Comments on: Caprese Salad, a cliché?

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Sylvie, You know you can cook and how food should taste when your focus turns to the quality of the ingredients. That is the end game for a home cook I think.

By: alicia carrier

alicia carrier — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

maybe not a cliche, but if i see the phrase “summer on a plate!” in reference to a caprese salad one more time, i think i’m going to ralph. food bloggers, i’m not “loving this” at all.

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Thank you Heather…”Italian Sweet Basil”. I will try it. My bro suggested there is too much heat and sun in the patio. I am envy folks that enjoy so much success with their Basil.
Yesterday the cascading fl keys black olive bon sai pot went over and was leaning in the storm. This morning the pot was right side up again. Amazing stuff..in the land of the easily amused.

By: Sylvie, Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener

Sylvie, Rappahannock Cook & Kitchen Gardener — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Listen you people who have issues with garlic… don’t you know it keeps the vampires away?

Thanks again, Michael. As much as I love restaurant food, I enjoy well made home food and I am happy when others (especially respected others like you) spread the word!I think it’s very inspiring to see how simple really good food can be. The difficulty is in picking (or growing) the raw ingredients, not in cooking!

By: David J Rust

David J Rust — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I love it! With my Brandywine tomatoes and Italian Sweet Basil in the garden, I’ve been eating this frequently. Just spritz with a tiny bit of Balsamic and I’m good to go!

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I think caprese salad can be really good – but it can also be really bad. It’s all about quality ingredients!

By: heather

heather — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

luis I grow fresh basil in my garden and on my kitchen window sill in a little pot. It is really prolific to. I can’t keep up with the one in my garden. I am always giving some to people. I bought small plants of Italian Sweet Basil and transplanted them in my garden. Last summer I took some clippings and potted them in so I would have some over winter. I find they like sort of a sandy soil. Don’t know if that helps.

By: heather

heather — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

I love Caprese too. When it’s made well, with the BEST of ingredients. It is ruined totally with cheap cheese, bad grocery store tomatoes that taste like…well nothing, and cheap oil.

Have had some unpleasant experiences in restaurants. I think it is paramount when making a dish with so few ingredients you only use the best. However, I guess some try to cut corners/cost.

Anyway, it’s a classic and a fab one at that.

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

On fresh Basil…. I wish I had a mature Basil plant in my Patio that really produced piles and piles o’BASIL.
Three or four leaves at the Publix…two bucks…or such….and most o’tha time they are out of it. Now I am squeezing tha damm herb out o’a tube.
Does anyone know of such a Basil plant??? all I get down here in Fl so far just puts out puny branchy looking things that produce very little leaves.
I am in south fl…again someone out there if you know some monster basil plant like the ones I see on t.v. that I could get….please let me know the name. Much Appreciated.

By: luis

luis — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

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This is real cooking and there certainly is nothing wrong with this. A quick note from the easily amused here… On GARLIC. I picked up a microplane at the Publix and the thing shaves garlic so thin it’s just like something you’d expect from the mortar and pestle garlic. Bottomline I am getting MORE GARLIC flavor with LESS garlic than ever.
I know a good thing when I see it. Folks I highly recommend you get a microplane for your garlic. Haven’t really tried it on ginger or anything else. Afraid to screw up those micro blades. The thing comes with its own slide over the blades protector. So great I don’t have to break out the stick blender mortar and pestle or the food processor to get a little garlic on’tha pan…. so great!.

By: Dana

Dana — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

We had nothing but tomatoes for dinner last night thanks to your latest blog. Thank you! Tomorrow night, we will grill steak.

By: NYCook

NYCook — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Why not throw some pigs ears in the mix. A nice julienne to sprinkle over the top.

By: Bob delGrosso

Bob delGrosso — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

These days your penchant for garlic is such that I think you must have breath like a lowland gorilla with sinusitis

By: Teri

Teri — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

speaking of abundant crops, here in Iowa the corn is plentiful and the nights are getting cooler, so fresh corn chowder is on the menu.

By: John Bowers

John Bowers — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Nothing beats the basic combo of awesome bread and a simple tomato salad… But as the temp starts dropping here in Chicago, I can’t help but get the itch for some serious braising.

The Warm-And-Fuzzy season is upon us. Red wine. Fireplace. 8-Hour braise.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

My kingdom for a good tomato. One of the sacrifices of living 60 degrees North. On the other hand Siver salmon are running and soon it will be Stealhead trout.

By: French Laundry at Home

French Laundry at Home — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Grant’s caprese salad at Alinea had frozen fresh mozzarella foam, a basil ice cream, and nine different preparations of tomatoes — including this tomato powder bomb that was my favorite. It was a really cool, well-layered dish.

By: Tim Boyer

Tim Boyer — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

OK, tomatoes from that Amish place on Route 700 where half the West Side Market really gets their vegetables – check.

Mozzarella from Mustard Seed – check.

Basil and garlic from the garden – check.

Another perfect weekend in northeastern Ohio. Priceless.

Michael, keep ‘em coming. You’ve become my weekend recipe book…

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

Sylvie, i cooked those quickly over high heat so that they would brown slightly.

By: We Are Never Full

We Are Never Full — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 06:00:00 +0000

sigh. am i the only one who’s getting freaking depressed at the thought that summer is over and we won’t be swimming in fresh, beautiful tomatoes in a few short weeks? ARGH. this looks great and never gets old.