helenas

I was actually surprised that in local gourmet stores quinces are now available all year round. Blackcurrants are still seasonal.

"...Wine Library [wine store in Springfield] will be running their 2nd annual Customer Appreciation Sale--Friday July 26th at 9 AM EST...the sale will pop up on the website at that time,also the store will be filled with the special yellow sale tags.Last year the sale was a huge winner and most of the cherries were gone by the end of weekend,so dont delay..." ( from the newsletter) I was planning to go this Saturday, but it's probably worthwhile to wait until friday.

Judy, Why did you do this to me? It's just cruel. Seriously, thank you so much. Now i'm waiting for "The Anatomy of a Dish".

This reminds me: what do egullet members think about "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies". I was really impressed.

in Georgia (former soviet republic) they put cheese in bread dough, bake it and call it khachapuri;

One more title: Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food by Silvano Serventi, a specialist on French and Italian culinary history (authored the Medieval Kitchen book)

Polenta gratin with mushroom bolognese (adapted from Tom Collichio). Beating polenta for half hour in such heat (with oven on) was a big deal, but the end result was definitely worth the effort.

Do you want my copy of Brenner's "Fourth Star"?

At least i made an effort to find pictures of Colman Andrews after reading her apples book. He really looks attractive

"Prior to the nineteenth century, only widows, orphans, and servants ate lobster. And in some parts of New England, serving lobster to prison inmates more than once a week was forbidden by law, as doing so was considered cruel and unusual punishment" (quoted from "The Lobster Chronicles")

Just wanted to push this thread up, in case new members would like to contribute.

ok, i'm in the middle of the book, but i can't read it anymore. i won't bother you with my review, since whatever i was planning to say, has already beed said by mamster. Maybe, Ruhlman spoiled us? His is a great book.

Just a thought: if you take a program to get a certificate, maybe it makes sense to discuss the value of this or that certificate with wine professionals... But, from information i gathered a while ago, i tend to agree with Nina.

Too late! Since Wilfrid posted his question regarding french influence on russian cuisine, i've ordered couple of books and contacted two experts on the matter

And what about the following book : French GastronomyThe History and Geography of a Passion (Arts and Traditions of the Table) It least according to reviews on amazon it should provide some answer to Wilfrid's original question.

We're hooked on the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese from Vongerichten's "Simple to Spectacular". The cream cheese adds such a silky texture.

To enhance peperonata Mario Batali adds pureed roasted peppers to the basic recipe. Jacques Pepin uses the similar technique in many of his fruit desserts. He adds a bit of fruit jam to fresh fruit for crisps and gratins.

Thanks, Jinmyo. I was planning to start with roasting potatoes in a big cazuela (my latest obsession), then adding chanterelles (or shiitakes, that i've heard are good with monkfish) and fish for the last 15 minutes or so. And yes, green like parsley-basil.

Although i've heard that monkfish is delicious (poor man lobster, they say), i never tried to prepare it. For tonight dinner i'm thinking about some roasted fish on a bed of fingerlings and mushrooms with a green sauce. Is monkfish a good choice for this? Any other ideas? Thanks.

Mushrooms and olives. My favorite main dish that showcases olives is pasta with mushrooms and black olive sauce (a lot of roasted mushrooms and a lot of olives) by Mario.

Stuffed zucchini with pecorino toscano sauce:

Priscilla, i'm embarrassed to acknowledge my complete ignorance on this subject

Thanks for the Boulud pointer: i added it to my wishlist. I've tried already several recipes from Babbo book: absolutely delicious! I also like the latest book by Deborah Madison.

These are the titles i'm waiting for: A Return to Cooking: The Chef, the Cook and the Artist by Eric Ripert and Michael Ruhlman. Eric's take on Cook's Tour? Jeremiah Tower's Classics: 250 Recipes from an American Master; Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport by Daniel Young; Feast and Folly: Cuisine, Intoxication, and the Poetics of the Sublime , edited by Allen Weiss; his previous book was "French Food: On the Table, On the Page, and in French Culture" Rustico; a wonderful review can be found on www.wineloverspage.com Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops by Dorie Greenspan Please, add to the list; what am i missing here?

The copper cannele forms are available in US through PastryItems.