Comments on: Tomessence

By: Kat

Kat — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 11:30:20 +0000

Arianna, you’re right, those are pretty damn good and you’ve succeeded in making me crave them instead.

By: Antipodean Kate

Antipodean Kate — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 05:24:59 +0000

I see that the Wiki link supplied by Chris Clarke shows what I suspected: that we here in OZ call ‘em potato gems. Not as alliterative and certainly the word ‘gem’ suggests some sort of pinnacle of potatoey achievement which I do not believe they attain, but essentially the same thing.

We do not make potato gem casseroles in the Antipodes however.

By: Hattie

Hattie — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 03:45:08 +0000

Amber: I love polenta and make it all the time by my easy method. (Divulged upon request.) It is best bland. I don’t even salt it. The point of it, as is true of white rice also, is that it complements the strong or spicy flavors of other things.It gives your palate a rest, and it has a nice texture. You can put grated parmesan on it or gravy, if you want to.
I’m not blaming here, but it’s the only thing I can do.

By: Shiloruh

Shiloruh — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 02:14:36 +0000

In Southwest USA grits are posole.

By: Twisty

Twisty — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 01:07:47 +0000

Ellenore, I bough the squid salad at Central Market. The rest I made.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:55:23 +0000

In the book, the ugly American was the only good one, and in that context, ugly meant plain and unpretentious.

As for Tater Tots, I never heard them called just “tots” till Napoleon Dynamite. Now I hear it (along with every line quoted from that movie) all the time.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 22:09:49 +0000

The Eastern European version of polenta is cooked, then layered in a baking dish with grated sharp cheddar to cut the blandness.

The Southern American version of polenta is called grits.

By: Ellenore

Ellenore — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 21:50:41 +0000

Oh wow! Did you get that food in Austin? If so, what restaurant?

By: doggerelblogger

doggerelblogger — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 21:41:29 +0000

I love your food posts. You inspire me to get off my ass and post about my unholy love for fine cheeses. I will do that soon.

By: laughingmuse

laughingmuse — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 20:11:39 +0000

Ummm…. tomatos! I love their saucy extracts so. (Often because it’s hard to find a very ripe, candy-sweet one.)

Mmmm. Another photo that is making me think I should actually cook more. Lately I’ve been so tired/whatever when I get home that I eat my trusty bar-form food, or maybe, at the most, make some pasta with sauce from a jar.

Although I did pick up a tube of garlic concentrate, and squirting that all over pasta, with some raw milk cheese = yum! (OK, some pepper too.)