clb

I'm very sorry, Lippy, and am thinking of you both. clb

Don't you just put some sturdy hardboard down first, Aki? We've got tiles in the first (=US second) floor bathroom of our Victorian house. They've been happily there for about 10 years now, with no sign of cracking. Same goes for most of our neighbours.

A full summary I think is beyond me: the article's 5 1/2 pages long and densely written. But I can relay a few points. The books reviewed are Beranbaum's Bread Bible, Hamelman's Bread, Daniel Leader's Bread Alone, Mayle and Auzet's Confessions of a French Baker, Ortiz's The Village Baker, Reinhart's Bread Baker's Apprentice and Silverton's Breads from La Brea. He talks about the difficulties the authors have with balancing the easy-as-pie recipe approach with the reality that making great hearth bread is a very complicated affair. His central point is that much of the information rela

Robert, did you see James MacGuire's review of bread baking books for the amateur in the new Art of Eating? It's a very interesting piece and I found, as I read it, that I was thinking of you and wondering what you would make of it. And thank you for that analysis of slashing the loaf above. Very useful. clb

How? I must admit that it had never occurred to me that a clay pot might need seasoning. clb

Ouch. Great report. Very curious about those margarita flowers. Marguerites, I suppose. More on the other Barca restaurants, please? clb

Marching band playing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' open Marc Jacobs runway show.

That sounds so good, akiko. Yer standard Zuni chicken and bread salad here, with a good Solstice French chicken, presalted and tarragoned. Very brown, very delicious skin. An assortment of disappointing peaches and nectarines (also S) afterwards. clb

Hey Lippy, I need you and your vacuum here now, please. Food issue of the New Yorker still obstinately missing. clb you don't live below lippy, do you? I wish.

The latest instalment of a return to Madhur Jaffrey, mostly from Invitation to Indian Cooking: - cabbage with onions - delicious gunge - khatte baigan, sour aubergines from Kashmir from EVC - worried this would be too oily; turned out fine; fennel/asafetida/ground ginger etc - leftover cauliflower with onion and tomato; and - parathas. The first time I've made them. Great fun, very easy and pretty good. Whole meal took me just under two hours, though, which seemed excessive Then half a cantaloupe. clb

Hey Lippy, I need you and your vacuum here now, please. Food issue of the New Yorker still obstinately missing. clb

They haven't invaded again, have they? That's what it said on the menu. The restoration of the Mount is moving along slowly. The rooms on the piano nobile have been more or less restored, but most are filled with furniture from a decorators' showcase held last year. They will probably remain that way until more appropriate furniture can be found. Edith Wharton took her furniture with her when she moved to France and it was dispersed after her death. This year's project was the re-planting of the gardens. Next will be the restoration of Wharton's bedroom suite. Oh, I'm pleas

What a well-planned break that sounds. And how is the restoration of the Mount going? clb

Runner bean, tomato and garlic sauce from Marcella with spaghetti. Half an excellent Cantaloupe melon from Solstice. A couple of squares of Valrhona Caraibe chocolate. clb

Mmm. Taken into work? How did you deal with the artichokes? clb