FoodMan

Thanks for the pics nessa. hmmm...shouldn't they have a hole in them? All the ones Ive seen look like a donut. Or is that purely aesthetic? How do you make the hole anyways? just poke it or is there a proper Vada-making method? Elie

Thick (2 - 3 inch) T-bone steak, rubbed with rosemary, salt and pepper. Preferably on the grill, but a hot heavy pan will work, to medium rare. Remove, drizzle with best extra virgin olive oil. Let it rest then carve and serve with sauteed garlicky spinach and some roasted potatoes. Elie

Macaroni Grill itself is not too bad when it comes to chains. Then again YMMV especially from one location to the next, but in any case it is light years ahead of that abomination, The Olive Garden. However, I was a little surprised to see Rosengarten in the commercial, still not nearly as bad as Mr. Bayless endorsing BK. Elie

Jack- Thank you for sharing these pictures with us. How did you like it though? What did you serve it with? Elie

I have seen this commercial several times, it's been out for a while. It basically features Rosengarten talking about wine and MG, however I am not sure what he says exactly since I have not seen it recently. Sorry. Elie

Aminni and Raghavan- Thank you both very much. Elie

I'm bringing this back up hoping for a recipe for these addictive fritters. So please if you have a good recipe post or PM it. I am totally hooked on them the way a local Indian restaurant makes them here in Houston, a bit crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside. They are great with some Sambar, ginger chutney or tamrind chutney. Elie

This is the second time you mention this. I must give it a try at the earliest possible chance and if I can pry the secret recipe from the proprietior I will give that a try as well. This is Nielsen's on Richmond close to loop 610 right? Elie

Lebanese Eggplant and beef stew A simple burgul pilaf A side of homemade yogurt with some salt stirred in. Freshly made Harissa (following Claudia Roden’s recipe) Elie

Houston Press Dining: Sushi Pudding Robb Walsh visits Bank and claims that "The food is damn good" even after an encounter with a less than friendly or wine savvy waiter. Elie

Absolutly nothing interesting in today's W&D. I keep hoping the following week might be better. Elie

Behemoth- I know exactly what your are talking about, most Lebanese versions of baked pasta or any pasta is overcooked, gummy and almost inedible (my does make a very good Lasagna, though it did not start that way). The funny thing is that as a kid I enjoyed most of them but now I cannot imagine eating overcooked pasta with sliced hotdogs in it. I figured this has to be the case. Thompson keeps saying that and now you confirm it. I should get cooking with some relishes (nahm prik) and curries soon . Elie edit: fix spelling

Houston Chronicle Food section: Lunchbox basics Mary Vuong writes about back to school menus for your kids. Carb Math: Low Carb Diet, love it or lose it? Janice Schindeler has the results of the Chronicle's survey about the subject. Elie

I have four pots like these two, plus some I transplanted into 2 or 3 plants to the pot. I was worried they were overcrowded, but they seem OK. I haven't a clue how to proceed, but have looked at some recipes, and in particular the one in Claudia Roden's Book of Jewish Food. I guess stip the leaves and shred them. Make a chicken stew, flavoured with cardomon, and bay, and add the shredded leaves just before serving, simmering for 3-5 minutes.Finish with coriander and lots of garlic stirred in hot oil (taqliya) That's pretty much it, that is how it is cooked. However my mom always dries the shredded leaves in the sun first and stores them in the pantry. This I believe makes for a much less "mucousy" dish. Try it both ways. To serve lay some toasted pita pieces in the bottom of a deep dish, top with spiced rice, then the juicy mulukhiya, shredded chicken and the final touch consists of a sprinkling of raw onions that have been steeped in vinegar or lemon juice. Ah, a roya meal indeed. enjoy Elie

Jack, these look great. They should be ready to harvest soon. How much of it do you have? Do you know how to proceed after harvesting? Elie

We had a very French dish for dinner last night, braised short ribs with Porcini-prune sauce. It took about two days to prepare but very well worth the effort. The sauce alone would make a great meal with some bread. We had very buttery and creamy mashed potatoes and a glass of red wine in Julia Child’s honor as well. Elie

I can only imagine. My wife might actually file for divorce after such an incident. She practically spends the day at her mom’s when I make duck confit because of the duck fat smell, even though she does not mind eating the end product . A stinky fishy smell might a little over the top for her. Hopefully it will be the same way with my Thai food adventures, the end product will be much better than the sum of it’s parts’ smell. The key to any new and strange food item is to take small steps (hence, it is good to be timid sometimes Fifi). A nibble here and there until you decide if it is for you or not. Elie

I saw a recipe for it in my Lebanese cookbook the other day. You can mke your own syrup with raisins and dates. I bet it would taste better thatn the store bought one. Elie

Speaking of fishy and Thai food as they relate to authenticity and taste, my most recent cookbook acquisition is Thai Food by David Thompson. I have been reading through this opus for the past few days and I have to say I am a little scared from how “authentic” it is, since a Pad Thai, Tom Yum soup or a simple green curry have been my main conquests when it comes to Thai food. I am a little averse to very “fishy” flavors and when reading many of the recipes that sound interesting they include large amounts of fish paste, fish sauce, shrimp paste…flavors that the author describes as fetid smelling. However, once incorporated in a dish they are supposed to do wonders. These recipes are very interesting though and I basically decided to give them a try as soon as I can, it might taste a little strange, maybe a little fishy (I hope not) but in the end I will hopefully get used to it and come to enjoy it the same way I got over eating raw fish and now enjoy a regular dose of sushi and sashimi on a regular basis. They might be intimidating but that will not stop me from discovering this interesting cuisine. Elie

I've been in meetings out of town all day and my wife told me a couple of hours ago. So sad. She is an inspiration and will be greatly missed. What an amazing person who lived life to the fullest. Bon Appetite and may you rest in peace. Elie

A reader's interesting request from today's W&D: I cannot think of a single restaurant that is "truly dog-friendly" in Houston or anywhere else for that matter. Even if there is one, I would think it would be pretty odd for the Dining Section to include such a criteria in it's listing. Other than that, today's section was very dry. Elie

Professional cake recipes use metric system, ands since this one is from the world pastry competition it makes sense to have it in metric. My scale has both Metric and English measurments so it is pretty simple to convert from one to the other. Elie

I just printed the recipe for my review. I will hopefully and to the best of my humble abilities make this fabulous sounding and looking cake. I might even come close to the real thing. No doubt I will have several questions for you FEWD (if you do not mind) after I review the instructions. Thanks again for posting this, Elie

Houston Chronicle' s Food Section: Dip into Greece In honor of the Olympic games in Athens Janice Schindeler covers and array of Greek dips and mezze items. Elie

If it's the same type as the one I'm used to in Lebanon then the plants should be about 2 - 2.5 feet tall and the leaves about 2 inches long, then it'sready to be picked. Elie