There's some truth to that, Arley. One of the reasons I object to using a food processor to grind meats is that it heats up so fast. This is an especial problem if you're making things like seafood sausages, becuase the food processor can actually start cooking the ingredients. The only time a manual machine isn't the best choice is when you're grinding a lot of food at one time. Turning that crank can get old, real fast.

Since they're foodies I would do a vegetable goat cheese terrine. It looks hard but it's not really and it serves way more than four. Eggplant, Roasted Pepper, and Goat Cheese Terrine with Parsley Sauce Gourmet : July 1993 Yield: Serves 4 with leftovers ingredients 2 eggplants (about 2-1/2 pounds total), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup bottled black olive paste such as tapenade or olivada (available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets) 3 red bell peppers, each roasted (procedure follows) and cut lengthwise into 3 sections 7 ounces soft mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced thin parsley sauce (recipe follows) as an accompaniment parsley springs for garnish if desired For parsley sauce: 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, preferably flat-leaved 1 small garlic clove, sliced 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons water 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil preparation Preheat the broiler. Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer on baking sheets, brush both sides of the eggplant with the oil, and sprinkle them with salt to taste. Broil the eggplant in batches about 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it is golden and tender, and transfer it with a metal spatula to paper towels to drain. Line a loaf pan, 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang, and in it arrange the eggplant, the olive paste, the bell peppers, and the goat cheese in several layers, beginning and ending with the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with the plastic overhang, weight the terrine with a 3-to-4-pound weight (such as a loaf pan filled with canned goods), and chill it for 24 hours. (The terrine may be made 3 days in advance). Remove the weight, invert the terrine onto a cutting board, and discard the plastic wrap. Cut four 3/4-inch-thick slices from the terrine, pour about 2 tablespoons of the parsley sauce onto the center of each of 4 plates, tilting the plates to spread the sauce, and arrange a slice of the terrine on each plate. Garnish each serving with a parsley spring. To roast peppers: Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut off the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.) Parsley sauce: In a blender pur the parsley and the garlic with the vinegar, the water, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste until the sauce is smooth and strain it through a fine sieve set over a small bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Makes about 1/2 cup.

I also wonder about a lot of people who posted on this thread that I have not heard from in many years, but I also noticed that I never posted on this thread, and I can't imagine why. Anyway, I can try to make a list now. I'll number them, but this is just the order in which they come to my mind. 1. seafood gumbo 2. king crab legs (I don't care for lobster and much prefer crab) 3. cherimoya / guanabana (They are very similar to me.) 4. fried okra 5. fried alligator tail 6. fresh coconut or mamey ice cream (my two favorite flavors) 7. chocolate hazelnut Bavarian cream pie 8. chocolate turtles, with caramel made with cream instead of milk 9. Eggplant Parmigiana 10. dragon fruit / pitaya, especially in juice form I am also surprised at how many sweet items I named, since I do not eat many sweets, but maybe that is why they made my list. I have not eaten any of the things on my list in the past month😢, but I hope that will change soon. I don't eat candy as a rule, but it still has to make my list. As an honorable mention, I would like to add the chocolate croissants I got at a French bakery in Copacabana. I especially liked that bakery for breakfast because I could order in French instead of Portuguese.

So, OK. Here is take two on the appetizer. Heinz Beck has been called the best chef in Rome, and his 3 stars tend to support that praise. One of the things hes done is redefine party food, with his diminutive food jewels, many of which can, literally, be balanced on the tip of a finger. Many of his edible artworks cannot readily be recreated in the home kitchen, cuz they require ingredients or equipment not feasible. But several of them can be, if youve got a little patience. Among them: Squid, Tomato & Puntarelle Crostini Puntarelle is a somewhat bitter green related to chicory. If unavailable, substitute celery. 3 large squid 12-13 oz cherry tomatoes 3 ½ oz puntarelle or celery Firm textured white or wheat bread (I use homemade oat bread) 7-8 sprigs fresh marjoram 1 lemon 1 clove garlic, sliced 1 small piece hot red pepper 1 sprig flat leaf parsley, torn 1 sprig fresh thyme EVOO Salt. Wash, dry and trim the squid, eliminating the tentacles (reserve for another use, of course). Cut the bodies open, then cut into strips an inch or so wide. Transfer the strips to a nonreactive dish along with the garlic, hot red pepper, parsley, the juice of ¼ lemon and a few tablespoons olive oil. Allow to marinate about 2 hours. Make a small x-shaped incision in the skin of the tomatoes at their base. Immerse in boiling water for a few seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to an ice bath. Peel, quarter, and eliminate the seeds. Put the tomato pulp in a nonreactive bowl and season with a few teaspoons of olive oil, salt, and chopped thyme. Allow to rest for 30 minutes then drain and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dehydrate in a low oven for roughly 4 hours. Allow to cool and finely chop. Wash, dry, and trim the puntarelle removing any fibrous portions. Cut into thin strips, transfer to a bowl and season with an emulsion of olive oil, lemon juice and salt.* Trim the crusts from the bread and cut into ten 1 x ¾-inch rectangles. Toast lightly. Drains the marinate from the ribbons of squid and grill them briefly. Top each piece of bread with a ribbon of squid, bent in an S shape and held with a toothpick. Top each piece of squid with some of the dried tomatoes, strips of puntarelle, and marjoram leaves. *If using celery, which is likely, first peel away the outer stringy layer. Then, using your vegetable peeler, cut ribbons of celery. Then slice those, lengthwise, into squarish strings. Note: The squid is likely to shrink when you grill it, which is why you want to start with it wider than the ¾ inch of the crostini. For more of Becks incredible creations, and to see what this one actually looks like, check our his book "Finger Food."