Suzanne F

The whole basic premise is more like "create your own tasting menu." But as I recall, it IS possible to order fixed combinations of dishes -- about as close as Craft gets to any kind of set menu. One item to avoid: the potatoes boulangere. I've tried them twice, and they just didn't work. However, ALL MUSHROOMS WORK ALL THE TIME

All in one visit? No wonder you can't remember the name. alacarte: I do that with takeout menus (even when we eat in). Obsessive that I am, I usually note the date we had it, and star it if it was really good.

Belmont, there's always the Greenmarket for hunting and gathering, if you're stuck. Otherwise, what Soba said.

No, actually I meant the cracks are in the seasoning on the exterior, but your explanation sounds quite reasonable in any case. And I won't worry about it.

Weaning HWOE back onto real food after the bout of gastroenteritis earlier this week: Linguine with clam sauce (the base of the sauce was some shrimp/fish stock from the freezer, plus dried oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic; simmered for an hour or so to get the good out of the herbs and reduce the liquid; plus a can of chopped clams) with a teaspoonful of evoo sprinkled over the top on serving. Chopped spinach cooked with 1/2 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of nutmeg.

I'm so glad Stone brought this thread back up, because I have a question. Last night, I accidentally left my 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet (NOT pre-seasoned, but pretty well seasoned by now) empty on an almost-high flame for about 15 to 20 minutes (I was drying it after using and giving a light rinse, and forgot about it ). It never got to the point of glowing red. I let it cool down on its own. Now, the interior looks fine; the bottom has a few scratchy-looking crackles. My question: should I be worried about it falling apart the next time I use it? Or should I just consider that the seasoning has been well-fired, like ceramic? Or something else entirely? I probably won't need to use it again for a week or so.

Malachi, have you been drinking Gatorade? As awful as it tastes, according to our doctor it DOES help replace the potassium your system has lost -- which is a big help for making you feel better, less achy, etc. HWOE said the "orange" version was almost drinkable; tasted kind of like tangerine. BTW: have you seen a doctor? Particularly if you think it could be a little bugger returning. Those guys don't leave on their own. Got to force them out!

bilrus, repeat after me: Never complain, never explain. Only YOU know how you wanted it to come out, and it may not have met your expectations. On the other hand, they only know how it DID come out, and since you always set a high standard, they assumed that everything you made met that standard. So they had their expectations met, because they didn't know any better, so to speak. Or because they're right and you're wrong. This kind of ties in with JJ Goode's article in The Daily Gullet. I believe that the hardest thing for a good cook to do is learn to accept others' praise. Because the cook is always working toward an ideal of which the guests may not be aware.

Malachi, how are you getting along? Are you back onto real food yet? I daringly gave HWOE some (purchased) onigiri for lunch. So far so good. Dinner will be real: trout fillets (probably grilled), steamed peeled chayote, and probably more g-d rice.

These have been some fine responses to a fine article. It's so easy to behave properly; I don't understand why people can't. Usually when I invite guests for dinner, I know what the focal point(s) of the meal will be: osso buco, on one occasion, another time fettucine with a lamb ragu. When I issue the invitations, I inform the potential guests of that. I also ask if they have any allergies or restrictions -- so that I can figure out what to make (or NOT to) for the rest of the meal. I have very nice friends; no one has ever said yuck to what I'll be offering. Since I usually make too much anyway, extra guests would not be a problem. (I'm a Jewish mother at heart, and besides, I love leftovers.) Besides, I don't do intimate-and-formal at home.

I bought a Peugeot about five years ago, when I needed a grinder for work. It's been great. I only use it at home now, so I figure it will last forever. What I especially like is that when I change the guage of the grind with the little screw at the top, it HOLDS until I'm ready to change back again.

NY News Team? KB Network News? Okay, Welcome ®

DAVE88: Lochina: Pate de campagne or Frisee au lardons; Steak Frites or Poulet Roti Frites; Tarte Tatin or Tarte au fraises. Just make sure whatever you do, you include really, really good frites.

Wow, Pan, for an artist you sure have a lot of good science! Thankfully, we are not lactose intolerant. But I am a believer in taking acidophilus to rebuild the good bacteria after ALL have been destroyed by antibiotics. Worked for me, anyway. So Malachi, I say GO FOR IT. (Hope you're feeling okay by now.) So tonight I made a chicken soup with a couple of thighs, some brown chix stock from the freezer, a can of Swanson Natural Goodness chix broth, and some carrot, celery, garlic (whole), ginger, lemongrass, and lime leave. Strained out all the solids and defatted. Served the broth with the cleaned shredded chicken meat and cellophane noodles (as requested by HWOE). Thanks to all who suggested chicken soup! Tomorrow I may introduce a vegetable. What's nice and low-fiber? Would it be all right to use some peeled chayote?

I grew up on peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I have fond memories, but don't care to eat them now. Mars bars: what were originally called "Mars Dark" and are now "Midnight." Dark chocolate. Still cheap chocolate, still awful, but at least not quite as sweet. M&Ms with HAZELNUTS?????? I'm moving across the pond!!!!!! Until then, the version with almonds are good enough. But I just can't cotton up to peanut & chocolate. Several years ago, I was having a totally horrible day -- left a doctor's appointment at which the Dr. could not figure out AT ALL why my hearing was suddenly intermittently disappearing, and stopped at a wonderful store where I bought at gorgeous brownie to cheer myself up. Unwrapping the brownie and biting into it on the bus home, I discovered it had PEANUTS in it! You understand?

Great question! Sorry I can't answer it. At least, not the one about why there's no salt in pasta dough. My guess is that it has something to do with the difficulty of dispersion throughout the dough, because salt is not fat-soluble, and the only other ingredients I know of in pasta are eggs and oil. But regarding the pasta picking salt from the cooking water: try this experiment. Cook two batches of the same pasta, one in salted water and one without salt. Taste the pasta plain. You should definitely taste a difference: the one with salt will have more flavor (not of salt) and the one without will taste kind of flat. The salt dissolves in the cooking water, and is absorbed into the pasta -- not just sitting on the outside, but working its way through. Try other experiments: add those other things to the cooking water, and see if the pasta picks up the flavors. Do let us know the results. (My guess is that it will.)

Yes.

I actually love peanuts; I'm just very particular about how I'll eat them. I will eat them: all by themselves, roasted or boiled; as crunchy peanut butter (off a spoon only); in sate sauce; very finely chopped and sprinkled on Thai and Vietnamese salads and other such dishes. THAT'S IT. NO OTHER WAY. Not in combination with chocolate or any other sweet. (I've never tried a PB and bacon sandwich, but the bacon might make it all right.) I loathe peanut butter cookies. I mean, I'll eat them to be polite, but I would never go out of my way for them. I didn't mean to slight the poor peanuts. They have my sympathy too, for being put in such an uncomfortable position.

Asparagus!! If you don't mind repeating an ingredient, chunk up some tips for the pasta, and make a soup with the rest -- especially good since you can make a stock with all the peelings and tough ends, then cook the stalks in the stock and puree them, so no one will see them anyway. And butter-and-radish finger sandwiches!

Maybe this has been mentioned already (sorry, I didn't read this whole thread): Snickers ALMOND Bar! All the good parts of a Snickers -- junky cheap milk chocolate, caramel, and "nougat" -- and yummy roasted almonds instead of the disgusting peanuts. It seemed to me that the almonds were not evenly distributed, though; more at each end than in the middle. Anyone know if this is a clever trick of candybar manufacturers?

Excellent. Be well-prepared (that means, BRING A PEN to fill out the paperwork). And don't feel bad if he has no idea who you are when you show up, even though he told you to come. He told you to is all that matters. Now, if you want to list any of us for recommendations, the fee is really very small for a glowing report . . . and not at all exhorbitant for "walks on water." No, really, best of luck.

Thank you all for your help and support. He's doing much better; in fact, I almost couldn't get him off the computer to come sip his restorative broth tonight. Or eat any of the bananas and apples bought specially for his recovery. Oh dear, Heather, no fish?? Why not? I was going to get something like flounder fillets for tomorrow to poach and have with the most adorable little red new potatoes (1-inch diameter) from the Greenmarket. Malachi -- no, no, I feel YOUR pain. But, I am happy to say, NOT at the moment. I've been through it at least 3 times: once from steak tartare, twice from bad clams. And it is horrible. HWOE was lucky this time: only one end was affected. But it was very scary when the thermometer registered 102.2F (about 6:30 yesterday morning). Now he's his old self, except for being tired, and crabbing about how horrible Gatorade is. Yes, he's forcing himself to sip sip sip. But I also made him green tea, and Cranberry Cove (Celestial Seasonings). And I have the acidophilus tablets at the ready, to put back the good little buggers that the antibiotic is knocking out along with the bad ones.

He Who Only Eats is recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis caused, we suspect, by some poorly served coffee gelato. Our Beloved Dr. Betty (not to be confused with Beloved Aunt Bette) said for the rest of the week, no dairy, no fat, nothing irritating, etc. etc. And she gave him a few days' worth of Cipro. This is a feeding challenge I don't feel quite up to. Beyond last night's jasmine rice in mixed beef/chicken broth with a splash of lemon juice and a bit of black pepper (strained out before serving), and tonight's upcoming Chinese rice cake (noodles) in brown veal stock, I don't know what to give him to eat that I can stand, too. So: what do you eat when recovering from the unpleasantness of a bug kicking the shit out of you?

How much freezer space? Since I tend to use up stuff from the freezer for events like this, I can probably make room. Ooops, I probably shouldn't have said that.

Is that what they put in City Hall Park? Or is the setup there linked to John Ashcroft?