bobmac

My wife being Catholic and it also being Ash Wednesday, I has to put off the planned spicy braised ribs and switch to fish with black bean sauce.

I frequently make a sort of ersatz chili with ground beef and beans because it's quick and easy. Now I plan an authentic Texas version -- no beans and am wondering what usually accompanies it since there is no vegetable.

Oops, my bad. On further inspection, it seems I misunderstood a direction. A recipe that required a footnote instead referenced the footnote of another recipe and I thought it referred to the whole recipe. I guess the point was to avoid redundancy and I didn't read carefully enough.

I have a Tex-Mex book that seems to use the terms "mole sauce" and "mole paste" interchangably. Specifically, it calls for a tablespoon of sauce and then refers to a mail-order source for paste. Since "mole sauce" is in itself redundant, what gives? Are paste and sauce the same?

A hotdog from Boston Speed's would be a more worthy equivalent to a cheese steak. And I think Mitt's going bye bye next election.

My local coffee suppliers all have instructions on the bag not to freeze the beans, but Harold McGee's latest book says you can. I've got a feeling I've got to go with McGee. Beuller?

For pizza I recently used King Arthur's Italian-style flour. I think it has better stretchability.

I use parchment paper and a peel, leaving the paper in the oven for three minutes, then sliding it out, a trick I learned from Nancy Silverton's foccacia recipe.

A friend in the beverage industry was once given a tour of the Smirnoff distillery. The same company, of course, bottles Popov, which sells for a lower price. "I've seen where you make the Smirnoff," my friend said at the end of tour, "but where do you make the Popov?" His guide merely chuckled.

Five-year-old Grafton.

I've taken to making my own, using Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe. Of course there is a theory that the Scots are one of the lost tribes of Israel.

Barq's Root Beer contains caffeine" ← Wait a minute, are you saying that caffeine gives Barq its bite?

I used to go to the old Stoddard's downtown. There's still one near the Pru and in Chestnut Hill.

I friend recommended it, but I think maybe it loses its zip. I cooked with some tonight and didn't taste it, but maybe is was supposed to be subtle. I used to store it in vodka in the fridge. Any ideas?

Ah, excellent! I've frozen them but never thought of doing it individually.

Rachel Ray make a leek soup yesterday using much more of the green than I normally use (I go up about an inch and a half, two inches). Did she use more because it was a soup? What's the rule of thumb? Have I been wasteful?

Amen! Grand parents on one side original New Englanders (aside from Native Americans and supposedly a bit of that, too) -- mincemeat and pumpkin (or squash) pies. Other grandparents from Canada but died before any memories of Thanksgiving.

Most of my recipes call for proofing at higher temperature than the 60 degrees in my house, some sourdoughs even in the 80s, as I recall. Even the light-on-in the-oven trick doesn't work. Any suggestions?

More like the Miller Lite. Mediocre espresso.

On the way out of a restaurant, a former colleague snatched a lobster from the tank and stuffed it into his briefcase. I believe alcohol was involved.

"Marshmallows and Chili for those with US connections, but that is now becoming increasingly politically incorrect over here." Does this mean hatred of America spreading to the UK? And speaking of hotdogs, I once ate one from a London vendor that made me very ill.

Creamed finnan haddie is simply finnan haddie in a white sauce with potatoes. I have no trouble finding the finnan haddie itself, I'm just looking for a restaurant that serves the creamed version. I have made it at home, but my wife doesn't like it and it's hard to make a small amount once you have thawed the fish. I tried freezing leftovers, but it was unsatisfactory. I'm on unsteady ground here, but I suspect it's more along the line of cold-smoked, since legend has it that the original smoking was accidental when the folks in Findan were drying fish.

" (we save the liquid and de-grease it and freeze it, and then use it next time we pre-boil duck)" Why? Does it intensify the flavor?

A martini is gin and vermouth. A vodka martini is vodka and vermouth. Period.

I envy anyone who can get good kippers. In the States all I can find are the wretched canned ones and some that are far too salty and stiff as shoe leather.