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Simple pastas, mostly with odds and ends from the last day's service. Though I imagine in the back of nice places there's a bit of room to be creative if anyone's got the extra energy.

The $7 HALF Grapefruit

I think...120$ for a cantaloupe. In a box.

Oh, Japan.

Our 10 Favorite Pies in San Francisco

Oh, but what about Bike Basket Pies? :c

SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite Cheeses

(................Has anyone from the Bay Area heard of/tried Mt. Tam? Heaven on earth.)

How to travel with prosciutto?

@teachertalk - I thought about vacuum sealing as well - would you happen to have any rough estimate as to how long it could sit for? do you think a day would dampen its quality/edibility significantly, or is that pushing it?

@dmcavanagh - I'm not crossing any borders, thankfully.

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Charles Chocolates' Edible Chocolate Holiday Box

Molten.
Chocolate.
Cake.

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Zingerman's Praise the Lard Gift Box

Perhaps my clearest but not fondest memory involving pork product probably comes around when I was 17 - my friends and I had discovered a lump of chocolate in my friend's fridge, which we then proceeded to cut into pieces and devour. The look on my friend's face when he found out there was bacon inside - absolutely horrified. He was devoutly vegetarian.

He wouldn't talk to the perpetrator for weeks.....but it was quite good, nevertheless.

Chain Gang -- Do you secretly love a chain restaurant??

In-N-Out. People who scoff at it, come spend your teenage years in California and you'll eventually realize that half of what you're eating is well-done nostalgia for midnight runs.

But it is pretty damn tasty. That, and Chipotle - I worked there for a summer once upon a time.

Cook the Book: 'The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto'

At the whole foods counter. Yes, I'm deprived. (but hey, ciao bella!)

Cook the Book: 'Bottega Favorita' by Frank Stitt

Pasta salad, with chicken, feta, and fried tomatoes. Yes. Nom.

6 leftover egg yolks...need some ideas!

Do you like to bake bread?

Challah would be excellent.

Usually the number of egg yolks required is what throws me off (at least in the richer recipes) so if I had that many lying around I know what I'd do!

Store Bought vs. Homemade: What's More Cost-Effective?

These aren't completely accurate - the main flaw I see with most of these "do it yourself - it's cheaper!" price comparison articles is that they don't include energy costs.

I love to bake, but including the energy my oven uses up per loaf/pan/sheet etc. it's not worth it to make everything at home, despite the cost of raw materials :(

Does anyone know of any places that actually do the energy cost breakdown as well? I know people tend to disregard it because they think it isn't that much, but it actually adds up if you have to keep heating your oven to 350 or 450 or 500 or whatever.

What Do You Think Of Boiled Peanuts?

@tinat -

I was just going to add that boiled peanuts are not only popular in the South but also in Asia. I remember them as a ubiquitous part of the rice congee breakfasts my grandma would prepare for us, along with steamed vegetables, you tiao, pork floss etc... Her house always had some in a bowl somewhere.

What Do You Put on Your Biscuit?

Clotted. Cream.

(oh wait, you're talking about biscuits, not scones...)

U.S. Food Safety Has Not Improved In Three Years

Like that's news...salmonella scares left and right! What nut will be next?!

All the more reason to eat local/grow your own so you at least have some idea of what the food goes through. But eh, that opinion is sadly not always practical/ widely shared.

Cook the Book: ''Wichcraft'

Yet another dolled up grilled cheese on super fat slices - I'm sorry, can't help myself!

How to travel with prosciutto?

The title says it all. I'm planning on curing my own for a housewarming gift (specifically, using http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2010/12/charcutepalooza-january-challenge-is-duck-prosciutto/) and I know it's freezable, but I'm wondering what will happen if I try to travel with it for a couple days.

To visit these people I'll be taking a train and won't have access to refrigeration for about a day or so. Can it be done? Can the impossible be surmounted?

Thanks eaters!

5 Large Artichokes...Suggestions?

The title has got the gist of things. Long story short, there was a sale at Whole Foods today, and since they're usually obscenely expensive (about 3$ each) I eventually gave in to the pretty globe artichokes stacked in pyramids and walked out with five.

Only problem is...I have no idea what to do with them. I've never actually cooked an artichoke on my own before (though an aunt of mine would enlist me to help her make stuffed artichokes when I was a kid, so I know how to prep them). Are the leaves edible, or only parts of them? I'm asking this because I'd prefer not to waste them and end up with 5 artichoke hearts I could have easily gotten in a can for cheaper.

Also, what can I possibly do with so many, save stuff them all? How long do they stay good in the fridge? Should I just cook a couple at a time and save the rest? Help!

Recipe Request: Mini Bagels

So, I am a regular patron of my local Trader Joe's, and whenever I go there one of my staples is their bags of wheat mini bagels. I'm seriously addicted. Really. Whenever I take them home I freeze them (no guarantee I'll eat them right away as I bake fairly often) but whenever I want them I take them out, microwave the ice out, and toast them up in my toaster oven. It really does an awesome job of recreating the "freshly baked"ness , maybe because the bread is soggy after microwaving and then the outside gets toasted up, leaving a chewy crust and a creamy soft yummy center (can you tell I'm eating them right now?)

Anyways, they recently jacked up their prices here from about $1.70 to $2+ and I was wondering if anyone has had any success making mini bagels out of a whole wheat bagel recipe? Or just mini bagels in general?

I've made bagels with some success before, but the last time I made mini bagels they turned out frighteningly hard and crunch - kind of like ka'ak rings? Plus they didn't brown at all. (and I made sure to check the oven constantly and adjust the baking time as well...)

Any help to feed my strange addiction would be appreciated :) Thanks!

Greek Yogurt - Recommendations?

I know Fage is definitely a cult favorite among the food loving community, and having tried it for the first time recently, I can definitely see why. It's super thick and creamy - almost like eating dollops of creme fraiche or something equally indulgent.

However, I'm not made of money - it is definitely not on the cheap side. I'm not sure yet if my local Costco carries it (I got the one-serving 7oz for $1.99 at TJ's).

So I was wondering, are there any other brands of Greek yogurt that are similar in taste/texture to Fage that are not quite so expensive? I've heard good things about the TJ's house brand, but haven't tried it yet...

(Or maybe someone can tell me how much the big containers at Costco cost/somewhere else I can get Fage cheap? I'm on the west coast...)

Thanks :)

Lots of cilantro...

...and no idea what to do with it.

I bought some for a recipe I've been craving and realized that it only needed about 1/3 of a cup. Now I have most of the bunch left over and I hate to waste food.

I know its usually used as a garnish, but that's not going to cut it here.
Help me out here please?

Eats in Downtown Atlanta?

Calling all eaters in the Atlanta area (or anyone, really, who knows their way around the place) : Can you direct me to some good eats in the downtown neighborhood of Atlanta? I say downtown because I'll leaving tuesday and staying for a week for a conference and I'm not sure how much free time I'll get to peruse my eating obsessions. So somewhere in the neighborhood (or somewhere walkable) would be great. :)
Pricewise, preferably something not super high end, but it all depends on what you guys come up with!

If you tell me about a place with amazing bread, you get brownie points...

Caramelized Balsamic-Red Onion Soup with Cheese-Topped Croutons

I loved the idea of chickpeas in a pasta dish—a simple and inexpensive way of adding protein—which drew me to the recipe. I stayed for the relatively unusual remaining ingredients: pancetta, shallots, and mustard greens. More

Vegan: Brussels Sprout Fried Rice with Crispy Cauliflower

Note: For best results, use day-old cooked rice. Alternatively, cook rice in the morning, spread in a thin layer on a couple large plates, and place in the refrigerator uncovered for four hours. Proceed as directed. For the cauliflower steaks,... More

Pasta with Braised Broccoli and Tomato

I first had pasta with slow-cooked broccoli at Jamie Bissonette and Ken Oringer's Coppa in Boston's South End and was blown away by its intense flavor. When cooked down in a rich tomato sauce, broccoli takes on an entirely different character with a deep, mildly sulfurous aroma that borders on meaty in its savoriness. More

Vegan: Crispy Potato, Onion, and Mushroom Rösti

Crispy and golden brown on the outside, creamy and tender in the middle with some good garlicky mayo (aïoli, if you will) for dipping in, the key to a really great rösti is twofold. More

Basmati Rice and Pea Pilaf (Peas Pulao)

When peas are in season, one of the first dishes they are dashed into is this subtle Peas Pulav. Jewel green spheres adorn this delicious rice preparation that can be had with almost any Indian gravy or lentil side-dish. More

Pasta Shells with Chickpeas and Arugula

Though uncooked pasta sauces sound spectacularly easy, pulling them off isn't as easy as you'd think, as most sauces come off bland and watery. Add fresh mozzarella to the mix, and you just might end up with a gloopy mess of half melted nuggets of mozz, which stick to the pasta like laffy taffy. But leave it to Mollie Katzen to figure it all out. More

The Food Lab: The Science of No-Knead Dough

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I've never seen what I consider to be a really satisfactory explanation of the science behind the No-Knead Bread recipe, so I'm gonna try and fill that hole here. And what cool science it is. In 2006, Mark Bittman introduced the world to a recipe from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, which had a whole bunch of home cooks opening up their Dutch ovens and exclaiming oh my goodness—I can't believe I just did that! It certainly had me thinking that. Even more interesting to me than that it works is how it works, because by understanding the how, we can then modify the recipe to fit many different baking situations, even improving its flavor. More

Terry Theise On What To Say to a Sommelier

We have a high-priest class in fine dining restaurants. They possess the mysteries, and while nearly all of them are remarkably affable and helpful, one's heart can quake when they approach the table. "I must be able to navigate this crucible if I want anyone to even like me, let alone get...lucky." So what does an otherwise capable person do in this delicate moment? How do you make it through with your aplomb intact, and furthermore, how do you get the most from your sommelier? More

3 Easy Bean Soups in 30 Minutes or Less

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There are a couple of distinct advantages that canned beans have over dried, but there's one major disadvantage: flavor. Here are three easy soup recipes that pack flavor into canned beans, and can be made in under 30 minutes. More

The Serious Eats Guide to Sparkling Wine

Once upon a time there was only Champagne, the king of bubbles, to consider, but now there are so many great options that we wanted to give you the run-down on the who, what, where and why. Sparkling wine is made all over the world, and all of the different regions, grapes, and methods of production can be a bit daunting, so we have endeavored to bring you a quick and easy guide to the differences between bottles of bubbly. Let's start popping corks! More

Braised Chicken with Sweet Onions and Parmigiano

When making this Braised Chicken with Sweet Onions and Parmigiano from Mario Batali's latest cookbook, Molto Batali, the house filled up with a very familiar and very French aroma. Coq au vin. It's sort of Mario's Italian accented take on coq au vin. More

From Behind the Bar: On Vodka Sodas and First Dates

What you order at a bar—and how you order it—says a lot about you as a person. Those of us who serve these drinks have learned to crack the code a bit, and can form relatively sophisticated opinions about what you like and don't like before you've finished your first round. More

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