Mabelline

MM, this is reminiscent of the 80's when milk producers were dumping milk, yet the USDA commodities program was handing out two-pound chunks of butter from New Zealand. Go figure...

Thanks, Mongo, I tell ya, you might be surprised if I introduced you to the new generation of 'the good ol' boys'. We are onto food trends a lot more than you'd think, and we do know where our bread is buttered. Yep, the incinerated meat is basically oldtimers.

Yep, and when they went through that epic reorganization of bread making, where'd they get their wheat from?! The U.S., or was your precious Poilane lying? Our wheat is the finest in the world, and bread makers, pasta makers, WHATEVER, are on record testifying to the same. I am sick of us getting dissed. Our food is of a quality unmatched in history, and the last bastion of what can be said against it now is "But it's not our quality," well bullshit. We can taste and our food is good,so there you are.

Paranoia makes for a strange requisite if one is judging the works of others, no?

Just to add my hick-ish vote in here. The seafood I get is from a small grocer who gets it overnight from the Pacific. I pay a premium price. But I have been a hick fisherman down on the Brazos for many years, and anyone thinking fish has not got worms if they can not see them is barking up empty trees, I assure you. Does no one remember the fish diseases that were epidemic in California in the early 80's? Worms and intestinal parasites. Killing folks. But us folks out in Hicktown can still get sushi. I do not care if it's ocean-frozen if it tastes good; my favorites are anemone and sea bass. I'll eat eel, but I close my eyes. Mussels, scallops, SEA FOOD is good stuff. And you might be surprised at how many of us eat charred rare steaks. After all, we raised them. The hicks quote is unfortunate, mainly because there's no one in this day and time who have access to the internet, that you can call a hick. We are here and our name is CONSUMER...

Thanks so much for your tour through your Chinatown! That soup looked incredible. I love the Chinoise architecture. And the building that you showcased surely shows its relation to the Empire State Building. Oh, and the squid strips...those are one of my ab. fabs. at my local China Purveyor..Right on, gus!!

Mhhhm..chicken hearts...5 million cats with smiles on their little catfaces. I think the mass purveyors got tired of packages of intense innards going unsold, and they are indeed the stuff of my kitties' Fancy Feast. It's too bad.

Yeah, but there you go. The people working hard are probably not going to get the tips that the "In your face" pushy people are. Don't you think?

Absolutely Fabulous...I love the fact that Pats has not eaten since 1973...and the episode when Pat's sister visits from Paris...Eating in Paris at that Buddha cafe when Saffron and Eddie are looking at the Buddha and Eddie says "I hope the Taliban don't hear about this" right after the demolition of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan. Saffron giving her mother a birthday party. Man, I love that SHOW. Patsy, you're no older than Keith Richards, girl, and you are a lot funnier!!!!

Yeah, that'd be me, but I'd probably be a front pager on the morning edition.

The thing that disturbs me about all the jawwing about breads is the fact that everyone else is acting like us here in the States, Canada, or Mexico have no tastebuds. Back off... a bit at least! I think we can tell good bread from bad..duh...I guess we don't use bread as much, or of a quality as everyone else----not. French baguettes--they are good in France. Fajitas, they are good in Texas. Nuff said..by me...

My step-grampa was a German from Dusseldorf, who'd made it to America 3 years before WW1. He had been a master baker in Germany, and it is also a national pride issue there also. There are are like 30-40 kinds of breads to master, including some truly beautiful 'artisanal' breads. I remember one as a child that looked like a 2 1/2'stalk of wheat, and a large sun that was rays and facial features. As a child I was totally convinced he was a wizard!

At a very famous music and drinking establishment, the waitrons are taught to bring change back in large bills only as available, and to present the money on their tray slightly higher than the customer can see. The purpose of course is to get folks that are getting 'comfortable' to start being woefully unconscious of money manipulation. I feel that the feebler attempts by folks like TGIF are just a trickle down affect from the real pros at this.

That would definitely open the door for teenagers to whine, "This tastes like ass!"

foodie3 and ludja beat me to the chicken liver with apple. I was going to suggest livers with curry and horseradish or grainy mustard on tart apple slices. If you are having a dessert app as well, how about old-fashioned apple dumplings? Only make them real tiny and cute, using the littler-sized apples,wrapped in pastry with brown sugar,butter, and brandy. Then serve with cream or a nice cheese.

Oh, yes fondue, for cheaps and tasty. I looked in my favorite 50's cookbook, and another couple of 50's things were Hawaian (not yet a state) and Smorgasbord. If you do a themed open house, may I suggest the Oriental Trading Company for decor? It's downright cheap, and they have cool shit. Since I am too stoopid to provide a link, just go to that name. And have a good time! I think you will find that if you set a 50's mood, people will fall right into place with that ever-optimistic view we all had. Enjoy!!

I just remembered my step-grandpa's SOS. It was your standard recipe, but he added fresh grated horsey to the white sauce. Sour pickles on the side. Mhmmm, nostalgia heaven...

My, oh my, the cranberry-horseradish sounds too good! I love any of the small, tart berries, so a horseradish blend sounds almost Oriental in its difference of taste sensations! Horseradish and fresh applesauce is sublime and simple...simple is good with the horsey!

Oooohh!

Brooks, your food is of a consistently excellent level that everyone is envious of your productions. You have a sufficiently deep background and the means to explore it. Keep on promoting 'damn good groceries', for a lot of folks don't have heritage, ingredients, and /or time to put a feed on like you do. Five Stars, and fireworks on the side!! Your boys will realize how lucky they are, believe it! My three daughters are growed-up professionals, but they remember the kitchen time with a widowed mom who had to stretch her imagination to keep exciting food on the table--as well as the fishing and hunting trips to properly stock the larder, as well as every step of gardens. Time spent on kids is the wisest investment we can make!

The Mexican Tofu rocks, too! I'm now awaiting your posts with a mental fork in hand. My only complaint is maybe youall aren't hungry enough!! More pictures,more meat, more indulgence!!

Whenever I am recovering from my medicine's ability to kill my appetite, I have a small ritual of food progression back to fullon porkout. First, I start out with chicken broth. The magnesium and potassium are a safe way to bring my blood back up, and waken sleepy tastebuds. Now to the weird progression: I make a salty lemonade, with lemon juice, salt, and good bottled water. I crave this..and after I have it heated or iced, I can move on up to FOOD. Usually it's a whitemeated fish, or chicken, but I also crave chiles at this time. So my first meals are quite spiced. Then, it's on to traditional foods such as game and porkroast. Last to be able to digest is beef. But that's just my weird craves. My favorite game animal is now antelope, then elk, bison, venison. Javalina is excellent! Russian hog is also A-1 if cooked properly. Razorback as well.

When I was younger and my mama made pancakes, she'd cook everyone else's with her batter made up, then thin it way down and cook mine. Imagine my surprise when I discovered my skinny pancakes were crepes! Always liked them like that, with sour cream and link sausages. Yum!

Fresh horseradish with GOOD liverwurst and sliced onions is a truly pornographic food moment!!! And fresh horsey with shredded pork is so unctious it is unreal..

Those are too beautiful. Texas is always in my mind's eye when I smoke anything.I am with fifi wholeheartedly about the CFS; that nearly made me plan a trip to Texas...I'm glad you got that photo of the menu as well, for most people do not believe it when you tell them about the size of a Texas steak. Believe it! If you are going to indulge and fall off the veggiewagon, sweetbreads are an excellent temptation