Katie Meadow

The recipe I used called for boiling chunks of the potato, celeriac and kohlrabi separately, until soft enough to put through a ricer. The apple was cooked in a little butter and very little water to carmelize, also soft enough to mash or rice with the rest. One whole apple turned out to be a little sweeter than I liked, but a half would have been perfect. I could see eliminating the apple and it would still be great. Just plain mashed potatoes seem to need lots of butter and cream, but this had enough moisture and flavor to need very modest amounts of butter and creme fraiche, which is all to the good as far as my cholesterol is concerned.

Then there's the original geek, the Carnival Geek, the sideshow guy who specialized in the prep work for cooking a chicken.

Love this vegetable! I like it raw, just sliced paper thin and sprinkled with sea salt. Last week I came across a recipe for a root vegetable mash that turned out to be really delicious: it consisted of russet potatoes, kohlrabi, celery root and a very small amount of apple, all riced and blended. The recipe suggested adding some milk or cream, but I used some left over creme fraiche--just a wee bit--and butter and salt and it was awfully yummy, if you like that sort of thing. Adding a little softened goat cheese and garlic might be great too. But I also like it match-sticked and added to various kinds of slaws. And yes, I always see kohlrabi in chinatown, and have bought it several times there. I prefer smaller tenderer bulbs, and they are not always so easy to find; the ones I see in Oakland Chinatown are pretty hefty. The Chinese must stir fry kohlrabi, no? I like the idea of vichyssoise. I could see mixing it with potato and leek for that. Kohlrabi is pretty sweet on its own and doesn't have a lot of body when mashed.

Depending upon how you drive, if you go by Marshall Road from Tomales you can stop at Hog Island for oysters. You can eat them there on the deck or pack them to go. If you are in Berkeley on a Saturday morning you can buy same oysters at the Berkeley Farmers' Market (same deal, take away or have them open for you on the spot.) And you can also get them at the SF Ferry Building. I have never eaten at Osteria Stellino in Pt Reyes Station. There is of course the well worn and well known Station Cafe, just opposite from Stellino. Atmosphere hasn't changed in a million years. The food has never been great imo but it is an institution, and if the weather is warm and sunny, sitting in the back patio is pretty sweet. Excellent root beer float. Saltwater Oyster depot is on my list of to do's--it sounds great. That's in Inverness, I believe, just a short hop from Pt Reyes Station. A great day outing: go through Inverness and stop at Saltwater Oyster (or vice versa), continue on to Abbott's Lagoon parking lot. The walk is lovely, about a mile in to the lagoon and a little more to the ocean. Great for birding, usually lots of pelicans and assorted shore birds, also great for taking a picnic. Last time I was there I saw a coyote walking on the opposite shore of the lagoon.

First cup of Stella flip coffee using my new cast iron heat diffuser. Works great! I put in too much coffee, so it was awfully strong but I used fine grind and that seemed to work. There must be some effect from the steam going up through the grinds as the water heats that gives it a special aroma. Very nice. Typically we drink french press or just drip thru a gold filter and this is a fun change. You do have to flip with confidence, though. And it isn't just to avoid burning the coffee that it's important to wait a couple of minutes for the water to cool a bit before flipping. And btw Andie, I used my heat diffuser to cook a pot of beans yesterday. My stove is powerful and it is hard to get a very low, consistent simmer in a covered creuset pot; this little gadget helps a lot. Thanks for the idea!

If you are first steaming the clams until they open they are essentially done and tender. If they then get cooked further in the parchment packet don't they risk being overcooked?

Yes, as a result of changes in my health my diet has been adjusted in the last few years. Perhaps some of it is chemical, perhaps some of it is just old habits dying. Some things I have grown not to care about and am just as happy not eating: rich fatty meat is at the top of that list. Also cake and whipped cream. I don't even miss ice cream that much, but allow myself a taste once in a while. It's so good! I'm okay with more olive oil and way less butter. I eat more rice and potatoes and less wheat. Then there are the things I miss desperately and treat myself to on ocassion. That's some other thread.

Reading this thread I realize that my tastes have narrowed in the last few years and grown rather quirky. I still like all the food groups in general, although my desire for large hunks of meat continues to decline. I won't touch cooked liver or offal, but I will eat a little pate on a cracker. I don't much care for lamb or gamey meat. I can't abide brussels sprouts; in fact I can smell them even if I am just looking at a picture of them. I don't like broccoli or turnips. I do like cabbage and cauliflower, though, especially when cooked with tomato. I like all shellfish except scallops. I love (small) raw oysters but I'm not a fan of cooked oysters or oyster chowder. Generally I stay away from seafood with tentacles, although if baby calamari is fried well and served with a good dipping sauce I can enjoy it. I hate tapioca and I think bubble tea is especially creepy. I don't like thick squash soup or pumpkin pie and generally don't like anything that tastes like "pumpkin pie spices." I like bananas okay just plain, but I can't stand banana bread or banana desserts. I dislike macadamia and brazil nuts. I don't like swiss cheese or gouda. I'm sure there's more, but why go on? I USED to like most of these things.

Thanks, flame tamer it is! Perfect.

http://stovetopitaly...-Stella-226.htm Okay, this is what it looks like. I just came back from cleaning out my mother's apartment in NY and mailed home two of these very good-looking stainless steel pots. No, she wasn't Italian, but for a while she tried. I can't tell what the sizes are, but the bigger one has a diameter of 3 inches. My Viking stove has a ring of fire that is approximately 4.5-5 inches. Can this pot even be used on my stove? Does anyone know if there is some type of adapter that could be used? I see nothing in my Viking lit (!) that helps me. I'm dying to try out this upside-down method.

Yes, a bread pudding boiled to a fare the well inside a hollowed out loaf, using lamb fat instead of butter. Mmm, saffron and currents. Delish, I'm sure! Must needs be washed down wi' a pint.

Going through stuff in my mother's apartment and I came across her old copy of Ada Boni's Italian Regional Cooking. Really interesting! Don't believe I've ever seen it before. Love the murky colored plates showing barely identifiable food overshadowed by architectural wonders and stormy sea coasts. This book is a dissertation on the word "authentic:" If you can dig it up or grab it by the tail, make something yummy with it. Use whatever you can find in your little patch of the world and it will be distinctive. No food processors, no mixers, just pound and knead. But there's no map showing all the regions! Is this book still in print?

Oat cakes sweetened with honey with a touch of anise for flavor. Anything involving lamb fat or songbirds.

Not that I routinely use fish or shellfish stocks, but I was under the impression that in general they are not long-cooking stocks. A fresh tasting shrimp broth from shells can made in 15 or 20 minutes. And somehow I have it in my head that a fish stock is more like 30 minutes when using raw heads, fins, bones etc. I admit to having tossed out quarts of shrimp stock from the freezer for lack of ideas. I find that shrimp dishes that have a sauce component don't need much stock, and the shells from a pound or two of shrimp make a very adequate amount of stock for several servings ladled over rice or whatever. A seafood soup obviously needs more stock, but using just shrimp stock for that doesn't sound too appealing. So, same day use has been my most successful way to make use of peeled shrimp. With all the chicken, turkey and ham stock in my freezer, the shrimp don't have a fighting chance.

I use garbanzos that come in a glass jar. I think they have better flavor than those in a can. And I have tried using dried garbanzos, but found that there isn't a significant enough difference once you add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin and paprika. One of my favorite things about making hummus is that it can be very good, given how easy and fast it is with prepared beans, and far better than most packaged products or even stuff from a deli. Maybe using high quality olive oil and fresh lemon and toasted ground cumin is enough to elevate it. Also it doesn't need near the amount of salt that most prepared stuff has in it. I rinse the beans and toss the liquid. If I need to add more liquid for texture I'll use fresh water, but it doesn't take too much water if you are also adding oil. When I cook dried beans of other varieties I never use the soaking liquid. Again, I rinse the beans and use fresh water or stock. And after reading about inulin in Wiki, I can live without more of that.

Raamo, when you start the soak what proportions do you use?

Crab prices are high this year, so be prepared. For a slightly different experience you could try PPQ Dungeness Island on Clement St. Really great crab and really fabulous wings. And not cheap. Vietnamese by way of Chinese Outer Richmond. Lots of fun and you need lots of napkins. I think it might be your style. Also walking distance from GG Park.

Different cuts will take different amounts of time. I use Bob's steel cut oats They seem relatively coarse, and would break your teeth if they cooked for only 15 minutes. Pinhead Scottish Oats in the can take slightly less time but cost a lot more money. The Irish oats in a can may be a bit finer grind, but truthfully it has been ages since I tried those. I don't do any prep overnight, just cook in the morning. Bring 3 c water to a boil, add salt and 2/3 cup oats to serve two. Simmer uncovered 30 min, stirring often toward the end. Turn off the heat amd cover, let stand another 5 minutes. We're talkin' close to 45 minutes from the time you enter the kitchen, so not great if you are looking for a shortcut.

You can order them from Pearson Ranch in CA if you can't find them now in any markets. Now is the time. I think they sell 10 lbs for $26.

Two good suggestions, Becco and Napoleon. Never been to Napoleon, sounds like it could be fun. Thanks. If you think of anything else lemme know!

Actually I believe the dinner will be on the later side, so we won't have to deal w the pre-theater crowd. The suggestions are great but I am not sure Esca and Benoit are within price range for this group. Any ideas for a bit more modest? Entrees under $25 perhaps?

Any good ideas for dinner near 6th Ave and 43rd St? Family party of about 6 or 7 after an evening gallery preview, some elderly, not looking for too exotic or spicy or too noisy. Italian would work or perhaps brasserie type old school. I know it's a toughie.

I often put the juice and very finely cut peel of 1 large Bergamot into a batch of seville orange marmalade. One batch for me is about 3-4 lbs oranges and yields approx 5 8-oz jars of finished product. Do you plan on only one batch? Y0u could see how it tastes with a modest quantity and then if you want more bergamot flavor try a second batch with a bit more. It's a potent flavor and if you end up with bergamot marmalade there may be a very select following only. Try a twist of bergamot peel in a martini, although that won't use up a lot of fruit.

Then there's Delfino's pizza in the mission, and the Bi-Rite ice cream store across the street for dessert. If you are an ice cream freak you could try Humphrey Slocombe, also in the mission. I hear the Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is great. My nephew is a major fan. Check out their website. Most of my info about Mission bars and restaurants comes from 20-somethings, although I can second Tartine from experience, especially the croissants and fruit/bread pudding. Oh, and if you find yourself in the inner sunset near 9th Ave just south of Golden Gate Park Botanical Gardens try Marnee Thai. It's just a little modest place with very good food.

Learn how to make really good tamales. This might have been my resolution last year and the year before. Luckily I can't remember and I'm going with it as a new goal.