maggiethecat

Yes! It's a great idea.

Please post your "Name Game" entries here!

Before I start shamelessly mining the excellent Smackdown Topics you submitted in the "Writer's Block Party" round, I thought this might be an amusing In Crowd assignment. (So did Fat Guy; in fact, he suggested it.) Write a paragraph or two of a literary conceit of your choice, sprinkling eGullet aliases as cleverly and frequently as possible. It won't be too hard to sprinkle more cleverly and frequently than I have below: _____________ The col klinked his glass against mine as I sat among his guests at the al fresco fete celebrating the premiere of Godzilla369, his latest sequel to the Japanese horror classic. The stars peeked out over the Hollywood Hills. "Quella stella bella! " I mused, slipping into freshman Italian, as is my wont after three martinis. (I never want oliver twist—a simple skewer of garlic, per favore.) We drank under the stars as the great Director complained about his servant problems. He collared the screenwriter and sobbed on his shoulder. "Dave, the Cook quit yesterday! And remember the butler from Wyoming? He quit. The Montana butler quit too!" He patted my knee, skirting the hem of my Versace frock. "Be a lamb," he whispered in my ear. "Go whip up some of your famous apple pandowdy." I adjusted my Harry Winston tiara, and fixed him with my basilisk gaze. "That story in The Inquirer was a tissue of lies. This Leading Lady can't cook!" I pointed to the George Clooney lookalike lounging against the bar. "Go ask your Leading Man. Gordon Cooks!." ----------------- My apologies to all whose names I've taken in vain. Deadline? Midnight, Saturday September 13th, in a time zone of your choice. And yes, I finally straightened out the numbering. Please don't post your entries on this thread. Post them here!

Welcome, Scottie. I'm another fan of "World of the East Vegetarian Cooking." 44, 709.

Cold running water. Patience. And the Love of Her life being sympathetic and kind. That's about it, unfortunately.

Take it away, fellas. (And I've had the same experience.)

It's the company, I guess.

Actually, a heavy, hot cast iron pan does flatten even a spatchcocked chick. Spatchcocked. Five more times and it's mine.

I've never used a brick, but I've heated up a cast iron frying pan in lieu. Again, don't know if it's imagination, but it does produce awesome juicy chicken. And Archie: The get the oven and pan hot, blast for thirty minutes method works beautifully too. Check out "Zuni Cafe." In fact: Brine, no brine. Low heat, high heat. Trussed long or trussed short. Stuffed under the skin or not. Stuffed or not. Spatchcocked or not. They can all produce an amazing roast chicken. And trust me, I know. I've done it all.

I would be careful about admitting that to the general public. Shhhhh.

Thanks, Dean. Now I get it. And I am so down with the assessment of Gluck's "Don Juan." And here I've been spatchcocking all along without knowing!

OK, I give. Has spatchcooked been defined anywhere on this Science Guy thread? I can picture "spatchcooked," but I may be, once again, letting my imagination run away with me.

It isn't that hot! And I'm up for another foray to Opera. Not just for the food; it's there I first met the other two thirds of the Travelling Riot, so it's Special.

These sound amazing. They will be added to this week's dinner rotation for sure. And thanks all for the variations. I regularly add the peas, but the fried hard bolied egg and matchstick potato variations sound incredibly good too.

Me too. Let me try to crunch some numbers later today. 44, 668

44, 320. I turn my back for one little week... and find that we are still up to our usual tricks! Heyjude, we know you're a hopeless case. Revel in it. 8.39 miles. That will get me to that Portillo's in Lombard.

Thanks, mpav. 43,490.

Ting-a-ling.

I thought it had to be vegetarian toppings? Well yeah, you're right. But bacon is a food category all by itself, necessary to long life, wisdom, and incredible physical beauty. Sometimes I plumb forget it's merely meat.

Scroll down on this thread. I haven't tried it yet, but it's on the menu this week at the Dave's Short-Order Kitchen. I'll be waiting for a complete report, please. Hmm... add some pancetta or bacon, and I do believe you might have the world's most perfect breakfast.

Thanks for the link, hollywood. I think we're going for lunch on Thursday. I'll post a full report.

Has anyone eaten at Osteria Angelini? I'll be in LA later this week, and this restaurant has been suggested as a lunch venue.

Just another of Dean's Ho-Hum dinner parties! Matthew, I want to hear sbout the vinaigrette, please. And your haul from the farmer's market has me seriously wistful. Dean, when you've had a little (well-deserved) nap, tell about the manufacture of tomato juice please. And what company! Damn! (Dean, this was a great idea for a thread .)

It's on the calendar. In ink.

David, I am eternally grateful to you for being here to give me this advice, because I am that tyro. I'm lucky to possess a daughter who's an aspiring writer with a day job. As my unemployment drags on, she applies the ever-useful kick in the maternal ass. "What are you working on, Mom? If you're not working, you'd better be writing. I'd give anything for a good four hour stretch every day in front of my laptop."