Jill Chamberlin

Great suggestions. Oh and the King Arthur flour recipe--taste wise--makes superbly flavored bread; perfect for toast, crumbs, grilled cheese, sandwiches. Get the pain de mie recipe at kingarthurflour.com

Thanks, I'll give it another try WITH the potato starch.

I'm just learning to bake bread and I'm confused about what primarily influences the crumb or texture of the bread. For example, consider pain de mie. Made some yesterday for the lst time using King Arthur recipe and AP flour in a lovely new USA pullman pan. It took a long time for both rises but looked perfect before baking. Came out in a perfect,compact, tasty rectangle but the texture is not as fine as I expected. I accidentally omitted the 3 T of potato starch but wouldn't think that would affect the texture (?) Could it be our mineral laden water? (We have a well and live in limestone rich north Florida). Thoughts?

CORRECTION: SORRY, Julia Child roasts at 375 degrees, NOT 425.

I use Julia Child's simple recipe which can be roasted(with a few minutes under the broiler) or grilled. she simply marinates it for at least an hour in a bit of lemon juice, soy sauce, rosemary and olive oil (after brushing the boned side with olive oil), then for a 5 lb lamb she roasts at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes. the lamb usually varies from l-3 inches in thickness so if that's the case separate the roast into 2 or 3 since obviously some will cook faster than others. yours weighs less but it may have similar thicknesses. so you might check at 12 minutes on the thinest pieces. i am scrupulous about removing almost all of the fat although I'm reconsidering that because a bit more on the top would probably lead to a crisper, richer product. Good luck.

Braising is the best, but for years, my short ribs were always so greasy that I almost gave up. Then, epiphany, I tried the Cook's Illustrated "winter 2010" recipe--Perfecto. Unfortunately even though I'm an online subscriber, apparently CI only provides searches of its monthly--not seasonal or special--editions. From the magazine, however, the secret technique: "5 lbs short ribs--6 to 8 english-style ribs, trimmed. Salt and pepper, arrange bone side up on roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast at 375 until fat has rendered and ribs are browned, 1.5 to 2 hours." Save 2 T. of the roasting fat. Reduce oven to 300, lightly brown carrot, celery rib, l chopped onion, in fat. add 4 cloves of garlic, 1 T. of tomato paste, cook l minute until fragrant. Add whatever braising liquid you want --like broth, a little port in broth, etc., the ribs, rosemary, l/4 c. instant tapioca, a touch of balsamic. Cover, cook in oven until totally tender, about 2 hours. Strain and skim the sauce. Delish.

One newlywed couple lives in Sedona, AZ, the other in Boston. Thanks in advance for any thoughts. Jill

Excellent question. After I posted, it occured to me as well. Perhaps $250 per couple?

We want to buy gifts for a few soon-to-be newly weds in our family, either a case of wine to enjoy this year, or a special single bottle to open on their first anniversary. I'm looking for recommendations with the hope I can find a mail order source for same to facilitate shipping.

You might contact chefs at http://www.kaohom.com/ a Thai cooking school with a nice website that I learned about yesterday in egullet's posting on how to peel a pomegranate....a skill we all need! Good luck.

The web photos worked perfectly and the technique is elegant and simple. Great information.

What is the purpose of boiling and shocking the basil? ← Boiling and shocking in ice water is the standard way to keep vegetables deep green. I've never tried it with herbs....The Italian grocer I deal with swears her pesto stay brilliantly green, even when frozen, because she uses very young leaves.

As a child, I looked forward to leftover salad the most and I still like to recapture that memory and that taste. I grew up in California in the 50s and 60s; my mother was a great cook and loved the bounty of California produce. My parents gave generous dinner parties--lots of dressedup grownups laughing too loud, wearing a martini buzz--and the leftovers the next morning were the best: barely droopy romaine lettuce cloaked in aged-overnight avocado/oil and vinegar/a little tomato acid/ plain and simple the best taste for breakfast....especially capped off with a tiny, leftover cherry tart.

Obviously when traveling to places known for both wonderful food/culture but uneven water quality--like Morocco for one example, one is safest sticking to bottled drinking water. We know to peel the fruit, etc. But if the fruit, or vegetables, etc. needs to be washed before eating, does one need to sterilize tap water before washing and if so, what's the best method for a traveler to do so?