hjshorter

Bravo Bill. I'll be following this thread with great interest. I have given up complicated cooking for the time being but look forward to going in that direction again one day.

I have a dozen of those. Necessary objects.

I would like to think I am organized. We usually make a menu for the week, only to get halfway through and realize that we forgot to buy a crucial ingredient for something, or the fish has gone "off", or we just lose interest in whatever it was on the list and go out. If I get around to cooking I always prep. We cook a great deal of asian food, with long ingredient lists that force you to set up a mise en place. And I can, which requires lots of advance chopping and jar prep.

That's how it struck me too. But that's not really fair, she's just not interested in food and I have no frame of reference for someone like that. Doesn't she always order the same thing in restaurants? I think her obsession with staying slim (mentioned in the article) might have a lot to do with her lack of interest in cooking.

I you were below DuPont, it might have been Firefly, right next to the Hotel Madera. On the left as you are headed towards the circle. Since the weather was so nice, I expect they were in full outdoor mode. Pretty good brunch, nice selection of champagne cocktails. ← No, it was on the right side, we were about 150 yards before the circle on NH Ave coming up a slight hill, coming from Foggy Bottom. ← If it was the Front Page, you didn't miss anything.

When Emma was a baby, I read a great child nutrition book that recommended no more than 1 tablespoon of each kind of food per year of age. Full plates were overwhelming and she ate better once we started giving her less food. We also haven't worried too much about fiber - their tummies are so small that they need nutrient dense food, and lots of fiber keeps them from getting all the calories they need. We add fiber (whole grain bread, oatmeal, etc.) as they get older. We also moved them gradually from whole milk to skim, rather than do it all at once.

Great idea, Maggie. I sat down with Emma back in October after getting her lunches back uneaten and made her tell me what she wants in her lunch box. I made a list and as long as what she has is on the list I don't hear "but I don't like that!" Maybe get their input in planning the weekly menu? Oh totally, especially after bed rest.

Heh, I use a version of that when my daughter wants to do something I don't consider safe - "I'm your mom and it's my job to keep you safe, and you want me to do a good job, don't you?" I will remember the food version.

Ours are almost 6 and 3, we make the kids eat what we eat. Fortunately they will eat almost every kind of vegetable, so if they don't like dinner thay can have their veggies and a glass of milk. No other substitutions. They usually opt to eat their supper. My daughter (almost 6) was never a picky eater until she started school. Now casseroles like lasagna are "gross" and she suddenly won't eat cheese. Damn peer pressure. Edit: D'oh! Of course, congratulations and many good wishes on your new arrival!

What do you like better about India Grill, and do they still do the lunch buffet? I haven't been there since it moved. We almost always go to Bombay Bistro, but India Grill is within walking distance and if it's as good - why drive?

Oh it's already well on the way. As for Seitsema, I appreciate his reviews of places outside DC proper. We almost never go out, so reading about a Balto restaurant has about as much value for us as reading about those here. That said, we travel a lot, so his out-of-town recs in the travel section are always welcome.

Just noticed this. The minestrone is indeed flavorful and and the veggies a perfect consistency, but the sausage seemed too refined for the soup IMO. Other than that, it's excellent. That artichoke and sardine dish sounds very good.

Where is "NoMa"? I assume Washington DC but have never heard of it. It is the area in NW DC that is north of Massachusetts Avenue. It is east of Logan Circle and North of Chinatown. AKA Shaw and Mount Vernon Square. Basically, near the new convention center. OK, it's a new designation. Thanks.

Where is "NoMa"? I assume Washington DC but have never heard of it.

I would second the recommendations for Sette and for the cheese plate, however I prefer Meskerem to Addis Ababa for Ethiopian. The cherry blossoms are supposed to be peaking this weekend, so if you venture down to that part of town be prepared for crowds and very little parking. Also, there is nothing to eat close by.

Oh absolutely! We have not too far away and love it.

For us, a chain is useful as a restaurant training ground for the kids (ages 5 & 3) when we get tired of Thai or Indian food - you know, this is how you order from menu, this is the kind of behavior we expect, etc. It's usually Legal Seafood because their kid's meals choices include healthy options.

Very interesting. I had the opposite reaction - Lo's dishes were far more appealing and seemed to feature the main ingredient more prominently. Batali's looked interesting, but hers looked delicious.

I was under the impression from his memoir that Jacques had been cooking long before he met Julia.

I do too. It was the first cookbook I ever bought for myself.

We always tip 20%, good service will get 25, 30 or higher. I left closer to 30 at Palena the other night because we were a little rowdy and our waiter was very good. On breakfast at a diner I typically leave close to 50 - breakfast is cheap and it seems like the servers get cheated out of making good tips in the AM.

Biscuits - always light, flaky, golden brown and tall. Burgers - perfectly shaped, crusty on the outside, juicy on the inside. I suck at rice and pie crust.

Bill, that pizza makes me want to jump right in the screen.

Seven Seas and Bob's Noodle 66 are good. A&J is worth the trip for the pork dumplings alone. Every time we go I have to stop myself from eating an entire order all by myself.

I did the only sensible thing one can do when one has a giant, meaty hambone left over. I made red beans and rice with the very last of my Camellia Red Beans. The house smelled incredible all day. I'd post a picture but they smell and taste much better than they look.