CathyL

Is it okay to paraphrase a recipe rather than post it verbatim? That sounds SO good.

Our default is romaine, radicchio, endive, sliced raw mushrooms and sweet onion. I like a little Dijon mustard in vinaigrette to emulsify it, and lately I've been using sherry vinegar a lot. Often I mince a shallot and let it macerate in the vinegar before finishing the dressing. I love a mix of greens with walnut oil, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Sometimes (ok, often) I buy pre-packaged greens from EarthBound Farms.

Happy anniversary, Steven & Ellen! I was going to ask, if the 8th is lobster, what do you have to look forward to for your 50th? but someone beat me to it.

Plain old white rice. Sometimes it's perfect but usually it's slightly over- or underdone.

Yes, he had a restaurant in Tijuana, where Julia was taken by her parents. She also says the salad was served as whole leaves to be picked up and eaten out of hand.

According to Julia Child, Caesar Cardini's original had no anchovies. She speculates that the speck of anchovy in the Worcestershire inspired the addition in later recipes.

Steve, that is a beautiful dinner indeed. If you have a moment, could you explain your reservations about the tiger prawns? If it's the seafood/Parmesan pairing, would you do something different next time to bring them into better harmony?

I've had a few business lunches at the Knickerbocker Club. Slightly stuffy traditional dishes, overcooked and underseasoned. Saltines in the bread basket.

Grape Nuts! I love the crunch, the slight sweetness and the toasty/grainy aftertaste. I've tried them hot, per a suggestion on the box, but they lost their essential Grape Nuttiness. Occasionally I buy a box of Puffed Kashi. It's unsweetened, texturally interesting and quite tasty with milk and fruit.

I like roasting vegetables in the toaster oven but it won't hold enough cauliflower! I would also lower the temperature. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper makes cleanup easy and doesn't impede browning. Your deconstructed pizza, oh my.

There's a thread about roasting cauliflower here. I leave the pieces larger (1") than Sandra does and roast a little hotter (400-425) until the florets are well-browned and a bit crispy at the edges. Sometimes I add minced garlic and hot pepper, or curry powder. Roasted with just olive oil, salt & pepper, it's very nice dipped into mustardy mayonnaise

What a beautiful salad, Tommy. And so much more elegant than leftover ribs and coleslaw.

Sunday supper for a crowd...too hot to cook inside, or eat outside: Smoked trout pate with pumpernickel toast and sliced cucumbers Slow-smoked baby backs, rubbed with a paste of garlic, juniper berries & mustard seed Heirloom tomatoes with EVOO, balsamic, garlic, parsley and basil Coleslaw Vegetable gratin, contributed by a guest (heirloom zucchini, tomatoes, onions, & rosemary from his garden) Chocolate walnut cookies, cherries and grapes

What happened to Eskimo Pies? They're my husband's favorite. It's been years since I've seen the original ones in Manhattan - all that's available are the sugar-free variety and they suck. I can still find him Nutty Buddies (aka Drumsticks, at least in the West) - sugar cone, vanilla ice cream, chocolate-like topping, chopped peanuts. My childhood fix was a frozen banana on a stick, coated in chocolate and nuts. And Cool Pops, the liquid-filled plastic rectangles frozen at home and squeezed out of the package. I liked the blue ones - no identifiable flavor, just...blue. No one's mentioned sno-cones. Ferrara in Little Italy used to make a kick-ass coffee granita - intense espresso punch, not too sweet.

Randall Graham is screwcapping his Ca' del Solo Big House White and Big House Red. Read all about it here.

Mies also said 'less is more.'

Yes indeed. But I've switched to Muir Glen ketchup for Q sauce - a bit less sweet and more acidic than Heinz. For french fries etc., Heinz it is.

...reduce an oil-and-vinegar marinade to a glaze in the microwave. WHOMP

Mise en plotz (this is not a reference to Steve P.)

...leave the kitchen when toasting nuts. ...try to make cookie dough with a hand mixer. ...open the oven door to see why the broiler hasn't lit without turning the knob to 'off' first. ...grab a hot pan with a wet potholder.

I love romano beans - wonderful texture. I've only flicked through Schneider's book. What veggies did she omit?

I agree with the assessments above, although I still find the gossipy news bits interesting. And I admit I really liked that Abbey Road cover...

Hot and sour soup. Clears the sinuses! (Sini??)

The best one-top experiences I recall were in Paris; even young waiters took a paternal interest in feeding me well. The worst was a sushi bar in London, where I was the only woman - and the only gaijin - in the room. Sheesh.

Southern girl, thanks for the excellent writeup. I've never dined solo at JG, but I've gotten that signal from waiters elsewhere. I always figured the concern is that a lone female won't eat much, won't order good wine and/or won't tip generously. Hah! Isn't that squab killer?