hjshorter

I second the edgeless cookie sheet, with cornmeal sprinkled on the bottom. You can make up the pizzas ahead of time, but I always have a problem with the dough starting to contract a little and squishing the toppings if the pizzas sit around for a bit. I don't recommend sliding parchment onto your pizza stone.

The menu sounds delicious. Who decides the menu & wines, and is the catering in-house or brought in?

Proportions, please? This may be one of my holiday preserves to give away.

This sounds great, but I'm already spending my October entertainment budget on concerts. Take plenty of pictures.

Sweet corn with butter and a sprinkling of kosher salt Homegrown tomato, thinly sliced vidalia onions, s& p, evoo, little drizzle of balsamic vinegar Chicken rubbed with olive oil, s & p and grilled. Homemade pear/sour cherry chutney or onion relish to go with. Tiny acorn squashes baked with nutmeg and maple syrup Summer's almost over.

What a beautiful day. Do you usually hire help with the serving at large parties, or do you do everything yourself?

Gingerbread! How perfect. Applejacks too. I should also start planning for my holiday baking & preserving - fruitcakes, chutneys, cookies, etc.

Does putting potato or corn chips on my sandwiches count? Eat every thing on my plate equally, so that I would finish everything at approximately the same time. Grew out of that, thank goodness. Ditto picking out all the ingredients in stew, soup, etc. and eating them seperately. Unfortunately, my daughter is developing a few habits like this on her own. It's only when you have children that you realize how big a pain in the butt you were as a child. Eat the cake and leave most of the frosting, unless it's homemade. Eat the filling first and then the crust of pie, because the crust is the best part.

gratins red beans & rice gumbo three chile soup chicken & dumplings chili and cornbread pot roast roast turnips The forecast here is for rain and wind and a high of 73F. Might be a good day for braising.

Corn on pizza? Is that common in the UK? I second the bench scraper, and will remember the plastic wrap tip.

Now that would be a real public service to those of us facing the aforementioned "high tuition payments and other child-rearing expenses." Well, set something up. We have at least another month of decent outdoor weather.

I used to bang around the sides of the lid with a knife handle. That works, but isn't terribly safe. Now we have a little rubber circle that covers the lid and provides a non-slip grip. It was a "free gift" from somewhere.

Sausages, roasted as per Jinmyo's post in Jackal10's blog. Makes beautiful crunchy snappy skin. No more pan-frying. The rest of the baked beans from Monday night. They were even better tonight, the dry mustard had mellowed somewhat with the molasses. Tiny little brussels sprouts. Milk for the kids, and parents.

This week's blog is as enjoyable as your previous, Jack. Your recipe for fish cakes is now on our menu. Those golden raspberries are beautiful. We have a stand of ordinary red ones in our yard but were disappointed in the yield this summer. Do they require pruning?

I always referred to it as "What To Fear When You're Expecting." The pregnancy diet is well-intentioned but laughable. Blackstrap molasses, liver, and kale anyone? I don't think you are. Nothing guarantees a perfect outcome, but as the veteran of two high-risk pregnancies (with stillbirth and/or maternal death as possible outcomes) if the doctor recommends avoiding something, as much as it may inconvenience your tastebuds, you do it. It may increase the odds of a healthy baby. It may make no difference whatsover. However ridiculous or overblown it may seem to non-participants, the fear and concern are very real and difficult to reason out of when the stakes are so high. And unless you're the woman's OB, refraining from comment either way is most likely the safest option.

Sorry, it sounds wonderful, but we have tickets for Macbeth at the Shakespeare Theater that day.

Monday night: giant pot of Boston baked beans (navy beans, molasses, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt pork, yummy yummy salt pork). Cooked all day. Tangy, rich, and tender. I would have made brown bread to go with but didn't have a coffee can. I'm going to serve the leftovers on Wednesday over cornbread. Tonight: Got sick and didn't feel like cooking, so takeout pizza.

That's a disappointment. I loved their gyros and french fries - the fries always came liberally sprinkled with salt and black pepper. Dinner there always preceded a night at the 'vous and was perfect for soaking up cheap beer.

The variation with orange peel and almonds is unbelievable.

Isn't "udder guy" an oxymoron?

Another Apicius here. Me too, but then 6 years of high school and college Latin will do that to a person.

My daughter loves it. She can eat a whole order by herself (she's 5). Every time I try to make hummus at home she asks why it isn't as good as Lebanese Taverna's.

Oh no! Going to TJ's tonight to stock up - if I still can.

Holy crap was that stuff vile. The picture of me with my eyes closed is from before Busboy broke out the Raki. I shudder to think of what we looked like as the evening wore on.

I wish I had said this, as it is exactly what I was thinking. Thank you Chef, and Robin, and your friendly staff, for welcoming us and feeding us so well. Any chance I could get the recipe for the pineapple upside-down cake? It was better than my grandma's.