Margaret Pilgrim

I love it! For years we attended the huge antique car show at Hershey, PA. Everything from fully restored to the zillion rescued parts needed to restore your own or almost build from scratch. I understood little of what I saw except for things I just thought beautiful. I always fantasized about buying a dozen hubcaps to use for a dazzling dinner party course. Sensibly, never did.

Husband declares it the Holidays at some point with a request for eggnog. I make it to order in a pyrex cup. One organic egg, about 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, about 1/2 cup whipping cream. Beat together until frothy. Add a splash of each cognac and dark rum, about a jigger each.. Grate nutmeg on top. Serve in balloon glass. Two per season allowed.

From my experience, 6 to 8 is the amusing group for this demographic.

Really. + or - $150 is an easy tab for some. And this kind of romp is deliciously tempting.

Actually, Anna, I would hazard that a sizable number of high-end diners have no idea what they’re eating. Either what’s on the plate or in concept. They’re just checking boxes off boxes on a status list.

So I looked up this Geraldine DeRulter and see that Time Mag described her as "consistently clever". This piece validates that writing tone. Professionally clever i seldom find particularly amusing. Kind of like a laugh track on a TV show. I have to wonder if this entire evening was staged to create content for this kind of piece. "Hey guys, there is this place that makes really stupid food. Let's go pull their leg."

There is a lot of fraudulent food out there. Essentially it’s in the eye if the beholder, I.e., yours, mine, the author’s, Mr. Michelin’s. But my point remains that the author should have known more about what to expect when she booked,

TA is hardly doing research,

What you say, Kenneth, is absolutely correct. What I held back from saying was my impression of the diners at this table. They came across (to me) as extremely callow and inexperienced, the purpose of their writing incendiary and self-serving. Either their meal was a bad as they described or it was (as is sometimes current fashion) meant to be "amusing" (for those who are so amused.) In any event, they should have had a handle on the chef's concept and what/how they would be served. in short, I find them publicity seekers, little more.

Agreed. I have to wonder how and why these diners decided to visit this restaurant. What had they heard, read, researched? They seemed to have had no clue what to expect of this or this genre place. Portion sizes for a (what was it?) 27 course tasting menu are always just that, "tastes". No chunks of protein or mounds of carbs. Beyond that, however, is understanding the chef's style, sense of humor and not least ego. Today, there is little excuse not to "know before y9u go". This is not to say that I haven't endured my share of stinker restaurants, but almost all of the time I smack myself upside the head, realizing that I should have read between the lines of reviews and more correctly "read" nuances of food and service.

I nailed the family several days ago, told them that I did not have the capacity to "shop" for Christmas, ergo, they needed to line up and give me specific requests. I must have scared them in submission 'cause by this morning i had a tidy list which I dispatched (Target, Macy's, Amazon) and actually have everything en route as we speak. The most rewarding one was a tween granddaughter who wanted a "baking kit" from a fancy catalog. I asked her if I could make up one for her and she was delighted. So adding an American Test Kitchen kids' cookbook, I will box up some extraordinary cookie cutters and molds, baking tins, mini-cake tins, etc. Eat your heart out, MndWare Catalog!

I am the only person in the world who has never had enough of this dish, which a relative renamed "deep dish tuna noodleburger" for an important dinner party. i'm not sure her husband's boss and wife were amused.

Continuing our way through the Thanksgiving ham, tonight was a husband's childhood memory, scalloped potatoes with ham (onions and cheese). Asparagus with Green Goddess alongside

Walmart has those carousels, but you have to watch them, depending on how fast your checker is, to make sure that each customer clears and gets all of their bags. And that you retrieve all of yours before the customer behind you starts collecting.

When you don't depend on red or white meat, it's amazing what you can cobble out of pantry staples.

My first impression was "Jalapenos for breakfast! Yes!" Ah...well, sugar snaps are nice. But you've given me inspiration.

Totally get it. I recently replaced my terry mitts (discussed above). The new ones are somewhat stiff but within the month of use are coming to heel. A couple of times through the washer should have done the trick but they take so long to dry (AND WE ALL KNOW THE PERIL OF WET OR DAMP HOT PADS!) that I just let them settle in.

Simply gorgeous!

Pantry quiche = eggs, creme fraiche, sauteed guaciale, mushrooms, green onion, green chiles, garlic, fresh goat cheese, parmesan. More delicious than it looks. Preceded by sliced pears, blue cheese, evoo, cracked black pepper.

This can't be overemphasized. Almost 20 years ago, I needed a hip replacement. I was going to lunch with an older friend who lamented as we walked to the restaurant, "Oh, Darlin', you're limping. It breaks my heart!" I bristled and told her that I actually was not aware of my limp, that I was plowing through as best I could and really was resentful of her (condescending) sympathy. Hip replacement(s) done, limp gone. Now I have a compromised knee and am making similar accommodation, as in how I manage stairs. Husband lovingly tries to intervene and do chores that require stairs, and I can't get across to him that activity and use are good for me, that I do not feel sorry for myself and in fact find a sick sense of accomplishment as I soldier on. I do not define myself as disabled, now.

You make several, if unintended, good points. No, a pro would use one of his endlessly available side towels. AND/BUT a pro would have extensive practice in how to use a side towel as a hot pot handler. (I think I remember a conversation we had about your reticence with maneuvering 500degree cast iron DO's recommended in No-Knead bread production. I totally agree that I could never hoist my heated DOs with a well folded side towel or two, but I have excellent control using the quad-layered terry mitts. But we all agree that our mileage is idiosyncratic. ) I use these terry "mitts" more often as a super thick pot-holder than as a mitt. i use high oven and burner heat often and need something that allows me to quickly move vessels in or out of or on and off of heat.

As a live product, cheese has a continuum of characteristics. Appreciation is an extremely personal judgment re milk source, age, wine pairing, etc.. IMHO other than pedantic imperative, the only rule is to eat cheese you like how you like it. Our MO is to remove cheese hours before you plan to serve it. For a dinner party, i will set up the cheese platter immediately after breakfast. Cold cheese is a diva without her makeup.

Especially for turning off burners! If I leave the kitchen with something cooking, I set a timer. Better than getting involved with a puzzle or computer and returning too late.

IMHO, the biggest handicap most of us have in the kitchen is preoccupation. We are so accustomed to the chores at hand that we don't apply ourselves as we might once have done. Cooking on autopilot usually works for me...until something untoward happens and it doesn't. Attention to detail can prevent most burn, cut, fall mishaps if we approach our tasks as novices rather than the pros that we are or were. Sure, our paws, shoulders and backs ache. But we can work around aggravating them by slowing down, sitting down, working with them rather than against them. Like letting aching wrists and fingers soak for a few minutes in hot water between tasks. At this point in our lives, we aren't running dashes but marathons. Just thinking out loud...

I take very good care of Dear Husband because the last thing I need in my life is a replacement who is age appropriate.