Alex

How about a Jerusalem kugel for one of the starches?

It's used for sanitizing all sorts of non-porous stuff (dishware, countertops, etc.). This is the very concentrated version I use. (There might be cheaper ones, but this is the only bottle I've needed so far.)

In 1995, David Foster Wallace took on an assignment from Harper's to write about a voyage on a Carribean cruise ship. The article was published in 1996 as "Shipping Out." It was later retitled as "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again", as the title essay in his 1997 collection. As might be expected, there are several passages about food and dining. Here's just one footnote (DFW was fond of footnotes): Essay, part one Essay, part two And to echo Dave Barry's article referenced in Mjx's post, Wallace wrote a piece in 2004 for Gourmet -- "Consider the Lobster" -- which begins with the Maine Lobster Festival, and the eating of lobsters in general, then turns to the ethics involved in storing and killing lobsters. There's not much overt humor in the article, but he gets in a few good zingers, such as:

This would be the person to contact (you might know him already). And donations can be itemized as a tax deduction (I've done it with cookbooks).

An ArtPrize sculpture! But seriously, as an occasional beneficiary of Tory's baking skills (also see here), I'd like to thank in advance all the suggestioners (suggestioneers?).

Akin to Chris's post, I made stock with wings just once, albeit not via pressure cooker. It was passable, but Chris's approach produces much better stock; it's my go-to method.

I have no idea one way or the other about the pot because I've always made mine from this recipe, originally in Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking In America, in which the mixture is baked in a bundt pan. I've usually used 100% whitefish. It often met up with some initial skepticism, but virtually everyone who's eaten it has said it's the best-tasting "gefilte" fish they'd ever had. It's denser than the traditional simmered version. I've often served it with a lime-horseradish concoction.

I made his pineapple sorbet yesterday. Just pineapple chunks, water, and sugar (not simple syrup!) in the Blendtec. Great stuff. Very slightly grainy, but that's expected, and it wasn't objectionable at at all. I might play around with it a bit, if and when the weather gets warmer here in the Frozen North (of the U.S.). Pineapple-lime? Add a bit of tequila or white rum? Any other ideas?

Just by chance, I found a close-dated large jar of the Jif version at a Big Lots for $1. At that price, I couldn't resist. Lo and behold, I preferred it to Nutella. It was more hazelnutty, for lack of a better term. I also just picked up a couple of 2-for-1 close-dated jars by Pernigotti Neroguanduia, from Italy. It, too, is less sweet and more hazelnutty than Nutella -- which makes sense, as its first three ingredients are sugar, hazelnuts, palm oil vs. Nutella's sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts. The same Big Lots carries Nutkao. Has anyone here tried it?

I also bought it at a deep discount. Sorry, but I don't think it's miserable at all. I tuck it underneath the sheet pan before putting it in the oven -- no problem. It's great for roasting vegetables. I don't think I'd use it for lasagna, though. I don't think I'd buy it if it were significantly more expensive than regular parchment, though.

Thanks to Paul for starting this thread. I had no idea. To honor (and support) Marie, I ordered three bottles.

Just started the novel Quesadillas, by Juan Pablo Villalobos, translated into English by Rosalind Harvey (Amazon link)

Google "avgolemono sauce"

Alan Richman's cred aside, I think that pretty much any "best of" list is published primarily to attract buzz (like this forum), and ultimately readership and advertising dollars. I've eaten at only one of the 25--Nico Osteria, in Chicago (#10 in the always-annoying slideshow). This post pretty much sums up my experience there (good but not great; moderately overpriced). A few months ago, my cousin and I wanted to try the highly touted ramen at Daikaya (#15) for a mid-week lunch--located downstairs vs. the Sunday brunch upstairs--but the place was a madhouse. We wound up having a great lunch next door at Graffiato. Ivan Ramen (#24) is on my short list for when I visit NYC in a couple of months.

Now here's something you don't see (or taste) every day: Roasted Cauliflower Sandwich (at one of Mike Isabella's places in DC).

Two, bought at the going-out-of-business sale of one branch of a local bookseller (lousy location; the others are thriving): The Breath of a Wok -- Grace Young and Alan Richardson The Best New Recipe, Revised -- Editors of Cooks Illustrated

xkcd on creating a very strong password

That's exactly what I did last night! I've used Joyce Chen's recipe since forever; she specifies white pepper.

As always, just follow the "YES" (¥£$). Most of the time I'm simultaneously amused and incensed by the intentionally misleading names of lobbying groups and their ilk, but "Citizens for Health" is especially disingenuous, especially given the growing body of research about the addictive nature of refined sugars.

-Caviar/Quail Eggs/Potatoes -Merlot Lettuce/Petite Radishes/Baby Carrots/Red Wine Vinaigrette -Beef Rib Eye/Blue Cheese Crisp -Chocolate Malted Cake/Vanilla Ice Cream -Mignardises (maple syrup fudge, lavender shortbread, cotton candy with orange zest) The full story

Like many others, I use russets, about 1/2 pound each. However, even with organic, I highly recommend scrubbing them very well. Per our friend Cooks Illustrated, I simply poke a couple of holes in each and bake at 350F for 65-75 minutes in the Breville. When it's done, immediately slash an X in the top and push the ends in a little bit.

Shel, you mentioned poaching, and huiray mentioned steaming -- which, coincidentally, I used for swordfish steaks a couple of nights ago, with lemon and ginger in the water (and served with mango-avocado salsa). The relatively low temperature of those methods helps to prevent overcooking, which is a main cause of "fish smell" (in addition to the other factors mentioned above). Similarly, if I'm baking fish, I'll do it at a very low setting. Frying and sauteeing are, by definition, high-temperature, so you have to be very, very careful about overcooking (and even being very careful is no guarantee, since there's such a tiny time window between properly cooked and overcooked).

My district library system is great. They even have a "Request a purchase" link on their home page. They've generally been good about ordering books when I provide documentation and a reasonable rationale. I think if I brought them two full pans of your brownies they might build me my own branch. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for an ordered book to show up, so I'll post here again after I get a chance to try out some recipes.

Ditto here. There were no copies in my library system, which covers pretty much the entire state, so my local district library, to their everlasting credit, agreed with my suggestion to order it. I prefer high-protein, relatively low-carb bars. I used to order custom ones from YouBar, but they're expensive, so I switched to Zone Perfect from Costco (and my local supermarket, when they're on sale). If there's a make-your-own alternative, that would be great.

I know what weinoo means. Despite having inexpensively laid in a huge supply of the blue Scotch Brite soft/scrubby sponges, thanks to Costco coupons, I still wonder if I'm being extravagant when I throw one out. So, I do the microwave thing when I notice an odor. The second time I notice an odor, I either toss it or nuke it again and save it for sink and tub scrubbing. When I read the topic title, my twisted little mind wondered if weinoo had been keeping a live sponge as a pet. I was going to advise waiting to replace it until after the normal grieving period.