FistFullaRoux

The only thing I've discovered to be careful of is that sometimes the smoked venison sausage will have too much smokiness. When it is over smoked, it is also too dry. The gamey taste can be removed from a cut piece of meat by brining it. It does dull the flavor of the meat somewhat, but if you don't like the gaminess, it would otherwise be inedible, then wasted. It just boils down to: know your supply, know your hunter, know your butcher, and know how to care for it. Those who hunt well, have a good supply, and butcher fill up their freezers, and the freezers of friends and family. The day they start selling deer meat in Winn Dixie is the day I just stick to the pork chops.

The standard (at least in my family circle) rice cooker in south Louisiana - and we do love our rice - is a Hitachi. It's a "set it and forget it" kind of thing, but once you know the volumes, it's easy as can be. Makes a good product and frees up a burner on the stove. It is mandatory if you are cooking for more than 5 or 6 people. I still do mine on the stovetop sometimes, however. Long grain enriched white rice (Mahatma, if you must know), rinsed well 2 or 3 times with any stray black or discolored grains discarded. Add salt and a teaspoon of plain old white vinegar to add up to the amounts in the directions. The acidity of the vinegar seems to make the cooked rice a little firmer, and the rinsing keeps it from clumping. Cook until it is somewhere between al dente and paste. Everyone has their own taste. As long as it is still capable of absorbing another liquid and is not crunchy, it's fine with me. Japanese chefs will add vinegar to rice as well, but after cooking. I put it in the cooking water. It does make a difference. Try two pots side by side, one with and one without. That is the best cooking trick I have ever used. edit for additional info Maybe the "palm flat on the surface of the rice" thing is to ensure that you use a big enough pot. A small narrow pot may not do the best job on rice. If you have enough room in the pot to lay your hand flat, you have a big enough pot. Makes sense to me, at least. And my grandmother uses the vertical knuckle technique, and I'd love to know how many pots of rice she's cooked. I measure with a wooden spoon that I carved notches in - only because it's easier, and I have verification. If you want to see what the knuckle technique is like, measure everything out according to the package directions, then stick your hand in there while it is still cold.

Luckily, I am involved with a group that runs a haunted house. Paper bags are used for papier mache, the white plastic ones are used as a neat little decoration tricks, the off color plastic bags are made into temporary gloves (usually when handling paint or papier mache) or trash bags. Although 3 of the 4 stores I go to do have plastic bag recycling bins right inside the front door. We use the plastic ones at home for trash bags in the car, the bathroom, the office, and I'll double bag the funky liquidy leftovers that have to be thrown out so I don't get nicked by the biological weapon police.

I have to admit, my wife is the picky eater. I love her more than life herself, but I've been forced to change my dietary habits, at home at least. No fish (fresh or canned), no mushrooms, no chicken on the bone or with skin, no eggs in recognizable form (as part of a recipe or sauce is OK, fried rice is not), no hot dogs (I go to a lot of ball games now), no peanut butter, very little chocolate (?!?!), no unpeeled shellfish (and then only peeled shrimp), and no "colored pasta". There are lots of others, but those are the major ones I have to work around. And she is, truth be told, a big girl. She's scheduled for gastric bypass surgery at the beginning of next year. I still don't know how she did it. She also says I overseason food, and her dad once accused me of putting red pepper in his hamburger helper, because it was making his eyes water while it was cooking. In his house. When I was simply spending time with my then fiancee - I would never think of doing that. I never even touched the pot. He still said it burned his stomach and gave me hell about it for weeks. I guess he thought the big goofy Cajun traveled around with a container of pepper, waiting to poison some unexpecting person with a weak stomach. This same man is now taking a teaspoonful of tumeric a day on the advice of his doctor. But the Colonel's original recipe is fine for him. I can count on her ordering one of two things at a restaurant. Fettucine Alfredo with chicken, or very basic chicken soup, with no vegetables exept rice. It limits the places we can go...

I never did get into "fancy coffee". Basic dripped Folger's will do the trick, as long as the pot is clean and everything is measured properly. I'll admit, I'm easy. My only other forays into coffee consist of cafe au lait, which I started drinking as a kid on cold winter days. Except my grandfather made his with chicory coffee, so I had to add quite a bit of sugar to mine... I've been to Starbucks. Others around here are Joe Muggs and one or two local shops. My main beef with Starbucks, and Joe Muggs for that matter, is the nasty pastry they try to sell. Pre packaged crap one step up from a Twinkie (not that I'm knocking Twinkies, I just don't like to pay $4 for one). The paper cup, I can deal with. I don't drink as much coffee as I used to, but when I did, I had a travel mug attached to my left hand at all times. I never got any hassle once they realized I was being a regular customer. They'd even wash it out for me if it was a mid-day refill. Ever since I started getting nasty notes from my kidneys, I've cut back on the coffee, but in the winter, it's nice to have a warm place that smells like that to duck into for a few moments.

Maybe I misstated that. It's probably more to keep the drug deals and patron fights from going down in the bathrooms. Yes, the cover charges will keep some of the goofballs out, but any guy in a suit, when dosed with tequila, can turn into a very unpleasant person. One guy bumps into him in the bathroom, and that's all it takes. And there are lots of type A personalities that, when properly lubricated with alcohol, will turn into a ragin idiot. You know how NOLA goes. The tourists think they will never see this person again, then his mouth proceeds to write a check his butt can't cash, and it's easier just to have someone present to act as a deterrent. Reduces the lawsuits as well.

Metal food advertising signs. I just started. My in-laws gave me one for Community Coffee, and I've found RC Cola, Sunbeam bread, and Morton's Salt so far. My wife (I don't know if this is a collection or not) loves candles that smell like food. Buttercream, devil's food cake, vanilla wafer, and cucumber-melon are the current batch. When they are burned about 3/4 of the way down, she caps them and stashes them so she still has the intact jar, and some of the wax to smell later. The caramel candle drove me crazy.

I've only run across a few of them. The ones in New Orleans (House of Blues) are probably more security based, given their location. They are there to protect the joint, and the patrons. I've seen them also (and to tell this story, I have to admit I was there) in a certain... "gentleman's club". ahem. This guy was definately security. He was bigger than the one at the front door. But the bathroom was spotless, he'd hand you a paper towel or two, offer to sell you a cheap little comb for 50 cents (But it was new, or at least wrapped), allow you to select something from the not varied, but amply supplied gum and mint section, then open the door for you as to not contaminate your freshly washed hands. I left him a buck. He thanked me and sent me on my way. On a return trip that same night, I offered him another dollar, and he claimed it was uneccesary. I made him take it anyway. It may have been reverse psychology, but it worked. As I was leaving that night, I saw this same guy bodily dragging a bleeding man out of the bathroom to the parking lot. His little bow tie was not even crooked. Another bouncer was manhandling a second bleeding man out towards another door. Must have been a fight. The few that I have run across in restaraunts are far less entertaining, and far more pathetic. You sort of feel like they are using this to pay for their medication that allows them to eat solid food or something. They are almost always old. Seems like the only two job options for people over 75 are some kind of attendant, or Wal Mart greeter.

Presented with any more than one of these choices means I order two bowls of soup as dinner: Okay, since I'm not sure if gumbo counts as soup or not, I'm listing it anyway. And it has to be chicken and sausage. Either smoked or fresh pork sausage. I love potato soups. Made with whatever extras you want. Big hearty bowls of corn soup (essentially vegetable beef soup made with brisket and only corn) - with tomatoes And also tied at the top of the list is tortilla soup. I live in a ramen free zone. I was too poor for too long to go back to those salty little bastards. edit=fixed typo

First of all, note my sig line. That being said, I have a friend who waits until the snap traps get one, then he takes it outside (while laughing in the manner of Vincent Price) and practices his golf swing. A 6 iron does one helluva number on them. But I grew up on a farm. We had BB guns. At least for the ones in the barn. But once I ended up in apartments, I've found that cream cheese or peanut butter on the snap traps works best. You just have to work a very small amount into the grates or holes (depending on the model) in the trigger. If it is loose enough for them to grab a mouthful with out snapping the trap, they will get their fill, then not push their luck. Anything you can do to make it harder for them will help. I've seen people use Scotch tape or Saran wrap to secure the bait to the trap. The smell still attracts them, but if they have to struggle to remove the food from the trap, that is what help ensure the trap goes off as designed. And if you are having lots of problems with varmints taking the bait and leaving the trap unsprung, get some more. It is entirely possible that you may have a bad trap.

I bacon your pardon, I never promised you a roast garden.... --and-- "I've eaten so much liver I can only make love if I'm smothered in bacon and onions" - Hawkeye Pierce *edited to fix rather annoying typo.

I've eaten at two of them, though I really only remember one. When I was about 10 we went to one in Atlanta. I want to say it's at the Peachtree Plaza. Mom has no distinct memory about it. I do remember her complaining about her purse moving away. My wife and I went to Tower of the Americas in San Antonio on our honeymoon. Tower of the Americas is owned by the city of San Antonio. I just found that odd. The food was okay at best. $80 for 2 people, and the only thing I can tell you is whatever I ordered had too many capers in it. But the desserts were pretty good. Although I'm not sure how much of that was caused by the stomach lurching ride to the top. I do remember being charged for the elevator ride. Thinking back, we should have just found a little Tex-Mex place. The pictures from the top were outstanding, though.

Are we discussing Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster type dishes? Or are we discussing the overapplication of heat/not watching the pot of milk being brought to the boil syndrome?

This is kind of a cross post because I touched on it in a different topic, but it fits in both. Theres a big bowl of candy here in the office, and if I find the person who put it there, I'm going to hug them, then slap them. Evil person. I'll be bouncing in place for the next couple of hours. My head will be on the desk by 5. Anyway, I grabbed the last Nestle Creamy Caramel Coffin. Basically a caramel filled chocolate piece. But the caramel, when tasted by itself, was far saltier than I would have imagined it would be. Not unpleasant - it reminds me of butterscotch. All together, an enjoyable piece of candy, but I was a little taken aback by the saltiness. And unless I'm imagining things, there is a subtle spicy aftertaste. Back of the throat. Like cayenne, maybe. I'm noticing more salt being added to desserts lately. Not that I mind, and salt was always added to certain things like butterscotch and toffee, but it's more pronounced. More spiciness as well. I don't know if it is stuff like cinnamon or clove or nutmeg (traditional "sweet" spices), or if it is actually cayenne, jalapeno, etc. It's just subtle enough to not be able to identify it, but you know it is there.

I just had a small wrapped candy. They're in a big bowl here in the office, and if I find the person who put it there, I'm going to hug them, then slap them. Evil person. I'll be bouncing in place for the next couple of hours. My head will be on the desk by 5. Anyway, it was a Nestle Creamy Caramel Coffin. Basically a caramel filled chocolate piece. But the caramel, when tasted by itself, was far saltier than I would have imagined it would be. Not unpleasant - it reminds me of butterscotch. All together, an enjoyable piece of candy, but I was a little taken aback by the saltiness. And unless I'm imagining things, there is a subtle spicy aftertaste. Back of the throat. Like cayenne, maybe. Maybe this will give you some inspiration. A salty, spicy, yet not overseasoned caramel paired with an everyday milk chocolate. I don't think it would work with dark, unless you were to layer 2 caramels, one spicy and one not, within a darker chocolate.

I'm not saying that all people have the same issues I do. I know, that when I am serving people in my own home, I clear the table after each course, but I do at least wash my hands before I serve food or put my hands on a clean plate. If nothing else, it's a courtesy. Does this mean that I don't eat the food they bring me? No. I eat it and enjoy it. I'm saying I would rather know the waiter/waitress had at least made an effort to show that they understand that everything they touch goes into my body. I can handle anything else that can and will go wrong with a waiter. Well, anything but an empty glass. There's water and something else. Make sure one of them has something in it. That and casual handling of hot liquids. Don't splash the coffee.

Biggest restaraunt pet peeves: Not changing the fryer oil often enough. I get this weird kind of bitter taste to anything cooked in it, and I can catch it earlier than most people do. Assuming that you want sweetened tea when you order iced tea. I try to order unsweetened, and get a moment of hesitation, as though they can't figure out how to do that. (This one is pretty specific for Alabama and the southern US) I do not like sweetened iced tea. And down here, they put enough sugar in there to stand the spoon up. Not enough napkins at the table. Not that myself and the group that I dine with often are total slobs, but if your silverware is wrapped up in your napkin, and you have a glass of water collecting condensation in front of you, you want to prevent the glass from dripping down the front of you when you take a sip. So the choice is, unwrap the silverware and place it on an uncovered table, hoping the waitstaff used an actual clean cloth to wipe it down, or ask for more napkins. (Okay, I realize this one affects mostly me, and most people don't think twice about putting a fork down on the table. I work in a hospital lab. 'nuff said?) And speaking of tablecloths, how about the places that put a sheet of glass over the tablecloth? How often do you think that tablecloth gets washed? It does not affect the food, but it's the equivalent of dry humping a dozen strangers on a bus for 45 minutes. And echoing what others have said, I hate watching my waiter clear a table, carry the dirty dishes to the back, and appear 15 seconds later with my jalapeno poppers. (or whatever) Making waitstaff bus their own tables is a bad idea. there's too much chance of cross contamination. I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination. But when it comes to food and the way it is handled, especially if I am paying good money for it, I am pretty picky. I'll send plates and glasses back if they have a crusty spot on them. I know how I handle food in my kitchen at home. I expect the same from a place I'm paying for.

My mom loves potato salad sandwiches. Your standard mustard potato salad on white bread. Damn the carbohydrates, full speed ahead!! Personally, I am a grilled cheese freak. Nearly any kind of bread, and nearly every kind of cheese. With the firmer (cheddar, provolone, gouda) cheeses, I grill tomato slices, then add the tomato to the sandwich. With softer cheeses, like brie, I serve with apple slices or grapes. I use both butter and olive oil to grill the sandwiches. Just enough to make them crispy and golden, not greasy. The ultimate sandwich is good garlicky roast pork, sliced not pulled, on fresh French or Italian bread, with a little sun dried tomato aioli (or really good mayo) and Creole mustard. Fritos or home made herb potato chips on the side.

My super secret stash just got a boost. We had a "tailgate party" in the office today due to the LSU/Auburn and Alabama/Tennessee games. There are fans of all 4 teams in one office. Hilarity ensues. Everyone brought munchies, so I have a bag and a half of the leftover Zapp's potato chips that I brought. Along with a few other goodies I was able to sock away... Add that to the usual ketchup, mustard, mayo, and salt packages carefully stashed in the lower left hand drawer. A small box of saltines, several cans of soup, a bottle of Tabasco, assorted plastic utensils and plates and a stack of napkins occupies a locked bin of the storage area. I work in a hospital, and on the rare occasions that it snows or the roads ice over in Birmingham, Alabama, people get stuck here. I keep a change of clothes and a couple of days worth of food to avoid the cafeteria. They get too busy, and the quality really takes a back seat during those times. In all honesty, the food in the cafeteria is nowhere near gourmet, but for what it is, it's not bad. Decent salad bar, and made to order burgers and other sandwiches. But during emergencies, it's all about volume and providing calories.

Saw that one last night. She's still a very interesting person. But it was on one of her shows that I first saw Emrul. He in his white jacket and full sized touque in what looked like someone's back yard. Might have been his. He was head chef at Commander's Palace at the time. Did a big ol' crawfish boil, and he and Julia stood over the pot and sucked the heads. (That sounds so wrong. I'll leave it alone) She did Larry King's show a few months back right around her birthday. I remember her saying she didn't like cilantro, and the thing she orders if she is uncertain about the food is a baked potato. "Even a hospital couldn't screw up a baked potato"

30 minutes of wet heat followed by a stir-fry? Is this maybe some kind of curing/preservation thing or jerky? In Louisiana (and other places) they have the little dried shrimp packages that they sell at convenience stores and everywhere else. The shrimp are dessicated and seasoned. You can add them to soups and such, or you can eat them right out of the bag. And it's a good way to get rid of the extra 61/70's. I'm wondering if this isn't along the same lines...

I know, dead subject, but I had to share.... I just discovered the Knott's Berry Farm shortbread cookie line. Amazing. I've had the Strawberry (which is excellent) and the apricot (off the chains). Not a big raspberry fan, so I'll skip those, but the apricot is very very close to the top of the chart as far as cookies go.

Putting the quality issues aside for a moment, one thing has been ignored in a lot of the fast food discussions I've seen here. The convenience aspect. Sure, a big "real" burger from a steakhouse can be done for a couple of dollars more than the McKing Wendys, but you have to get out of your car and stand in line. In larger cities, (NY, LA Chi, DFW, etc) lines are a part of life. But in the smaller cities (Birmingham, Austin, New Orleans, etc) and towns, getting out of the car becomes a major hassle. Here in Birmingham, I find myself saying "Screw it, let's hit a drive thru", even though I have the money and the time to order something better from somewhere else, a drive thru is quicker. Even for a special order.

Um... You could have done that with tap water, bottled water, milk, beer, wine, sulphuric acid, or the blue stuff in the portajohns as well. The sugar dissolved in liquid. It does that. If the stick had disappeared, then we'd be talking....

Suggestion for the sweet potatoes. Make sweet gnocchi with them. With a caramelized fruit sauce, using whatever is in season. I've seen meringues made with sweet potatoes or peanut butter that would lend themselves well as toppings for a basic dessert to dress it up. Peanut brittle would work for that as well. Personally, when I think of classic "southern desserts", it's pie of some sort. Maybe try a different take on the individual fried fruit pie thing (ala Dolly Madison). Blackberries, figs, or sweet potato would make outstanding fillings for it. On a citrus sauce dressed plate (for a little acidity), garnished with a Steen's Cane Syrup caramel (Which you could add a little butter and salt to. Makes something with a taste reminiscent of toffee in a softer context).