tejon

Love the Three Sisters planting How well does corn grow in your area?

#14 - borage #26 - lovage

Not Scripps, but UCI. Here's a link to last year's Madrigal Dinner. I see that Legge of Fowle is still on the menu - the memory of dropping a chicken leg plop down in the lap of an elderly lady in a beautiful silk dress will never leave me. At least she had a good sense of humor and didn't agree that I should be beheaded

Interested here as well. Weight has been creeping up due to some health issues, and it's getting very difficult to lose those pounds once they are there. I've heard great things about BFL, and would love to come up with sound, yet delicious foods to eat.

Glorious pictures, food, *and* Madrigal singing? Swoon. Back in college our Music department put on Madrigal Dinners. I sang and served flaming pudding and generally had far more fun than the audience

I bet they would take well to pan roasting as well, something I like to do to asparagus. In fact, if they can be treated similarly, I have more ideas. Now, off to experiment a bit.

I picked up a bag of garlic shoots at the produce market yesterday. Haven't ever used them, but they looked fresh and I wanted to branch out a bit, vegetable wise. Can I treat them like leeks? Green Onions? They seem tough to simply stir fry. Any ideas? On further searching, looks like the proper term is garlic scapes. Live and learn

Watching my Grandmother intently, trying to find clues to how she made everything taste so delicious. Then going to bed that night, running what I'd seen in my head and piecing things together as I went to sleep. Finding notes in blocky, grade school hand on how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Still using that same recipe today, with a few further modifications Making Buche de Noel for a Social Studies project at twelve years old with no help from anyone, save the cookbook. No pictures, never had it before, but managed to roll the sponge cake, fill and frost it *and* transport it to school the next day unharmed. And it was delicious

Beautiful! The cake looks incredible, too

I was attaching the skirt to my dress at about that time . Nothing like worrying if you have something to wear to walk down that aisle... Cupcakes would have been about my speed as well, given all of the other crazy preparation we did for the wedding

I am in awe of the whole process. All I saw when I was married was the cake, frosted and ready, being placed with flowers. Now I'm so glad I didn't ask for a lot of decorating - that's an incredible amount of work! No anniversary cake, either - but on that front I'm glad. I have the recipe and make a new cake just for us each year :-) Can't wait til the cakes are baked!

Hey - I designed and made my own dress. Had a lovely train, re-embroidered lace, princess seaming, and hand beading, no less. Made the headpiece and veil as well. Also sewed the dresses for my bridesmaids. Bought all the flowers (my sister arranged them on the tables and made my bouquet). Made the favors. Wrote out the ceremony and vows (with the help of Mr. tejon, naturally). I did *not* make my wedding cake, however. I considered it, but quickly realized it was more than I could handle. Ended up getting a wedding cake as a gift from the mother of one of the bridesmaids. She had made wedding cakes as a hobby for years and was happy to do it, especially since it was a small party and I wanted very simple decorations. Even got the recipe I really wanted: sour cream-poppyseed cake with cream cheese frosting. It was beautiful, tasted wonderful, and I didn't have to worry about it on such an important day. I would suggest you seek out similar help, if at all possible.

Mmmmm...Dolsot Bibimbap... (quickly re-writes weekly menu on the refrigerator before anyone else notices)

I didn't actually taste kechup until I was past 20 years old. Couldn't abide by the sheer smell of the stuff before that. Now I enjoy it on french fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, and as an ingredient in other foods. Not my all time favorite condiment to be sure, but not one I have issues with, either.

I only have a postage stamp sized front patio, but it's getting packed full of growing things. I already have a Meyer lemon tree in a pot that is just starting to bloom, and have added green beans in a planter box. Another planter box will hold mesclun, and I'm planting a lone tomato plant in a large pot. Tucking herbs here and there - basil, thyme, oregano and parsley. Might add mint, carefully sequestered away from any bare ground (it spreads like wildfire if unchecked).

cauliflower lentils kechup mustard basmati rice avocados cheese milk (the last two I didn't actually try until I was six years old. Cheese was a hard sell, even the mildest sorts. Tasted horrible and rotten to me. Milk was also an aquired taste and while still not a favorite, something I can now enjoy.)

I'm with you on bananas. Nothing like eyeing what looks to be a delicious pie, only to find banana slices lurking in the center. Plantains are another thing alogether, thankfully.

With close friends and definitely with Mr. tejon, we carefully order to avoid dish duplication. Then everyone gets to try a little of something different. In mixed groups I don't usually see this done. The glaring exception would be any eGullet group event, where sampling is absolutely encouraged

Coffee. And yes, I've had really good coffee. If only it tasted like it smells, I'd be a fan.

I've had milk from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy before, and agree with your comments. Truly delicious and worth seeking out.

I've used a slow cooker many times. It won't concentrate the stock at all, but it's nice when you don't want to heat up the kitchen or have the stovetop free.

No, no, no! Two hours isn't nearly long enough. I simmer for a minimum of 6-8 hours, sometimes longer if I don't have a lot of chicken to flavor things properly. Simplest is to leave it at the lowest simmer overnight. Two hours would only be sufficient if you had a huge amounf of chicken meat and bones for the amount of water used - and that wouldn't be cheap. Give it another try!

How long do you simmer your stock? I find that the longer it cooks, the more flavors end up in the resulting liquid. You can also cook down a stock that isn't very potent until it is more highly flavored. Adding herbs, spices, and produce help round things out if there isn't much chicken to flavor things up.

Here's what we're having tonight for dinner (along with broccoli sauteed with some garlic). Inexpensive, filling, and quite satisfying as well: Spiced Basmati Rice with Lentils and Caramelized Onions 1 tablespoon butter 4 cups sliced onions 1/2 cup dried lentils 2 1/2 cups water 3 whole cardamom pods 2 whole allspice 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup basmati rice or long-grain white rice Melt butter in 10-inch-diameter ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and stir 1 minute. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Uncover and sauté until onions are deep golden, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Spread onions in even layer in same skillet; set aside. Meanwhile, cook lentils in pot of boiling water until almost tender but still firm to bite, about 20 minutes. Drain. Combine 2 1/2 cups water, cardamom, allspice, bay leaf and salt in heavy medium saucepan; bring to boil. Add rice and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Discard cardamom, allspice and bay leaf. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon rice mixture atop onions in skillet, pressing with back of spoon to compact rice; smooth top. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cool. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Cover skillet tightly with double layer of foil. Bake rice mixture until heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove foil; let stand 5 minutes. Place plate over skillet; invert skillet, releasing rice and onions onto plate and scraping any onions remaining in skillet onto rice. Spoon rice and onions onto plates and serve.

Only if properly photographed and documented.