Katie Meadow

Very happy you will be going home. I have to say, even if partially due to your excellent photo skills your hospital meals actually look far better than hospital meals I've ever encountered here in the States. I take your word for it they taste far worse than they look. It remains questionable whether being able to identify your protein is a good thing. May it always taste like chicken.

Cakewalk, I totally agree about the current incarnation of the Wednesday food section. Slowly over the last few years it seems to have gotten less interesting. I don't know if there are fewer recipes in each issue than there used to be or simply fewer that interest me. I'm with you about Melissa Clark; her recipes for some reason are usually not appealing to me and sometimes her techniques strike me as plain bizarre. Her dishes often seem like....well, concoctions. I have not lived in NY for 50 years, so I never read the restaurant reviews with the expectation of dining out, but I used to enjoy them a lot. I loved Pete Wells column "Cooking with Dexter" but his reviews, not so much. The featured pieces don't grab me; they are long on chatter and short on recipes. My friends and relatives in NY don't cook much, so maybe the Times has determined its readers don't really want lots of recipes. The weekly "Eat" page in the Sunday magazine sometimes has an appealing recipe and also text that is better written. I still find some good recipes on the Times website, but since we subscribe to the daily NYT I don't pay extra for access-- nor would I.

May you get well fast and get outta there. The rice and some of the veggies look okay. Frankly it looks better than most hospital food in the states. Although, If I couldn't tell one protein source from another I would be a wee bit careful. Anything served with a decorative fish bone on top, especially if it isn't fish, wouldn't give me a whole lot of confidence. I am making the assumption, hopefully correct, that if you are that focussed on taking good pictures of your meals you are more bored than anything else. Boredom in the hospital is usually a good sign. Take care, rice wine bottoms up!

I come to NY about once a year (I grew up on the upper west side.) Every time I visit I make a pilgrimage to Prune. I'm simply a Gabrielle Hamilton fan. I believe that her partner (in life and business) is now in charge of the kitchen, but I also trust that Hamilton is such a control freak that the food is still carefully curated as ever. Besides the food being delicious, the staff is gracious, the atmosphere casual and friendly and I always have a good time in every way when I go. This is my major splurge restaurant; I try to coincide it w/my oldest friend's birthday and my husband I take her out. My other extravagance is to buy macarons at a little French bakery/cafe in Chelsea called La Bergamote. Very nice coffee and the pistachio macarons are swoon worthy. I am also fond of Buvette, despite the fact that the tables are a tad small and wobbly. The back room is sweet, and sitting at the bar is nice too. I've only had the gin martini's there, because they are smashing, although after a few sips I wouldn't trust my judgement. Bonus points for the fact that there are plenty of small plates, and the fact that they are open all afternoon, so that's my way of having one meal to take the place of lunch and dinner. They are also open late at night. I try to avoid breaking the bank, so to balance my extravagances I am happy to go low-end. My vote for best hot dog is the cart on the southwest corner of the Museum of Natural History. They are grilled, not dirty water dogs, and for some reason his relishes and toppings are the best. Also good for a meal: if you go to MOMA get the chicken and rice from the Halal truck on the SW corner of 6th and 53rd. The white sauce is addictive, the red sauce is hellishly hot. Ask for both! Prepare to stand on line, but you can sit on the edge of the fountain which is a bit cooling. So you see, my routine is very limited, as I don't even live in NY. Have fun!

I was into mushroom hunting for many years. I belonged to the SF Mycological Society and went foraging for shrooms in the Bay Area. One big source of confusion that has always existed for people who grew up or hunted for shrooms in different parts of the country and the world; some mushrooms in one locale can look very much like those in an entirely different part of the world but can be very different chemically. The Amanita, aka death cap, destroying angel, etc, is indeed deadly. There are mushrooms in Asia that look very much like it and are routinely picked and eaten to no ill effects. If you want to get into foraging, join a society, go on sponsored outings, get a really well regarded book and be a scientist about it. Learn what time of year and what environments various mushrooms like, what trees they associate with. Pick anything for scientific purposes: wrap all types separately in wax paper so they don't touch each other. Never eat a wild mushroom raw. Don't pick the top of a mushroom: some are most easily identified by their stems/buried parts. Take them home and carefully ID them, Make spore sprints to assure identity. This part is fun, and even if you don't come home with edibles it makes the trip seem worthwhile. The same rules apply equally for any mushroom, whether it grows on the ground or anywhere else, just to be safe. Many of the most delicious mushrooms do grow on the ground, so that should not determine whether you pick them. Once you know how to identify a death cap--including how to pull them up properly so you can see their little skirt--you will not be in danger of being poisoned by it. Don't put your fingers in your mouth while foraging, and if you have a dog inclined to eat everything that litters or grows, don't take him or her mushroom hunting.

Yesterday, due to a confluence of events I actually had the ingredients for Country Ham and Celery Creamed Rice, including a smoky pot liquor and some leftover salty rosemary ham (not country, but very tasty). I did not have whipping cream, but I made a slurry of milk and creme fraiche and added that instead. Really this dish is a short cut risotto with no cheese. Anyway, it's very good. I used less of the cream mixture than called for, no doubt less than Vivian would approve of, and it was still rich and creamy. I found the "salad" addition--mainly lemon juice and celery leaves--a bit underwhelming and a little strange, and I am trying to imagine what might make a good substitute. Maybe her dressing would benefit from an addition of olive oil to soften the straight lemon. One sub might be a fresh tomato and herb salsa or dressing. Chow chow comes to mind, although I don't actually know what that is! Or some kind of pickle? I've taken to putting mango pickle on lots of things these days, and it always works, but I'm an addict.

Happy Birthday, girl!

That's awesome. So you brought out a bottle encased in a square block of ice? I'm trying to picture the possible results of grabbing the ice bare handed and trying to pour. Or did you have aquavit already poured into shot glasses and them encased in teeny little milk cartons? And then the guests hands froze to their iced glass? Am I missing something basic here? Haven't had aquavit in ages! Love the idea of individual servings set out in an ice floe. Party favor straws!

Sushi may be partly to blame, but my money's on avocado toast. I've been checking out places to eat in Santa Monica and Venice. There isn't a restaurant in the area that doesn't serve avocado toast for breakfast and lunch. And it ain't cheap.

Avocado prices have risen steadily every year at the Berkeley Farmers' Market. I've been buying from the same vendor who grows them in southern CA for years. They are awfully good, but they have never been cheap. I was back at the market yesterday for the first time in months and every single item we bought was substantially higher than I remember from last summer. Lovely red and yellow spring onions were $4 lb. I nearly cried, but I bought a few.

@Anna N thank you, my dangerous killer breadknife was delivered today from Amazon. Fabulous for the price. Now nothing stands between me and my toast.

Not a lot of current info in this thread~so let's bump it up. I will be staying 4 nights in Santa Monica next month. Where do you like to eat? Taco trucks, local hideaways always appreciated, fun places, etc. Not ruling out high-end but don't want to break the bank. I've never been to Santa Monica, btw. Also: where is the Sunday farmer's market in Santa Monica? I'm thinking it would be nice to pick up some stuff that we can pack in the cooler to eat on the drive back up to the Bay Area on Monday. Always been curious about what southern CA markets have that we don't. Thanks!

New bread knife needed! If this is too off topic tell me where it should go. My husband is baking bread like a fiend, how great is that? Our bread knife is ancient, dull, a bit wimpy. We think it isn't worth getting sharpened, because we really want one with a sturdier less flexible blade. We eat so much bread it's embarrassing to struggle along with such a pathetic knife. Any suggestion for a good quality bread knife? One that can ultimately be sharpened by a professional? Mostly he is baking rustic round loaves that have a very crunchy crust and need a sharp sturdy tool. I looked briefly at prices on Amazon, and of course they are all over the map. We are hoping not to spend more than $75, but all ideas are welcome if they come from bread bakers and devotees. I want one that will last until I have to gum my food. And one that makes easy work for breakfasts and sandwiches.

Before my mother died I spent some time looking at assisted living retirement homes. Two were here in Oakland near me, and one was in Portland. One was very good all around: lots of action in the hallways, lively and actually cheerful. Their dining room was pleasant and the food was pretty good. Not great, but surprisingly good. The other, nearby, was gloomy and the food was boring and bland. The place in Portland was lovely looking, with nice apartments and a modern addition, but there was little action despite things like a coffee bar with a view of Mt. Hood; it was deserted.. The food in the dining room was bad. It seems to me that if you want happy campers the dining room food needs to be pretty good, since it is the most social part of living in a retirement community. My hunch is that the actual quality of the food in most of these places hasn't caught up with the attempt to improve it and the desire to appeal to older boomers who still have taste buds. Works in progress. The widespread belief that we lose our sense of smell and taste as we age can't be proved by me or my friends. In fact, in my case, for the past ten years my sense of smell has sharpened--a lot. I can smell all kinds of things others don't. I'm almost 70, so that may or may not be old. Like most of us, I feel old in some ways and not in others. I'm cooking more than ever, and enjoying my own cooking. I'm not skydiving or training to climb Everest, so, like some others have stated one way or another, my priorities have changed when it comes to being adventurous. Food is an easy way. One of the problems with the apartments in the independent living sections of the places I visited was tiny inadequate kitchens. I don't cook esoteric or super complicated food generally, but the storage and surface space was woefully lacking. There are new retirement communities popping up, perhaps not fast enough to accommodate us older boomers; new designs should include mo' bettuh kitchens, especially if the dining room food is mediocre. When I get to the point my mother did (she was 94) living on scotch and coffee ice cream, then I'll give up my kitchen.

@rarerollingobject those are incredibly beautiful.

The recipe for Nosrat's Buttermilk marinated chicken sounded really good. I'm interested in any chicken recipe that does NOT involve a pre-saute with popping grease. I just don't do that any more. Nigella Lawson has a very similar buttermilk chicken recipe, only she uses chicken parts rather than a whole chicken and she specifies a variety of spices.

That's pretty much my preferred way to to eat fresh chokes. If I am really impatient I don't even make a dip for them. Often when I prep them like that I put them on pizza or pasta with red sauce. I top the pasta with them at the last minute so they don't get uncrisp. They are a pain to be sure, but so yummy. My mother was over the moon about artichokes when I was growing up; she steamed them whole and dipped the leaves in a simple olive oil and lemon dressing. When I moved to CA I discovered everyone dipped 'em in mayo, straight from the jar.

I was hoping the liquid chicken latte would not ever be mentioned again. But between that, the coffee concoction and raisinets and a dead bass, let's do lunch instead of breakfast.

I like chocolate chips in oatmeal cookies, although oatmeal cookies have never been my favorites. Anna, until five minutes ago I would have followed you anywhere, but raisins? They don't belong in cookies any more than they belong in rice pudding. Raisinets? That stuff that coats them is chocolate? Who knew?

I've learned that a purse or backpack and one bag are all I can stand to drag around. For more than a three week trip I might take a larger bag than a carry on, but I hate that. I might buy a ceramic knife when I got there; they are cheap, and can do without sharpening for weeks. My way of dealing with the situation would be to adapt to the lousy minimal supplies, make one-pot meals, etc. Being me I would probably make large pots of something that I could have as leftovers if I didn't want to go out. I would be pretty irritated if I didn't have a toaster, though, but good sandwiches can be made with just a skillet, especially if you pick up some interesting artisan British pickles to add to a curried chicken sandwich. And right now I wish I had some great cheddar so I could make a grilled cheese sandwich. The options, including great cheeses and yummy breads, must be fantastic at the Borough market. If anyone can be creative with limited pots and pans it's gotta be you, Chris. I'm so envious!

Okay, since it has been more than a year since I made this, I can't really remember. But being me, most likely I used bone-in skin-on thighs and put them in whole. I might have even used whole leg/thigh pieces, which I do frequently, mostly because my favorite chicken comes that way. Also I must have served them whole, right from the pot. Chicken with skin and bones typically contributes more flavor to a dish, but I don't see why you couldn't use skinned and boned thighs if that's what you like. I wouldn't cut it up first, though; you could cut it into large pieces right before you serve it, or give your guests knives, so they can do whatever they like. If you cut it up first it will cook fast, and your sauce won't be as flavorful. Lucky Peach techniques seem pretty reliable to me, so I'm thinking if they don't specify the chicken be skinned or cut up they probably don't mean it to be done. After reading my post I realize I really haven't cooked much from the book. Got side-tracked, what else is new.

Mmm....Scotch Broth! Such a treat. Make your stock with the lamb bone and and the usual veggie suspects the day before and it's all easy.

I never did pick up the cold pizza habit; we didn't have leftover pizza when I grew up. You bought it by the slice when you were out doing whatever. My dad was very fond of the pizza over on East 86th St in NY, which is where he would often take us when we were out doing weekend things. I don't recall my parents EVER getting a whole pizza--take out or delivery--for dinner. We make our own pizza now, and are very happy to have leftovers either for breakfast or lunch, but I still like mine hot and crispy. Our pizza is thin-crust, with a thin layer of tomato sauce and modest amounts of cheese and topping. I've never owned a toaster oven and I am far too lazy to preheat the oven at breakfast. So believe it or not, we put slices in the toaster. One pass is all it takes to crisp up the crust and melt the cheese. So incredibly easy. But if you have a thick floppy pizza with massive toppings I would caution against it if you have any feelings for your toaster. Which I do.

It is possible that CA grown Lundberg rice has not only less dust but less starch. When I get my Royal rice I am definitely going to try washing it various times to see how the end results compare: distinct grains vs sticky grains, etc. I am cooking lots of Chinese stir-fry these days, and have to say that I am pretty adept at eating distinct grains of basmati rice with chopsticks; wooden chopsticks, that is. I can imagine that the plastic jobs they give you in restaurants would make for a challenge if you didn't have at least somewhat sticky rice.

Clearly there are many ways to cook rice. I have been cooking long grain rice for a million years; lately I have been using local CA Lundberg organic rice. I don't rinse it and I don't soak it. I toast it in a little butter and salt, then add water, about 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, or slightly less. I let it come to a high simmer, turn the flame way way down, cover it, and cook until it just barely begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, although I don't time it. Just as it is starting to stick I turn off the flame and let it sit another few minutes off the burner, still covered. This will usually unstick any stuck rice. Then I take off the cover and let it sit another minute or two to let out the dampness. I wouldn't call the result "fluffy" exactly, but then I'm not sure what that means. My rice comes out distinct, not too soft, not mushy, just how I like it, so I'm good with that. But here's my question: it sounds like many of you rinse or soak Indian basmati rice. Do you do this to all long-grain rice? And why? Should I be washing my rice for health reasons? I would be very resistant to soaking my rice, since it takes too much planning or just too much brainwork. When I looked on Amazon this morning, aged Royal rice is now priced at $16 for 20 lbs. with free shipping. Shopping on Amazon is getting more like shopping for airline tickets the way prices bounce around. So I went for it. Strangely, smaller quantities cost at least as much for the same rice. Go figure.