DanM

Fried plantains are a good idea for the future, but with two ankle biters to manage, not very practical for today. I did pick up a small bag of plantain chips at the market though. Lettuce is a good idea. I just bought a couple small heads from a farm stand this afternoon. Its not the ideal variety, but it should do just fine. Fresh tortilla chips do sound like fun, but for another day. I need to experiment first, If my wife demands it, I picked up a bag of baked unsalted chips. Frankly, they taste like corn flakes to me. I think some guac or ceviche will make up for the flavor. Luckily they did have some jicama and fresh cukes at the market, so those will be offered as well. Dan

Guacamole and ceviche is for dinner tonight. I would prefer to avoid serving them tortilla chips as they dont have much nutitional value. Thinly sliced jicama, cucumber, and baby bell peppers come to mind. Does anyone else have suggestions? Dan

A Drizzle of Honey : The Lives and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews is on my long list as an interesting read, but probably highly impractical. It looks at the recipes and culinary traditions of Jews in Spain during the Inquisitions.

I like to make a salad with them. Roast and chop the beets, toss them with shallots, pistashios, goat cheese, herbs (tarragon is fun), an unfiltered olive oil and either cider or balsamic vinegar.

My wife is in the UK, so I have had River Cottage Veg Everyday and the River Cottage Handbooks for Veg and Herbs sent to her hotel from Amazon UK. They are not available in the US so this was a good opportunity to try some thing different. Chef Passard's simplistic approach in his new book makes it very accessible to me. My cookbook budget is tight right now, but it is at the top of my long list of books.

I'm in too! Does anyone know yet what will be covered in this book?

My VitaMix is wonderful for finishing cream of whatever soups. It also does a great job blending and frothing hot chocolate.

My eldest is about to start summer camp with the same lunch rules. There are lots of great ideas here. Does anyone have new ideas?

Dare I ask what others think about Woflgang Puck's pizza chain? You can find them in most major cities. Are the pizzas worthy of his name?

A couple friends of mine are heading out on a long road trip around the country. They are looking for ideas for meals they can make on the go at highway rest stops, campgrounds, parks, etc.... They will have a small cooler, but will mostly be eating shelf stable foods and they will have a small propane camp stove and minimal equipment. What would you make if you were on a road trip? Dan

I think the best comparison for garlic scape texture is to that of a green bean, but a bit firmer. Dan

I was despirate for lunch... I pulled out a Tofurky sun dried tomato Italian sausage (disturbingly good on its own) split it down the middle, and layed one of my daughters mozarella cheese sticks in the middle. I nuked the whole thing until the cheese was melted and the sausage was hot... I ate it on a slice of bread with some red onion... I hate myself for liking it... but man was it good. No pictures will be shown for the good of society. Dan

Passard's book has been on my short list for this summer. Some of my go to books for veg recipes are: Olive Trees and Honey by Gil Marks Wild Garlic Gooseberries and Me by Denis Cotter Local Flavor by Deborah Madison

Argh!! I must now make some whole wheat brioche. I will challenge myself and use Peter Reinhart's rich brioche formula. Dan

It is once again the beginning of Farmer's Market season in New England and beautiful vegetables are abound. I usually scour through my books to find recipes and ideas to best use my bounty. However, I don't have many books strictly about how to select, store, and cook veg. Do you have any favorites to share?

You Missed the two books from the Religious Catalog... Modernist Cuisine: Lessons from the Amish 2500pp $379.99 Modernist Cuisine: Making Trayfe Foods Kosher 750pp $99.99 And hidden deep in the code of the website... Post-Modernist Cuisine: Experiments in Soylent Green 350pp $66.66

Thanks!! The Professional Barista's Handbook has been added to the shopping list. I also found I Love Coffee! by Susan Zimmer, which is pretty much what I need to keep SWMBO... er LOML happy. Bascially, I need the Bartender's Bible, but for fussy espresso drinks. http://www.amazon.com/Love-Coffee-Over-Delicious-Drinks/dp/0740763776/ref=pd_sim_b_2

I gave my wife a goal... If she wants Espresso at home, she will have to save up for a Rancilio Sylvia. Determined and driven by a need for caffine, she has met her goal... Does anyone know of a book about making coffee and espressso drinks? PS. I may have asked this before, but I could not find the thread. I'm sorry if this is redundant.

I like the PB&B but I like to mash the peanut butter and banana together in a bowl before spreading it on the bread/toast. I haven't decided if this is scary or inventive... Better N' Peanut Butter Banana Flavor. http://www.betternpeanutbutter.com/products.php I love peanut butter, banana, and honey stuffed french toast. On any other day, crunchy peanut butter with apricot on either an English muffin or sourdough satisfies my cravings. Dan

I nearly shart myself!! A bit pricey though... LINK ETA A couple more that look interesting... The Art of Cooking with Vegetables by Alain Passard Nobu's Vegetarian Cookbook by Nobu Matsuhisa

We are two countries seperated by a common language. I have an English recipe that call for fine and porridge oats. I think the porridge oats are rolled oats... but what are the fine oats? Dan

Pardon me for being a pessimist, but shouldn't it read "Guy Fieri sells his name to a restauranteur looking to make an easy buck of tourists in Times Square"

Great!!! Thanks for the help. Now to buy a bucket of fun cookie cutters for to use:) Pictures will come soon. Btw... Lower fat is a preference. Do you have a favorite arrowroot cookie formula?

It does not have to be gluten free. I'm exploring cookie styles that are lower in sugar and fat. My 2 year old loves to make cookies, so I'm trying to avoid fattening her up.

Yup! I bought a 2 lbs bag of Bob's Red Mill yesterday. The only recipe on the package was for gluten free snickerdoodles.