chezcherie

are they quite large? cerignolas come to mind--i've seen them in green (which, while a fairly vivid green, looks pretty natural) and red (which doesn't). found this: natural red dye?

my girls live in my daughter's old playhouse, complete with heart-cut-out shutters. we wire-clothed it in (we do have both a dog and visiting raccoons, so it needs to be heavy gauge around here). they have an attached scractch area, and we also let them out to free range when the dog is secured. you might want to check craigslist or the like, for free or near-free playhouses or garden sheds. then you need roosts and laying boxes and you're about set. i've had a varied number over the years--barred rocks, amercaunas, an austrolorp and a rhode island red (the only mean one i ever had) and one mongrel, we never knew what she was. all had lovely temperments. the only trouble we ever had was when we tried to "adopt" one from another flock...didn't go well. (pecking order, you know.) we only do eggs...we name them, and consider them pets (with a bonus), and we don't eat our pets. i admire folks who raise them both for eggs and meat, but i can't do it. we've gotten about 6 eggs per week per girl during laying season. i never was one for leaving a light on in the coop to simulate more hours of daylight---i figured they could take it easy, and quit laying when the days got shorter. i think it paid off, as my girls live long and happy lives. just lost one a few months ago, and she must have been 9 yrs old...

hi anne- happy birthday! what a great present. it seems your family has thrust you into something you might have only pondered...but chicken-keeping is really great! i've had chickens for eight or nine years, and would be happy to answer any questions via pm. they take very little work, and provide great pleasure. the eggs, of course...wait til you see your first gorgeous greenie (see my avatar for proof!) but the chickens themselves are almost therapuetic. their soft contented clucks, the way they rush to see you (and what treat you may have brought them), their crazy antics while they dustbathe...i love to take a glass of wine out into the backyard and just sit and watch them poke around for bugs and make their happy sounds. cheap therapy! there's a new book out called the joy of keeping chickens that i think is a great primer. might want to pick that up--author is megyesi. and again, congrats, have fun, and pm me if you like!

utterly fascinating. i never would have thought that would have an effect!

i've used the mandelin almond paste and it is absolutely awesome. amazing almond flavor.

i want pomegranate marshmallows RIGHT NOW.

The worst one I've seen are pre-scrubbed baking potatoes, wrapped in plastic, presumably microwave-ready. I only hope they pre-poked them with a knife so they don't explode. I mean, reallly???!!! Who is THAT pressed for time?

i see alice waters as (admittedly, i believe, in this very piece?) an idealist. nothing wrong with that, and it keeps folks reaching for the attainable parts of the goal. clearly, she's done a lot of good in the world, globally AND locally. i see lesley stahl as a journalist. nothing wrong with that, either. it means asking hard questions. i hate it when it's all soft-ball, sycophantic questions. she asked the questions a lot of viewers were asking in their living rooms. i would much rather see a skeptical interview that a kiss-ass one, even with someone i admire. i enjoyed the piece, and i felt that alice gave as good as she got, and got her message out there in prime time.

i woulda "cleaned" that grate for ya.

would you use the rillettes and the ham? i would...

at first glance, it seems to be a sort of re-do/update of the old standard, le rep not a bad idea. i'll give it a try.

just pm'ed you.

sadly, i agree (with everyone). uneven, amateurish and disappointing.

here's the menu and pricing: click

i think this stuff is amazing., and i think it's all natural: mandelin

on a first trip to nyc, some girlfriends and i dined at union square cafe. one of our starters (all ordered to share) was the polenta with gorg and walnuts. we were NOT ladylike as we fenced with our forks, fighting for the last bites. i make a version of it in memory of that great dinner, and that great trip, and eagerly await our next visit.

the cartouche floats directly on top of the liquid.

if i recall correctly, what the cartouche does is hold the steam more directly atop the soup, rather than circulating all through the empty area between the surface of the soup and the bottom of the lid. it's not a perfect seal, by any means, but i think the parchment's role is to provide a first level of containment, and the lid does the rest.

i cannot imagine a situation where i'd find it appropriate for a server to "call out" a customer about the size of a tip.

my one worry is that it might void the ka warranty, as it's not made by them. i asked a ka rep this question, and she said "oh! that's a really good question!" but i heard nothing back... i still think i need one.

i'm guessing you've already seen this thread:flavor bible i'm currently teaching a "beyond the basics" series for cooks just like you, and i can't recommend it highly enough. as i passed it around in class, the eyes of students lit up, and they were in agreement that it was such an inspiration. i'm pretty sure most of them headed to a bookstore after class, and i predict that all of them will have purchased it by the upcoming class. in my opinion, it is a terrific way to get your mind working about new combinations of flavor and ingredients. enjoy

i feel like the germ of the flavor bible was planted in culinary artistry, but the fb goes so much further in pairings, suggestions and ideas...i highly recommend both, and i refer to both. currently referring to fb more frequently.

i'm teaching a "beyond the basics" series right now, with a group of long-time students, which is fun, because they are really giving great input into how to structure the classes and content. this week the topic was seasoning, and i was sorely tempted to do a salt tasting, and then just hold up this book. while we did go into the hows, whens, whys and whats of seasoning in as much depth as one can in a 2 hour class, i made sure to pass the book around, and pretty much implored everyone to go get it. too bad i don't sell books, because i'm positive everyone went off to buy, perhaps multiple copies. a recent review i read of the flavor bible likened it, very aptly, i thought, to the i ching. i use it for inspiration both before and after i shop...picking up what looks great, checking the bible for flavor pairings and taking off from there, OR doing the fridge search, and then consulting dornenberg and page for inspiration. i absolutely love this book. a masterwork. i'm working on a book now, which gives me even more respect for it---i can't even imagine what the process of creating this entailed. staggering.

last year i took my entire staff on a foodie adventure in berkeley, to thank them for a job well done, and to advance their food knowledge. the scharrfenberger tour was among the highlights. (meeting alice waters at the cafe was also pretty great...) i have taken that tour about 5 times, and learned something new each time. (one of the most interesting--that chocolate smell really changes on your skin and hair after an 8 hr shift, and doesn't smell like delicious cacao on the BART ride home. two employees told me that no one will sit next to them, as it oxidizes (or some chemical reaction i don't understand) into a rather unpleasant odor after a while on the skin...) i'm so sad, even though it appears that the chocolate will continue to be manufactured...won't be the same.

awww, thanks! so glad you reported back. i'm delighted that it worked out well, and your amendments sound great. in fact, i've got frozen hatch chiles and turkey stock in my freezer too, so when the poblanos aren't as beautiful as they've been of late, i'll try yours. i bet a little bit of cheese would take a bit of the sting out of those big jim's! so glad you enjoyed it!