maggiethecat

My daughter and son in law had lunch there three weeks ago. The said it was the greatest, and most expensive meal of their lives and they'd do it all over, like, tomorrow.

I received one hands-on Chinese food lesson from a Chinese person -- the mother of another kid at a 70s pop-up preschool. It was in her apartment near Cook County Hospital, where her husband was a Pharm Doc. I can't remember the dish she taught us but I remember the technique she taught about dissolving cornstarch -- yes, cornstarch. "Always blend it into the water with your finger, not a whisk or a spoon." She was right: no lumps ever, and I love the tactile thing.

I make all my pastry, of any kind, by hand. I feel as if I have more control, and I find it -- fun!

I know Janet -- it's such a Snap!and I had to be yearning for dessert at two am to figure it out. We sweetened some with apricot jam last night, whizzed it about in the ice cream machine,and it was so, so good. Soft, creamy sweet, and tasting of apricots.

Cool. I wrote a piece about Greek Yog for the local rag last week. Drag out your ice cream machine. Easy and awesome.

Good work, Steven,and BTW, you didn't look fat to me. In my grandparent-speak you might have been termed "husky," as I, in my heavier years might have been called "A fine figure of a woman." I'm not thin, at all, but I'm thinner than 90% of the women in my age range I know. For me, it's about eating everything I want, but eating half as much. I cut a hamburger in half, a slice of pie in half, a serving of pasta in half. You know what? I'm not hungry and don't feel deprived. Could someone explain the waist/height thing?

Last night, start to finish, two minutes, mostly because I'd made my own fettucine the day before and takes two minutes to cook. While it's boiling, place in blender eight garlic scapes, 1/3 cup grated parm, 1/3 cup slivered almonds, 1/3 cup olive oil, s and p. Whiz about until it's pesto. Drain pasta, toss with pesto.

Meatloaf on toasted homemade white bread, with scrapes of Dijon and mayo. It's what's I'm having for lunch tomorrow, and it makes me sure that tomorrow will be an excellent day.

I made mint chutney tonight and I'm outta control excited that something so easy can be so whack your head awesome. I used this recipe:Try it.

Thanks for all the terrific ideas, y'all. I'm for sure gonna make some mint chutney tonight. Eldereno: I've got outta control lemon balm too. Maybe we could extend this topic to include lemon balm ideas.

I'm sure our great great grandchildren will be horrified by our diet, potions and palliatives. And hey, Kitchen Bouquet is so OK! We're gonna waste our beef/veal stock on Salisbury Steak?

David, I'm jealous that you got the pure Swanson experience. To paraphrase Duke Ellington, "If it tastes good it is good."

There's a reason that cucumber is "as cool as." Cold cucumbers have always given me summer relief, internal and external. Place thin slices of cucumber on your face and neck while you eat a cucumber salad. Family hilarity guaranteed.

It's June, and here in the Chicago Burbs it was the first full day of spring that wasn't too cold or too wet to garden. Geezopete, what a mess!My knees will creak tomorrow, and I don't know if I'll be able to stand straight. But you know, I got some weeding and pruning accomplished, the lawn had dried out enough to be mowed, and if I squint the garden out back looks pretty in the setting sun. Then there's the 50 by 4 foot "Garden" on the southeast side of the house, the testament to the virility of mint. It's all mint, bushels of it. I'll cripple myself futilely trying to pull it out tomorrow, but that much minty booty seems a shame to waste on garnishes and cocktails. Can anyone help me out ? I'd love to know ways to cook with/preserve a cubic meter of mint. Sauce? Jelly? Freezable pesto? Peppermint drops? Help a gardener out.

Paramount looks so awesome it made my teeth ache. Those puffy pitas! The charming kitty pic on a lunch topic scared me for a sec!

A day after I filed this piece I discovered a smallish clump of ground chuck in the freezer and decided: "Girlfriend, it's Salisbury Steak night!" I didn't use Liptons, I used real onions and mushrooms and some Better Than Bouillon. You know, it was awesome, especially with the mashed potatoes and carrots. Kerry, your quote about VD and Mercury cracked Lou and me up. David, I love the idea that SSteak, er Hamburger Steak, is an Hawaiian staple.Mjx, I'm glad to add to your carnivorous knowledge. rotuts, I prefer chuck too, but my mother used round. And Mz. P: How can you, I and CC be wrong?

Fritos.

Mitch, where is a better place to discuss this? When did you find out that you were overcharged for the sprouts? Maybe when you read the receipt when you got home? Like me, you probably offered it up and cooked the sprouts, perhaps, as I am, too lazy to go back to the store and get your refund? Yes, although you had been ripped off, I think, if you'd seen the cherries charged up wrong you should have mentioned it. Little stuff like this is writing a line in the sand for honesty and morality, even though you (or I) can rationalize our decisions. Edited to add: My father, when reading the receipt the morning after, discovered he'd been undercharged at a high end restaurant in Toronto. He showed up at opening time, insisted on paying the difference, and I saw a restaurant staff halt in its tracks and gape.

Chris, I find the mushroom move shocking. Just sayin'. Makes Steven's produce bag pilfering look small time. (We Canadians of Scots descent parse these decisions like Maxwell Perkins editing Hemingway.) And, to go back to SS's situation: I have more plastic bags from simple shopping than I can deal with. They hold grapes just fine.

Since the death of the late lamented Momo, what do you need these bags for? If you need a cheap plastic bag, surely the tote you take the haul home with would do? I don't understand why you want these bags -- 'splain, and I might have something to add.

I'm with KD1191: Publican rules.

That looks swoonworthy. Can you point me toward a recipe?

The onion saver is da bomb!

Put a pile of ice cubes in a bowl, spinkle with some salt, and flash-cool hard boiled eggs.

Ham requires scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach -- sauteed apples on the side. (Or my friend Marianne's applesauce, pink because she adds a few Red Hot cinnamon candies.) Turkey: Mashed potatoes, sauted brussel sprouts, cranberry chutney, and two kinds of dressing: sage/breadcrumb in the cavity, cornbread/sausage on the side. Apple pie ain't apple pie without sharp cheddar. Chicken ala Cacciatore must be served over polenta -- they're soulmates.