SylviaLovegren

Addall.com is a great place to look for books -- they consolidate book sites around the world, so you can see the best prices. It's available for $80 from Powell's, and then up from there. http://tinyurl.com/jhh9eg9

This is not at all helpful to you and I'm sorry, and it totally shows my childish mind. But there's a company called "Smeg"? I certainly hope they don't have offices in Massachusetts.

Ask Darienne for her sister's recipe for brown sugar shortbread. Simple and really delicious.

I want that phone. And the corny cornbread pan. And the rellies coming over to make tamales. Swunderful.

I've never heard of an Orange Julep. Is it sort of like an Orange Julius, only with milk instead of egg white and vanilla. Or a Ontario/upstate NY thing? Sounds yummy. The orange doesn't curdle the milk?

Agree it's a great choice. Olney was an impeccable cook with classic French techniques and sensibilities, writing in English, in a day when the kitchen was mostly manual and ingredients were local.

It would work just fine. That's how old manuals used to recommend meat be kept -- on a rack with a plate under, loose covering (if any) for air circulation.

Why does everyone mix their cornmeal.grits into hot water? Is there a reason? I always mix the corn with cold water -- no lumps -- then bring slowly to a boil, adding additional liquid as needed. It's so easy that way and you never get lumps. Maybe I should do a side by side taste test to see if there's a difference in taste or texture.

Thanks everyone for their ideas and recipes! We love sweet potatoes, so we will be trying lots of different recipes in the next few months.

This sounds really delicious. Not traditional enough for me for T-Day but will be making it otherwise, for sure!

Drinks novice here. What is S&C?

Nobody wants to share their special sweet potato recipe? I need help!

This is awesome! Love what you're doing and how you're doing it, so creative and resourceful. It's easy to have a fabulous design with unlimited budget -- but your kitchen will be much more interesting and personal. Can't wait for more pictures!

Old: pretty much everything -- roast turkey, Betty Crocker stuffing with raisins and pecans, mashed taters, gravy, cranberry chutney, spinach salad with oranges and sweet onions, buttered peas, pumpkin pie, maple pecan pie New: maybe those brussels sprouts? And I really need a good recipe for sweet potatoes. I made them once with cinnamon and onion and no one liked them except me. Have tried candied with brown sugar and butter but they never come out like my mom's did, with a nice really candied edge. Any ideas? No marshmallows, please!

I was pleased to find Julia Della Croce's Umbria at a recent sale, and right next to it, Nancy Harmon Jenkins' Mediterranean Diet. Both really excellent!

Our neighborhood Pakistani markets all carry citron -- mostly the "hand" type, although I've also seen some that look like huge lemons. Maybe I'll give them a try in a few weeks when I candy the other citrus peels for Christmas.

Really? I candy lemons, oranges and grapefruits all the time but have never tried citron. What happens when you try to candy ripe citron?

Is that candied citrus citron fruit? Or candied citron melon peel (citron melon is distantly related to watermelon)? It looks more like the citrus fruit, which would have a real citrus favor with some nice herbal and bitter undertones. The citron melon has a very bland flavor, mostly gained from immersion in a lemon/ginger sugar syrup. Either one can be used as "candied fruit" for cakes, cookies, etc., but the citrus version has way more flavor and appeal, to me (obviously!).

Congratulations! Everything looks fantastic. Wish there were a trip to your neighborhod in the future!

Turkish Delight aka loukoumia is the jellied one. The nougaty looking one is halwa (halvah). Yum.

I'm a big fan of Rudolph's and have it toasted for brekkers almost every morning. Haven't tried it toasted for sandwiches -- but that's mostly cuz I'm no fan of toast in sandwiches.

Not to be Debbie Downer, but please make sure your chef never invites me to eat one of his meals. The thought of cod in dessert just makes me want to hurl. Reminds me of those sugared dried baby crabs I got fed once at a Japanese market, still gives me the shudders. But obviously some people like them. Just not me.

My cousins got together and made a family recipes cookbook that has many of the dishes I remember from being a kid at different family get togethers. They also asked contributors to give a story to go with the recipe. It is a real treasure and I refer to it many times -- special favorites are Nora's white cake with broiled frosting (perfect for pot luck suppers), Aunt Molly's oatmeal cookies, and my mom's thick lentil soup with ham. When our son got his first apartment, I made him a little book of recipes for his favorite "mom" foods. He did pretty well with most of them...and now his girlfriend is using some of those recipes, so that feels pretty nice.

They open when they're dead and cooked, no matter what the size. Bigger clams are usually tougher than the little guys (although 2 inches isn't huge). My mom always used to grind the big ones for clam fritters or for chowder.

Ah. And I see it is a "thing" -- sounds better than chicken fried steak (although I happen to like chicken fried steak). Seems like something to look for if we're ever back that way again.