Mjx

I did a really bad thing last week. I lied to someone who wanted to invite themselves to a meal we were having in a restaurant with friends. I made up some excuse to put them off - because they were a pain in the arse vegetarian. We have been out to restaurants with them before and they once demanded to see the kitchen to make sure their veggie fart burger wasn't cooked on the same grill as the meat ones. My other half and I were cringing with embarrassment. They have also had a strop to the server about menus not having enough vegetarian options. So when they found out we were having a meal with some other friends locally, they dropped big hints that they would like to join us, but I managed to supply enough excuses for them to get the hint that we didn't want them there. Guess I am off their Christmas Card list now. *snigger* So how obliging are the rest of you carnivores to your veggie friends? Frankly, this sounds like a problem of people feeling entitled to foist their beliefs on others/be pests, not something specific to vegetarians or vegans. Of the vegetarians and vegans I know, roughly the same percentage of them is as annoying about their food preferences as the rest of the people I know; I simply avoid dining with people who are irritating about food, whether they are vegetarian/vegan or not. For whatever it's worth, my experience is that the long-term adherents of any sort of food-related restriction (I'm talking about 25+ years, like my immediate family, all of whom are vegetarian apart from me) tend to not talk about their 'thing', it's just a part of their life, they don't need to bang on about it. At restaurants they'll ask what sort of stock forms the base of a soup, perhaps, but they don't make a big production of it, just make their choices accordingly.

Any of the ideas here work for you? http://forums.egullet.org/topic/62075-corn-chowder-for-cookoff/?hl=%2Bcorn+%2Bchowder

Is glucose more hygrosopic than sucrose? If it is, I don't know whether you're going to be able to get around that, although using the convection setting fo your oven might help.

I'd stick with sugar (with a tiny pinch of salt added to round out the flavour), unless you have a health problem that makes this a bad idea. I've tried many other sweeteners, and frankly, they don't seem to work as well; they're too present/have distracting flavours of their own.

That does sound like a syrup. I was curious, because traditional Danish recipes (the only ones I've tried so far) yield a somewhat concentrated liquid that you dilute about 1:1 or 1:2 with water, while I have the impression that what you're getting something more concentrated, used perhaps by the spoonful..? Weather isn't looking too ghastly today, and I have several nice clumps of elders staked out

I have this feeling about pretty much all fresh produce. I grew up in a culture that practically fetishises produce quality, but currently spend a lot of time in a region where decent fresh produce is scarce in shops, and my consumption of it is now about as low as it can get without being seriously unhealthy (and when I get my hands on the good stuff, I have to make a conscious effort to not attack it like a starving wolverine). But flavourless, soggy, maltreated fruit and vegetables... I just can't.

That looks lovely, and also inspirational: I'll be heading out to collect for elderflower cordial tomorrow, if the weather isn't absolutely atrocious.

I'm not sure whether this will help, but this page on Zurich's Ecole Chocolat site must include at least some makers who are located in Zurich: http://www.ecolechocolat.com/chocolate-maker.php

FrogPrincesse, thank you, that is absolutely brilliant. And overwhelming; I've not the slightest clue as to what cocktails most of those would be used for (although I'm fairly certain a lot would be used for liqueurs/extracts, rather than [just] in their raw state)!

This is quite lovely stuff, sweet but balanced: Also got a bottle of The Kraken... I mean, it's got a picture of a squid on the bottle, how could this be a mistake?

The thin, crip shells for profiteroles are fantastic stuffed with smoked salmon and dill; full of flavour, neat and tidy to eat, a little unexpected, yet not too 'out there' for more conservative breakfasters. Baby spinach might be nice added to these, too.

For the last few months I’ve been playing with the idea of a cocktail garden: sort of like an herb garden, but with plants you use fresh, in cocktails and other mixed drinks. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting some friends, we ended up discussing this idea over a pitcher of mojitos, which was followed by their giving me a birthday present that included a lovely little lime tree in bloom, and a couple of the most fragrant mint plants I’ve ever come across: a fledgling mojito garden. I’d love to take this further, but I’m been stymied by being unable to think of any other fresh plants that are regularly used in cocktails (presumably because I know next to nothing about cocktails), but I’m sure there must be quite a few. If you were given free rein to grow (or have someone grow for you, if gardening is not your thing) your personal supply of fresh botanical ingredients for your favourite cocktails, what would you plant?

If you're having trouble finding an induction cooktop (or one that has a compatible plug), I would not get too worked up about it: whatever advantages induction cooktops may have, I do not believe they get any hotter than glass ceramic (which gets extremely hot). You do need adequate contact between the wok and the heat source, but that will be identical with glass ceramic and induction.

Most of the people I know who have vegetable gardens do grow radishes, so I imagine that they are not regarded as difficult. The worst-case scenario is you end up back where you are now, so it might be worth trying to grow them, as you're alreadygrowing some other things, and wouldn't be starting from scratch (e.g. taking up part of your yard and prepping the soil).

Might be worth posting your question in the Reading Terminal Market or 2013 Farmers Markets topic (you might mention some of their alternate names, too). I can't imagine that radishes would ship well, even if you did find an online source, since they tend to go rubbery if they're not kept cool and moist.

Are you looking for the radishes or the seeds (since you mention 'online' and 'August', it sort of sounds like you're after seeds)? Sustainable Seed Co. has them (http://sustainableseedco.com/heirloom-vegetable-seeds/pe-t/radish-heirloom-seeds/watermelon-radish-seeds.html), and the actual radishes seem like something that should be available at farmer's markets, if there's a good one near you.

Please elaborate on this a bit?

I'm extremely fond of Madeira, but cannot always find my preferred Boal, so I'll sometimes try something else. Usually, that's meant that I ended up with something drier, which has worked out well, but I recently picked up a bottle of Justino's 'Fine Rich', and it's... well, a bit icky, which may be inelegant, but so is this Madeira. It's not just that it's very sweet (seldom a problem for me), but it's unbalanced and extrmely heavy, it even smells too sweet. Any one have experience/recommendations for other ingredients that might be mixed with this Madeira that would balance out/mitigate the aggressive syrupiness? I'm open to cocktail suggestions, too.

Thank you very much! I know how particular you are about the quality of your results, so I'm really looking forward to giving this a go. Important: be sure your eggs are at room temp before incorporating into butter/sugar/flour mixture. Also, the butter should be quite soft. I kept mine on the side of the stove for 10 minutes or so. It should be a soft pomade. Thanks, and noted!

Try contacting Bodum directly about the problem; I see they've discontinued the item, so it can't have been a smashing success. If all else fails, you can use it as a heatable bread basket, to keep your bread warm at table.

How about Forelle Blau as a central dish to build around?

Thank you very much! I know how particular you are about the quality of your results, so I'm really looking forward to giving this a go. @keychris: How is the crumb on those, and what is their texture like, once they're soaked?

mm84321, would you care to share the recipe you're currently using? I tried making baba au rhum once, long ago, and the results were so unpleasant that I haven't tried since. I haven't been thrilled with most restaurant offerings I've come across, either, so I'd love to hear of a reliable recipe.

Quite a bit of discussion, here: Working in Europe.

Add one for me: just received Modernist Cuisine at Home as a gift