bloviatrix

Nice jewish girl? Nah, that's just an act. I would be glad to trade my usual New Year's Day movie marathon for a Pie Potluck.

When it comes to store bought cake, my favorite is the Lemon Pound Cake from Payard Patisserie. The tastes of lemon and butter intermingled are heavenly. I savor each morsel and try to leave as few crumbs as possible. On the homemade side, I can't narrow it down. Growing up my mom baked every week. We had poundcakes, coffee cakes, cakes with layers of baked apples, chocolate layer cakes with vanilla marshmellow icing and coconut, etc. Now, I lean towards tarts, but flourless chocolate cake is a perfect accompaniment for every occassion. Afterall, you can never go wrong with chocolate. At times, I think back to my grandmother's lemon sponge, which was so light, it was like eating lemon flavored air and I wish she was still around to make it.

If you bake, what about a pear and frangipane tart? I made one a few weeks back using NeroW's recipe that was delicious.

Oooh, Krispy Kreme! Did you heat it up first? They taste so much better when they're hot. Has anyone besides me notice the magnetic properties of the HOT NOW sign that seems to draw people in to KK. It's like getting trapped in a force field - resistance is futile and calories be damned when it's lit.

Are tarts allowed? Now that we've changed the clock, shabbat will be ending early. Depending on the time the potluck is called for, I would love to attend.

Dried apricots are good poached in a sauternes or late harvest reisling. You can add a vanilla bean if desired.

Friday (shabbat) dinner Veal Chops Brussel Sprouts w/Balsamic Vinegar and Toasted Pine Nuts Bulgur Pilaf Apple, Pear and Quince Crumble Cotes-du-Rhone to drink

Right now I'm busting at the seams from my lunch. Today, at the greenmarket I saw what appeared to be mini-ciabatta's with carmelized onions on top. It wasn't a ciabatta, as the inside was denser and softer. Anyway, I spread homemade basil mayo on the top and bottom of the roll, and filled with tuna that was packed in olive oil that I mashed and mixed with a little more basil mayo. The roll was about 5 x 5 and I used the whole can to fill it. I inhaled the whole thing in about 5 minutes. I didn't realize that I was that hungry. All my poor husband, who was making "begging eyes," got was a single small bite. It was yummy.

Interesting article. I have only one complaint -- I would have liked to have seen a map of Kochi to get a feel for the lay-out of the city. I have a book on Keralan cuisine by Maya Kaimal, I'm going to have to re-visit it.

I realize it's late in the season. But the jewish holidays gobbled up all my weekends for the past month. Docsconz, I agree with you about the apples this year. I've been eating multiple apples a day this season. I'm particularly fond of the Rhode Island Greenling.

Jason, you disappoint me. Where's your faith?

Chef Fowke: The "Dijon", type Mustards are rarely ever served with Pastrami. The main reason is that in the better places serving "Pastrami Sandwiches", the preferred Mustard Codiment is a Brown Mustard Seed, NYC Deli Type Mustard. The more traditional reason is the Dijon Mustards aren't Kosher Certified, due to the Wine Content not being Kosher. There may be some types of Dijon, that are in fact prepared especially for Kosher Consumption but i'm not aware of any being sold. Irwin, kosher dijon is available. I can't remember the brand off the top of my head, but it's imported from France. But dijon has no business on a pastrami sandwich. Only grainy brown will do. As an aside, next week is Kosherfest, which is the big kosher food show at the Javits Center in NY. It's amazing how many products are available these days. I plan on attending and eating my way through.

You've never had that sticky resin ooze out of the sliced surfaces? How have you managed to get so lucky? What am I doing wrong?

Does anyone have suggestions on how to deal with the resin in butternut squash. When peeling and dicing I tend to wear gloves to avoid getting it all over my hands, but is there a better way?

Rachel, try roasting the butternut squash and putting the pulp into your soup. The roasting intensifies the flavors. I find it makes for a more flavorful soup.

I've been without my stove for over 48 hours (gas leak, needed a valve replaced) so as soon as the repair man left I made myself a cup of tea and some god awful chili-in-a-cup. It was great finally being able to have something hot. For dessert was a sliver of flourless chocolate cake.

I actually agree with you on this. I love the paper in plastic combo because I can have one sit on the floor next to me when I work so it's easy to get rid of the scraps. The plastic ensures that your floor won't get all grimey. You can also break down the bags into two parts. The paper only is great for paper re-cyclables and the plastic is good to line the small garbage cans i.e. bathroom, bedroom. I hate when they only put one or two things in each bag. It just seems inefficient and wasteful. I want a fewer bags, and each one full.

Weather permitting, I plan to go apple picking this weekend. It's been about 10 years since I last did this. Does anyone have recommendations of where to go. Ideally, I don't want to travel more than 75 miles from Manhattan.

Actually it's pretty good. I sometimes make a sweet and sour brisket with dried fruit, one of which is raisins and diced root vegetables. It's all in the preparation.

I love this jingle

I fell in love with Russ Parsons last week. So today I picked up How to Read a French Fry.

I caught an early (noon) matinee performance of Two Noble Kinsmen, so afterward, while running my errands I was famished. I bought a macoun at the Union Square greenmarket and then a pretzel croissant at The City Bakery. Not what you would call a balanced meal.

I finally had a chance to read the article tonight. It was fascinating. Her discussion of olive oil went from being used primarily in ethnic markets to being universally embraced was extremely interesting as it shows how we all are so influenced by marketing and public relations. I have a feeling that I will be looking at much of the food writing I read in a new way -- primarily questioning the external influences on a piece.

My favorite soup is whatever I'm eating at that moment.

Ladybug, it's my understanding that the molecular structure of fish doesn't lend itself to freezing. The fat in the fattier fishes allows for better freezing results. If you're feeling like fried food, I like breading flounder and frying it for about 2 minutes per side. I also frequently poach salmon. I use a combination of orange juice and chenin blanc (although wine is optional) - bring to boil, lower flame and reduce liquid to about half. Then place fish in liquid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove fish, and further reduce the liquid. You can add some butter to make a sauce.