Katie Meadow

We have a modest 2-qt Cuisinart model (dunno the model #), so I don't know how yours works. It definitely helps to have the mixture as cold as possible before you start to churn. When it is done we decant into plastic qt containers and set then inside the insulated containers in the freezer to set up for several hours. We haven't made ice cream for many years but we do make palate cleansers and sorbets during the summer. I have a great (and simple) recipe for a lemon buttermilk sorbet; I'm seriously hooked on that and we often make two qts. Fabulous by itself or next to a moist slice of gingerbread!

This thread has convinced me it's time to make another batch. My brother-in-law makes wine (it's good) and gives us a case for xmas every year so it would be nice to give them something home-made. They aren't exactly vegetarians, but they don't eat much meat and probably no pork. They do like very hot spicy foods, though. What might I suggest they eat the mostarda with, assuming salumi is not their cup of tea? Shrimp? Vegetables, cooked how?

Excellent thread! I look forward to trying the above recipes. These pancakes are a little different: very wholesome, with good bite. Apple Oatmeal Pancakes 2/3 cup regular cooking flaked oats 1.25 c buttermilk 1 large egg 2 T brown sugar 1 medium tart green apple (like Granny Smith) Squeeze of lemon juice, bit of zest 8 T white flour 4 T ww flour (you can adjust the ratio of white to ww as you like) 1 tsp baking soda 1/3 tsp salt or less pinch cinnamon 2 T veg oil (Mazzola corn is good) xtra buttermilk as needed Overnight: soak the oats in the buttermilk in the fridge, covered. In the morning: in a large bowl whisk the egg with the sugar. Peel and grate the apple, measure to about 2/3 c firmly packed. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice, add a little zest and mix into the egg mixture. Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl, mix well, then add, along with the buttermilk-oatmeal mixture and the oil to the apple-egg mix. It should be thick. Heat a griddle over medium heat, grease with a little butter or oil. Drop batter in approx 1/4 cupfuls. The pancakes should spread very slowly. You will probably want to turn down the flame to med-low. These should cook a bit slower than most pancakes, since they are denser. If they don't spread you may want to add just a touch more buttermilk to the batter.

Mario Batali's recipe for Mostarda di Cremona from Molto Italiano is fairly runny and quite hot. It may not meet all your criteria, since it does use mustard seeds along with dry mustard and (being Batali) hot red pepper flakes. I have made it several times and always to rave reviews. He calls for fresh pear along with a variety of dried fruits, so I would think you could sub your apples. I have juggled the proportions using more pear and dried figs and cherries and less raisins and it's always fantastic. I serve it as he suggests with coppa (mild) for a starter.

This topic has emboldened me. Has anyone used the Comark DT15? I just bought one on eBay (impulse buy!) and I don't have any idea how exactly it works; the picture shows a cord from the probe to a stand-up monitor that clearly isn't long enough to go into the oven, so I assume it is an instant read-out type. It supposedly comes with interchangeable probes. On the Comark website it has a list price of $89. This one is new and the price was really great so I went for it. It will be my first meat thermometer ever. I think I've saved a lot of money not doing large rib roasts for so many years, but I seem to be having a mid-life meat crisis.

Okay, so I looked at the thread suggested by paulraphael and I checked out some pix of the above Comark. Now I am getting more confused. The PDT 300 is cute; it looks simple, like a pen-type. But then I looked at other more expensive Comark models that have interchangeable probes (what, different lengths for different meats?), a bigger readout contraption and timer with a cord connected to the probe. How do those work?

Are the best meat thermometers ones you use as needed with a needle and a quick readout that do not stay in the roast? I take it both versions of the Thermapen described upthread work that way--you just do it quick as the end is near....Are there any that stay in during the entire cooking process? I've got a handle on steaks; I have finally learned to trust the palm pressing method, which did take some practice. For roast chicken I have my own method: when my husband says "take it out" I know it needs another 15 minutes! If you don't have my husband, the shake-a-leg method works in a pinch. But when it comes to a big hunk of meat like a rib roast I'm just clueless. I don't make them because I'm too scared of spending the big bucks only to have overdone meat. Maybe I could work up the nerve if I was slinging a Thermapen?

It being early summer, do you have good tomatoes yet? If so a tabouli salad with bulgur and tomatoes and cukes and lots parsley and mint might be good "filler" without being too wintry. And it's colorful. Or if you like the potato idea, how about a warm/room temp potato salad with radish, celery etc and a bright mustard olive oil dressing? Or a rice salad with roasted red and green peppers and pine nuts? That a nice complement to lamb.

I second the few souls who have suggested something GREEN. Sounds to me like you have the carbs and starches covered and then some. It isn't unthinkable to have a crispy coleslaw AND a pile of beautiful greens! Don't real men eat vegetables? Here's what I made last night: Buy two or three bunches of big curly-leaf kale. (I bought one bunch and my husband and I ate it all, but it would have easily fed three--or four if there was as much food as it sounds like you are making.) Wash it, trim off the biggest stems, and roughly chiffonade the leaves. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a heavy pot with high sides. Sautee the kale over med-low flame a few minutes til wilted (You will have to add it in bunches.) Add salt and pepper and maybe a shake of hot red pepper flakes. Throw in an ample amount of minced garlic, continue to cook another few minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add a few T of water, cover, and cook over a low flame 10 or 15 minutes, checking to make sure the water isn't absorbed too quickly (add more if it is), and stirring every so often. Voila! At the end you can add just a little splash of balsamic or other vinegar, or not, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot or room temp or reheated. Yummy however. Wish I had some leftovers for lunch today.

The more Ting Ting Jahe I eat the more I want. Very addictive. I haven't had any ginger beer for a while, but I used to like Stewarts. My memory is that it was pretty spicy. I don't remember thinking the heat was peppery (as opposed to gingery), but it never occured to me. Need a quick fix and can't find ginger ice cream? One summer I became obsessed with ginger floats. Favorite vanilla ice cream in a tall glass of ginger beer. Nice with a little paper umbrella!

When you say "in season" what exactly do you mean? Do you mean grown locally during any given time period or any month? Or do you mean that certain veggies and fruits are available seasonally in the stores? In northern CA the farmers markets are a relatively good indicator of what's grown within a certain radius of my home (altho some stuff is trucked from as far as southern CA) but large stores also get produce from all over the globe when it is in season--somewhere. Soft shell crab is in season here the same time as it is in season on the east coast; it just travels farther to get to my fish market. Fresh bergamot season here in the Bay Area is in late December, early January (blink and you'll miss it!) It isn't local but it's definitely seasonal. To complicate matters, if the concern is one of footprint size, it isn't always the case that locally grown produce costs less in energy from field to table. I love knowing who grows may favorite onions, but it was sobering to read that recent article (I think in the NYT) showing how an organic strawberry on a small pick-up truck from 200 miles away can have a bigger footprint than one that rides a honkin' semi from the Central Valley to Chicago. Lot's of decisions (and maybe so little time left to make them.)

Good thread, this. And very useful: my husband loves licorice in just about all its forms and I am putting together a selection of different types that will fill the bread pan he's getting as one of his gifts. Two questions: 1) I adore the Lakrits in the little boxes, but I can't find them any more. So last year I went online and found a few candy outlets where I could order them in bulk. I ordered 5 lbs, which seemed absurd, but I couldn't find any smaller quantities. All the Lakrits on line --sometimes called Lentils--appear to come from the same candymaker, Koppers Chocolates. Long story short, they weren't as good as the ones in the little boxes. The chocolate seemed poorer quality. Am I nuts? Needless to say we ate all of them eventually but they were missing some quality or other. Are the ones in the little box made by some other company? Is it just because nothing takes like it used to taste? 2) The easiest way I know to irritate my husband is to pronounce licorice like this: licoriss. He says licorish. What do you say? How would a Brit say it? For some dopey reason it sounds more delicious to me the first way.

Perhaps "chili" as made in Texas or most of California is defined as red, but in the beautiful state of New Mexico they would disagree. You can order a bowl of verde or rojo and they are both "chile." A bowl of green uses fresh (or, if out of season, frozen) roasted and peeled green chiles chopped (with salt and garlic) and added with no tomato products. A bowl of red uses dried red chile pods that are rehydrated and strained and blended to become a sauce that is the basis for a bowl of chile or enchiladas or a variety of other dishes. New Mexico bowls of chile, both red and green, are often made with pork rather than beef, cubed or shredded rather than ground, and commonly with potatoes rather than beans. And speaking of eggs upthread, the most typical way to eat eggs with red chile is to have them fried. For breakfast there's huevos rancheros: pinto beans with a coupla fried eggs sitting in a pool of chile served with hot flour tortillas. Also it's not uncommon to ask for enchiladas with an egg, and that would be fried as well. When the runny yolk blends into that red sauce it's transcendent. Fresh roasted green chiles however are a no-brainer in scrambled eggs.

When I first started buying veal knuckle bones about 25 years ago I had never even heard of veal stock. I had just gotten my first dog (my parents allowed fish and parakeets only) and the dog books said no bones for pups except for raw veal knuckles. Note to Joan: totally irrelevant to anyone else, but she was a German Shepherd and loyal like nobody's business. Veal knuckles were cheap and didn't seem hard to find. I didn't know osso buco from a hole in the wall and hadn't a clue that the knuckle bones were the scraps from some haute shank. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't even know then that veal was baby cow. Then I started cooking. The German Shepherd died and I discovered that all kinds of bones--including veal knuckles--could be added to various stocks. My next dog was an optimist and didn't know what she was missing. I learned to make veal shanks and they were delicious. Once upon a time bones were used for stock because they were inedible, cheap and available. Veal stock may indeed be a great addition to traditional french sauces or perhaps even provide the basis for a plate of foam on the coast of Spain, but this thread has pretty much lead me to the realization that I will not be seeking out veal knuckle bones for veal stock, and if one does cross my path I might just throw it to the dog. She's a cheerful Aussie and just about the best dog on the planet. She deserves it.

My understanding is that fish stock is very different from meat or poultry stocks. Most of the classic recipes I've seen simmer the fish trimmings for only about 30 minutes. Sometimes the onions, celery, etc are sweated in the pan, but not browned, then the washed fish heads, bones etc are put in. I've seen recipes that add a little white wine halfway through as well. There are strong fish stocks and delicate ones, depending on what kind of soup or dish is being made. My first instinct would be to consult Julia if you plan on making any classic kind of fish soup. And then I would see what Jasper White has to say. His recipes for chowders and soups aren't simple but they have a common sense factor that I like.

Some of the comments on this thread make me feel vindicated. If there are people out there who admit they like their food well salted and still are finding some restaurant food too salty, then even as a person who has cut back on salt I must not be completely off the mark. If chefs are reading this so much the better, but I would think the first line of defense is to send back the food and tell them why, or at the very least, confide in the waiter and see what he suggests. Returning food to the kitchen takes courage, at least for me. My husband would rather hide under the table than do it, and he would rather be beamed off the face of the earth than watch me do it, but that would send the message. Problem is, of course, that many of the other diners eating the same food either don't have a problem with the salt level or are too embarrassed to make their feelings known. I know when I am paying more than $30 for an entree I don't want to believe the food is inedible. And if I acknowledge my disappointment my family will think I had a bad time. It's hard not to get cowed into thinking it's just you, not the food; after all, what about the hype and the hip review, blah blah. But when my family--far more tolerant of salt than me--find their choices are also oversalted it's hard to give the chef the benefit of the doubt. Let's send back the lamb and stop acting like sheep!

Ah, Pho Belly! Yes, pho sho, I know that feeling well.

I have checked this thread and can't find discussion re two latke questions I have, so forgive me if the answers are somewhere else.... 1) I have always used russets for my latkes, but I recently subbed yukon golds for russets when making mashed potatoes and liked the result. Does anyone prefer yukon golds for latkes? 2) Assuming a basic technique of grating the potatoes and using them raw, some recipes specify putting the grated taters in an ice bath. The reasons, I am guessing could be multiple: keeps them from turning brown, crisps them up, and also causes the starch to settle in a clump at the bottom. I have seen recipes that said to toss out that starch. Plenty of other recipes don't address the issue of an ice bath at all and don't make any mention of not wanting the starch. I have done it both ways and naturally I can't really remember year to year whether I liked one method better or not. Anyone have an opinion about this? (Of course you do!)

Dave, fyi there are many used copies of this book listed with Bookfinder.com if you should burn through your supply. It is an excellent source for books, including hard-to-find ones. Thanks, I will take a look at all the above suggestions. Many of the dishes pictured on this thread look fabulous--you are all amazing. I'm overdue for a break from my Italian phase (Siddown, Mario!) I don't know if I will ever get to the point where I am compelled to take pix of my food, but you never know.

Hi all, your food is inspiring. I have made my own somewhat unorthodox pho for several years now using oxtails for the stock along with lemongrass etc, but haven't attempted other dishes. I notice much mention here of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. Would that be a good book to start with? Any other books you like? P.S. Ce'nedra, what is it about Pho you find unhealthy? I skim off all the fat from my stock before I make my soup so it's clean and greasless. Is it something you add later?

Yes, sweet stuff too, absolutely. I know a couple who adore France, travel there once a year, love wine, wax poetic about the memorable meals and who are even thinking about buying property there for retirement. Would you predict the wife drinks a can of coke every day for breakfast? She does, along with many other Americans. Then all afternoon she nibbles at her desk from a box of cheez-its. Must be a balance thing.

I love the dairy vs. no dairy controversy! Everyone has a strong opinion about it, including, of course, me. I've never seen any empirical evidence either but I'm very strongly in the "no dairy" camp when feeding sick people. Even if it doesn't actually increase mucous it does coat the throat with bacterial inducing agents. At least that's my theory--based, naturally, on my extensive knowledge of nothing. When reason fails we fall back on this: it's just plain wrong. My husband poo-poos me, my daughter agrees with me, so that 2 out of 3 right there. Another vote for Pho! With a slice or two of jalapeno and a generous squeeze of lime it's my number one sick food. The poached chicken idea sounds yummy too.

What's healthy is clearly based on any given person's needs at the time, and everyone has a different approach; there are almost as many food issues in this country as there are people. For some it's fat, for others it's calories or sugar and for some it's additives and chemicals. I prefer to simply eliminate certain dishes instead of substituting ingredients to make them healthier; most things that really depend on the flavor of butter just don't translate when you try to use a something else. It would just be awful to make Indian food with olive oil. Mashed potatoes, on the other hand, can be pretty good when made with garlicky oil. The things I need to stay away from (cholesterol delivery systems like butter, cheese, eggs and animal fat) I use sparingly and think of as special treats. Turkey bacon just doesn't do it for me, so I indulge in real bacon just a few times a year in the summer when tomatoes are peaking and a BLT is calling my name. I'll never say never about any food, since that would be so sad! If I have guests and a cheese app seems appropriate I buy my most favorite gooey wonderful cheese and indulge. No leftovers to tempt me--at least not with friends like mine. My solution has been to get into cuisines that use olive oil bigtime, or Japanese and Vietnamese foods which don't rely on dairy. So when I indulge I don't feel bad. I've always been mystified by vegetarians who make tofu burgers or "turkey." There are so many great Asian tofu dishes to be made. Is it a nostalgia thing? Do you miss the burgers of your youth? How could half and half possibly be fat free? How can they even call it half and half? What's in it? It sounds like a hoax.

Geez, why would you want to cook something even you wouldn't eat just because your guests have unsophisticated tastebuds? You may not convert them, but I think most people who eat poorly are usually glad just to be fed. I wouldn't go out and buy esoteric wines or expensive ingredients that are likely to be lost on them, but I would make really nice simple food--even it it's just a perfect grilled burger with lots of fixin's--and at least try to please them. That doesn't take much more energy than making crummy food in the end. Best home-made mac 'n' cheese covers a multitude of sinful eaters, and the worst that can happen is that you have good leftovers. You could even end up being surprised by their appreciation or a change of heart. And wouldn't you rather cook for them than have them cook for you?

What a great forum for spouting off about chefs, even if we know next to nothing about them! I don't have cable or food channel but I have plenty of opinions and plenty of time since I fractured my elbow, have restricted driving capability, can't open most jars and can slice and dice only soft vegetables or television personalities. So here goes (only the living): Lidia: top o' the heap, queen bee, wish she was my mother. How does she keep from splattering and dribbling on those silk blouses? Pepin: what's not to like, especially since Claudine has retired or gotten a job on her home planet or whatever. And I love his life-long friend too, whatever his name is. Also it's sweet that he keeps that little stuffed cat around. Bourdain: only seen him a coupla times but yes, he's reckless and he's hot. Points off for smoking, though; I'd never kiss him. It's hard to say which will happen first, getting poisoned or being hooked up to an oxygen tank. Bayless: he's very strange, isn't he? Sort of compelling and a little weird at the same time, but I like the way he swoons over one little oyster. His food is appealing and he would be fun to eat with on the playa. Major points for elevating the food instead of himself. Chiarello: smarmy, arrogant and sexist. Flay: maybe not so smarmy, but he seems awfully taken with his own cuteness. I'm indebted to him for his "cowboy steaks" recipe, though. Batali: never seen him on tv, but I think I might like him. He must have a sense of humor about himself, or he wouldn't wear shorts and orange plastic footware. I cook a lot from Molto Italiano. Is he really going tete a tete with Gwyneth? Now that's bizarre. Nigella: my husband finds her awesome and pays no attention to what she cooks. I am not wild about her recipes, but she actually comes across as rather straightforward--or at least she used to. Jaimie O: he looks and acts like he's 14--not that that's necessarily a bad thing, of course, but he seems to be getting sillier now that he's on all the talk shows. Hard not to like him, though. Endearing, infectious enthusiasm. Daisy: not very many fans here? She seriously loves her own cooking in a nice way and her food is homey and not at all fussy. I'm sure I would like whatever she cooked, but I probably wouldn't cook it myself. Giada: never seen her except a photo. She smiles and wears tight sweaters. Can she cook? Rachel: well of COURSE I'm saving her for last. I've only watched her a couple of times but she is definitely the most irritating person on tv. I cringe when she says the Eword. As far as I can tell she usually makes variations on sloppy joes, the main ingredients of all her dishes being ground chuck, lots of cheese and prepared sauces because "I know you're as busy as I am." Quick, where's the remote?