Pontormo

Thanks for the write-up and the announcement, Kevin. It sounds as if we all wanted to stay down south, acknowledge the heat and eat lots of vegetables. * * * Another cookbook I noticed for Sardinia is by Giuliano Bugialli.

Quite frankly, I found the baguettes at Marvelous Market to be too flat back in the day and the crust not all that remarkable. Of course, my day is less than a decade. I used to go to MM for the sandwiches (turkey meatloaf actually good & something else with avocado and bacon) if I didn't have fixings at home. The gingerbread and brownies were amazing, and the cornbread sold was in contrast to the high, sweet cakey kind at FF, i.e. more like the denser, Southern buttermilk type. At least two of these three items are still good, but cut in smaller portions so that we Americans can learn why French women don't get fat. * * * Uptown makes some good breads, ciabatta for example. One of the problems is the propensity to sell them retail bagged in plastic, thinly pre-sliced.

For what it's worth, Carolyn, I got a whole lot of references to Creole when I goggled "recette" and "peke" since "peke-peke" apparently refers to brining or immersing something in salted or sugary water. You'll find recipes that call for papayas...and yes, lots of pictures of dogs!

Do read my second post. I believe I am right in mentioning the liqueur that Hathor brought back from Northern Italy and the French version also shown in the link to the Italian regional forum, thanks to prompting of Mallet after my first doubtful post. Here's a reference that Daniel Rogov, I am sure, could speak to at greater length: Scan the list of these imports until you reach "Peke'in."

Then what about genepy? Cf. Post #259 by Hathor. I googled and found no sources that linked this Alpine drink to peke, but I did find links of wormwood and juniper. (Cf. Adam Balic's later post with French genepi.)

Voila! Juniper berries! For full transparency: The French text is essentially the same recipe, providing the first steps of making a rabbit pate, with references to essential ingredients, including the rabbit's liver, butter, juniper, thyme, bay leaves, pepper.... The list of ingredients in the URL is kind of confusing. Would a pate require as much as a half cup of juniper berries? Moreover, since "cl" is the unit of measure, liquid is suggested. However, note the first comment: You could use gin instead if you don't have your peke. There are also comments about juniper in your garden etc.

Wow, Art, that sounds good! This season, I have made a rhubard crumb, at least three rhubarb compotes and a rhubarb cake. I have almost reached the saturation point, but have about a pound in the fridge. It's hard to pass up when it's good. So, what I think I would like to do is make rhubarb preserves or jam of some sort, to use as is on toast, but also, as part of a BBQ sauce to slather on a rack of spareribs that has already been subjected to a dry rub. I found one recipe on epicurious.com which calls simply for rhubarb and crystalized ginger (plus sugar & water), but wanted to post this in case others have beloved recipes for rhubarb jam or suggestions of any kind.

Oh, I know, that, Lorna. Just wanted to set the record straight regarding Judith Martin, or Miss Manners, since she (still) lives in my own region. ETA: I noticed the word "Dessert" appeared only three times on Mr. Lo's order in the kitchen while you reported having a total of nine desserts in the "What Did You Have...." thread. I think you hold a record, though this may not be it!

Stem-cell research. (In the spirit of srhcb)

Yes, I'd like to know that, too. I first heard it used like that on the West Coast. ← Maybe it's similar to the process by which a word meaning "a bundle of sticks" (or, in the UK, "a cigarette") came to be a derogatory slur for "homosexual"? ← I was going to hold my tongue, because the etymology seems to be off topic and the whole matter crude and homophobic, but with Sandy's permission, I hope this does not offend anyone's sensibilities or breach any rules. I am no linguist and this is just a guess, but I suspect the culinary allusion is coincidence if the Italian verb for cheating, deceiving, "taking someone in " or according to one source, "to hook" does not derive from the same Latin roots for the vegetable. For those of you in your on-campus offices or with access to JSTOR, you may wish to consult Robert A. Hall, Jr., "Scabrous Etymology: English Felon and Italian Infinocchiare" in American Speech, 55 (1980): 231-234.

I'd love to, but can't. Photos are prohibited inside DFM, just as they are inside Super H Mart. Disappointing news, but thank you for answering all my questions. (I've been to Athens, by the way, and had a great time.) I hope you have a chance to go to Morningside during the weekend ahead.

Has anyone ever seen borage for sale in this area? I'm interested in the fully grown plant vs. the seeds, though I am starting to wonder how long the waiting list is for a spot in the community garden.

Miss Manners is very much alive and well, although with the heat rising to 90 degrees F today, I doubt she will be wearing the silver fox coat. I wouldn't be too hard on him, Ling. I believe it is perfectly acceptable to get that very last bit of sauce with a piece of of bread, if not a finger, or picking up the plate and licking it clean.

P.S. Nice shot of candied ginger, though ginger's a bit pale.

Okay, so I've just read the linked threads on the DeKalb Market. Please take us piggies to the market and snap lots of pictures. I'd be interested in learning how much of the food sold there comes from local sources and if patterns shift over the course of the year, that is, if there is higher percentage of produce from nearby farms during peak growing seasons, etc. How big is organic farming (including dairies, etc.) around Atlanta? Do you know if there are still any small farms or new ones set up by disenchanted stockbrokers wishing to dedicate themselves to goat cheese instead? Finally, are local farmers from established farms growing new things for people coming from Asian, African countries or lands south of the US border? * * * My stepfather moved into 18th-century cottage in New England with massive exposed wooden beams in the three original rooms downstairs. Sitting on the couch during a visit, watching the telly and eating Christmas cookies, we were--or I was--startled by a blur of grey above our heads accompanied by scrambling sounds. Stepmother explained there was a flying squirrel living with them for the season. They'd see it every so often, but had no luck in getting it out of the house. You're quite lucky your creature left as quickly as it did.

Hi, Therese. Funny, I just came back from a supermarket where my eighth (sixth? top 10 at any rate) favorite thing to eat was on sale, though here, the Georgia peaches are not only hard, but teeny with a lovely green encircling the stem. I am holding out for the wonderful ones that come to us before our local peaches are ripe, though I imagine the shipped fruit cannot compare to the stuff that does not cross state lines. (How many other states place produce in between numbers and digits on their license plates? Iowa? Idaho, maybe?) I would like to take advantage of your blog to ask a rather indelicate question. I assume your signature line refers to something one of your children once said, and given their current ages, the related anecdote is probably a source of embarrassment. However, would you feel comfortable putting that question in context and telling us what it all means?

Beautiful, Klary!* You beat me to it, although I haven't decided whether to use my chard for a Ligurian torta or for an herby ravioli (to fry). I still haven't baked focaccia, though June doesn't begin until Thursday. I am glad you mentioned borage since I was thinking about posting elsewhere about the very thing. Andrews explains what borage is ("boraxa" in Genoa; "borraggine" elsewhere). I see references to the leafy herb (with edible blue blossoms), especially in cookbooks by Deborah Madison and other authors who depend heavily on produce as a source of inspiration. I can't recall ever seeing it on sale in places I've lived in the US. Does anyone here have access to it? *Stuffed pasta, no less!!! I guess you got over your burn-out.

Thanks for info. Strawberries gone by now? Still there at noon? How much? As for the pig's head, when confronted with the eyes, keep in mind the Tempura Cook-Off.

Speaking of overly sweet concoctions, according to Fred Plotkin, marrons glacee were first made in Genoa during French occupation. * * * A plug for Naples: During a browsing session at a bookstore last night I came upon a recipe for chocolate-filled eggplant timbale slathered in a chocolate glaze. Eggplants appear in the market in what, late July? August?

Residents of my city, be on the alert! There's a house across from the Swiss Embassy that is lovingly landscaped, with flowers in full bloom lining the front steps and a garden on the sides of the property that face passers by. Carpeting the lawn, almost within reach, are tiny, briliantly colored alpine strawberries , perfectly ripe. Birds were hopping all around when I made my discovery. No one was home. The guards on the other side of the street were busy chatting in French. I remembered the cravings of Rapunzel's mother and guilt-stricken Augustine's pear and kept my hands away.

Stacey: I am sorry I overlooked the fact that you answered all these questions in such a good-natured fashion. I was hoping there might be something in the way your family incorporated vegetables into meals and the way they were prepared that offered clues. However, it sounds as if they were valiant and tried much more than you could bear without being overbearing themselves. Often we refuse foods when very little as a way to assert our individuality or powers to control, and then, when newly independent, either mimic our family's traditions or rebel utterly against them before gradually developing our own ways with food. Many eaters shy away from the unfamiliar and are reluctant to try new foods, a tendancy that is difficult to overcome especially if they were not exposed to many new things in childhood, or if their families treated their reluctance in a way that made a lasting, unpleasant impression. (Please excuse the simplistic nature of such pop psychology. Not exactly news, I'm sure.) However, you're well past these points and nothing you've divulged suggests a pattern. I can understand why something as bitter as certain types of broccoli or as pronounced in flavor as asparagus would be as off-putting to you as they are to others. Some vegetables are pungent. However, a tolerance for iceberg and butterleaf lettuces and aversion to other leafy greens does have me baffled. For me, the fact that vegetarianism became a fad during my years in college was a source of salvation, that, and exposure to market streets abroad just before the explosion of farmers' markets here in the States. I always loved fruit, but was raised on canned LeSeur peas, frozen French-cut string beans, and pale mealy tomatoes that came in miniature green plastic "crates" wrapped in cellophane, a pattern broken only by corn, tomatoes and cucumbers from roadside stands during the summer. The hippy-dippy paperbacks my friends and I bought while living off-campus may have gone overboard on the cheese, but they introduced us to new ways to feature fresh vegetables and made us receptive to later trends. I thought there might be something similarly broadening that could be applied to your situation. I do hope you find a medical professional who can help you. Nutrionists seem to offer little in the way of tempting incentives to eat the produce you shun. Other food groups are indeed more fattening as you have been told. The only other options I can think of have been eloquently stated by Miz Ducky, especially when it comes to the virtues of Asian dishes that incorporate vegetables, but also include nuts, meat and grains. They might help you become accustomed to eating certain vegetables when sauced and cut into little bits. You also might try listing all the foods you do enjoy and see if they are all bland or if they say something about the flavors a Supertaster finds appealing that might carry over to produce. I realize that your goal is to lose weight and not to appreciate vegetables, though.

Last night I used almost two bunches to make Scalloped potatoes with ramps. Since ramps were growing this past weekend in West Viriginia, there may be some parts of the world where they are still available. If you are lucky enough to live in one of these places, I urge you to try the recipe. The smell of the dish as it bakes in the oven!!!!! Lilacs, the scent of the earth and the air after rain first soaks budding leaves and now, ramps stewing in the oven are the true intoxicants of spring. I left the red skins on potatoes cut on a mandoline and sliced the entire ramp to accommodate seven layers in a compact casserole with high sides. Each layer was sprinkled with fresh thyme and just a little Gruyere, leaving the uppermost layer plain. I boiled the chicken stock, using more than requested given the fact that there was very little heavy cream in the fridge. I am glad that was the case, since the alteration of proportions resulted in a rich, earthy dish that wasn't too heavy. Really, one of the best things I have eaten in this year of trying new foods. The crust on the top, the crust...

Andrews provides recipes for the following desserts: Bugie--similar to beignets, served with zabaione and flavored with orange water Panettone, if Genoese version, with currents, raisins, orange peel, fennel seeds... Polenta e Aanso--prepared as polenta customarily is made, dusted with sugar and covered with Seville or blood orange slices (I found Cara Cara oranges). More sugar if oranges are not very sweet. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve warm. Del Conte: Sciumette with cinnamon and pistachio (see Kevin's reply). I'm sure some of the links at the beginning of this thread offer more. Then, of course, there is always fruit.

What riches appeared overnight! Shaya, I love the still life you present before you cooked your ingredients, let alone the tempting shot of perfectly flaked trout, crisp potatoes... The vegetable tart is gorgeous, too! I was curious when you mentioned the dish earlier, Elie, especially since I just don't see pumpkin around in the spring; we only get the most common winter squash of all: butternut. The way it's shredded before being mixed into the rest of the filling is novel. It does look delicious. And finally (right?), Mike, we are so lucky you decided to join us! You contribute so much to this thread, your spirit, adventurousness and enthusiasm are so welcome. I'd love to hear some running commentary about what your kids think about all this new Italian food.

Honeydew are the biggest mystery. I personally avoid any kind of melon that yields to the touch---except at the slip. Looking at the spot on the rind where the melon once lay on the ground gives you a good idea if the fruit is too ripe. One other thing to do is to shake the melon and see if you hear the seeds and juice slosh around. This is chancy, since lots of sloshing might mean the stuff inside is overripe. A little in a perfumed fruit? Sometimes perfect, sometimes past prime. Another thing to do with less than perfect melons is to give them to your wife. They make incredible molded desserts. I did one once with cantaloupe, yogurt and gelatin in the shape of a lobster with a fresh blueberry sauce.