AnnaC

Thanks for the thorough recommendations! So far, I've made a reservation at Blackfish for Friday night, and if we're in town early enough I think we'll take a swing at the taqueria first. We'll look into the yakitori place you mentioned as well, possibly, and report back . Thanks for taking a look at the list that eatmywords posted, philadining - if Saturday night goes as well as expected, we may be up for the drive to Jong Ka Jib for soondubu jjigae to get Sunday morning started!

The boyfriend and I will be at the Marriott Philadelphia West (West Conshohocken, PA) next weekend, Aug 6-8, for three nights. Saturday night is devoted to wedding festivities, but other recs for awesome food? We'll be in the city Sunday hitting the usual suspects (Capogiro, etc), but looking for things Friday night that are not too far away. Props for anything Korean, especially nearby noraebang .

Kim, those are adorable. Have you thought about confectioners' coating? I know that a few makers (Wilton and I think Merckens) even make it in a sort of ghastly green Halloween color. It would look appropriately horrible as the hair dripping down and sets up pretty quickly once a cookie was set on top.

I have to concur with everyone above who has used CI either as a reference or for a likely source of reliable recipes. When the boyfriend requests a new dish, I always look through back issues of CI and their books to concoct a balance of technique/recipe, or at least consult their intros in re: potential difficulties. Also, I think that for ambitious new cooks the exhaustive instructions (and sidebars on techniques that we all think we know) can be very useful. While Kimball et al. may generate the world's most time-consuming recipes, I'm always willing to try out their directions for items that I think I already do pretty well! And to their credit, the perfect pie crust (from American Classics) turns out well even when you dyslexically use 12 T shortening and 8 T butter as opposed to the other way around. I was too stubborn to start over, even if it was a PITA to roll out. Needed a ton of time in the fridge to chill out, let's say.

I would suggest talking to a book distributor like Ingram or Baker & Taylor (there are others depending upon what area of the country you are in) - they distribute books from all of the major publishers and many of the minors. You won't get the kind of discount from them that you might from a major (40% or less as opposed to 46 - 47%) but you'll be able to order one or two copies of a particular title and not have the kind of minimums that a major like Random House (or even Ten Speed, which has great books) would impose. They've also all got various online systems to search inventory, ordering, etc, as well as return policies for whatever you don't sell (although you'll take a loss on shipping things back, but not as badly as if things just plain don't sell). You could even use systems like this to special order things for your customers. You might not make as much money as going through a single publisher (or many) but could be a lot easier and less time intensive for a small business owner who's got a lot of other stuff to be dealing with. Just my many many cents. PM me if any of this sounds interesting to you but you've got more questions about it - nope, I don't work for any of them, just have some experience with it! Ingram Book Company Baker & Taylor ETA that I should have noted that I'm agreeing with Pam R.

I don't think anyone's mentioned Rancho Gordo yet - mmm, heirloom beans.... I know summer's coming up, but still, what a treat. Rancho Gordo Not only delicious but you'd also be supporting a fellow EG'er!

I usually lurk and rarely post, but... this Southern girl wishes that you were my MIL, Rachel!

We're just back from the meadows, and ate the following: Bouchon Weekday breakfast - Lovely service, and the legendary quiche as enjoyable as you can possibly imagine. My boyfriend, startled at prices, ordered the standard eggs-and-whatever, and his sausage was really nice and potato croquettes just yummy. I appreciated good coffee (a restaurant rarity in my hometown) and munched on a strawberry croissant the rest of the day. Our waiter pointed us towards Vic & Anthony's when I asked for advice on downtown dining, and he was right. Jean Philippe As others have said - unh-hunh. I had the rose macaroon, lemon tart, chocolate eclair, cheesecake, and several other things I can't remember - I'm sure that "O" was awesome, but it's hard to recall through the sugar coma. Delightful. I know that macaroons suffer over time. but 24 hours after I purchased my last four pack they sure made our delay-filled trip home easier. Bellagio - Buffet My mother would have been proud - four glasses of champagne plus smoked salmon and leg-o-lamb for elevingses. I think I ate some blackberries as well, but really I just wanted to experience the Vegas buffet - we got a fabulous one, and at $60 dollars a couple felt we got a great value, even without a view. Craftsteak I know that this wasn't the most adventurous option, but when you're out with a beloved who is nervous about anything haute? Totally enjoyable experience for both of us. I was a little nervous when our waiter advised my boyfriend that they recommended the rack of lamb medium, but the bf pressed ahead and we both had a delightful meal. I got to order a half of wine that I very much enjoy (Biale Petite Sirah) and we both had a great meal. The learning experiences can wait! We had a great weeekend. Thanks to everyone on this thread for their commentary - your guidance was invaluable in our planning process - EG is really an essential companion for your favorite travel guide!

I agree! I think you'll be pleased with how easy your gelatinous stock will make it to construct lovely pan sauces - no more wondra flour for you!

tim, your wife's work this year and last is amazing. Can you give us any hints as to her baking/design background or yours? My godson would flip over her "Thomas" display! Thanks for sharing her work with us.

It's a general vegan cookbook rather than a baking book, but La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer has some great stuff in it - you would not believe the spice cupcakes and "cream cheese" icing. And I'm not a vegan. The other recipes are yummy too.

Miniature marshmallows. But only if everyone's back is turned. Really, they're best if one is alone in the house.

Hey, Ylee - I like the Whimsical Bakehouse a lot - they have some good practical information about cake construction (layers, tilting, etc) and fun decorating ideas. Colette Peter's books are amazing looking, but the instructions are definitely wordy - if you are a visual learner, they take a little thought. I've seen the Confetti Cakes book, but not for long enough to form a useful opinion. The one name I don't see on your list that I think is very useful instructionally is Toba Garrett - she's written books about cake / cookie decoration and is a well respected instructor. Her books aren't glamorous, but I've found them to be very practical and extremely educational. Take a look at The Well-Decorated Cake if you have a chance.

Sazji , any chance you could share or point us towards an English-language recipe for the khavidz? It looks wonderful!

Kerry , I used the s'mores bar recipe you linked to upthread, knocking back the brown sugar by ~1/3C - they worked out very nicely - thanks! I would provide a pic, since they were also pretty good looking, but all were eaten within an hour or so. Anna

That corn brulee topped with the cheddar looks amazing, and for some reason seems like it would be the perfect snack post-midnight here on the east-coast! What was the texture of the brulee like? What made you decide to go with cubes of cheese versus, say, shavings? signing off from the land of the deeply-jealous-of-that-dessert-

I made the Salted Butter Caramel this past weekend; when I discovered that somehow only fine sea salt was in my boyfriend's cabinets, I used Kathy's suggestion on modifying for that and it worked perfectly. Suffice it to say that there is no more. Which means that it's time for more ice cream this weekend! I was planning on trying David's recipe including the cookie-dough mix-ins (as a favor to someone whose absolute favorite treat is DQ's cookie-dough blizzard) but left the book at home like a big dummy. Called around to the local B&Ns, Sur La Tables, locally-owned places and NOTHING! Which means it's the frozen yogurt for us unless anybody has more search tips. Any more ideas on preserving the texture after freezing overnight? I'll be using whole-fat Greek yogurt, drained.

Duck is one of my favorite things to cook for myself, since I can usually get two meals out of one nicely sized breast. I think you're right on with the sear / roast combo, just follow your instincts - sear, spooning off the fat (which you will of course save in the refrigerator), until the skin is crispy, then turn and throw into a hot oven to finish for a few minutes. If you can cook a steak, then this is right up your alley! I love the first half of the breast with no sauce, just rested, sliced, and with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Duck is so easy & great at home, in fact, that I hope my boyfriend doesn't see this post and realize how well I'm eating without him.

Chiming in to say, WOW! What fun, K8Memphis!

FistFullaRoux : Don't worry, head smack accomplished. Thanks for all of your advice, guys - while so far no aftereffects from rustoleum already ingested, I'm just too nervous to continue with these plants the way they are - and they seem too young to really snip back & wait for new growth - it seems like they would just wilt away! I picked up some new herbs this afternoon & will put them in tonight. And then maybe smack the boyfriend in the back of the head again. Thanks again!

Meredith, your Cinderella cake looks awesome. I would have been thrilled with it at your daughter's age. Come to think of it, I'd be thrilled now. gfron1, your lavender pair has tons of visual appeal, and I'm feeling a little happier just imagining the scent & light taste.

I walked out into our backyard last night to grab a sprig of rosemary, only to find my boyfriend spraypainting an old chair with a coat of Rustoleum - and as you may have guessed from the topic title, a fine mist was drifting over my patch of herbs. So, my question - do I wait for a few good rains? Next year? Or just rip it all out & start afresh? The label on the paint can says, of course, that this stuff is waterproof & definitely not something one wants to eat - although from the chagrined look on the bf's face last night, I can only imagine how many times we've already done so . Ideas? Dire warnings & predictions?

Not terribly pretty, but our dinner: chicken-fried-venison steaks, mashed red potatoes with lots of green onions, & the horseradish & butter sauced sweet peas from the April '07 Gourmet. I so want new dishes.

Thanks! To be honest, the blue of the fondant was meant to be significantly lighter, but I misjudged just a little . I felt a lot better after I realized that my friend has a dresser exactly that color. If you like it a lot, I've got a few extra pounds just lounging about the fridge...

Dessert tonight will be my wedding present to a friend: Which happily is no longer on my counter but already transported safely party central, along with some lemon sugar cookies which are delish, but, alas, not as exciting to look at.