DanM

Bump! I just picked about a quart of beautiful cherry peppers at the farmers market. Any suggestions on how to use them, besides a basic pickle? Dan

Sometimes menus change when the chef gets bored with what he/she is making. Other times it may be a change in the kitchen staff to make the menu fit their skills and strengths. Another factor with menu items is the popularity of the dish. Regarding seasonality. I know a couple of restaurants that feature market specials based on what is available in the given week's farmer's market. Its fun to see what the chefs are buying as inspiration for my meal. Dan

Peter Reinhart's Power Bread is a great alternative. It makes an awesome PB&J sandwhich. http://books.google.com/books?id=JJrYTmaI0UsC&lpg=PP1&dq=peter%20reinhart's%20whole%20grain%20breads&pg=PA185#v=onepage&q&f=false

Joan Nathan has a recipe for Moroccan fishball tagine in one of her books. The fish is ground, mixed with spices and herbs, formed into balls, and cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. Its a very simple dish and the quality of the fish can be hidden in the flavors.

I'm 99% sure you are talking about Cafe Paradiso. It is an awesome restaurant. My wife and I occasionally joke about going back to Cork just to have dinner there.

The Spice House has a few powders available in 1/4 cup jars. http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices-by-category/molecular-gastronomy-ingredients

Zucchini mushroom tacos from Rick Bayless. I'd replace the chorizo with your chicken http://cookingclaire.blogspot.com/2010/04/rick-bayless-zucchini-musrhoom-tacos.html

Strictly speaking from a food safety standpoint, food should not be left between 40 and 140 for no longer than 4 hours. Is the cost of the food really worth the possibility of severe food poisoning?

We have all seen news stories over the ears of tainted food and other products coming from China, like melamine in baby formula, pet food, toxic drywall, use of banned pesticides etc... Trader Joes has to some extent banned Chinese products from it's shelf due to the quality concerns. Whenever possible, I do not buy foods made in China There are some items that is very hard to get around, like canned bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. But when I find an alternative, I stock up. I only buy my tea from a reputable vendor to avoid any potential problems. I am a little paranoid in avoiding products that are made in China? What are your thoughts on this? Dan

I made this recipe from River Cottage Everyday for lunch a few days back. It was a nice, basic salad. http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/kippers-with-crushed-new-potatoes/

You can use a standard cake pan, but getting the cake out is a bit tricky. You will need parchment paper at the bottom of the pan before assembling. Once the cake is completely chilled, cut around the sides of the pan with a knife rinsed under warm water. Then, take a blow torch or other flame throwing utensil and gently warm the bottom of the pan. This will soften/melt the butter from the crust and aid in release. place a piece of plastic wrap over the top and invert the cake onto a platter. If you are lucky, the cake will slide out, otherwise you will probably have a mess. Springform pans are the best option. I use a 9" springform bright steel pan, nothing fancy. I also have a 12" cake pan as my water bath. I doubt that the cream cheese will cause any problems, but I am speculating. I have made cakes from goat cheese and never had a problem.

Roast a chicken on top of them and a bunch of garlic. The potatoes will soak up the schmaltz. You can also shave them waffer thin and put them on a pizza.

Is there a use for the fresh corn husks? Can they be used like dried ones for tamales?

Is it possible that the bran is not fully hydrated when you make the muffins? If this might be the problem, try soaking the bran in the buttermilk for a few hours to overnight to get full hydration. Then follow the standard muffin method, but add the bran at the same time as the liquid ingredients.

The Lee Brothers have a fun recipe for rice pudding popsicles. http://books.google.com/books?id=acZ8Y4SaGuoC&lpg=PT317&ots=Dv--v_RUhX&dq=lee%20brothers%20rice%20pudding%20popsicles&pg=PT317#v=onepage&q&f=false

About 10 years ago I used to drive by farm stands in northern IL where I could buy a dozen ears of corn for a dollar. Now it costs 50 cents an ear. How prices have changed! Given my current love affair of cream of xyz soups, I made the cream of fresh corn soup from Peterson's soup book. I grilled the corn to give it a smokey flavor. Next time, I will leave out the jalapeno and use a chipotle pepper.

I'll have to put my two cents in for Kopp's frozen custard in Milwaukee... best soft serve custard anywhere. There is nothing more entertaining than a 1.5 y/o on a sugar high after eating a good amount of frozen custard. An honorable mention to IKEA for their non fat frozen yogurt. If you want a strange look, ask them for a cinnamon bun covered in frozen yogurt. I wonder if the issue some people have with soft serve is with shops that use commercial mixes instead of making their own. Those mixes can be quite artificial and nasty.

I do have some peaches we picked last week... Maybe I could grill those up and make a cobbler. They are clingstone and some pits have split, so it will be a slight PITA, but doable. Maybe a blueberry and jostaberry pizza? Again, freshly picked fruit I can make into a sauce, top it with some toasted pecans and a flat icing drizzle?? I forgot to mention that there is an unspoken rule against overhosting for the homebrewer's meetings. While I am known for my pastries in the group, I am not doing this to show off. Dan

I'm having 10-15 people over on Wednesday and need to make some good food. I have a desire to make a dessert of sweet pastry on my charcoal grill. Does anyone have experience with this? Any thoughts on what to make? Dan

Rice Pot is good, but next time you are in New Haven, check out Miya's Sushi. The food is very good and they have a very extensive vegetarian sushi menu. The guy who runs the place is making a name for himself for advocating sustainable fishing practices. I'm in New Haven, so if you want dining company, just let me know.

Here is another example of a kids menu from Zingerman's roadhouse in Ann Arbor, MI. We almost stopped here, but chose Jolly Pumpkin instead. The chef, Alex Young, just won a James Beard award for best chef of the Great Lakes region. Again, I have not dined here, but I think it is a bit nicer than casual dining. http://www.zingermansroadhouse.com/display/images/pdf/kidsmenu.pdf Its the typical fare for kids menus, but with slightly better ingredients. ETA... We were at Bouchon in Beverly Hills last Cecember while traveling for a wedding. If my daughter did not sleep through breakfast in her stroller, they had high chairs and I am sure a couple of menu options for her to choose from.

I would add a few scoops of ice cream, some milk, malted milk, and maybe some chocolate sauce to the blender. I usually purchase peanut butter from a grind to order machine at the grocery store. I have never had an issue with separation with the stuff.

Now that my daughter is about 1.5 years old, we are ordering food for her at the restaurant rather than feeding her off our plate. We often look at the kids menu and find the same stuff everywhere... hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese. Granted, sometimes kids can be picky to darn right stubborn, but why don't restaurants offer interesting meals for kids? One great example is the Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor. You can get anything on the regular menu in a smaller portion for your kid. An Indian restaurant near me offers small idli and clarified butter as a kids option. What do you think about this. Do you think that restaurants are not catering to kids as much as they should? Don't kids have an influence on where the family goes for meals? Should unique menu options be offered to kids to provide them with new experiences?

Another mark of a bad cook is one who cannot identify the most basic of fruits and vegetables.

I see you are relying heavily on tofu as a meat alternative. Have you thought about trying tempeh or saitan during your vegetarian week? Dan