Pontormo

Are Residents of D.C. allowed? Gnudi.

Yesterday I had to pick up a few items at a supermarket that is placed right next to a Metro (subway) station, a bus stop, a small university and a number of hi-rises. At 6:30 in the evening, the lines at the check-outs were long, so I went to the express lane. Right in front of me was a man in his early to mid-50s, stocky but not terribly overweight, pale, dressed like many D.C. professionals dress in a charcoal gray wool coat and red scarf, carrying a very nice briefcase. Contents of his green shopping basket: at least 5 boxes of "Bistro" style frozen dinners and 2 containers from the bakery department with big somewhat flaky pastries criss-crossed with white frosting. The young woman behind me wearing tiny hand-beaded silver Indian slippers, the subject of an attempted pick-up conversation started by a rather good-looking guy, was there with a friend. Her basket held around 6 boxes of Pasta Roni, at least 2 if not 3 different colors represented, indicating different flavors. Her friend added the same number of clear plastic bottles of differently colored water to the basket as we inched towards the register.

This may be a subject worthy of its own thread, but I have been seeing more and more references to smoked turkey wings, etc. lately. While I prefer using smoked ham shanks, or hocks if the meatier shanks are not available, I've noticed smoked turkey things sitting right next to the ham at the supermarket. Is anyone able to tell me how the flavors imparted by smoked turkey compare to smoked ham when it comes to adding them to dishes?

Please post anything I've overlooked, but at the moment, the following references still have not been tied to movies: 1. Peanut butter and ground beef. 2. Pastrami with mayo 3. Crullers & a hot dog (or sausage). And there's a trivia bonus for behind the scenes of the film ("How'd they do that?") involving Jello 4. ".......and a microwave that browns!.......melted cheese, ummmmm I don't think I EVER tasted melted cheese before." 5. rose petal sauce 6. Jarlsburg grilled cheese sammich I don't think I've seen "Repo Man"--could someone verify that it is the source for "Plate O' Shrimp"?

I've just finished reading through this entire thread. It's inspirational and a whole lot of fun. Question: Was there a consensus about "the best" in terms of oils, first, but second, preferred flavor components? I realize that you were struggling with finding vocabulary beyond the tips Judith offered from her own classes on olive-oil tastings, but at the beginning of the thread one of the stated goals was to reach a conclusion about merit. Quibble: This is purely a matter of opinion, but the suggestion of a simple puréed soup made with white beans was good. I am guessing it is based on something similar to Marcella Hazan's recipe that calls for cannellini, garlic, water and lots of olive oil. Perfect for times like these.

Actually, this is The Godfather, too. As would be a slice of orange, flesh gripped by Brando's teeth. Remaining: 1. Blueberry pie 2. Eel soup, pickled eels, eels, eels, eels 3. Peanut butter and ground beef 4. French fries and gravy 5. "Plate O' Shrimp" And new: 6. Pastrami with mayo

Forgot the name of the movie, but Vincent Price did it, right? The actor murdered was/is obese, British (?) and has very thick, curly eyebrows; played a restaurant critic.

Baby lamb (close to impossible to get in the States, a number of us discovered) Pale lettuces with tender leaves Tiny strawberries (see first parenthetical comment). Strawberry shortcake made with biscuit dough and softly whipped cream. And yes, on all references to asparagus and peas, though it's been a while since I've had a decent fresh English pea in a pod; I always buy frozen ones as a result. When are morels gathered? What about ramps--or is that summer? For symbolic value: eggs as per reference to Easter and Passover. I don't know what the Greco-Roman counterpart to pomegranates would be (i.e. Persephone's return to Hades, and the advent of winter).

The Mexican film was precisely what was on my mind. * * * Just didn't recall the wedding cake (I'm guessing) from Harry/Sally. I have a feeling that if this game lasts, it will be a bit more chaotic than Janet & Anne's attentively tended "Six Degrees". Nonetheless: 1. Peanut butter and ground beef 2. French fries and gravy 3. "Beans and franks! Beans and franks!" 4. "Plate O' Shrimp" 5. Eels, eel pie, eels, eels, eels..... Please do correct me if I've overlooked a solution or a clue. Feel free to add ones of your own whether or not you've correctly matched the food with the film. How about some hints for the first item on the list, at least, maddogs?

No bread recipes to report, but FYI, I have a recipe for a carrot cake (torta carotina). Anna del Conte also has a recipe for Pancotto Veneziano, a bread soup in which she merely indicates the loaf should be white, "country-type". She also laments the fact that foreigners all know the Tuscan pappa col pomodoro, but not this tomato-less version with a good stock, garlic, pine nuts and eggs, flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon & Parmesan. Except for the lack of lemon zest, the flavors remind me of a certain risotto from Le Marche. * * * Kevin: spaghetti looks REALLY good. Why qualify "rock cod"? Substitution?

Bryan: When exactly are you going--i.e. what days of the week? Why only two days? I'd strongly recommend dividing your time just between England and France just to get to know two unfamiliar places a little better. The whirlwind thing works better with longer trips (summer, a semester abroad...) I don't know how much non-food stuff is permissable in these threads, but I'd urge you to take the advice you've heard thus far. You already have had amazing meals in restaurants that depend on French traditions. Treat yourself to a few memorable meals, of course, but you know that culture and you don't know Paris. You should spend a lot of time just walking around. Be sure to cross the Pont Neuf and go to Sainte-Chapelle. Review Megan's blog, but the best of culinary Paris isn't necessarily or exclusively to be found in elegant restaurants. Find out where the best croissants are to be had, take in an outdoor market... P.S. The language thing is scary, I know. for the first time especially. However, really, Paris is like New York City in terms of cosmopolitan culture, only it's been going on for nearly six centuries. You'll find lots of nice, kind, helpful friendly people and should you ever get lost, all you have to do is descend into the metro. There's a subway station just about everywhere you go. Learning a few phrases and words of courtesy before hand will take you far. I'm sure you already know, "merci" and "Foie gras, s'il vous plait".

A lot has gone on since this morning! Great work, everyone! Ludja: I am going to disqualify myself on yours because I get the feeling we've both referred to the movie mit those disgusting Aalen, nein? And though I didn't see the movie, the cleaning out of the fridge blind-folded seems to be a reference to 9 1/2 Weeks or days or hours.... Here's what remains, though I'd guess folk in The Netherlands would scratch their heads and shrug at number 2 wondering how it could possibly be memorable. As for 3, the movie was clearly recalled, but never named. It's something I don't know, so please clue in the clueless. 1. Peanut butter and ground beef 2. French fries and gravy 3. "Huge coconut cake with the tiers, and ...very rich chocolate sauce on the side." 4. "Beans and franks! Beans and franks!" 5. One long piece of spaghetti 6. "Plate O' Shrimp" 7. Cans of generic "Food" 8. Eels, eel pie, eels, eels, eels..... And while I think this is kind of obvious, there are some above whose posters thought everyone would guess promptly, yet they're still on the list! So..... 9. Forbidden Fruit: a big, juicy grape

I decide to check back before turning off the computer, smug in the belief that I was being obscure and BINGO! Tell me you knew that, waterdogs, and you didn't just google...

Looks really good, Franci, if in a way distinct from your glistening chocolate in the dessert thread. I'm curious about the fineness of the cornmeal. Since you've lived in New York, are you familiar with the kind of cornmeal sold in supermarkets for making cornbread or muffins? Would that be considered a "medium" grain and not fine enough, or....?

Twinkies dipped in mustard * * * Feel free to come up with other examples while I'm away. No scores, just for fun.

While it's not quite as late here as the clock on eG indicates, I can't believe I am still up, so let me briefly urge you to do a search for a post by Hathor (Judith)--or send her a PM, especially since I ended up using my ground beef for something else entirely. I think she documented the soup in the Dinner thread once. You just need a really good recipe for polpette--meatballs--and since I think I spied The Splendid Table on your bookshelves, you might have a good one around. (I like to soak torn, fresh bread in buttermilk or plain yogurt whenever I make meatballs.) At any rate, dark, bitter greens are surely involved in Judith's version, so no icky sweet factor! * * * I like forward to reading the pages of this thread I overlooked, but Pam R, thanks for the lesson on kasha, something I've been meaning to make one of these days.

Well, I would like to thank all three of you soup mavens for what we are about to receive tomorrow morning: cold Artic air to blast us until the end of the week! Only partially rueful, mind you. When you're used to winter, it's hard to do without, so a period of chill is welcome. Just could NOT imagine grilling under the conditions you document here! I know Snowangel has peeped at Maggie's soup thread recently, but should you need further inspiration, it's been lively as of late. I heartily endorse Klary's split pea soup ; next up for me is a variation on this apple rutabaga soup, minus the heavy cream along with a few other adjustments, though it will certainly not appeal to anyone who finds parsnips or carrots too sweet for soup. And while, I haven't finished culling through all the regional cooking threads in the Italian forum to link posts that demonstrate the wide variety of great soups that country has given to the world, here's another resource: Italian soups. I strongly recommend ribollita, though La Jota has many happy fans, too. Stay warm!

Rachel--I think you've taught me as much about Southern food as Miz Lewis and Mr. Peacock by this point, and as long as you continue, I think you'll outscore all other sources. I've never heard of lime sweets before, and now I long for one. I was going to say that you write with eyes on the back of your head, but that image tends to evoke Sarah Michelle Geller in the trailer of a cheesy remake of a Japanese horror movie, so I'll resist. Sort of, as you see. Let's say, you look back to the past without replicating it, from the act of going against your father's pragmatic desire to get all your family could from those seeds while fetching those tender little beets and beans, to finding commonalities in the kimchee you savor in the big city. Given all the references to books set abroad, you seem to delight in the food of not only your own great-great-grandmother, but everyone's great-great-grandmother. Speaking of literary references, I also like what you say about the role of pickles in otherwise bland diets. You remind me of the fact that my British stepfather filled the narrow shelves of the fridge door with blistering mustards, thin bottles of odd, brown spicy sauces from former British colonies and lots and lots of store-bought pickles. For what it's worth, he spent his final days deep in the heart of the South, perhaps discovering what you know full well. Minor correction: I think you encountered cipolline in supermarkets, if I understand the point of reference. Curious, too: why the archaic form of "recipe" mixed in with the word and spelling that's replaced it? Is this a way of fusing the era of yellowed receipts to the present? ETA: Just used Google and "cippolini" seems to be the new "arugula" in terms of Americanized Italian.

Thank you for the introduction, Kevin! You know, it just dawned on me that you chose the month of Carnevale for Venice! Both Hathor and I checked into the city a little early with sardines, stuffed Venetian style with anchovies, breadcrumbs and herbs. With Sardegna, Sicily and now Venice, I have eaten a lot of sardines this year... N.B. the link to the recipes on the site I've added seems to be broken. For now, there is merely "background" information, but I hope that will change.

In the Tuscan thread, scroll down to Kevin's second post for a soup using pumpkin for Italian "zucca" or in modern times, a type of winter squash. Here's another adaptation, a crema di carciofi, or artichoke soup based on a Florentine author's recipe for a light soup made with sweet peppers. Cavalo nero, or Tuscan kale stars in a number of soups from this region, such as this simple kale and bread soup that forms the basis of ribollito, my favorite. And since this octopus looks like it's swimming, if in a less than lively fashion, I guess it's soup.

Just to add some links from the regional cooking threads of 2005-2006 as intended some time ago: Here's the first documented Jota from Friuli. Beans, cabbage, meat. Molto winteresco. Along with paparot, a spinach and polenta soup that many participating in the thread tried. An elaborate meal cooked from an Italian text included this zuppa di asparagi, described as the essence of asparagus, if rich. Finally, a brodetto, one of Italy's many fish soups that go by the same name. * * * I've also checked through the thread on Puglia, searching for more soups where I was reminded of how much Franci taught us. There were some polpetti and greens swimming in a broth, but since the emphasis was not on a soup per se, I am not linking the post here.

Land o' Lakes specifically used to be a hippie/food co-op darling because the participating dairy farmers belong(ed?) to a collective or co-operative business. Another brand-specific example of this type of organization is Florida Natural (juice). However, as an outgrowth of the culture of natural foods stores and food co-ops, Whole Foods discontinued sales of Lo'L a few years ago because the farmers would not sign an agreement stating their milk had been produced without use of hormones. Disclaimer: this is what I recall of the situation; I could be wrong since I haven't verified recollections. Your supermarket's milk probably doesn't come with "not treated with rBGH" on the label either and benefits from the FDA disclaimer that tests cannot distinguish between milk coming from treated or untreated cows. I would imagine that variables including how much air is whipped into sticks of butter would differ widely among supermarkets unless they all use the same methods and equipment. Lo'L would be consistent. I don't think the fat content would be that different--i.e. a major distinguishing factor when you compare a supermarket's butter to Plugra (American brand). Plugra's European counterparts are produced from cows whose diets may very well impart distinctive taste, especially if they eat grass and thistles. L o' L does not claim that its cows are pasture-fed, as far as I know.

On a completely different note, dietary supplements were touched upon only briefly in Pollan's promotion of whole foods. Are there any threads here at eGullet in which members have discussed vitamin-taking? The Washington Post has a regular feature called The Lean Plate Club that is dedicated to "changing lifestyles": eating better & exercising more. The journalist who runs the program advocates taking vitamins and I know quite a few who swear by them. I've always been skeptical. Otherwise, we'd all be eating white bread, cheese and steak and be perfectly healthy with one or two Brussels sprouts and an orange a year, right?

Judith, my point was that there are concommitant, conflicting food cultures within the United States and that at the same time that I buy and cook a wide variety of produce I never encountered as a child, there is also a wider variety of processed, or already cooked meals that discourage people from "eating food". Have I been eating with blinders on? Granted I've only lived in either big cities or college towns on the east coast, in the midwest, and out west in the mountains. Most people I know and visit, too. A good friend in an itty bitty town in Maine lives within hiking distance of a grocery store that used to sell little more than fresh itty bitty blueberries in season along with bagels and lox for the tourists. The farm stand has a limited repertoire, i.e., Early Girls vs. Striped Germans and Purple Cherokees in August. But when you drive and you drive (half an hour?) to the one big no-name supermarket where everyone shops and her former students bag, it is the size of all the football fields of all the high schools in the state. Packaged, ready-made jello salad in red, green and pink, yes, but Parmigiano-Reggiano, red bell peppers, bunches of arugula, fennel and the like from Holland and California as well as produce local and familiar or from New York State. I could say the same for the little tiny town that used to be farming country in Connecticut where family lives, but the changes there have been even more dramatic because the demographics have gotten rather tony. The places that come to mind that haven't been as affected by positive forces are either 1) profoundly rural which is sometimes ironic or 2) profoundly insular for lack of better word. Often, income is a factor, but you're right, it's not the only contributing factor. There are lower-income neighborhoods where NOT eating fresh fruits or vegetables is both the norm and about the only option. Yet, I've grown increasingly aware of very well-off individuals who do not like, buy or eat most plants. Brand names other than Sunkist or New Harvest govern their diets.

I made snert last night! Snert, snert, snert!! I cut your recipe in half, Klary, and since it was not planned in advance, there was only a cup of shredded meat to return to the pot. Dieter's version. My traditional way, which may be New England's take on Dutch pea soup as brought to New Amsterdam, calls for sautéing a mirepoix first, sometimes with bacon. Often a clove is stuck in a large chunk of onion and there's a bay leaf, too. As a child, I ate pea soup with sliced hot dogs instead of the bacon, salty ham steak from Virginia, or smoked ham shanks of grown-ups. I liked your recipe since the only labor is dicing and you skip the fat of the initial sauté. The abundance of vegetables is welcome. Kept it covered in the oven, then put it back on top of the stove, uncovered, adding larger dice of potatoes at the end. I'm being very good and only tasted it for seasoning thus far. Delicious ! * * * Carrot-fennel is a typical combination here. I usually make it without the dill, using a bit of apple cider, or throwing in an apple. (Dill is not a favorite herb, I just had some left from baking salmon.) Then, yes, it is pureed until smooth. However, I often prefer to puree half of a soup so there is texture and it seems more filling. That was the case with this. Lots of onions, chicken stock, water and a little white wine towards the end. A custard-cup full of red lentils for protein.