maggiethecat

Mike: Thanks for the great post. I think I dine out vicariously with you and the girlfriend! When I mention the liver and onions to my mother she will be on the next Air Canada flight to Chicago. I am a martini purist. My friend, gummi worms? Really?

More about Rachel's dress please.

We call that the Gooooood Morning Burger. Now *that* is the Breakfast of Champions! Note to self: forget the yoghurt and half a banana routine come Jan. 1. Eat this, and you will conquer the world. And whip your weight in wildcats. And every week, your weight will equal one new wildcat! A fried egg???????!! Sigh. Life is so cruel!

Helena...what an absolutely terrific idea! Thanks.

Miss T: Barring any unusual occurences(such a a trip to the emergengy room! )any are good. For us..just go ahead and call! And thank you!

So restful..to be married to a man who loves to read, loves to cook, and loves to read cookbooks. Christmas shopping a snap, plus I get to co-own the books. The new artsy Ripert/Ruhlman book(forget name) The Zuni Cafe Cookbook...looks as if we will cook from it!

Of course you are, my brother. But you have to be useful! What Mondays can you make it? Allison? Suggestions? You can't get away with simply being the Chicago Tommy! (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!)

i know we are all holiday crazed and busy, but I want to bring this back, Chicago folks. Post your possible dates and let's take it from there. BTW: What the heck is the matter with us? The PNW people, to say nothing of the NY/NJ bunch, would have a thread six pages long by now! As I said! Hellooooo...anyone around in the Greater Chicagoland area?

i know we are all holiday crazed and busy, but I want to bring this back, Chicago folks. Post your possible dates and let's take it from there. BTW: What the heck is the matter with us? The PNW people, to say nothing of the NY/NJ bunch, would have a thread six pages long by now!

That seems to be the theme here. We love food because: 1)Our family included wonderful cooks and eating well was important or 2)We ate horrid food growing up, and the revelation that is good food changed our lives.

I love good coffee and love that coffee pause after a meal. (I like tea too, but, FG, you really order tea in the USA post meal? A bag and a mug of lukewarm water most everywhere? Sissy! ) Sometimes one is so pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned on a previous thread, I ate a workmanlike, tasty but hardly inspired meal at The Urban Pear in Ottawa. I ordered the coffee to linger a little longer with a friend. That cup of coffee was up in my lifetime Top Ten. And a cup at Le Brasserie Lippe in 1975. Is it still as good?

Brigman, this is excellent info. We used to live within 4 blocks of the market and bought seafood there regularly. It's a little out of the Gold Coast, but never you fear! Whoever mentioned TJ's frozen scallops, I agree. (Full disclosure: I am not a scallop fan. In my extreme youth the very smell of them made me gag. I'm over that now, but prefer the little guys, not the big divers. And His Handsomeness has made that CT recipe. I'd call it first rate, even though I have a latent scallop aversion!)

First: We adore Indian Food. We are a little ashamed that we don't cook it more often ('tho thanks to you, we are cooking it more already. ) Oddly,we discussed this a couple of nights ago. To many Westerners, who have not had the luck to grow up eating/watching folks cooking, Indian cooking seems incredibly exotic, and the ingredients list can be intimidating. But often the most important thing is that I don't have any "remembered palate" to go by. Indian food is so subtle and sophisticated that we don't know if we're "Getting It Right." For example, I kinda know what a Moules Mariniere or Carbonnade se Boeuf should taste like, and what to shoot for. Because these dishes are familiar to me. Not so many Indian dishes. So what we have decided is that we will plough ahead, do our best, hope for authenticity. And if it tastes wonderful, maybe authenticity isn't *that* important!

I planted my first Brandeywines last summer...as plants from my wonderful nursery. When we bit into the first ripe one, it was a revelation. I kid you not, it was as if I had finally understood what tomatoes are supposed to taste like and don't. Bless their big ugly knobbly cracked selves! I don't have the growing season or a greenhouse set-up in which to start tomatoes from seed. But I will certainly make a point of buying at least one of every variety of heirloom I can find.

Broke, exhausted after a day shopping at the Very Upscale Mall(Oakbrook), His Handsomeness and I were talking about all those we *still* had no present for. Saith he: "I'll buy some tins tomorrow and you make more of that eGullet Lady's caramel corn. Everyone will like that!" Thanks, girlfriend! I will.

Not in our house! But my husband's grandmother was Italian. Red vermouth was the only alcohol in her house, except for a two gallon bottle of Gallo for cooking purposes. Whenever Important Company came over, out came the vermouth...Gallo too, as I recall. Not, er, Artisanal. And she always served it at room temp. My parents had to consure a glass or two ar nine in the morning. They sure aren't teetotallers, but it was a little early for them.

I have a couple of hybrid tea roses...you know, the high maintenance divas with the skinny legs. I underplant them with catnip. It hides the scrawny stems, the violet flowers look beautiful, and I have a constant supply for Willow the Cat. Of course, it also attracts neighbourhood cats. Fine with me. The kitties desreve the equivalent of a couple of martinis in their lives! And I haven't planted any more hybrid teas.

Well. His Handsomeness and I were lucky enough tonight to taste this chutney made by The Great Man himself. I think others have used the phrase "blown away" on this thread, and it is entirely accurate. First, the red, rich voluptuous taste of the tomatoes. Then the taste of the sophisticated spices. Then the thousand watt blast of heat. Folks, it's hot. But the interesting thing is that the heat isn't the first thing on your palate. Incidentally, I was in contact with another (very esteemed)eGulleteer today, who had recently tasted this chutney. She said Suvir should bottle it, sell it, and retire a rich man! Thank you all for your suggestions on using this magic stuff. I've been making "chutney" for years. Basically fruit, usually apples or pears, garlic, onions ,raisins, garam masala, mustard,sugar and vinegar. Good sweet and sour stuff, good with plain grilled meat. Now I realize that it's for tourists! Many thanks, Suvir. You might want to start a condiment empire.

Funny, my figure is better than it was thirty years ago. Go figure(dumb pun intended!) I am normally a fat, butter, salt, cream, red meat, potatoes (butter!) beer, wine,cocktail kind of person. I tried Atkins in its first appearance in the seventies. After four days I considered mugging the nice lady peeling an orange and making off with her fruit course. Ketosis? Feel yucky. And everyone I know on Atkins who has lost a ton and looks great gains it back in a year. I have learned, the LONG hard way: portion control, folks. And get your lazy butt off that chair. And, that said, I will not go downstairs and dig into the pint of Ben and Jerry's. Oh please! My intentions are good but my will is weak.

I'll arm-wrestle Jinmyo for the rum! As a rule, I don't like my "adult" beverages sweet, rich or dairy. Maybe a passage from my childhood is the reason. In an attempt to 1)Watch the family weight 2) assure we got some early-morning protein3)Make mornings easier on everyone, my Father went through what my brother and I refer to as The Eggnog Winter. Every night Daddy would whip up a big batch of "eggnog"...skim milk, light on the sugar, no rum!..pour it into six glasses, dust with nutmeg and store in the fridge. It was breakfast. My siblings and I convinced him to strain out the "egg bitties"(sic), which made it at least drinkable. But oh so cold. Remember that I waited for the schoolbus in minus thirty temps, in a miniskirt (of course...The tyranny of fashion!) I've never felt so cold in my life. Musta been the eggnog!

(Note: Don't get me wrong, I actually think his mag is good and has a lot of useful info, but Chris just drives me nuts sometimes.) We subscribe to "Cooks" and find that there are a couple of good nuggets an issue. But, oh my. Mr. Kimball's writing style! Tighe: If Chris drives you nuts on the page, don't be in our kitchen when my husband is preparing dinner and giving commentary (deliberately) in the style of Chris, or more accurately perhaps, "Cook's." "We tested 43 kinds of waxed paper and found..." Etc. It's hilarious for about three minutes, but after that I'm begging for mercy. And don't push that "pansy" thing. I remeber a recent editorial of Kimball's extolling the joys of getting out the trusty rifle and going hunting.

Miss T: I have informed His Handsomeness that his presence will be required. As we're refinancing the house, we should be able to afford it by then!

Hoppy, listen to the man. Please. Of course I know this and make the same mistake every year. Exactly how many poppies can I grow in a 50X30 garden? And when it's springtime, there is the Siren Song of the Garden Center. Seed catalogues for gardeners may be the most addictive porn published. I recommend Renee's Garden Seeds and Shepherd's Seeds. I need a 12 Step Programme!

I will make sure to be free on Mondays.

the women are actually more appealing after their 'conversion.' Before they've been Stepforded, they're really, well, whiny. I kind of wanted something bad to happen to them. Fourth (fooled ya): I haven't seen the movie in at least 20 years, so I may be full of it, as I often am. If so, blame it on poor memory. Dave: Couldn't have put it better! But I too haven't seen the movie for twenty years. "The Wrong Box." Wow. We love that movie so much we actually own a copy! Haven't watched it for a long time. Doesn't Peter Sellars use a kitty as a blotter? Back on topic: Jaymes said it best, again. "Joy" is the basic, well-thumbed dictionary among shelves of prettier, better-written, more "important" cookbooks. Just scanning the shelves brings back personal history. Did we actually cook from Michel Guerard those many years ago. Yes, I think. Can't remember what.