Alinka

Simply bean salad with vinaigrette (too exhausted by last week's effort of cooking stuffed cabbage ) -

monavano's "golabki" last week got me craving golubtsy I grew up on, so I finally found time to make some: It's made a little different: I rolled cabbage leaves around a mixture of ground beef, partially cooked brown rice, and vegetables (carrots, onions, zucchini, yellow squash). I then sauteed some onions with carrots and tomatoes + tomato puree to make the sauce. Layered cabbage rolls in a Dutch oven with zucchini, squash, carrots, eggplant and bell peppers, added the tomato sauce, and let it stew. Not exactly my mom's golubtsy (she sautees the rolls in fat before stewing them in water, and the only vegetables used are onions and tomatoes) - I'm learning to cook healthier after moving to the States, but I actually like these better. Best eaten with sour cream .

Vancouver Lee, beautiful! I enjoyed looking at the pictures, reading the story, the whole idea of it. So what was the result of the blind wine tasting?

Well, I think, it happened: I'm transitioning from pastry for breakfast to eggs. That's what following this thread does to you... Just fried eggs under generously ladled fresh salsa. No panini this time .

...and I was just about to ask you to cook some of your lovely egg dishes for breakfast . Great job, Percy, I enjoy reading your blog (although we do feel a bit lonely over in the dinner thread ).

Congratulations, Heinz! Tell us how it goes. Daniel, that flano-pudding looks so good! That's my kinda food!

My second attempt at lentil soup looks somewhat better than the first one posted elsewhere -

Mmm, made me crave stuffed cabbage (we call them golubtsy in Russia), my mom's ultimate Sunday dish... Great dinners, everyone! I'm finally reunited with my gas stove, what with all these evacuations and all - thinking about actually cooking something... right after I carry all those potted plants back out on the deck .

Ooooh! Better than (dare I say it?) Cafe Du Monde's .

Oh yeah, burgers! They can be so good... This one I ate at the Hobbit Cafe here in Houston -

Me too, actually (English-Russian) but I was too embarrassed to admit it . The crowd here at eGullet is so articulate that my dictionary is getting quite a workout .

A friend is telling me I should get a "light box" like professional photographers have. But I think that will be just too weird... So, for now, weekend lunches will have to do, like today's: whole grain linguine with shrimp and spinach in tomato cream sauce -

It's just yogurt, you evil people!

Found another one, of lovely, delicious spinach lentil soup (who said something about s... in a pot? ) -

Rice is tough. I've tried my best with this dish, but it still looks like a suspicious pile of... something -

Oooh, what fun! Enjoyed looking at you all's dinners . I brought dessert to join this... mmm... entertaining potluck - Almond-brown sugar yeast coffee cake, in case you're wondering .

Wowww... Why is it that my job only took me to New Mexico this week? I want that! I'm still looking for delicious potatoes here. Even those small interestingly colored ones are kind of disappointing (or I just don't know how to cook them ). Great dinners, everyone!

Sticky buns (from The Bread Bible). Please help yourselves -

Sitting here, staring jealously at everybody's fabulous elaborate dinners. Another hour of work remaining. Do not feel like cooking. Hungry. Feeling sorry for myself.

Thanks, Kevin. I like wine, but, like fifi, I am a "dunce" (new word for me, actually had to look it up the dictionary ). I wonder if we have a similar event here in Houston? (By the way, sooo impressed with your Year of Italian Cooking )

jscarbor, Thank you for taking the time to give us a detailed report of your experience with Village Table. I've peeked inside their kitchen, and the whole idea seemed interesting, but I was wondering how good their food is. It was interesting to see your opinion. Right now, to avoid cooking every day, I try to freeze individual-sized entrees that I take to work to eat for lunch. Healthy, organic, and (I think) delicious . So I'm sort of my own personal chef .

Hi fifi, since we're neighbors and shop at the same Randall's on 518, you might want to check out what I wrote about it a couple of months ago . Asparagus is on sale, you say?

. Interesting! We say this in india as well. No one hands another family member a sharp object in their hand. It must be placed on a surface for the other person to pick up! -w@w ← Russia, too . Trying to remember what other cooking-related superstitions there were when I was growing up, but as my mom did not like to cook, not much time was spend in the kitchen by the family .

Aahh... All these sandwiches, pasta, salads, and especially Susan's "go-withs" are beautiful! I want to eat now, and it's only 10:25... I guess Chufi's mango-yogurt parfait should tide me over?

I made her banana cake, and it came out high and fluffy, but a little too crumbly: The lemon pound cake, however, is always popular: people comment on how subtly lemony it is, light, and not too sweet (I often make half the recipe) - And I already showed the chocolate pound cake before: Moist and chocolate-y (but I have to confess it's not my favorite chocolate cake). (Thought pictures would help you decide )