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@liamsauntI remember doing that contest with you!! I think my username was Pielove back then. I just went to the FC website to look for Abby Dodge's gingerbread biscotti recipe and could not figure out why I kept getting redirected to F&W, then a quick search for "What happened to Fine Cooking magazine" brought me here!

I roasted my first duck last week, using this recipe for a slow-roasted duck from Fine Cooking: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/rosemary-orange-slow-roasted-duck.aspx The basic method is to salt and pepper, stuff some aromatics in the cavity (onion, rosemary, orange), and roast at a low temperature (350°F regular or 325°F convection) for three hours. The meat was very tender and the skin was nicely crisp. There is a pan sauce, but it wasn't really necessary. I would make it every week if duck weren't so expensive!

We really enjoyed these mushroom burgers from Fine Cooking: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/umami-bomb-mushroom-burgers.aspx (May require subscription to view, sorry). The article that featured the mushroom recipe also had a very tasty Thai Peanut Tofu burger that was too spicy for my kid. As some of the reviews note, both of these burgers are a bit hard to keep together in the pan-- they definitely would not work on the grill. For the tofu "burger" I fried the leftovers as crumbles and served them on salad-- very good.

Thread bump, anyone else cooking from the new issue of FC (#123)? They've changed editors and gotten rid of some of the re-design elements that made the magazine hard to read... I made the Key Lime Pie last night, it was quite good-- and the crust was not even soggy today. The pie might last until tomorrow AM...

I'm sorry to report that Boback's (http://bobak.com/) no longer offers the buffet. They are now just selling groceries. Our go-to for Polish food near Midway is Szalas (http://www.szalasrestaurant.com/)-- a highlander restaurant in a huge A-frame, you have to pull a cord that rings a bell to get in. Food is excellent, decor includes taxidermy, waterwheel, etc. They serve lunch and dinner. Cheers, Jen

I'm stunned by the number of people that never sift-- when I sift, I always find lumps, especially of baking powder, cocoa, or malt powder. Once I found a 1-inch twig in my flour-- I think my kid put it in there, but the sifter took it out. Plus, my sifter is a family heirloom from my Great-Aunt Rose, the best baker in the family. Jen P.S. I always double the amount of ginger-- fresh or dried.

The south loop is quite close to Taylor Street, then Black Dog is probably your next closest. Scooter's is closer to Alinea. Judith, I will have to check out Black Dog-- it sounds great! Jen

My 5-year-old and I enthusiastically recommend Scooter's Frozen Custard in the Roscoe Village Neighborhood: http://www.scootersfrozencustard.com/ Also, I believe the place in Skokie mentioned upthread is the Village Creamery. It is also excellent, but a bit of a schlep unless you are driving that way-- I wouldn't make a special trip, especially if you are closer to Scooters. http://www.villagecreamery.com/ I've not tried this one, but my trustworthy sources (the amazing Chicago food board LTH Forum) recommend Mario's Italian Lemonade: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=14837 BPBNY, where will you be staying or hanging out? Chicago is kind of spread out.... Jen

Aren't ANZAC cookies the classic for shipping to servicemen? Here is a good-looking recipe from 101cookbooks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/anzac-cookies-recipe.html Good luck and I look forward to your reports, as I have a nephew who is just finishing up basic training. Jen

I recommend Shaker Lemon Pie (uses the whole lemon): http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/shaker-lemon-pie/ I've made it-- it's good: Jen

I made pectin jellies today from this book-- wow, easy and tasty. I had some expired liquid pectin, but they gelled perfectly and my 5-year-old had a great time coating them with sugar. The mulberry tree in front of our house is fruiting, so the jellies are mulberry-lime flavored: Step pyramid styling by my junior Egyptologist. I'm enjoying this book-- I just wish I had more time to work on my dipping technique-- maybe this winter! Jen

10 for $1 at both my local markets this week (Latino area of Chicago). Come on by, we'll make daiquiris! Jen

I was using a chocolate from Poland, Wedel Dark. I love the taste-- in fact, we had a chocolate tasting and it won-- and the competition included all the major brands-- Callebaut, Scharfenberger, etc. I can get Wedel at my local supermarket (A&G at Belmont and Central), but it wasn't working well for dipping-- maybe I could add some cocoa butter. My daughter has been asking for chocolate-dipped caramels, so maybe I need to try again-- candymaking has fallen off my radar! Let me know if you come across a great source in Chicago-- between the poor selection and the high sales tax here, I am thinking mail order (chocosphere, King Arthur flour...) Jen

I've been cooking a lot from Fine Cooking, as part of a Cook the Issue challenge, and I've found two recipes that really rocked my world: Artichoke, Leek, and Taleggio Fritatta from Issue 104: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/artichoke-leek-taleggio-frittata.aspx And Grilled Flank Steak with Cucumber-yogurt sauce from Issue 105: (Edited to add: made with a lovely tri-tip from Heartland Meats) http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/grilled-flank-steak-cucumber-yogurt-sauce.aspx Jen P.S. Fine Cooking challenge: http://www.finecooking.com/contest/cook-the-issue-2010

One of the problems I have with regular cinnamon rolls is that they are too sweet for my husband. I was making brioche dough for the Fine Cooking Cook the Issue 2010 contest (http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/authentic-brioche.aspx) and I had some extra dough. So I rolled it out, spread it with brown sugar and cinnamon, rolled, sliced, and voila: These were just right for us-- rich and cinnamony, but not too sweet. For my 5-year-old, I would add some glaze! Jen