Xanthippe

Care to elaborate, maggie? What, specifically, do you find inscrutable about the south??

No kimchi - steak! Kimchi and steak. . . . and bacon. Kimchi, steak, and bacon!

Huh? Mixed together? If so, in what proportions??

Thanks for the link to the article (noticed it was written "before my time" here at eGullet), Suzanne. It seems as if Lodge has done a fine job with its Logic line, so much so that I may have to get a skillet -- even though I don't need another piece of cast iron in my kitchen!

What a creative gift idea! You have one clever nephew, fifi!! I wasn't aware one could buy pre-cured cast iron . . .

Not to diss Whole Foods, however, I've never been too impressed with the produce there; it's too often overpriced, too often mediocre in flavor. But then I'm spoiled -- we have excellent farmers' markets here, a few of which are open year-round. Yeah, there's nothing like crappy grocery store Russetts for making baked and mashed potatoes!

400 degrees, 1 one hour is my usual method as well. My potatoes are good, but I wouldn't go raving about them on a bulletin board. Let's hope standing them on end has some magical effect. To be continued..... I reckon it's standing the 'taters on end as well as the salt rubdown. Anyhow, looking forward to your report, claire797. Speaking of 'taters, I made oven fried wedges using your method, Rev, and they were awesome.

Yes, salmon's fatty, but it's one of the most heart-healthy fats, Omega-3. I believe someone here is something of a "fat expert" (can't recall who -- is it Jim Dixon?); perhaps that person will see fit to chime in on the subject. I happen to adore salmon, but it must be fresh, fresh, fresh. We had first-of-the-season wild salmon last weekend. It was very fresh, and utterly sublime.

Pesto Charmoula Yemenite z'houg Tomatillo salsa Pico de gallo

Did Hitchcock do a version of that? I thought the story was originally Roald Dahl's... "Lamb to the Slaughter"? Something like that. It wasn't until years after I first read that story that I began to wonder if the murderess had stuffed the leg of lamb in the oven still frozen. I think, from the timeline Dahl gave, she must have. And I suppose you'd need to serve lots of mint jelly to cover up any last traces of husband-noggin. I... I think too much about these things, don't I? *ahem* Yes. Yogurt cups. Love 'em. What was I saying? Yep, Hitchcock did indeed do one of his beautiful riffs on Dahl's short story, "Lamb to the Slaughter." Pass the mint jelly, please . . . The itty-bitty sized Nancy's yogurt container (6 oz.) is perfect for wetting my oboe reed.

My Socrates has done the same kind of modification to his eating plan; if it's mediocre, he won't consume it. Period. And this was a big deal for him initially, whereas now he's on auto-pilot. And also as davethomas8779 has mentioned, he very consciously eats more slowly these days and will stop when he's full -- even if it means leaving food on his plate. Another very big deal for him. He sez it's all about making choices. "Do I really want to finish this stale donut," he'll ask himself, "or would I rather have a small slice of Xanthippe's ginger poundcake after dinner tonight?"

More's the pity . . . (I believe her first name is that of the bomber flown by her pop in WWII.)

Well, I do admit to using the foraging approach, especially when I shop at one of our local farmers' markets. Returned earlier this afternoon from just such an expedition with several ingredients that beckoned during my rounds: a couple bunches green garlic, pea shoots, sugar snap peas, a Bacon avocado, and 6 sand dab fillets. Guess I'll go exploring . . .

Wow, Rev, thanks!! I think I'll make a batch tonight . . . Edit: Momentarily forget it's Cinco de Mayo and we'll be having Mexican food for dinner. I'll do the oven fries tomorrow evening . . .

As if!! Truly, I find myself furtively skulking into the kitchen after reading one of Jin's dinner posts -- like I so totally have no business going in! What, I ask myself, do I think I'm going to DO there??!?

Don't forget some wine with that meal, Cecil -- and I also enjoy a variety of radishes with butter and salt as a go-with. If you like any and all goat cheeses, I highly recommend you give the aforementioned Cypress Grove products a try. My two current favorites are Humbolt Fog and Midnight Moon; both are truly wonderful.

Varmint, you go!! I'll follow your progress with avid interest. and send California-smarmy-so-hip-you-can't-cut-it-with-a-knife-motivational-kumbyah-vibes your way. Now, Socrates has lost well over 40 pounds loosely since November following the recommendations of Dr. Gerald Reaven (Stanford University). Dr. Reaven has worked for years identifying and researching what he calls "Syndrome X," which has to do with some folks' inability to metabolize glucose efficiently. His suggested eating plan is sort of Atkins-with-science; he's big on some carbs (whole grain, for instance), but certainly doesn't advocate excessive consumption of saturated fats. That said, Soc. has a glass of wine or beer with dinner most nights, enjoys the occasional dessert, and will indulge in a crusty slice or two of ciabatta now and again. He continues to feel good and loses weight.

And yet another source for white cornmeal: Bob's Red Mill Excellent products. Edit w.r.t. kale stems. They're also wonderful shaved a la Jinmyo, chopped into half-inch pieces a la mamster, then added to a big ol' simmering pot of white beans and spicy dried chorizo.

There she goes, blowing me away yet again!! My mind boggles . . . Hey, Rev, care to elaborate on those oven fries? I never make 'em just because of the "wet slug" factor; yours sound like winners!

Michoacan. Cool. My sous chef is from there. Apparently only quality exports come from there..... The absolute best taqueria in my area is owned/operated by a family from Michoacan. The food they serve totally rocks . . . Runny-around-the-edges Humbolt Fog: yummmmmm!

This sort of statement is completely incomprehensible to me. I can't ignore the smell of a food if it's bad; the smell is inextricable from the taste. This statement is borne of ignorance... No, it's not, really. I wasn't making a judgment about durian. My point was that I hear people say things like "it doesn't taste as bad as it smells," and I really don't understand what they mean by that. To me, things pretty much taste exactly as they smell. Every time I've tried something described as "not nearly as bad as it smells," I've found that it was, indeed, at least as bad, if not worse. I'm with you, JAZ. That inextricable link between taste and smell is never more glaringly obvious to me than it is when I have a bad cold. If I'm so congested that I cannot smell my food, I don't care to eat. Of course, I eat enough to nourish myself, but it matters not a whit to me what the food is. It all "tastes" the same: like nothing. Period. I, who am normally borderline obsessive about what I put in my mouth, would probably eat canned green peas (one of my worst food nightmares from childhood) if they were put before me -- and not blink! Perfectly-seared foie gras would move me not; I might as well refuse it and down a Swanson's TV dinner. But, oh, when that cold begins to break up!!! A ravenous Xanthippe, happily reacquainted with her taste buds and sense of smell, is not a pretty sight . . .

Fourme d'Ambert (always) Cypress Grove's Humbolt Fog or Midnight Moon (of late) Queseria Michoacan's queso fresco (of late)

Merci, Spencer, merci!! I'm going nuts -- just call me La Reine du Crazy.

Spencer - what's chambord? The Larousse says something about a method for braising whole fish in red wine. What's the secret? If I may answer for Spencer (Chef/Bard, forgive me for jumping in ahead of you! ), Chambord is a French-made berry liqueur -- and I'm suddenly brain-dead because I don't remember the type of berry!! Raspberries? No, that's Framboise. Fraise des bois?? I don't even have a bottle around so I can check! Somebody help me out, please!!

"Not-Your-Boston-Baked-Beans" Baked Beans Serves 6 as Side. This is my adaptation of a recipe from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" television show. Although the myth about soaking beans overnight has been debunked, it is necessary in this case, although not for reasons related to the old admonishment. You will find the Kitchen Aroma Factor of this dish to be mouth-wateringly high! 1 lb dried Great Northern beans 3/4 lb bacon, chopped 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, chopped (no need to remove seeds*) 1/4 c tomato paste 1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c molasses vegetable broth as needed 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp fresh-ground black pepper 2 tsp kosher salt 5 healthy "glugs" of Bufalo (or a similar liquid hot sauce**) chipotle salsa 1 healthy "glugs" of bourbon 1. Sort through beans and remove any rocks, discolored beans, etc.; rinse beans thoroughly. Soak beans in a plastic container overnight in just enough cold water (@ 2 cups) to submerge them completely. 2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 3. Place a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the bacon, onion, and jalapenos until enough fat has rendered from the bacon to soften the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and brown sugar. Mix chipotle salsa with the molasses and add to the bacon mixture. 4. Drain the beans and reserve the soaking liquid; add the drained beans to the Dutch oven. Place the soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal a total of 4 cups of liquid. Stir in bourbon, then add to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the beans reach a full boil, add the cayenne, salt and pepper. Give the whole a couple good stirs and cover pot with a lid. Place in preheated oven and bake for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. * Contrary to popular belief, the seeds of chiles carry very little heat. Capsaicin, the chemical compound that gives peppers their “pungency,” is carried almost exclusively in the veins of the fruit. ** Tabasco now has a chipotle variety; whatever the brand, it must be a liquid sauce, not a chunky type salsa. Keywords: Side, Easy, Beans, American ( RG463 )