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Maybe I'm just really picky about the coffee I'll drink (but who isn't?), but I don't like Starbucks, Tilly's, SB, Deitrich's (well, they're ok), or any of those places. The coffee is always too strong, too bitter, and tastes like it's been sitting there all day long, even when they brew it fresh. But this reminded me, I heard a rumor from the guy who delivers our coffee at work. He said that he heard that Starbucks is coming out with a new roast for regular coffee, and that it will be a much lighter roast than what they serve right now. The stuff they serve now is over-roasted on purpose, because most of what they sell is espresso-type drinks, not regular coffee. Maybe the new stuff will actually be drinkable.

Oh, I do that all the time. Fortunately, I haven't had any major disasters - mostly just end making things a little hotter, or with more onion, than the recipe calls for, and that's always ok. I just hope I never do that while I'm baking.

Mmm, I love cilantro! I never thought it tasted like soap, but I guess I can understand why someone would be put off by it's strong flavor. You know what I think tastes like soap and can't stand? Cardamom. It's awful!

The first time I read this, I was planning on making a dish in the cast iron skillet, and I was petrified that I would grab the handle after pulling it out of the oven. The entire time I was muttering to myself, "Do not grab the handle...do not grab the handle..." Amazingly, I didn't! I'm sure it will happen at some point, though.

Mmmm, flour tortillas for me. I eat quesadillas all the time, maybe more than any other fast meal. I like mine with black beans, fresh pico de gallo, and mushrooms. Of course, most of the time I end up with plain ol' cheese, but that's just fine too. I like to cook them on my little electric grill (I live in an apartment - not allowed to have the real thing) - it gives them a nice bit of color, and its really fast. Man, that sounds so good!

Exactly what I was going to say!

I used to make smoothies all the time. I love to use orange and pineapple juice, a banana, and some assortment of frozen berries. If you use the frozen fruit, there's no need at all to add ice. Also, sometimes I would add vanilla or plain yogurt, and sometimes applesauce. They make a great light meal or snack. Plus, I'm hypoglycemic, so fruits like bananas are really good for me because they release their sugars slowly, over a period of time, so my blood sugar stays stable. Nice.

Oh, god...I miss See's Candy so much now that I live on the east coast!! Having grown up in CA, I'm am completely helpless when I think about those caramel suckers they make. Every single time I go home I come back with a few boxes of chocolates and suckers. Of course, now that I know you can order them online, I'm in some serious trouble...

Green beans. Cannot get enough of them. I like them steamed till slightly crunchy, with sweated onions and butter, and lots of fresh cracked pepper. I could live on this. On second thought, I could live on that, as long as I had garlic mashed potatoes to go with, and ice cream for dessert. That would be a perfect life.

I agree, I absolutely hate Starbuck's coffee!! But the worst coffee I've ever had, by far, was at work - we had that Green Mountain French Roast. 1) I can't stand French Roast, and 2) for some reason, that stuff smelled like fish!! I couldn't even stand the smell of it, let alone stomach a cup of it.

Trader Joe's is great, but like a lot of you, I only like certain items. I looooove their coffee - it's the only kind I will let in my kitchen. (It's the TJ's brand Mexican & Peruvian Organic Blend.) I also really like their olive oil, sauces, beans, etc. And we're hooked on those Cafe Twists. Yum! But it's true that it's impossible to get out of there without spending less than $50, and then you get home and wonder what you bought. Oh well. It's so much fun to go there, even if I do have to drive about an hour to get there now that I live in NJ and not SoCal. In fact, I'm going this weekend. Time to get some more coffee and stock up on the 2 buck Chuck!

Wha?? A vegetarian who wolfs down a beef burger? That doesn't make sense in any way. Tell her to go eat some beans or quinoa. Why in the world would she call herself a vegetarian? Oh trust me, I know - I'm a SoCal native.

Using fresh herbs. I can't believe how delicious fresh parlsey is! It's so wonderful to be able to go outside get some fresh parsley and basil for whatever I'm making. Next year I hope to grow more herbs. (I tried cilantro this year, but it didn't make it... ) There are others, like seasoning as you go, using kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, etc. A real biggie is cleaning up during and after cooking, so that the next night I don't have to try to clean before I can cook - which always leads to picking up a pizza instead.

Is anyone awake enough to want anything unusual first thing in the morning? Weekend brunch, maybe, but not on a daily basis. As long as I have coffee, I'm fine. And an english muffin with peanut butter. Yum.

Mmmm, beer. I like beer. Especially dark beer. But I'm not picky. Depending on what I'm having to eat with it, I tend to favor Harp, Killian's, or Corona. But I also really like a lot of the microbrews that are available now. We're lucky, there's a place right here by work called Triumph Brewing, their food is so-so, but the beer they brew is pretty darn good. First time I ever went there, I got a Coffee & Cream Stout, black as tar, and absolutely delicious. Made my father-in-law proud. (Kinda scared my grandfather-in-law though - he made the mistake of ordering the same thing, without realizing I'd just ordered the darkest beer on the menu - he's a light beer kinda guy.) Man, that sounds good right about now. I could use a good beer.

That's what I was going to say. The other night I made a delicious salad of tomatoes and avocado with a shallot vinaigrette. Simple, quick, and the avocado makes a real difference in flavor. But then, I looooove avocado, so I'll put in/on almost anything!

That's very true. It reminds me, I heard that if you go to, for example, Japan, you have to clarify that you don't eat chicken, fish, etc, rather than just saying you don't eat "meat", because they will serve you up pork or something. Maybe they need those commercials calling pork "the other white meat." That might help clear things up.

Oh, no, please piss away! I am on your side. And I'm an omnivore. It should not be difficult to understand. It's just that there are so many people who call themselves vegetarians and then add, "But I do eat chicken/fish/caviar/veal/whatever." So of course it's confusing to those who do not apply such convoluted thinking to what we eat. And doubly or triply annoying to those who DO NOT eat flesh of any kind. Personally, I've always had trouble understanding how anyone but vegans could consider themselves truly "vegetarian" -- none of this ovo-lacto, ovo-pesca-lacto, etc. stuff. Thank you! It's nice not to get yelled at for saying this. A lot of people get really defensive about this topic. I'm not a vegan, but mostly because I became a vegetarian simply because I just don't care for meat anymore. I'm not about to give up cheese too (I absolutely cannot imagine life without cheese enchiladas!). The problem with veggie burgers is that they just don't taste good. I don't really know if it's because they don't season them well, or if it's that whole TVP thing, but there's just something wrong there. But maybe, for me anyway, it's because they call it a "burger" and it doesn't taste like any burger I've ever eaten. Maybe they should call it something else. I have heard that there are some burgers made out of beans, but haven't tried those yet. I think I'd rather just have a bean burrito instead. Mmmm, that sounds pretty good right about now...

As a new vegetarian, I've got to agree - those veggie burgers are gross! I have absolutely no interest in eating fake meat at all - what's the point? I agree that either grilled portabellos or falafel would be much better. Or better yet, grill up a bunch of mixed veggies (like zucchini, green beans, carrots, onions, etc.) after tossing them with some veggie oil, s&p, and a little chile powder (preferably Chimayo), then serve them burrito or fajita style. To make it a completely balanced meal, provide black beans and sour cream on the side. Yum! ps - not to get pissy, but someone who eats fish is not a vegetarian. That's a pescetarian. It's annoying as hell when people offer vegetarians fish. Fish is meat. Vegetarians do not eat meat. I don't understand why that's so difficult for people to understand. Ok, I'm done ranting.

My lunch nearly made a return visit after reading that. My dad used to put ketchup on cottage cheese all the time. It made the rest of us sick just looking at it. I don't really like ketchup at all, not even on fries. I do understand the aioli on fries though. There's a great frite little place in NY that makes tons of different flavors of aioli's - my favorite is the lemon-dill. Which is kinda strange, considering that I am, in fact, a mayonnaise-phobe. I find the stuff truly revolting. I can't even stand the thought of it. In fact, I am getting nauseous as I write. Time to change subjects.

This is so interesting! What was your family food culture when you were growing up? Lower middle class white folks. Southern California, so lot's of Mexican influences, but my father's parents both grew up on farms, so there was that "home cooked" quality too. Was meal time important? Yes and no. My mother was very insistent that we kids ate dinner st 5pm sharp. My father worked nights, so we never ate together, not even on the weekends when he was home. My parents would eat in the living room in front of the tv, and us 3 kids would eat at the bar in the kitchen. Was cooking important? No. I never even saw fresh garlic until I started cooking for myself in college. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? No such thing. Who cooked in the family? My mom did until I was about 8 or so, and then I did. Which meant there wasn't a whole lot of cooking going on. Lots of mac 'n cheese (pre-packaged), cereal, and pb&j. But my dad liked to grill sometimes (burgers or steaks, sometimes ribs) and make chili. His specialty was turkey chili. I was particularly fond of making Sunday breakfast. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Pretty rare. And when we did go out, it was to Pizza Hut or Sizzler. Sometimes burger joints. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Guests over? Never happened. But when we were at family members homes for holidays and stuff, we always sat separate. My father's parents had trays for us, and we all sat on the fireplace hearth to eat. When did you get that first sip of wine? Not until college. Both of my parents and all of my grandparents are alcoholics, and I wanted no part of it. It took me a very long time to bring myself to learn to enjoy a beer or coctail (now I love Cosmopolitans, but I watch myself). Was there a pre-meal prayer? Nope. But us kids always said "thank you" to my parents before digging in. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Not really rotating, but there was a very limited repertoire. When my mom did cook, she always made the same things: enchiladas, fried chicken, lasagna, chicken with rice. Lots of food in big pans. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? As little as possible. Although, we do tend to eat early in the evening, but I'm trying to get away from that a little. I try to cook often, and have salads and fresh veggies. I enjoy being creative when I cook, and I don't view cooking as a chore. I love to cook. (Of course, there's a big difference between cooking for 5 and cooking for 2.)

The ample bosom only goes so far - I'm often leaning forward when eating (say, something like spaghetti) - and that's when it completely bypasses the bosom and heads straight for the black pants. It never fails. And then there's the spring-loaded tongs that love to spring open when I'm cooking something bright red (like dipping tortillas into enchilada sauce), flinging sauce all over me, the husband, the cats, the walls, and the floor. Lovely.

I haven't found anything even remotely similar to NM style cooking in the NE. We usually either order frozen green chile from Hatch or (more often than not) make a trip out there (we've got family there, so at least we're not going just for the chile - but that doesn't mean we wouldn't) and bring it back with us on the plane. (And of course, don't forget to pick up some Chimayo chile powder while you're there!) Then we can have all the homemade green chile stew, enchiladas, tamales, and chile rellenos we want. I haven't gotten around to making stuffed sopaipillas yet, but I plan to eventually. Man, that all sounds soooo good. Now my mouth is seriously watering. Might be time to make the trip. Maybe I can make it for chile roasting season....

I'm happy to report that last night's dinner came out great. Yay! Tonight I'm making chicken with Morroccan spices and green beans with shallots and pecans. And now I'm off to lunch - Chinese today. Yum!

That's true. Fortunately, it's just myself and my husband that I have to cook for. Unfortunately, he's just as savvy as I am in the kitchen, so if anything goes wrong, he'll be sure to point out my mistakes (well-meaning, but frustrating sometimes). But hopefully it goes well and quickly, 'cause I am hungry! Thanks!