1. April's Gourmet includes a recipe for Apulian potato focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes. I find the photo uninspiring, but that aside I simply have to know how it compares to my focaccia that so many of you tried. Did anyone make Gourmet's version yet?
2. I have a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma and find myself paralyzed with indecision every time I walk into that store. Tell me, should I blow it on a food mill or a steel crepe pan or a bread knife to secretly replace Ben's terrifyingly wobbly one that he brought to our kitchen last summer and which I didn't dare dispose of? What do I need the most? Or should I be buying something else entirely, like margarita mix or 10 sacks of fancy cake mix or some such foolishness? Please advise.
3. I have bought my first tin of sardines (water-packed, because that's what Corby said to do). Please hold on to your hats. What should I do with them? Eat them on Triscuits with mustard? If so, what kind of mustard? Or should I do something else, like mix them with tomato sauce and put them on pasta? I'm lost! Help, readers, help.
greetings,
i'd go for the food mill. it's amazing what you can do with it, and i seriously put off buying a decent one for well, far too many years--i simply cannot believe i waited so long. just think, oven roasted heirloom tomatoes run through the mill, voila, divinely light, spectacular sauce in minutes.
as for the sardines, mark bittman had 101 fast summer suppers featuring a lot of sardines (last summer NYT).
Thanks for all your musings.
Posted by: sabina | April 16, 2008 at 01:30 AM
Thanks, everyone! This has been fun.
Posted by: Luisa | April 16, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Another bread knife tip: Cook's Illustrated recommends the Forschner, which sells for $24 on Amazon. The customer reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive as well. As soon as my merely adequate bread knife bites the dust, I'm getting this one. http://tinyurl.com/6y6gfk
Posted by: Michelle | April 16, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Thinking about your Williams-Sonoma dilemma I surfed over to the site and saw something that I absolutely have to have - please dont stereotype me because I'm male - but I REALLY want to brand my own steaks with my Chowbelly blog logo! LOL! Yes, it's vain-glorious, but this is windfall spending right? If I was budgeting for something like this I have to agree with Stephanie, I have been fiending for a La Creuset Dutch Oven!
Now you know what to buy me for my birthday!
-CB
Posted by: Chowbelly | June 19, 2008 at 03:57 PM