Saturday Six

E

erininny

Well-known member
1. After sleeping virtually all day to try to wipe out a cold before leaving for a trip on Wednesday, I rallied and pan-fried scallops with parsley and garlic for dinner.

2. I have nothing made for a wedding picnic that may or may not happen tomorrow; since the couple hasn't indicated what will happen if it rains (which it's supposed to), my main plan at this point involves buying a box of Italian cookies from a neighborhood bakery. That's terrible. I know.

3. After reading the NY Times piece (in the link) about Chock Full o' Nuts returning to Manhattan, I have an inexplicable craving for date bread with cream cheese! Anyone have a good recipe to share?

4. This is not terrifically food-related, but I'll be in Amsterdam on Thursday; any recommendations?

5. I made Tarte au sucre (Sugar Pie) a couple of weeks ago; it's a very easy yeast...cake, topped with creme fraiche, but I was just wondering if anyone else has made something like this. It's like brioche without the eggs (and it's baked in a pie pan). But there's something missing; somehow, it's not light enough. (If anyone would like, I'll post the recipe and you can see what you think, or what suggestions you'd make.)

6. Does anyone read mysteries involving food? If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them. Doing a bit of research. smileys/wink.gif

Happy weekend,

Erin

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11chock.html?scp=1&sq=chock%20full%20o'%20nuts&st=cse

 
I remember Chock Full...There was 1 one on 34th just off 6th and

any shopping in the area included stopping there.

Have a great trip to Amsterdam - my son is there now for an annual computer show of sorts. He is
bringing back smoked eels. Try them - they are so yummy - the herring to.
The only restaurant I specifically remember is
one called Claus where you get spare ribs - as much as you can eat.

Have a good trip - it is a wonderful city.

 
I remember them too - I must've seen the same one you did, Elaine, but that was a long time before

I ever thought of dreaming coffee. It was in Manhattan, I remember, and the store kinda wrapped around the corner? The only thing I remember about it was that my father said it was "really expensive coffee"! I was a little shocked when I saw it in a can on the grocery shelg, years later, and it was any more expensive than the others.

Anyway, I remember the yellow, black, and white storefront, and I remember thinking it was really pretty and such a big coffee shop! (I was only about 10 y/o at the time.)

 
Thought about what I said,, I'd read them under any circumstance. Light, fun reading and there are

recipes!

 
And my Saturday Six

Surprisingly fun although nothing was planned.

1) We went for a drive up along the coast of Lake Ontario because it was a nice, sunny day. Stopped for cheese at the cheese store. They make really good cheese - dozens of varieties - and I walked out of there almost $20 lighter, and that's only because I practiced a good amount of restraint... Danish blue, 3x Rat Trap, both horseradish and port wine spreads, and some milder, creamy cheddar (called Prairie? cheese).

2) Stopped for late-season corn along the way - surprised they even had any left. They had a security camera mounted on the table - anyone noticing these things popping up in fruitstands this year? This is the first year I've ever noticed them! Kinda takes the quaintness out of it quickly, doesn't it!

3) Also stopped to pick more crabapples by the beach (waded way out - high tide) with plans for cinnamon crabapple jelly later in the week. Big, beautiful things with huge MacIntoshes right next to them... and these were both wild trees!

4) On the way home, stopped at a fruit stand and bought peaches - I love peaches - and eyed some plums at the checkout. Got them too, and decided to make the plum/apple chutney this week too.

5) Then stopped for a basket of huge beefsteak tomatoes. Now to use them before they rot :eek:(

6) The smell of the neighbors cooking steaks on the grill was too much so I changed dinner plans from spaghetti to steaks with corn-on-the-cob, sliced tomatoes, potato salad, and Fresh (as in raw) Peach Cobbler with dates for dessert. Quick and easy.

Buying a box of Italian cookies is never a bad thing, Erin! 'Wish I had some now! I love date bread too, but sorry Erin, 'usually just buy it at the store. Topped with cream cheese, yes, very good.

 
I read one of hers... It was a few years ago, can't recall the title, but enjoyed it.. Kind of

murder / mystery BUT of course can't forget catering in between..

I really enjoyed it! Trying to solve a mystery; but needs to cater for 150 people... Nice cooking / catering weave in a mystery.

 
My weekend Six

~Made Gretchen's crab cakes for dinner last night...delish (does a lb of lump crab cost $35 everywhere?????)
~Planning a pavlova demonstration for friends on Tuesday...trying to figure out the logistics, especially if I want to make brownies, too, with just one oven. (to compare cocoa flavored brownies with melted chocolate brownies) Guess the pavlova has to be last.
~DD had friends over for a belated b-day celebration...she requested bakery petit fours...I was off the hook!
~Made Alton Brown's Tres Leches cake for her family birthday party...much better than the Southern Living recipe I'd tried before
~Will grill pork chops tonight...probably just with some seasoning salt
~blogged about the crab cakes last night...my aioli was a little thin and salty...think I should have measured my lime juice

http://thatskinnychickcanbake.blogspot.com/2010/09/crab-cakes-with-avocado-aioli.html

 
Here are some lists of food-related mysteries

Try the Springfield Library's list

The Wakefield Library has a more extensive list.
I like the Janet Laurence novels and Katharine Hall Page's series, and Phyllis Richman's books. Another series not mentioned in these lists is Julie Hyzy's series about a White House cook. I have just read one which I should probably not mention here, given previous threads - it's called Eggsecutive Orders. Some of the other series listed are really rather too silly and repetitive.

Edited to ask: Do the links show up on your screens? They are pretty much the same color as the rest of the text on my screen.

 
Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta novels have a lot of cooking too

Enough that there are a couple of spin-off recipe books (Food to Die For and Scarpetta's Winter Table). Good books too.

 
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