djyee100

Yes to both. Congrats! You're on a roll, petite tête de chou! "Customer ordering at a restaurant: 'Raw carrots and beets.' Waiter: 'This is a restaurant, not a meadow.'" --from Ninotchka (1939), starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas, directed by Ernst Lubitsch. A young Billy Wilder was one of the screenwriters. Some more dialogue: Ninotchka: "I never think about food." Waiter: "If you don't think about food, what do you think about?" Ninotchka: "The future of the common people." Waiter: "That also is a question of food." "l've been everywhere and done everything. l've eaten caviar at Cannes, sausage rolls at the dogs...What is there left for me but marriage?" --from The Lady Vanishes (1938), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. From the beginning of the film, where Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) bemoans her fate. Her ennui is about to change. Almost 70 years later, Hitchcock's directing still shines in this movie. Can you believe he never won an Oscar for Director? Peter O'Toole shouldn't feel so bad.

Doc, I grinned when I read your account of lunch at Machu Picchu. I went thru the buffet line at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Hotel three times and tried many, many dishes, including the roast suckling pig and the roast leg of pork. In my defense, I'll add that for four days prior to that I was hiking the Inca trail, up and down the mountains, and subsisting on camp food. So I was due for a good meal. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Also, a question about cuy. Did it taste like any conventional meat to you? I never had the chance to try cuy (I can't say I tried too hard either). Others have told me that it tastes gamy, others say it tastes like chicken <sigh>. What did you think? Finally, for people who will be visiting Lima: Try to tour the pyramid excavation that is going on within the city. The sight of this pyramid against a backdrop of skyscrapers is astounding. The catacombs in Lima Cathedral are also fascinating (but not if you're squeamish about piles of human bones).

Yes, petite tête de chou. Wow, that was just a passing reference in the film. Good for you. Congrats! "Beef and cheese pot pie on a stick" from American Beauty, with Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. From the scene where Lester's wife and her lover drive up to the fast food takeout. Unknown to them, Lester is working the grill. He delivers their order (surprise, surprise) and the countergirl says to Lester's wife, "You are so busted." One of the few light moments in a dark film.

No, sorry, Domestic Goddess. Nice try. * Tab and Wonder Bread sandwiches with lettuce and chips. "Who should we nuke first?" * is still in play.

Yes. Congrats, oneidaone. "What kind of eggs did she like?" "Poached, just like me." from Runaway Bride starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Did anyone besides me wonder how Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) bought all those swanky wedding gowns on her salary as a clerk at a hardware store?

Here's one: * Customer ordering at a restaurant: "Raw carrots and beets." Waiter: "This is a restaurant, not a meadow." * Another one: * "What kind of eggs did she like?" "Poached, just like me." * And another one: * A centerpiece of artichokes. Artichokes to eat, too. * Still one more: * "l've been everywhere and done everything. l've eaten caviar at Cannes, sausage rolls at the dogs...What is there left for me but marriage?" * Another one: * Tab and Wonder Bread sandwiches with lettuce and chips. "Who should we nuke first?" The last one: * Beef and cheese pot pie on a stick *

Mustard, unless you're making an unusual variety that can't be bought. Mustard is cheap and there are many excellent brands out there. In my one foray into mustard-making, I cooked a batch of mustard with nectarines. It was delicious, but the mustard was inclined to scorch at the end of the cooking time and needed constant stirring and watching by the stove. Not worth it.

I've tried a slew of breadbaking books, and I'm not enthused about any of them. Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice has a ton of information, mostly oriented to professional bakers, but I've had inconsistent results with the recipes. Suzanne Dunaway's No Need To Knead is easy but limited in the type of bread you can do well with this technique. I learned how to bake bread well by taking hands-on classes. You can see and feel what the texture of the dough should be like, and feel more comfortable about baking with yeast. Also, if you practice bread at home, you can ask the instructor about any problems you may have had. Just a suggestion.

Yes, Racheld! Congrats! #118. "V-E-A-L P-I-C-C-A-T-A" and "What's veal?" (To himself) "Uh... God. What the hell is veal?" from Children Of A Lesser God starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin. The couple go out to a restaurant for dinner. "Veal piccata" is both signed and spoken. She doesn't know what veal piccata is, and neither of them know what veal is. (Obviously they are not egulleteers.) Question: Does anybody know the meaning of the title of this film? I don't recall that it was ever explained.

I spray Formula 409 cleaner on any burned on gunk on my pans and let it soak in a bit. Works like a charm. My pans are stainless steel. The label says not to use this stuff on "soft vinyl, varnishes or aluminum."

No action on #118, so here's another clue. OLD CLUE: 118. V-E-A-L P-I-C-C-A-T-A NEW CLUE: "What's veal?" (To himself) "Uh... God. What the hell is veal?"

Toliver, how funny that you and I thought of Shirley Temple movies at about the same time. I think this is Shirley's first appearance on this long message board. Sometimes I find it hard to believe how wildly popular Shirley Temple was in her heyday. IMO, her movies haven't aged well. Her contribution was to cheer up people and distract them during the Great Depression--and I'll give her credit for that.

Yes, I loved the Andean mint tea also. Our hostess made it with fresh mint from her garden, but the mint is also sold dried in tea bags. I wanted to bring some home, especially the seeds so I could plant some mint in my garden, but one thing led to another and I forgot. Oh well. Maybe I would have had trouble bringing the seeds into the U.S. anyway.

It's the Shirley one. There were definitely sausages in the color one, cause I saw 'em. Yes. #116. "A surprise of kippers, onions, and muffins in the attic bedroom." --from A Little Princess (1939) starring Shirley Temple. These foods were pointed out specifically in the dialogue between Sara (Shirley Temple) and Becky. The 1995 film version starring Liesel Matthews featured sausages, fruit, and muffins. The 1995 film did not feature the same menu as the 1939 film. It was obvious from your initial answer that you were not thinking of the same movie that I was. However, rather than say flat out that you were wrong, which could have been misleading since you were so close, I chose to give you a big hint to look elsewhere. Sometimes the devil is in the details.

Whew, that last set of clues went fast. Yes, #117. "A coffee plantation", from Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Congrats, Caroled! For the record, Elephant Walk was set on a tea plantation, and The Naked Jungle on a cocoa plantation. Yes, #119. "Champagne, champignons, and the Champs-Elysées. 'Champs-Elysées? I wonder what they taste like.'" --from Gay Purr-ee featuring the voices of Judy Garland and Robert Goulet. Congrats, Racheld and Caroled! For people who haven't seen this movie, Gay Purr-ee is a Disney animated film from yesteryear, with a feline theme like The Aristocats. Yes, #120. "Nipples of Venus" also appeared in Chocolat (not just in Amadeus, which was the solution for another entry). Congrats, insomniac! The count is making a pest of himself in the chocolate shop, and Vianne offers Nipples of Venus to him. He's horrified. She might as well have pulled out a gun. Oh, those Nipples of Venus. I'm not ready to declare a winner on #116. "A surprise of kippers, onions, and muffins in the attic bedroom." Racheld and Caroled, you are very close. But please name which film version features this particular menu. You can give the year or the name of the star. Also (hint) there were no sausages.

Yes, from The Thin Man. Congrats, insomniac!

More clues. Here's one: * A surprise of kippers, onions, and muffins in the attic bedroom.* Here's another: * A coffee plantation.* Another one: * V-E-A-L P-I-C-C-A-T-A.* One more: * Champagne, champignons, and the Champs-Elysées. "Champs-Elysées? I wonder what they taste like." The last one: * "Waiter, will you serve the nuts? I mean, will you serve the guests the nuts?"*

Those Nipples of Venus get around. Nipples of Venus showed up in another movie I remember. Anybody care to name that movie?

Whether intentional or not, by refusing to eat anything MargyB sent a message of rejection to her in-laws. And her MIL, by criticizing her for not ordering something, returned the favor. Ah, the communicative power of food. Seriously, though, in a family situation like this, you have to order something, and you have to eat some of it and pretend to like it. Otherwise you risk hurt feelings. Remember, this was an invitation to a meal, so you're expected to come hungry and eat. And MargyB did not refuse one or two dishes or any particular food (which would have been OK), but the whole menu.

The Birdcage! "Are you afraid of my Guatemalan-ness?" ← We routinely refer to aspirin as "pirin tablets" around our house because of this hysterical film. ← And don't forget the great dinnerware in which this soup was served.

My Stepmother Is An Alien with Kim Basinger. Remember the weirdo spaceship dress she wore that was made from hula hoops? That was a bonafide Paris couture dress that year--Pierre Cardin.

Yes, this is an important point that others have brought up as well. One of my friends is so sensitive to bitter flavors that she can't drink wine because of the tannins. And she loves good food. Eeek! No wine with a fine dinner. I've noticed that people who love and appreciate food will often try a food several times to check out if they really dislike the food, or if they can learn to like it. I wonder if that happened with the supertasters here who like bitter flavors. As for myself, I rated neither supertaster nor normal, but something in between. Did I fall into the void? In real life I will eat any kind of food you put in front of me, not fussy at all, and I'll try anything at least once. Most memorably, some friends dared me to eat the fish eyeball from a roasted fish in a Chinese restaurant, and I did. It tasted very bland, like cartilage, and earned me all kinds of admiration that has persisted to this day.

Good for you, johnnyd! Yes, "42. A liquor bottle replaces Venus. NEW CLUE: One of the stars is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar this year. (But for a different movie.)" --from How To Steal a Million, starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, directed by William Wyler. For some reason, this movie seems to slip thru the cracks when people think of these stars or even this famous director. It's a hilarious film, a classic romantic screwball comedy, and one of my favs. I'm not going to explain the clue. If you see the movie, it's obvious. Congrats, johnnyd!

Nope, sorry, Duck.

I admit I'm puzzled by the problems you're having. If you're using a good pizza dough on a properly preheated stone in a 500 degree oven, your pizza should be great. Many others have given you good pointers. This is all I can add: - Are you using instant or rapid-rise yeast in large amts (e.g., one pkg) for your dough? Chef-teacher Joanne Weir once explained that instant yeast can rise so fast that the gluten does not develop properly in the dough, and it can be difficult to stretch. It doesn't taste so good either. Try using active dry yeast, which has a slower action. Alternatively, use very little yeast and allow the dough to rise overnight. I prefer the latter method myself. I use 1/4 tsp instant yeast per cup of flour. This makes a very tasty pizza crust. - Is your pizza stone on the bottom shelf or floor of your oven? You don't say. When I use a pizza stone I preheat it on the bottom shelf for at least 45 mins at 500-525 degrees. - I learned this technique from the wonderful people at the Cheese Board in Berkeley. I set one rack with the pizza stone at the bottom of the oven, and another rack at the top of the oven. First I bake the pizza on the bottom rack until the crust is nice and golden brown. Then I finish cooking for the last couple minutes on the top rack, which gilds the toppings. This technique is also described in the cookbook: The Cheese Board: Collective Works. - On days when I cannot bear the thought of preheating a pizza stone, I use this technique learned from another wonderful teacher, Iole Aguero, who teaches in the Seattle area. Place the pizza on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake it on the bottom rack of a preheated oven until the crust is firm enough to hold its shape. Then slide the pizza off the baking sheet and finish baking on the bare rack of the oven. The crust will be golden brown and crispy, not as much as if baked with a stone, but better than if left on a baking sheet to cook. Caution: if you have too much topping on your pizza it will drip onto the floor of your oven and create a burned mess. Less is more. The baking parchment paper (the real thing, treated with silicone) will turn dark brown but will not burn unless it accidentally touches a heating element. So be careful. - And finally, preheating your oven means preheating at the target temperature for at least 20 mins, yes?