Gifted Gourmet

Does Taco Bell have some kind of beef with the United Nations? Hope that Kofi Annan doesn't get wind of this but a fast food outlet had on their sign "Think outside the UN" ...

Slate article Forgive me for the pun but this is one cool article! Confession time here: do you indulge in topping your salads with creamy ranch dressing? Your potato chips ranch flavored? What makes it so incredibly popular in your opinion?

I use flat-bottomed heavy glass bowls of all sizes because they seem to handle best, no matter what the ingredients.

T'weren't nothin' ma'am .... pleasure is all mine .. and should you wish for something quite nice and gourmet? Try 33 Liberty, top of Greenville dining gems ... my friends John and Amy Malik will knock your socks off!

might this be the place?

article from CNN Money Do you choose to support your regional and/or local ice cream makers? Or do you always choose a national brand out of habit? Here in Atlanta, we have Mayfield Dairies which makes an excellent choice .. How about you?

This will provide you with a large number of restaurant links and the comments may be useful as well. Because Greenville is a relatively easy town to find places in, the location of places near the highway won't be much of an issue once you arrive.

Maybe the fact that the enormous University of Wisconsin played a significant part in this choice and congratulations on your soon-to-be-Trader Joe's! Shop for me vicariously!

If you wish more information on this gentleman baker, it is here.

At a time when TV food shows are popular and consumer interest in culinary matters has never been higher, food preparation skills are declining. Phrases such as pre-cut, pre-washed, ready-to-cook, ready-to-serve, instant, microwaveable and no-time or no-fuss preparation are replacing terms like basting, searing and sautéing in the common vernacular. What is happening to us? Your opinion? Do you opt for these "meal kits"? Infrequently? Often? Hide the wrappers in embarrassment? I know, it's all about time ...

Does anyone else long for Lionel Poilâne, whom we have discussed as one of the top French bread bakers of recent times?more here on bread in France from 2003 some two years ago ...

Actually, there is a thread for anyone interested in this fruit right here... and to me, grapple is something one did on a first date .. oops, I am revealing my age here ...

The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 89)source for quote

My motto, Doc, ain't it the truth??

That was exactly my take on this as well, Bux. I still can't understand the idea of the younger French generation opting for cereals over breads for breakfast. No one has a better appreciation of good baguettes, croissants, and brioches than I and I always choose them over anything else for breakfast.

This is a particularly good one! Russian Palace's Vegetable Borscht Recipe Enjoy!

this is from the thread .. scroll upward and you'll see more reasons ... and there are other threads in the SE region .. one on Peninsula, my very number one choice!

huitlacoche: corn fungus, sometimes referred to as "corn smut" ...

article CS Monitor Cereals? Quel dommage .. comment triste! Between this post today and the post on the decline of French specialty cheeses, apparently America has some atoning to do .. or do they?

Americans Love Cheese: $40 billon Sold in 2003 article Take that, Independent UK ... we are here to challenge European cheeses on all levels!

from the Independent UK I found this article exceptionally interesting ... your opinion on this news? The comparisons with American cheese industry were most disheartening however.

Ugli Fruit is not particularly desirable yet clementines are positively Churchillian ...

What was the worst mistake you ever made on the job, and how did you learn from it to make yourself a better, stronger chef? Or, if you are not a professional, the very same question might apply ... what was your worst mistake and what did you learn as a result of making it? Love to hear your "confessions" ... without penalty ... To start: I was a new bride and made my first chocolate pudding with cornstarch .. used far too much ... pudding bounced, then rolled on the floor and smelled wonderfully chocolatey! Dog went over to investigate and, after one lick, fled ... husband joined him ... Resultant learning? measure!!

Beautiful blog, Dave! Reminds me of a line I heard somewhere that "one must always maintain one's standards" ... no compromise, no matter where one finds oneself, Destin or Atlanta ... the best of the best! Bravo, Dave, for showing us how even a simple family beach trip can become *a full-scale gourmet adventure! Does your family appreciate how your incredible expertise makes * this sort of thing possible?

I do make a number of lycopene-loaded tomato dishes which are reported to help in the avoidance of prostate cancers (for my husband) ... Gentlemen, start your casseroles!