>  ML> > But they are sour so, for example, a book that is a lemon, has you
>  ML> > soured on reading it.
>  ML> We are aware what it means now, but when that transition
>  ML> of connotation happened, that would be kind of interesting
>  ML> to know and the question I was asking.
> I've no idea, and since we can't time travel, we just have to hope
> somebody from the past has documented the origins.

And without prejudice or bias.

>  ML> So ... what's your latest pet cookbook?
> A couple, actually, from my "reference" collection. The Betty Crocker
> Picture Cookbook (I have a first edition, c 1950, inherited from my
> grandmother.) and The James Beard Cook book, c 1961. We made both cherry
> and blueberry pies in the past couple of weeks, using the books for
> reference on the pastry and filling. Beard has my favorite blueberry
> muffin recipe; I made a double batch last week. That book also came from
> my grandmother's estate.

Mine are the same as for a long time - for consultation, 
Raymond Oliver's La Cuisine and Escoffier's Ma Cuisine;
for fun, George Lang's Cuisine of Hungary and MFK Fisher's
Art of Eating. Very occasionally I'll look at something
else, like FIDO's Cookbook, also mostly for fun.

>  ML> > topics. As I remember, most of them had a yellow cover meant to look
>  ML> > sort of like a legal pad.
>  ML> I've seen the series prominently at times displayed in
>  ML> bookstores, which struck me amusing as the customers
>  ML> of bookstores generally aren't dummies and don't
>  ML> perceive themselves as dummies.
> No, but they make great gifts for others who may be dummies in certain
> fields. (G)

As early as 1970 I thought of writing a series of little 
books about particular foibles such as pride, anger, 
sloth, lust, covetousness, gluttony, and avarice, such 
that people could give them to their friends and enemies 
who they thought exhibited these traits. 

>  ML> > I usually steam them and add a bit of butter. Alternatly, I'll do
>  ML> them > with the bacon, onion and vinegar--the way my grandmother did
>  ML> from time > to time.
>  ML> A lot of butter, and I'd agree.
> Depends on if you want them swimming in the butter or not; I'd rather
> they not.

I'd like a side of melted butter flavored with
vegetables, please.

>  ML> > It served the purpose well. I'm now using vitamin E oil on the scar;
>  ML> > it's faded some but not as much as where I used the honey.
>  ML> I wonder if vitamin E works better than, say, something
>  ML> like wheat germ oil that has vitamin E.
> i'm not sure but at this point, I'm going to stick with the straigh E
> oil. It's pure enough I don't have to be concerned about rancidity as I
> might with wheat germ oil.

Someone gave me a bunch of E pills that they didn't
have use for, and after one of the ones I took, I
burped up the characteristic odor of oxidation and
rancidness. Either E is more prone to decomposition
than people claim or that batch was contaminated.

>  ML> I've made cherry desserts and have always removed the
>  ML> stones, but not doing so makes perfect sense in any
>  ML> society that wants to maximize flavor and doesn't worry
>  ML> so much about liability issues.
> So it boils down to a matter of personal (cook's) preference?

Based on the factors as above (and others, of course).

>  ML> >  ML> stone; they are more frugal with ingredients, so
>  ML> >  ML> the pits add depth of flavor in a way that we can't
>  ML> >  ML> get so often compensate for by a splash of almond
>  ML> >  ML> extract; and they seem more attuned to texture, so
>  ML> >  ML> cherry pits and fish bones, though a universal
>  ML> > Quite a range of differences from the average American.
>  ML> The wealth of this land has its downside.
> We've noted that before.

There's something somebody said sometime about taking
the bitter with the sweet; our job is to minimize the
bitter - for ourselves and others.

>  ML> > I can tolerate a certain level of pain but I don't want to crunch
>  ML> down > on a cherry pit and break a tooth. Spending time at the dentist
>  ML> is not > one of my favorite things.
>  ML> Someone who properly savors a clafoutis isn't
>  ML> likely to bite down on a cherry pit.
> We got a blueberry-blackberry one at the farmer's market the other day.
> It was good, and yes, the blackberries still had the seeds.

I've encountered seedless blackberries, and they are
disconcerting texturally (and not so seedless as
claimed) and not as tasty as they ought to be.

+

>  ML> It recently tumbled to where I am. I cleared the caches,
>  ML> and it still does. When I arrived here, it had me a few
>  ML> dozen miles east.
> Sounds like the one GPS routing we had--had us on the old Route 15 thru
> PA but we were actually on the "new" 15.

It can be excused for squawking if you are driving on 
a hillside where it thinks there is no road.

Ricotta Gnocchi with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
categories: celebrities, main, pasta, dairy
Serves: 6 to 8

MUSHROOMS
1 1/2 lb wild mushrooms
- such as cepes, morels, or chanterelles
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 c white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or herbs of your choice)
2 Tb juice from roasted chicken or game bird (opt, to 4 Tb)
GNOCCHI
1/2 lb ricotta cheese, drained
2 lag eggs
1 sm pn freshly ground nutmeg
1 oz grated Parmesan cheese or tt
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Tb melted unsalted butter
1 Tb all-purpose flour or as needed

Preheat oven to 375F.

If mushrooms are dry and not gritty, brush or wipe them 
clean. If they are very wet, hard to brush, or gritty, 
fill a deep bowl with water, plunge the mushrooms into 
the water and agitate them with your hands. Lift the 
mushrooms out of the water and drain. Repeat the process 
with clean water until the mushrooms are clean. (You 
should never have to do this with cepes.)

Cut mushrooms into 1/2" wedges or chunks. Place in a 
baking pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle 
with olive oil, wine, thyme sprigs or other herbs, and bird 
juices, if using. Cover and roast 30 to 40 min.

When a good deal of juice has rendered, pour the juice into 
a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by 
one-third. Set aside.

Increase the heat to 425F. Uncover and brown the mushrooms 
slightly. Pour a little of the reduced and well-seasoned 
mushroom juice over the cooked mushrooms and set aside.

To make gnocchi - in a medium bowl, stir ricotta with a 
wooden spoon, until the cheese reaches a uniform 
consistency. Add eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan, and salt and 
pepper to taste, and stir vigorously. Add butter, then 
flour in two batches. Stir in gently - gnocchi will toughen 
if stirred too much. (The dough will keep, refrigerated, 
for 3 days.)

On a floured work surface, roll dough into a cylinder shape. 
Cut into 32 pieces and roll each piece into an oval dumpling 
shape with thumb. To form and store the formed gnocchi for up 
to a couple of hours before serving, you can lay them out on 
sheet pans covered with floured parchment paper. Group a 
serving amount together. When ready to poach, cut off a 
section of the paper that has the number of gnocchi you want 
to serve, hold it over the pot of simmering water and scoot 
them into the water.

To serve = in a large pot of just-boiling salted water, 
simmer gnocchi gently until set in the center, not runny, 
3 to 4 min depending on the size. Remove the gnocchi from 
the water with a slotted spoon and gently place in shallow 
soup plates. Spoon roasted mushrooms into soup plates and 
drizzle with the reduced mushroom juices.

after Kelsie Kerr, Zuni Cafe, via Catherine Brandel, Chez Panisse, 
via Julie Stillman, Great Women Chefs, via Corby Kummer, The Atlantic
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