Katie Meadow

Carrots with harissa above sounds very yummy! If you've got some nice tomatoes a Greek salad with some cukes, feta and olives would be perfect, along with a fresh baguette, of course. As long as you are firing up the grill you could make some babganouj; home-made w/grilled eggplant is far superior to any deli-prepared. Medium size eggplants will only take about 20 minutes (while you are prepping other stuff) and then you can grill the other veggies. Cook eggplants, turning to evenly char, til blackened on the outside and very soft inside. Scrape out and mash the pulp, including a little of the smokey skin. Mix in about 1/4 c tahini for two or three eggplants, or to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil, some lemon juice, salt and cumin. Serve with a sprinkling of paprika and/or chopped parsley and another drizzle. If you don't have pita bread, I find it's just as good or better on a baguette or scooped up with those pricey but delicious Panzanella crackers.

Thank you, Katie. Here is the recipe, I hope you enjoy it - shaking beef (click). ← Made the recipe pretty much as written, except my flanksteak seemed a little tough, even cutting into it raw, so instead of cubing the meat I decided to slice it very thin and marinate if for half an hour in the soy, oyster sauce, garlic and an addition of a little rice wine. Then I wok-seared it hot and fast. This is a great dish (and so simple!), especially in warm weather, now that real tomatoes are starting to appear. Immensely satisfying combination of strong flavors. Thanks!

I had mixed results and very mixed enthusiasm for making my own hummus until I found three things: a good brand of garbanzos, a good brand of tahini and a good recipe. Chickpeas in a can always taste tinny to me. There is an Italian brand called Annalisa that's not expensive and comes in a jar. The chickpeas taste clean and not stale. As for tahini, I never could deal with that stuff in the can; it's always separated and the solids are like cement. Now I buy a bottled brand made by Sadaf, which I can find in a large Arab or middle eastern deli. It's smooth and needs little mixing so it's very easy to use, and it's 100% sesame w/no preservatives. It's a mystery to me why it doesn't separate, but it doesn't. Tastes really pure and nice. Finally I found a Mark Bittman recipe that makes a balanced and flavorful hummus, and it's easy to adjust the proportions to your taste. I don't think I've had Sabra products; sounds like a good bet in a pinch. I'm pretty much used to making my own hummus and babaganoush; it's fast and simple in the processor and the cost savings are far greater than half, as suggested above. I've seen plenty of flavored spreads that are called "hummus" as if the word means "dip." Seems like a stretch, to me--they might be very good, but in my book hummus means chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, oil and spices.

That pineapple sounds interesting. Our pineapple choices in this country are going the way of the banana. I find Mexican-grown pineapple is more flavorful than the ubiquitous and very bland Dole Hawaiian, but it isn't always available. Yes, tropical fruits seem to have an affinity for savory and hot, as in salsas and chutneys; of course they grow where the season is long enough to grow hot peppers and tomatoes, so it make sense. I like pineapple the way I first had it as street food in Mexico--with a squirt of lime and a sprinkle of ancho chili powder (in a lovely paper cone!) And I admit to liking it grilled or broiled, with sea salt and brown sugar. Ooh, I 'm having a Sunset Magazine moment.

Thanks to Ce'nedra's recent post on the favorite food blogs thread, I checked out several of them. Whiteonricecouple.com is fabulous. Their noodle tutorial is the best I have ever seen, so anyone with questions about cooking various types of noodles should check that out. Their "Battle of the Banh Mi" is also wonderful; not only great suggestions and recipes for make-your-own but a list of reader recommendations for sandwich places all over the country. Another blog she mentioned is Steamykitchen.com, also very interesting. Excellent blow-by-blow description of how to make the perfect Viet iced coffee. C. sapidus, that shaking beef looks luscious. I don't have "Pleasures of..." Is there a lot more to the recipe/ingredients or is your brief description pretty much how it is? I could probably run with that, but perhaps there's something else I should know? I like the idea of serving tomatoes with it. I used to think the pairing of pineapple and tomato was weird, but now I've grown to like it. There are some interesting soups that make use of that combo. (I sneered at pineapple pizza but I've come 'round on that one too!)

The first time I ever saw those one-handed squeezers was in a market in Mexico. They were bright durable plastic and on the small side--just perfect for those petite limes. I bought several and gave them as gifts. Twenty years later I still use mine for limeade or when I want a quick fix and have juicy fruit. However, for getting your money's worth out of a lemon or a lime nothing works like an old-fashioned wooden reamer. The first time I used one I was amazed by how much juice I could wring out of even an overpriced under-ripe citrus fruit. Downside of course is messing with the seeds. For orange juice I think those hand-powered juicers like grandpappy has are aesthetically pleasing and very efficient. I have the same feeling as Jaz about aluminum; stainess steel is probably sturdier. I don't have any aluminum cookware, but I've always thought that using high-acid foods with aluminum wasn't the best idea.

Okay, thought I would add my two cents. You don't say what type of noodles you are cooking with. I am guessing that times have only changed so much since I lived in New Mexico and that you are not getting fresh rice noodles. Are you getting fresh Chinese wheat noodles? Dried rice noodles? My experience is that the prep for all these noodles is different. I don't know what type of stir-fry you are making. Some dishes use a crispier noodle or nest and then simply get the rest of the stir-fry ingredients poured on top. For a crispy noodle I pre-cook wheat noodles al dente and then coat with oil and bake them. For other stir-fry, when I want my veggies or whatever tossed with noodles--either rice or wheat--I find the best results are when using a thinner noodle. For rice noodles that would mean vermicelli or "S" size, which is I think stands for small, and seems one step up from vermicelli. For wheat noodles I boil them til al dente, dump into a strainer, briefly run cold water over, and then just mix them with a very small amount of peanut or sesame oil. The cold water stops them from cooking of course, and the oil prevents them from sticking. I toss them with a fork gently a couple of times while they are cooling and they can sit til I'm ready. I have easy access to fresh Chinese wheat noodles, but I would think dried wheat noodles would be boiled as per usual, til barely tender if they are going back into the wok before serving. I tend not to use soba in stir-fry; I prefer soba cool. I also don't use udon or other Japanese style noodles for stir-fry, but I don't see why that couldn't be done. For thin rice noodles I don't find it necessary to boil them first, but simply pour very hot water over them and let them sit until they are just this side of tender, or al dente. That takes 15 minutes to half an hour, depending upon thickness. Then I drain them. I coat them with a very small amount of oil as well, but I am not sure it's necessary. I make stir-fry in a wok on very high heat. When the ingredients are close to being tender, or however I prefer them, I add the sauce mixture, cover, and let steam until done, usually less than a minute. If I wish to have a noodle stir-fry (instead of over rice) I add the sauce ingredients just a minute earlier, cover, steam briefly, then dump in the cooled noodles, stir in quickly, cover again, and cook another 30 seconds or a minute until the noodles are heated through. They will soften up a little during that time. That's it. Hope this is helpful.

Many many years ago I shared a few farm animals with a mixed collection of experienced rural types and adventurous hippies. We had one cow and several goats and did a certain amount of experimentation with whatever milk we had. The cow was outstanding, but my recollection of goat's milk butter is that the reason it isn't common is partly the goatey taste but mainly the fact that goat's milk is low in fat, so it isn't exactly cost-effective to try to make butter when the cream yield is so small. I suppose in cultures that don't have cows or among people who can only sustain goats it might be more appealing, although they might have easier access to various oils for cooking. I think it would work paired with anything you could imagine combines well with goat cheese, like spinach or potatoes.

Just so no one gets the wrong idea, I wasn't working from memory, I was just making that up--imagining what it might be like. I guess I'm not far off! I'm pleased to know you made it back in one piece. Cheers! Anyone remember the movie "Local Hero?" I expect most of my false and very fond visual memories of Scotland are due to numerous viewings of that movie seen through a haze of a variety of things. Lovely.

When I was growing up my mother and another mom in our building developed a relationship that revolved around cocktail hour playdates and Scotch. Cigarettes too, but happily my mother quit smoking and never drank to excess. When I tasted her drink and made a terrible face, my mother pronounced Scotch an acquired taste and told me to try another sip when I got my own five-year old. I did, and it was delicious. I prefer my whisky neat and as a nightcap--accompanied if possible by a piece of bittersweet chocolate. Generally I like the more delicate highland Scotch; a little peat goes a long way for me. Bring on the fresh hay and the flowers! For my 50th I was given a bottle of Balvenie (I think it was 21)) and thought it was wonderful. I love Macallan; 18 is seriously yummy, 12 is just fine. When college tuition payments come to an end maybe a bottle of Macallan 25 will be in order. I hope I still have some taste buds by then. Needless to say we don't routinely have a bottle of either in our house. For everyday really low-price blended Scotch we buy Cluny in the giant plastic bottle. It's cheaper than Famous Grouse and I don't find Famous Grouse to be appreciably better. Maybe I'm just used to Cluny. I think it may be more common on the west coast, but I'm not sure. My image of the most dangerous vacation on earth is the self-guided Scotland distillery tour. There I am on a narrow twisty road at the edge of a bog in a driving rainstorm and the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car and the car's on the wrong side of the road and there are sheep all over the place and how many distilleries have we already been to?

This is the kind of question that makes you wish Lidia was going to drop by later for a glass of wine so you could ask her. She pretty much puts herself in the camp of those with Italian-American cooking roots, no? But she would also know exactly where in Italy they combine cheese and fish--if they ever do. I can think of no people more likely to pair cheese with seafood than Americans. We seem to like cheese on everything: goopy, stringy, flaky, salty, every which way. And best of all it comes straight out of the Kraft canister with the nice big holes and you don't have to worry about breaking a nail on the grater. (Okay, I know some folks are nostalgic about that delivery system, but not me.) I am guessing that enough Americans, exuberant over getting their first neighborhood Italian restaurant and used to shaking cheese on their meatballs & spaghetti, didn't hesitate to put it on every entree. What waiter would suggest otherwise? The kids are having fun with it; hey it's like eating in a snow globe! And so...linguini with clams got a fair shake too. What's not to like? Well, to me the combo of cheese and seafood just seems generally icky. My one exception is the southern favorite of cheesy grits and shrimp. As long as the grits aren't overly cheesy--and we're not talkin' pecorino here), and there's a spicy red salsa to go with, it kinda works for me.

I was really disappointed in Whitehouse Crawford the last time I was there. All the dishes were exceptionally salty. None of us really liked our food and we felt ripped off, frankly. My next trip up to Walla Squared may be very soon, and I'm looking forward to trying the new pho place. Nobody has posted any comments about it yet. I'll put in a good word for some of the cheap lunch options, like the taco wagons, and I too appreciate Onion World, which my family always refers to as the Hot Dog Window, and which has very limited open window hours during lunchtime. They do work the grill at the farmers' market on the weekend, so you can have one there. I'm not really a hot dog person, but their sausages are really good. If they would devote just a little thought to the whole package it would be even better: superior buns, grilled carmelized onions (in season no onion can touch a WW sweet!) and dijon mustard would do the trick. And then if they added a papaya drink like Gray's Papaya in NY it would be a dizzying meal. This next trip I plan to investigate the food and drink in Waitsburg; it all sounds wonderful. If that town is carefully and slowly restored without too much kitch or clutter it will be really lovely.

Knowing how fond I am of bittersweet chocolate, my daughter included a package of Scharffenberger cocoa nibs in a gift for me. She didn't know what they were, but I guess they sounded promising. I had no idea what to do with them, so when we made a batch of brownies we threw in a handful of nibs along with chopped walnuts. They were excellent in the brownies, adding depth to the taste and a nice texture, different from anything else. They retained their bite, being neither too hard nor too soft. Why they would act differently in a cookie is interesting.

Could someone clarify a description of moules frites? I assume it is the mussels version of steak frites--that is, essentially two separate dishes served simultaneously: basically mussels in broth with a side of frites. We have a likeable bistro that serves a nice bowl of steamed mussels in a broth of (I think) white wine, herbs and a splash of pernod. The frites, ordered separately, are thin and crispy (if you ask for them well-done) and come with a yummy aioli for dipping. Our mussels in the Bay Area are not as plump or flavorful as ones I have eaten around Puget Sound (farmed Penn Cove) or those on the east coast (Prince Edward Is) or those in Venice (no side of frites there!) My husband waxes poetic about the mussels he had many years ago on the north coast of France. In my mind, if the quality of the mussels is tops and the broth fragrant and not too salty and the fries perfectly crispy and tasting like real potatoes and the aoili freshly made.....it's a perfect meal. Great with wine or brew. Aww, I'm making myself sad.

Paul, thanks for your considered response to this thread. Clearly these crackers have some dedicated fans, including myself. Unless the shelf supply of the bagged crackers is very low and the packages have obviously been tossed about I can usually find a pack that has minimal breakage. Just in case you want to make sure that I am as anal-retentive as you must imagine, here's why I prefer the bag to the box (which I haven't seen yet): I definitely want to know if the bag has crushed crackers, but I also want to avoid ones that have been over-baked. I like mine very pale. If a package has more than a couple of toasty looking crackers I won't buy it if I can help it. How picky is that? Well, I'm paying just upwards of 80 cents a cracker, so...pretty picky. Complaints aside, I love these crackers and it's rare that I don't have a back-up bag in the cupboard at all times.

I buy these crackers regularly and I haven't seen any boxes yet--but I am forewarned. I am buying the 8 oz. see-thru eminently crushable packages for $6.50, which is the same as I have been paying for a couple of years. When desperate I pay $6.95 for the same package at my other usual haunt. I've never seen them for less than $6.50 here, but I don't shop too many different places. I made crackers exactly once. They were really delicious but far more work than I ever want to spend on crackers. Especially when Panzanellas make me so happy. Except for the price and the packaging, of course.

Bananas are ubiquitous in smoothies because they are cheap, available all year long, and add nutrients and thickness. I hate them in a smoothie or in anything else, but they are very useful and healthy for those who like the taste. I think smoothies are best when they are very cold--hence the addition of frozen products like frozen fruit, ice cream or sorbet. My daughter, who needs a high-fat diet, adds vanilla ice cream to a drink that typically has banana, frozen berries and milk. She likes orange juice instead of milk sometimes, but still adds ice cream, creating a sort of creamsicle effect. I like a drink that's lower in fat and cholesterol. I'm not too interested in smoothies until the weather warms up, so I tend to use fresh fruit rather than frozen. I use 1 percent milk, berries or peaches, a little Fage yogurt and a scoop of sorbet if I feel like a dairy-type shake. I also really like just a fruit drink made with orange juice, grapefuit or pineapple sorbet and fresh fruit. If you can find a good coconut-pineapple sorbet you can make a yummy tropical smoothie with milk or juice and fresh mango or stone fruit. A few drops of vanilla or almond extract is nice in some drinks. Almond extract works well with a fresh apricot dairy shake.

Forgive me, but am I missing something here? Pansophia, your original post implies that you are often in the company of corporate elitists who might be judging you for your drinking habits. If that's the case, you need to turn the tables on these creeps! You could simply drink what you like, and the hell with them. Or you could be straighforward and honest and tell them you don't often drink mixed cocktails and would like to taste theirs to see what appeals to you. People who really enjoy alcohol, drink moderately and intelligently (and are not boorish jerks) will be happy to share their knowledge--or a sip, if you don't find that gross or tacky. Alcohol kills germs, right? Or tell them what you think you might like and have them make suggestions. They might take it as a challenge! And if you don't like what they suggest, they will be happy to finish it for you. You haven't said much about what you actually like outside of perhaps sweeter drinks. Experimenting at home can be prohibitively expensive if you don't know whether you prefer gin, vodka or whiskey based drinks. Better to experiment by the drink rather than by the bottle, and hopefully in the hands of a good bartender. There's nothing wrong with ordering wine instead of a mixed drink if you really enjoy wine. Sometimes a simple aperitif like Lillet with a twist of lemon or a vermouth hits the spot. In warm weather in southern France and Italy we discovered Martini & Rossi red vermouth over ice was delicious--a little sweet but more savory and herbal. I have a friend who prefers champagne when everyone else is having mixed drinks before dinner. Someone always says, "Oh, that looks great, why didn't I think of that?" Alcohol is supposed to be an acquired taste. Remember, anyone who enters this world with a taste for scotch has problems you don't want.

Thanks to all for great suggestions. A combination of wet weather and cranky family members resulted in a campaign against destination dining in favor of convenience, so we didn't get to have many food adventures. The place my mother and daughter intersect is Japanese, so I gave them a choice of Tsukushi or Shimizu. They were unnerved about the no-menu thing, so we opted for Shimizu. Delicious! Loved the ohitashi made with watercress (instead of the usual spinach) and was totally knocked out by the spring roll with duck and vegetables. The sushi was great; my mother loved both the sea and freshwater eel and I was in heaven with medium-fatty tuna. You are right, it ain't cheap. For the fattiest tuna it's $7 per order--and an order is one piece! We also made it down to the Chelsea Market, but only because I bribed my mother with the prospect of a lobster roll and, more importantly, volunteered to cook dinner. The Lobster Place has beautiful fish. We bought a huge haul of mussels (farmed, Prince Edward Is.) They were super fresh, tender and sweet.

I will second Bistrot du Paradou. Food and experience was lovely. The drive down from St Remy was magical countryside; narrow roads lined with plane trees, and the little town/s that merge into Paradou are beautiful. Reserve way ahead! I really wanted to eat there on a Friday when they have escargot and the aioli menu; my husband would have thought he had died and gone to heaven. But we ate midweek and it was delicious. Only two choices for entree, and the bottle of red was tasty and put on the table with no fanfare. I love not having to make lots of decisions. We didn't find great restaurant food in Aix, generally, and quickly learned that the food on the Cours is nothing to write home about. I had a fish soup (I believe it was at Bastide du Cours) that wasn't bad but my companions' food wasn't as good. There are great bakeries and charcuteries however, and a wonderful daily market where you can easily pick up the fixings for a super picnic. I had the best cookie I have ever eaten from a bakery within a few blocks of the Cours, but I can't remember the name. For street food one day as we walked down from the Cathedrale and Aix museum (very nice little museum) we stumbled on a pristine Vietnamese take-out storefont (no Vietnamese people in sight--only a hip young French woman behind the counter) that was very good. We did like La Chimere Cafe on Rue Brueys (Aix). Very cozy, dark red interior, atmospheric, friendly. Lots of locals came in starting at about 10. The escargot were tender and very yummy. I had a perfect piece of grilled fish. My husband had what the waiter translated as "Bambi." I remember a great dessert, but can't recall what it was! We liked L'Unic for cafe au lait in the morning. It's right on the square where the daily market happens; the croissants are okay but the action is tops. Part of vacations for me is not having to cook, but being at this market made me wish I had brought my kitchen. And my oyster knife.

There are two typical types of Earl Grey. One is flavored with bergamot, which is a fragrant citrus fruit, and the other is flavored with lavender. Bergamot is more common. Combined with chocolate, the bergamot flavor can be yummy. Dark chocolate infused with tea flavor isn't uncommon, and often it's Earl Grey. The Belgian Neuhaus brand makes a delicious one, and I've had others. Sounds like it would make a very nice layer in a chocolate cake.

I am not unfamiliar with violent or noisy endings when it comes to kitchen appliances. I'm sorry for your loss, and I'm sorry if anyone in your family suffered collateral damage as a result. I am a committed toaster person. I've never met a toaster oven that did anything well, didn't take up valuable space and wasn't aesthetically hideous. A polished toaster is a thing of beauty. My favorite was the Sunbeam Toastmaster, but given that those days are long gone, I have actually found the basic 2-slice Cuisinart to be fairly efficient and a better value than any of the high-power glitzy types that cost five times as much. I'm somewhere in the middle about the middle of the toast being crisp vs moist. I don't want a cracker, and that's why pre-sliced bread is usually sliced too thin. On the other hand I don't want anything flabby. I agree that toasters that toast too quickly are not good. In order to turn out lovely golden toast a toaster can't be too fast. You have to be patient for perfect toast. But if it's too slow, the toast gets sort of brown and never gets really hot. One issue with the Cuisinart is quality control. The one we gave my in-laws (identical model as ours) is just a little slower than the one we have, and it makes just slightly better toast. Outside of the by-gone Sunbeam silent rise toasters, no toaster I know of can really be counted on to pop the toast up at the right time (and I am sure the romance of that toaster has clouded my memory.) Even with the Cuisinart we have to monitor it on a second go-round. Yes, it's a sacrifice, but you can tell that I am fairly invested in morning toast. However, given the price, the fact that both of these toasters have lasted with no ill effects for over ten years each, they are easy to clean, shine up well with chrome polish and the fact that the end result is a pretty good piece of toast, I'd say it's a decent appliance. Buy another one.

Any recommendations for good seafood markets where I can buy fresh plump mussels, littlenecks, maybe steamers and maybe shad roe? These are the things that just don't measure up in CA and I am craving them! I will be staying in mid-town at 57th and 6th Ave. I will be walking distance from Whole Foods (not my favorite store.) I will also be making a Fairway run one day, so that's close to Citarella. Is there anywhere to buy fresh seafood where the prices and attitude are more humble than Citarella? I am not averse to traveling a bit for great mussels, but timing is unknown at this point. Thanks for any help!

Thanks! Any special dishes you recommend at Wu or Madangsui?

Thanks for all the good suggestions. My mother, at 90, is a little funny about food. When she's there and the food is good, she appreciates it, but getting her to go "out of her way" for food takes some manipulation. Don't ask why she thinks a three-mile cab ride is so much different than a two-mile ride. So, when I go back to NY to visit her I have to be clever. I checked out the Lupa site and indeed the prices seem really good! Now my mother says she might like to try Felidia. The Japanese suggestions above all sound good. Tsukushi sounds amazing. For steamers or soft-shells maybe my husband and I will sneak off for a downtown excursion of our own. Are any of you old enough to remember those seafood restaurants in NY with the sawdust on the floor? That would probably be considered a very high-maintenance floor now. I have no idea if the food was actually good. Maybe I'll just bite the bullet and cook for my relatives one night. We have to make a major Fairway run for a lox/bagels brunch, so maybe I should just buy some roe...where? At Citarella? That would eliminate my mother's taxi-cab freak-out. What retail markets have beautiful fresh seafood without the price/attitude of Citarella? Thanks again, I think I have a few excellent ideas now. FYI, I mentioned Mia Dona to my mother and she told me her good friend ate there a few nights ago and found a band-aid in her soup. If this friend follows through as she is threatening and calls in the soup police, the chances of this happening again at Mia Dona have just gone way down.