Margaret Pilgrim

Comice pear with blue cheese dressing Scallops, curried cauliflower puree, beet greens

To me, rabbit is the "cleanest" tasting meat. I love it just mooshed in salt, pepper and olive oil then grilled until barely done. Juicy and delicious. Wish I had someone to eat rabbit with!

Yellow peppers, EVOO Onion soup

We stepped into Aroma Tea Shop on 6th Avenue at Clement, San Francisco, this morning. Tiny shop but well displayed stock. I was impressed by the young salesman who was helpful without being hard-sell in any way. I will return to buy when needs arise. This is one wall; the opposite one contained the large stock of bulk teas.

Indeed! I would run TOWARD them! I was about to post how wonderful butcher and creamery shops were in Europe. But your rabbit comment reminded me of a favorite movie, Le Grand Chemin, in which a city boy is farmed out to country relatives. In his first few hours, they butcher a rabbit and he is astounded. He new hostess asks, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen Monsieur Lapin without his pajamas?"

So good to read these continuing kitchen reports.

By request, husband's second breakfast (first one was English muffin and tea at an UNGODLY hour) = fried ziti under two easy-overs

Eye of the beholder. This shot is framable. Of course, artichoke is my favorite veg.

Fresh cheese with dried tomato pesto Pork schnitzel with hash browns and gravy, broc Happy Valentines!

Tomatoes with blue cheese dressing "Green soup" = zucchini, spinach, celery, onion, potato, BUTTER. Creme fraiche and bacon garnish Garlic bread sauteed in bacon fat!!!

These chic odd-bits, ox-tail, beef cheeks, are sucked up by restaurants where they satisfy the need for less expensive protein, can be sold for pennies less than chops or steak on the plate. And they are, of course, the most flavorful and unctuous meats. I asked my butcher for beef cheeks and he told me he could get me a 10 pound box. I asked him why he couldn't buy the 10 pounds and sell, say, 8 pounds from his counter. NIH...not invented here. I paid $18 for the last ox-tail I bought, part of a dinner party, while my mother used to buy this level of meat during the war because it required few if any meat stamps. Times and tastes change.

Would be my last meal...

Last night of single indulgence -> more of my favorite things MORE blistered shishitos, "Arzak egg", grilled scallions, redux roast chicken (with Green Goddess), sauteed potato Husband coming home tomorrow. Back to cooking!

Thank you for this invaluable insight. You've given us a lot to "chew".

I sometimes grill legs in a grill pan. But, yes, as you say, it needs to cook fast and briefly since it is such a lean meat. I like it cooked "just", not rare, but neither past cooked through. With nice sear. Two of the best rabbits i have enjoyed were at restaurants, Delfina in SF and Eric Frechon in Paris, both braises, and both amusingly "the last portion", which when offered I snagged. Perhaps they were "day old"? And perhaps that was a key to their superb flavor and texture.

Looks divine. When I advertise for my next mate, ad will read "Must be willing to eat rabbit with me." Perhaps my favorite but least encountered meat. Here, it is quite expensive and an indulgence to buy for one person.

Torn between GG and this avocado salsa. Latter won.

Please! You had me Googling the Gongfu ceremony. I am entranced by the tray. THAT is the definition of purpose-designed!

More "just for ME". Husband has put a moratorium on chicken and is never happy to see zucchini.

@cdh, is that a dedicated "tea knife"? It looks a lot like an oyster knife. I love it!

If you cook without salt and add none at table, then, yes, any of these mixes will probably produce results too salty. But if you are used to seasoning before or during cooking or salting at table, they can be used to good effect while omitting usual salting. Naturally, the amount that you use depends on the amount of other ingredients. i.e., I use partial packages and in relation to the size of the protein. FWIW, I sometimes use Onion Soup mix instead of more expensive Au Jus mix when making Mississippi Roast (I also leave the butter out.)

A "hot dog" is an option for lunch at our Sunday flea market. Mohamed runs a meticulous cart and loads every order precisely. Husband goes for the Polish dog, I the turkey dog. I ask for catsup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, red onion, cilantro, dill pickles and loads of jalapenos. Husband similar but no peppers. Mohamed jokes as we approach, "One spicy turkey dog for Madam, and one no peppers for the Wimp." He then cackles at his joke as he sets to putting them together. Mine: $3. Husband's Polish: $4. There is so much salad to one of these that I have occasionally ordered one "without a dog", which confounds Mohamed. It is a delicious sandwich even without the sausage.

Still cooking just for ME. (Last night I had a soup-plate of oatmeal liberally doused with heavy cream, salt and cracked pepper, and a mug of chicken bouillon. Divine!) Garlicky green scramble with La Tur cheese chunks. Blistered shishitos. Happy ME.

Introduced to this simple infusion at dinner in a French home, it has become my husband's staple contribution to dinner parties. For me, it is a god-send as I used to ask for after dinner requests and then stagger into the kitchen trying to remember much less conger up 2 espresso, 1 decaf, 1 herb tea, 1 black tea... Now he proudly presents Mint tea 1 large tea pot, 1 handful fresh mint, boiling water. Sublime.

It's always fascinating to us how identical fresh Mexican food can be and how totally singular it becomes as each kitchen's sauces differ from each other. Look the same and taste totally different in flavor balances and kinds of heat.