Mabelline

This one's easy for me. Although I possess every processor,spice grinder, chopping jobbie they can come up with, I still reach for the knife or 75+ years old Mexican mortar and pestle my Grams gave me. The only time the processor comes out is when I'm doing tamales or something. Still shred meat with two forks. Go figure.

That cheeze the Italians and Greeks (and probably some French) make that has the maggots in it. Sorry, where I come from you fish for crappie and sunnies and other panfish with maggots.

Lima, Ohio (I loved Where in the world is Carmen san Diego!)

mags, uhm, are you intending to keep these friends? 'Cause this starting to look like an evening with Savonarola!

Your mention of the dietary laws reminds me of a service my girlfriend and I were at. In her Bible the term 'rock lapin' was used, and I couldn't make "hide nor hare" of that, since a lapin is a rabbit. It took a week to find out it was a badger species. No problem there: badgers and vultures are not on my shopping list. Do you reckon that people realize that ostriches are unclean? That's very popular up here.

First, Rabbi Ribeye, I love to read your stories.Secondly, be very very careful with your flu. That was a wakeup call to the fact that the teenage species must be possessed of Divine survival genes. My cousin talked me into drinking some squeezins'-the fermented corn liquid which gathers in the bottom of a silage pit. My gram made us sleep it off in the barn! I reckon I was 11 or 12. balmagowry: That was a gorgeous headshot and subject. I love her writing, especially the line about them drinking their wine too soon because the years went backwards! And your writing is entertaining, indeed.Bravo!

At least I know my writing is lousy! See, I told amy she would learn stuff--before eG I had no idea..

That's the one...in the fun with coffee book, they show cubes of coffee jello! Perhaps you might offer some with the bacon truffles, which are just different, not horrible.

I just caught a half hour show on PBS today that was really neat. The guy's name was Andreas...V...sorry, that's all I can remember, and it was New Scandinavian Cooking. The show was in Norway on this episode, at the furthest northern habitation on earth, at some island where they mine. One town was Norwegians, and another was Russians. It was interesting, and pretty good cooking.

Melkor,that, i'm ashamed to confess, is my conehead SIL's idea of fancy cooking.... ....bloom where you are planted---she was obviously planted in styrofoam peanuts.

Sadly,sadly, I had decided to let my Gourmet subscription lapse, due to the fact that I reckoned when I had three sitting around that were still polywrapped, whereas I used to devour (no pun) it from end to end in one sitting, there was something wrong here. Now do not snicker, but I extended my Texas Monthly subscription. And the other day, my darling SO tells me that he extended my Gourmet sub., because he wanted a Valentine surprise for me! Bless his heart. amy, don't despair. I get roundly 'explained to', and I am grateful for it, because it gets me out of my tunnel vision. And I seriously believe the best food writing I have found is right here. Both professionals, coming professionals, and we neophytes have posted some of the most evocative, or informative, or provocative writing I can find ( I have probably just caused editorial stroke with my own writing).

ruthcooks, I'd have picked the drink, too. At least you could "adjust" till the proportions made you forget the ingredients. What's that nostalgia cookbook site with pictures? Maybe you could save money and put a blowup of the yukka tukka -sorry- then behind that have the real food. I don't think I could make it through the process of some of those on dls's link.

Actually,as far as olive oil and other Mediterrean foods, although my grandparents were not real familiar with their use, my father had returned from a stay on Sicily in the war with a passion for all things Italian, and my mother was raised on the Bay area, so he nudged her into learning anything and everything Italian. She was very attached to Portugese cuisine, also.So I'm a pedigreed food mongrel!! And proud of it!

Cardamom! I bet that'd work. If it were me, I think I would reduce some red wine vinegar, and use 2 parts berry juice to 1 part vinegar. Taste, then start laying in the spices. The soy,garlic, ginger gives you a good start. Or brining, too.

fifi, I made mine as well, and I do not remember a large dish SO and I vacuumed that quickly before. I used my Spice Islands Greek Seasoning, and the taste was killer. Next time, I'm going for Indian. The picture is too tastee.

Does this mean doughnut jokes are not good, either?

Those are so pretty, Rachel. The devilled ones look like a great alternative to hens' eggs. The pickled ones Mayhaw Man pictured are a big favorite. Everyone seems to post such beautiful pictures that I am thoroughly intimidated, I must confess. The ones on poaching are so cool!

For myself, April sounds superb. Either one for me. That'll give enough time for applying the hammer to the details.

Pleased to meet you Yong, and you certainly made me think. The kind of foods you ate are restaurant fare for the majority of us, of course, but it's interesting to think about physical conditioning with that sort of provender. Interesting, to be sure. Welcome, also.

I think it's some kind of cosmic test. I just can't get the point. But really, I did not used to have trouble very often, but then you don't ever know which one is going to act up; witness the baby food jar. reverendtmac, that's the way one of my two grams would open up jars. Sometimes a thump with the heel of your hand on the bottom works, but I've always feared rapping it with a breadknife handle, because I'm leary of the quality of glass bottles. And cjs, you sure do have a big guy; if he's like mine he's pretty happy you found a food forum :) I have trouble with plastic milk containers. Those rings do not want to separate for nothing! I usually resort to sawing through with a paring knife.

That's atrocious. People do the shittiest stuff without a second thought. I'm with Tommy. Put those names on a screw-off list, at least.

Ok! I am now gonna be able to blow some minds at the next Medicine Wheel I go to. Thanks sooo much!

I wish they'd have put subtitles. There's a Western that was John Candy's last movie, Head East, I think, where the totally incorrect stuff with subtitles was some of the funniest material in the film.

I'm definitely going to rent and rewatch it now that I'll have a little knowledge. And what does the warbonnet mean?

What's a balaboste, please?