Richard Kilgore

Thanks for the soup recipe, Andie. Sounds wonderful. And thanks for the Thai curry dish, Natasha. I do like Thai curry. Anyone else have ideas for savory pumpkin dishes?

Isn't that awfully inconvenient?

Knife Storage: I think it depends what works best for you in your kitchen...and perhaps whether you have ever had anything peering at you out of a knife block. I have had magnetic strips in the past and have had a counter-top block for years now. I like both. In the current kitchen, a counter-top knife block is the only thing that will work well. I have not had any problem keeping this block clean, but I think that depends on the situation.

Thanks, looks like this one may be just for decoration, so let's assume smaller, tastier pumpkins for our ideas here. nightscotsman -- there must be some fine variations on pumpkin pies. Do you have a favorite? Redsugar -- all these ideas sound interesting. Would you be willing to share recipes here, or provide a link? Anyone else?

I have a rather large pumpkin, and I am looking for some great things to do with it. Any favorite pumpkin recipes --- pies, tarts, breads or anything else from the pastry and baking side of the street?

So what does everyone do with an oversupply of pumpkin, whether it be one large one like mine above, or a number of smaller ones. I have posted a pumpkin pie thread in the Pastry & Baking forum, so let's use this one for everything else. Any favorite recipes for soups, for example? Purees? Other uses?

As I recall, RLB has a very good one in her Pie and Tart Bible. I have not tried it, but think it would be worth checking out.

Very nice piece, Monica. Congratulations!

Last night the chef at a local Thai restaurant shared some small (about 1/3 the size of the usual) bananas (Asian, but don't know the name) with me, eaten with a small plate of rice. These bananas are noticeably more flavorful than the typical grocery store banana, but cost five to six times more. Has anyone tried making banana bread with these? If so, did it make a difference?

Thanks for the fine report, Raynickben. Lola's Tasting Room is at the top of my list.

Wander on down to the Bahia Mar yacht basin and stop by slip F-18. If you're lucky the fellow may share some of his Boodles with you.

Wendy's Secret Banana Cake Recipe does look good, but it's a banana cake, not banana bread.

I did the CI recipe yesterday, substituting Pecans for walnuts. This is a very good banana bread. About the right density for my taste. The recipe calls for no cinnamon or nutmeg, which I think would help, in moderation. What about substituting brown sugar for white? Would it become moister, denser? Would I need to adjust something else in the recipe?

I picked up a ring of the hot (Palacious) Spanish Chorizo and tried the Chorizo, onion and garbanzo bean combination. Very tasty. I also experimented a little with vinegars. A Spanish Sherry vinegar just did not work, but a relatviely inexpensive Giuseppe Giusti Balsamic drizzled along with a little EVOO and a sprinkle of salt worked very well.

Frittata of onion, red bell pepper, garlic, potato, oregano and basil, S&P with marscapone beaten into the eggs. English mufin with a tart orange marmalade. Small pot of Moka.

Does the D Mag list stir up any culinary memories? Anything left out that you would list on your personal Big D restaurant history?

Yes, indeed. I used to eat at Dirty's, and the Nighthawk on Gudalupe, and the original Schlotzky's on S. Congress. But no one mentioned Taco Flats (The first year the sign said proudly: 1,000 Tacos returned. The Second Year: 2,500 Tacos returned.) Perhaps for good reason. And Janet Joplin used to sing at Threadgills. Canadian Cheese Soup at the old Driskoll was a favorite. And the Pecan Street Cafe when it, Gordo's Pool Hall, and Esther's Pool were the only places of interest on the street. And The Raw Deal (sign over counter: If you don't like the Raw Deal, just remember -- you came lookin' for the Raw Deal, the Raw Deal didn't come lookin' for you!)

The photo captions are correct and that was a good guess, Elie. That's a very thick layer of delicious streussel.

Thanks for introducing us to the DoughMonkey, Scott. I have been by a couple of times. They are starting to do some seasonal items, shown here: Top Left: Roasted Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Pie Top Right: Old Whiskey River Pumpkin Pecan Pie Left Front: Pumpkin & Pecan tart Center Front: Pumpkin Bread Muffin Right Front: Roasted Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Tart with Toasted Mallow And here are three others we found today: Top: Almond Croissant Left: Key Lime Tart Right: Cream Cheese Brioche Today PEC (Pastry Eating Companion) and I sampled (okay, devoured) a Bailey's Irish Creme Scone, a Rustic Apple Tart, a Roasted Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Tart with Toasted Mallow, an Almond Croissant, several other items, and the favorite for both of us -- the Key Lime & White Chocolate Tart.

Great ideas! I particularly like the rolodex because you can insert an addendum anywhere, but also like the idea of a more or less chronological notebook. Seems like both could be useful as described in the same kitchen.

Looking good, Dave. My only question about the lighting is, does it throw a shadow over the range top and adjacent work areas when you are standing there? There may be enough reflected light from the now white surfaces for that to be a non-issue.

Russ - No stir. That I like...a lot. You specify a saucepan. Would a Le Cruset or other enameled Dutch/French oven work?

I picked this up (with some effort) at the grocery. The label says it's a French heirloom squash. Has anyone ever cooked one or made pies from one?

Okay, I give. What's Mantee? At first I thought you said Manatee.

Thanks for the propane clarification. Now back to the question of do the wider tips make any difference? Most seem to think it will not make a difference for creme brulee. Has anyone tried the wider spread tips? What other kitchen applications for the torches?