maggiethecat

Suvir and Hemant: What a great start to your new enterprise. Congratulations.

Thanks for the Chicagoland roundup, Hopleaf. Sounds as if your garden did much, much better than mine! And thanks for the reminder; I should pick the last of the basil and make pesto tonight. I find that basil is super sensitive to frost. I'l also go pick the last of the sunflowers and put them in a white pitcher on the dining room table. I second the sage. My sage plant has been around for ten years and it never disappoints. I might plant some strictly as ornamentals (how much sage can two poeple eat?) Worst tomato crop of my life: Three plants, seven tomatoes. I am very displeased. I'll dig some compost into that bed before fall. I do have thousands (well, many hundreds) of Asian pears. Please, people, drop by and help yourselves.

Funny, but inaccurate. Say...U.S. 40.00

Happy Birthday, Diana-- Great Cooking Maiden of the Heartland. Great choice of cake.

Williams, I think.

(Sorry to inject a silly detail into a fascinating thread...) Uh...saucers should not have holes! That's why we buy them...so that the liquid in a plantpot doesn't cause white rings on the bedside table when you water your african violet. Did Mr. Brown drill a hole in the saucer?

Thanks, Richard. I'm within four miles of a W-S, and I'll definitely check it out.

Word. Say your Rosary.

I noticed this too; I suspect her piece started to lead a whole new life of its own. And I'm glad it did. I printed the story out and read it twice; I'll need a couple more go-throughs to absorb everything. Among other of its virtues, it is a fascinating history piece on its own. I don't know the story of Ms. O'Neill's break with The Times; I only know that I've dearly missed her. This article reminded me why. Yes, please:Let's try to bring her here to eGullet.

Matthew: Thanks for this post. I checked out the recipe over coffee at the Wednesday morning breakfast table and wondered if the coconut milk thing would work. I trust M. (You too, of course!) Glad I clipped the recipe, will make it this week, and report back.

BD: Thanks for posting your menu. What a fresh-tasting, superb meal. I am fantasizing on the duck, Spring Onion Mash and Mustard sauce right now.

That's what we waiting slacker to post Word! I'm interested. I've never done a blind champagne tasting and I'm slightly worried about what my tastebuds would choose. Well, actually I'm not...just afraid that the $150 bottle would actually turn out to be my favourite. (How's Becky?)

Word. It's seven days, Babe. No rest for the wicked.

Gee, that has a familiar ring. It does make me feel like spatchcocking something!

She really liked that dinner at Trio!

Pace, pace Cara! Bummer. Well...at least you had the memory of the creamed spinach!

Thank you, thank you for your wonderful description of the Berghoff, the very first restaurant I ever dined at in Chicago. It is still one of my favorites, and not just for the timeless Chicago ambience, and the wonderful murals of the Columbian Exposition. I have never been disappointed in the food (Schnitzel Platter value still can't be beat!) and the price tag is very fair. I think my recent crankiness can be ascribed to Creamed Spinach Deficit. This lapsed WhiskeyPalian might return to the Berghoff tonight. Wow! the butter was actually soft? (How was Figaro?)

So many people I'm longing to meet, and to hang with again. BTW, pending Lady T.'s employer, Aurora, HH, Sue and I should be there for Friday dinner. That, and of course, pending delays due to overturned semis through the Indiana leg of the trip.

Welcome, mitten. A friend of Alex's is a friend of ours. (Um...you do understand that you're going to be in for some serious gastronomic deparavity, right? )

45,205.

Brava! Bravissima!

I agree. I'm working on it.

45, 204. Alex, I wouldn't dream of making fun of anyone's cookbook titles (I blush at some of my own.) Hey, Jude. I believe you are the record-holder on this thread. When you get a chance could you please tell us about your quirky method of cookbook organization? By topic? Date published? Color of spine? And how long do you think it will take you to organize them all? New bookcases. Sigh. How lovely!

This is the best restaurant review I've read anywhere since I read your last restaurant reviews of your New York trip. Elegant, tasty, thoughtful. And classical. I don't know whether NeroW was talking about the writing or the dinner, but I echo her sentiments. Can't wait for tomorrow's installment. Thank you, Sue.

Mr. SSB, Sir: Old trucs like this can be invaluable. It is possible, just possible, that one can find oneself obliged to cook without instrumentation. Is is perfectly feasible that one could someday be brining a beast without measuring/weighing equipment. Well...lost in the Outback, or something like that. (Backing out of lab cautiously.)