The Foodie Thread

Speaking of tomatoes, Mark Bittman put together a series of simple recipes for his segment on the Today Show

http://markbittman.com/heirloom-tomatoes-get-em-while-they-last

Love the idea of tomato and peach soup, two of my favourite foods at this time of year

 

If you haven't tried fresh figs, do so. They are only available for a short time and this is the window. We put it on a flatbread with tomato sclices and gorgonzola. Really nice snack.

 

Honestly, when I used to have the 16 tomato plants in my yard, I pretty much ate tomatoes for all my meals, at least as long as the harvest was coming in, which isn't that long.

 

Remember the fancy hot dog place I've mentioned on the best hot dog thread, well the chef their is adding a charcuterie program.

Ambitious for a hot dog joint, but I bet it will be good.

 

Ah, I love, love a good charcuterie plate. Best I ever had was at Slightly North of Broad in Charleston, SC.

Actually, I have enjoyed some of the best meals of my life in that town. What a great food city.

http://www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/slightlynorthofbroad/menus/?gclid=COHHj9fx9aoCFdcf2godU1E-BQ

 

Mock!

 

You would like it, YG. You can eat it with your hands and make sausage and pickle jokes. Lots of "TWSS" possibilities.

 

A good charcuterie plate is perfect to set out if you are having people over for drinks or before dinner.

 

Ha! It does look really good and edible. (TWSS)

 

Charcuterie is a fancy word for pork based food: bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés.

I first discovered it in 1971 when I spent four weeks in Paris. I went from arrondissement to arrondissement eating at prix fix menu restaurants and things like pate and terrines were part of the menu.

I worked in the restaurant at the prestigious (trust me on this) Hotel Baur Au Lac in Zurich for five months in the early 70's. A plate of charcuterie was always on the menu.

Note to 2011 foodies: you did not discover it. Please get over yourselves.

 

Good interview on NPR with Grant Achatz, a chef who grew up in the restaurant business. Few years ago, he devleoped tongue cancer and lost his ability to taste.

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/29/139786504/grant-achatz-the-chef-who-couldnt-taste

 

Gelato.

There's a place around the corner from us that whips up everything from your standard gelato flavors - chocolate, straciatella (vanilla and chocolate chip), strawberry - to completely outrageous, like Kentucky bourbon vanilla, chocolate chipotle, Nutella and cinnamon cake batter.

The chocolate chipotle was unreal - first you taste the chocolate, but as the gelato dissolves, there's this sharp stinging taste.