Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Would you consider shellfish on the half shell to be slimy? I know some people think it is.

Do a seafood display with smoked salmon, shrimp cocktail, lobster salad.

Roast a turkey breast and/or a beef tenderloin that the day before. Set the sliced up roasts on platters with a selection of colorful accompaniments and some lovely breads, an orzo salad and caprese salad.

A small simple cake with flowers is a nice idea.

How about Polenta (soft)? You could also do a rissoto with some spring vegetables as a variation on the "typical rice".

I generally despise single use items, but I do have a cheese knife with a hollowed out center and it is handy with sticky cheeses like brie. I bring it out when company is over. I also have a cute, but ridiculous knife that has a mouse as its handle - it's silly and doesn't cut that well, but when Mom is over, I put it out for a giggle.

We live in an urban environment but are lucky to have a 1500 square foot rooftop to ourselves. 1000 sq ft of that is dedicated to my bfs garden. He's quite ambitious! We do have to be careful to place planters so as to not put undue stress on the roof but it's been very successful. There has been more than one year where I've been canning produce at the end of the season.

Tomatoes, lettuce and peppers always do well. Bf also builds lines for peas, cucumbers, squash to grow on - with varying success. He's also been planting carrots, beets, onions, asparagus, and every herb there is. Flowers are mixed in - and for my amusement he plants some corn. They do shoot up and start to produce cobs, but never quite produce. But he plants them for me because I think they look nice. We are still learning.

Oh, and don't forget strawberries! Just make sure to protect them from squirrels.

The funny thing is that when you search our address on google maps and look at the houses on my street, you see black rooftops all down the block - and then there is ours - green!

What a nice way to remember someone, Pavlov.
Both my parents were able cooks, but I have to credit my fathers willingness to let me make a total mess of his kitchen and then applaud my efforts for making my interest in cooking what it is today.

Dad's cooking improved over time - when I was young he was newly divorced and didn't execute things so wonderfully. One time he tried to serve us ice cream by removing the entire block of ice cream from the box in one big piece and then slicing it like it was a cake. Hysterical.

But Dad is also a fisherman/crabber and the simplicity of catching fish and then grilling it, or boiling up those blue claw crabs is something I will always be fond of. I can't see a blue claw without remembering days bobbing around in the dingy boat, patiently pulling the crabs up and then feasting on them with Dad.

hysterical. and stupid.

My thought while watching the interview was that while it is absurd to think I am going to cook an egg over a roaring wood fire in the morning, her philosophy is one that deserves more attention, so I hope people tune in to the idea - and don't get turned off because they can't be "prefect". I can't get locally grown produce in Boston year round, but if I have the choice between buying a product grown in New England vs California or South American, I go for the New England product. Incorporating small decisions like this into our daily shopping can have a larger ripple effect. She might do better to emphasize that even if you can't perfect the art of eating fresh and local, you can surely improve upon what you are doing now with only a little effort and thought.

I also thought that the idea of a garden on the White House lawn was worth pursuing - I know our garden is expanding this year!

Gummi Bears! They hibernate in your colon!

What the hell is Hitchens talking about? This common practice is part of the art of providing service. Rather than have the customers be made to pour the bottle themselves the waiter is doing the service for them. It is done without asking in order to prevent interrupting the conversation at the table. No self respecting restaurant would pop a bottle on a table and leave it there for diners to pour themselves.

A commenter at Slate puts it well:

"Proper wine service includes pouring the wine for the customer, but not dumping, or "blasting" a bottle. More on that in a moment. Proper service maintains a level of a 60% glass pour, or a little four ounces at a time, for each customer at all times. Heavy drinkers like Mr. Hitchens are refilled at the same time his guests are refilled. They will be getting less, often just a drop, but everyone's glass stays the same. The result is psychological: all the customers feel they've been served the same amount. This way, Mr. Hitchens doesn't come off as big of a lush as his reputation, and his guests feel they've spent the evening drinking right along side him."

I actually prefer a glass filled no more than half way, and even less depending on the size of the glass. A well trained waiter will know how to look for subtle clues when a diner does not wish to have more wine. I don't know what kind of joints Hitchens is going to, but pouring wine for diners is neither rude nor a plot against them. Hitchens is a crank and I pray I am never asked to provide service for him.

Funny...I was trying to figure out what to do with preserved lemons I had this week and ended up making grilled lamb with salsa verde. The difference was that the marinade was preserved lemons with parsley and garlic. After grilling, I served it with a salsa verde. It was very good!

I second the suggestion of Oleana.
Also new in the past year is Douzo (excellent japanese and sushi)
I have not been but Ken Oringer's new place Toro is gettting great reviews.

And Simon, I feel bad for you that you didn't experience better food when you where here. I grew up in NYC but I find that Boston has many fine places to eat!