Mottmott

Oh, I think you made it clear you weren't being judgmental, but instead demonstrating a sentimental and masochistic streak. Maybe we need another "from scratch" thread. edited to add: would you care to elaborate on the Gnocchi alla Romana?

Fifi, a nice cold drink is the only remedy. Andy, be sure to give this easy method a try. Into the oven in a lidded heavy casserole pot, timer set, timer in pocket, and forget it til you hear the ping. It would be interesting to hear whether this works out as/more/less tasty than your microwave version. This makes it as easy to make as rice. Timers are on my great inventions list.

Sounds wonderful. You're lucky to have such nice memories. And just for curiosity, do you make it often? I was also lucky as a child, though without polenta. My working mother also used do home meals from scratch (excepting frozen veggies sometimes), even baking. But without those memories, oven polenta tastes very good. And as I live alone usually, I'm not likely to make it the labor intensive way nearly as often. Braising season's on! I had a stew with polenta last night. Fried polenta today. Thanks again aged paesan's mother on a box -> Wolfert -> Parsons. edited to repair a broken arrow

Thanks, to you, Sam, Andy for your help. Great, it's the saute pan I'm mostly interested in. I know what I'm getting for Christmas.

I disagree that Julia lost people because of all the instructions. When she started it was precisely those instructions as a way to achieve good food that attracted people to her. In fact her audiences grew through her lifetime, not diminished. I think it's a missed opportunity for PBS, I bet a replay of the early black and white Julia would bring an immense audience. The one negative these shows would bring is that they are limited to French cooking and our tastes are currently much wider.

Perfect timing! Tis the season to braise. Russ, thanks for calling Paula's off-the-polenta-box "old paesan's mother's" method to our attention. I made a half batch in the oven in a small covered LeCreuset casserole; it turned out just fine. I neglected to add the butter til I took it out of the oven when I also added a bunch of parmegiano. The ease of this preparation will make polenta more frequent at my house.

Think color as well as flavor, especially if you use rice which will give you white on white. So unless you're doing a white theme dinner, I'd skip the cauliflower, good as it is, and go with some vibrantly green steamed broccali (blanched or not allowed to sit about to go grey green or too soft). When I'm having something creamed I often like to use something with a vibrant flavor contrast, vinaigrette or sweet/sour. Someone is sending me a recipe from one of the Julia della Croce books for a sweet/sour carrots that would be terrific. If it arrives in time, I'll give it to you. Another idea is to sweet/sour pickle carrots and daikon and maybe some red & yellow sweet peppers. That would also give you some color, texture, and taste contrast. There's always pickled beets which you can even buy in a jar, though home made is better. None of these take long to make and keep well in the fridge for a week or two. And of course there's always green salad.

Do any of the copper mfgrs have saute or fry pans with both handle and loop? I find a large filled pan a little heavy to move off the stove without worrying about tipping, etc. (I may yet go for the 11" Falk double loop casserole, but perversely I find pouring food out of my AC sauteuse awkward compared with long handled pans and prefer the handle/loop combo if I can get it.) Yeah, I'm a short little weakling with hand/wrist problems. I finally went to ss because it's light, though from my point of view, that's all it has going for it.

I have a beautiful copper one I bought at Dehillerin 30 years ago. When I make Toklas's baked shad in wine and cream I use it, but mostly I use it for gratins or for buffet serving.

West Phila becomes the "Brooklyn" of Phila? Good food is like love, spreading it around makes more of it, not less.

I'm so glad this thread was started. At the Asian grocery, I saw a bag of GREEN tapiaoca. I couldn't resist buying it, but haven't yet used any of it. Does anyone know what it is traditionally used for?

At my school we used a bar of Ivory soap (white) and kept rubbing the brush on it til it showed no more color. One of my instructors would throw a fit if he saw cruded up bristles. Beyond that, there were no rules. But in the kitchen, I keep a supply of cheap brushes on hand.

Baking? timer always, at less than the recipe calls for. Otherwise: I usually don't set a timer if I'm staying in the kitchen. But whenever I leave the kitchen I now take a timer with me. Even if I'm only boiling water. So easily distracted, time track so easily on the side. Oh let me count the pots...

Who knows what the yen for Jewish food among self-identifying non-Jews may mean? Perhaps some genetic memory? When doing some geneological research, I met up with many people who found surprises of all sorts, very often people and branches who dropped "off" the family tree, typically accompanied by geographical migration or emotional alienation from their family. Many instances involve changes of name, religion, even race. And it seems to me that it's precisely the "drop outs" who are most likely to have made changes from whatever the rest of their family is. Indeed, in some families, marrying outside one's religion or race or coming out of the closet may lead to being banned or disinherited, etc. After a few generations all knowledge of this may disappear. Funnily enough, some prominent people have recently discovered here-to-fore unknown Jewish ancestry (Madeleine Albright, John Kerry). Perhaps we can inquire into their culinary preferences before they found out to see whether they liked lox and bagels, kugel, kereplach, etc. The flaw in this exploration would be, as someone suggested, most Jewish food is essentially tweaked foods from the countries where they historically lived. Most of the Jews I know mostly eat whatever most people in our society at large does, though I confess to not knowing any who are orthodox. Just out of curiousity, what is "Jewish" food among those from India or China where Jewish communities have been established a long time ago? How different would it be from that of others in their area?

Aside from issues of taste, for health reasons I would go with free range chickens that have not been fed antibiotics or hormones and which are, preferable organic. Though I do think they taste better. edited for a spelling error

Really interesting Arne, a highly finished looking kitchen. It's hard to tell what all the materials are. For example, how far back does that glass extend? Does it "arc" over the back counter instead of butting it? What is the shiny black top in the foreground? It looks differenct from the rest of the dark countertop which seems to have a more burnished look (solid surface?). Is it glass that the lighting makes look opaque? Or is it stone at a lower height for baking? I see a microwave, but no stove. Is that on the wall opposite the sink? I used a continuous strip under the counter lighting at the front of the cabinets that throws a continuous light (masked by decorative molding under the front edge). I'm considering running a strip of outlets up under the back of the cabinets as the ones I have are in a slightly awkward place for use. For esthetic reasons I placed them at the ends of the counter. That way I have about 10 running feet of free wall space for some pictures, nicely lit by the u-c lighting.. I redid my kitchen 20 years ago, avoiding over the counter cabinets to keep an open feeling to the room, but recently added them along the short end wall kitchen (10') and updated the appliances. Fortunately the mfgr was willing to make the new cabinets to match the discontinued line. It's a work in progress.

A. Sounds like you found a great deal. That free standing chopping block is spiffy, but as I need something on wheels. I'll go with fitting out the cart I have. It will fit my needs better and be cheaper, too. I don't quite follow what you mean when you say, They're less expensive, but won't hold if the client cuts directly on them (i.e. they'd still need a cutting board.) Much more cost efficient, and ultimately easier to maintain if you go with granite, quartz or solid surface (e.g. Corian) and use a good cutting board. Are you talking about an entire cutting board countertop vs stone or solid surface. Or a combination, etc.?

Added to what's been said. Another benefit of grapeseed oil: it's monounsaturated and as healthful as olive oil. I like nut oils in salads. Has anyone used coconut oil? Where does it stand on the healthful index?

Hoohrah! My board may be sufficiently seasoned. It's certainly darkened. I oiled it again yesterday. Today, it's lost the dry feel it had and even leaves a slight shin on my hand when I rub it. And to think, it only took a whole bottle of mineral oil. A- Try again. It took my Philadelphia Ikea about 5 months to get them in. Or I think they can be ordered online. Interesting. You install Boos for others, but seek Ikea? Explanation? Is Boos worth the bucks? I admit I'm really tempted by their 24 x 18 x 1 1/4" - and if I retrofit an industrial grade cart I snagged into a work station I can sit at to chop, I might like something even bigger, perhaps thicker. (I'm short, and standing at the counter, even the 1 1/4 is pushing it for me).

I confess to using Habbersetts. Like its spiciness and it's easy to keep one in the freezer. I will get some at Chestnut Hill this weekend to check it out. I'd be curious to know if anyone makes it at home. How big a deal is it?

Carolyn, I agree that I'd also have been happy enough with that. But I'm not a young couple out for a holiday meal during what appears to be an economically tense time. It's fortunately long ago, but I can remember when spoiling your one good (fill in the blank) was a catastrophe. I do feel the restaurant has responsibility and though I might not trouble to pursue it, others are justified in pursuing it if their circumstances make it worth their trouble. I don't have the sense that RK is interested in "using" the situation, but more that he feels they've had a more substantial loss than is compensated for by a dessert they weren't ordering anyway. We all evaluate such things when they happen in the light of our own situation.

Jack a wonderful blog as before, and shared a cider making festival few of us have ourselves. I guess there was a time when this would be a normal part of many people's lives. It is a great contribution to eG as are your other offerings. I've just finished bottling up some of Suvir's tomato chutney and of course went to your lesson on preserving to finish off the process. It's been 25 years since I've bottled anything for a longer stay than the fridge allows. Your bread class was also an inspiration and lead me to my first own sourdough experiencce. You'll be amused to hear (or not) that my DIL disposed of the "imported" starter that was living in the back of the fridge (thinking it was just something that had been there too long and had to be nasty). I can replace the starter, but oh the sentimental value. Barbara

Sorry your dinner and sweater were spoiled. It sounds like you are in a tense time and what should have been a recess from it wound up adding to it. I disagree with NulloMondo, mostly. The world is full of small mishaps. The question is who caused the mishap. If I go into a restaurant that is a special occasion destination, I think it's reasonable to expect that neither my body nor clothing needs special protection and diligence. If I trip over a torn rug or snag myself on a splinter it's because the restaurant hasn't done something it should have done, even understanding that sometimes they don't actually know about it til something does happen. If I am wearing a skirt that trips me up on the stairs and I fall (which has happened), that's not their fault. You suffered a relatively greater loss than some others might have in the same situation, so you're entitled to factor that into your decision about whether to pursue this. In better times, it might become just a funny story to you. First, I suggest a letter to the restaurant, including a photo of the damaged sweater. I assume that this is a fairly new sweater. If you have a recent receipt, include a copy of that. If you have a lawyer friend, check if s/he might he be willing to write a letter if they don't respond favorably to your letter. And, btw, you don't need a lawyer to go to small claims court which is where this would wind up, but if it's incorporated, the restaurant probably will, so it would be in their interest to accommodate you. In the meantime check with the city where it happened to find out how long you have to pursue this legally if you choose to. Second, it is possible that the sweater can be salvaged. If it is a tighly knit silk or cashmere, less likely, but if it is a larger looser knit, more possible (most helpful if wool). Using a needle and thread, you can encircle the loop of sweater thread with the needle thread to capture it , then pull the sweater thread from the front of the sweater to the back of the sweater by going into the hole of that loop of sweater thread. The problem is that there is usually a line of tightness to the right and left of where you've pulled the loop of thread through to the back. Pulling the thread to the inside of the sweater doesn't deal with that. But sometimes a pull can be "worked out" by stretching the knit back and forth gently. I have on some occasions managed to do this. Sometimes not. If you know anyone who knits, get them to look at it. Also try to find an invisible mender. Of course take the photo before you do anything to mend the sweater. Edited to add: I am in business, though not a restaurant. So I do look at it from both sides of the issue and still think the restaurant has responsibility here.

If you bought their "giant corn" it takes forever for them to cook and even after they've "bloomed" they're really toothy. I especially like adding them to soups because they have a meaty texture.

Yoga. It's all in the breath. Funny episode a couple years ago when my hands began bothering me. I complained to my doctor, 20 year younger male, that I was having trouble opening baby food jars of meat for my aged cats. He replied he couldn't open them either. I left him, unsure whether it was his lack of empathy or practical suggestions.