BarbaraY

Easy question. I adore lamb. It's my favorite red meat. I have four daughters and only one will eat lamb so I don't get it nearly as aften as I like. Lamb stew to lamb curry to rack of lamb (Oh! Heaven! Rack of Lamb Provençal!), I love them all. Would love to try cooking a leg in front of the fireplace a la Lulu's Provençal Table but I have no fireplace.

I checked that recipe, too. I would probably cut back on the cloves, too, since I almost alway do. I like them but they can be overwhelminf. Finally figured it out that we are talking about two different series here. I have the Italian Table and the Italian-American Table not the Family table. I haven't seen her on our PBS this season.

I ordered the book from the PBS station when the show aired here. I love it for the family photos along with the recipes. I also have her book Lidia's Italian Table but neither of these books has a recipe for braised pork shoulder. Braised chops but no shoulder.

A lot of wonderful ideas to try. Thanks to all. I'm always looking for interesting ways to prepare sweet potato. There are pale ones available here but I'm not sure if they are the same as the Japanese ones. Will have to check it out.

I have a jar full of "saffron" that I bought at G.B. Ratto's in the early 70's, as best I recall. I have carted it around everywhere I've moved in the last 35 years. I don't know why I keep it because it isn't really saffron but safflower. That was when Ratto's was a really fun place to shop. There were bags of beans and dals sitting open near the door and all sorts of amazing gadgets. Now they have "upgraded" but they lost something special in the transition.

That looks to be a very tasty way to cook snow peas. Around here they are usually found on menus stir-fried with water chestnuts. This comes in a sauce that appears to be just lightly thickened chicken broth. I don't order it because it is rather boring.

I have had them cooked with Brussels Sprouts.One of my favorite things to do with them is to make Chinese Braised Chicken and Chestnuts. There aren't any in our stores yet but I've been watching for them so I can make it.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? Ours was kind of unusual for the time and place. WWII started when I was in first grade and we lived in a tiny lumber town where the pavement ended in the Sierra Nevada. Because we were at the end of the line there were frequent shortages. There were also numerous Italian and Mexicans working in the lumber industry so foreign foods weren't at all unusual. Between Victory Gardens and my grandparents chickens and cows we were never really suffering. Was meal time important? Yes, in as much as we all sat down at the table at the same time. Best was when we went to grandparent's for dinner because Grandma was a much better cook than Mom and always served dessert. Was cooking important? I think Mom got bored with it a lot of the time. She did a lot of poorly thought out short cuts. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? If Dad noticed we got a rap on the elbow with the handle of his knife. Not fun! Who cooked in the family? Mom cooked but Dad instructed her on how "it should be done". I really began cooking when Mom went to work because Dad's job kept him away from home a lot and, if we kids wanted food, it was up to me as the eldest. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? I remember only two restaurant dinners until I was in high school. We went to the local Italian family restaurants where the food was served in big bowls and platters and a pitcher of red wine was set on the table. Loved that ravioli! Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Yes, if there wasn't room at the big table. My grandfather had made some folding extensions for their big dining table so there was usually room for everyone. When did you get that first sip of wine? Don't remember exactly. On special occasions like Thanksgiving were given watered wine at an early age. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Never. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? No. Mom was always trying new recipes that she found in magazines and newspapers. I remember her first attempts at gnocci and pizza were pretty weird. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? Not very much. My kids are all grown and have their own families and I do see some things that seem to be going on to the next generation like everyone sitting down together, excusing ones self when leaving the table, etc. Dad passed away 4 years ago and Mom is in a care facility. They were married for 67 years. Mom's favorite thing is to have a family get-together as often as possible and always apologizes for not being able to bring anything.

Maybe I'm just not looking in the right place but I can't find the English in the wing tat site.

No, you're not going to die. I would keep the cheese in the refrigerator rather than the pantry, though. I love goat cheese marinated in olive oil with thyme sprigs as a salad addition.

Beautiful pics, Adam. A fascinating display of the fish.

Around here "with au jus" is common terminology. Aaaaargh!!!!

I found sugar pumpkins in the store here for the first time this year. Once Halloween is over, pumpkins simply disappear from our stores, so if you want one, get it now.

For years I was afraid to try Southeast Asian food because of the fish sauce and shrimp paste becaus so many said it was disgusting. My first meal in a Thai restaurant changed that permanently.

jgm seems to have the answer, in my opinion. Some of the recipes that are given for vegetarian and vegan foods are appaling although they have improved in my lifetime. Does anyone remember "Diet for a Small Planet"? That was really awful tasting stuff and went from bad to worse. I realize the idea was to create foods that contained "complete protein" but it seems that it has been learned since that time that the combinations don't have to be in one dish or even one meal. Even though I'm not a vegetarian, I worked for several years in a place that had a rather large vegetarian customer base. Most of the soups that I made there were vegan and non veggie clients never complained but often sent compliments.

Grandma made these, too. Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell peppers dressed with vinaigrette. I don't know where she got this idea but it was delicious, made with home grown vegetables. Maybe from some of the Spanish ladies that lived in our area. It tasted much like my favorite Gaspacho.

Ah! The tossed salad! My mom and grandma both made them. Mom's was iceburg, cucumber, tomato, and possibly, red onion. All dressed with Mayonnaise. Grandma made it with about the same ingredients but used a true vinaigrette. Sometimes she and I would share a butter lettuce salad with vinaigrette. My first husband used to make cracks about "Barbara and her seven kinds of lettuce".......................... but he ate them.

Since we were posting at the same time, I didn't realize she had sold the bakery. I do have the book but have never been able to get a decent starter with her grape method although I tried twice.

I find this rather amusing as I live in California but La Brea bread isn't sold here. I'm not sure if it's a requirement to "enrich" bread but I suspect it is since it is in all the breads on the shelves here.

What a lovely, evocative description of your feasts!

Recently, in one of my Mom's cookbooks I found a hand written recipe for "More". As best as I can remember it was something that she had found in a Sunday suppliment. It was made with browned ground veal and ground pork, macaroni, 1 can peas, 1 can corn, 1/2 can of olives, 1/2 cup pimento, onion, and garlic. This was all mixed together in a roasting pan and baked for "two or three hours". Then it was topped with 2 cans of "hot sauce" and some grated cheese. A note at the bottom: "Improves flavor when cooked longer." I loved this stuff when I was a kid.

I go through phases. Right now I'm operating in my Japanese mode and just can't seem to get enough real Japanese flavors of Mirin, Japanese soy sauce, miso, etc. It seemed like that was all I was cooking for a couple of weeks until my daughter protested. Now I space it out a bit.

How can one choose? A tree-ripened freestone peach that one has to lean over the sink to eat, a fragrant perfectly ripe Comice pear, or the just picked strawberries that are only found in the little stands next to the fields, all are just heavenly and I couldn't possibly choose.

Pretty much the same here. Give me a list with quantities and preliminary prep. 1/2 cup onion, diced suits me better than finding that I need to dice the onion after I'm half done. One of my books (can't think which) has some stir-fry recipes that do this and, as anyone who has ever stir-fried knows, everything has to be ready to go before starting. I like Rick Bayless' books with variations and notes in the side column.

My dad and mom used to get the entrees from some sporting goods catalog. They stocked them in their travel trailer. These were to be heated by being placed in boiling water, I believe. Dad was always trying to convince me that I should use them for backpacking food. He gave me one of the tuna/noodle entrees to try. I'm very glad to see that it has been removed from list. It was some of the nastiest stuff I have ever put in my mouth. The brownies are very good, though.