin biscotti-shaped cookies (maybe 1/8" thick?), with lots of good stuff baked in: chunks of ginger in the ginger version, almonds and pistachios, etc.

Well, I worked nearby from 1980 to 1986. And almost had a crush on Sol He so dreamey.