Anonymous, I’m glad you enjoyed it. You hit upon what makes this recipe work--it’s mostly vegetable and not much else, and just enough egg to bind it.

For finely grated carrots, do I use the smaller holes on the box grater?

Alex,
I am just beginning in professional culinary education, but I do like what my new boss expressed: that culinary schools seeking to provide value should know how to guide all kinds of students into a variety of food-related careers; culinary schools should think big, including and beyond the foundations of restaurant work. I would ask what kinds of jobs graduates are finding. Best of luck!

Nice essay, Caroline. I’ll never forget how alien it felt when old familiar recipes I used to make with a chef’s precision had to be made instead in fits and starts after my daughter was born.

Kim,

I have noticed the most important variable in bean cooking time, besides bean size, is how long they have been in storage and what the storage temperature is. I’ve had troubles with beans that had been out of the field for only a handful of months. But they had been stored somewhere quite warm. They were literally drying out even more. I always try to buy beans that seem like this year’s crop. That’s impossible to tell at a grocery store, but I’ve noticed that the pinto beans in New Seasons bulk section always cook up nice, and don’t take long. I think they have good turnover.

Sandy, I admit I have never used a pressure cooker. It sounds like you have, though. Would there be any reason not to use one on a stewing hen? I know pressure cookers greatly reduce cook times. A shorter preparation would help a lot, as I’m sure the prospect of an hours-long preparation deters many cooks.

Thanks, Deborah. That means a lot coming from you!

Linear Girl, Whole grain polenta is starting to come on the market. If you live in Portland, look for it from Ayers Creek Farm at the Hillsdale Farmers Market. It should be available starting sometime in November. Check the ratio of water to polenta for the whole grain version, though. And its cook time is longer. But once you try it you may not want to go back!

Hmmm, regarding your feelings about the induction burner, Matthew: I wonder if it is a matter of the home model being schlocky and clunky and the more spendy, professional model being a dream come true. Because that has been my experience. Easy to control, fast, responsive, quiet. The only downside is needing a pan made of the right materials.

Lisa, I think you are right. The anchovies add a certain something that is deep and salty.

I grew up in Wisconsin in an area thick with dairy farms. My dad is a large animal veterinarian, and I got to visit dozens of the farms going with him. But I never saw anything like your farm. Sigh.

Yes, Asian greens! I have purchased some delicious and affordable unknowns from Vietnamese and Hmong vendors at the farmers markets, and really want to know more. One of the greens was chrysanthemum, which tasted exactly like what it was, flower buds.

Hi Susan,
Ideally pots sit over a heat source—whether gas flame or burner—that is of equal diameter to the cooking vessel. The two should match up. But because rondeaus are typically made with heavy bottoms they do a good job conducting heat. That allows you to get away with a burner that is one or two inches smaller in diameter.

Emma, not only are you already a seasoned and generous baker, but you sound like a sensitive observer of your guests. What a nice combination!

Caroline, you should have one! It sounds like you cook quite a bit, and you deserve this handy, efficient pot.

I think the cornstarch lightens the mixture, and helps it become crisp. I have been surprised how crisp these fritters can get, and have attributed it to the cornstarch. I’ve never tried it with arrowroot, though, or with rice flour.

Will, I think any pepper will do. The whole idea with fritters is that you use what you have available, or what sounds good to you. Peppers of any kind are a good counterpoint to the sweetness of the winter squash.

When fruit is flavored with liquor or wine, the alcohol can have the effect of seeming to take away the fruit’s sweetness. Caleb, try some of the sweetened brandy by itself. It may seem much sweeter than the brandied plums alone. Don’t use anything but perfectly ripe fruit for this recipe, because you need the fruit’s sugars. And fruit’s sweetness varies so much. A juicy purple plum is sweeter than the drier prune type plum. And a ripe peach, even sweeter.

A tablespoon of sugars between layers of fruit seems just right to me. But only you can know just how you like it.

Mamster,
Any thoughts on why people seem to crave fried food even more than usual duringthe hottest days of summer?

Joan, you are making me miss Wisconsin!

Great column! I’m all for geting away from labeling foods “good” or “bad,” and just focusing on enjoyment and cravings instead—both instinctual hungers and seasonal obsessions.