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insalata_pazza

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  1. After 15 years of (sporadic) cooking, I feel like I am still totally dependent on recipes. So how do I get away from this? For me the answer has beeen to cook more often and to pay attention when I cook. To use my senses and judge things for myself, rather than wondering if I've done it "right." (I'm still working on this part.) I still rely on cookbooks for inspiration and guidance, but I try to put my spin on the recipe and am slowly building up a repertoire of my favorites, which I cook regularly and sometimes (gasp!) without even looking at the written instructions. But my question is, how can a book help beginners gain confidence, without making them co-dependent (as mamster noted)? Maybe this dependence comes from the gap in our collective kitchens. Many of us didn't grow up cooking at someone's elbow, so we don't have an ingrained knowledge acquired over years of observation and helpful guidance. This may also explain the recent popularity of memoirs with recipes (Reichl, Hesser, et al). If you learned to cook from a book, as I did, it's hard to break that dependence. So how do you get people thinking about cooking? More and more, I'm beginning to feel that you can't get it from a book. A book might be a good start, but it can't replace an experienced cook showing you, correcting you, etc. And it certainly can't replace the social and critical feedback you get from sharing that meal with others.
  2. As MsRamsey pointed out, this is southern California, so informal is the norm. I've seen diners in jeans at even the nicest restaurants here. Lunch, of course, would be more casual than dinner in any case. Since I don't know north county all that well, I'll focus on the La Jolla area. Along the coast, I think the best food is being prepared in hotel restaurants. Nine-Ten at the Colonial Inn in La Jolla is outstanding, California cuisine at its best--fresh, local ingredients prepared simply and deliciously. AR Valentien at the Torrey Pines Lodge and Arterra at the Marriott Del Mar are also worth visiting. For a party of ten, I would definitely recommend reservations. It's not on the coast, but if you go to Convoy Street (Kearny Mesa area), you will find a lot of good ethnic restaurants (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese) which are very informal and serve good food. Both Emerald Chinese Seafood and Jasmine are Hong Kong-style seafood restaurants that can easily accommodate large parties. Phuong Trang isn't much on decor but serves good, cheap Vietnamese. I've taken both young children and large parties to all of the above restaurants and felt perfectly at ease, but you know your group better than I. Good Luck and please report back and let us know how it went!
  3. There's an article and recipe for Orechiette Carbonara by Suzanne Goin in today's New York Times Food Section
  4. William Grimes' article in the New York Times last year laments the lack of decent espresso in the city: New York's Best Espresso?
  5. That raises another question. What's the best way to get the garlic smell out of your fingers? Lemon juice? Salt? Stainless steel? I've heard about little metal gadgets you can buy solely for this purpose, but that seems a little excessive, so I just run my hand along the knife as I'm rinsing it off and that seems to work pretty well. And what about the rest of your body? In one of my first attempts to make pesto, I used two heads of very old, strong garlic. Later that night the smell of garlic seeping out of my pores actually woke me up. I was afraid to leave the house for two days afterward. Angie
  6. Normally I enjoy peeling and cutting garlic cloves, but occasionally, when I'm am really pressed for time , I'll use a garlic press. This usually happens when I'm already in the middle of cooking something and realize it would taste better with garlic (which is just about everything, I think). But I've read so many recipes and cookbooks where chefs say they would never ever use one. Why? What is the crime in using a garlic press? Is it because of the texture or does something happen to the flavor of the garlic when it's pressed rather than minced? Angie
  7. I'm a San Diego resident and I would second the suggestion that you get a car (or cab). My favorite restaurants are in La Jolla: Tapenade, 910, and Michele Coulon. The only restaurant that I would drive downtown for is Chive (558 Fourth Ave). It's New American with some Asian and European influences. For inexpensive Mexican food (breakfast and lunch only), go south of downtown to El Por Venir (1786 National Ave.) or Las Cuatro Miplas (1857 Logan Ave.) Let me know if you need more information or ideas.
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