Lochina

I agree that it's just stupid to have two challenges that involve cooking for children. Especially for two weeks in a row!

Jason, do you just coat the tofu with the starch and fry?

I'm hoping to make the sort of fried tofu that comes served in a block with a light crust at many Asian restaurants. Does anyone have a recipe/method? I'm thinking some sort of light eggwhite-based batter? Thanks for any help.

johnder - Your blog is making me so homesick! I live (with my parents) in Brooklyn Heights, but I go to college in Connecticut. Your photo of Brooklyn Bridge Park...sigh...the scene of so many of my summer nights. Thanks!

Thanks for the help! I did indeed roast the beets whole and peeled them after. The resulting salad was delicious!

I'm planning on making a beet, green bean and goat cheese salad with walnuts. I was wondering which method of cooking is best for the beets in this application - boiled or roasted? I tend to prefer roasting, which imparts more flavor/doesn't leave the beets wet. If I am to roast the beets, should I peel them first? If I boil do I peel them before or after? Thanks- Lauren (who doesn't cook beets all that often)

O'Rourke's in Middletown, CT - since 1946.

Sorbet seems like the easy answer. Ice cream would be good too.

I could not find a thread on this but I know there must be one somewhere. Can someone link me to one if they can find it? Otherwise - which New Haven pizza joint do you like best and can you describe the pizza? Thanks.

Portugese!

That quote is also from the Disney movie Bambi, and is used to get Thumper to eat the greens of the clover as well as the flowers.

Thanks for the info, Patrick!

Patrick, Your macaroons are so beautiful that I want to make a tray of assorted flavors for my New Year's Eve party. I was wondering where you got your other recipes (for the lemon and pistachio) and if you could speak about how you make the various fillings. Also, do you bake them on Silpat/parchment/metal sheet pans? Thanks!

Chufi, That tart sounds so amazing. Could you please PM me the recipe? Thanks!

My favorite use for leftover mashers is a potato cake dish I learned to prepare in Ecuador called "llapingachos." Take the mashers (ensure they are heavily seasoned), add egg to bind, and stir in cubed queso fresco or other fresh cheese. Form into large, flat cakes. Pan-fry in a cast-iron skillet until golden brown and slightly crispy on each side. The Ecuadorians (and I) use annatto-seed-flavored lard; you could use olive oil, lard or a mix of both. This is the most basic llapingacho recipe. Sometimes I add fresh herbs, and/or chopped sauteed onions.

So, taking cues from each of your suggestions, I have decided on 3 pizzas: - Classic Margherita - Fontina with Prosciutto and Roasted Asparagus - Combo of Fresh Mozzarella and Fontina with Spicy Italian Sausage, Grilled Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions Serve with an abundance of mojitos and caipirinhas, and enjoy

Where can one purchase custard powder in the U.S.? Many of Nigella Lawson's dessert recipes in "Feast" call for it, and I'd like to get some. Thanks.

I'm having a BBQ later on this week and have decided that grilling pizzas is the way to go. I've never done this before and am excited to try it. I've noticed a number of you here on the site turn out spectacular-looking pizzas, grilled or baked, and am seeking suggestions for toppings other than the classic Margherita. Enlighten me! Thanks!

First post to the dinner thread, after having followed it for months (not sure why?): Last night I cooked for my mother, making Farfalle with Sausage, Peas and Criminis from my new (and wonderful) Giada DiLaurentiis cookbook. Very simple, and OH so tasty. Tonight: Grilled. Chicken sausage links with spinach and pine nuts (NOT homemade) and zucchini spears with tons of salt, pepper, olive oil and fresh basil and chives from the herb garden I planted on my deck on Saturday (my favorite spring rite). Served with black bean, yellow corn, red pepper and green onion salad (how colorful, no?) with lime and cumin. I do have a digital camera and will try to document some of my meals. I am however starting a new job tomorrow, in catering, so I'm not sure how much time or desire I will have to cook lovely meals at home.

How do you bake a meringue cookie that is nice and chewy, as opposed to dry and chalky? Thanks!

There was a recipe in the NY Times food section 1 or 2 weeks ago.

Please include average meal price and any other details. Thanks!

Nha Trang--2 locations in Chinatown. Yummy and cheap!

Chufi--that rice pudding looks amazing and might fit the bill as dessert for a dinner I'm making next week. Could you share the recipe or point me towards it source? Thanks.

I'd like a recipe for an appetizer utilizing sauteed chicken livers--on a salad, on their own, whatever. Thanks!