maggiethecat

I would never judge you, chere, but that is outrageous! And just possibly brilliant.

Jmahl and Darienne: You are genius, I tell you, GENIUS! Wonderful straightforward trucs.

I own a chef's jacket, but it hangs in the closet. I'm a hardcore apron fetishist and my husband belongs to the "Let's see how many nice shirts I can wreck with cooking grease" school. My mother became a convert to the chef's jacket when she received one as a gift in her late sixties, perhaps because she had an expensive wardrobe! She swore by it.

Rover: I have been about one year remiss, and I hang my head. I think the heart means the celery mass before the stalks, but it really doesn't matter. I'm mad about a James Peterson recipe I made from his amazing book "Splendid Soups." Sweet Potato, Chile and Lime soup. Here's a really ruff description of the recipe: (Fellow soup fiends, buy the book.) Oh my, that Sweet Potato, Lime and Chile Soup!. Apart from roasting a couple of poblanos, it was so easy and so good.Soften some onions and garlic in butter. Add chunks of sweet potato(4 Sweetps) 1 qt chicken broth, 2 jalapenos, 3 roasted chopped poblanos. Cook till the sweet potatoes are soft. Puree. Add the juice of 2 limes, and sautee some corn tortilla strips.Top the soup with tortilla strips. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, chopped cilantro.

You have described the Dish from the Devil for me. Ruffles with Ridges and homemade w/onion soup and sour cream "California Dip." I could eat it three meals a day, and snax, whatever the lunar cycle is. Genius.

I don't see why audiobooks don't count, and sure, two editions of "Joy" make the cut. 161, 756.

Maggie, sounds great ! I make a similar dish that adds shrimp and begs for good bread and people who don't care if you are sopping up every bit of juice................. Toasted Shrimp and Tomatoes ← Yowsa -- I can so see how shrimp would work in this dish. Bring on the good bread!

Oh my gosh, does this recipe from the PBS show "Everyday Cooking" (thanks Martha!) totally rock.Cherry Tomato crisp.Cherry Tomato Crisp.I made it as the lady on "Everyday Food" did it, viz: Don't grate your parm, just break in some chunks. Leave garlic whole. A few pulses. Like, ten seconds and twenty minutes to a baked tomato/crispy crunchy jamboree side dish, that incorporates bright veg and starch. And texture. Most highly recommended. And, so easy.

Marco was interesting. And hot. Nutz. I expect zilch from these shows, but having MPW on TV every Wednesday did cheer a lass up. My grandparents hailed from his part of the country and it was a reminder: Lancs is Lancs.

161,625. (one for me: James Peterson's terrific "Glorious French Food."

Susan, that's absolutely brilliant. Really. I'll have to find a pocket protector substitute. Penalties? Maybe no TV, computer time, no desert for a week. Second offense:No bacon for a month.

Sparrow's brother lives in my little town, and after he paid her a visit he brought me back a dozen eggs. The first thing I noticed were the brilliant, almost day glo orange yolks. Wow. And when I fried my first egg, the yolk stood up hard and firm, the whites kept close, and the flavor was indescribable -- the very essence of egg. And that's the reason I've craved my own hens. Sparrowgrass's brood showed me what eggs are meant to be.

I am so jealous I could cheep -- er weep. I can't raise chickens here, and it makes me mad. I have no hen-specific advice to add, but I have to say that sparrowgrass's eggs were the best I've ever eaten. In my life.

I like this med idea. How about throwing in a few good olives and some anchovy paste?

161,616 -- cool lookin' number.

White Cheddar Cheese-Itz: freaking brilliant! Too bad the guyz will never get those estrogen-fueled flashes of inspiration.

My ovaries are perking up after a long rest. That is just awesome.

I also recommend these from Marcia Adams: Cooking From Quilt Country New Recipes from Quilt Country Heirloom Recipes ← The "From Quilt Country" books deserve to rank up there with Edna Lewis and James Beard.

I think "comfort us" gives us a clue here, though Alinea made me feel comforted as well as challenged.

I used the rillettes and the ham, the cheese the homemade focacacia, and the pickle. On the pannini grille, the results were gorgeous, but for one thing: too much mustard! It overpowered the sandwich. Our dumb Bad. The rillettes worked great, like sensuous porky butter. When I cleaned the grille there were solid puddles of pork fat from the rillettes. Many puddles.

I'm eager to see it too. My prediction: Meryl will nail it.

Thanks for your support, Dudes. I'm making them tonight and will report.

I am engaged in a death march with an excellent ham. I also have a couple of pounds of rillettes in my freezer, so I'm not going to be roasting pork soon. I'm craving a Cubano. Could I sub some rillettes for the pork, or would it get too fatty during grilling?

I was impressed that he gave Martha Stewart the props she deserves.

Brooksie, I know you're right, and St. Jacques is the only food guy who gets serious attention in this house. I should further explain that we don't have cable, I've never seen more than three episodes of Top Chef (all in hotel rooms,)and have never seen American Idol, Project Runway, etc. So I'm not as savvy or jaded as most of the world. Plus, I'm in love.