blue_dolphin

I agree on carrots working with most fruits and throw them in often. I also do: Beets (cooked), blueberries or raspberries and cranberries (I buy extra at this time of year and keep in the freezer. A handfull of frozen cranberries adds a nice tang to smoothies Pumpkin, mango and/or banana with nutmeg and cinnamon. I freeze leftover cooked pumpkin in half cup blobs and store in a zip-lock Spinach, mango and/or banana and/or pineapple with OJ - No milk or yogurt in this one Broccoli (raw) with Trader Joes' Very Cherry Berry mix (cherries, blueberries, blackberries, respberries) plus a big handful of cranberries. This one is the most ...um... vegetal tasting. The berries don't quite overtake the broccoli, but I'll have it for breakfast on a day when I know I'll be stuck in planes and airports or otherwise without much access to green veggies all day. All the above get a chunk of tofu, too.

FWIW, last week, I listened to a piece on KCRW's Good Food that described a recent taste test of vanilla extracts by Cook's Illustrated. Their conclusion was that high temp applications (like baking), drive off many compounds that differentiate various extracts. Low temp applications (like puddings or custards) allow more distinctions to be made. They said that in speaking to pastry chefs, they learned that "many buy an arsenal of vanilla extracts, using cheaper imitation for baking and pure for confections made with moderate or no heat, such as puddings, pastry cream, and buttercream frosting." Their overall winner was McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, certainly readily available. I've always thought that keeping a few vanilla beans in the sugar jar added a certain complexity to even baked goods, but who knows?

Salmon Croquettes? Not common at my house. But Tuna Croquettes (made with a mix of saltines and bread crumbs, and formed into little log shapes) were a Friday night dinner regular. My recollection is that the usual sides were mac & cheese (baked, with a crust of the same saltine/bread crumb mix) and green beans.

Wow, that's a lotta eggs! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I'm enjoying it greatly. Not to worry, you can go back and change it when you write the book!

Here in Ventura county (north of LA) most items would be no problem. The little non-chain market nearest my house is now owned by a Middle Eastern family and serves a primarily Mexican and Filipino clientele so they stock an interesting range of items that I used to have to hunt around for. --Pomegranate molasses - yes --Sumac - yes --Aleppo pepper - yes --creme fraiche - yes, at any big super --Mexican crema - yes, everywhere --Spanish smoked paprika - probably yes, though I bought mine from Penzeys --miso paste - yes, although the selection varies from 1or 2 to many varieties depending on the store --sherry vinegar - yes - 10 years ago, this used to be a problem for me to find but it's now at Trader Joes and big supers --duck (fresh or frozen) - frozen, easy. Haven't looked for fresh but I'm sure they'd be available from Asian markets closer to LA --duck fat - haven't seen it --pancetta - yes --less common pig parts - Some Now, my parents live in rural Northern New York and I'm guessing creme fraiche, pigs feet (perhaps other pig parts, too) and maybe frozen duck would be the only available items on the list. I'm not big meat eater or cooker so I have no butcher experience. I've driven by a number of nearby places with names like Carniceria El Matador‎ but have not stopped in to investigate.

I've used bean cooking water to cook pasta, especially when making pasta with beans and greens. I add a cup or so of the bean/pasta water to the greens as they cook to make a nice sauce. More bean/pasta water makes it into a soup.

This is my reason for looking for a bottom freezer model, too. I often just put veggies on the bottom shelf rather than reach all the way down to the bins. How's the noise factor on the Jenn Air? I have a small place and am hoping for something quiet.

The lab where I work has white/ivory epoxy resin benchtops. Gives the lab a clean, bright look compared with the usual black. I expect newer materials have improved but ours are about 15 years old and there's significant yellowing, apparently due to exposure to bright light. In areas under the skylights, there are clear outlines where equipment sat in the same place and protected the surface from the light. Benches farther away from the windows still look quite white. Aside from that, and a few scratches from dragging/pushing heavy equipment across the surface, they look pretty good. No burn or scorch marks, dye stains, etc. The matching epoxy resin sinks have all been replaced with stainless steel after they developed cracks. Most likely caused by people (who should know better) dumping dry ice or liquid nitrogen. Not an average household hazard.

I'm also curious about LG. I've been looking at this one which also has the 2 freezer drawers. I want a counter/cabinet depth model. I bought my current fridge 27 years ago. I've been waiting for it to die but I guess I've gotten my money's worth. Its longevity's probably due to the simple design - no icemaker, no water dispenser, etc.

I toss a handful or two of frozen cranberries into smoothies and go through a few bags that way. I like the cran-cello idea from Katie. Or maybe some cranberry-infused tequila? Hmmmm. If cranberries are still on sale, I'll try both!

Same here. Tub of 2% purchased at Trader Joes. I didn't notice the change in manufacturing location until I spotted this thread and checked the label.

Wow, I could have written so much of your post, although I don't share the irony of working in the food industry. I also lost my sense of smell about 7 years ago. Other weird symptoms and lots of frightening hypothetical diagnoses and tests which I bailed out of after visiting an oral surgeon, a head and neck surgeon, an ear, nose and throat specialist, infectious diseases guy, a rheumatologist and a neurologist. The synergy of wonderful wine and food pairings is something I miss greatly. Friends still turn to me to choose wines at restaurants, but like you, I'm not sure I could spot a corked bottle. I used to love trying new recipes but now I'm much more inclined to choose an old favorite so I can trigger those old olfactory memories! I always loved contrasts - sweet:sour, crisp:chewy, hot:cool - that I can still enjoy. Chili peppers still add spice although I can eat wasabi by the spoonful as a party trick! Every now and then I think I've perceived a little whiff of something but it's probably just an olfactory halucination.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us! I visited Beijing last year. The um, beige air and endless traffic sort of put me off as compared with Shanghai where I had more time for pedestrian exploration so I appreciate getting your view of Beijing and your life there.

My favorites change all the time! After looking through my cupboards, I'll pick two that evoke strong, early sensory memories, perhaps because they were used in holiday dishes. Spice - I was tempted to choose pepper but I'll go with cloves. When I was little, I loved helping poke them into the Easter ham and the oranges and lemons we hung from the Christmas tree. It's another spice that goes into both sweet and savory dishes from spicy garbanzo beans to pumpkin smoothies. Herb - Sage is my pick. A crucial ingredient in the Thanksgiving stuffing when I was a kid. Now, the roasted onions with sage and balsamic vinegar from Deborah Madison's Savory Way are a staple in my kitchen. I love the way the piney flavor of the fresh sage leaves complements the sweet-hot roasted onions.

Oh my, this sounds very handy. Reheating the bathwater would be lovely and I've often wished I could summon someone to re-fill my champagne glass! I'm very much enjoying your blog!

Ahh, after being out of town all week, I've just sipped my way through an entire pot of coffee catching up with your blog on a rainy Sunday morning. A slice of toast topped with Nutella (inspired by your daughter's pancakes!) accompanied the last cup. What a delight to visit the markets with you - its one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Thank you so much for sharing, in words and pictures, the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of your area!

I worked at Mickey D's in the late 70s, which was certainly a "fast few years" ago ! I don't know what's current, but during the time I worked there, they went from mixing up the tartar sauce fresh daily to opening a big can and manually re-filling the "caulking-gun" tubes each day to getting the sauce as pre-filled, disposable tubes ready for loading in the guns.

Foodie can sound a little too cute so I don't care use it myself, but it doesn't make me cringe if I hear someone else use it. I was thinking exactly the same thing. As a scientist, gastro = stomach to me and reflects no appreciation or savoring of what ends up as "gastric contents"

Munich has some nice options including a Dallmayr outpost for gift shopping. Back home, I'm a fan of Vino Volo and enjoy the civilized opportunity to sit down and sample a flight of wines in the midst of the security screening/ID scrutiny/liquid segregation/shoe removal carnival that our airports are today. I've only tried the food a few times. The cheese plate at the IAD location has been lovely on all 4 times I've ordered it. The same menu choice ordered at SEA was lame. Wines were enjoyable at both locations. I'm hoping to see them expand. I agree that SEA has come a long way and I especially appreciate the fact that prices are held to non-airport norms so I don't feel gouged. Jason mentioned options outside of security. Airside, in the Central Marketplace, there's a sit-down Anthony's with a bar, Vino Volo, Kathy Casey's Dish D'Lish (sandwiches are pre-made and look rather unpleasant in the deli case but on 5 of my 6 tries they toasted up quite nicely in what ever sort of convection contraption they use) and take out options from Anthony's, Ivar's Seafood Bar, Pallino, Dilettante Chocolates Café and others that can be consumed in the "food-court" area with vast windows overlooking the runways or carried on board. Airport gift shops Discover Puget Sound, Made in Washington as well as Vino Volo sell local wines that can be carried on board for those last minute gifts. Last week I picked up a bottle of 2005 Murray Cuvee from Hightower Cellars, named after their winery dog. Who could resist a wine with such a friendly face!

Just tried the Bicyclette that eje linked to above. Very tasty. My current bottle (purchased 2-3 months ago) does not list ingredients but "ARTIFICIALLY COLORED" appears below the US Govt warning for alcoholic beverages. Don't know how that compares to CA labeling.

Another manuka honey fan here - for its delicious flavor. I brought some back from a trip to New Zealand and have continued to purchase it here. I also love to bring honey back from a trip and remember my travels with a cup of honey-sweetened tea.

Did I miss it or are we going to hear more about this? I visited Santa Fe in Feb 2001, for a business meeting. It was cold and gray. A fair bit of snow, but frozen into icy gray mounds. I promised myself that I'd come back in another season and now realize that I have yet to do so. Thank you for blogging. Like the blogs that that drew me to eGullet, you have brought to this one your own special sense of time and place.

I have no menu suggestions, but you must read Malawry's wonderful eGullet foodblog about her time cooking for a sorority.

Pille - Thank you so much for doing this blog. I visited Tallin briefly in 2004 and found it lovely. You lead such a busy life that I'm amazed that you found the time to fill your blog here with photos and descriptions that really capture a special sense of place. I've been reading along all week and enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about the area. I've looked at Nami-Nami too and I've got to try the beetroot and blue cheese tarts and the red onion and feta tart. The pear and blue cheese quiche you mentioned in the post I've quoted sounds really interesting. Any chance you'll be sharing the recipe for that one?