nervousnelli

That really crappy Lipton's Chicken Soup dry mix is so salty that I can't deal with it normally. However, when I'm sick with a very bad cold or the flu or THE FLU (!) I whip that up (unless my mom comes to the rescue with homemade stuff - a rare and lucky occasion). Somehow the extreme salt, broth and noodles comfort the soul and clean the sinuses. It works for me. There are probably folks out there that would object vehemently to such a suggestion but . . . It's not that I get cured but I get clear enough to sleep and, when ill, sleep seems to be very restorative. For what it's worth, nelli

Acqua Pazza (William Grimes) (from today's DIGEST. You may have to scroll down for the appropriate link.) Isn't that just a little bit risky, given all the modern day pollutants that taint our coastal waters? I was wondering that myself. I live near the Atlantic and think cooking with seawater could be intriguing but would boiling it make it safe? I'm not sure. I just keep thinking about when we're on the beach in the summer and someone has to urinate he either heads up to the restroom shack or jumps in the ocean. And what about the dredges we see offshore frequently? Don't they stir up lots of junk? I'm not sure I want to experiment with seawater cooking unless I can find out more about how they do it at Aqua Pazza.

The only way to go is to roast a couple of ducks yourself. It's really easy. You get lots and lots of fat and as an added bonus the roasted ducks are REALLY tasty. You can even use the relatively inexpensive frozen ducks (Maple Leaf Farms?) available at the supermarket. Pock lots of holes in the with a barbeque skewer so the fat runs out freely. Also, salt liberally all over - inside and out. This also pulls out the fat. Roast at 350-375 degrees for about 20 minutes a pound. Periodically, siphon off the fat with a baster syringe type thingee. If you add a few carrots and potatoes to the roasting pan you'll end up with a top notch one-pan dinner PLUS plenty of duck fat to use for other things. Enjoy.

Just gin - it's the driest martini possible. Anything wrong with that? I just add a couple drops of lemon or lime juice or a couple of olives and a drop of the brine the olives come in.

I highly recommend a pork roll and cheese or sub sandwich at Slater's in Leonardo. Very New Jersey.

Cook my own food? If I pay extra will they let me wash the floors too?!!!!

Lobster roll made simply with pieces of lobster, mayo or remoulade on one of those hotdog buns that looks like a folded slice of white bread. Oyster Po' Boy. A ladleful of Cioppino on a Kaiser roll. Shrimps, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Smoked salmon, onion, tomato and cornichons on a flat bagel with just a touch of cream cheese. Ratatouille on a Portuguese roll. Pita bread stuffed with Greek salad. Grilled zucchini and eggplant with skordalia on any kind of bread. Liverwurst, Muenster cheese and onion on rye toast w/ mustard. Fresh tomato, basil and mayo on white. Stop me! I could go on forever.

I have a strange microwave bacon cooker plate that holds the slices upright so that all the grease drains down into the catch tray. The slices stand up between small plastic posts and always cook up crisp and almost dry while the trough on the bottom catches all the fat.

What kind of qualifications does a restaurant have t have to be considered by Zagat? Mahzu is a Japanese restaurant in my neighborhood that I think is really excellent but I've never seen it reviewed or mentioned by anyone important. What's the deal with Zagat? Do you have to call Mr. and Mrs. Zagat and tell them to send a reviewer?

It was basically rained out.

Cole Slaw, fennel slaw - are those considered salads? Or is slaw a whole other category?

Oh, your killin' me!! What's kabocha? I've heard about it but don't know any details about preparation. Please enlighten me.

Exactly what I though.

Right now I'm eating Tarama Salata made by my old Greek mama. You're supposed to eat just a bit on a plain cracker or crust of bread but I'm eating it out of the jar with a tiny airline spoon. (Ah, the joys of living alone.) Mom must have somehow gotten better (fresher?) fish roe than usual to use in her recipe this time because it's even more outstanding than her usual. Last week she made a batch of skordalia that was really dandy but if I sat around eating that with a spoon I might not be able to stand my own breath the next day.

Rice flour.

One of my favorites is grilled softshell crabs when I can afford them. I insist on buying them live and I clean them myself just before marinating. I mix lots of minced garlic with soy sauce or reduced balsamic vinegar (whichever strikes my fancy) and olive oil and let the cleaned crabs sit in that for about half an hour. I throw them on a very hot grill and after two or three minutes per side they're done and delicious.

Big pitcher of spicy Bloody Marys

Old forks with handles made of bone - those big forks you use when you're carving a roast. I don't think they make bone handled forks anymore and the old ones are real beauties.

Really fresh ceviche mixto.

"Bad Girls in Heat" is my favorite -- not super hot but really tasty.

Sauteed squash blossoms.

Not sure how Sicilian it is but I vote for Pasta con Sarde.

I've been buying lamb racks labeled "Austral" only because I don't have much money and that's the cheapest around. I believe it's Australian raised lamb that has an American shipper/distributor. Because I'm a Greek I've been eating lamb all my life and I find the "Austral" to be of good quality compared to what I'm familiar with due to my family background. It's available in those "big box" stores such as Costco and Sam's Club but I've also found it in my local Stop and Shop supermarket.

Don't know about the legalities involved but I'd love to see the photos you managed to get.

Martinis. I know - I know. I've been criticized because supposedly martinis dull your tastebuds. However, I've never found that to be the case. The only other person in history I know of that drank martinis with dinner was my dad (RIP). He loved his food and appreciated all the nuances of flavor therein. His wife (my mom) was a super fantastic cook and Dad and I savored our martinis before and during her fantastic suppers. Great memories.