Margaret Pilgrim

I deep fry at under 400•

The assumption that a man is the host is not uncommon. Usually the person holding the reservation will be assumed the host. I've found that it's a simple matter to advise the house that you, a woman, are the table's host. A smile and simple statement. No problem if handled simply and with assurance.

I find it rather amusing. Anytime someone wants to wine and dine me without straining my conscience, it's alright with me. Seriously, it is standard at private clubs. The host receives the priced menu, guests not. No problem. Treat your host the same at your club...or in your home,where you certainly don't price what you serve at dinner parties.

I use canola oil exclusively for high heat frying. I buy good stuff in small quantities, so it is fresh. No fishy aroma. Off-scent oil, IMHO, comes from stale oil, held too long before or after purchase.

Only problem is that regardless of how luscious the remnant tidbits are, they lose their allure after the first pint of olives. Cherry pits, on the other hand, come away clean, leaving no debris.

I use something like this for olives and cherries. Easy and efficient.

You define gracious hospitality.

We use stemless glasses for water, stemmed for wine. Those meant for white wines seem easier to grasp and hang onto. For kitchen quaffs, small Duralex. Or French mustard glasses.

Could have been worse A country neighbor taught us that rattlesnakes smell like rotten potato.

Have you thought of "lamp-posting" your magazines when you decide do let go of them? Our house is on a rat-track to a popular Sunday farmer's market. I put out a "free" box of cooking magazines. It's fun to see people stop and "shop", cramming as many as they can into backpacks and shopping bags. And to know they are going to good homes rather than recycle.

I really liked Vetri's Pizza book, and flirted with Pasta for some time before succumbing. I love making hand-made pasta, although I don't do it often enough. It's kind of Play-Doh for adults. So finally...

I've never made a Viet paté, however French style chicken liver mousse and Poiynesian Rumaki paté are household snack staples. Very similar in technique with exception of Viet paté's being steamed, and the other two incorporating already lightly cooked chicken livers.

I imagine she will.

Do you suppose if I used Chopsticks in my left it might improve my technique?

A Village Peoples' song describes your after-treatment shopping trek. But you pulled off a superb dinner "on spite of". I remember less successful after hand-surgery kitchen activity when I decided to make bread the day I was released from hospital. Kneading without proper gloves. Yucky, yucky, yucky.... Not intelligent coping.

Looks wonderful! What's the base?

Joe's Special, a one pan historic San Francisco concoction.

Looks fine. Pascade has as many "recipes" as there are Aiuvergne nanas. Before I sourced purportedly authentic, I used Dutch Baby recipes (without sugar) with excellent results. Enjoy your own versions!

From the Auvergne region of France, adaptable savory pascade. Originally eaten simply, now piled with toppings of your choice. Endlessly variable. So, what's in your fridge? My latest, shredded pot roast, jus, avocado, herbs. Make a large frying-pan or individual sizes.

Thanks for this history. I remember my first solo food-oriented visit to NYC in the late '80s. I especially remember going to Guss' Pickles (the red barrels in front) and Grand Dairy Restaurant where I ordered blintzes.

Here, for one.

Reminds me of a tin we bought at an antique market. Labeled "snake venom." i had it sitting on a kitchen shelf when son spotted it and went ballistic, "WTF ARE YOU THINKING?! You have NO IDEA what was in that tin or how potent it was or what residue is left even if it was packaged in an interior bottle." We triple wrapped it in newspaper and put it in the garbage. How DO you get rid of something like that?

Thread drift alert! A panade of a different color...

Totally agree. This is a tough gig, Amassing, sanitizing, filling, SELLING, delivering -> collecting, sanitizing, etc., etc. And even allowing for the charm factor, keeping the product moderately competitively priced.

Some dozen years ago we subscribed to seltzer delivery from a zany Laverne and Shirley couple aptly named The Seltzer Sisters. They had acquired a collection of these fabulous bottles which they filled and recycled weekly. Their product and service was sublime, but we eventually got kicked off the client list because we couldn't keep up with their deliveries. We accrued bottles which were their stock and trade and slowed down their turn-around as we accepted more crates than we returned. Fun while it lasted...