Off topic (huge gasp from the crowd) but I would hate any member of the sandbox to miss this. This week-end on Food Network (okay there's a sort of tie-in with this thread) D@L's favorourite TV chef, Rachel 'EVOO' Ray, is doing a special on a cuisine I think she is particularly qualified to cook. So get the recorders ready, the calendar cleared. Food Network presents Rachel Ray Cooks Dog Food. And you can look it up. (I'd love to claim credit for this as comic gem, but as always, reality is so much funnier than anything I can imagine.)

We now return you to your regular thread. Thank you.

From Food Network: "Rachael prepares three homemade recipes for her beloved dog, Isaboo, who gobbles them right up!" Not sure where this is going; not going to press "R". You might try asparagus pickled in vermuth and white balsamic vinegar, no need to peel them, just blanch them first. Yummo!

That sounds great.

It seems that Food Network is selling out to national chains more and more these days. Saw a spot for TGI Friday's with Guy Fieri, which gave me yet another reason to disdain him. Between the "bling," his grating voice which rivals only that of RR on the Annoy-O-Meter, and those stupid sunglasses he wears on the back of his head... he must be stopped.

OK. Rant over. I quite agree about the patio heating idea. Outdoor dining is one of life's great pleasures, and around here, the timeframe for eating comfortably outside is fairly limited.

God is too busy showering us with meat to worry about your crocuses.

It looks like it might be time to cut the grass or use some Round-up.

I hope the Roland Park Civic League doesn't fine you for your unabated weed issue.

Ah, if only I lived in Roland Park where they care.

Goodness, such philosophical (if not theological) musings today! Question: are Chili's and Friday's owned by the same conglomerate? Why else would a Chili's manager consent to have his creation featured at Friday's?

I, too, like the idea of propane heaters. If heated outdoor gathering spots are good enough for some bars to erect for their smokers, then the sidewalk cafes could invest in the same. Besides, they could show their civic compassion by allowing the homeless to use them after hours for a warm night's sleep.

I'm not even going to enter the RR discussion, having done so in an earlier thread.

EL - I don't know if this is news or not, but this AM on the bus I noticed that Rocky Run on St. Paul in Chuckie V is now Burt's (I think that's what it said on the awning). No idea when this happened or what their menu is. I can find out, however, unless someone else knows.

And speaking of awnings, that new deli that's going in next to Edible Creations on South Street has put red/white striped awnings up ... they are slimmer stripes than the Friday's style, but I wonder if they're not going to get into trouble for it.

Finally, you have to wonder why it is always the dainty and/or pretty things that get trampled on during the journey that is life.

Why else would a Chili's manager consent to have his creation featured at Friday's?

I think the $25,000 probably had something to do with it.

OK, Sam gets the coffee in the keyboard award for today.

Crocuses? Those aren't spring food (even if you grow saffron crocuses). Before declaring spring, I'm waiting for fiddlehead ferns, poke greens, lettuce, the JFX market....

Ahhh. So I'm not the only one who has an inconsiderate postal carrier. I feel better now.

My husband and I love eating al fresco and I've noticed that we'll tolerate the most mediocre food in the world as long as we can eat it outdoors... Luigi Petti was a good example.

I love asparagus and find that if I buy the slimmest stalks I can just snap off the woody bit at the end and they don't require peeling.

Fond memory of living in Europe--restaurants that opened only during asparagus season and served nothing but asparagus (three ways, one of which involved excellent ham, as I recall).

And those crocuses were planted by someone--probably a squirrel!

* How great would it be if local restaurants that have good outdoor seating would invest in propane (or whatever) heaters and open their patios really early.

Don't we have global warming to take care of this one?

I've noticed that we'll tolerate the most mediocre food in the world as long as we can eat it outdoors... Luigi Petti was a good example

I'm more tolerant outdoors at well, but Luigi Petti pushed it too far.

It probably isn't economically sensible to buy an entire bottle (and absorb the amazing mark-up) and only drink one glass, but with 2 or more people working on a bottle I've never had the chance to test that theory!

Now there is a great top ten. Top Ten smoke free dining patios. Or does the new non smoking law also include patios?

Speaking of global warming just think of all the polar bears those heaters would kill.

Writing as a smoker, Mark, I wouldn't presume to light up on a dining patio, just as a courtesy to the other diners, since patios tend to crowd more tables and chairs in smaller spaces. Then again, most smoking patios/decks I know of were built or set up at establishments that do not serve food (e.g., Grand Central).

Oh, and Mark: All the polar bears will have been moved to a Dharma Initiative-sponsored island somewhere.

I think Regi's in the 1000 block LIght Street has propane heaters for outdoor seating. At least they used to. They also have heavy plastic curtains they can roll down under the awning.
Elizabeth! Durkees sauce (whatever the heck that is) on shad? Shame, shame shame. Nothing other than bacon should ever adorn my favorite fish.

OK, don't laugh. I'm trying a link.

Look what our state government is waisting time on.

the link here.

You did really well, but the idea is that where it says "the link here" you put the word you want in boldface. For instance, you could have done all this in front of "Look" or "time"

EL inspired Musings:
- Wonder how sun-dried polar bear tastes.
Sam?
- God provides squirrels, squirrels plant crocuses, government provides mail carriers, we elect government. Somehow I think we're going to get blamed for the dead crocuses.
- For $25K, I'd let them put my recipe on Sponge Bob Squarepants.
- When buying wine at a restaurant is contingent on economic sense, drink bourbon until the math begins to work in the wine's favor.
- A friend suggested smoking fish outdoors, but I find they draw hard and could never keep them lit. (Please, no sturgeon general jokes.)

FHJ - Here's the info
Durkee Sauce.

Give posters a link and they will return to your blog. Teach them to link and they will create a mass exodus.

"Look what our state government is waisting time on."
- Rosebud (nee Janet)

First they came for the smokers and I didn't say anything cuz I like to breathe .....

I don't think the polar bears will be that upset by global warming -- as long as we ply them with Coca Cola.

They always look so happy in those commercials.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7Sz56mtQB1M

See?

Fill them with Coke and baste them with Durkee Sauce. Now there's a guilty pleasure.

Look at jl flexing his/her blog muscles. Rock on Amadeus.

My mother raised me to believe that Durkee's was meant only to make her famous potato salad. And besides--who bothers to eat the shad? We go for the roe! The run is on!

Without restarting the foie gras debate, I think it is very important to contact our state senators and express outrage over this proposed foie gras ban.

I understand that several of the top chefs in Baltimore were in Annapolis today to testify against this bill. I hope the senators listen to them.

And to all of those who thought the protestors at Salt were just about demonstrating, this proposed ban is proof of their ultimate goal. They are not about persuading people to their side. They are about forcing their views on others.

Better still: Let's protest the ban on polar bear pate.

Better still: Let's protest the ban on polar bear pate.

What? There's a ban on polar bear heads?

I always wait for the Shad Roe sign at the Peppermill. It was my grandmother's favorite treat and. when I see it, I think of her.
I haven't actually eaten it in many years.

I have come to look at this blog as a kind of giant dinner table where we all sit around and talk about food and other related (and sometimes unrelated) issues.

We often agree and sometimes agree to disagree, but it has almost always been in a friendly way. I think is this is certainly due to the many regulars, but first and foremost to Elizabeth.

I realized last evening when the hubby asked me why I was spending so much time here that I actually started thinking of this. Of course, it's also because I really feel like I know so many of you and I look forward everyday to seeing what you have to say.

Thank you, Elizabeth! I think we can never say that enough.

Rosebud: I couldn't agree with you more, especially if you may recall my desire for a D@L Bloggers Party. But in that post I posited that we might not "get along" as well as we (usually) do in the etherworld.

Reminds me: I need to speak to my therapist about this new symptom I have discovered ... D@L Withdrawal - for those two or more consecutive hours when I cannot log on and catch up.

One too many Sam Sessa. Ker-plunk.

Piano Rob - I think we'd get along fine and thought the D@L Bloggers Party was a great idea. Don't give up on it quite yet.

I like the metaphor Roseblog, but I would like to know who keeps touching my leg under the table.

Rosebud - Oh, I shan't give up on the idea of a D@L Bloggers Party. I checked with Calendar (a sort of mini-Book a la RtSO) and he seems to think that sometime post-Easter pre-April Fool's Day might be fun. That's eight days from which to choose, fellow Big Ace Bloggers, 3/23-31. I now open the sandbox's floor to suggestions such as day, place, time, cocktails alone or dinner too, and the like. Rosebud, hopefully you'll help me organize? Perhaps our Fearless Leader will grace us with our own thread ...

The first thing that sprang to my mind was a Saturday afternoon tea at the Enchanted Herb and Tea Shop. Whichever day that Saturday is in your date range.

Piano Rob--thanks for keeping things rolling along. Slight segue inspired by your Dharma/polar bear reference--are you still watching "Lost," or has this season lost you? We can discuss over tea.

Talking about spring:

There's an awful lot of conversation today about the difficulties we're all having to understand what's going on with our economy. None of us really know how long this downturn is going to take or how severe it's going to be. The only thing we're certain of is that we need to all learn to think outside the box. We need to be creative, we need to be innovative, we need to find ways to tackle our problems and really think about what we can do to do better.

I was impressed with a story I heard a little while ago about an old man who lived alone in the country. He was worried about digging his tomato garden because it was such hard work and the ground was hard. His only son Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I'm really feeling bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.

Love,
Dad

A few days later, he received a letter from his son:

Dear Dad,

Don't dig up that garden, that's where I buried the bodies.

Love,
Vinny

At 4:00 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son:

Dear Dad,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Let's all work hard at thinking outside the box, being creative and solving problems.

!

Dahlink - I'm 100% captivated by this season so far, but I have to watch the eps online because I've been in rehearsals and/or performances every Thursday since the show began. My opinion is that this is turning out to be the best season since the first.

How 'bout we go to Salt and support them with their foie gras smothered kobe beef sliders? Yum...

I don't know, Piano Rob--I'm still in mourning over Charlie's sad demise at the end of last season (but glad that even though he's dead, he still makes guest appearances from time to time!)

Eric, you're evil..