minipanda's Profile

Picked up a jar of fennel pollen a while back at Zingerman's. I've been using it a lot lately for fish en papillote. Lovely complement for fish, as well as chicken and pork.

I'll second the Corningware Pop-Ins products. Great for taking leftovers to work if there is a refrigerator and microwave in your office. They are great for putting leftovers in or even baking directly in, cooling, refrigerating and reheating (i.e. baked macaroni & cheese, mini lasagna). Plus, they clean up very easily.

After reading the comments here, I read the NY Times article carefully. I have to say, as far as I know, the rather classic Italian pasta dish that qualifies as "summer pasta" (according to my father who lived in Rome part of every year) was comprised strictly of olive oil, tomato, basil, and salt (though really it's heavily salted water for the pasta). He gets upset if I add garlic. I think Marcella Hazan lists a fresh tomato and basil option for her Aio e Oio "recipe" in Essentials of Italian Cooking. On that note, the NY Times article spells out the recipe under review:

"First you combine the garlic, basil and oil and let the mixture macerate. A few hours later you add tomatoes and let it sit some more. Next, you pour the cooked rigatoni over the tomatoes, and cubes of mozzarella over the rigatoni. Then you gently mix the cheese into the pasta, coating it with a buttery veil of fat, before tossing it with the tomatoes at the bottom."

I think it is the particular method spelled out here (especially the cubes of mozzarella coating the pasta") that may have been objectionable to the chef friend. Plus, I've always been taught to add the basil (torn only, no cutting) right at the end to maintain a fresh bite. It may seem like nitpicking, but I don't think the author of the NY Times article is claiming the "invention" of summer pasta outside of Italy.

This year I'm going to say tomatoes off the vine, since I am growing tomatoes for the first time! I have 8 heirloom varieties teasing me with their still small, green fruit...I'm crossing my fingers that I will succeed in this new endeavor!

Corn should definitely be on the list though.

I adore this cookbook and have not cooked from it as much as I would like. I have yet to make the roast chicken and bread salad for fear of setting of the smoke detectors in my house (which seem very sensitive)...maybe it's time to open up all the windows and try it out! Any tips on reducing oil spatter/smoking?

I have enjoyed the chicken bouillabaise recipe and find it to be a really great comfort recipe with it's aioli-topped-bread goodness.

Just curious, what are the local foods you'd miss if you moved? Or what local foods do you miss from a place you lived in the past?

Buffalo is known for its chicken wings, but now is the season for Chiavetta's marinated chicken on the grill (I'll go into chicken finger subs another time). As bottled marinades go, I love Chiavetta's vinegar-y, spice laden concoction. I'm also a sucker for Bison brand french onion chip dip...I don't buy it because I will eat an entire bag of potato chips and the whole tub of dip in one sitting.

What about you?

Are there any preventative measures a person can take to prevent bedbugs??? Though I do not live in NY, a friend will be passing through NY and staying in a hotel en route to coming to stay with me. What do I do? Hose him down before he walks through the door? Immediately wash all articles of clothing he has with him?

oh yeah...and summer festival food. big art festival in my neighborhood this weekend...street food includes sausage w/ onions and peppers, fresh cut french fries, cotton candy, fried dough (mmmmm!!), bbq-ed turkey legs (huge!), and lots of beer. i can't wait!

I'd definitely see if you can exchange it for another one, wherever you bought it. I got mine at Williams-Sonoma, and with their generous return policy, know they'd just replace it.

Just purchased an Asko dishwasher (D3122XL) this morning at a Memorial Day appliance warehouse sale. Anyone with Asko experience? I've read mixed reviews, but the price was too good to pass on, 50% off!