Maison Rustique

Many condolences. May he rest peacefully.

I would suggest that you use the dried that you can find easily and then add a drop of lemongrass essential oil to give it a flavor boost. I hope this won't come across as spammy, but you can find a pure, therapeutic grade here: http://www.mydoterra.com/debraallen/. I am not pushing my site, but if you choose to go with an essential oil, be sure it is high quality, pure and can be ingested. Many are only for external use.

We've gotten hooked on the dukkah.

Cool! Thanks for pointing that out, Jaymes!!

Congrats, Steve! Not that it's news to me--I already knew they were essential!!

I'm not in the restaurant business, but I do own a very small business and come from an advertising and marketing background. If it was me, I'd go back to local printers with one of two proposals (as suits your business). Barter--do some catering in exchange for the printing, or discounted printing in exchange for a small discreet credit for the printing on the back or bottom of the menu.

Try the pumpkin pancake and waffle mix, if you haven't yet.

I'd been considering it--thanks for saving me some $$$!!!

I made White Bean Confetti Spread (http://ranchogordo.com/html/rg_cook_heidiswanson.htm#WHITE from Rancho Gordo/Heidi Swanson) a few years ago for a dinner with a Slow Food chapter. It was a big hit.

I'm one of those people who is very cautious about what I'll eat at potlucks. While your food looked wonderful, I most certainly wouldn't have tried the shrimp because I wouldn't have known how long it might have been sitting out on the table. It all looks beautiful and delicious--I'm just very careful about what I eat. I generally try to take things to a potluck that can sit for a while without refrigeration or won't taste terrible if they aren't served hot. It's tough!

I use a tempering machine (Revolution) and it works great. Mind you, I'm not tempering vast quantities for commercial purposes.

Thanks, dcarch! Now I wish I hadn't just invested in a pitter!

No nuts or fruits, but you can't beat Rancho Gordo for beans, some grains and more. Friendly, knowledgeable and great heirloom beans that you won't easily find elsewhere.

Wow, I guess it's changed since I last looked at it. I remember the boxes having a few fresh meat/poultry items (not processed) and things like pasta, rice, canned/frozen vegetables and maybe bread. Doesn't anyone cook/eat anything that doesn't come out of a box? Why would they purchase this stuff to give to needy people? It seems like it would be much cheaper to get bulk REAL food to distribute. Or do they figure that many of the recipients are homeless/living in a motel room and only have access to a microwave at best? How sad it all is.

I don't have personal experience with Angel Ministries, but have heard from several people that it is a great service. The food will vary each time, so I imagine how much you like it will depend on how much you like to cook/eat what you receive. I believe there are very few, if any, processed foods, so it wouldn't work well for those who want instant food. I don't believe you're in that category, but thought it worth mentioning.

I'm still looking for recipes/methods of making herb jellies--easy ones, as I've never made jam/jelly/preserves.

I'd hoped to make it to more, but my schedule just didn't allow for it. I think I read somewhere that some of the restaurants were so pleased that they are extending the R-Week for another week. Or did I dream that?

Just wanted to say that we had dinner at Piropos (Briarcliff Village) last night. Two of us had the R-Week dinner and 2 ordered off the menu. It all was great! Note to Piropos fans: Their beloved Parkville location, which for some time now has only been open for events, is now offering dinner on the first Wednesday of every month. I'd call first to make sure I got the night right, but this is great news for those who miss that fabulous view from the hilltop. I'm looking forward to it, as I've only heard about it so far.

Thanks for posting this. We subscribed to a similar service in southern California prior to moving here. It was great! I've been looking for a CSA, but everything that sounds good has a waiting list. This looks to be a good alternative and it offers much more than just the produce/fruit offered by the one in California. I haven't read all the details yet, but it looks like you don't even have to subscribe and can just purchase what you want. I'm definitely going to give it a try.

I thought lunch seemed like a better bet, too, but I'm still new here and am not that familiar with many of the restaurants. I did find the list of restaurants a bit odd, but I live in Liberty where 99.7% of the restaurants are chains, so it wouldn't be all that strange here. I'm hoping to try a few, but have a lot going on during that time, so don't know how successful I'll be.

Also lots to eat and experience in Artesia (border of LA & OC) AKA Little India.

I've got a copy of the magazine/article if anyone would like it.

Gypsy Deb’s Rice Salad 3 c. cooked Brown Basmati Rice (chilled or room temperature) ¼ c. chopped lightly toasted pecans ¼ c. currants ¼ c. diced celery ¼ c. chopped parsley ¼ c. chopped green onions 1/3 c. tamari sauce (regular soy sauce can be used) 1/3 c. olive oil fresh ground pepper to taste lettuce leaves Combine tamari sauce, olive oil and pepper in small jar with a tightly-fitted lid. Shake well to combine. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients, add tamari/oil dressing and toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature on a bed of lettuce. Serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a vegetarian main course.

It all looks so fabulous! I'm so sorry we had to miss it. We're still dealing with the aftermath of our flood on Friday night and it looks like we will be for some time to come.

Is there still a farmers market in Liberty? We're moving in another month or so.