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I have had an awful week, so this weekend to take my mind off of it I need to distract myself, what better distraction then playing in the kitchen. I am already planning on making 'Aunt Lucille's Summer Stew' does anyone have any other ideas for me to cook up? My mind is numb and I can't think of anything.

Thanks,
Sarah

I took a loose dip into Thai territory last night with a chicken dish (tofu would be good too) that might perk you up, Sarah...

Get a bunch of Thai basil
and one fresh red hot chili pepper.
Also celery, and shallots or onions.
Cut a bunch of chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
(use the skin and bones to make broth, that you will use in the sauce)
Salt and pepper the chicken bits liberally. toss with a couple tablespoons of corn starch, and set aside for 20 minutes.
(eek, at this point, I realize my mom used to do this with egg whites, and I didn't do that yesterday since I was out of eggs and just using what I had on hand...it worked fine, but if you marinate the chicken in eggwhite and cornstarch, you get a very silk dish)
Put a generous slick of oil in a skillet or wok, heat very high. Shake off any excess corn starch and stir fry the chicken til all surfaces are opaque - but don't overcook since it's going back over heat in a minute.
Remove and drain on a papertowel.
Stir fry sliced chiles, sliced celery and shallot/onion in the remaining oil. Garlic optional (I used it).
Add a spoon of corn starch mixed with broth to the pan, along with a couple T of soy sauce and a generous dash of toasted sesame oil. Add more broth until you have enough sauce -- let it thicken and adjust liquid to cornstarch ratio depending on what you like.
Add the whole bunch of Thai basil (leaves only, and flowers if you like), stir, and put the chicken back in the pan.

Serve over rice, with braised greens on the side.
YUM.
And much better than the takeout Thai avail in my 'hood.

You can eat around the red chili if you don't like super hot food, or you can leave it out altogether and still have delish basil chicken.
It's basil season right now, enjoy it!

o yeah
anyone have an idea for the purslane and shiso I got at the Greenmarket?
I think the shiso is going in a quinoa salad, but the purslane was a whim. I think I read about it in Zuni...

and trillium
bitter melon as the campari of the vegetal? FUNNY!
time to make broken negronis!
(where you sub prosecco for gin, very summer)

sarah, a pasta primavera loaded with veggies would be soothing, i would think. lots of chopping.

and brownies never fail with me. :)

hope your weekend brightens up!

Hi Guido and Liz,

Thanks for the ideas, my sister suggested brownies as well, can never go wrong:)

That Thai Basil Chicken sounds delish, will have to try my hand at it:) Good idea as well with primavera, chopping can be so soothing.

Thanks again.
Sarah

guido, purslane or verdolagas, is one of the classic greens/"quelites" used in Mexican home cooking. I like it chopped and paired with a sauce of cilantro, roasted tomatillos and anchos, and then tossed with chunks of potatoes and your favorite meat or when I'm going veg, corn cut from cobs. But I'll admit my favorite use of all is in a summer harira (Moroccan breaking ramadan fast soup) that Paula Wolfert has in "Med. Greens and Grains". I like it cooked better then raw, because I don't like the raw texture.

I grow perilla/shiso and like it best treated like it's the Korean version. Favorite of all is Kkaetip saengjeoli. You can find the recipe here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=29173&st=0entry401052

Lastly(whew)on the vegetable front, I like "Vegetables" by Alice Waters (but it's not a vegetarian cookbook), "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison and "Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India" by Chandra Padmanabhan.

Sarah, when I'm really down in the dumps I love a nice homemade chocolate pudding made from good chocolate but brownies work too! I hope your weekend goes better then your week.

regards,
trillium

Check out Kathy Irelands web-site lots of great idea's. on just about everything!

I (heart) trillium.

so thx - I was going to sautee the purslane with garlic and finish with balsamic, from the Gourmet book. I had no idea it was common in Mexican cooking!
I did learn that purslane has omega-3, like some fish, and grassfed (or is it purslane-fed?) beef/

ditto the shiso -- we're grilling Korean style this weekend (bulgogi marinade) so . . . dig it. thank you thank you.

Hi Guido

If purslane is what I think it is, it is a very common ingredient in Turkey, particularly by the Mediterrenean, where it literally grows every where. We either eat it as a salad (just wash leaves, cut of large stems, drizzle with olive oil and garlic yoghurt, topped with red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. It's tangy, refreshing and just delish!
Another way is to saute it with onions (finely chopped), olive oil, crushed tomatoes, pich of salt and 2 sugar cubes. Don't be shy with the olive oil, as it will be a "mezze" and you can serve cold as well.
It was the one thing I was sad I couldn't find, but looks like it's becoming popular here as well. I think I'll head out to my local greenmarket next week!
Happy weekend everyone,

Asli

I'm throwing an ice cream party in T-3 hours and I've got two flavors done (vanilla bean ice cream and green tea gelato), one in the works (malted milk ball) and one to still tackle (peanut butter honey banana). Even with an ice cream maker, I've underestimated how much time making all the different custards and coolings would take. But the green tea gelato is heavenly, I must say. Really subtle and beautifully pale but the flavor is amazing. I almost hope less guests arrive than I'd planned for, so I can score leftovers. Happy end of August, everyone!

I don't enjoy cooking much (I know that could be dangerous to say here :-)), but I am trying to do more cooking for myself. At the farmer's market yesterday they had fingerling potatoes ... I was especially intrigued by the purple ones. Any hints or ideas for preparing fingerling potatoes?

my friend made pizza for lunch:
The dough was made with wheat flour & spelt bran. Baby spinach goes in the dough as well. She then topped the dough (which was spread on a cookie sheet) with her pizza sauce (lots of garlic, herbs, etc), more baby spinach, fresh basil, sliced green onions, grated part-skim mozzarella, topped with sliced fresh tomatoes, then with grated Parmesan. I drizzled olive oil & added hot pepper flakes on my serving! Yum.
Kate, how did the ice cream tasting go? Your green tea one sounds good to me.
Norma, the potatoes I think could be made into a potato salad, like this one:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/103397
Or there's one that uses potatoes in 3 colors & dresses them with pesto & Parmesan. Looks terrific, will maybe try it myself:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/106648

super rainy weather in NYC has messed with our Korean BBQ plans
but this weekend I made lots of new stuff
okra with tomato/ginger/garlic/chile sauce out of Gourmet book -- influence of India -- nice over brown rice, and a purslane/roasted potato thingee with ancho/cilantro/tomatillo sauce (thx trillium)

I'm pickling a small jar of fresh whole okra -- no idea how long I need to leave them in there. I did some thin slice cukes in the same chili vinegar, which of course went very quickly. Just cut up some roasted beets for a salad, and wondering whether I'm going to get to the edamame with shiso-lemon . . . the rest of the shiso leaves are curing in a toasted sesame mashup.
Actually, I set a couple of stems aside for shiso mojitos
: )
but it's raining on the grill
(damn, I have a bunch of peppers and eggplant waiting on that grill and the forecast is rain rain rain)

hope everyone is having a fine weekend

oh my word, Kate, please do share your peanut butter honey banana ice cream! Sounds great

Here at the end of the summer my salad cravings finally hit. I indulged in a crazy one tonight with bitter greens and spinach, cranberries steeped in rum, vinegar and lime juice, spiced candied pecans, sauteed shallots and chicken, and some nice pungent Gorgonzola.

What gas range would you buy?

Hi everyone...I'm shopping for a new gas range. Went to the local scratch-n-dent warehouse yesterday with no luck (a couple nice looking Jenn-Air's and a KitchenAid - all sold already!) I've re-read the pro-series reviews here on AT: Kitchen but I'm afraid they're just not in my budget.

At the moment, I've got my eye on the Jenn-Air dual-fuel, 2 oven range.

http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/JDR8895AA.html?brand_store=1

The styling isn't perfect, but I like all the functions. Anyone have any experience with this Jenn-Air? Any other recommendations in the $1600-$1800 price range?

guido: grill pan! i love them because i don't like a strong smoke flavor unless it's pig. (which i will be giving up to go veg soon...i think i'm going to have to throw a farewell party for my bacon!).

mom showed me how to make an old-fashioned southern tomato pudding tonight to serve with flank steak. i think the times made a baleful mention of it in one of its recent dining articles, but that recipe sounded dreadful, anyway. try this instead:

1 28-oz can of tomatoes
1 cup of really dry breadcrumbs or croutons
1 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1-2 tbsp butter (mom uses 2, i think 1 is enough)
salt and pepper to taste (be generous)

cook tomatoes with everything but breadcrumbs until flavors are incorporated, maybe ten minutes. pour into a casserole, top with more breadcrumbs and dots of butter if desired, and bake at 350ish until bubbly on top.

i, of course, think this can only be perfected with some basil and parsley, and a crust of parmigiano reggiano. next time!

whoops, i missed a step (why am i up this late, anyway?).

mix the breadcrumbs in with the cooked tomatoes and then pour them into the casserole. top with more breadcrumbs and butter if desired.

much better!

Norma
my alltime favorite way to cook wee 'taters is SO simple and SO delicious
you just put a pot of water on the stove, dump more salt than you can possibly imagine into it
pop in cleaned potatoes
boil until tender
drain and allow to cool, the salt will crystalize on the surface of the 'taters
serve with melted butter
they're also DELICIOUS cold!

it should come as no surprise that these puppies are called "Salt Potatoes"
my mom taught me to make them, she says they're a staple at clam bakes in central new york (syracuse, buffalo, utica,etc)

Hi all,

I'm delurking because you guys always have great ideas. I made broiled snapper with lemon butter, and a blueberry cake for the boyfriend's birthday this weekend. The fishmonger gave me the bones from the snapper and I had vague ideas of making a fish stock. But what can I use the stock in?

Thanks!

Rube--fish stock would be a great base for a seafood stew like a bouillabase or cioppino, also a possible base for some japanese udon noodles. Just add a little veg, fish cake (or fish balls), green onions, sesame seeds...

Guido--your pickled okra could take a while because of the outer toughness. If you blanched them before pickling, that would help. I'd give it at least 2 months before cracking the jar open, though waiting until xmas might be best.

Michelle of Montreal, you're brilliant. Mmm udon. And I've never made a cioppino but a seafood stew sounds like the perfect light summer comfort food.

guido, sorry about the rain! I forgot to say that I simmer the purslane in the salsa verde, hopefully that was obvious.

Asli, thanks for more on purslane in Turkish dishes, the mezze sounds great. I could buy it all the time in the midwest (even fancy "golden" varieties) but have never seen it for sale here in the pacific northwest. In the midwest it would even sprout up as a weed in the garden, along with lamb's quarters (another great quelites). I miss lamb's quarters even more then purslane!

this weekend I made my favorite late summer green bean dish, a ragout with shallots softened in plenty of olive oil, chopped thyme, chopped plum tomatoes, a couple of pounds of pole beans snapped into 1 inch pieces, plenty of salt and pepper and slow cooked until soft. I know soft green beans are not trendy right now, but a good pole bean has so much flavor and a lovely texture when you cook it past crunch. I also made oven roasted tomatoes that need to go through the food mill, and a gravenstein crisp. Oh, and we had a dinner party on Saturday night with two kinds of som tom, bbqed chicken, sticky rice, and flash fried pak boong (ong choy in Cantonese). Nice weekend.

regards,
trillium

HOMECURED SHISO leaf is my new favorite condiment

recipe was from the Dok Suni cookbook - the fresh leaves marinated with toasted sesame oil, chiles, and such

great to dress a cucumber salad, and over rice with bulgogi

what I'm so crazy about is the minty shiso burst after the heavier flavors of toasted and spicy

*********
now, what are your uses for WALNUT OIL?
I finally got some - used it happily on roasted beet salad

W.O.: Dressing for a simple mixed green salad.
______
*trillium and guido: you guys would make the perfect 'dream team' for hosting a dinner party for AT kitchen regular posters!! :)
What do you think?!?
Seriously, all your ideas/menus, experiments and successes are amazing, thanks for sharing.

I vote for a AT kitchen potluck!!!

by the way, they serve shiso in a cocktail at Angel's Share in the east village...it's one of the best things they have.

WO: perhaps with some fresh oregano for dipping bread in? or, brushed onto bruschetta?

walnut oil
do you dilute it with other oil when you use it in greens salad dressing? I was wondering about using it in walnut cookies . . .

maggie,
shiso mojito is up next!

yay! ATK potluck, YES! i drop my vote in the ballot box for that (or at lest perhaps a cocktail hour with nibbles?)
guido, i think it was you that a month or so ago voted for vinho verde as your fave summer quaffe
i scoffed at the idea, but finally had some last night, and OMG you are SO RIGHT!
best white wine ever! (or at least the one we drank that was from trader joe's is the best white wine ever)
no cooking for me tonight, i'm taking my boyfriend out to dinner at a croatian resto for his birthday
soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently the drink at Angel's Share involves grinding the shiso in a mortar/pestle, and then mixing it with vodka and yuzu juice...

What about walnut oil drizzled on homemade ravioli?
(I've only made them with wonton wrappers, but they're still delicate and lovely, with a mix of goat cheese and ricotta with a bit of egg inside.)

Speaking of Asian food... I'm looking to buy a cute set of chopstick rests. Does anyone know where I can find some in the city? Should I just wait for the next street fair where they always seem to have ceramics and such for sale?

try Kam Man foods on Canal Street-- an entire floor of pottery and cookware downstairs.

Walnut oil on ravioli sounds lovely...like a light, summer version of a walnut pesto dish.

I think I would experiment with a combination of lamb chops, fresh mint and the walnut oil.

Shiso mojitos.....hmm...is it Friday yet?

Thanks for the great tips last week guys and gals, I made the summer stew that was yummy and some home made rolls to go with it. My grandmothers older then dirt recipe, so lots and lots of kneeding, which I know I could've done in the kitchen aid but it was very cathartic to do it by hand:) I also made brownies and unfortunately that was about the extent of my grand cooking weekend:( My boyfriend ended up taking me out to cheer me up, so it was okay. I think tonight I will try the chicken dish that Guido suggested, just remembered I took some out of the freezer before I left this morning. Wow this is a first I know what I am going to make for dinner at 8:34 AM:)

On to a different topic any ideas for good post theater finger foods? Every year my mom's family gets together and on Saturday night we go and watch the local community theater put on a melodrama, their actually pretty good and the plots are silly. Anyway after wards we always have a bit of a cocktail party and I am looking for some new ideas of what to make. There will be the usual cheese tray and I believe that is as far as anyone has gotten. I was thinking of doing a tomato bruschetta with a tapenade. Any other ideas out there?
Thanks.

Thanks jane! Sounds like exactly what I need. As soon as this weather dries up I'm off to Chinatown.

Preserved shiso rocks, doesn't it? I've thought about buying the Dok Suni cookbook.

Walnut oil - I had a really tasty coleslaw at a friends' house last month that involved presalting the shredded cabbage and letting it drain and then dressing it with walnut oil, vinegar, grated onions and toasted walnuts.

I use it in salads, mostly autumnal ones that involve toasted nuts, pears or persimmons and blue cheese on greens. I also use it to oil all of my wood boards, it doesn't spoil and I don't like mineral oil.

Sarah, tomato bruschetta sounds really good. Something I always make and never seem to make too much of in these situations are fancy hard cooked eggs, where you use lemon juice, olive oil and a little good anchovy paste, or basil and garlic and dungeness crab mixed with the yolk for the filling. No one ever admits to liking deviled eggs but they always go really fast. This time of year some sort of dressed eggplant salad put on bread would be good too. Or to go SE Asian, sliced baguette spread with garlic alioli and then topped with a few leaves of Thai basil, a bit of lettuce or a slice of cucumber and a steamed or poached shrimp is very tasty too. Almonds that you've blanched, skinned, and roasted in olive oil and salt are really nice with cocktails too.

regards,
trillium

guido, walnut oil dressing for mixed salad greens: try 1 Tablespoon w.oil to 1 teasp. lemon juice. I would'nt dilute. Followed by steak frites/mustard sauce, delightful.

This morning I made zuchinni & carrot muffins and a buckwheat & blueberry bundt cake(fresh produce coming in, yay). Still have more zuchinni, carrots & leeks in fridge...as well as lots of fresh peaches (last week I froze some). Hadn't we mentioned peach bellinis some time back? This may be a good time for that, right? I made a peach pie 2 yrs back but wasn't crazy about it. Any other great ideas?

Leeds--I'm a big fan of peach crumble. I'm always whipping up crumbles with whatever fruit is lying around because I've always got oats and brown sugar for my morning oatmeal.

Went to Jean-Talon market on the weekend (in the pouring rain) and was dazzled by the bounty of the season's harvest. Perhaps a end-of-season potluck for the Montreal AT readers is in order? Or is that just the two of us?

MoM, sounds great! peach crumble, never had it...So, what recipe do you use? I've been longing for apple crumble lately. Had the first (lobo) apples from Jean-Talon market, surprisingly delicious! (usually wait until after the first frost as recommended).

Preserved shiso...I just remembered a dish I ate in Japan years ago, tonkatsu (panko-breaded, deep fried pork cutlet) that was filleted and stuffed with a shiso/umeboshi (pickled plum) filling before being breaded in the egg/panko combination. A really, amazingly, wonderful combination.

leeds--the crumble recipe I use is a simple one from a Betty Crocker cookbook. I don't know it off-hand, but is basically just oats, brown sugar and softened butter. I'm sure there's plenty like it on the web.

I had a couple of Lobos last year and thought they were great. Such lovely apple varieties we have around here.

Leeds, I'm delurking to share my fav peach crisp recipe with you! It's from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook-- a regular every summer in my house.

I usually half the number of peaches unless I've got a big event to take it to. Otherwise it's pretty massive.

4 to 5 lbs peaches
zest of an orange
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 pint of berries (recipe calls for rasp, but I'll do it with whatever's on hand at the market)
1/4 tsp. salt
1c quick oats
1/2 lb diced cold butter

Set oven at 350
Peel peaches, cut into wedges, add zest, 1/2 c white sugar, 1/2 c brown sugar, 2 tbs flour. mix in berries.

Combine 1 1/2 c flour,1c wh sugar, 1/2c br sugar, salt oatmeal, butter. Mix it until it's crumbly. Sprinkle over peaches in a big baking dish. Bake for an hour.

Soooo good.

woo! we have a big ol' pile of peaches that we're never going to finish. maybe i'll give that crisp a try, too!

Hannah, thanks so much! So, I guess it goes into a 9"x13" baking dish. It's certainly a good way to use a lot of peaches! Wow, great.

wow, this thread 'sploded! cool!

cocktail food I keep thinking of making --
Hanoi Shrimp Cakes out of Mai Pham's book
"Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table"
I've seen the recipe oonline -- sure you can get it by googling her name. It's a great book - the ginger fish is awesome.

and the shrimp cakes are terrific
made of shrimp and shredded sweet potato
AND you can make it vegetarian by leaving out the shrimp
still great -- esp if you're the kind of veg who will tolerate
nuoc mam as an ingredient

anyway, I keep meaning to set up an electric frying pan outside and cook them up for a backyard party

and let me be the first adult to admit
I like deviled eggs
esp when they roll like trillium

thx for all the great walnut oil suggestions!

Oops! Yup, 9x13 baking dish (though I think the Contessa does it in an oval one that I don't have...).

Oh, and I forgot to say that when I only make a half recipe, I still make the whole topping recipe because I like to lay it on pretty thick and munch on the dough : )

Yea, love the topping on those crisps/crumbles!

re shrimp cakes - how about Spanish style, check out recipe here:
http://www.tienda.com/recipes/shrimpfritters.html
Also lots of diff. tapas recipes there!
(the fritters may be served with herbed yogurt or alioli)
My friend has set up an electric frying pan outside in summer, to fry spring rolls. We had a spring roll 'cook off' one time, each with our recipes. One was veg. heavy, the other meat heavy, so we decided a combo of the 2 would be just right nex time!:)
The deep fryers w/filters are a great thing too, minimal frying smell indoors; have one tucked away in the back of a cupboard.

Enjoy your vacation, and make sure to get plenty of rest for the upcoming rush!! I'm afraid the only thing I've been cooking all summer is barbecue, strawberries and corn! I'm always so sad when the fresh summer produce dwindles, but I can't wait for the rich fall food to start in now too. Squash, here I come!

leeds,
I'm with you on the mix being best for sping rolls
we do it with crab/shrimp, ground pork, wood ears (fungi), sprouts, carrots, and cabbage.
very little pork - just for flavor.
It drives me nuts at vietnamese restaurants when the cha gio filling is just dense pork.

today's NYT has a Malaysian fish cake that sounds pretty awesome
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/30/dining/302crex.html

and chopped up vermicelli
in the cha gio
: )

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone:) I am all anxious to start making things now. Well once I check out the recipes:) I think I will stick with the tomato bruschetta, everyone in my family loves it and who wouldn't with all garden fresh tomatoes:) And then from there go decidedly asian with either shrimp cakes or crab, maybe do some potstickers or spring rolls have to ask what their preferences are and any other yummy little tidbits I find on the internet based on your tips.

Thanks again everyone:):):)

Last Chance to Partake of Summer's Basil & Fresh Tomatoes

I am mourning the end of summer... How I will miss the fresh tomatoes and basil.

Tonight I'm making an easy pasta for four:

Pasta Cruda
Chop roughly three medium-size tomatoes and place them in a large pasta serving dish. Dice four or five cloves of garlic (I actually like more, but I'm a garlic-aholic) and add to bowl. Wash two cups of basil and using kitchen scissors, cut into fine strips. Add to bowl. Pour in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss ingredients. Cover dish and set aside in refrigerator for up to an hour.

Cook 16 oz pasta according to your habit (fusilli or rotini -- some shape that "holds" the sauce).

Strain pasta and add it, still steaming, to the bowl. Add 8 ounces shredded mozzarella to the bowl. Toss ingredients, allowing hot pasta to melt cheeze.

Serve immediately with a green salad and warm bread. Wine suggestion: Vina Sastre Roble, 2002, Ribera del Duero (De Maison Selections); about $18 a bottle.

Sally, I make a similar recipe but with goat cheese instead of mozzerella. It's easy and delicious with fresh summer tomatoes!

guido, the best spring rolls are definitely the home made variety. A Chinese co-worker says she Never eats egg rolls/spring rolls in rests. I agree that just pork & vermicelli's not great, but your mix sounds right! The fish cakes seem good,too.
Sally, love salsa cruda; taking advantage of tastiest tomatoes of the season, great idea!
I make this cherry tomato dish:
Ziti with Roasted Tomatoes and Bocconcini
6.5 oz yellow teardrop tomatoes
6.5 oz red cherry tomatoes
l lb ziti
6.5 oz ovolini cheese
3.5 oz capers
3 T fresh marjoram leaves
3 T fresh lemon thyme (or reg. thyme) leaves
2 T e.v. olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
Cut the tomatoes in half and place in oven tray cut side up, roast for 15 mins (400F).
Cook ziti, drain and return to the pan. Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients & toss to combine. Serve immediately.

ha sally, that's exactly what i made for dinner, but with sage in place of basil (i lurrrrve sage) and wee trader joe's perlini mini mozzarellas
it was lovely paired with my new favorite vinho verde (also from TJs and only $4/bottle!!)

Check out this 'Saffron Cooler' - white wine, spices, lemon, mint ('food friendly'.)
Looks good enough to make for the long weekend.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/saffron-cooler

Does anyone know what's up with the new Chow website (www.chow.com)? I was so eager for it's launch the other week, but now when I log on, only members can sign in. And there's no info on how to become a member. I'm feeling all last-gal-picked-for-the-kick-ball-team-boo-hoo over here. :(

made a peach and plum crumble last night, and it was delish!

i just winged it, but it was not far from the barefoot contessa recipe above. i used some honey instead of sugar, currants instead of berries, and lemon juice instead of orange zest. i also forgot to peel the peaches, but it was fine--the skins just melted into the pulp. i probably could have used some more flour or cornstarch to bind the juices, but otherwise, YUM.

regarding Chow.. I added my email to their site last week, and was invited today to pre-register. Signing in takes you to their beta site, which will actually be launched on 9/15, but there's all kinds of goodies up already! Looks good!

After a looooong day of work I treated myself to a bottle of habanero-infused maple syrup, called Sweet Heat. I was thinking for candied nuts but the woman at the register suggested using it for shrimp or pork as well. Yum! Anyone else tried Sweet Heat? Any suggestions on the best way to use it?

Thanks for the link, leeds. Looks terrific - I think I might try it this weekend.

the boyfriend and i are thinking of making green chile tomorrow... i'd never even heard of this magical concoction until he got a hankering about a month ago (he's from colorado)
anyone have a tried and true recipe or hints and advice?
any help would be vastly appreciated!

Re: Chow, just got my invite e-mail today as well. Guess I was a little too eager there. I'll be doing some more perusing tomorrow morning with coffee mug firmly clutched in hand, but the site looks good on first impression. Jazzy and hip, as promised. Full of interesting links and tidbits, lots of video clips to drool over, and lots of posting going on already. Good times.

This promises to be a nice, cool Labor Day weekend here in Boston, Our Fair City. I'm planning on fully embracing the change of season, pulling out my favorite sweater, and making a mess o' Fall-welcoming chili. I found a Cincinnati-style recipe calling for BBQ sauce, and I'm thinking this will be a nice seasonal segue. Mmm, mmm good.

well, we made the green chili on saturday
what an adventure!
i was seduced by some cute little peppers at the essex market... they weren't habaneros, nor scotch bonnet, but dear GOD they almost blew my head off!
i totally put too many in the chili and had to do all sorts of evasive maneuvers to calm the heat quotient down, including adding honey, molasses and sugar and more lime
in the end it tasted pretty good, i think my colorado-native boyfriend was awful gentle in his criticisms... i'm pretty sure it was more grina chili than actual chili verde!

what did everyone else cook?

ann, yum, that chili sounds delicious!

i was up in vermont and gathered a beautiful meal from all of the local farms in the waitsfield area: black angus that we grilled with cabernet butter, fresh heirloom tomatoes with local mozarella (they were AMAZING!), squash, red potatoes and we started with a baguette from the red hen bakery with assorted local cheeses. it felt really great that i was able to gather everything from local farms in the area, including the steak. i'm not too big on red meat myself but my husband and father-in-law really enjoyed it. the heirloom tomatoes were so flavorful and juicy, just amazing. i tossed some up the next day with garlic fettucine and garlic.

vermont this time of year=heaven