JAZ

If one is talking about expectations and disappointment, I don't see how anyone's opinions can be "wrong." Certainly the one recipe I tried out of Ad Hoc (the pave potatoes) was a disappointment. They weren't bad, but they weren't worth the amount of time and effort that I put into them. Sure, the recipe "worked," but that's not the only criterion I judge by.

Caramelized onions pair beautifully with roasted red peppers -- in soup, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes, or on top of pizza. The best cheese I've found for the combination is aged gouda, but a really old cheddar can work too. On pizza, aged gouda and fontina are a good match.

Why do you find it difficult? I often make potatoes dauphinoise or ordinary scalloped potatoes for one or two -- as long as you have the right sized dish, you should be fine.

Over here, we've been talking about cookbooks that we were dying to get but that ended up to be duds. Sometimes, though, it's a single recipe that turns out to be a huge disappointment. For me the most recent disappointment was a recipe for roasted broccoli and shrimp that's been the darling of cooking blogs everywhere. A Melissa Clark recipe first published by the New York Times (click here), it was picked up, altered slightly and popularized by the blog The Wednesday Chef (click here for the revised version). It was highly recommended here in eG Forums as well. I like broccoli and I love shrimp, so I was looking forward to trying this. Lo and behold, it just wasn't that great. As written the recipe would have resulted in crunchy, underdone broccoli; fortunately for me, I anticipated that problem and cooked the broccoli longer than called for. But still, the dish was disappointing -- dry and boring. Do other people love it because it's the first time they've had properly cooked shrimp and fresh broccoli? Do they not already know the joys of coriander and cumin seeds? I don't know, but for me, it was pedestrian. So, what recipes have you tried that fell flat -- those from books, websites or magazines that sounded fabulous on paper (or the screen) but ended up blah?

You've met the wrong Californians. California grows a lot of figs, and I don't know a single Californian who has not enjoyed the local varieties at least a few times. Shel That was my experience too -- I don't even particularly like figs, yet when I lived in California, it seemed that they were on every menu. I couldn't avoid them.

I never boil whole potatoes -- they're too likely to start falling apart on the outside before the inside is done. And once you're cutting them up, her trick won't work.

As I mentioned here, the Sargento Artisan Mexican blend is quite good, especially for a pre-shredded product. It's kind of pricy, but if you can find it on sale, it's worth a try. (Just make sure you get the Artisan and not the regular blend.) Otherwise, I tend to use a hot pepper Monterey jack cheese.

It's interesting that Keller seems to think that steam is the enemy: and

And they don't like chicken roasted without something in the cavity? Do they eat the fruit, too?

Years ago, I read about a technique (I think it was from Marcella Hazan originally, but I'm not certain) for roasting a chicken that called for filling the cavity with a couple of halves of lemons. This was supposed to result in the best roasted chicken ever, and I tried it with great anticipation. The results were disappointing; the chicken was fine, but there was no discernible lemon flavor and it didn't seem any moister than any other chicken I'd ever roasted (I recall that the lemons were supposed to result in an incredibly moist chicken). Recently, it seems as if every roasted chicken recipe I see calls for throwing lemons, whole or cut up, herbs, and sometimes onions or garlic into the chicken before roasting (Michael Ruhlman suggests "a lemon or some onion or any fruit or vegetable you have on hand" but I'm sure that's meant as a joke -- pears? rutabagas? kiwi? a head of cabbage?). So I tried it again with lemon and onion halves, and I still have to say: I don't get it. The onion chunks roasted, but they would have done that outside or under the chicken as well. And if I want to waste a lemon and some herbs, I can think of much better ways to do it. Can anyone explain why this is supposed to be such a good idea?

Really? I got it for Christmas, and while I haven't really gone through it yet, the table of contents looked very interesting from my brief scan. What disappointed you about it? Partly, it was the tone -- way too precious for my taste, and I grew tired of all the name dropping (yes, Ms. Jones, we realize you edited Julia Child and knew James Beard and every other famous cookbook author -- but give it a rest). Partly it's the odd combination of explaining the obvious and not explaining things that really should be explained -- like how to cut the backbone out of a chicken. I also tired of her one-dimensional approach to meal planning -- buy a big piece of meat, and then eat it three different ways during the week. After the first couple recipe groups, it was completely predictable. That's one way to approach cooking for one person, but it's certainly not the only way. Mostly, though, the recipes were just unappealing. She's very old school, and recipes like minced chicken on toast, veal kidneys, blanquette de veau and LOTS of roasted meats with roasted vegetables just didn't do it for me. To be fair, I've been cooking for one most of my life, so maybe I expected too much. For someone who's doing it for the first time (and who likes old-fashioned food), it might be helpful. But I think a much better choice is Joyce Goldstein's Solo Suppers.

Judith Jones's The Pleasures of Cooking for One was a huge disappointment, especially after all the glowing reviews it's been getting.

If you and your husband like chowder, you could make this salmon chowder by Sara Moulton, and just leave out the smoked salmon from your husband's serving. I first made it years ago (click here for some photos) and have altered her recipe. This is my version; it makes about 4 servings, depending on what else you're having. Salmon and Leek Chowder 4 tablespoons butter 1 large or 2 medium leeks, washed and diced (about 2 cups) 1 1/2 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup dry vermouth or white wine 1/4 cup dry sherry 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups) 3 to 4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups) 4 cups whole milk 1 cup cream 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 12 ounces fresh salmon fillet, skinned and boned 4 ounces smoked salmon, in small chunks 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 2 teaspoons lemon grated zest In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another two to three minutes. Add the vermouth and sherry and cook for a minute or two, stirring until smooth. Add cream and milk and stir for a few minutes until leek mixture is incorporated into the milk. Add potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are barely tender. If salmon fillet is thick, cut into two or three smaller pieces. Add to simmering soup and cook until slightly firm to the touch, 7 or 8 minutes. Remove the salmon to a plate and break into chunks with a fork. Add the salmon chunks, smoked salmon, dill and lemon zest and stir gently. If chowder is too thick, add a little milk. Adjust seasoning and serve topped with additional dill, if desired.

I've been considering the purchase of a kaffir lime tree, but what I'm after is the fruit (well, specifically, the rind of the fruit). Does anyone have a tree that's borne fruit? Would I be crazy to expect that?

That seems to be a very high estimate. Granted, it's a group of young athletes, but 12-13 oz. of meat, three-quarters to a pound of rice/beans? Per person? For one meal?

Jeez, it's no wonder people start to feel inadequate in the kitchen. It's easy to assume that anything I make is easy or convenient for everyone else to make, but that's just not the case. Yes, I make my own lime cordial. It's easy and fast, but I'd never say that anyone else is crazy if they don't make it. And if I hate to bake and make crappy pies and cakes, then I'd be crazy not to buy good quality pies and cakes from someone who makes good ones (and likes doing it).

I have to say that I don't understand the reason behind the iphone app. It seems to me that if you have the book and internalize the ratios, then all you would need is some basic math skills or a calculator. What does the iphone app add to the book?

We decided to recreate the first New Year's Eve dinner we had together, with a few refinements. So, rack of lamb, asparagus with sauce maltaise, and a sort of cross between potatoes Lyonnaise and rosti. Tomorrow will be some kind of first course with lobster, and osso buco.

I'm another fan of the Messermeisters -- the angle of the handle is easy on the wrist. They're definitely right-handed, though, and as far as I know the company doesn't make a left-handed version.

I'm confused. You "mentored" with Uyeda for six months, yet it wasn't until you returned to Tokyo that you tried his drinks? Or is it that they weren't transcendent when you were working with him, and only became so in the months you were away? If so, what happened during that time? Again, why were you skeptical if you'd mentored with Uyeda? Are you saying that working with the man for six months made no difference to your attitude? If I called someone a "mentor" I don't think I could claim that I was objective about him.

Hi, Robert. I'm going to be pedantic and repeat that as I understand it, salt doesn't penetrate cell walls - it's too big, even dissolved in water. From McGee's On Food and Cooking (p. 283, new edition): "Table salt in neutral cooking water speeds vegetable softening, apparently because its sodium ions displace the calcium ions that cross-link and anchor the cement molecules in the fruit and vegetable cell walls, thus breaking the cross-links and helping to dissolve the hemicelluloses." Sounds to me like salt can penetrate cell walls, or at least its sodium ions can. (Incidentally, this ability of salt to soften vegetables during cooking is the reason the outside of a potato cooked in salted water can start to dissolve before the center is done.)

I made this recipe for stout gingerbread cake from Gramercy Tavern a few years ago. It was great. I served it with a pear compote and whipped cream. I've also served gingerbread cake with sauteed apples before; that's good too.

Seems to me that all one is doing here is taking out some liquid that's too salty and replacing it with water. Why use a loaf of bread instead of a ladle?

Talking about "chains" is meaningless until you define the term. If multiple locations is the only criterion, then Craftbar, Oceanaire, Rosa Mexicana and even Bouchon are all "chains," yet I'm confident that most people wouldn't talk about them in the same way they talk about McDonalds, Subway or Olive Garden. It's also easy to forget that restaurants that expand into chains can only do so if they're successful -- which means that a large number of people think they're good. Here in Atlanta, Richard Blais opened Flip Burger Boutique to heavy acclaim. His team has now opened a second location in Birmingham AL -- and people are elated over the news. He makes no secret of the fact that he wants to expand further. When does Flip become a "chain" -- and when will people begin to treat it with disdain for being one?

Nuts are another thing that benefit from being cooked a lot longer than "necessary."