aliénor

melissa- i am also in the process of redoing a kitchen. mine is looong and narrow. to solve the problem of a refrigerrator door blocking the working space, we have opted for a three door refrig. i have an old one-13 year old kitchen aid- and will be replacing it with a maytag counter depth 3 door. in this way one can open the refrig door and still work at the counter across. we were all set to go with a regular bottom mount freezer refrig combo but realized this new three door would really solve the narrow space problem. also i am putting the microwave betwseen the upright freezzer and the refrig. so that frozen items can go quickly in the micro-main use for this appliance. i too have an old kitchenaid mixer of the tall crank up type and i didn't want to cut into the wall for a garage so i have succumbed to a special under counter cabinet that will hid the big baby and also make it available to pull up to use. i know it is a waste of space but i don't use the machine very much and still don't want to get rid of it

sorry about that last post.... i would like to know how to make this wonderful looking choco ice cream wtih just whole milk, powdered milk sugar and chocolate. can you let us in on the secret please......

i just spoke to my daughter in law in nice. they buy the prepared molded panisse at the local supermarket. when i attempted to make them at home i used the same recipe that was posted above in french . after the chick peas flour mass thickens, i pour it into litely greased saucers and let it cool. i then unmold them and slice into strips and fry in a little oil. no need to deep fry or bake. but do remember to serve with kosher salt or feur de sel. and generously add the freshly cracked pepper. yesterday was fete de nice in the cimiez park and the socca man was there as he is every year.my grandsonproudly reported that he ate an entire socca (i don't believe him but at 7 one likes to exxagerate from what i have seen at the fair, it does look as tho the batter is very similar to panisse but it needs a hot oven and a very large pan into which a fairly thin mix is poured and spread and then put into a wood fired oven. i have not tried to do it here in the usa but always eat it either at the fair or in vieux nice.

just finished my dinner. we had sauteed chicken breats with a fontina cheese topping and i served it with morel mushrooms. i bought them fresh for $19.99 a pound at my local coop food mart. here in hanover, n.h. we are lucky to have a wonderful coop supermarket with an absolutely great produce department that provides us with wonderrful fresh produce. today i could have boutght fiddleheads, ramps, morels and other fresh spring produce. so even tho it is a small town of 10,000 we are lucky to get big city food

when i returned from a stay in barcelona i filled my carryon with as much excellent olive oil i could carry. if i remember correctly it was llerida - very cloudy and very very good. the other thing you can bring which is light and easy to carry is saffron. i brought loads back for everyone in the family plus the dog sitter, plant waterer, etc. have fun - barcelolna is a great city. make sure to see the gaudi buildings, museums and just soak in the barrcelona atmosphere on paaeig de gracia.

i am sitting here before my opened liquor cabinet and wondering if someone could tell me what to do with this bottle. my son gave it to me and it is labelled liqueur de provence and the name of the liquore is Farigoulette. according to the label the contents are: water, alcohol, "alcoolats des plantes" and maceration de thyme de provence. has anyone heard of it? i've tasted it and beh! any ideas what to do with it? (other than the sink).

well, we couldn't figure out the wine with the cheesecake thing. so we froze both cheesecakes and i went ahead and baked the yoummiest choclolate cake with a chocolate ganache coverring. served it with the rosé champagne and it was a great hit. alll the champagne was finished but we still have a 1/4 of cake left. mmmm, i'll cut it into serving pieces and then freeze them. i can see us going into the freezer and eating the frozen pieces btw, i called france and spoke to my daughter in law and she, too, couldn't figure out what wine with the cheesecake, looks like we'll just have to eat it with coffee or tea and that won't make us suffertoo much. alienor

it is my husband's 70th birthday and we are having 14 friends over to celebrate. i was also set to make the scott wooley choclate cake and we were going to serve it with a moet & chandon brut imperial rosé champagne. but just the other minute i received from some relatives two junior's cheesecakes-one plain and the other chocolate mousse. so i won't be making the chocolate cake ... but i do need advice what champagne to serve with these cheesecake gifts. i hope to get a quick answer as the party is tomorrow and i want to go out late this afternoon to buiy my champagne. thanks for the help aliénor

i've said this before.-- go out and find a studio potter or a classroom that does high fired pottery. then ask someone to creat a slab of stoneware about 1/4 inch thick and in the dimensions you are looking for and have them bisque it for you. you shold not have to pay much for this. i made my own in my pottery studio and use it all the time for baking jackal10's sourdough bread. works like a dream! i would volunteer to make it for people but i think the delivery cost would not make economically feasible. good luck

i have a wonderful chocalate nut cake for passover. it is pareve and yummy. it came from my local food coop demo and was taken from " the passover table". i don't have the book just the recipe and if anyone is interrested i will post it. ingredients are eggs, sugar, walnuts, grated chocolate, apples and of course matzo meal! let me know if i should post it in its entirety aliénor

ihave just begun to collect some very good copper pots. my husband compared the prices with the faulk in belgium and these came out cheaper. but they are HEAVY. i have bought them in paris from e.dehillerin at http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/ the site also has an english translation. this is the place where julia child bought her pots. when i went there it was filled with americans from california buying pots for their oversized viking stoves. the staff is sometimes helpful, but a bit harried. fortunately, our son lives in southern france and he buys me a pot every once in a while for a bday present. if anyone is in paris they should check this place out. lots and lots of innteresting kitchenware here. it isn't the easiest place to find as it is on a tiny street but close to les halles-at least we walked there! great place to have fun, if you are a kitchen equipment addict....

if you are going to be around for dinner, i would recommend simon pearce restaurant in quechee, vt. try to get a table overlooking the water. a great view accompanying good food. for really top food but a bit more expensive, i would recommend home hill restaurant a little way out of west lebanon,n.h.-on the way to plainfield, n.h.. this is a relais and chateau establishment and wonderful place to enjoy a truly great meal. btw, while you are in norwich go into the general store"dan and whit's". you can get most everything there from snow boots, zippers, raspberry bushes, earthenware crocks, etc. the store is old and hasn't been upgraded to look slick and shiny, just full of what one would need at anytime! have fun at king arthur

if you are looking for a provencal appetizer, you might try panisse. i just returned from our family in nice, france and it is a favorite appetizer. the recipe consists of using chickpea flour, water and salt. this gets cooked till thick and then it is poured onto a saucer and allowed to cool and set. then slices are cut a la french fries (pommes frites). these are then fried in oil. the "frites" /panisse are served warm with a dusting of freshly cracked pepper. um, um good and very authenitic provencal. if you are interested i can send the exact proportions.....

i am not sure if this is on topic but i have a question about a thai ingredient. the other day i found fresh galangal in a local market. i brought some home and used it in a chicken, coconut soup. but now i would like to know how to save/store it. i am not sure i can get it very often and love its fragrance and taste. so now how do i go about keeping it?

we love RIVELLA. it is a whey based herbal drink from switzerland. i can now buy it from someone in florida and so far have been ordering several cases. it is not sweeetened with corn syrup, but rather with beet sugar. the company doesn't seem to want to get a foothold in america, but i finally found someone down in florida who imports it and will ship it to all those who crave rivella. aliénor

we have family in nice, and so have gone there at least once a year for the past 6 years. i agree with all that has been said but i would add a little restaurant off the tourist path. it was recommended by our french daughter-inlaw's parents. a young couple own and work there and it is low key, not very expensive and worth a visit. le comédien on 16 rue delille phone #04 93 92 72 08 it is open every day for lunch and dinner except sat lunch. another good and local restaurant off the beaten path is aphrodite. i can't remember or find the card for it but it is close to avenue juan medecin, i think. there is a good tourist bureau along the promenade anglais that should be able to help you with info. if you have enough time try to take the train to monaco. great clean place with a very interesting garden and acquarium in nice go to the chagall, and matisse musees- again get info at the tourist info office. have fun and i may have some more info by mid september when i return, as i am leaving tomorrow for nice...... bon voyage, aliénor

my grandson was visiting from france-he is 5 and bilingual. we had been serving him spagheti with meat sauce and other toppings .now after the third day he looked at me and said "encore pasta" when we asked him what he would like, his reply was "poisson avec citron et pommes frites" and this is at five. the french part of him was already making itself known! aliénor

i am heading out to berlin on wednesday. we are going to be there for 10 days. anyone have any good and interesting recommendation for places to eat. we haven't been in berlin for six years so we look forward to seeing all the changes. aliénor

when we raised pigs, i would separate the leaf lard from the rest and render it SLOWLY and over a low heat. then i would cool it and whip it in my kitchen-aid mixer with the whisk attachment. it made a great product! the remaing fat i would also render slowly and strain it before cooling to get rid of all the scraps and pieces that had dropped to the bottom no longer raising pigs so i am not using lard. aliénor

all this discussion on carot cake brings to mind the fact that carrots from different areas taste quite different. for example, my husband and i drink freshly made carrot juice each morning. we have found that the sweetest juice comes from california carrots. we have compared fresh carrot juice from new jersey carrots, michigan carrots, canadian carrots, florida carrots, etc. the california carrots rule! no other carrots are as sweet. so i was thinking that the carrot cake bake-off should use carrots all from the same state otherwise it will be hard to compare tastes. aliénor

i am fed up with riedel. to sum up my problem.... my children, who live in souuuthern france, bought my husband a riedel vinum tasting glass. he used it a few times and last holiday season he took it from its place on the shelf and found that he had the bowl and stem in his hand. but the base was still on the shelf. the break is so clean-no splinters or shards-looks like a defective join. i have written to the local n.h. manager of sales, and the northeast sales manager. the northeast manager said that it had to be returned to the store from where it was bought. what BS. they won't admit it was defective and want us to transport the broken glass back to france. i question their customer relations.... why can't they stand by their product and not pass the buck on to the individual seller. does anyone have any good suggestions how to deal with these bozos? aliénor

my husband goes crazy for ice cream and when there is a sale i like to stock the freezer. i have my butcher at the local coop wrap the ice cream in butcher paper and then i label these as: pork chops, lamb chops, roast, etc. get the idea! he hasn't a clue that the very square and strangely round shaped butcher paper items could be anything but meat.haha aliénor

if youcan find a friendly potter, you can have them roll or throw a baking stone. i am into pottery and have made many baking stones round and square for friends and neighbors. i only bisque them to 1800 degrees F so they are still porous. i am making all of my sourdough breads on them-recipe courtesy of egullet cullinary class. the results are excellent look around and see who you can find. if they won;t do them for free i am sure it won't cost too much. aliénor

i don't know if this qualifies as a summer cocktail....... i was given a bottle by our french daughter in-law. the label reads "farigoulette" - lou garagai. it is fairly sweet and aromatic. definitely not like suze, which we just finished. now we have this to deal with. any ideas...... aliénor-

my question on eating myths.... if i eat a pint of ice cream will i gain a pound. if this is not true i am heading to ben and jerrys to eat a pint or pound of the yummiest flavor so let me know if i can indulge....javascript:emoticon(':biggrin:') aliénor