legant

I'm still up in the air but the winds are blowing in that direction. If I can't make it, I'll call synaesthesia. Otherwise: If I'm not there by 7, I should arrive shortly; I have an errand to run and don't know how long it will take.

I'm a maybe; can't commit 'til Thursday morning.

Sautéed shrimp and mushrooms wrapped in whole-wheat crepes topped with a Mornay sauce String beans sautéed w/ garlic, onions and mushrooms Seagram's VO and Noilly Prat [Leave me alone: I am so having fun! ]

Aw com’on! I spent more time wording my description of dinner than actually cooking the damned thing. This is what I came up with: Sautéed shrimp and mushrooms wrapped in whole-wheat crepes topped with a Mornay sauce String beans sautéed w/ garlic, onions and mushrooms (How'd I do? ) I read the Dinner thread to get ideas for my own cooking ventures. I’ll pass over a “pasta and veggie salad” and drool over a I can't begin to tell you how many times I've PMed someone to ask how he or she made his or her polenta. With input from just about everyone who posted a polenta dish in the last three months, I'm now quite satisfied with my polenta (and can stop manufacturing injuries/illnesses to ensure home deliveries of creamy polenta). Aside from photos, descriptions induce the “drool” factor. And, they inspire me to think outside the box. When Txaggie posted her menu, I was curious enough to (1) ask about potato rosti and (2) attempt to roast my first whole chicken. I served it with hash browns, of course, but if anyone asked, I had “rosti”… despite having no idea how to pronounce it: rows-ti… raw-sti… roh-sti. My $0.02: food and cooking is/should be fun. Why not share your enthusiasm for your dinner by describing it in a way that rocks the “drool” scale? And, if you need a little help along the way that's why we're here. Personally: nut butter with strawberry jam on a baguette grabs my attention a lot quicker than PB&J. And, with my curiosity piqued, I PM you for the recipe and you tell me it’s actually Jiffy with Smucker’s all-fruit… well a tip of my toque to you. [Yes… I did Google au petite-ondes before I realized you were pulling my leg. Hey! I learned a new word!]

How did the sauteed radishes with lemon balm butter turn out? Was it a compound butter? Sauteed radishes? I have only eaten them raw; do tell. Anybody else get their CSA share? My delivery should start next week; anxious to see what my basket holds.

Uhmm... what time are you arriving?

The actual commercial. (Gawd! I love YouTube!)

I LOVE IT! Wanna be my ghostwriter? Now... doesn't that make you drool?

I’m often reluctant to post in the dinner thread ‘cause a “pasta salad” just doesn’t seem to cut it with this crowd. However, when you deconstruct the menu, it really is quite “common.” For example: Pea soup = Chilled fresh pea soup with mint Grilled chicken w/ mushrooms = Charcoal-roasted, herb-brined Sunnyside Organics chicken; Charcoal-grilled spiced portobello Asparagus and beans = Favas and asparagus with Meyer lemon olive oil and roasted garlic Grits = Creamy cheese grits Wine = 2006 Turkey Flat Rose Now, that looks more like my dinner menu. (I am by no means dissing Zora. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for her because: of the degree of casualness she demonstrates in developing such meals and the drool factor she induces.) Tonight’s dinner was a pasta salad: soba noodles with tofu, snow peas, carrots, cabbage, broccoli and a rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil dressing topped with sesame seeds and green onions; Toll House cookies; and, Lindemans Cabernet. Oh! And, the nieces stopped by which necessitated a scoop of Reese’s peanut butter/chocolate ice cream. How would you reword/translate this menu, so that it is worthy of the “Dinner” (rather than the "What are you eating now") thread? The Challenge: Do you need help rewording your menu? Did you enjoy your hamburger tonight yet would feel more confident posting your menu if you could describe it as: home grown-shitakes, pancetta, and artesian cheddar atop angus-beef burger with homegrown lettuce and heirloom tomato on homemade whole-wheat buns? (a.k.a. cheeseburger, with mushrooms, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes.) There should be no reason for you not to post if dinner was a PB&J on Wonder Bread with 2% milk and marshmallows. Yet how would you describe it? Do you need help? It's all about the adjectives. Again: I am not a “hater”; I’m simply bemoaning my inability to describe food in such an artistic fashion.

I'll bring BLT fixins (lettuce, tomatoes and whole wheat toast). WARNING: I will be bringing Miracle Whip.

Da Rae Won... I'm out.

Two articles from the BBC on smoking bans in Kenya and England.

I still need a ride to Da Rae Won; PM me if you're available to carpool... I could meet you at a Metro stop.

Just returned from Columbus. I've always enjoyed Haiku. Anxious to check out Sedeo cafe on my next visit.

Am I the only one who’s had a run in with a Mandoline? I had a craving for an empanada-style apple pie. The dough was made; all I needed to do was slice the apples. Out comes the trusty Mandoline. Cut and cored the apples. No problem. Scratched my knuckles on the blades. No problem. Said to self: Oh, it’s just the knuckles; I’ve got about two more good slices left. Big problem. Took off the tip of my right thumb. Who knew there are so many blood vessels in the thumb??!! My kitchen looked like a crime scene: blood splatters everywhere: on the cabinets, the floor, the fridge, the walls. Remembered a bit of my Girl Scout first aid training: wrapped the thumb as best I could. Started to clean up; still bleeding through the bandage. Elevated said thumb above my heart; still more bleeding. Finally went to a neighbor to ask her to wrap the bloody thing; she invited me into her apartment. Everything was white: the carpet, the furniture, even the tablecloth! I’m gushing blood and the silly woman tells me to come in. It seems her Girl Scout training was better than mine. She took one look and suggested we go to hospital. I’m thinking: she’s overreacting; it’s just a little cut. After explaining that the Mandoline in question was not a musical instrument – how clumsy do you have to be to produce that much blood from a string instrument! – the “little” cut resulted in 10 stitches and some nice drugs. Lessons learned… a cut – bloody or not – takes precedence over other hospital injuries (e.g., broken bones, smashed thumbs): show a bit of blood and you jump to the head of the line; there is a reason those things come with a protective guide; and, do not drink liquor when handling sharp, cutting objects: blood is not a good mixer with alcohol.

Folks attending the DR.com summer picnic.

Pop-Tart... blueberry... sans frosting

DC Establishments with a Conditional [smoking] Exempt Certificate as of March 15, 2007

Food writer Stefan Gates continues to explore some of the most controversial food issues and dangerous places in the world. Topics covered so far include: Food as a weapon Food in conflict Food that kills Superpower foods Taboo Food

Yes, dammit! Damn those people with self-discipline and highly motivated by a free meal! Sigh... congratulations to those that made their goal as well as those who adopted healthier eating habits.

Personally, I prefer Blossoming Bon Vivant.

On page 44 of the current issue of MetroWeekly -- free in pink/purple newsboxes at virtually ever corner -- is an ad for Simply Home. The ad features a shrimp dish with what looks like sliced apples, some sort of cream sauce, some sort of greens, maybe orange zest, and (what I'm guessing is) julienned jicama. What do you think are the components of the dish? How would you recreate this at home? [99% of the appeal is plating.] Yet, I've visited their website and couldn't find a better image of the dish or even a description of the entree (appetizer?) on the menu that might provide a hint as to the ingredients. I know, I know... I could call the restaurant... but what fun is that? What's your best guess, based on sight alone, of what's in this dish?

I propose a $20 Friday for June 29. Although... movie tickets, popcorn, candy and soda might hit the $22.50 mark. A search for promotional tie-ins yielded this and this. Not bad... not bad at all... I truly expected Ronald MacDonald or the Burger King to make an appearance.

This is the "veggie" teen? And, you didn't remind her that (1) crayfish and mussels are NOT on the vegetarian plan and (2) Palena has a very good cheese plate? Shame on you! What type of mother are you! You should have taken the bisque from her and admonished her with the soup spoon just to teach her a lesson.

Argh!!! I was so looking forward to this; I even had permission from Dr. Podiatrist to traipse around Hyattsville! Again I say: Argh!