porcupine

Nope. I did forget to mention to turn it over halfway through the cooking time. The meat comes out very well done, falling apart tender, but not in the least bit dry. At least not if it's a well-marbled cut.

Y'know, that's a good question. I've always been really reluctant to share any recipe I developed myself, but now that I think of it, that's just plain silly. And petty. Any pozole fans out there want my recipe?

I like it! We think the same way. Anyway, here's my rather sketchy recipe for comfort food pot roast. Haute cuisine it is not. Brown a rump roast on all sides in a mix of rendered pork fat (eg, fat back, salt pork, bacon) and oil, then place in a pot just large enough to hold it. Brown some coarsely chopped celery, carrot, and onion briefly in the same pan, then add to the pot with the roast. Deglaze the pan with some light stock (eg water + beef or veal stock) and add to the pot. Add some red wine. The liquid should about half cover the roast. Add a small handful of rinsed dry porcini, half a cinnamon stick, one clove, a bay leaf, a pinch of thyme, a sprig of rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Put a lid on it and cook at 375 for several hours - until falling apart tender. (According to aCook's Illustrated article I once read, if you want it really tender, get it to 210 inside and keep cooking for another hour.) Strain the liquid, reduce if necessary (it seldom is), and thicken if desired with a little flour/water slurry or beurre manie . I like to serve this with spaetzle or mashed potatoes. Or roasted potatoes. And candied carrots. And the rest of the bottle of wine. And coconut cake for dessert. I don't believe I've ever shared this recipe with anyone. Let me know what you think if you try it. If I didn't have to work the next few days I'd be making a big batch of pozole. I ain't sharin' that recipe, though.

Don't know how they compare, but sometimes (on Sundays?) 2 Amys has good ones.

Just put four small Meyer lemon panna cottas in the refrigerator. Now if only I could find nice fresh berries to put on them.

$2.49/lb at Bethesda Whole Foods

This just in: Meyer lemons now available at Whole Foods. Just thought any fellow lemonheads would like to know.

Okay, just started a new batch of limoncello, this time using Meyer lemons and, on the advice of a bartender who I trust, Pearl vodka. Already the supernatant is a neon yellow (it's been about half an hour, and I used a microplane to zest the lemons). I'll let you all know how it turned out in a few weeks. Hmm, maybe it'll be ready by New Year's eve.

An interesting sugar cookie variation can be found in Betty Crocker's Cooky Book (1963, with some darn good recipes!). The one I like calls for 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar creamed with one cup butter; stir in one egg, one teaspoon vanilla, and half a teaspoon almond extract; mix in a mixture of 2 1/2 cups flour, one teaspoon baking soda, and one teaspoon cream of tartar. Roll out the chilled dough and bake at 375 on lightly greased baking sheets; how long depends on how thin you roll them; they should be just starting to turn golden. These cookies have an unusually soft texture, even though they're crumbly - I know that sounds contradictory, but they are really good and just a little different.

Interesting that after eight of us went to El Chalan for dinner last Thursday, not a one has posted a review. That should tell you something. The muse hasn't inspired me, yet, either, but I'll give it a shot. If I were in the area, and a friend said, "hey, let's go to El Chalan!" I wouldn't say no. Nor would I hoof it downtown from Culinary Wasteland (aka Potomac) just for the experience. It's not bad, it's not fantastic. It's just kind of quietly good. The pisco sour was a bit of a disappointment - for $8 I'd'a liked more pisco and less sour mix. That's a pet peeve, actually. Why would any self-respecting bar need "sour mix"? What, can't get fresh lemon juice? Anyway, the food was mostly tasty and reasonably well-executed. My appetizer, fried balls of potato stuffed with beef and egg, was perhaps a bit bland, but was perfectly fried: not at all greasy, no off-taste from old oil (I rarely order fried food for this reason). Mr P's boiled potato in creamy cheese sauce was much better than it sounds, with a piquancy I couldn't place. I think two people ordered cabrito norteno , goat stew served with rice and beans. This was probably the best dish I sampled but then, I really love goat, the moreso because I don't get to eat it very often. Mr P and I both ordered aji de gallina a la arequepina (shredded chicken cooked in creamy garlic, onion, and peanut sauce). This dish was a little sweet and rather starchy, rather more comfort-food-like than palate-challenging - not that there's anything wrong with that, but it was so rich neither of us could finish ours. I'll leave it to the rest of the gang to describe their dishes. The arroz con leche and flan were both good solid renditions of Latin American classics. The restaurant sits half a story underground, and in a small space, but with dark wood tables and white linens and walls, managed to feel cozy rather than cramped. And it was clean , no small feat for a restaurant that's been around for - what, fifteen years? It didn't have that old, tired, dingy look, nor did it smell of decades of cigarette smoke and booze. So yeah, worth going to once just because it's a little different. Time for the rest of youse guys to chime in.

So... Anybody been recently? What's particularly good these days?

that's between you and your wallet. But I cook alot with Colavita EVOO. It isn't ruined at lower heat levels, anyway, and the flavor is nice without dominating.

The eggs alla fiorentina are pretty darn tasty, too: foccacia, topped with prosciutto, spinach, poached eggs, and orange hollandaise. And why not follow up brunch with dessert? Simple as it is, I love the gelato affogato: vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over.

I shall do my best not to get pickled by pisco; stay tuned.

I'm unclear about whether we can post recipes from cookbooks here, with attribution. I have a great sugar cookie recipe; if no one can clear up the issue, I'll pm you with it.

go early - by 6:45 last night they were out of it.

I'm not sure this forum needs yet another fan letter to Palena - rather like preaching to the choir - yet I can't resist saying again how wonderful Palena is. That lemon martini concoction, with Grey Goose vodka and aqua de cedro, is almost the best cocktail in the world*. The lentil soup with cream-poached shrimp was wonderful on a cold night. What Chef Ruta does with gnocchi never fails to amaze me. And pheasant raviolini - holy cow. And the venison - what part of the deer did that large dark chunk of meltingly tender meat come from, anyway? That was the best venison I've ever had in a restaurant. And Ann Amernick's desserts are... oh, heck, superlatives fail me. And the dark-haired waitress is a wonder, too; how did she manage to find a single bottle of wine to match the diversity of dishes we ordered?! What a blessing to have the talents of Frank Ruta and Ann Amernick here in DC. To all the staff at Palena: thank you. *the best is the caipirhina, the reason God invented cocktails

A real conversation, held more than once at several different restaurants: Host/ess: Would you like smoking or non-smoking? Me: No-smoking, please. And do you happen to have a no-children section? [winking] Host/ess: [knowing smile/roll of eyes/stiffled giggle]

Hmmm... so the next big battle is to get restaurants to have "no children" sections.

oh for the love of god Noooooooooooooooo !

Common courtesy is like common sense: the word they share is the thing they're lacking.

It's time for DonRockwell.com to have a compendium of places to go to buy fine foods: the stuff you'd want to give as gifts, or the stuff that's hard to find, or the stuff that regular grocery stores don't carry. Let's put our heads together and develop a list. I'll volunteer to put it all together after we brainstorm. Where do you go to find the unusual? Here's a start: Dean and Deluca The Store Formerly Known as Sutton Pace Gourmet Cheesetique Where else? full disclosure: I need new ideas for Christmas shopping. help!

Mom's cappelletti in brodo and popovers (hey, we're only part Italian!) on Christmas Eve, and the cinnamon twists she makes for us on Christmas morning. And homemade caramels. And pizzelle.

a definite maybe. Is there room?

Have you read Talk to the Hand - the Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door by Lynne Truss? my, I'm feeling literary today. must be the snow.