goldie

I like Chau Chow for dim sum or any other time for that matter. My three guys love it too and they have the big fish tanks which kids love. China Pearl is ok- I think it is kind of greasy but my husband's family swears by it. The North End is the Italian part of town. Many of the restaurants are kid friendly. We really like Artu when the kids are with us- it is around the corner from Paul Revere's house. Save room for desert and go to one of the pastry shops- Mike's, Caffe Vittoria, etc. We often will just walk around and check out the menus to see what looks good. Also, it is nice to go at off times (like mid afternoon) on weekends with the kids. We've had good luck with strollers, too. Also, if you want to go to the Aquarium, you can easily walk to the North End. I second Summer Shack- the food is great and it is very kids friendly. The one I've been to is in Cambridge. Generally we drive so I don't know the proximity to the T. Boston is a great city. I hope you get to take the kids to a few museums. When my guys were littler their favorites were the Aquarium and the the Children's Museum. My four year old likes the Museum of Science, but I think that's about as young as I'd go with that museum. The MFA is lovely. They are stroller friendly and sometimes have art activities for kids. With the exception of the MFA, the museum food is horrible. I would encourage you to eat outside the museums! Have a great trip.

I like both, too. But, if you are trying to convert non-sweet vodka drinkers, then a mojito isn't the way to go. I like rum and soda with a lime or rum and tonic with a grapefruit wedge. Not too sweet (although I concur that a well made mojito isn't very sweet). Plus, I think in general people tend to use vodka as a "go to" base because they are more familiar with it and know the brands better. Ask the general public to name three rum brands and you'll get Bacardi, Bacardi, Bacardi. Also, rum is what you drink on vacation, vodka has a more serious image.

Check out Imperial's at home line. I bought mine six years ago and have been thrilled. I found it to be very reasonable (can't remember how much) in comparison to Viking and Wolf. I got the unit with two large ovens, six burners, a griddle and broiler. It looks just like the Imperial at our favorite restaurant except it has the proper insullation for a home.

I think for safety's sake you have to take people at their word when they say they are allergic. I have a son who is allergic to scallops (just scallops, not any other shellfish). He gets violently ill if a food has even been in contact with scallops. He's eight and knows he's allergic and is good about not ordering food or partaking of dishes with scallops. My older son has a sensitivity to whatever is in liquid smoke that causes his tongue to numb up- odd to say the least. Food allergies are definitely real and, in some cases, can be fatal. That said, I do think people say they are allergic to some foods when they just don't care for them. Maybe it bothers their systems- whatever, it isn't my business. I think it is worthwhile to offer them a small taste of the offending food (on a seperate dish in case they are like my son) and they can try it if they like. But also, I think the act of serving a person a meal should be a gracious one. If a person dislikes something and isn't willing to try it then it is their problem and not the hosts. I see my duty as the host to provide a pleasant experience for everyone and I think to try to trick someone into eating something they don't think they will like is not very hospitable.

I made my boys' food. I had a great book for our oldest called "Mommy Made (and Daddy Made, too) that had a chart with suggested ages to introduce foods. I used the chart more for my oldest than I did with the younger two, but it was useful. Basically I did as all the other writers suggested. My sons' favorite table food (and it is still a fav) was homemade chicken soup with rice and carrots. They also loved legumes when they got a bit older. One thing to think about in terms of gaseous foods is that you wouldn't make a meal of broccoli so they probably don't need to either. At first a little starch and a little applesauce and then breast milk or formula is a great meal. Then you can build their meals a bit more. Have fun. I loved this time in their lives and it is amazingly short!

OK- so it is far better fresh and hot (which means finding a place that has enough turn over to get it fresh and hot). The last time I had it I turned to my husband and said that I think it has Frank's Red Hot sauce in it. He, who has a better palate than he lets on, said that that was it. The heat on their chicken is pleasant, however I think it is the slight tang that makes them better than most. That said, Bojangles is my personal favorite(probably for the dirty rice, though).

I love blood oranges. Last night I made the best salad with thinly sliced fennel, thinly sliced red onion, minneola and blood oranges cut into segments, black oil- cured olives, and feta. I drizzled it with olive oil and topped with lots of pepper. Beautiful and delicious.

This is so easy it is embarrassing, but my ten year old can make it and people love it. Butter a 9x12 baking dish. Crumble and saute one pound of pork breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean). Set aside. Tear into one inch-ish pieces a loaf of french bread and put into buttered pan. Toss in one of those bags of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I think they are two cups) and the cooled sausages, combine well. In a seperate bowl beat eight eggs with one cup of milk; add a few dashes of hot sauce, some salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Refridgerate overnight (I have cooked it the same morning- just let the eggs soak into the bread). Bake at 350 until knife comes out clean (I think about an hour but check on it after 45 min.). Good luck and good for you for teaching him.

I, too, have thoroughly enjoyed your shows. I haven't been able to see you in a while because I'm not able to watch during your time slot. I'm glad you are moving to PBS so you won't be interrupted by those pesky commercials! When I watch a food show the main thing I am looking for is a different take on food. I want new ideas or techniques to make my food better. Challenge me to think about foods in different ways much as Gourmet does at its best. I also really like it when a chef gives a variation on a dish. I remember Julia Child as being good at this. I enjoy Lydia's Kitchen because after watching it I come out with a good sense of how a meal is put together. Also, sides are important even if they are simply done. I think many people fall into a rut of steamed whatever three times a week. I like the science component of Alton Brown and while his show is his, I think people benefit from short explainations of why something works or doesn't and how to fix it. I seem to remember you being pretty adept at this as well. I wish you the best and look forward to watching.

One point that has been lightly touched on, but should not be overlooked, is networking. I'm not a food writer (although I could see myself doing that someday), however I was a job placement counselor for a college. It is very important to get to know people working in the field you are interested in. There are several ways of doing this: joining a trade organization, find out where people are hanging out and going there, attending lectures or forums and asking questions, becoming a regular at an establishment. Whether you are hanging with chefs or food writers or purveyers you will be learning. Obviously, ask a lot of questions and also (perhaps not as obvious) remain humble. Different people can offer different things. I wish you the best of luck. I think you are off to a good start and certainly the information others have posted will be quite beneficial.

I have to say that I haven't had many good meals on the Cape either, aside from lobster and steamers. As you travel towards Boston there are a few places worth checking out. Tosca in Hingham (off 3A) can be outstanding. Having a good waiter makes a big difference because they are not afraid to tell you what is best on a given night. We also are trying to make the boys good restaurant kids and if you go early you could bring your children without getting the evil eye. Saporito's in Hull can be really good- get the duck if they have it. Do you hit any of the farmer's markets and which ones do you like? Also, do you have a great egg person (I'm on a quest!)? Do you buy the wines or do they? I know you said he had an impressive collection but I was wondering if you did the pairings with a given meal.

In addition to those mentioned, I like "Authentic Mexican" by Rick Bayless- both a pleasure to read and to cook from "Cakes" by Maida Heatters- terrific on technique "How to Grill" by Steven Raichlen- again, great to read, good techniques, great photos "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"- can't remember if it was mentioned, but if not you need it For reference, I like James Beard- concise, basic I like the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks but they aren't part of the cannon, good food that is well done and nicely photographed. You might want to spend a little time in your library and see what they have that interests you. I hate buying a cookbook with recipes that are not well tested or explained. Now I'm trying to try before I buy. Have fun building your library.

What if you made something that looked like a s'more, but was savory instead? I saw a show where they did a hamburger that was a dessert... the bun was a donut, chocolate brownie as the burger- you get the picture. So what if you had for example a thinly toasted slice of unseeded rye (or melba toast) topped with pate, topped with a cube of a white cheese (feta when heated will brown a but on the edge without losing its shape). Something along those lines anyway. Then for sweets you could do something like the hamburgers mentioned above. It might be interesting with certain artists...

I'm utterly enthralled! What an interesting way to live. And I have to admit I did spend the first few pages of this thread trying to guess which towns they live in! Also, it's nice the kids don't go to boarding school. In some ways you have a lot in common with stay at home parents who are good cooks. Many of the same frustrations in terms of wanting to try new things but being limited, a budget (albeit I'll take theirs any day and our families are the same size!), and a desire not to repeat often and avoiding waste. So where do you go to stay fresh? When they are on vacation do you try to go on food oriented vacations? Which restaurants inspire you? Aside from Whole Foods, without revealing too much of your location, where are you shopping? Also, I hope you are writing down what you are preparing. I think there are so many people who would like to eat as this family eats.

We were in SF in December and my husband is at MacWorld right now. When we were there we ate at Farallon (really good seafood, easy walk). Coming from Boston we are very choosy about freshness and our whole meal was great. Get the raw plate appetizer- beautiful and delicious. They also have a nice wine list. With a good bottle of wine, app, meal, and dessert expect to pay $100/ person. A fun place to go is VinoVenue (686 Mission). It is around the corner from the modern art museum. I think it is a terrific concept- a self serve wine bar. There are over a hundred bottles of wine hooked up to cruvinets. You get a smart card which you prepay for a certain amount and then you can try a one ounce (I think- could be two though) sample. They also have many different bottles for sale if you fall in love with one kind (or several ). They also serve a few light appetizers. Really cool, nice vibe. (vinovenue.net) Since this is your first visit to San Francisco, do try a few of the touristy things. The cable cars take you from Union Square (near where you are) to Fisherman's Wharf. Stop into the birthplace of the Irish Coffee which is across from where they let you off the cars. We had a nice crab cocktail there, too. There is so much to see and do in the different neighborhoods. I wish I took notes, but basically we go into anyplace that looks like it might be good and have lucked out almost every time. I hope you have a good time at MacWorld and a nice visit.

Never ever. Why would someone do this? It is very rarely that I can be fooled into thinking something is homemade when it is not. I think it is foolish. However, it does bring to mind a recent cookie exchange I went to where someone tried to pass off bakery cookies as her own. She rewrapped them into packets, DECORATED the packets,and nicely arranged them on a platter (honestly, the packets were so lovely she could have made a batch in the time it took to decorate). Now granted they were a step up from Oreos, but she bought them at the local market and while they are a premium brand, they were still store bought! Everyone would have been cool with her just saying she bought store cookies- this is a really nice group of women. Instead she just came off as looking kind of sad.

I have three boys, 10, 7, and 3. We spend a lot of time together in the kitchen. I think you are right about the pride factor. One of the things we do is go to the library- there are a number of good (and even more terrible!) cookbooks geared toward kids. They like looking at the recipes and getting ideas (it's also good for their literacy skills ). Here are a few of the things they like to make: Chili (not the most authentic, but it's pretty good) with corn bread Jambalaya Fajitas (peppers are easy to cut and good practice, btw) Tacos (Cooks Magazine has a good recipe) Spaghetti carbonara Chef's salad Salade Nicoise Latkes (which requires a ton of supervision!) My oldest and I are in a book group together and when we come across food in books we try to make it. I do the same for my other two. Sometimes when we see food in movies we do the same thing (for example, Turkish Delight in Narnia). Have fun!

I can't remember a time when food wasn't important to me. My dad always says that some people eat to live and others live ot eat and that I fall in the second category. When I was a young kid my mom was great about letting me in the kitchen. She was terrific about letting me help and experiment. Many nights I had my own pot of whetever we were having that I had seasoned to my taste (sometimes disasterous, sometimes inspired). It wasn't tht she was a particularly good cook (she's not) just that she was willing to let me in there. Then the best thing she did for me was pretty much stop cooking when I was in high school. My dad had a job where they were out several nights a week and I just took over the kitchen. It was great. I learned how to plan ahead, make shopping lists, and how to cook with what I had. Once I kicked my mom out of the kitchen, I turned to cookbooks and PBS shows for ideas. She always had a subscription to Bon Appetit which I devoured. Mastering the Art of French Cooking was my Bible for technique on many things. I also really appreciated the James Beard cookbook she had (I don't recall the title). However, my epiphany came while on my honeymoon. We travelled to Rome, Nice, Provence, and Geneva. The food was so amazing- better than anything I had ever tasted. Everywhere we ate from the tiniest bistro to the blow out meals was great. I'm sure part of it was being so in love, but everything was fresh and perfectly cooked. Also, that is where I discovered the ability of wine to enhance a meal. That trip totally changed how I cook and approach food in general. As I continue to travel I still learn more and am further influenced by these people who I wouldn't know on the street.

I chop up potatoes into large cubes, saute them in oil with an onion, toss in some steamed kale, kind of smoosh those together and top with grilled chorizo. Often I make this with leftovers. You could probably streamline it a bit, though. I also like soup with chorizo, kale, chicken broth, and diced potatoes. I know there's a name for it but my head cold is preventing all higher order thought. Actually, that's a pretty good fix for a cold...

Don't store the bag of bread (or any plastic bag) on top of the toaster oven. Be very careful using that brand new, very sharp mezzaluna (she says six stitches later). Never use a knife with wet hands.

My mother-in-law is macrobiotic (vegan x10) so I have to do a suitable feast at least twice a year for her. I usually start with a pureed soup (carrot and ginger, butternut squash with nutmeg- all vegetable broth based). Then we have a nice risotto(mushroom is nice as is pumpkin), or a fried rice-esque dish, or a barley based pilaf. Next time I think I might do lentils. I usually serve roasted vegetables as a side often with a suitable sauce. Then we have a composed salad usually with a fruit component (fruit is nice because it balances the overt vegetable/ fiber nature of the meal, throwing in an avocado helps with digesting all that fiber too). For dessert I have baked stuff out of the Moosewood cookbooks (not my style), served fruit compotes (requires serving the salad before or with the meal), and actually one time did a riff on Indian pudding with cornmeal, molasses, soy milk, and ground almonds. I have actually come to enjoy (ok, it took fifteen years) these meals because of the challenge they present. Have fun with the menu. I can't wait to hear what you serve.

Let Fresser come to the rescue! Since the glasses have colored, ah, stems (?), make Jello parfaits by filling the glasses with alternating flavors of Jello. Just chill between layers! And don't forget the dollop of Cool Whip on top! I bet Rachel Ray never thought of this. ←

I almost always do beef for Christmas dinner. This year I'm doing the multi-faith dinner (husband and brother-in-law and sister are Jewish). My menu is currently crown rib roast, potato and zucchini latkes (two kinds, not mixed together), creamed spinach, cranberry horseradish sauce, and I'm fooling around with a stuffing for the middle with cubed sweet potatoes, cornbread, chestnuts, and dried fruit. For dessert we usually have leftover birthday cake because Christmas Eve is my mom's birthday.

I like seeing the trend towards small batch producers being available at nice bars. Infusions are getting bigger around here (Boston). I also am happy to see more traditional drinks on menus and even in magazines. I predict that the sweet frou frou drinks are going to fade (please!- I get a headache just thinking about some of those drinks). Of course then all the cute twentish bartenders are going to have to go back to school to learn how to make real drinks! I ordered an Old Fashioned the other day and had to walk the bartender through it step by step (and he's been at the bar for a long time). On the same note, it would be nice to have more bars and restaurants with drink menus (not chain restaurants but the nice ones offering a cocktail menu) offering seasonal beverages. The thought of a dacquiri in a blizzard doesn't do it for me. Also, I think having drink descriptions can be a nice thing for novice drinkers who are interested in learning more. I'm always a bit surprised how many of my friends know little to nothing about cocktails whereas they know a lot about wine. Perhaps that will be the biggest trend in the next few years of all- people becoming more educated about spirits.

If you go down Richmond St, past Salumeria Italiana (amazing), past Hanover, and two or three doors before Polcari's there is a butcher on the same side as Polcari's. I don't thing there is a sign, but he has the most gorgeous meat. The veal is amazing- it will make your heart sing. They cut everything by hand and grind up the meat fresh. Their sausages are terrific, too.