artisan02

This was always my favorite ice cream of all. when I was growing up. Anyone have a recipe for it?

So, how was the trip?

My additions would be the varieties of cornbreads that come from the South, and biscuits.

I may be wrong, and someone can correct me if I am, but I think the main inssue is bringing produce into California, not out of it. I think carrying produce on a flight out will not be a problem.

You mentioned farmers markets as one of the things in which you are interested. If you are in Santa Monica on a Wednesday, or Saturday (Wednesday is the best day,though) there is the incredibly wonderful Santa Monica farmers's market. One of the largest in California, I think. http://santa-monica.org/farmers_market/wednesday.htm

I would add Delights and Prejudices, by James Beard. Not sure if it is still in print or not, but it is a fascinating account of his culinary upbringing. And a wonderful account of food in the Northwest.

And if you can get across the bay to Berkeley, there is always the quintessential experince of Chez Pannise. You could dine in the Cafe.

Has anyone seen apricots in the markets yet? I am yearning for them, and hoping to get at least some of them before I leave California in a few weeks.

I don't know what is hot at the moment, as I haven't been living in the east bay for some time. But two of my favorite restaurants are Bay Wolf, which is in Oakland, and Lalimes, which is in Albany/Berkeley. Bay Wolf is a classic and does wonderful duck dishes.

I am waiting to hear about this, cause I am thinking of making that dough as well.. Are you making your toppings from that book as well? I was lucky last summer and ate at Pizzeria Bianco...what a treat! I am dying to be able to recreate at least a part of that experience, if I can... I don't have my pizza stone with me (in storage) so I might have to use the upside down pan trick to bake my pizza...

I have Reinharts American Pie..is that the dough you are using? I have thought about making that one.

I get mine from the Dollar Tree. Oftentimes they have them for about 4/$1 for the small ones, and 3/$1 for slightly bigger ones. I must have about 20 of them now, of all sizes. Maybe more than that.

Yes, that is what is comes to mind, at least for me. I am sort of surprised that no one down here in southern California hasn't run with this idea before. Maybe they have, and maybe it was a complete flop. I am not that conversant with all that has gone on, down in this region. That being said, and even with all the great farmers markets here, and there are quite a few, I wish I had the money to do something like this myself. Maybe I am just imagining things, but it seems like there could be a niche for it down here as well. I know people schlep long distances at time to go to the markets in Berkeley, so why not here? Of course with gas prices these days, that might be changing. Maybe some enterprising eGulleteer, with passion and money (and knowledge of this type of business) can start something like this down in this region. Thanks for the info about the Coop in San Diego. I might just schelp down there myself to check this out.

That's what I am saying. What would it take to have something of this caliber here in the Southland? Or as Andie said, is this area just not conducive to this type of thing? I know when I moved from the San Francisco area to Sacramento, I used to still drive over to Berkeley once a week or so. These markets are that good. Maybe I will write the owners of these markets, and tell them that we need something like this down here.

Yes this is the point I am trying to make, and I am thinking it is not getting across very well. I know I am not going to find it here..and I while I wish I could, I am not desperately trying. I go to the farmers markets and make do with everything from what you have suggested. My point is this. We could do it down here too. Why aren't we? Why don't you think the greater LA area doesn't have a market such as this? And what would it take to have one? That's why I asked if it were a northern California thing, or a Berkeley thing... Is there something different in the attitudes toward food down here, that makes such a market impossible?

No, I have been to Bristol Farms. It doesn't even compare to Berkeley Bowl. It is much more hoity-toity than Berkeley Bowl and doesn't even begin to carry the wide variety of produce and other items that Berkeley Bowl does. Plus the prices are just out of sight compared to both Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market. If I compared Bristol Farms to anything up in northern California, it would be Andronicos, or Draegers. I don't know if you have ever been to Monterey Market or Berkeley Bowl, but if you ever get a chance, do so. The difference will really stand out. And it is this difference that makes me wonder if it is a northern California thing, or something else. If it is something else, why can't it be repeated down here in southern California? This is not just a chance observation, but one borne out by years of shopping at these two places, sometimes more than a few times a week. And this was not for just high end stuff, although I was totally amazed when I first moved to the east bay area, and started shopping there. I found all the stuff I had read about in my cookbooks, but had never been able to find anywhere else. I am trying to think of examples of how these markets are different, for those of you who have never been to either Berkeley Bowl or Monterey Market. Maybe after I have enough caffeine and wake up I can do so.

Hello all, I have been wondering about this for some time, and especially since I am in southern California for a bit. To start off, I have been very, very spoiled by living in the San Francisco bay area for many years. I was fortunate enough to live relatively close to Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market in Berkeley, and I shopped those places often. There are other places in Berkeley that the likes of are not found in southern CA, but maybe those for another time. I have gone to several produce markets that have been touted as being good, down here in the greater LA area. Sorry folks, they just don't even begin to compare. Most of them are about the size of Monterey Market, but they seem just run of the mill to me. They could be so much more, even in such a small space. My pondering leads me to wonder why there are not good produce markets like Berkeley Bowl and Montery Market down here in the southland... The fact that Berkeley Bowl has other great products as well, is not something that can be done just in Berkeley. Or is it? Is it just a "Berkeley" thing? I think we have the same resources and availability of great produce and great products down here. Has no one ever tried to start up something like this down here? Is there a market for this type of market down here? I cannot see that there is NOT such a niche for these type markets. If I had the money and know-how, I would almost be tempted to do one myself, just to have the same type of thing down here. But that will never happen... But there must be others who would love these types of markets down here, and could do something about it... What do all think?

Not to be contrary, but you really ought to give Schneider a second look. There's a lot of great stuff in there that requires no advance planning. The celery root puree with apples is a great all purpose starch side that I make all the time. There are also really good base recipes with good suggestions for variations in saucing or flavoring. There's a lot of good focus on method-- take the papillote section, for example. The leeks in papillote are great. I totally agree about the French Laundry. I checked it out from the library and returned it unused. I'm just not that into straining. ← I have Schneider's book, and I agree that it has some great stuff in it. I am trying to weed out some of my cookbooks even now, as I am currently lugging around 5-6 heavy boxes of cookbooks, from contract to contract. I am still lugging hers around. And I agree about books like the French Laundry Cookbook. I have heard some great things about it, but my taste these days tends to turn to the more rustic foods and preparations. In theory, I would love to cook like that, but I just can't see doing it day after day, and even for special occasions.

Apparantly, my sister never did either. She's been on her own for about 15 years now and that book has been sitting on her old shelf since then. Just this past weekend I was at my parents' house for Easter Sunday and finally decided to take it. Hopefully I can make more use of it, we'll see. But it sure is darn pretty! ← When I started traveling as a traveling nurse about 2 years ago, I went through all my cookbooks (over 1000) and tried to decide which ones I really couldn't live without. I ended up bringing along most of the Chez Panisse cookbooks, except for Chez Panisse Cooking, and the Pasta one. The others are with me. Oh and the original one: while that one fueled my interest for some time, it isn't really a practical cookbook from which to cook.

Ohhhhhhh..... I wish you hadn't mentioned this. Now I have to go out to find this book: I am a real fan of Deborah Madison's books. ← Not to add *fuel* to the fire, but her book, Local Flavors also looks very good. I've taken it out of the library a few times... ← I already have that one. It is very good.

Ohhhhhhh..... I wish you hadn't mentioned this. Now I have to go out to find this book: I am a real fan of Deborah Madison's books.

Ohhhhhh..this sounds soooo good! I might have to change mine... I won't be able to do mine til later in the week, and maybe not even til next week. And I probably won't have pictures. But I will know if I have succeeded in mastering this...

The last few times I tried to recreate the fried chicken of my youth, it wasn't the same. It was bland, among other things and didn't have that elusive 'something" that I remember. I don't remember if my mother used bacon grease or not, but since we usually had a can of it for cooking purposes, I wouldn't be surprised. The last times I made fried chicken, I didn't use that and used regular vegetable oil. The taste wasn't the same as that fried chicken from my youth.

I am kicking myself right now, cause when I put a lot of my kitchen stuff into storage to become a traveling nurse, I packed up my wonderful cast iron skillet. It had a wonderful patina on it, but it wasn't something I was going to use that much in traveling and I had to only bring the things I would be using a lot. Most pans have to do double duty, even triple duty. So since I don't have a cast iron skillet with me, I have to figure out which pan will work best for this. I do have a Le Crueset buffet pan and All-Clad saute pans with me, so guess one of those will have to do.

I will more than likely be joining this one, as I need to relearn how to make the fried chicken I grew up eating in Richmond, VA. I made it so many times under my mother's tutelage, and now, that I am 40 or more years past that time, I have lost the way to making good fried chicken. She always pan fried it, and only did the dredging in flour with salt and pepper added. I seem to remember her using a lid on the pan at some point. So, my method will more than likely be pan frying, and I will do it til I get it right again.