sgordon--i have no prospects of going to del posto in the imminent future, but i salivated through your description and recommendations. excellent food writing! :)

i think that mario batali does an italian version called papa al pomodoro, which has a tomato base. i think it's a little more soupy, too. i saw it on molto mario.

True, especially given our sedentary lifestyle these days. I don't think so much in olden times, when people actually used their bodies to get around.

This is a Milwaukee staple--fatbrot. Dip your bread in bacon grease, salt lightly, and you are good to go!

saturday morning, labor day weekend. enjoying homemade buttermilk doughnuts. used cooksillustratred recipe. nice and fresh and hot. not greasy at all. made about 18 doughnuts. family (5 ppl) ate half of them, gave the other half to next door neighbors. cooking is fun!

why not go to a place that makes the mayo stuff and ask them to make a bunch of the non-mayo? They'll probably help. Or...you could ask for the shredded cabbage alone and simply add a vinaigrette of

- mostly seasoned rice wine vinegar
- some olive oil
- salt, pepper and sugar to taste. (amt. may vary depending on brand of seasoned rice wine vinegar)

This is my never-fail non-mayo coleslaw recipe. Hope this helps.

I'm sorry to say they are probably wasps and not bees.

I make a version of this that's more on the sweet side (see above). Our Thanksgiving is tomorrow (we visit relatives for insipid T'giving on Thursday), and I made half sweet and half using your recipe. I fresh ground the cumin, and it seems a little strong now, but I am sure it will marry well. Thanks for this recipe!

But hummus is so easy: a can of chickpeas, some tahini, lemon juice and salt & pepper. I find if I buy hummus pre-made at the grocery I don't always use it before it expires. Better to keep the cans of chickpeas around--the rest of the ingredients are always in my pantry.

I have to disagree on item #3 (fancy cakes). I find that many bakeries, even the best ones, occasionally rely on shortening, which I rigorously avoid in my/my family's diet. I think it's just the nature of commercial baking that shortening's stability & shelf life are an important ingredient, and I just can't stand the stuff.

I remember from a past "Good Eats" episode that the corn syrup is needed when making fudge in order to stop the sugar from re-crystalizing, which would probably make the fudge grainy and dry-ish rather than creamy.

This is the only way my kids will eat whole cranberries, otherwise they only eat the super-sugary jellied stuff. This relish is super easy, yummy tart/sweet & doesn't involve any cooking, but it requires that you prepare it at least a day ahead so the flavors can marry.

1 bag cranberries
1 whole orange, quartered and seeded (I use navel, so there are no seeds). Do not peel.
1 cup sugar

Put into food processor and pulse until you get the right texture. I really let it go for about a minute. Then place in glass container and store in fridge for a day or so. Additional herbs, such as rosemary, or other flavorings can be added, but I've found that there's no substitute for the original and best.

I find the food mill too much hassle for what you get. I find a good old masher gives you nearly the same end results with a lot less hardware to clean up. Plus, mashed potatoes actually benefit from a few lumps--makes them homier, in my opinion.

One other negative re the food mill: Unless you have a state of the art stainless steel one, the tin plating gives the food a "tinny" taste. I had this problem when using my old food mill to puree some tomatoes. Granted, tomatoes are more acidic than potatoes and thus more likely to cause the metal to rub off, but why risk your potatoes when a masher is so much easier? By the way, I tossed my old food mill and got a stainless steel one from Oxo. Much better & no tinny taste. But I still just mash them.

My mother in law gave me a great hint for keeping mashed potatoes warm when I first got married: Season and mash them with lots of butter and milk, and then return them to the saucepan with an extra pat of butter. Cover them over the lowest possible heat setting on your stovetop--anything higher might scorch the potatoes. (You can even turn the burner off periodically if they stay there longer than a half hour or so). The potatoes will actually puff up ("souffle") a little in the pan, and they might even develop a pretty crust on top. This has been a lifesaver for me when executing a big meal with lots of sides.

Our local paper ran its Thanksgiving recipes today, and they had a recipe for a Heritage Bronze turkey. It said that the Heritage Bronze should not be brined b/c the brine masks some of the subtle unique flavors of the Heritage Bronze turkey. I don't get this--isn't brine just some sugar and salt? I've always brined my Heritage Bronze turkeys (I've only done two before), because I thought they'd need the moisture, being free range and all. I'd love everyone's thoughts on this, especially those of you who have roasted a Heritage Bronze without brine. Is it dry? I'll be roasting my turkey on the grill, if that factors into your recommendations (not enough oven space for both turkey & sides). Thanks!

Yes, yes yes! I have been drinking looseleaf tea (Upton Tea and Specialteas) for about 7 years at the office. I made the switch solely because office coffee is so yucky and insipid in general, and it was too much hassle to walk to the local coffee house. My tea of choice is high end oolong, which, as you tea connoiseurs may know, is getting increasingly difficult to find these days.

I have an office where I can close the door, which makes things considerably easier. In the past I simply had bags of loose leaf tea, the Teeli basket infuser and a teaspoon, which I would use with a huge (20 ounce) mug. I also have a stainless steel teakettle that I have perched on a small credenza. Recently I switched to a 4 cup Chatsford tea pot, which I've found easier to use and easier to keep warm, and I've purchased a tea thermometer, too.

I recently went to 100% tea, save for the occasional freshly-ground and -brewed cup of coffee that my hubby makes for me. I find the caffeine buzz from tea to be a much better experience--much more ethereal, much less of a jolt to the cranium. As a result, I think I'm more relaxed at home and at work.

My teas of choice: Any high end Ti Kuan Yin (right now I'm sipping the Monkey Picked from Specialteas); Bai Hao Special Grade oolong; and special grade Tung Ting oolong from Upton (an older bag, but still very flavorful).

One last comment: If you are a serious tea drinker, I highly recommend the stainless steel tea caddies from Upton. They have two lids, and so you are guaranteed that your tea stays fresh and flavorful for a long time.

Enjoy!

My kids love Noodles & Co. I think that their price matches their quality--i.e., mid-end fast food. On the plus side, they serve noodle dishes from around the globe and most dishes include lots of fresh veggies. On the minus side, it's an awful lot of starch to eat in one sitting and their menu doesn't change very often. I usually get a noodle dish plus the chinese chop salad, eat half of each and then save the other halves for another meal.

I am Italian-American and, yes, I have "deigned" to go to Maggiano's to attend a relative's shower. I agree that this post is amazing. When I was there I had a bowl of their minestrone soup, a side salad and a roll and found everything to be wonderful. I also enjoyed the ambience and the music.

The truly grand irony is that any Continental Italian would likely go there and find something to enjoy, too.

sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, crushed ginger and a few red pepper flakes. Mix to taste.

Faves:

Good Eats
Iron Chef
Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way
Molto Mario. I am Italian-American, and I credit him with teaching me *real* Italian cooking
Barefoot Contessa
America's Test Kitchen
Top Chef (more for drama than cooking)
Everyday Food
Sara's Secrets
Hell's Kitchen (more for drama than the cooking)
Anything Lidia Bastianich

Meh:

Anything Emeril
Anything Flay (except Iron Chef)
Anything Bourdain
Anything Rachel Ray
Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee
Anything Nigella (she tries too hard to be too sensual in the kitchen. I don't know, but I don't always want to think about *that* while I'm coking.)
Entertaining with Michael Chiarello - too smarmy, his "parties" seem contrived
Anything Jamie Oliver (tries too hard)

A good recipe does not a good cook make. So, I'd feel free to share. It's a compliment to be asked for a recipe, in my opinion.

SpecialTeas is a lot like Upton Tea, but I think they have different suppliers. I like Oolong teas, and they always seem to have slightly different varities than Upton has. I buy whole leaf tea, and they are always of superior quality--just as advertised.

Hi all--this candy is a classic Japanese treat. It's usually a round purple-red hard ball with a salty exterior and a jelly-like sweet/sour interior. They are designed to mimic the sour Japanese plum (ume), which they do surprisingly well. My teenagers love them, but we don't have any local resources. Any suggestions for reliable online/mail order resources?