Pan

Amen, but there seem to be a fair number of proselytizing carnivores on these forums. I've never had problems with vegetarians. I have some cousins who are very strong ideological vegetarians, and we've never had an argument about it. I respect their beliefs about nonviolence. And no, I don't think that killing a chimpanzee is the same as killing an alga, for whatever that's worth.

I'll rephrase that. Here are three foods I would have trouble giving up: Noodles Chicken Sugar (Not all at the same time.) I also feel the need for some form of yogurt from time to time.

How come we don't get that amazing rambutan here? Oh well, enjoy it.

Were they good? I saw the place offering lychees for $9/3 lb., but they were a little less red than I like.

I'm sure you draw the line somewhere...

That's a really great website!

Until recently, I assumed that the June-July lychees for sale in New York came from Guangdong province in China, because they are often as good as the lychees I used to eat in Hong Kong. Yesterday, I saw the box the lychees came in. It said "Product of Florida." I'm impressed that Florida farmers are growing such excellent lychees! In which part of the state are they growing them? And for those of you who live in other parts of the world, what do you know about where your lychees are coming from, and how good are they?

Sorry, I wasn't trying to stereotype latch key kid families. I was only trying to point out that plenty of middle class and upper middle class well educated professional families have no more time to cook than poor working class parents. ← Undoubtedly. For the record, I was in no way offended; if anything, it was just a reminder that we're talking about individuals. I think that there's been some tension in this thread between emphasis on personal choice and larger societal issues. The way I see it, that tension essentially mirrors the rivalry between anthropology and sociology methods as applied in the U.S. (not in countries like France, where sociologists do case histories and are in other ways very similar to American anthropologists), and I think it's good, because it's important to deal with things on both the macro and micro levels.

I'm amazed and impressed by the detailed plans you've made for the future course of your career; kind of humbled, too -- but we won't discuss the state of my career in your blog.

Oh, one other question: You refer to using up "past-dated chocolate milk." You mean stuff that actually has a "do not sell past this date" stamp on it?

See Jainism. Jainism, a very ancient religion, is still practiced by millions of people, primarily in India. Bavila, I don't think you have much reason to fear that communities in Louisiana are suddenly going to become all-vegan.

Great writing, Chromedome! Just two questions: What is proofing, and what is quality IQF fruit?

I helped my mother prep apple pies at the age of 4. Maryland Chicken, when I was 9 (my mother may have shown me how to dredge a few pieces, but otherwise, I did all the prep and cooking). I think I posted elsewhere that I was 7, but that would have been a false memory. I was in Norfolk, Connecticut that summer. My guess is that it would have been an Italian-style meal, with the following elements: Neapolitan-style Lasagna al Forno (based on Adda Boni's recipe in Il Talismano della Cucina in English translation, published by Ronzoni, and using meat sauce I made a day or two before and used for regular boiled pasta). Funghi Trifolati (also based on an Adda Boni recipe). Something I don't know an Italian name for and do by feel and experience: Pan-fried yellow and green squash (=zucchini, in the latter case) slices (almost sauteed, except that it's stirred with a spoon). The dish has a lot of slices of onion, fried in a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil with or without minced garlic. Then the squash slices are fried. Then, basil, oregano, pepper, and a bit of salt are added. A splash of white wine is cooked down, and then the dish is served. Another version includes tomatoes. I think I would have been between 12 and 14 when I cooked that meal, but I made pasta with tomato or meat sauce based on Adda Boni's recipes and feel/experience when I was younger. I can get a certain amount of the sense of how to make something by virtue of lots of experience in eating it. I have cooked food I considered tasty and satisfying, but it wasn't gourmet if gourmet means fancy. At best, some of my cooking may have deserved one solid star (New York Times, no way Michelin).

Boy, you really know how to put pressure on a guy. Well, one of the photos of your sandwich had it superimposed over a drain, which is not very appetizing. Fortunately, I took two photos of your sandwich. This was mascarpone's sandwich: And this was mine: It was a very good sandwich, and I especially liked the fact that it was loaded with vegetables: cucumber, cilantro, shredded lightly pickled carrots and jicama. I look forward to trying other sandwiches there (chicken, veggie special, etc.). But next time, I'll ask for it very spicy.

Between Bowery and East Broadway. I don't think the vendors on Division St. (who I believe you're thinking of) sell lychees. There are also excellent lychees for sale for $4/lb. and $10/3 lb. on the corner of Grand St. and Chrystie and on Canal St.

If you have his permission, post it in RecipeGullet and credit the recipe to him. You can post a link here.

I find service personnel in the Carolinas to often be really bubbly and effusive, but it does sound like you were given somewhat of a bum's rush at Cafe Sabarsky in particular, and I don't think that's acceptable.

The idea of reasonable regulations on government-funded school meals seems totally normal to me. If the government is paying for it, why shouldn't they do their best to make it sufficient, nutritious and palatable? I would like for them to do that, as that would be a good use of funds. I wouldn't like them to force kids to eat a certain way (barring serious medical conditions like diabetes), but I certainly would like for fresh fruits and vegetables to be available and for their consumption to be encouraged. When I was in high school, I sometimes hung out in the lunch room and supplemented my bag lunch with things like Delicious apples, which were a bit pricey ($0.60 apiece in the late 70s/early 80s) for non-meal-plan kids like me, but were certainly plentiful and eaten by many of my friends. High School of Performing Arts wasn't a ghetto school, but many of the students there were poor (though many weren't, too). Did people eat better then? Seems hard to imagine, given how many of my friends were on drugs.

Monica, thank you for your answer. I'm wondering whether you think about what's most Texan about your restaurant. You are in Houston, and you use lots of fresh, locally-grown ingredients, but are there consciously Texan influences in the ways you put those ingredients together, or is that even an interesting or relevant question as far as you're concerned? The menus currently up on the t'afia website show influences from all over the world, befitting your interests and world travels. But does a taste for foods seen by many as typically Texan like barbecue or Tex-Mex items filter in there, too? Or another way to ask the question is, do you find yourself eating barbecue and other traditionally Texan foods on your days off, or do you tend to seek out the foods of the Vietnamese and many other communities who have increasingly made your city cosmopolitan, or both?

I was a "latch key kid," in that I had my own key by the time I was 9 or so, and once I turned 13 or so, there were some afternoons when I let myself in and spent some time by myself. That didn't mean I cooked for the family all those days. Yes, I did sometimes cook for the family, but most often, my mother or father was home by 5 and cooked up a good meal that we ate around 7:30 or 8. And it wasn't very unpleasant at all to come home to a couple of quiet hours to myself, with a refrigerator stocked with food and drink I could use for an after-school snack. I think whether that works or not has a lot to do with how the parents are when they're there, how old and responsible the child is, and how often it happens. I don't think it would have been good for neither of my parents to have been there until 6 P.M. every weekday, or for me to have been home alone for long periods of time when I was, say, 8 or younger. When I was young, there were babysitters to supervise and play with me when my father was at work and my mother was at school, or when they went out without me.

I'm from New York and remember Gimbel's, but I still don't know what you mean.

I for one don't think you should expect that. Cafes are service businesses and should provide good service. However, if you have found the service at most of the other establishments you've visited in New York to be cold, I would wonder if there's a cultural element in your appraisal or whether New Yorkers would also consider the service cold. I expect professional, businesslike service, which people from some other parts of the U.S. might consider cold compared to the effusive friendliness they may be used to. Where are you from? (Sorry if you already mentioned that.)

Are there a lot of Ukranians in Edmonton? Will piroshki or stuffed cabbage be making an appearance in this blog? And is there much First Nations presence in the area?

No, the survey hasn't been there, and no, you're not committing a faux pas, but if there are only two people still interested, that would not a survey make. So, anyone else still interested?

[inside information: Mascarpone is writing a doctoral dissertation. Carry on...]