Mabelline

Although there's certain ingredients common to most cajun, makin' do with you've got (or prefer) is certainly part of it. Roux. Bacon fat or sausage grease. Okra. Rotel. GOOD killer tomatoes. Greens. Wait till Mayhaw Man joins in. He will take you by the hand and gently lead you to MARDI GRAS!!! Ms. Rachel, most times I've seen Cajun-somethin' on a menu, I can tell by the price, but not much else. At least most places have given up on insipid versions of "Blackened" whatever.

Since we are outing on things un-natural, allow me to turn my DH out: he loves Boy-R-Dee ravioli. This guy's a fireman, eats very good quality food either at home or his second home, cooks a goodly portion of it, but he likes radioactive colored food for a cheap thrill, I reckon I really don't recall being majorly addicted to it as a kid, but then I reckon I was a generation ahead of the revolution. But I remember my mama serving some kind of ravioli canned that has no physical resemblance to that available now. I tried some about a month ago; just out of the hospital. Hungry. Didn't have much appetite, but had that 'owey' gut feeling that signals FEED ME. Tried some of Bruce's, in a dark bowl, and ended up eating Chicken Rice-A-Roni

Don't forget the 'Trinity': green peppers, onion, and celery,started in your pan in the fat of your choice--just not too much green peppers, though, cuz most Cajun cooks consider too much'll take over the taste.

But Don, that was an excellent attempt at improvaTOTzation! Maybe if you put that Reynolds Release wrap over the sheets first, it might help. I love that stuff. It works nice.

What nard would change a baseball playoff game to football?

fifi, what if you got a can of shoestrings (like Pic-Nic) crunched them littler, then browned them? I know. I am working up a shoestring appetite now, and they are very good subs. for chips in any squooshy sammich.

I was right there with Miz Margaret until she says to trim the whitebread crusts. To me, those and the dark pieces of the cornbread are my reason for existence in a turkey world! I reckon that just like Jaymes, I grew up and even now, do dressing dishes with different meats. A good old pan of chicken and dressing, or porkchops and dressing, rabbit and dressing, will bring tears to any oldtimer's eyes. It was economically feasible when you are 50 miles from a store, and running down on taters in the middle of the summer. Stovetop is ok by me, but can't be confused with scratch---as are most subs. But, hey, a turkey stuffed with matzo might be excellent- I came across one stuffed with crushed crackers once (ok, it was in a hunter's cookbook). But pitas, lavosh, and all those other scrumptious products must have been used at one time or another?

But, jsolomon, you shall be a very wellfed hermit.

And how could I forget about fish caught in the cold water?? Outside catfish fry?? Yum!!! King Ranch Chicken---OH MY WORD!!! Delightful!! Cold wether means Texas Special ChiliDogs.Yum!

Or going to Yellowstone Park and handing out sammiches to bears, and then wondering why they follow you to the campsite

I was going to suggest did you leave windows open...HA...blame the critters first.

The comfort of others is a very powerful tonic to heartpain, as well. Carolyn Tillie's post about she and her sisters cooking together after her mother passed touched my soul, for that is a family way of managing life. As well as snowangel's tale. While I was in hospital recently, a great-auntie of my gram's direct line passed at 103 years in Ashland, by St. Labre. I could not go. You know how your dog looks when you leave them home? I was shattered that day, for there were over 75 relatives I never got to meet there.

lovebenton0, you are right on track with the bonechill foods coming into their very own niche. Maybe it's heritage you can't deny, but harvest starts me thinking ahead and planning what I am going to need for the real cold. You asked on the Thanksgiving thread if I dried my own pumpkin, and this year I must admit I didn't. I was able to trade some elk meat for a large toesack of dried squashes, pumpkins, gourds and corn. If I had not been 'previously occupied', I would smoke my dried foods. That flavor will knock you out in the cold times when it's reconstituted...'que' smoke! Ahhh! Chili. Soups of all descriptions. Turnips once they've frosted to set the flavor! Good cold weather fruits after the heat has taken away any desire to cook all day. Fresh tortillas, getting into preserves--oh my. My heart is happy this time of year! Cornbread. Hot and sour soup. Green chile anything!

Adam, you always tempt me so much with your wonderful history-rich creations!!! I love being able to see a picture of things I've only read about, but have only pictured in my mind. This pie would be one of those described so often as coffins, wouldn't it? The fish are fabulous!

Seeing as how you're in Scottsdale, and Thanksgiving=Native American= how about a tamale pie ? They are good and you will surely find vegetarian tamale pies in N.A. recipes at your library.

itch22, you just beat me to the punch about duct tape. I am a bleeder thanks to lovenox injections twice a day, and 10 long years of coumadin usage. So much as my rabbit using my arm for a jumpoff point causes hours of steady bleeding--not gushing, but wipe it, it seeps back non-stop. When I get a cut anymore, I clean it with alcohol, push it together, and duct tape it TIGHT. If anyone gets a cut requiring emergency room attention, let me recommend you ask them to try silver nitrate if it's not responding to SuperGlue. I am convinced that it would have stopped the Nile from running blood per Charlton Heston in the 10 Commandments.

Only if you can explain why a seemingly intelligent human male would place a gimme cap on a table, for crying out loud! And yes, I have a hatrack; when I asked why it wasn't there, the answer was because it's the cap with PRCA rodeo stars' autographs on it. I asked very sweetly if serving his soup in it would improve the autographs, at which time THAT practice came to a proverbial screeching halt.

You definitely are talkin' my language!!! SO still does not fully comprehend the pizza stone.

Having just done this 15 minutes ago, let me tell youall, this is stoopid to the nth. I started out this morning simmering out a fat hen a friend gave me last weekend. We had it with dressing last night. I want the stock for my Tucky Day bird. I am gonna make enchiladas tonight. I started this ole gal in a Copperclad pot that normally fits a good fat hen (which she was), and simmering, simmering, simmering...go to look at it, and there's a leg sticking up, where she had tried making some dash to freedom, I reckon. Taking my trusty wooden spoon in hand, I PUSH DOWN on said leg, and voila, broth bath!! Thank goodness I jumped back. I still got a decent sploosh of broth all over me. Believe me kiddos, do not try this one---it sucks.

Sweet DH does a lot of cooking, for which I've been very grateful, but lordy, can he demolish a kitchen. One cannot bitch at the hand trying to feed them. "Oh, you were saving that roast for something?" etc., etc. I had my SIL find me stickers that were a skull and crossbones at the Spencer's Gifts in the mall, and now place one--if I think of it---on don't eat stuff. He does listen to those.

If you can ever get hold of any pear wood (even trimmins) they are my next favorite to pecan. Use 1/2 and 1/2 with briquets. GOOOD.

Okay---quick question for those doing the soup--rice or noodle? Or something else? I like an old family one with wild rice and dried pumpkin in it. Served with popovers. Yumma! Sorry, mouth is slobbering up thinking about that!

Damn!! I totally forgot to add that I would never have learned about Mongolia like I did from Ellen Shapiro's excellent posts. And learning at least 50 different versions of eggs, as well as percyn's new milk-poached egg. Gracias!

Albertson's store brand is better as well. I want to explain that as far as latkes, they are close to what I've had, if you half-fry, add grated onions, and serve with the appropriate sides.

I reckon we might figure they are as close to latkes as 'greenhorns' could get, without the elaborate workings. Kind of an equivalent of tamales out of a can.