FistFullaRoux

]]Puke[[ oh man that hurt. Though I do like the breakfast sausage idea, maybe not like that though. ← Hey, I'm just throwing them out there. Maybe one will stick. What about the eskimo treat of seal fat mixed with berries? Can you get to a couple of seals where you are?

Or dessert sausage. Maybe with mushrooms? Served with rice pudding? Shaved white chocolate on top to look like Parm Or try thinking about shrimp. They are fairly sweet to begin with, and are used with sweet and sour sauce all the time.

I must admit to ranting against her from time to time. I find her mildly amusing at best, and nails-on-a-chalkboard at worst. But you do have a point. She has gotten people interested in food, and home preparations at that. Sure she's been filmed in a lot of restaurants, but she is usually espousing the least expensive way to eat well in an unfamiliar city. Has the premise been done to death? Sure. We get it. Ask the locals. Check for coupons. Research before you go. Onandonandon.... You don't have to do it in every city on Earth. But, the ideas have stuck. There are a lot of people who have not been exposed to "dining", and don't have a lot of money, who confronted with a strange city may just opt for Burger King because it is familiar. Even with the tourism shows, she is promoting trying something new. That can't be all bad. Hell, she's good enough for Oprah. Just like Emeril was good enough for Julia. She's gotta be doing something right. See a similar thread I did about Emeril a while back.

Biggest issue I think is that it probably couldn't be a cold dish. rendered or cooked animal fats + cold = nasty. First thing I thought of was mincemeat, but someone else beat me to that. Maybe a take on the Italian Lardo, sweetened and served with a berry or acidic component. And speaking of eggs, would caviar or roe count? That could be interesting in a creamy sauce type of venture.

Haven't made it there yet. I will be in the neighborhood most of this month, though. the Jaycees have the Haunted House back this year, and I'm a Jaycee. It's only a few blocks away.

Without giving too much away, in the spirit of it being academic and all, As I understand it, red beans and rice are traditionally served on Mondays in New Orleans. Monday also used to be wash day, and since you already had fires going (back in the day) to heat water for washing, it was a good excuse to make beans and rice as well, since the beans at least require extended cooking. It wasn't worth it on many other days, as you would use up a lot of fuel/wood to do that cooking style. How it got to New Orleans is a different matter. My guess would be to look at who was doing the Monday washing.

NOTP story on the re-opening Seems that things went well, even though it's not completely done. Leopard spots? Really? Gotta love that.

My .02 - I think the thing is, if you have an idea, share it. The current challenger does not have to use it. Or may use it as a launching point in another direction. It's all inspiration, even if it leads to incorrect - in your eyes - thinking. Some of the most valuable learning experiences for me have involved the input of others, and using my own judgement. It's still up the the person who the challenge was issued to. It their choice to use suggestions or develop their own take and do it as they see.

Hmm...I don't think this is quite fair, because the desserts all contain different ingredients. And it is definitely easier to make a tasty dessert with, say, chocolate, than it is with, I dunno...Red Delicious apples. ← Plus, if we are talking seasonal ingredients, there is a problem there. And I'm sorry, I like you guys, but I couldn't get on a plane on my dime to fly somewhere to make pastry. Unless we could get Food Network to foot the bill and produce a 1 hour special... edited for typos

What about a panel of judges is selected or volunteer themselves for a live tasting at the end of this event... but who's baking the final recipes and the how's of getting them to the one place would need to be worked out. And of course, the rest of us must get to participate in the tasting/judging vicariously through lots of photos. ← How about (skipping this first time, since nothing was decided), the previous week's Iron Chef make a donation, in whatever amount he or she sees fit, to a local food bank, or to eGullet itself. If you can afford 5 bucks, then that's OK. If you can drop a grand somewhere, so much the better. No need to mention the amount, a simple statement of "A donation made in Ling's name to Second Harvest of Nashville", for example. Then when you tag the next person, it's your turn to donate. Then everyone "wins", and whoever cooks gets bragging rights for being part of it.

Make pepper jelly with them. Standard apple jelly recipe, with some whole ones dropped in there for decoration and heat. I keep meaning to make Russian Roulette chocolates. One out of every box of chocolate covered caramel would have a habanero infused caramel inside. I've seen the recipe somewhere... Give them out on Halloween (Maybe that's just me), pickle the little buggers, flavored oil/vinegars, there's a lot of options. I'd love to have a bumper crop. I only got 4 or 5 this year. Damn birds. Squirrels hate them, but they have no effect on birds.

Boudin is not a firm sausage. It's the reason for the delicate handling. Mushy may be appropriate, depending on the recipe. The feelings about boudin are like gumbo, everyone has a preference, even within families. Although I always say that boudin is kind of like sex. Even when it's bad, it's still pretty OK. Glad you attempted it. If you ever find yourself in the States, you can order some sent to wherever you are.. Although someone may be able to ship internationally. You'll pay a fortune for shipping, but you would have a benchmark to work from.

PUDC. Does everything have to become an acronym? Regarding the pineapple and cherry question (sorry if this is late, I just got home from work), why not marinate or infuse those items? A little rum for the pineapple, or a little cinnamon for the cherries? A touch of clove perhaps? And do something really crazy with the cake. Use one of Julia's recipes. Classic cake, wacky upside down bits.

In Alabama there's the usual BBQ as mentioned above, served with sliced white bread or buns. Also cole slaw as a side. Around here, I have seen the infamous "fist of beef" with some kind of steamed vegetable medley (broccolli, cauliflower, and little ridge cut carrot coins - obviously from a bag of frozen), maybe lemon chicken, and some sort of layer cake or pie for dessert. ick. Sweet or unsweetened tea for drinks. Water if you ask politely. eta: I remember on Christmas party back in Lafayette, LA, where I first saw a big old beef roast at a carving station. I hadn't seen it at a Louisiana event before then, but my then boss from Michigan was so happy to see it, he took pictures.

Yeah, but where is it? Summit? Mountain Brook? Hoover? C'mon, share with the group. Never mind, I found it. Lakeview area. Cool. I'll check it out this weekend.

I wound up in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. Hadn't been there in quite a few years, but it was amazing to see. Of course, not everywhere is doing OK, or even getting better. They still close some of the bridges on the Interstate down from time to time (ask me how I know...), traffic sucks almost as bad as I remember it, but the food is still there. The spirit is there too, a little battered and deep fried, but it is there. The people who are moving into Nawlins now (!) are paying big bucks for houses that still have FEMA trailers in the front yard. THAT is the kind of city New Orleans is. People, despite the everything that has happened, still want to be a part of it. Even if they are after a quick buck. I need to take up roofing. I could retire. One of the signs of familiarity and comfort that I was looking for was Commander's. That big ol blue building, even though I knew it was out of commission, was going to be a welcome sight. Alas, after driving the streets for a while, I realized that that big house with the big blue tarp completely covering it was the thing I was looking for. I am so glad it will be reopening. I guess that means I will have to take another trip back to see it in it's glory. Magazine Street was hopping, and Harrah's was busy, but I want to see that building. It's the only thing that will do. Cafe Du Monde (though I didn't have time to stop), The Superdome, and the other landmarks I wanted to see were fine, but it's still not quite right without Commander's.

You are correct the rice and all other ingredients should be cooked. I was just covering all the bases since I didn't know what recipe you had your hands on. The rice should be cooked before stuffing, no matter the rest of the recipe. Sorry about the confusion

It freezes fine. Cook it first. If you freeze the rice raw, it will never cook. Once it cooks, the moisture from the rest of the mixture rehydrates it nicely. I'd freeze in small portions, even as small as each link individually. It does not tolerate rough handling, so it must be completely defrosted before trying to seperate the links. Quality wise, there's not much difference between frozen and fresh if handled properly. Reheat by steaming. I've had good success with a rice cooker/steamer doing the job. It's a great item to make, and will keep frozen for quite a while. A couple of months at least. As an additional serving option, you can make individual boudin balls. Using fully cooked boudin, make balls with the casing about 1" or so, cut them apart, roll them in panko and pan fry. It will work with the frozen as well, just defrost completely and spray with a little water so the bread crumbs will stick. I would not freeze them with the bread crumbs on there, however.

I call is Parmasorta... No, it's not for when the cheese is the star of the dish. It's good for many "Italian American" dishes, where you have the thick sweet tomato sauce, or soups or anything that does not lean on the cheese for it's main flavor. If it needs to be a little saltier, or needs a little something to become better, the green can has it's place.

I don't own a restaurant. I have worked in chain joints and burger places. I have had customer service training in retail and healthcare settings. I want to open a restaurant. Maybe. Someday. These forums and certain media things have really shaped what I want in a restaurant. In a perfect world, being a slave to the food is the highest form of being a restauranteur. Everything revolves around the food, ala Thomas Keller, Adrian Ferrara, Fergus Henderson etc. The rest of us mortals have to contend with the 99.7% of other people who would never step foot into those other restaurants, even if someone else was footing the bill. Here's the other thing. I'm guessing many chefs or people who own restaurants have little to no customer relations training. I don't see that being taught at many culinary schools or as part of the curriculum for a business degree. It's as important as food safety or stocking the bar. There is a reason that chain places and retail outlets spend so much money on training for customer service. It is the cheapest form of advertising. There is a balance to be had there. The customer is not always right. But neither are you. When there is any doubt in your mind, the default winner should be the customer. If you are a chef or own a restaurant, and you know in your heart of hearts that you are correct, then the customer is wrong, and should be handled accordingly. The double edge if that is that the customer, wrong as he was, will tell everyone he knows about the experience. You as a chef/owner have to pay a lot more to counteract that. If the wrong person was wrong, then you are doomed. If (as random examples) Jeffery Steingarten wrote something about or Tony Bourdain filmed an episode in your restaurant and had a problem with your restaurant, you might as well lock the doors. (Unless you are in New York. Then you will find the crowd that goes directly against what some critics say.) If a customer does not like a dish, the generous thing to do is to replace or refund. The right thing to from a business standpoint can be somewhat different. edited to fix typoos and clarify (I tend to ramble on long posts)

Take one bottle, divide it up into portions equal to the number of flavors you want to infuse. Infuse each flavor individually in those portions. Then pour the other whole bottle into a large container, then start seasoning it with the individual flavors. When you get a mix that you like, stop.

Bet they love mac and cheese and mayo...

Bluto wanted for questioning.... And how exactly are parents supposed to get kids to eat fresh vegetables when this crap keeps happening? The overcooked salty canned stuff suddenly seems to be a somewhat safer option in some cases.

Oh yes... you definately don't want to do this. You especially don't want to do this with a $40 Magnum Pepper Grinder you bought just 9 HOURS AGO!!! . NOT HAPPY!!! ← Well, if I would have been here 9 hours ago instead of a casino, I could have saved up both some money.

Be very very careful with glass or Corningware. The "eyes" stay hot for quite a while even with the switch off and the coils dark. Another bit of trivia, beware of the exhaust heat from the oven. Many times (like on my current apartment stove) one or all of the burners can get quite hot, enough to melt plastic or burn hands at least. One of the many things I've learned in the kitchen the hard way. If you live in an area that has electrical problems, consider getting a camp stove for a backup. It's rough to sit there in the dark and not be able to feed yourself. At least you can do eggs or a steak on a camp stove quite nicely.