Mottmott

I inherited old crystal from the 30's and it has coupes. My 1st husband had his folks' sometime pre-50's with coupes (his china had 2 handle bouillon cups, too), Late 60's I bought some crystal, coupes in that brand, too. (My second had no dowry. )I suspect that the flutes became popular in in the 70's or early 80's. Personally I prefer drinking champagne from flutes as I find balancing the coupe without danger of sloshing. Coupes are beautiful for dessert.

I love this thread. Ordinarily I live alone and don't hide anything. For the last year my son and his family have been living with me til they could find and fix up their house. I've pretty much turned the kitchen over to them, keeping only a few shelf for myself. It's really funny what I've hidden away either at the back of "my" shelves or in my closets. (It's a little like keeping the "dirty" books in plain brown wrappers.) It's not that I mind their using these items but they use them so mindlessly: fleur de sel, good balsamic, banyuls, and 20 year sherry wine vinegar, my stash of Vahlrona pistoles, single malts, a few special wines, my fairly large assortment of liqueurs, pernod, vermouth, dark rum, madiera, brandy I keep in the kitchen just for cooking now rebottled into anonymity, etc. (Oddly, my son never touches the liquer I keep out in the dining room for drinking, just likes the convenience of my cooking rum etc when he's at the kitchen table at night.) It wouldn't bother me for them to use these things if they were discriminating cooks. But I can imagine the fleur de sel or Maldon salting the pasta water. And I did see the Nunez estate bottled olive oil used for deep frying. So I drew a line. I keep these things on hand to be used in cooking as called for, and I get very irritated when they're not available when I want to use them. -- Like the time I discovered that my DIL threw out my sourdough starter (Jackal's from eGCI) because it had been in the back of the fridge so long. Of course I didn't say a word, it was innocent enough, she's clueless about cooking. So I tuck away special items that are troublesome or expensive to replace, revealing them only in a finished dish.

Lucy, thanks for posting that link. I'm spotty in my attendance here, so I'd missed it the first time round. It looked beautiful and I'd guess as tasty as pretty.

Diana, face it, we're all freaks, either set in our ways, wallowing in uncertainty and indecision, listing obsessively and marching rigorously to destinations, or wandering among the food bins and sniffing the fruit to see what's ripest, making up our minds about what to have for supper. Whatever works, works, I say. The beauty of eG is to see how many ways. And sometimes we may even learn something we want to try, too. Edited to ask, hopefully, did you survive the hurricane without any damage?

I have some of the triggers mentioned above, especially the red wine and luckily not the chocolate or coffee. But one of the worst triggers for me has nothing to do with food: the weather. When a storm is coming in, the barometric shift can trigger one. I can avoid red wine, but haven't figured out what to do about the weather. I'd like to pass on a couple palliatives for the pain. I can't take the new migraine meds, reaction, etc., so I'm stuck with folklore. A couple work for me: 1. I run hands in the hotest water I can without scalding myself (and if possible, feet, too, water pooling around them in the tub). It gives some relief from the acute pain. 2. When hot water's not available, you can press hard on the web between your thumb and index finger. Not as good as the water, but sometimes you do what you can. 3. (haven't tried this because water treatment works for me) I'm told that breathing in a paper bag, which makes you rebreath your expelled breath, helps. Oh, and if you can get your MD to prescribe pain killers, take them before you do the water treatment and you can sometimes relieve the pain long enough to get to sleep.

I shop a la Jeckyl and Hyde. When planning a party meal, I make lists. Otherwise, all bets are off. I pick up whatever looks good the day I shop and cook around that. Last weekend at a little farmer's stand, some spectacular blackberries inspired me to do a tart. Heirloom tomatoes, fresh picked arugula, the tiniest possible green beans, etc. have made wonderful salads. I'm lucky to live in a city where I can pretty much avoid supermarket shopping, which I realize not everyone can. Different days I shop at different places. It's not NYC, but I do 50-70% of my shopping at a food coop, supplementing it with bakeries, fishmongers, etc., ethnic groceries, the wonderful Reading Terminal and 9th Street "Italian" Markets, and (for non hormone & antibiotic meat) Whole Foods. When you shop at such places, you tend to improvise around what looks good today. But to do this, it's necessary to keep a well stocked pantry.

Can't speak to the Puck machine, but: In buying something like a stand mixer initial cost is not the only question. How powerful is it? How easy to service? My KA is so old that at today's prices, it's cost me about $5-10/yr, it's so old I can't remember what it cost. And my grandchild will be using them. My tilt model had to be serviced about 10 years ago, the 5 quart never. Add ons: My motto? happiness is fewer gadgets. But the KA will take accessories requiring power. So despite my motto, I've been happy to have the meat grinder and recently added the pasta roller.

I shop both, depending.... But if there's anything you don't see out at DB's, ask, and soon after someone disappears upstairs or downstairs in search of it, you're likely to have it. Things like beans, semolina, oo flour, etc. seem to be kept out of sight. Hmm, discrimination keeping the glam items front and center?

Wendy, I used the pastry cream recipe on eGullet (from Jackal). 6 Egg yolks 125 g sugar 40 g Corn flour (or ordinary flour) 1 vanilla pod split 500 l milk 1. Put the egg yolks and about a third of the sugar in a bowl and whisk until they go pale and form a ribbon. Much easier to do this using a food processer or an electric hand whisk. 2. Sift in the flour and beat well. 3. Put the milk, the rest of the sugar and the split vanill pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil.... 4. As soon as the mixture boils, pour 1/3rd into the egg mixture and stir well. 5. Pour the egg and milk back into the rest of the milk, and return to a gentle heat. Stir well until it begins to thicken. Boil for 2 minutes. 6. Take off the heat and continue to stir. Put some knobs of butter over the surface to prevent a skin forming. Let cool. I'm sure all my proportions are right on as I weighed out all ingredients in grams ahead of starting. I've made pastry cream before, so the process wasn't unfamiliar, though this is the first time I've used cornstarch instead of the flour. It definitely came to the boil, though I didn't allow it to boil for any length of time because I was worried about the cornstarch, and once it came to the boil, I kept lifting the pan off the heat just enough to keep it at a heavy simmer . Understand, when I bake I keep trying for perfection. Abstractly the pc was fine. Everyone scarfed down my blackberry tart. And I assure you I did not point out what I thought were its defects. (Although I do freeze pate brisee, I'm not convinced it's quite as good as when baked without freezing.) When I complain that it's "pasty," I'm comparing it to one I tasted recently that had a silky quality I am trying to recreate. In fact this one was very good, like a semi solid creme anglaise. (I did strain it and was gratified there were no scrambled eggs left in the strainer.) I could eat it by the spoonful, and I'll probably use the bit that's leftover with fruit. I'm sure that pastry chef whose trail I'm on had some "trick" with the pastry cream: lightened it with something or perhaps made creme anglaise and used a small amoung of gelatin to stiffen it a bit. I may even screw up my courage and call the restaurant to talk to the pc. I'd be happpy to just experiment, except that unlike the pros, I'd wind up eating much of it instead of selling it. Extra weight will aggravate my back condition so I try to be careful. It makes sense that I can make savory pastry cream just as I can make savory custard.

Ah, you've all been so helpful. And with pros on board, may I ask how far can one reduce the sugar and still have it thicken. I find most pastry creams too sweet, but usually doggedly follow the recipe for fear of ruining it. I used Jackal's recipe which recommended beating 1/3 of the sugar with the eggsto a ribbon. Can I assume that I could have left out some/all of the remaining sugar with no bad result? Another question. It appears that one can use flour/cornstarch interchangably for thickening. But some recipes call for "boiling" the pastry cream a couple minutes. I was under the impression that boiling cornstarch is a no-no. Also, I have had (out, better restaurants) tarts using a pastry cream that is more creamy than pasty. I wonder how to achieve that effect. Fold in some creme fraiche or whipped cream?

Thanks, it seems I've been too conservative. I'm planning to start the elements for blackberry tartlets tonight to assemble tomorrow, and know I'll have leftover pastry cream. I didn't want to use it again the very next day. I try not to indulge 2 days in a row. I may make some fruit napoleons later in the week with the leftover pc.

hshiau, You say you’re not much on cooking, don’t know about immersion blenders and yet you’ve been bitten by the current obsession to drop a ton of money on a “new” kitchen. What’s wrong with yours? It looks very functional, neutral, and isn’t shabby. To my eye what’s “wrong” with it is that it has no color or personality showing. But you don’t get that in your built-in features such as cabinets or counters, anyway. You’re kitchen AS IT IS can be thought of as a blank canvas to draw on with light and color. Spend some money on lighting and decorative elements that make it more personal looking. You could spend a few thousand just on doing this! I recently added about 10' of highend undercounter lighting, and I’ve been very careful not to let my family know how much I spent on this single element. For example: get yourself some "L" shaped strip molding installed under the front of your cabinets (just match it to the wood finish on the bottom of the cabinets, most cabinet mfgrs make it now so you won't have to special mill it). Install some of the very functional and attractive strip lighting that is now available just behind the molding which will mask it when you are looking at the cabinets. (I recommend the 12 volt/transformer type with a dimmer for the “look,” but if money’s an issue go flourescent.) It’s wonderful to work under and it will turn the wall behind it into a great space for displaying photographs and artwork. You can frame up family photos, children’s artwork, museum reproductions, enlarged pictures of food, etc. And put a nice big mirror on the wall over the sink where you stand to do dishes. It will change the space for you when you stand there, and give the kitchen a more open feeling generally. You could even just cover the back wall there with mirror entirely (tile has become boring to me) or, if you have the talent or friends with talent, paint it with a mural. (Personally I like photos and art work which can be changed from time to time plus a mirror over the sink). Thinking of the aesthetics of that space over your counter: above all, get rid of that ugly roll of towels. They have freestanding roll holders you can put next to the sink, or put it inside the under-counter door. The potholder can go next to the stove where it will be more useful (and why only one?). And you can probably find a more convenient and less conspicuous place for the plastic and foil wrap than next to the dining room doorway, like a drawer. :) Get an attractive ceramic jug or heavy canisters to put your spoons and spatulas next to the stove where you use them and put a BIG poster or or photo on that wall instead. And find a place for a bowl or wicker basket filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, etc. Resist feeling extravagant spending money on these “decorations” that will make you happier with your kitchen than just switching cabinets and appliances will do. Remember you’re actually saving money by making your current kitchen more satisfactory for you. (And if you’re into flea markets and garage sales over time you can find a lot of interesting things to use for decoration.) And a trip to Ikea will score some attractive storage boxes to replace the commercial cartons you have piled on top of your cabinets. Little things like this can change the whole feal of the kitchen. What does seem to be missing functionally is outlets. You can get continuous strips of them that can be attached to the underside of cabinets. Or simply have some extra’s put in. And when you get the electrician’s bill if you aren’t do-it-yourselfers, just think of what the contractor would have charged for a whole new kitchen. You well may have an old fashioned (ugly) flourescent ceiling light. Check out the new track lighting available now: all sorts of attractive tracks and fixtures in different colors with different sorts of lights . Alternatively, check out the multiple canisters that go into the ceiling. It looks as though you have a perfectly intact neutral colored tile floor. Get yourself a colorful attractive rug for the space. It's softer to stand on as well as decorative. If you are a messy cook, have kids or pets, go for a cotton rug that can go through the washer. Hey, you’re saving all that money not doing new cabinets, etc., get two so you have a clean one all the time. Not messy, no kids? you could even go for an oriental and steam clean it occasionally. Just use some rubber matting underneath whatever you get to keep it from sliding as you move pot from stove to counter. If you’re dead determined to waste money on doing over what appears to be well done already, change your kitchen counter, remembering a neutral one such as yours gives you greater freedom in accessories’ color (so why bother to change it anyway). Or buy yourself a snazzy new kitchen faucet. Also, I don’t see a food processor or stand mixer. Indulge yourself on something that makes cooking and baking easier. Upgrade or expand your cookware? Maybe an ice cream maker? Or perhaps a great outdoor grill? Or some cooking lessons so that working in the kitchen is more of an adventure for you? It's what comes out of the kitchen that counts and the fun you have making it. Many of us drop a bundle of money on the installed items and get stingy on the accessories which makes the kitchen friendly to look at and work in, giving our cooking greater freedom and pleasure. You’re lucky enough to have a really good basic kitchen and be able to splurge on these extra elements that will personalize your kitchen. And just think, you won’t have to live through kitchen renovation hell. And if none of this encourages you to leave well enough alone, you could always get new cabinet doors or refinish the ones you have even if I don’t understand why you want to do it. At least you won’t live with a torn up kitchen for months and put yourself at some contractor’s mercy. Good luck. And I suspect when you make the kitchen more homey and indulge in tools that make the job easier, you’ll find you use it more, too.

As a home cook, I have a tendency to make and use things like this only on the day it is made, next day at most. But I thought for summer desserts it might be nice if I could make a slightly larger amount to use over several days. I assume pastry cream is not to be frozen? Or if it can will the texture degrade? In the fridge it will keep how long? Or for optimal flavor is it make and use it today or tomorrow?

David, I called my reservation for a Saturday night in only a week ahead, got wait-listed and was called the day before. I have the impression that for a party of 1-2 people on a weeknight you probably don't need a month long reservation. Re: value. I had the weeknight prix fixe dinner at Rx last night and enjoyed it (except that the ribs were TOOO salty). A la carte, it was only modestly less expensive than Django, and the food didn't have the complexity or imaginativeness of Django. On the other hand, I'm always happy to find a good restaurant where I feel comfortable dining with a book when I decide at the last minute I'm too lazy to cook.

Sounds good. You could pair beets with fruit, bitter greens, nuts, shavings of cheese, a really good vinegar (I like sherry best) and oil. I sometimes make a salad of beans, onion, a sliced hard cooked onion and whatever else around that looks good. But to be truthful, I mostly do it in the winter, not with prime summer beets.

Rx uses it on its pickled beet, fried cheese, and mango app. I had it just tonight and it was pretty good.

My first trip to Django, and I'm impressed. It was a family dinner, and we tasted each other's choices. The meal overall was excellent. It was a real treat to have so many wonderful flavors pulled together on a single plate. I started with the smoked sea scallops with a tamarind glaze that made even the lentil salad taste good. I tasted the others' apps and was most impressed with the crab galette and saffron remoulade which was very delicate and subtle. I was less impressed by the mozzarella, artichoke, tomato jam app, but confess to not being a mozzarella enthusiast. My son (who is) really liked it, though. The others chose fish, and I can'd decide which was best: the bbq'd halibut and corn pudding or the pan roasted bass, beets, chanterelles, & walnut pistou. Both were wonderful. I made the sole misstep of the evening by choosing the wild mushroom cannelloni, morels notwithstanding. The summer squash and tomato sauce was blandish enough to not overwhelm the mushrooms, but the saltiness of the camembert in the filling was a mistake. And unfortunately the homemade pasta seemed tough rather than toothsome. It was not bad enough to spoil my meal but surprisingly below the standard of everything else. I'm inspired, though, to experiment at home to try to do it better because it's something I should have liked more. At dessert I resisted both their chocolate almond terrine and the cheese plate, deferring those for a later visit, so that I could have the blackberry tart with the honey-fennel pastry cream and blackberry sauce. It was a lovely fresh summer dessert, only faintly sweet. This kind of restraint in the use of individual flavors to achieve an overall effect seems to characterize their food. I quite liked my taste of the phyllo and vanilla creme brulee with a piece of apricot and a smear of sauterne sauce, and others were even more enthusiastic. The cheese plate was wonderful. I had a taste of many of them. And if anyone knows who carries that sheep's milk blue cheese for home use, I'd be grateful to know. I liked the simplicity of the room, the careful but unobtrusive service, and above all the food. We were all very pleased with our meal. My only complaint is that I haven't been there sooner. I'd like to add that I thought it was a wonderful value for the money. I've had less impressive meals for more. Those who like large servings may not be as enthusiastic as I am, but I liked having a complete meal without feeling stuffed or leaving food on the plate. And as it's a BYOB, one can bring different wines for each course without breaking the bank on a restaurant's markup.

The (aged) Jurancon is a fav of mine: sweet but enough acid to keep it from being cloying. I like it with stong cheeses, blues especially. It's quite versatile for a sweet wine and works both before and after dinner for me. I've been told by someone at Moore's that they've also paired it with spicy Asian.

Katie, alas, no Hengst available tonight, so I got the Herrenweg Riesling. I was in too much hurry to get there before they closed tonight, so I checked Moore's website when I got home and think I should have gotten the Gewurtztraminer instead. Oh well, I did get Jurancon for the cheese. Or, if we don't get to it, I’ll take it home and drink it all myself. :) Barbara

I'm curious what the wine literate do when faced with ordering wine for a meal of as yet undesignated foods? How do you pair wine with food when you don't know what the food will be and everyone will order something different? I find this particularly challenging for red wines. I'm designated wine bringer for Django (Phila) tomorrow and of course have no idea what everyone will eat other than the cheese course I plan to order. When pairing wine for a special dinner at home, I just usually go to Moore Bros and follow their advice. (This time I'll probably get some of the 2000 Domaine Barmès-Buecher Riesling noted on an earlier thread - as Riesling is one of my favorite grapes and I believe Moore carries it.)

I've made apricot preserves with a recipe that called for cooking it with some apricot kernals. Wonderful flavor to the preserves and I'm still alive. Though I d*** near killed myself getting those apricot kernels out of the pits. Edited: to add that I'm enjoying this thread and ask if anyone knows where in the US one can get bitter almonds.

My lemon verbena has started to flower. Does that make a difference? I have tons of it. Anyone in the Phila area is welcome to some.

Neither could I til I learned to ignore the cautions about adding too much water. Most recipes imply about 3 Tbs water, I find it can take up to twice that. It probably depends on the flour. I find that if I get it a little too wet as sometimes happens in corners of the processor, being sure to refrigerate it properly and a bit longer compensates. Using all butter I get a marvelously flaky pastry from the processor. I attribute this to chilling at every stage (I use chilled flour, ice cold water, FROZEN butter chopped into irregular sized pieces, some quite large, chill it before rolling, chill it after rolling and before filling, chilling after filling). And also I take great care that some of my butter is finely chopped enough that the flour feels mealy, but some of the butter is left pea sized or bigger. This can be done by adding the butter in two stages, or my (easier) preference is to use different sized chunks of butter. Another tip for the home baker is to bake the pie just before using it, leaving only enough time for it to cool down. Most of the time you can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge or freezer. If it's a custard based filling, keep it separate til just before baking. Also, for the bottom crust I find that sealing it with egg or jam encourages bottom flakiness. Oh how i hate sodden bottoms! edited to add: One thing that hasn't been discussed is the rustic pie: roll out the dough, pile on the fruit and bring the edges of the dough over the top. It's one of my favorites. When I make these or a tart in a metal pan, I will frequently start it on a stone, moving it up as needed to keep the bottom from overbrowning or to get the top crust to brown. I usually do this on a metal sheet pan to keep goo and excess butter from the stone, so I could probably do it with glass pans, too.

I think it's important for single diners to tip generously when the service is satisfactory, knowing you've monopolized a table for two and probably haven't drunk as much as you would have in company. Consideration works two ways. On the other hand, service that discriminates against a solo diner warrants a letter, preferably on business stationary if you're travelling on business. Restaurant owners should know the consequences of their policies and the future business they will miss.