djyee100

I like to make Georgeanne Brennan's vin de cerise. It's a French country aperitif, sweet and fruity, and easy to make. People seem to like it more than other traditional French aperitifs (like Pernod or Lillet). You can later bake the macerated cherries in a clafoutis or cobbler. The recipe is here: http://www.foodnouveau.com/recipes/dessert...erages/1/d.html

I've had great thin-crust wood-fired pizza at the Zuni Cafe. California toppings usually, not the classic Neapolitan pizza of tomato sauce and cheese. I also like the pizza at the Arizmendi Bakery at 9th & Irving. Again, another non-traditional pizza with a great sourdough crust and California toppings. But the place I know of with the great Neapolitan pizza is in the East Bay, Pizzaiolo. http://www.pizzaiolooakland.com/ There's no sign on the place (really), and my friends and I might still be trolling down Telegraph Ave looking for it, but someone had the foresight to write down the address. Oh yes, I like Tony's pizza too, and Tony's a wonderful person if you ever have the chance to meet him. Watching him spin that pizza dough is something else.

You don't say where you're from, but basil is very easy to grow outdoors in summer, even in pots. Don't limit yourself to the reddish Thai basil or lemon basil, try the holy basil too. Maybe next spring you can order seeds. A nursery might be able to special-order plants for you--again, depending on where you live.

Your reputation precedes you. If I knew you were cooking, I'd be tempted to crash the party myself. That chicken looks great. Is the recipe around somewhere, on the web or in a cookbook?

I've never encountered anyone with Selective Eating Disorder. Someone I know who counsels anorexics told me that her clients commonly project their fears onto food, then avoid food. So I wonder if something like that is going on here. As for myself, my friends say I'm unusual because of the wide range of foods I will eat. I'm on the other end of the spectrum from SED. My parents' attitude was, "It's food, isn't it? You like it." My brother and I both grew up to be adventurous eaters.

If you have a chance, let us know how it goes. I'm curious how the ketchup turns out. Maybe I can make it with red currants if gooseberries aren't available here.

Or, like Chris Hennes and mgaretz, you can use tapioca flour, which is found in Asian markets.

I don't like that about tapioca either. However, recently, somewhere (one of the Chez Panisse cookbooks, I think) I read a tart recipe that told you to grind tapioca beads to a powder in a spice grinder. Now that should work. Or, like Chris Hennes, you can use tapioca flour, which is found in Asian markets.

I've never tried gooseberries. I'll have to keep an eye out for them at the farmers market. Meanwhile, here are some ideas from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller and Persis Fuller. - Gooseberries in a batter pudding. Sounds like a clafoutis with gooseberries. - Gooseberry catsup. Pick over, wash, and drain 10 cups gooseberries. In a large pot, combine the gooseberries, 8 cups sugar, 2 cups cider vinegar, 1 1/2 TB cinnamon, 1 TB cloves, 1 TB allspice. Simmer for 2 hrs. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. (Or--as I do sometimes with preserves--don't seal & keep it in the fridge. It should be good for a few weeks. I give the extra to friends.) - Gooseberry Cream. Stew 1 quart gooseberries with 2 cups sugar. Strain & set aside to cool. Make a custard: Heat 1 quart milk, then add 3 beaten eggs and 2 TB sugar. Stir constantly over low to moderate heat until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add 2 tsp rose water. Let cool. Combine the custard and the gooseberries. Pour into a serving dish, and refrigerate. To serve, garnish with dollops of whipped cream (1 cup total of whipped cream).

That's an important distinction about gloves. They should be specially designed for protecting your hand while shucking oysters, not just something at the hardware store. There's a chain mail glove and a rubber mitt that are intended for shucking shellfish. Chain mail glove: http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=162133 Rubber mitt: http://www.gifts.helpmeshop.org/product/Oyster-Mitt.html I've used both, though I own the rubber mitt and use that one at home. thanks for the reminder, Dougal.

A dead oyster will feel noticeably lighter than a live one. When you open it, it will smell unpleasantly like low tide. Toss it.

I shuck oysters with a glove and an oyster knife. I fit the oyster comfortably in my left hand: rounded side of the shell against my palm, flat side of the shell on top, the hinge of the shell close to my wrist. The oyster shape mimics the hand, if you think about it. I dig in with the knife at the hinge. If I'm feeling confident, I'll twist the knife to pop open the oyster. Then I aim to cut the muscle, which is located about where the fourth finger (the ring finger) is if you hold the oyster like this in the left hand. I swipe the knife underneath the top (flat) shell, then I cut the muscle from the bottom (curved) shell, and the oyster is done. I keep a damp towel nearby to wipe off the knife after opening each oyster. That keeps out stray bits of shell and grit from the next oyster. Um, good luck. Also, Philadelphia is a great city to visit.

I don't have much to add to the many informative posts here--only that I like to make the apricot tart from Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe cookbook. I add in some whole almonds to the sugary apricot filling, and I make sure to poke the nuts under some fruit so they don't burn in the oven. No apricot tart in the works for me, but I've just ordered 5 lbs of apricots from my CSA, and I plan to put up some jam. If I have some leftover apricots, they'll go into a tart.

My friend Carole Latimer wrote a camping cookbook, Wilderness Cuisine. It's still available on Amazon. I've eaten lots of Carole's food on camping trips, and I think it's delish. Some recipes (like the fish stew and herbed sun-dried tomatoes) I also cook at home. Some recipes from the cookbook are posted on the Call of the Wild website, here: http://www.callwild.com/page.php?id=6&cat=6 There's also a limited preview of the book on Googlebooks, all informational, no recipes though. http://books.google.com/books?id=uu1dw0FZD...derness+cuisine

After reading the green walnut threads on EGullet, including this one, I felt inspired to call around for some green walnuts. My CSA, bless 'em, came through and said they would provide a special order for me--organic green walnuts. I promised them a sample if the nocino comes out well. I've never made nocino before, so this is a new adventure for me. I plan on making David Lebovitz's recipe. DL's recipe doesn't say anything about keeping the jar in light or dark, but you are supposed to agitate the container daily.

A couple ideas from the Zuni Cafe cookbook by Judy Rodgers: Oranges with Rosemary Honey. The recipe is available here, at the bottom of the page. http://www.riverdogfarm.com/newsletters/02.05.08nl.pdf Mandarins & Dates Stuffed With Mascarpone. An eye-catching platter of orange slices, dates stuffed with mascarpone, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios. I've used good ol' naval orange slices here. My notes say to stuff the dates with ricotta as an alternative--but I can't remember if I've ever done it. I've skipped the pomegranate seeds, and substituted pinenuts for the pistachios. Almonds would be good here, too. The recipe is available here: http://www.riverdogfarm.com/newsletters/12.05.07nl.pdf On this EGullet thread I posted a recipe for Orange Souffle made with orange segments, Post #18: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=112700

Put it in a frittata with some sauteed garlic and onion and fresh parsley. Or adorn a tomato cheese pizza with it. Or...if you're feeling adventurous. Substitute it for sauteed eggplant in this recipe that was given to me by an Iranian chef named Ariana Bundy. Yes, that's soy sauce in the recipe, and it's not Persian, but Ariana said she liked it. I really like this dish myself--which reminds me, I should make it again soon as fresh eggplant and tomatoes come into season. There's a Persian name for this egg dish, too. Kuku? My adaptation of Ariana's original recipe follows. PERSIAN "FRITTATA" 1 lb eggplant, cut into 1" cubes Olive oil, approx 1/4 cup 1 medium onion, diced 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 1 tsp turmeric 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & diced 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 Tbsp water 1/2 cup chopped parsley 4 Tbsp walnuts or almonds, toasted & crushed 6 Tbsp barberries or dried cranberries 5 Tbsp flour 2 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp soy sauce 9 eggs Preheat oven to 350F. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, and saute eggplant cubes until golden. Remove eggplant from pan and set aside. Heat more oil in the pan, and add onions, garlic, and turmeric. Cook on medium heat until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Lower heat, return eggplant to pan, add tomatoes and cinnamon, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the juices have evaporated. Remove from heat, mash with a fork or pulse in a food processor only until mixed. Stir in saffron with soaking water, parsley, walnuts or almonds, barberries or cranberries, flour, baking powder, sugar, soy sauce. Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired. The mixture should be well-seasoned. Allow to cool (put in freezer for 10 mins). Meanwhile, lightly whisk eggs in a separate bowl and add 1 pinch of salt per egg (approx 1/8 tsp salt). When vegetable mixture is cool, add eggs. Mix together well. Pour into oiled 9" X 12" baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely, and cut into squares. Serve with salad or in a sandwich.

Jackal10, what quantity of green walnuts for your recipe?

The process reminds me of curing olives. I guess all that brining and soaking lessens the astringency. What kind of time frame are you looking for?

I am so-o jealous. I must make friends with someone with a walnut tree. I did a search on Google for "green walnut preserves" and got a some links. An alternative name is "young walnuts." A couple historical recipes here. "'To Pickel Wallnutts Green...'Let your nutts be green as not to have any shell; then run a kniting pin two ways through them...' " http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/w/walnut06.html#rec And a more modern Armenian recipe: http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?titl...NGUYZ_MURAPA.29

I'm told that you can freeze fresh galangal and that it will last indefinitely in the freezer. You can buy galangal already frozen in some Asian stores. You can also buy dried slices of galangal, but that form will not suit for fresh salads. Kasma Loha-Unchit has some info about the different forms of galangal, including galangal in brine, in her cookbook Dancing Shrimp. The page is available for viewing on Googlebooks (page 58): http://books.google.com/books?id=KR87yYyPf...shrimp#PPA58,M1 good luck!

Today I tried to clear out my fridge and freezer a bit, and I improvised a Thai-style steak and potatoes salad for dinner. Not authentically Thai, but it tasted good. To make this salad: Cut 1 lb potatoes into chunks, rub with oil and S & P, then roast in a 425 degree oven until golden brown and tender. Let cool. Grill 1 lb steak (I used flank steak), let cool somewhat, and slice thinly. In a large bowl, combine the steak strips with this dressing: 2 TB fish sauce, 2 TB fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp sugar, 1-2 thinly slivered red Fresno chiles. Taste and adjust for seasoning. The flavors should balance for hot, salty, sour, sweet. Toss in 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion; 2 scallions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts 1" long; 1 small tomato, cut into chunks. Mound onto a serving platter lined with lettuce leaves, and surround with the roasted potatoes. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve immediately.

I really like Lior's idea of switching the traditions back and forth. Maybe someday you can try this dessert: Alice Medrich's Chocolate Banana Blintzes. They are very showy, and delicious too, and they are straightforward to make as long as you are comfortable with crepes. The various components can be prepared and cooked ahead. The blintzes are browned briefly before serving. This blog has the recipe. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/02...a-blintzes.html

I was surfing Googlebooks and came across this recipe for Oyster & Banana Blossom Salad: http://books.google.com/books?id=cgJK8b1t7...nchit#PPA348,M1 I've never tried the oyster salad. But I have eaten a banana blossom & chicken salad like this one: Banana Blossom & Chicken Salad on this blog, with a link to the recipe on the MSNBC website: http://www.eatingoutloud.com/2008/03/banan...sian-pears.html Banana blossom slivers in salads are tough and astringent. The astringency is very much a Thai flavor, not an American one. In Thailand I ate a relish of coconut, salted fermented crab, and sauteed pork, which you scooped up with banana blossom leaves. That was the first time I thought banana blossom tasted really good. All those other strong flavors balanced the astringency of the banana blossoms. The banana blossoms, especially the undeveloped buds, are very showy in a salad, and a novelty. It's worth giving them a try. good luck!

Bruce, that's some great looking food. And thanks for the reminder about strawberries. It's that time of year for making one of my favorite non-Thai desserts, strawberry ice cream. Today I tried a recipe from Kasma's Dancing Shrimp, Prawns and Bean Thread in Clay Pot (Gkoong Ohb Woon Sen). A dish of prawns and bean threads, braised with garlic, ginger, cilantro, black pepper, fish and soy sauces, and oyster sauce. No chiles in this recipe, and I read it through twice to make sure my eyes weren't tricking me. But plenty of black pepper. Kasma calls this dish "mild." I reduced the garlic and black pepper by half, and ground it to a coarse paste with the cilantro stems. The dish still had quite a burn from the black pepper. It was also a tad salty for me. Next time I'll reduce the oyster sauce to 2-3 TB. An easy, tasty dish--I'd make it again.