Genny

I'm surprised as a home cook how much I use McGee (revised) for reference. It is a formidable tomb but excellent reference and easy to understand. I think that although there are no great pictures (all hand illustrated) The Best Recipe from Cooks Illustrated is great. They describe in detail how they arrived at "the best" and what cooking methods, temperatures, ingredients worked or not and why. Real solid science behind everything. Very helpful for the home cook. If it matches your wit, Les Halles is a must. The recipes are solid and the narrative is a crack up.

I don't understand why I get such strange looks when it comes to my grocery shopping habits. "You don't buy everything on one day?" "HOW many stores do you shop at?" "Why would you go to more than one store???" OMG, here in Arizona, I do have to hunt for ingredients to ensure I'm getting the freshest and best quality stuff at the best prices. I'm sure you all do the same? Basha's for regular staples like TP, beer, refried beans, milk, etc. Some produce like bagged baby carrots and lettuce. Costco for many meats: tritip, everyday range steaks, leg of lamb, etc. Henry's for most produce and some natural foods AJ's (our local gourmet) for fresh local chicken, seafood and dry aged steaks as well as pastas, Pomi tomato sauce, nice cheeses and fresh baked breads Trader Joe's for the occasional pop in to see what they have. I like some of their brand stuff and have tried some of their convenience foods. I do admit, I enjoy ingredient hunting and I never do all my shopping on the same day. I'm just contantly shopping

Hi Zuke, I think of the shortbread as harder cookies. These are fairly soft. They are just the butter cookie recipe from The Best Recipe cookbook altered to fit my whim. So yummy! Helen, I used to drink loose teas all the time before I aquired a taste for coffee. I had a really nifty infuser that was really easy. It looked like this. There are other styles as well. No more broken nails! I have also found some outstanding bagged teas though made by a company called R Evolution Tea. Darcie- poor kitty. I've got my fingers crossed that she just has a bad knee and that she can find a loving home with you. Good luck! I was checking in to see if you had posted any baking pix yet so I'll check back in later. You'll certainly have your hands full today!

Dead or fictional? Not alive as in Paris, "I'll have a pine float for lunch." right?

Dear Darcie- You are to be sainted. I had a boss like that at one time. Although I loved her dearly she was completely "mashugena" (OK I have no idea how to spell it - someone help me out here?) and would drive me nuts with her idiosyncrasies (ha! spelled that one right! When is eG going to add a spell check???). Just breathe, smile and repeat after me "he's not good or bad, it is jus how he is." Feel better? Ha, ha. It didn't always work for me either. Now for the cookies: I recently made the Black and White Cookies from Gourmet and they were light and yummy. Recipe Link Here Or, a new favorite of mine are butter cookies that I juiced up with orange oil and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Oh, I gained weight that week!! I just love the orange/chocolate combo.

Happy Birthday Darcie! I love the primer on the bagels. Since there are only 2 of you, do you freeze the baked bagels or just bring them to work? There are only 2 of us plus a kitty as well so I don't bake so much due to fear of waste. I love the kitties. The psyco kitty looks, well, kind of psycho with the ears back! Funny that you waited for an express request for photos while the rest of us were just waiting patiently Your potatoe, sausage and kale soup looks fabulous. What herbs do you use in it? I saw bay but the rest looked like a heap in the center and I couldn't distinguish anything. What cake have you decided on???? Have you made any cakes covered with fondant and the "fancy" designing? Is it on THE LIST? (I'm sure we all have those lists!!) (Oh, btw... pretty hands ::smiles shyly:

I too joined eG because I am a mutant being that LOVES food and cooking and eating out and grocery stores and, and, and... whew! Great thread! I love how everyone is so creative with the cubicle cooking. I work from home so I am lucky enough to have the full kitchen available. This works against my waistline though too...I'm working on it! I love the "picky eater" comment. I've been called such - by my husband - who also likes good food but has a list of things he won't eat (mushrooms, avocados, olives, nuts IN stuff, coconut...etc.) but I'm the one who is picky because I hate the wasted calories and wasted experience of crappy food at a restaurant. If we are at a friend's house, I have no problem eating their crappy food as long as they don't pronounce "Everything is from Costco!" or "Don't you just love Sandra Lee's Semi-homemade?" My group of women can't fathom why I am so thrilled to get a set of All Clad pans for Christmas or the Kitchen Aid monster for my birthday. They think it is the same as a vacuume cleaner. Heh! They give me so much joy, my heart sings to be so fortunate to have a great husband that believes in the "investment" of top-end cookware, knives and other tools. My women's group does the "semi-ho" and "costco" thing all the time. We rotate who will bring food/snacks for the various meetings but they all are thrilled when it is my turn because they know it will be fresh, delicious and made with care.

Darcie, I've been following your blog for the past couple days. Very nice job! I just love the view from your kitchen! My view is a bouganvilla bush and the wall separating my yard from the neighbors. Snow! What a beautiful day you are having! Here in AZ it is lovely and sunny but I do like a bit of the fluffy stuff My vote is for the white chocolate raspberry cake OR one of my favorite cakes to make of all time was out of the Death By Chocolate book by Marcel Desaulniers, I believe it was the Double Mocha Madness (I foolishly lent the book out and never got it back ). This is 2 cakes for 4 layers, I think it had a mocha butter creaam, mocha ganache and there was another component for a filling as well. A little dab will do ya! So where are your favorite markets? Do you have good farmer's markets out ther? Are there any major family likes/dislikes that channel your cooking? Thanks for blogging this week!

Well, I made it up on Saturday around noon. The "Farmer's Market" label is a bit deceptive, IMHO. It does have some interesting vendors with honey and olives and soaps, etc. but I only saw one table at the entrance that had produce and quite frankly, the tubs of greens all were wilted and tired looking, the avocados had their produce stickers on them and much looked like what I would buy at the grocery store (for less $ and perhaps better quality). There was a pile of beautiful carrots and radishes however that appeared to be freshly pulled from the ground. I did enjoy the market for all of the prepared foods though. Vincent was out roasting spatchcocked chicken and had a huge pot of yummy chili, there were ample choices for brunch fare and a ton of seating just for that. I would go back for the brunch setting for sure, but Farmer's Market? Not by my definition. Oh well. I will fully admit I'm spoiled from the Califorinia Farmer's Markets that take up 3-4 rows of parking lot with fresh produce from vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, flowers, greens, honey, herbs, bread...you name it! I could do the entire week's produce shopping (and then some) on Saturday morning. I know I'm expecting too much for the beautiful Arizona desert to provide.

Contratulations on the new venture! Are you making this more of a gastropub? I sure would love something near me instead of the ubiquitous bar food. Something comfortable but with some sophistication would appeal to me but I'm sure you really need to consider the neighborhood you're in. A superb burger with fries is always welcome, maybe a green chili, poached shrimp served with a trio of dipping sauces: lemongrass/soy, horseradish tomato, maybe a creamy onion/garlic dip? Really, it depends on how much kitchen you have and want to use. Good luck!

I studied Child Development in college (early 90's) and I've always been amazed at the reaction to pregnancy and alcohol subject. My understanding is that the main driver (at least initially) cautioning women to watch their alcohol intake during pregnancy was to avoid Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). However, it was determined back then that this was more a question of quantity, not abstinance. Getting drunk can hinder mental development and have minor to major ramifications. However a glass of wine or a mixed drink should have no negative consequences. If I ever get pregnant, I'm not going to worry about my consumption. And if anyone happens to confront me, I'll happily point them to the path of enlightenment. Conversely, any amount of smoking cigarettes can have some minor effect on the development of a child and I've seen a number of women choose to abstain from alcohol completely during pregnancy but continue smoking...go figure.

I hate to eat with my sister. She can go through an entire meal without wiping her mouth even once. Even BBQ, sauced, ribs or chicken eaten with her hands! I just can't watch...oh the horror. On the funny side, when my husband's friends/associates would ask if I had a sister, I knew how much he liked them by the answer he gave.

I have done SOOO many of these things! Brown steak on the stove, pop it in the oven to finish, remove pan, set steak aside to rest and grab handle without a mitt to start the pan sauce. OW! SOLUTION: (It only took a dozen times to figure this one out folks...hehe) Put the oven mitt over the handle once the pan comes out of the oven. Its my reminder that the damn thing is HOT. I too have a glass top stove. Nice and flat and very convenient for the plastic cutting board to sit right next to the pot as I'm chopping and adding ingredients. I've only done this about 8 times: Turn on the burner that the plastic cutting board is on. SOLUTION: Remove the board and likely you will have to throw it away. Wait for the stove and plastic to cool completely (a couple hours) and then use a chisle to scrape off the cooled hard plastic. This has also worked with melted grocery bags and plastic veggie bags from the frozen veggies. (cough! OK I did this waaaay too many times!) I now have wooden boards and I don't put them on the stove! I WILL NEVER AGAIN: scrape the seeds out of the jalepeno peppers with my nails. That really hurts to have the oils stuck in the nail bed! I try to remember to use the latex gloves for peppers now. I WILL NEVER AGAIN: lift the beaters out of the marshmallow mixture before turning them off! What a sticky mess!!! OK, one question... how the hell does somebody lick a light socket?!?!

This is the best explanation I can come up with. I've double checked McGee and this experience does not seem to be addressed. I too have experienced the decrease in heat in spicy foods that I've frozen and then reheated.

Taste. Everything. Often. It is amazing to taste something as simple as pasta in it's various stages: uncooked, partially cooked, al dente, overcooked. Tasting sauces, broths, for salt, pepper, seasonings, flavors, textures throughout the cooking process is a great teacher to get to know the difference between Raw, Almost and Perfect.

I agree with the review MoltoE. In particular, the braised short ribs, filet mignon w/ foie gras, and the spinach salad with egg are all amazing! Superb service and sitting at the bar is also a fabulous experience. I found the pommes frites a bit lacking, and (I can't believe I'm saying this) a little too salty.

Thanks MoltoE! I'm doing a jig . I'll see you out there this weekend!

Just the two of us this year. (After the melee of Thanksgiving this was most welcome ) I kind of "winged it" according to our whim. Christmas Eve: (started w/ pomegranite martini) Prime Rib (roasted @170 for about 5-6 hours...OMG this was amazing! I highly recommend it) Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes (skin on) Parmesan Creamed Spinach (w/ 2001 Pascal Merlot) Butter Cookies & homemade toffee for dessert Christmas Day: Noshed for lunch: foie gras terrine, left over prime rib, dulce blue cheese, derby cheddar, Drunken Goat cheese, carrots, celery, radishes, pickles, cucumber, apple, pear, orange, assorted crackers and toasted brioch. Dinner: needed something simple so I made a linguini carbonara. Monday: we both have off work so I think we will have the filet mingion tournedos that were supposed to be Christmas dinner. And I figured I'd top it with the foie gras and serve with hericot vert and sweet potato puree. Hmmm, will that go together OK? Happy Holidays everyone!

Bruce, I hope you are OK. Please get better soon and get off the O2 or get a (blech) electric range so you can continue your enjoyable kitchen pursuits. I'll add another: chicken. last week I paid $2.89/lb for chicken at my local high-end store. Wow! It tasted like chicken! Why oh why can't all chicken taste like fricken chicken? Where do these big processors get these bland, gummy tasteless things????? Looks like my butcher bill is about to go up, I just don't see how I can continue to buy Foster Farms anymore.

Oh Curlz, UH- NO THEY DI'INT!!!! That is just insulting. I've got to send one to my best girlfriend just for fits and giggles.

Merry Christmas Zuke (and everyone!). Thanks so much for letting us into your life on this week reserved for family and close friends. Best wishes for 2006! Hugs, Genny

OMF*G, ROFLMAO!!!! Can I quote you on this Miladyinsanity??? Too very funny Fresser, since you will be part of the group you get to wear baggy sweats (bloating), no bra (sore boobs), and socks (cold feet). Be sure to bring your own pillow to snuggle/beat. We do appreciate the eye candy you will bringing to share though.

This is soooo me. We have hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the past 3 years. It takes me longer and longer to get out of bed simply because there are too many people roaming around my house. Lance actually brings my coffee to me and I get some kitty time before facing the activity. When visiting family, I too go for walks. Its just necessary. I just nicely explain that otherwise I'm not fit for human consumption. I love that you and your sister still get along despite your differences. That is a real tribute (I think) and I'm sure that it gives your parents great pleasure. Stollen with blue cheese! I never would have thought of that, how perfect! I like honey on my blue cheese or fig with it. Something sweet to cut the pungent-ness of the blue (depending on the blue, of course). MMMMM, I wonder if the blue I have in the fridge will go with the pannetone I have waiting on the counter? Merry Christmas Eve!

Thanks Zuke! Your blog is like champagne, just popping with a multitude of pleasures at every sip You have the cutest dad!!!! I love the pix of the family. Who is that with the wee Jedi? Your husband is so very patient to let you take so many pictures of him for the blog What did you ask Santa for this year? Do you find that when you are back in the family home with your parents and siblings that the old family dynamics pop up? If so, is it a good feeling like comfy old slippers or is it more like the cranberry analogy from an earlier post?

Snaps here Jason. Damn that was bad. I tried, I really tried. Snadra Lee- Semi-HO- whatever. The Food Network in general for their shitty year of productions. I watch very little TFN anymore. Some competitions to see what the real crafters are doing but not much else. Now what am I supposed to do with my Saturday mornings??? Safeway: I had to stop shopping there because I kept getting rotten produce: Spagehetti Squash was literally growing mold - I pointed it out to the produce person; package of fresh hericot verts: I got it home and about a dozen inside were mushy and rotting; packaged salads and cream dressings past their experation dates. Jeez. My Whirlpool flat-top range doesn't have a simmer burner. I've burned more soups! RRRRRRRRRRRRR.