annecros

I thought they said he was baking the bread with a sourdough starter. We'll see if he manages to keep that alive. Anyway, I sort of anticipate a food crisis, as well as a possible sanitary crisis in the making. He's given up toothpaste for baking soda - I wonder what they are doing for cleaning products in the household with a 2 year old? Will they be cooking their own soap? It isn't hard, but requires the use of lye which has to be packaged carefully and handled even more carefully. It also requires the use of fat of some sort. I know they no longer purchase olive oil so a castille sort of soap is out of the question. The locality and seasonality of food stuffs is going to drastically change thier diets, and are they vegan? That rules out animal fats for the soap if they are, but I think they may be able to use a dairy fat. They are still eating dairy and will have to work hard to stay nutrionally balanced if they aren't careful. I get the feeling he's on the radar now, and there will be plenty of people keeping him honest. I'm just going to pop some corn, kick back, and watch. Kudo's to your Mom's friend.

In all fairness, on his blog he does sound a bit less pretentious and self serving, but not by much. Click here for link to blog The compost still kills me. Don't get me wrong, I have a compost pile (OUTSIDE in the FAR corner of the lot), use it, and think it is a great way to handle garbage and get great fertilizer for the garden to boot. However, he's on the 9th floor, he is composting human waste as well as organic waste, and eventually will have to get the compost out of the apartment. He's sworn off the elevator, public transportation and any other carbon fuel based transport. Hubby and I laughed out loud with a picture of this sucker bundling up (probably slightly "green" because I am not sure the worms he is using are going to be able to keep up with the organic load three people will put on the composter) compost into a bed sheet, plopping it into a wheelbarrow, bouncing the wheelbarrow down several flights of stairs, then pushing the wheelbarrow full of compost down 5th freaking avenue and off to the communal garden. Otherwise, he would just be throwing it in the garbage, right? Too funny, but I will be watching. I probably won't be buying the book, though. Edit to MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR: My compost pile does not contain human waste of the fecal nature. I wouldn't eat my own tomatoes, if that were the case.

The big distributors and wholesalers have been moving in this direction as well, in response to market pressures. It's not just Whole Foods. If I understand correctly, Whole Foods is attempting to take back into house, what it sent out of house because it didn't work before, and are taking it back in because of market demand. The old term for this was "buyers" and that's still what you will find the big boys talking about in marketing materials. The buyers are just getting new goals. Buy local, buy quality, but still buy at a level that will keep the product competitive. With all the certified organic and buy local pressure in the market, the middle man is taking on more of the burden in recent years. Park outside a whole foods and you will see trucks come in from several different wholesalers and distributors, as you will at any other chain. You will also see produce trucks from wholesalers and distributors behind the farmer's market. You can't anymore pull a pickup truck into the back door of Whole Food's and sell a load of green beans than you can fly. The distributor or wholesaler is inspecting the crop, grading it, and then reselling it to the chain. They then send in the proper equipment to the small farm, load it, and then go to the next farm on the route. It then goes back to the warehouse, inventoried and the stores are notified what is available to the produce buyer at store level. I suspect, though I do not know her job routine, that the "forager" is simply doing PR with locals, and setting them up with established distributors. Whole Foods has to hold someone's feet to the fire in order to keep the shelves stocked, and you simply can't do that with the small guys when you are ordering a month out. It is a misconception I think that distributors and wholesalers don't habitually buy local. They do in fact. Dollars and sense, it is cheaper to bring to market, and you are reducing the time you are spending with a perishable inventory on your hands. There are quite a few small, and yes privately owned, distributors and wholesalers out there that work on a strictly regional basis as far as sales are concerned, but keep a big net spread as far as purchasing is concerned. Although I do know that ALL of them large and small have a special relationship with places like the Philly and Jersey terminal produce markets. Lakeland, Florida is quite a monster, as well. The retailer orders what he thinks will sell, and that is changing so rapidly. I guess I am just repeating russ parson's point here. The market pressures are encouraging a sea change in the produce industry. It will never be the same again. ETA: And no, Pollan wrote a very interesting and informative book, but the sea change had begun when the first guy on iron chef whipped out a daikon and mama demanded one from the produce manager at the Kroger. And probably before that with cooking shows on PBS.

OK, they are what I thought they were! Make your own!

Yeah, they've left themselves some loopholes you can drive a mack truck through. I got a snigger when I read his blog, and he stated (I'm paraphrasing) that we "can't leave saving the world up to the country bumpkins." That's what makes it so interesting to me, in that he doesn't have a clue what it means to live the lifestyle he is documenting for his book and a movie (that will kill a million trees and be shown in air conditioned theatres, respectively). The learning curve that 60 year old hippie is going to put him through in that communal plot is going to hurt. There is an old saying, "Don't step over a dime to pick up a penny." That comes to mind. But I really do wish them all the luck.

If I were her, I would draw the line in a couple of places here, probably the indoor composting: Click for Times story "Walden Pond" I do wish them all the luck, and look forward to following along.

OK, I give up guessing, but would love to learn. I am guessing that since it is pork (assuming they are made out of pork, unlike "chicken fingers" or "Buffalo wings") it is something I am familiar with, just using a different term. What the heck are pork scratchings? Wild guess would be that they are rinds or chicarrones. But that is just a wild guess.

Let me know if you find them, and you should as they are taken from the southern gulf side of the state as well. We always called it "crab butter" and my daughter is fond of it. I haven't been able to bring myself to try it though. I'm probably missing out. I'm still stumped at that price. Stumped in a good way, but stumped. That's the places everyday price for them as well, and there is permanent signage in the store.

Here is the web site: http://www.lecoqauvinrestaurant.com/about_us.html I would reserve if possible, even if you are calling as you are doing the parking lot stomp out of one of the theme parks. It never hurts. Casual is fine. It's Florida. Edit: I love that fried green tomatoes are on the menu. It makes me smile. The Fish House does a fried green tomato Napoleon with goat cheese. Very nice.

Now, Robyn, no need to feel inhibited! You haven't eaten sushi in South Florida in some time, if I understand correctly. Then there are these photographs from Destin: Destin Thread Some of the sushi NancyH ate was better than others. But to say there is none in the entire state of Florida is a bit of an overstatement. And considering that Boca Raton was founded by a Japanese farmer growing pineapples, it would be a little silly to discount the Asian population there. In my opinion. And, for what it's worth.

Eh, Florida is more tourist friendly than some resident's would like you to think! It all depends on the place, of course. Edit: Cafe TuTu Tango was great fun. Tapas place, and just silly enough to make you smile. I hope they haven't gone down hill!

Gosh, I know of none, zero. I haven't been to Orlando in a couple of years - but maybe somebody with more recent experience will chime in here. I had better luck in the International Drive area than the parks areas for dining.

Oh, sheesh, sushi is going nuts down here right now. The Fish House in Key Largo just opened a second, higher end place next door, that specializes. Places all over Miami. Worth Avenue in Palm Beach has a couple of places that are really going strong. Even Publix is doing sushi right now, but I wouldn't reccomend it. Edit: Oh, I just thought of a couple of good seafood places in that area. Old Calypso in Delray and also the Sunday House in Boca Sunday is good seafood, boss! Legal Seafoods has gone south lately. You can get it in just about a third of the airports anymore as well. The best of those is at City Place in West Palm. But with Mark's open there now, and Saitos, you'd be nuts to eat there while at City Place.

Brush up on your Spanish if you go. There was not much English spoken. I did a lot of pointing to the tapas that were made and on display. A wonderful experience. ← Hehe. I don't mind the "point and grunt" method a bit, and resort to it in several of the markets here!

1801 Coral Way http://www.miaminewtimes.com/search/restau....php?oid=133144 Please, come back and tell us about it. I haven't made it there, yet...

I must admit, this makes me smile. Cooking Mama Website I do wonder how instructional it really is.

Here is the regional search for Baca at eatsushi.com http://www.eatsushi.com/regional/searchsus...?msanumber=8960 It looks like Military Trail, which will be about 10 to 20 minutes west of where you will be staying, is loaded with them. I haven't eaten in any of them in the area (I used to live further north in that county, and I am now further south in this one), but know people who stomp around Boca, and will ask them for tips. Anne PS Here are the Palm Beach Post food editor's "Best of:" picks http://www.palmbeachpost.com/restaurants/c...best_sushi.html Kyoto's in Delray Beach, would actually be very close to you. North on US1.

Most non chain small restaurants that I have been to would. I am sorry you have had so many bad experiences with food poisoning. Remarkable. I don't care for catfish, period. My husband enjoys it, but I don't like the mushy texture of the flesh. Even farm raised, they are the original bottom feeders. But, horses for courses. I have always been fond of that "If you don't have anything nice to say" saying as well, robyn.

That's a rather broad assumption you've just made there, Robyn. But I guess it's your right to think that way. Why do I have a sudden urge to sing the song Ebony and Ivory right now, I wonder. Haven't thought of that song in years. (P.S. Actually I think that was the only batter-fried fish I've had in about two years. Goodness knows the dining upon it has put me in a certain uh . . . "class", hasn't it. ) ← Well, you have company dear. About three weeks ago I picked up some fresh scrod and made fish and chips. I also eat fish dozens of other ways, as well. "If lovin' fried fish is wrong, I don't wanna be right..." Oldies week on the Florida board, I guess.

I suspect the reason they aren't marketed widely is that their harvest is highly regulated. The more you see - the more you can suspect that the harvest is illegal. FWIW - the crabs are deep water crabs found along most of the SE US. Very few vessels have permits to harvest them. And the sale of female crabs is illegal. Robyn ← Here's a link to the 2004: SAFE Report from NOAA. Here's a link to the South Atlantic Fisheries Management: Report concerning management plans for the species. It appears we will be seeing more of them in the future. They seem to have been relaxing the regs in the past few years.

They don't seem to be, but I am not positive on that. The information out there on them is spotty at best. I do remember reading that the females (who they don't use commercially) carry a sponge in the Fall (Sept-Dec, I think). I'll ask the next time I go by there. They are really super nice people, and love to talk about their food.

Of course it is. Try an experiment, oil and water vs. oil and alcohol.

If you are using 80 proof vodka you are 40% alcohol and 60% water. 35% alcohol would mean a person would need to use 70 proof or better to meet FDA requirements. ← Erp -- poorly phrased question, and thanks. I think that lagrassa addressed the issue that was poking around in the back of my head. Does only the alcohol dissolve the soluble elements of the vanilla, or does water do so as well? ← Hehe, alcohol is a solvent, and dissolves the oils. Funny story, the first time I made limoncello, hubby decided to get smart and taste the everclear/lemon zest concotion because "It smells so good!" He said it tasted like Orangeglow industrial cleaner. The big lug.

Sheesh Diva, evidently they've been crawling around the ocean all this time. They do render a great deal of meat. The texture of the shell also reminds me of snowcrab. Sort of flexible, you know, we used the "toothpaste" method to get the meat out of the legs. The claws were not hard to get into either. Not as hard as lobster or stone crab claws. If I understand correctly, they were a hard sell for a variety of reasons. As a deep water crab, they stress easily. I mean, honestly, they are snatched up several atmospheres from the depths. Somebody came up with what they call a "condo" trap that they use, and the overhead pully and line configuration is quite dangerous to work around. I think they are quite attractive as well. Charming young gentlemen, and they are very docile for a crab, and yummy! I prefer crab to lobster anyway, and this is way better fresh than the stone crab claws that have been precooked. I am in love!

They should be able to get them, I would think. For your friend in Hollywood, I bought these at a place called, ironically enough, Delaware Chicken Farm and Seafood. The chickens are from Delaware, but the seafood is local, and fresh. Casserole recipe? I am not sure, as I wing it every time. Deviled crab in a casserole dish. It will involve onion, bell pepper, mustard, cream and bread crumbs. Will let you know after I make it!