Margaret Pilgrim

I am reminded of a little place in Florence, Il Padrone, maybe. All housemade pastas. And after the waiter had served the table, this head would pop out of the pass, the chef, looking to see our reactions. It became almost a game, with our showing our pleasure and his beaming his appreciation.

Probably 15 years ago we happened on a garage sale where a jilted lover was selling his ex-partner's toys, among them this Simac ice cream maker, then somewhere a nickel under $500...for $35. Instruction booklet included. Today, in the country where this beast lives, temp of 98 is forecast -> PEACH ICE CREAM! Husband enjoyed the dasher and bowl for 10:30am snack. The rest is curing in freezer for later on. Saying good-bye to the last of the Elbertas.

Bouncing off a review of an exchange between Eric Ripert and Bourdain re fine dining, I started musing about how I/we prefer a night out. Asked this question, i always used to gush how we loved "fine dining". And I guess we did then. But now I'm just as happy with bare table tops and odd (but comfortable) chairs. A single flower in a Perrier bottle makes me as happy as a $1000 arrangement. I care about the food, how well the chef's intentions come across on the plate, the sensibilities of the people dining around us. (Don't tell me I've gone Brooklyn!) But we are finding delight in holes in the wall where the chef is living his dream...until he finds he isn't making any money and goes upscale, most of the time losing a lot of charm and soul the process. But what joy he brought us until then. You?

Same here but I have the Oster attachment. I almost never use my regular food processor. This chops raw and cooked meat, veggies, nuts, cheese. I'd be lost without it. I have one in town and one in the country, both flea market purchases at $10 a piece. They are no longer made but available used or ebay. Oster model 5900. Also several handheld ceramic mandolins. French working jars for both storage and making mayo. A wisk just fits inside for instant emulsions.

Near 100 today. Still taking the easy way out with dinner. Pillsbury pizza dough circle (half price from Grocery Outlet) baked on oven floor. Sauce from freezer. Surprisingly decent considering ingredients and effort. Starter of red peppers.

I'm so glad YOU said it. I have very little faith in their recipes. I thought it was just me.

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! Arrive in the country. DH asks for something simple for dinner. "Hamburger". Some "different hamburger" Channeling the old SF Hippo teriyaki burger, I found the "Becker burger" in Joy of Cooking. Essentially, cook burger until slightly under desired doneness. Anoint with soy and port with dash of hot sauce. Off heat, cover for 5 minutes and serve over a slice of whole wheat toast. Okay. I can do that. Side of dressed bean sprouts. I won't say that it was disgusting, but it came mighty close. If this is the Becker family favorite burger, I'm happy to claim no relationship. This concept might have legs with a Marchand de vin sauce poured over after cooking, or green peppercorn sauce or.... but not reduced soy/port.

96+ F degrees here today. Baguette and soppressata and a bowl of cool tzatziki and a bowl of Thompson grapes and another of sliced peaches.

Fabulous! I always roll my eyes when I read on the carton that the hens have been fed a vegetarian diet. Poor deprived hens! There is no such thing as a naturally vegetarian chicken.

Another esoteric rat is the coypu or nutria. I have seen nutria meat (as well s pelts and pelt products) for sale at farmer's markets in France.

So how do you crack your eggs? it seems everyone is now touting cracking eggs on a flat surface rather than edge of pan or other sharp edge. I'm a pan-edge cracker, but willing to learn. So I've started cracking eggs on the flat stovetop. They never open with one whack, and many/most times the yolk is broken. So I'm not convinced and am going back to my old wrong ways. And do you think that kind of egg makes any difference on shell toughness? Supermarket, organic, cage free, free range, pasture, farm?

For us this morning, lazy country breakfast. Corned beef hash (out of a can) with sunny side up eggs. Sliced peaches. Coffee.

Good habit. There was a family joke that one aunt could make a cup of tea and dirty half the pots, dishes and silverware in the kitchen while her sister could put on a dinner for 10 and have one tablespoon dirty at the end of service. I soon learned which to emulate.

Friends of ours used to say that they had found the best ravioli in Florence. They always made a point to return to this sweet little place, always taking their friends. Rave reviews all around. But the place was closed by authorities for using rat meat in the stuffed pastas. ooookay.

Lunch break in Lodi (CA) again. Cabeza tacos at our new favorite taco truck. DH had a veggie burrito, huge, 3"x7+" and a Peppina (cucumber) aqua fresca. Two tacos, burrito, drink -> $10.50

Vietnamese crepe...banh xeo Fill bottom seared crepe with pork/shrimp filling Break off portions, stuff in lettuce leaves with cilantro and mint. Douse with nuoc cham.

Okay. Dragging feet and with teeth clenched, I have requested MS TV cookbook and some other of his from SFPLibrary.

This is precisely the smug, pontificating tone that I have found a turn-off from all of CK's enterprises. I can't accept that any one procedure is an absolute best or only way to do something.

Greasy noodles have a special, romantic meaning for me. In Paris, we often default to a mediocre Asian traiteur for lunch. Husband tries to ace the steam table by ordering (to me) weird stuff. I order noodles and maybe broccoli or sometimes calimari. Then I baste with either nuoc cham or sriracha. So now home, I transport myself back to France with this simple plate.

I adore goat meat. I just don't address it easily. My problem, not the goat's. eta. Husband has some problem with bunny. Me, goat.

"greasy noodles" with scallions and pork

You are not a Philistine at all! There are, sadly, many highly touted foods (today) that travel well but whose cherished characteristics don't. Fresh Mozzarella is one. At the source, i.e. a day from the cheesemaker, it can be sublime. The essence of rich, fresh cream. Then it starts it descent, and by the time you and I usually find it at retail, it has morphed into a white glob that can at best be called "gentle". I still like it on salad plates and on pizza but it is not what it once was.

It's funny. I will eat lamb, but goat bothers me. It's something about the intensity of their gaze, their eyes. They look so wise...

The wrap this time was large leaves from bolted leaf lettuce in the backyard! I liked my previous version with iceberg leaves.

Shallot, garlic, pork fat (I used "lard" from pork shoulder roast), oyster sauce, Red Boat fish sauce. Or here for the real deal...