Xanthippe

What a great idea! Makes me want to hop in the car and go somewhere. Needless to say, it's the chick's roadtrip version of that old childhood game, "I Spy"!!

I'm a blood orange fiend, paul 'o! Happily, I've been finding lovely Moros at the farmers' market fairly frequently; hope you're able score some for your weekend beurre blanc. What kind of fish, and how are you going to prepare it?

Whats wrong w that one? I suppose in opposition to "Sad Hour" ?? It's called "Unhappy Hour" at Kafka's Bar & Grill . . . The misuse of "marinate" for "macerate" always makes me cranky.

You gonna start that thread, mcdowell?? Myself, I look for road construction sites, particularly in warmer weather. Guarantees a gaggle of perspiring shirtless men for me to, um, "observe" . . .

Isn't summer fruit the best??!? I think you'll find your weight loss accelerating over the next few months, as you eat more of the season's bounty. And perhaps you're like me in that really hot weather tends to dampen my usually-voracious appetite. Oh, yes -- summer vegetables are wonderful, too. Good idea about the litre bottle, elyse.

And did they taste like breaded condoms?? Inquiring minds . . .

Je suis d'accord, C/W. This just about won me over, too. Bobby displayed none of his usual cockiness, and seemed touched to receive the Honorary Fireman plaque from his host. The food did look scrumptiously edible. And the star-struck grandma was adorable.

Another dinner for one, with Socrates off being the diligent scholar: Green garlic soup (yes, again -- I never tire of it) with homemade creme fraiche Salmon chorizo hash topped with two poached eggs Dandelion greens with garlic and lemon Several slices of Acme Bakery's stellar ciabatta bread A glass of Hemlock House Read And for dessert, a chocolate-blood orange curd tartlet with fresh strawberries (macerated in superfine sugar and cassis -- thanks, Soba!) and whipped cream J Acord, I fervently wish I had the ability to jump into my 'puter screen so I could eat the images in your pictures! Yes, I do remember the elderly chap from the Pelican Inn, paul o'; in fact, he was holding court the very last time I was there, many a year ago. I shall make the supreme sacrifice the next time I'm in Berkeley and skip Flint's so I can go to Blondie's. Oh, and enjoy those ethereal salmon tuiles. pixelchef, your "apple pie and ice cream" idea sounds great! I can readily believe it worked well.

Mr. Varmint, at the risk of sounding egregiously California hippie-dippy: embrace those cravings and learn to love 'em!! Now I'm not advocating that you pull out all the stops and go on a Triscuit binge; however, those cravings won't go away unless they're seen to. You can't sweep them under the rug, you know -- they'll just poke their ugly heads up the moment your back is turned. SO, perhaps you might consider adapting the following method of dealing with the munchies, as developed by Socrates in order to face his own little demons (very similar to yours, btw). He hied hisself off to the store and purchased a set of baby dishes (mini plate, bowl, etc.), which he has reserved exclusively for craving emergencies. If the salami and Original Wheat Thins beckon, he'll cut a few (5-6) thin slices of sausage, get a smallish handful of crackers, and plate it all on the little dish. He leaves the box of Thins in the kitchen (ditto the salami), returns to his desk, and enjoys his fix. He does not allow himself seconds, and has been rigorously disciplined about it. And he still continues to lose weight. Sorry to go on and on. Just don't be hard on yourself, and yes, make sure you drink plenty of water. I agree with LEdlund that you're probably somewhat dehydrated; I know how hot and humid it gets back there in summer!

Hm, insofar as fermented dairy things are similar. But Ayran is thinner and tangier. The, er, "Persians" really have yogurt down. Better than Greek yogurt. Thanks, Jin. If Persian yogurt is better than the Greek version, I must get some. Now, to find a Middle Eastern market . . .

You go. What are you going to sprinkle it on?? We can't get it out here; I mail order "in bulk" so I'll always have a few extra bottles for when the revolution comes ( ).

Okay. But Texas Pete's can still make most anything taste better . . . Jin, is that, er, "Persian" yogurt drink you referred to similar to kefir??

Mario rocks. Plain and simple. Picked up some leeks at the farmers' market this afternoon. Charred, with pan-fried goat cheese (from upstate CA, not NY) sounds just about perfect . . .

No, you're not the only one . . . And cold/spicy/limey works for me, too, as in cerviche.

Texas Pete's makes most anything better!

I didn't get that from your post. Good point. But as with network news, a talking head just reads what other people write. The trick is to find someone people want to listen to. I'll concur, Stone -- it really wasn't clear from my post how I feel about the personalities. And your point about talking heads is a good one, as well. McDowell summarized my attitude perfectly: a show such as Best Of is indeed like reading People Magazine. He'll pick it up while waiting to have blood drawn; I'll thumb through it while I'm getting a pedicure.

Well I appreciate the information, Sinclair, original to you or not! As to blood oranges, the particular variety I have right now (Moro) really does taste a bit different than the regular type; plus there's the color, as you said. So, as I definitely want the banana curd to be yellow, I will use oranges other than the Moros. Edit to thank you, too, Elizabeth. Don't know why I didn't think to Google a recipe, but I appreciate the ingredient information. It does indeed sound as if I can use banana puree in place of another fruit puree. I'll give it a go and report back. Thanks again.

Spicy cold cucumber soup (from Peterson's marvelous Soup book), heavy on the yogurt. Great book, great soup. Healthy, too, what with all that intestinally-friendly L. Bulgaricus, L. acidiphilous, etc. . . .

They are indeed, bless 'em! And just to clarify: I do not think "Best Of" is, in and of itself (a show surveying restaurants across the country), a terrible idea; what I object to are the personalities of some of the hosts of such programs. No culinary cred. Too breezy, bouncy, perky, white bread. Food Network has done a very good job making food and cooking accessible to a much larger demographic than that of the "ultra food enthusiast/cook" mini-niche; for that, the network should be commended. But I stand by my assertion that the food phonies seem to be multiplying on TFN -- and I don't like it. Thanks for your time, Matthew.

Your idea makes sense to me, Sinclair; I'm going to give it a try. Thanks. But I probably ought not use blood oranges for this curd, wouldn't you say?

Jin, iced green tea with mint is perhaps the most refreshing beverage (non-alcoholic) on the planet. Total yogurt with fresh fruit (strawberries and plucots), but no z'houg!

Yes, Jaymes, bless you. You're sumpin' special!! Would love to meet you all . . .

Hey, paul o'! Just getting back to you after an insanely busy day. Thanks so very much for the Richard Boyer wines link; I shall definitely try to get some, starting with the pinot you mentioned. The French Culinary Institute, eh? Wow. Good for you! And you'll be meeting St. Jacques as well as Andre Soltner?? Double wow. As to corn pudding, my mama's hails from the great South. She was born in Virginia and raised in North Carolina; after marrying, she and my father (whom she met when he was a student at Duke) headed west and ended up in California. My two sisters and I were born and raised here. From the Monterey area originally, we grew up in Silicon Valley. My parents used to tell us about driving up to the valley in spring, just to see the fruit orchards in bloom. This was back when it was nothing but whistle stop towns and those fruit orchards; sadly, those days are long gone.

In a fortuitous coincidence, I just last week polished off the last of a jar of Kilchurn Estates' luscious banana curd -- only to discover it's no longer available here. Crisis! This was truly one of the most sublime fruit curds I've ever had the pleasure of eating. That said, any ideas as to how to make it would be welcome. Bananas aren't a juicy fruit, of course, so for starters -- what might I use for liquid?? My curd-making experience is limited to your basic citrus: lemon, lime, grapefruit, and blood orange.

Central coast of California. With dinner, wine. Definitely.