Swisskaese

This is a very interesting blog and it makes me aware of how little I know about Japanese cuisine.

It is funny. When I lived in the States, I couldn't survive without a bagel or I would make my own bread because the bread was so bad where I grew up. I really disliked sandwich bread growing up. My family would have to drive to Atlanta (before I-20 it was a 3 hour drive one way, then 1 hour 45min one way) to get bagels. Then, they started selling them in Birmingham (45 min drive) and we could buy them there. Then, I moved to Europe and forgot about them and since I have been living in Israel, I don't have them at all. I couldn't tell you the last time I had a bagel. I think it was a couple of years ago when I was visiting my parents. We don't eat a lot of butter. I only bake with it and I cook our weekly omlette with butter. Are you picky about the butter you buy? For example, I have friends that will only buy French or Dutch butter. Daniel Rogov told me that the best Israeli butter is made at the Buffalo farm I went to last weekend.

I made my lemon-garlic chicken tonight. I put oregano, garlic and lemon peel under the skin and stuffed it with lemon quarters, garlic, oregano and rosemary. Then I placed lemon and garlic around the chicken. Here is a picture.

Tapenade and I made Golden Ginger Cake for my father's 65th birthday. It was a huge hit. We also added some fresh grated ginger, but I do not remember how much.

Shabbat Shalom everyone. Please say a prayer for the sick tonight. We are having: Chicken with lemon, oregano, rosemary and garlic Jerusalem artichokes Green Peas Red wine

I think we should plan an eGullet long weekend in Umbria and all stay here.

Well, I come from the deep South and I can say that my second Mom, Alberta made the best fried chicken, peach pie, pecan pie and blackbery pie and cornbread dressing I have ever had. My parent's house used to be on a dead-end street and at the end of the street were blackberry bushes. My brother and sister and I would pick as many as we could find and Alberta would make a glorious pie. Then, one day they bulldozed through the blackberry bushes and built a road. The treacle pudding sounds very nice, but I would have to serve it with plain custard. I really dislike tapioca. The duck and blackberries sounds divine. I also would like to try lamb and blackberries. I saw a recipe for it once and it looked very interesting. I also want to try Marlena's "Sephardic Roasted Chicken With Two Kinds Of Ginger And As Many Kinds Of Grapes As You Can Find" when grape season begins. That really sounds delicious.

Here is the Passion Fruit Sangria recipe. We grow all types of fruit here. I will try and do another blog in Spring/Summer and show all of our bounty.

Mochihead - Macadamia nuts!!! I love them, but alas they are outrageously expensive here. We also have passionfruit and every season I forget that I want to try a recipe I found for Passionfruit Sangria. We have both the red and white guavas, they are really lovely. I miss pineapples. We have terrible pineapples. They are so tiny. You mentioned that the area where you live is blackberry capital. Are they any specialites, using blackberries, from the there?

The biggest problem I have with making mac and cheese is that we have horrible cheddar here. If the imported cheddar from England is mild cheddar and some crappy brand that no one from England has every heard of. I will just have to wait until I can bring some back from England.

I grew up with this kugel and it is to die for!!! I make it once a year for Shavuot. I just got back from the market and I am going to make my lemon-rosemary-garlic chicken tomorrow for Shabbat dinner. I will take some photos for you Marlena.

I don't have a microwave! I was very happy when David's 100-year-old microwave died.

I used to add the potatoes to the same pan, but I think they roast better by themselves. I cut white potatoes in quarters, sprinkle some salt, olive oil and sometimes I add rosemary and garlic, but I usually don't add it if I have serving it with rosemary lemon chicken because I think that would be overkill.

I make lemon chicken by taking a whole chicken and filling the cavity with quartered lemons and several springs of rosemary or oregano. I also juice a couple of lemons and pour it over the chicken and break up a whole head of garlic, place some of the garlic and rosemary or oregano under the breast skin (garlic skin off) and some (garlic skin off) in the cavity and some (garlic skin on) around the perimeter of the chicken. Drizzle a little olive oil and bake at 180 for 1 hour or until done. If I am using cut-up chicken, I sprinkle everything on top and strategically place the lemon quarters under the chicken parts. Cover with tin foil for 30 minutes at 180 and then remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes or until golden brown. Another variation is to make a marinade of lemon juice, oregano, chopped garlic and olive oil. Marinate the boneless breast of chicken overnight and then grill them.

I also use it for specific dishes. I agree, Risotto Milanese would not be the same without saffron. I do not use a significant amount. I only use four or five threads at a time. It depends on the dish. So my 1 ounce, lasts a long time. I also use it when I make pannetone.

You could easily be right. To be honest, I'm not well enough informed to profess the benefits of one over the other... I hope I didn't sound pedantic. And in fairness... the Iranian saffron I've bought has been inexpensive, whereas the Spanish saffron was picked up on a trip there earlier in the year. ← There are different grades of saffron. I am sure that there is some excellent Spanish saffron, but the one I bought, which wasn't cheap was not as good as the Iranian saffron I bought for about the same price.

I think the best saffron comes from Iran. I bought some in Istanbul and prefer it over the saffron I bought in Spain.

Here is the link to the NYT article.

What about Israel?! It is a hop, skip and a jump from Beirut. I will be happy to give you some suggestions and I am sure Boaziko would also lend a hand.

This article is obviously geared to the average American audience. I don't think anyone on eGullet is average and some of us are not American or are ex-pats. So, in my case, I have been using all of these ingredients, with the exception of pomegranate syrup for almost 20 years.

I use only Hungarian sweet and hot paprika. Marjoram Pomegranate syrup, juice and seeds. Saffron Sesame oil, tehina and seeds

For those of us that cannot buy packets of mixed spice, here is a recipe. I am considering making a Christmas pud for Shavuot, like some of my Anglo friends do. I will have to remember to bring some vegetarian suet back with me the next time I go to England.

What is Kamaboko?

The movie is called Ushpizin and it is roughly translated as Holy Guests. It is an Aramaic word. It is a very special movie. They make etrog jam here.

The name is Swisskaese and I am not Polish, therefore I do not have a Bubbe. I do not think Chefs are artists. Matisse is an artist. Some chefs are master craftsmen. I do not expect a chef to be my grandmother. What I do expect is that if for some reason they do not wish to have their food photographed that they post it somewhere visible, i.e. the menu or at the front door. I do not make a habit of taking my camera to a restaurant, but I do not see anything wrong with it. I enjoy seeing pictures here on eGullet and in some way it encourages me to visit that restaurant. In anycase, it is free advertising for a restaurant. I don't see what the big deal is.