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Plastic wrap on top makes a huge difference. If you squish it down so that it eliminates as much air touching the ice cream as possible, it will keep pretty darned well. I usually use some sort of tupperware style container, push the plastic wrap down leaving enough excess that it can cling up the sides of the container, and then close the container with the lid.

But you do fine with normal ground chiles? Maybe you're allergic to MSG or something else in it.

I've got a pic I should post some time of de Leon here in Portland stripping a cow head of its meat after steaming all night. However, I think the form cabeza takes at taquerias, especially in the US, varies. It's one of the things I order the most, and it's often obviously not the steamed all night variety.

So, Batali, Flay, and Puck? East Coast, Southern, and West Coast iron chefs (even though Batali is from Seattle, Puck from Austria, and Flay from NY)? Or is it Italian, SW, and California? Or is it just the three guys with some name recognition on the network who were willing to do it? I'm amazed how much Batali is willing to do on the network. Where does he find the time? Doesn't he have like 20 gazillion restaurants to run? You should have asked him that, Mr. Detective: "Don't you have a real job?"

Hmm. I hear a song coming on: I'm just a sweet transvestite... It's actually my lower back, but on the side, like right behind my generous love handles. My heels will start to hurt, too, almost like a pinched nerve. When I wear the flip flops it more or less goes away or at least takes a lot longer, so I think it's the standing and walking on a hard surface with bare feet that does it.

Jim, do they sell the calzuros anywhere in PDX?

Generic chile powder or generic chili powder? The latter probably has things like cumin and coriander as well.

Foodie52, Berkelely Bowl has at least all the produce options that Central Market has, maybe more, I would say, but in smaller quantities so there's more turn over. Whenever I've been to CM, the quality of the produce was a mixed bag. At BB, it's all awesome. Probably a better selection of meats at CM, though. Although the many tuna grades at BB are impressive. I guess that's a Tx vs Ca thing. Nessa, do you toast/roast the chiles first? It improves the flavor and makes them more pliable.

Hmm. At home we take our shoes off, so 90% of the time I have nothing on my feet. Part of the reason I'm asking the question (since I'm not a professional) is because I'm starting to get sore from standing barefoot in the kitchen. I realized recently that's what was causing it and have gone to a pair of Hawaiian style flip flops. It's helped, but I think I should get something better. I'm heavy, about 225 lbs, so that may have something to do with it. I think I need the cushion and support. I also have one foot that's a little flat. Plus, barefoot in the kitchen means sticky toes. I spend about 4 hours a day in the kitchen making a meal or two for myself, a meal for my wife, and lunches for my wife (I work from home, she works in an office). Barefoot on the linoleum was starting to really get me.

Considering that chipotles are one of only a couple smoked chiles and the others are much less common, I think it's a bit expected. Also, remember there is more than one type of chipotle. GourmetSleuth.com has a decent little history/description. Better than getting tired of chipotles, just get tired of their quirky and questionable uses. Overall, though, I think it's a good. If "chipotle" becomes a marketing gimmick that means that people are broadening their tastes and will be open to other Mexican flavors, hopefully. If you watch Bobby Flay consistently, you might get tired of anchos, too, since it's apparently his favorite pepper and he puts it in everything along with honey. Personally, I always have chipotles, both canned and dry on hand, along with guajillos, anchos, de arbol, and New Mexico. I don't keep any powders except paprika for coloring purposes. I usually have Bufalo's chipotle sauce in my frig, too, along with Tabsco's green sauce. They can add a nice little flavor and heat to dressings or whatever if I'm making a SW salad, eg. Don't hate a great ingredient because it's been co-opted. And Mayhaw, Central Market is the second best grocery store in the history of the western world. The first is: http://www.berkeleybowl.com/

I've looked at the Birkenstocks and Danskos. (They're everywhere out here in Portland.) They're expensive, so I haven't bought a pair just to try them out. I had a pair of Birkenstocks when I was younger, though, and wore them until the cork looked like it was eroding -- several years. I can't remember them that well, though. My worry with these is that they don't seem like the insides would be very soft or cushiony. Does it not matter?

Any footwear recommendations for standing in the kitchen hour after hour?

For the longest time, Scott -- DFW had told me he couldn't find anything in DFW meaningfullly better than Pizza Hut until he went to Chicago St. But I'm not sure how much he likes NY style, so I was just wondering about how DFW's pizza options compare with ours here. Pizza Schmizza is okay for a place that has a ton of locations, but Hot Lips and Escape from NY are clearly superior.

There was also a D Magazine nomination for an article.

Best Chef SW. Bruce Auden of San Antonio, too. Instead of 2 of 4, it's actually 4 of 6.

Isn't Rathbun nominated, too?

Hmmm. I strongly disagree with that then. I think Campbell's best thing is their brisket and sliced pork and that they're pretty tender and juicy for those cuts. I get their pork ribs most, however, because that's the Q I prefer. Campbell's has some solidly good things about their ribs: 1) they're not overly fatty, 2) they have a nice crust on them, 3) they're noticeably smoky but not overwhelmingly so. Oh, btw, I always get sauce on the side everywhere I go. They could be a bit more tender and a bit more juicy, but they're comparable to places like Sonny Bryan's in Dallas. I don't think most Texans would consider them the best in the state, but they're certainly representative of solid Q and have been a standard-bearer for a long time. I'm actually more impressed by Campbell's every time I go there. After that last head to head between them and Yam Yam's it was clear to me they were the overall leader. I would need to try Logans again to know if it's any good, but I've never had bbq even close to that bad any of the times I've been to Yam Yam's or Campbell's. I think Cannon's and Reo's have always been better than what I had today. I'd be interested in hearing other comments. I hope some people will check it out and report back. I'd love to be proved wrong, because the more good Q options the better, imo.

His article: http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=3542

Very impressive, indeed! Congratulations.

Tried San Felipe today in Westmoreland. Pretty good. Had a carnitas and asada taco. The asada was very similar to what you'd get in Mexico, relatively small bits nicely seasoned and crusted. The carnitas were more like Iguana Feliz's carnitas than Salvador's, Ochoa's, or de Leons. ie, less crispy on the outside, but still tender and well-seasoned. They also have gorditas that sound like they're actual gorditas, not some Taco Bell bastardization. Apparently they use masa and fill them. I didn't get one, but the description sounded accurate. And they make their tortillas fresh for each order. That's very nice. They're a little more expensive than many places, $1.75/taco, but it's worth the fresh tortillas, imo. The salsas could use a little work, but they weren't bad. I don't think they quite make the top tier, but it wouldn't surprise me if they're the best in that area. I'd have to try more stuff and their gordita would have to impress me to make the top tier.

Tried it today. And sorry, Rodney, but I have to disagree. I had their mesquite combo with tri-tip, beef rib, pork rib, and chicken thigh and one side for $9. The prices seem fair but the bbq was mediocre. I'd put it slightly below Buster's. It's more like decent picnic or backyard bbq (which makes the name appropriate). I like the crusty exterior, but both the beef and pork ribs were dry and a bit tough. The tri-tip was okay, but not really juicy or tender. The best item was the chicken. It was actually pretty good. Nothing had any noticeable smokiness to it. At least not in any meaningful way. Buster's is smokier. That's part of the reason I say it's more like picnic bbq, ie, grilling, than real bbq. He had a lot of great Q books in his store, but he might need to re-read them, especially Walsh's Legends book. You never know. It could have been an off day or moment. I did go at about 2 pm, not a busy time and stuff may have been sitting. But even the worst shouldn't be that bad. It was still a big step up from Big Daddy's -- which just shows how bad that place is. But unless someone repeats your results, I won't be back. btw, I took some pics and I'll try to put them up later.

Pretty much every casual restaurant has a big salad, though -- a chef's salad, eg. The chains like Friday's, Applebees, Red Robin, etc, have several of these meal salads which are perfect for the low-carb dieter. Just choose your dressing wisely and avoid the croutons. Even places like McDonald's and Wendy's have salads that aren't much worse than their hamburgers, relatively speaking. btw, I've never had a problem at a restaurant getting a substitute of steamed veggies or spinach for a starch. The veggies I rely on most besides salad greens are cabbage, cauliflower, and bell peppers. I really don't miss noodles or rice when I'm serving a steak on a bed of sauteed onions and bell peppers or stir-fried cabbage, or roasted cauliflower. I don't feel like any of these are fillers, but tasty in their own right. I rarely feel that way with pasta and rice. They're only good for holding fats. (In fact, one of my responses when people start talking about high-carb, low-fat dieting is: who wants that? How good are starches without fat? Potatoes only become good when fried, topped with butter, mixed with cream, or drenched in gravy. Same with rice. Pasta is good with a tomato based sauce but other than that it's mostly a matter of giving it fat. However, a piece of chicken, fish, steak, pork, etc, is good without any carbs. Even the sauces for meats, such as reductions and pan sauces are usually reduced wines or stocks with a fat. No carbs to speak of.)

Scott -- DFW has been telling me some places privately. He's out of town right now so he can't respond so I'll give you the places he's been liking: * Benaka, a vegetarian Indian place with a great buffet on weekends (and maybe lunch?) with a lot of unfamiliar and really good choices * Kebab n Curry * India Palace * Madras Pavilion Someone from DFW would probably be able to say where these are. I get the impression that the best places aren't actually in Dallas. When I was there last time we didn't do Indian except some grocers and sweets and we went and checked out that huge movie theater and banquet place. Definitely doing Indian when I come down there next. We went to Berkeley which lots of people love for Indian and Scott was totally underwhelmed. I think he likes some of the Indian he's had in Dallas as much as some of the stuff we've had in Chicago.

Roasted cauliflower and red lentil soup. Some other bits, too.

Sauvie Island is where all the organic farms are.