snowangel

Enjoy (?) the birthday party. A note...Peter's birthday is Nov. 29. I leave every Thanksgiving afternoon (whether I've eaten the Turkey Feast or not) to a posh resort on the North Shore of Lake Superior with three close college friends. The only birthday I've been around for was Peter's first. I leave that to The Dad and Husband. 'Tis a good thing. Until Peter pointed out that in 2004, 2005 and 2006 I will be in town for his birthday. When he informed The Dad and Husband of this fact, Paul calmly looked at me and said "payback is a bitch." Lard is the way to go for pie crust. Savory or sweet. Word. At my local asian market, if I'm lucky, I can get "store rendered" (as opposed to hormel or armour or whatever name brand, in a nice shiny container) lard. Yes, I'm lucky. If they've got it, I buy it and freeze it.

Do we pity or envy the other customers?

Well I'm kicking myself now. I somehow get a periodic e-mail from Lidia Bastianich. The one that arrived this evening includes a recipe for Venison Ossobuco. I asked Paul if we would get the shanks, and he assured me that it was unlikely. I'm going to have to take charge next time of the taking it to the butcher process.

Paula Wolfert, in her Slow Mediterranian Kitchen book also advocates the oven temperature at the temp you want the meat to be at the end of cooking, and says that she has followed "some of the precepts of the late Adelle Davis, a food authority of the sixties." Paul cautions that you should use whole cuts, don't stuff them, don't puncture the meat with anything other than your clean thermometer. She also advocates a short blast of high heat in the beginning to kill any bacteria. Your thoughts on these cautionary notes, jackal?

Both Judy Rogers (Zuni Cafe Cookbook) and Paul Wolfert (new slow Mediterranian cookbook) mention putting parchment paper on top of the food before the lid when braising. Judy says to "tent" and Paul to "crumple a piece of parchment." Why?

Is there an auspicious or prefered number of pleats?

Many, many years ago in Thailand I had a tube of "Fresh Breasts" toothpaste. It was mint flavored.

I make these all of the time. My comments: Start with pre-made wrappers. Try and find the ones that have the highest count per ounce. Some wrappers sold in the U. S. are too thick for my liking. I've only made wrappers once; my local market has wrappers I really like, and although they are frozen, they have high turnover so the edges of the wrappers aren't freezer-burned. Cabbage. Napa it is. I chop it and then salt it lightly and let it set in colander, then sqeeze dry. Water chestnuts are great for some textural interest. Pork. Regular grocery store ground pork tends to be too finely ground for my liking, so I go to my asian market. Often my grocery has "ground pork for chow mein" which is more coarsely ground, but quite a bit more expensive than at my asian market. Barbara Tropp's Modern Art of Chinese Cooking has some pretty good directions on folding to get pleats (if your library has a copy, check it out). I am a master pleater, and can easily get 6 or more pleats per side. I start by folding the dumpling up, giving it a small pinch in the center, pleat the left side, then the right side, and nudge it more fully into that half-moon shape. Tropp also does a good job of explaining the adding cold water if you are boiling them. There are probably other good books out there, but that's the one I have. My Taiwanese cookbooks (Wei Chuan and Pei Mei) assume quite a bit of prior knowledge. My recipe is almost identical to Eddie's, and I totally agree with the stirring instructions. Don't use the mixer. I use my hands. I often make far more than I intend to cook at one time. Put them on cookie sheets, freeze and then put in plastic bags. You don't need to thaw them before cooking, just add a bit of cooking time. And, I have on occasion frozen the filling (went into hard labor while making dumplings once and hadn't gotten to the filling them part). Typically, when I serve them for dinner, I steam some and use some as pot stickers -- we are a house divided. I like both versions; Paul, Peter and Heidi prefer them steamed; and Diana prefers pot stickers. A good side is the spinach and charred garlic from Tropp's book. As an interesting side note, if I have leftovers, Diana takes them for school lunch. One of her teachers had a microwave in her office, and was willing to let Diana microwave them (they aren't nearly as good as freshly-cooked, but sure beat elementary school cafeteria food) in exchange for a few. Gee. We're expecting a snow storm on Sunday. Note to self to stop and pick up ingredients and spend the afternoon making dumplings with the kids.

Bingo! I peeked in the windows the other day, and it looks wonderful. Dakota has a very solid food and music reputation, and from personal experience, very well deserved. Goodfellows has always seemed very corporate, expense account. There are better places, like some of the others mentioned above.

Cafe Brenda and Vincent are two of my favorite downtown desinations.

As T. S. Eliot said: April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain It is the month during which I spring out of bed at first days light, brewing coffee, and heading outside in bare feet (sure test of weather) to see what, if anything is springing from the ground. Beverages. Across the river in Minnesota, spring and summer are about white liquor, fall and winter about the browns. So much of what you talk is so familiar, fellow northerner, at home with kids. Keep them in the kitchen. Keep them going. It is paying off with Diana (now 13). You mentioned earlier about toleratiing winter. Do you and/or spouse ice fish? I'm sure this subject will garner many chuckles, but bundled appropriately, on a warm winter day (30 would be warm in January), ice fishing -- a chance to be outside, without a roof over one's head, can be heaven, and good fish for frying. Beer here, too, in MN. Brats, too. But, given that the Twin Cities are so much larger, we do have easier access to coops, organic foods, Whole Foods-type places without the Whole Paycheck aspect. Keep it coming!

Something with cinnamon?

In the late 60's, early 70's, I don't think the kinds of places at which I ate Kao Soi had names . Take me to what was the old "bank of Chieng Mai" (where some very near and dear friends lived) and I could find the joint. The idea of Thailand with Hyatts and Hiltons in places like Hua Hin and Chieng Mai horrify me. What the "tourists" have missed. Oh, my.

Diana was 10 when I went up to turn off her night light, and found her curled up in bed with Michael Field's "Cooking School." Diana, at 13, is getting Julia's "Way to Cook" for Xmas. It was a great deal; mint condition, way cheap. I just may spring for Jacques "The Apprentice" for her. We read, aloud in the car on the way home from the cabin, one chapter, but it was due at the library and on hold so un-renewable.

Oh, Soba, you are so good. I have had both versions. Both are better than just about anything I ever ate. My first Kao Soi was at about age 9 or 10, mid to late 1960's, in Chieng Mai. Before the farangs (other than us) decended. Before Thailand had ever heard of Hilton, Hyatt, cooking schools. When it was still Thailand. As we contemplate a trip to Thailand, I am afraid "to go home." Edited to add: the former version is my favorite. One of my very, very favorite of all foods. Sigh. Not offered in North Minneapolis.

Don't know anything about Dynasty. Along as it's Thai and not Vietnamese, you should be just fine. And, with the toasted rice powder -- I like mine with some pieces that aren't too fine -- just don't pulverize it to flour stage and you should be fine.

Once I get my period, I could care less about food. For at least a few days. Forgot about the PMS thirst. Drink gallons of water, pee a teaspoon. I can always tell the few hours before it will come -- don't necessarily drink much, but pee gallons. In addition to hash browns and bacon, another favorite is an egg fried in lots of bacon grease over a really hot burner so the edges get all bubbly/crispy.

suzi, sounds like you need a bacon sandwich (my famous bacon sandwiched between bacon). I had one for lunch today! My family wants macaroni and cheese for dinner. I suppose that will have to do. They want fruit salad for dessert. For dessert, I want hash browns with bacon.

Kao soi, without question. The noodles kind of remind me of a ramen noodle that has not been fried and dried, but perhaps a tidge wider than a ramen noodle. I've seen "curry noodle soup" on a couple of menus in the U. S., but they were not like the kao soi of Chieng Mai. Come to think of it, the Kao Soi of Bangkok just isn't as good, either.

I use the Tiparos brand of fish sauce because that's what I grew up with in Thailand. Sounds like you are on the right track, Chad. Some prefer a less "limey" and some a less "nam plaey" larp. Personal preference.

eGullet PMS'ers: A mess of beef A lot of bacon Lots of chocolate (preferably good quality) Ice cream. Fat (butter or pork-fat) Potatos or other carbs, to be served ala fat The head of anyone who dares to cross the path of said PMS'er. The loins of an attractive partner Whatever assorted junk food (preferably salty and full of fat) strikes the fancy of said PMS'er Red wine, cognac

My sister lives just a few blocks from Acme. I live in a Midwestern bread wasteland.

With steak and/or bacon? I have not been familiar with fennel, but have recently discovered its wonders. I've done raw and braised. It would probably be wonderful with bacon. Jin, more ideas, please.

I very rarely drink white wine. A sip gives me an instant headache. Since I'm often cooking with white wine for my family only, what do I do with the rest of the bottle? Given that I am almost always using it only for cooking purposes, can I freeze it? How long does an opened bottle last in the fridge?

What are your favorite preparations?