CathyL

Oh, I miss Kauai! We went every year too, but last time I got so mosquito-bitten we switched to Lanai and got hooked. (Swimming with wild dolphins will do that.) We always stayed in Poipu because in winter the water is more swimmable than up north. Fewer decent restaurants, it's true.

The current issue of this UK magazine has a longish article on the boys of MG: Blumenthal, Gagnaire, Adria, Tim Pak Poy (Claudes in Sydney) and Juan Mari Arzak (Arzak in Spain). Insiders, we're told, "say the confident French chef Philippe Conticini at Petrossian is the next one to watch." No new ground is broken, but there is one unintentionally hilarious 'eeeuw' moment: "Inspiration can come from anywhere. Chef Tim Pak Poy...discovered that an orchard farmer used beetroot to kill off infection in an injury. Pak Poy went to work translating this in the kitchen, and the result was beetroot-cured sea trout."

Jaymes, that's a laugh-out-loud riot. Good for your hostess for having the chutzpah to serve the cheese thing anyway, and the grace to laugh about her chicken.

Suvir, I'm sure it will be fine. I often use granulated sugar for meringues. As I understand it, superfine is preferred because it dissolves more easily than granulated, and undissolved sugar attracts more moisture - which could make the finished meringue sticky. But it's a dry day, so unless you're making the meringue far in advance of serving you should be okay. I'm sure one of the pros will chime in...

If Mel ever does a sequel to 'The Producers'...

Wow - I'd love that! The Hampton Chutney Company in NY makes a killer cilantro chutney with coconut and (I think) dates. I pick up a container when I'm pressed for time and serve it with veggies or lavash; it's always devoured.

Priscilla, do try the cauliflower soon - it's so luscious!

Suvir, I've been saving the yellow tomato jar for a day when I've been really really good. I predict that will happen this weekend, and I'll post my experience with a comparison. I'm definitely going to quarter the tomatoes for the next batch.

Soba, what a lovely dish. But why foil the eggplant? It picks up such nice roasty flavor when baked nekkid.

Marcella Hazan wants you to use Pecorino Romano as well as the Parmigiano, and a little butter. She will also allow you to freeze pesto before you add the cheese and butter.

Suvir, any recipe from you is a REAL recipe. Thanks! I can tell the asafoetida will be a good addition, and I'll try some green chilies next time too.

I made a version of Suvir's cauliflower dish for dinner. Dropped a chiffonade of curry leaves (6 or 7) into hot oil, added several tablespoons of chutney, then a chopped-up cauliflower and a little salt. Tossed over medium heat until the cauliflower was softened but still toothsome, and added a little more chutney off the heat. It was very very good, so I'm sure the REAL recipe must be divine. Suvir, if you have a moment to point me to one I'd be very appreciative. Breakfast this morning: a warmed pita spread with strained Greek yogurt and topped with chutney. Wow. Canning this was fun and instructive, but of questionable practical value, given how fast I'm going through it. Edit disclosure: Suvir gave me some of his own chutney for comparison. (Is he a sweetheart or what? I got not one jar but two, plus some homemade apricot jam.) Other than the fact that mine is sweeter , some other differences were noteworthy: Suvir's is hotter (more cayenne), which I like very much. It's a bit less cooked down than mine, so it's fresher tasting. I left the dried chilies whole, and his were either broken up or strained out. And he chopped rather than pureed the tomatoes, so there were little curls of tomato skin scattered through the cauliflower dish. They were very pretty and intensely tomato-y.

That's fascinating, Adam. I love Jerusalem artichokes but I always roast them in chunks or slices until they're quite brown and caramelized. Nary a fart. Is that because the roasting breaks down the complex sugars, or because I have a cast-iron gut?

Sullivan St. pane Pugliese Eli's sourdough ficelle (with or without onions) Orwasher's Jewish rye

Your posts are so informative and illuminating, and such fun to read! Thanks, Rochelle.

That looks yummy. I often make a less refined version: flake the smoked fish, stir in sour cream (I use low-fat, shhhhh), minced scallions, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When I can find pumpernickel baguettes, I slice thin rounds and toast them; it's also good spread on cucumber slices. I usually serve Riesling, but once I had a bottle of Jonge Genever - marvelous match.

Thanks for trying to make me feel better.

From what little I recall from high-school chemistry (I don't recall anything from college chemistry), adding salt raises the boiling point, so salted water takes longer to boil. (It also lowers the freezes point, so pouring salt on ice helps the ice to melt.) Salt also lowers the melting point of ice. Click.

I make a pseudo-Romesco based on a red pepper dip recipe in Jacques Pepin's 'The Short-Cut Cook.' 1 lb. roasted red peppers (Jacques suggests the jarred ones; I buy them at a good prepared-foods counter) 3-4 ounces pecans, toasted until fragrant large clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup or so EVOO salt & pepper ground hot pepper (I use chipotle) Whir the peppers, pecans and garlic in a processor, add the olive oil gradually and season to taste. It's good with raw veggies, pita, lavash, etc. Everyone in my family makes a very simple chopped eggplant (from my Romanian grandma): a few eggplants, roasted until near collapse (I do them over a slow charcoal fire), the pulp mashed and mixed with a little grated onion, salt and pepper. I like it best with pumpernickel bread or rye Melba rounds. Joyce Goldstein has a wonderful Turkish version of this, with toasted walnuts and yogurt - recipe here. I put ground toasted cumin in it too.

Priscilla, that sounds lovely.

Oh, this is so embarrassing... Plain ordinary shrimp, bought already cooked at Citarella. Served cold, with the chutney as a cocktail sauce alternative. Nothing with but a salad of romaine, endive and baby spinach. I did put the chutney in a very handsome little bowl.

Rochelle, terrific report - thanks! By the way, Zabar's prepared foods are mostly mediocre so you didn't miss anything. Next time you're in the neighborhood, you might want to hit Barney Greengrass on 89th & Amsterdam for a brunch of lox and eggs and onions - divinely salty/greasy.

Marinades tenderize meat. That bugs me almost as much as the sealing-in-the-juices myth.

Priscilla, that's kind - thanks. I'm glad you enjoy this as much as I do! Please post some of your ideas on how to use it. I've done nothing inspired so far, but it's marvelous with poached shrimp. Suvir's cauliflower suggestion is next, I think.

Suvir, it's still scrumptious! I'll certainly be making it again before tomato season ends, and will be interested in the difference.