julski

Here's an update on my knives four years later!! I just cleaned and sharpened them, and I'm surprised to report that the Henckels Four Star 8" chef's knife is good as new - and I can even still read the imprint on the side!! I have had this knife for TWENTY years (I remember because I bought it for my first catering job in 1989) and it's been through the dishwasher on the top rack hundreds of times. The one that did not do so well is the Henckels Pro "S" - there is a distinct line of pitting about half an inch below the tang.

Blue Point - I'm happy to report that the attitude was not present tonight, and we had a lovely meal with a gorgeous sunset. We decided to go at the last minute, sans reservation - which seemed to befuddle the hostess, but we were seated promptly and served with a smile. http://www.goodfoodgoodwine.com/

I knew there was a reason that Bad Bean wasn't on my list, but we were desperately hungry when we arrived Sunday evening and nothing else was open. HOWEVER, what a pleasant surprise!! The food quality of regular menu items was on par with Chipotle, but the special was really *special* - softshell crab tacos. A soft taco with a deepfried softshell crab, chipotle sauce, and and a wonderful housemade corn salsa with fresh jalapenos and cilantro. With a mango margarita, it really hit the spot. The guacamole was fresh, if not particularly remarkable, and the chips were so-so. But I may have to go back for more crab tacos today!! http://www.badbeanobx.com/

We just returned from an outstanding meal at Metropolis in Corolla. It is a tapas restaurant with excellent lists - wine, beer and martini. - Currituck (local) asparagus soup with lump crab, garlic breadcrumbs, and white truffle oil - Abalone muschoom and goat cheese pizza - Shrimp and chorizo with roast red peppers, spring onions, in a cajun cream sauce on spinach tagliatelle - seared brown butter poached beef tenderloing with truffled housemade tater tots and last, but not at all least - Seared foie gras on bacon and rosemary bread puddin with dried cherry syrup with 3 beers, cocktail and cognac $105 + tip very satisfying. it took me ages to find the website, which has not been updated with the new summer 2009 menu (most of our dinner was off the specials board, however) http://metropolisobx.com/

any idea how to keep cilantro from bolting? I barely get enough to use before it goes to seed And I usually have a spare pot or two of basil going, just snip from the top and you'll have a bush in no time!

Sushi is really fun to do at home with a few guests! Roll-your-own and it's fun to come up with interesting combinations. I leave the sashimi to professionals though, and only use cooked fish (shrimp cooked on skewers straightened out, softshell crab), a variety of veg, etc and plenty of nori to get the hang of it. I've been craving flash-fried spinach but would never do that at home.

yup, every time I've had fried ravioli, it came with a side of marinara. Deep fried spinach (fresh, not creamed) is fairly common at the restaurants around here, and if done properly melts in your mouth . . . The weirdest thing I've ever deep-fried is a Moon Pie. It didn't work. We were in the throes of post-turkey frying and probably drunk.

I had to look that up, and TAPrice is correct. The 2004 estimate was 3.2%, up from 3.1% in 2000. The national average is 14.2% (up from 12.5% in 2000). http://factfinder.census.gov/ - Julie the Librarian

that reminds me, I was recently at an Olive Garden in Phoenix (don't bother giving me shit, I was with my Dad), and they offered fresh grated Parmesan, but when I asked for pepper, was handed a shaker. How dumb is that?

I tried icing the breast as well with great results!! 28-pound fresh killed organic turkey (from Whole Foods) I brined for about 16 hours (kosher salt, brown sugar, bay, peppercorns, cloves, etc.) 5 a.m. removed from brine, rinsed well, iced breast but left the rest to dry 8 a.m. rubbed with butter, in the cavity went a quartered lemon, several cloves of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme. Put breast-side down on v-rack at 400, scattered trinity beneath (carrots onion celery) + water 9 a.m. flipped bird, turned oven down to 325, added more water as necessary noon - took bird out, took his temp and let him rest 1 p.m. dinner is served right on time! VERY nice !! Excellent flavor. The trinity made for the most delicious gravy I've ever had, but it was a tad salty.

I HAVE read the book, and it was pretty boring. Read Michael Ruhlman instead Julie the Librarian

I have been thinking of reimaging myself, because after volunteering to host this year's thanksgiving dinner, I found out that more in-laws are coming than I anticipated, and now I am having dinner for 20. I will be deviating from a lot of the traditional feast . . . but: My house is pretty small (1000 sq ft) and by borrowing folding tables and chairs I could probably seat everyone, though not together. The buffet idea has been bandied about, but a Thanksgiving buffet seems wrong, for some reason. As does balancing a plate on your knees and trying to cut turkey with a fork. My husband says to hope for good weather so we can seat some outside (NC), but depending on the weather would make me crazy. Ideas? Julie p.s. I did a 30 pound turkey last year, thanks to my 6-burner stove, so at least THAT is not problem

I have found this egg replacer product very useful for baked goods http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/ene...gg-replacer.htm Available at Whole Foods. and I once scoffed at mock-anything. This egg replacer actually worked better in my blueberry buckle than the real thing Julie

I'm proud to report that we ate the first tomato of the season yesterday-- there are definite advantages to living in the South!! But this one also came from my Earth Box https://www.earthbox.com/ the ones in the ground will take a bit longer, but will produce much more if they don't get the *&^%$# blight. Of course I've got gobs of fresh basil to accompany! Yum!!

Honeysuckle Sorbet recipe is at the end of this article. But for 4 cups of blossoms I might have to pilfer the entire neighborhood! Julie

There are several books by this title already, and another one coming in November!! Here's the Amazon eG link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159...4/egulletcom-20 the excerpts are pretty good Julie

I got a tube of Korean Hot Pepper Paste there that was fabulous, I practically sucked the thing dry. Wish I could tell you more than it was white with a yellow cap and a bunch of writing I couldn't read . . . Make sure you eat lots of Bulgogi for me!! Though I cannot recommend the Bulgogi Whopper at Burger King I wish I'd bought a Bulgogi grill. Julie

duh, yeah! that's exactly what it is. When I was cleaning it, I noticed the punchout for ducting horizontally. Thanks!!

. . . the lab hood has slots for the grease filters, I just have to buy a new pair. The markings on it say: C.F.M. at .10 WG 460 Vertical 440 Horiz what the heck does the vertical/horizontal thing mean, I wonder? At any rate, the Maximum Suck article leads me to believe this is pretty good!! thx- Jj

Please don't overlook the value of a great index! Many of us librarian-types will be sold on a terrific index. And as a book reviewer, I wish the cookbook galleys would have at least a draft index. It is an essential part of the book. Julie

Dumb question: is it totally out of the question to put a hood over a window? I just tore out a wall in my teeny kitchen and now I have an L-shaped kitchen with windows on both walls. I have a great 6-burner gas stove that I've had under the window with no fan for a couple of years without too much goo, but someone just gave me a 42" stainless hood from a laboratory that has two motors and sucks great. But as I have been researching my renovation, I haven't come across a single instance of a hood over a window. Am I crazy for wanting to put it there? - Julie the Librarian p.s. how about a show-and-tell forum on kitchen renovations?

I was researching a cookbook article and looked up the circulation stats-- Gourmet 975,216 Food & Wine 943,710 Cooking Light 1,661,386 I was surprised :) Julie the Librarian source: Bacon's Magazine Directory 2005

I have been putting my Henckels Five Star knives in the dishwasher for fifteen years, and they are fine. BUT--the five stars don't have rivets, I put them on the top rack, and I never use the high-heat or "pots" settings. Julie

Get the book! Here's my review from Library Journal Neal, Moreton. Remembering Bill Neal: Favorite Recipes from a Life in Cooking. Univ. of North Carolina. 2004. 256p. photogs. index. ISBN 0-8078-2913-7. $22.95. COOKERY Neal (1950-91) is best remembered as a celebrated innovator of Southern cooking through his two Chapel Hill (NC) restaurants and three cookbooks, most notably Bill Neal's Southern Cooking. A creative chef and food historian, Neal documented ancient recipes and reveled in regional variety and, in doing so, raised Southern cooking's social status. As his former wife and business partner, the author is well qualified to examine Neal's life and his recipes. She organizes the book into three distinct chapters, the first two taking their names from his restaurants. "La Résidence" features French continental cuisine with a Southern twist; "Crook's Corner" offers Lowcountry, Carolina Piedmont, and Cajun dishes; and "At Home" presents family favorites and seasonal dishes. Each chapter has several pages of introduction, and each recipe has a few lines of elaboration on its history or evolution. At first glance, this collection is almost too diverse (where else would Osso Bucco appear in the same pages as Deviled Eggs?), but it functions as an entertaining memoir as well. An essential purchase for research collections in the culinary arts; for public libraries it will have regional interest.

The kids would probably LOVE Carrburritos - and it's cheap and close to campus. http://www.carrburritos.com/ Another teen-friendly place is Elmo's Diner in Carrboro, I love their breakfasts http://www.elmosdiner.com/ - go for the specials I was poor then, so I don't have a lot of fine-dining experience there! Elmo's is right next to a natural food market if you have anyone with special dietary needs.