Mayhaw Man

All joking aside, Chris. If you are going to buy a mechanical one, I am all about the ones that have the ring in them that goes round as you crank it. They are really efficient and you can find them new (like in my post) or, better yet imo, you can find old ones that still work great. They're pretty much as good as it gets in the category. Those squeeze ones like you have listed in your post are slow, labor intensive, and annoying.

Well, Chris, I suppose that it would depend on what your relationship is with the recipients... Let me try to break it down for you- 1) People you have to give a gift to but don't really like that much Old School Cheap Crank Kind (for cheap cranks) 2) For people that you like, but, really, don't feel like are going use it too much Vibrating Flour Sifter 3) For people that you like alot and who might actually enjoy something mechanical to sift flour with New Age Hand Turned Sifter 4) For people that you love dearly, want to give the best to, for whom your gift ceiling limit is pretty high and who, probably at some point soon, will want you to cook at their house at some point using their stuff A gift of love and kindness For more good living advice, just click on "Brookshelpsouttheclueless.com"

Today I just got through making a cake for yet another "I'm moving because I can make more money anywhere in this country than I can in New Orleans" party. My friends call it a "Crack Cake" because, according to them, it's addictive-one bite and suddenly you are selling your stereo to get some funds to buy more, but, I digress. Crack Cake The only place that I vary on the recipe is that I use toasted pecans along with the toasted coconut and I use a bit of almond extract in the cake recipe because I like it. Other than that, I follow right along. It's a damned good cake, though kind of a pain to make. To make the cake, and just about anything else that involves sifting, I use strainers. I have three different ones that are all about the same size, the only difference in them being the size of the screen. I use relatively large strainers, as it's just not quite so messy and I don't use these for anything else. I can't see why anyone would feel the need to buy anything else. They are faster and more convenient than any of the mechanical ones that I have seen and used and they are really easy to clean up if you feel the need. Mine are all similar to this one (though only one of them is an OXO and I guarantee that I would NEVER pay this much for one): Flour Sifter

Maybe it's growing up in the rural part of the country in the 70's (I can tell you that finding an ATM in Mer Rouge, LA in 1975 was impossible-the nearest one that I knew about was 30 miles away) and then moving to New Orleans in the early 80's (which was, back then, a seriously cash oriented place-no matter the level of dining), or, maybe, probably, it was my immediate acclimation to corner stores and neighborhood restaurants in the parts of New Orleans where tourists rarely, then or now, go (that was the land of cash only everytime and all of the time)-but I still carry cash and use it pretty frequently. One thing that is nice about cash is that, regularly, I eat out with a group of people who eat out and write about it for a living. Unless one of us is picking up the check because we can expense it to some publication, generally, we split the check, plus the tip, evenly among us (and I don't drink so it usually is a bit more for me than it would be but I don't care much. I love the company and I hate watching people wrestle with checks more than I hate burning toast-and that's alot) and it's a hell of a lot easier to throw down a few 20's than it is to tell the server to "put 35 on the Visa, 30 on the Mastercard, 30 on the green colored Visa, and 60 on the AMEX." It makes things a ton smoother when everyone, or most, are paying cash. And, for the one person who has to use a card, as occasionally happens, often they use the whole check like a no fee ATM, so everyone is happy. So, while I am happy with credit cards and restaurants that take them, and completely understand those that need to use them to pay giant tabs, I don't think that moderately priced places that only want to take cash are really that big of a deal. If you figure that a well run place might make only 10-15 percent, if they are making that, the bit that credit card operators take off the top can be the difference between doing well and just making it. It does add up.

How not to learn to fry turkeys And some directions and safety instructions Good Luck. Don't wear sandals. They are not approved for turkey frying. Trust me.

I would suggest renting a car, particularly if want to hit older, neighborhood places. You can get cabs, but sometimes the wait can be long. Except in the French Quarter, you can't hail of cab on the street. ← Rent a car. Look for one online and you can save a ton of money. I do it all of the time and I live here. There are some good deals around-try hotwire and travelocity. Especially hotwire. I got one at Hertz, about three weeks ago, and it was only $17 a day. Besides, cabs here, at least since the storm, suck. There is no telling what you might be charged unless you basically yell at them to turn on the meter. It's always, "special event! No meter! Too many people! I no take you!" Truly annoying.

Just to make things clear here. It's not DAWGS.... No, no, no. It's HOGS. WOOOOOOPIIIIIIIIGGGGG! SOOOOOEEEEEEEE! RAZORBACKS!

I was in there last night. I believe that they are on schedule. And, as far as dining rooms go, the place is knocked out. It's gorgeous. Easily one of the nicest, most comfortable spaces in New Orleans. And, unlike most places in town, it would seem that a quiet dinner is possible here. Even in our finest, most old school spots, it can be pretty damn loud (never have figured that out and sometimes don't even mind the din-I, in fact, love the racket at Galatoire's) and it's nice knowing that we have a shot at something different. Also, as it's in the Pere Marquette, parking will be really convenient. That's a big plus for the locals (for tourists staying downtown, it doesn't get much better located-one block off of Canal-really convenient). I'll go sometime next week and report back. Really looking forward to it (I"ve seen much of the menu, but I can't talk about it-don't worry. It's going to be swell. They can both cook like crazy).

I spent the weekend eating. And laughing. And learning. Some of it I spent doing all three at once and while that may have ended in some other people wishing that I would eat before I laugh, it's often very hard to accomplish that complex kind of task while one is attending the best good conference on Earth, The Southern Foodways Symposium, held every year towards the end of October on a weekend when the Rebels are off losing a game somewhere else. I can't reccomend it highly enough. Anyway, as always, somewhere, either buried as a component or as a main ingredient, we enjoyed products made by the MASTER himself, Allan Benton-proprietor of Benton's Smokehouse. You guys can discuss all of this until the cows come home, and that's fine and all, but you won't do any better than just pulling out the card and ordering some ham and bacon from Benton's. It is, truly, a perfect product made with a level of care and skill that is just about impossible to find, anywhere in the world, these days. So, you guys just keep on gabbing about whatever. I know the answer to this country ham question, and it's simply, and conveniently, Benton's Smokehouse.

Emeril's or Delmonico would both be fine choices. Emeril's is now back to where he was 5 years ago in terms of food and service. The place had slid a bit, in my opinion, but the last two times I have been in there I really, really liked it as much as I used to and at one point I was eating there with a rediculous and heart damaging frequency. It's Emeril's food-a take on New Orleans but a pretty long way from somewhere just serving the NOLA "classics." Delmonico is just the opposite. He bought it SO that he could serve the classic New Orleans kinda stuff. It's really good, IMO, and I particularly like the rooms. The food is really good and the service is, as well. You can't go wrong at either place but, all things considered, I would go with Emeril's. Hell, if you're here on the right week there's a pretty good chance that you might see the guy working the line (and the tables-he's kinda crazy about bumbling around the customers later in the evening when he's there). As opposed to alot of the "I used to be a chef but now I'm on teevee and have no time for that kind of thing" he actually likes to crawl into the trenches and does it pretty regularly.

Well, first you have to get them nominated in the category. Currence and Bernstein are, almost certainly, up again. I don't know about Chris Hastings or Johnathan Eismann ( (though I like Chris's places in B'ham, even though there are a dozen here that are better and I don't know anything about Eismann) Typically, multiple nominees will continue to be nominated until they win. It's not unheard of for someone to win on their third or 4th go round (and, often, someone will miss a year and come back the next, but usually only one year. Two in a row and you're a has-been. Boswell seems like a good bet for a nomination this year and I would love to see Pete get one, as well-but there are only 5 spots. There are some things to consider here, as well. Mainly, it's almost impossible to get nominated unless you have put in your time (and considerable expense, though that has changed slightly with Beard covering some of the costs now) at the Beard House. It's not a rule or anything, and I am sure that there are plenty of exceptions, but there are more examples than exceptions, for sure. Who's been up there lately to cook for the rich folks? I don't know. I would, all things being equal and me being in charge, probably throw Steven Stryjewski's name in the mix. He, pork boy that he is, is my hero in town at the moment. I could eat that charcuterie plate once a week. Actually, now that I think about it, I pretty much do.

But you said that you were driving! I automatically assumed that you were all set.

Pickles. Lots of pickles. All kinds. In particular, I would recommend pickled okra, but that is, of course up to you. Nut mixes are always good on the road. Dry type cookies (I am partial to animal crackers, myself) are always good. Canned fruits are good if you have children around-mine used to like cling peaches, mandarin orange sections, and pears. Also, don't forget that heat proof, bullet proof food of the Southland, Potted Meat. I've eaten the stuff sitting on the back of a tractor in the middle of a cotton field in 100F temp and I've eaten it sitting in a duck blind in cold as ice temps. It's good in all climes! In the duck blind we usually enjoy it with some big red, something like Chateau Neuf de Pap or a huge burgundy. It's a perfect compliment to this fine product-though if you are driving the vehicle that you mentioned, you might want to hold off on the French Koolaid, as cops these days have lost their senses of humor about all of that.

While you pretty much have to read the thread to get it completely in context, this was an interesting comment made by Ann Cashion in DC (disclosure-she's a really good friend of mine)Cashion on difference between men and women chefs)

Mark Twain: "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin."

Nice work, Todd. Now I just wish that winter would hurry up and pass. It's a long wait before I have another almond creme with condensed or a delicious tart lemonade. Thanks for reminding me.

I have 4 satsumas on my tree. One is starting to change color, but the other three are still green. When is the best time to pick and harvest? This is my first experience with the fruit.. anyone have great recipes for 1-4 satsumas? ← Recipe for 4 Satsumas- Stick your pointing finger into the top of it. Peel (it will come off in a couple/three pieces). Gently take a section or two of the fruit and mix put into your mouth Mix well with your teeth Swallow Smile at your most recent culinary learning success.

Elizabeth Mullener, a frequent contributor to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has written a truly great piece on Ella Brennan, the woman who put together the Brennan's Restaurant empire and who has hired, and smacked around, a list of chefs that is hard to top (Emeril would probably not even exist, at least not in the form that he does now, without the experience of having worked for this restaurant industry GENIUS) Even if you don't know who she is, haven't ever been to one of her restaurants, and don't care if New Orleans ever makes it back, you should read this if you are in, or starting out in, the business. You New Yorkers, Californians, and others around the country might be surprised to see who is quoted and just exactly how much influence she has had on what YOU eat. I've always liked her a great deal, but I've only spoken to her for various stories and as a guest in her place, which means that I don't really know all of her sides-this piece gives a really clear picture of the woman and her dedication to the business of running restaurants and her overwhelming interest in what she believes is are the most important things to not only make a restaurant a short term success, but a very, very long term one, as well. This is an extremely long piece for a newspaper. I'm really glad that they gave Mullener the ink. It's way worth the read. It's full of theory, great stories, and information that many operators and chefs today seem to have forgotten or just plain take for granted. Read the damned thing. You can thank me later. Ella Brennan, The Real Queen of Cuisine

Ce'nedra, In some cases, a few of the ingredients are hard to find even if you live in the South. But, generally, especially where you live, you shouldn't have trouble finding lots of the stuff. I, of course, don't know if you are going to be able to walk into the grocery store and find collard greens, but I bet that you can find turnip greens or something similar. But when you think about it, look at a gumbo recipe, like the one that I have in Recipe Gullet, you can find everything, or at least something damned close (you don't have Gulf shrimp, obviously, but I'm sure that the one's that you guys are always throwing on the barbie will suffice pretty well ). Remember, it's not so much about matching the ingredients exactly as it is about matching the cooking style of truly Southern food. As Jaymes, as almost always, correctly pointed out- Have fun.

As someone who has made them for years and probably would be thought to have "the touch," I would say use the thermometer. It will be so much easier and as you have never made them before, at least not this recipe, I assume, you'll get much more even results. And they are fun and easy to make, so why add the worry factor to it?

Greetings Brew Bro, I hope that things are well with you and yours. I'm going down there on Sunday on a little fishing expedition. I'm planning to do a fruit survey after I get done slaughtering trout, redfish, and doormats. I'm assuming that it will be better than last year, but we haven't had exactly a ton of rain this year and I really don't know how that affects the production levels. I'll axe around and find out, though. I'll let you know what I find out. B

If they opened restaurants next door to each other, I would eat in Dale's first. I would order that duck fat poached chop while I was sitting at the bar waiting on a table. I want food, not foam (This would be a fine bumper sticker, I think )

If I had a large group looking for a good, very broad, very enjoyable kind of Vietnamese experience, I would get people into cabs and head over to the other side of the bridge. It's not that far, and with 4 per cab, won't be particularly expensive. Go to Nine Roses. (nice breakdown by Ian McNulty for the weekly Gambit) The best thing about the place, aside from the food and the variety, is that, the more people that you have, the more fun that it is. I regularly eat with a group of writers (food primarily, but some of them delve into less important topics like hurricane recovery and politics) and we all love the place (in fact, I'm pretty sure that Todd has been with us once or twice, but my memory is a little foggy on this). We all sit down, order a ton of stuff, basically a bunch of starters and almost as many entrees, and it starts coming to the table in short order. The table itself is important, as it sits 10 or so and is equipped with a huge lazy susan. This is a great thing for this kind of place as what most people want to do is eat samples of everything, and perhaps a little more of their favorites (this leads to the lazy susan spinning like a roulette wheel, on occasion, but a gently slap in the face to the offender usually fixes this problem-at least for a minute. Some people are hard to corral). There are many things on the menu worth ordering (if you are interested I will be happy to provide you with a list of my favorites) and everything is priced from dirt cheap to reasonable. When you divide the bill ten ways, assuming that no one loaded up on champagne, you would be stunned at how inexpensive it is. I love the place. As an added bonus, out on the right side of the parking lot (if you are facing away from the restaurant) is a former snoball stand that is now the first location (there is another in Metairie these days) of Taqueria Sanchez, a place that opened as the result of a guy coming here after the hurricane and working some trucks and who is now opening places in town. It's my favorite one of the many that have opened and I highly recommend leaving room for "dessert." The trip from the Doubletree will take all of 10 minutes as long as you don't go right at rush hour (New Orleans, in reality, is an island and you pretty much have to cross a bridge to go anywhere-so traffic tends to backup at rush hour and one wreck will trash the whole thing. But, happily, most of the time it's pretty easy) so it's no big deal. It's good and you can find something there for everyone, even the meat and potatoes crowd, I suppose, with a little thought and analysis of the offerings. The menu is mind boggling and it doesn't get any more "authentic".

I think that it has alot to do with a minor population shift and even more to do with the fact that, for a very long time, Asian on the Northshore has been lacking and this issue was identified by the business owners of these places. Sure, Trey Yuen, especially in it's hayday, was a great place to eat (it still can be if you order right, but it's not as good as it was when the brothers were running the places every day full time), but, beyond that, it was just a bunch of very mediocre kinds of places. A couple of old, not very good, but ok, places that haven't moved or changed in years, a couple of sushi places that have been open for a long time but aren't anything remarkable, and a series of places that opened and closed in pretty short order. Also, it's probably pretty helpful that these places are set up and do, pretty well, to-go stuff. As the population shifts and gets younger, there is much more of a demand for that kind of thing. After all, with the traffic situation in most of the Covington/Mandeville area, sometimes it's alot easier for one person to just go get something to eat for everyone than it is to pile the whole fambly into the car and go out.

BIG co-sign on Ruhlman. I have to check out The Outlaw Cook, thanks! I have all on the list except The Tummy Trilogy and The Physiology of Taste. ← I would include Kurlansky's "Salt" over Bourdain's book. I like "Kitchen Confidential," but I don't really see it's practical value in education for most chefs, except perhaps in NYC. Salt is as much of a food book as it is a history book on a single subject. In fact, it might be the best biography of something that never really lived as anything that I have ever read. I read it like a bestselling thriller. I couldn't put the thing down. Actually got completely baked by the sun while reading it on the beach in Rehoboth. I was well done and with some salt, I'm sure that I would have been perfectly cooked. I would include Ruhlman's 3 Chef books as a single unit, and probably, at that point, exclude Heat, if only because I didn't like it much. Other than that, it's a pretty decent list.