Cusina

oh yum, I'm going to try that! Yet another use for Neuskes bacon... which, by the way, was rated this week by the NYT as the second tastiest bacon in the country.

pssst... Jenny, you didn't get this from me, but if you add a can of creamed corn (the smaller size) to this recipe and make it in a 10" skillet instead of an 8" it is really tasty. The mom in me is always trying to figure out sneaky ways to add vegetables to my kids' diets and that is one of my favorites. Right up there with edamame in the pasta.

Interesting points here... it is an extremely complex issue. But, I still am left wondering what should they have served for lunch? Should they just ignore the holiday and serve the usual? Why would it have been perfectly fine to have a Jazz concert in his honor but not a lunch? I never realized NU was so "white". I worked for the NU med. school for a few years and their Medical School campus (downtown, not in Evanston) absolutely isn't. Granted, the African American population isn't huge, but other minorities are very present making for a wide racial mix. And NU is in a huge urban population, hardly tucked away in some backwater corner of the country, so I can't believe that they are just "ignorant" of racial issues.

Hmmm... think I'll take a pass. Unless I find one that is too pretty to deny. Thanks for the input.

Hmmm... depends on your definition of down under. Down under a foot of Snow? I'm in Wisconsin. Though, Tolliver, I do thank you for remembering me to be much more exotic than the typical midwesterner. _____________ Do you think we could talk Craig Camp into blogging? He lives in Italy and travels alot, I think. I'll bet he gets some good eats, plus his writing is excellent. Maybe this isn't his thing as he doesn't chime in here often, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. I would love to hear a blog with more of a wine focus. ____________ Squeat, you STILL don't have a stove?? You poor thing. Why I otta have some words with that landlord of yours! Either that or invite you over for dinner... ________ Mike, thanks for picking up the torch. That is a very purty butt, however visuals are only half the story... when judging butts I'm all about texture and um, flavor. Hard to tell from just a picture, even one as food pornerific as that one. How exactly did you get your butt to look so fine? Braising details would be appreciated. Or do I have to provide a bribe for those too? I have a dump truck sticker, a grape sucker and .37 cents cash. Oh and some freshly made cornbread.

I love spicy when the weather is sub-zero. Go in for mexican, rich italian marinaras and Indian dishes. I also bake quite a bit. Pot-pies, quiches, calzones, breads and cookies make the menu a lot more when it's sub zero. Oh and bread pudding. The best when it's freezing outside. Welcome to eGullet Knicke! This is not fancy, but I layer leftover braised meat slices in a shallow baking pan and pour popover batter over the top of it. Bake and serve with gravy. You can even do this in a ramekin for a single serving. Make your roommate happy with some of the plain popovers too. Here is my Mom's recipe: 2 eggs 1 c milk 1 c flour 1/2 t. salt Mix it all up to a batter, don't worry about lumps. Pour over braised meat slices (or into greased muffin cups). Put into a cold oven. Set oven to 450. Bake 25 minutes until golden. Don't open the oven till done or they will fall.

I like this thread... very amusing to find an in depth discussion on how to boil water.

I'm spoiled, my husband spends an afternoon every couple of months making his grandfather's family sauce. It's good to marry an Italian I tell you. I kind of like Paul Newman's vodka sauce for the cupboard backup. Kind of creamy, cheesy and not so bad. Has a little more flavor to it than some do. Williams Sonoma also sells some very tasty jarred sauce, but you have to be willing to shell out $8 or so for it. I often bake my ravioli when I need a dinner that is able to have flexible serving times. You need to add a little more sauce this way so it doesn't dry out, but saucy is good.

I read a little blurb about the Mezzaluna in this month's Cooks Illustrated. I wondered if it would be worthwhile having in the kitchen for chopping herbs etc... or is it just one more gadget to clutter up the drawer and $ I should spend elsewhere? http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...692001?v=glance

The sorority will require their women do a certain number of community service hours per semester. (Unknown to most of the modern world, sororities and fraternities do a LOT of good things for communities.) Why don't you encourage them to help you plan and cook some meals for a local homeless shelter with those staples and deliver and/or serve them? Find out who their foundation Vice President is and work with her on the project. It would set a GREAT example and I'll bet be a pretty fun afternoon too if you are willing to donate the time.

First off, I agree with Mr. Kinsey. Well said. My biggest complaint about restaurants and wine isn't lack of things I recognize on the wine list, it's lack of expertise. I hate getting handed a wine list, especially a long one, and then getting a blank look and mumbles when I ask for help in selecting to pair well with our dinner. I think the length of the list should correlate closely with the amount of knowledge they have about wine. Bottom line, a server should know what they sell or have an expert on hand who does. (I realize I'm preaching to the choir here ...) More on topic, I might not put those "not recommended" wines on the official list, just have a bottle of sutter home or santa margherita in the back in case someone asks for it. Sometimes I really do want something familiar, especially if it would make my mother-in-law happier with her evening. And for gosh sakes, don't mark UP the bad stuff. A lot of people assume higher prices means better wine (myself included). It would be awful to not know much about wine, order the high priced bottle and hate it, then realize later I'd been duped. Would turn me off completely from the place.

First off, I have no real experience in the business except the eating part. Just add me in as part of the cheerleading squad. Dreamland me would like to see you keep the Sommelier on your staff and make him/her a key player, someone with serious good character that becomes the centerpiece of your place (how about you?? get a wine internship). Make the restaurant a wine and beer bar with a menu that focuses on excellent food/beverage matching. And while I'm dreaming will you please bring it here to Appleton, Wisconsin? We sure could use a place like that! And boy howdy, the rent is cheap. This is random, but I'll give you a link for interiors that could save you some $$. The owners of this place are friends of ours (their daughter is in my daughter's 1st grade class, how is that for wholesome?) They have done several beautiful restaurants here. Excellent ambience with reclaimed materials. Urban Evolutions They are putting a reclaimed wood floor from a hotel in Deluth in our studio this coming week. Can't wait, it's going to be gorgeous. This is very interesting reading. I wish you all the best in this venture!

Thank you for asking such a well thought out question. Guacamole, in my mind, is one of the pure delights of being a cook. When you make it, you get the first and freshest taste! I like red tomatoes in mine, though I leave them out in the winter. I also go a bit heavy on the lime as I love the acid balance with the avocados. (Sometimes, I will slosh a little tequila in there too.) My favorite addition of the moment is chipotle peppers and a bit of their adobo sauce. I like the smokey taste in the mix. Good stuff!

So there is this huge, giant thing in the Midwest called Lake Michigan... they grow fish there and even eat them. Not only that but there are other lakes too, lots of them, and they have fish. Hehe, I love living in the flyover zone. Seriously though, I think growing up where seafood was scarce gave me even MORE of an appreciation for it. It was a serious treat rather than a daily occurence. I'll take good seafood over good steak anyday because of it's rarity. This, of course, is not to pass judgement on your dislike of seafood, it's just my own experience. Jenny, I really enjoyed the Post article you linked to back there. Finding your way into real life is tough. I watch my college girls struggle like crazy through their first year after graduation (wait... I only get part of my paycheck? They take the rest for taxes and insurance??). Transitions are hard and food is a big part of it. Big institutions like colleges (or the NBA) don't do a good job of preparing their charges. Thanks for putting that article up, I would have missed it otherwise. Oh, and as for the tomato sauce issue, someone really wise once said, you learn a lot more from your mistakes than you do your successes. Next time you'll know!

I found the reviews on the amazon site to be pretty revealing... here was an editorial review. "There are plenty of excellent quick-and-easy cookbooks out there, but this book feels like a cross between a giant advertisement and one of those free recipe books you get with mail-in proofs of purchase. Every ingredient that can possibly be branded is labeled as such. Lee's Salad Chinois is made with Swanson premium chunk chicken breast, Kikkoman soy sauce, McCormick ground ginger, Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise, La Choy chow mein noodles, Fresh Express prepared green salad, Chun King chow mein vegetables, and Dole mandarin orange segments. Gnocchi Dippers are whipped up with Alessi gnocchi, Bertolli olive oil, and, believe it or not, Kraft Velveeta cheese. The Malibu Rum Cake includes Malibu Rum, Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe yellow cake mix, and Jell-O vanilla instant pudding. And not only does Lee dictate brand names, she chimes in with advice on music and wine selections, as well. One can only hope that Wolfgang Puck wrote the introduction to this book without ever seeing it. --Leora Y. Bloom" And then one obviously written by her publishers... "It's all here: appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, desserts, snacks, even treats for your pet -- beautifully presented, artfully selected, and most can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Sandra also includes recommendations for her favorite product brands, grocery store shopping lists, helpful leftover hints, storage suggestions, and music and wine suggestions to accompany the meals. Semi-Homemade Cooking is perfect for anyone who wants homemade meals without spending hours in the kitchen. " Spin, it's all spin. You are right about the reader reviews giving some insight as to her audience. They are time starved people who are underconfident in their cooking skills for one reason or another. After reading the reviews, I see why she has a following. I just wish I didn't have that sinking feeling that they are being manipulated by her and her sponsors.

I'm with you, love olives and initially started drinking martinis for the snack at the bottom. When you do sort through and find the perfect olive... get one of these. I know, one more gadget for the drawer, but it really is a handy little thing. I pit them and then stuff with good blue cheese or gorgonzola.

Hmmm.... food childhood memories. The first thing that comes to mind is popovers. Hands down the most anticipated dinner side dish of my childhood. The second item is whiskey soaked cherries ala Dad's Manhattan. I think my first clear childhood food memory is of watching a distant cousin make a fruit salad "basket" out of a yellow fleshed watermelon at a family reunion. I must have been about 4 and was completely mezmerized by the task. She let me eat the scraps while she worked and I ended up being really sticky. Yellow watermelon tastes exactly like the pink stuff in my memory, only yellower. My worst childhood taste though was soymilk. Blergh. For some reason my mother decided I was milk sensitive and I spent a few months of my fifth year trying to argue my way out of drinking the stuff. I still gag when I smell it. Childhood summertime is all about kool aid and public pool concession stand ice cream and candy. Push-ups, twix bars, ice cream sandwiches, dip it sugar sticks, 1000 grand bars, dreamcicles, frozen snickers bars. 10 cents for the small stuff, 25 for the big candy bars out of the little red plastic squeeze change purse pinned to my pink panther towel with my season pass. ______________________ Back to here and now. I wonder how much the pro athlete's diet is determined by their age?? I ate like crap at 19 and 21 also, just didn't really know not eat what they told me to on the TV. I'm impressed when I read eGullet posts by people in their late teens and early 20s. I was so un-gourmet at that point in time. Eating was just kind of secondary to living (and drinking). I did it, but I wasn't good at it yet. By the time they are old enough to know better, the athletes' professional careers are probably almost over. I suppose though, unlike me, these are guys who are looking for peak performance from their bodies. They really should take in better stuff. Does a professional team do nutritional education?

I do water with lemon for the main meal and then milk or coffee with dessert.

The only reason I've tried foie gras or made my own stock or bought a cast iron pan is because I read about it here first. I liked it, it's tasty. I'll do it all again when I get the chance. Roux, you feel like this site has changed over the past few months for the worse because it is becoming more snobbish and narrow minded? To respectfully disagree, I think it actually seems to be welcoming more diversity. I felt absolutely nothing but supported and downright cheered on when I bared my sliced american grilled cheese making soul on my blog. I didn't feel attacked at all, even when eating chili out of a can for lunch (oh the agony!) Perhaps I'm misreading your rant, but I think most of us are here to question, learn and maybe have a laugh in the process. Maybe I'm just being a Polyanna, but I'm not seeing it become intolerant, just, like docsconz said very eloquently, more passionate.

I've posted this before (sorry to repeat myself!) but I've had success with this scone recipe off the Danon Yogurt site. Serve them with clotted cream or good butter. They are more rich, like a UK scone, than the usual American version.

What's my excuse? I have a family of four to feed and I still find lettuce that has seen better days in the back of the fridge. The vegetables spoil almost as fast as the children do around here. I love fruited pork tenderloin too. Looks good so far, blog on! I'm with ya.

A long time ago, some friends invited us over to share some strawberries and whipped cream they brought back from a weekend in the country. They were fine field ripened berries and my jaw dropped when I saw them plop Kewl Whip, or whatever it was called, on them. Whipped cream would have highlighted the berries wonderfully as would even a little thick cream that wasn't whipped. The nondairy product just ruined the berries. It greased the tongue in such a way as to shut out the berry flavor. Nothing is made better with this stuff, it is only made sweeter and I suppose the food glides off your tongue and down your gullet faster unless you gag on it. I scraped off as much of the stuff as I could and sheepishly muttered something about not really being a fan of whipped cream. I blame it, like everything else, on my mother who raised me not to say "I can't eat this shit" when I'm a guest in other people's homes. I am not a healthfood freak or a worshipper of Alice Waters and the Chef's Collaborative. I support science in the kitchen, but Cool Whip is a freak of science. Villagers with pitchforks and torches is an apt image. Oh I feel your pain. Dessert at MILs... beautiful strawberries. Such a treat for a northerner this time of year. Served over low fat frozen pound cake and topped with an ocean of cool whip. Gack. There was just no way to rescue those babies or escape eating it without insult. Ms. Lee is pretty much a big tub of cool whip, really. All plastic and fluff, no flavor and chock full o' enough preservatives so that she lasts way longer than you would think possible. Eventually though, she'll dry out into a white, unapetizing, flaky lump and get tossed out with the rest of the garbage.

<ahem> - I'm not that old. It was actually the '80s... Of course not. I thought you were precocious. Too Funny! I didn't like fish or red meat much before leaving home. Even chicken was iffy untill I realized you could cook it in a way it wasn't bone dry. You all are giving me hope for my daughter. She is SO picky about food right now. Onions, parsley, spinach, tomatoes and more. It's all icky. Hopefully she won't require an acid trip to make the change though!

After reading all these posts, I guess I could have had worse! Spam and velveeta? Bleh! And that season salt, wow, horrible. Amazing you all survived to tell the tale. My mom was the ultimate healthy cook. She still has microbiotics cookbooks on her shelf from the 70s that are covered in illustrations of funny mushrooms and stoned hippie women in aprons exclaiming over broccoli. (strangely enough, mom is not the least bit hippie, but hey). Healthy is good in theory, but not very tasty. She had food allergies to onions, corn and a lot of other things so her cooking was quite bland. Regulars in our household included: baked chicken. Just chicken and salt. baked fish. fish, salt and 'ooo' lemon. Spaghetti that was served on the table IN the water it was cooked in. Mush. with her sauce which was basically tomato paste, water, ground beef and garlic. Steaks that were cooked to shoe leather (kills all those germs you know). I completely stopped eating beef in high school as a protest. The absolute worst however was her fish soup. Egad. Fish not worthy of being prepared any other way combined with water, celery, carrots and tomato paste, a little salt. Voila. In her defense I think dinner was almost always held at least 30 minutes after she thought it would be served due to my father's workaholic tendancies. She also taught us how to eat artichokes and fondue and steamed the veggies perfectly. And makes killer pies and cookies for the holidays. I'm certain I owe my good skin, strong bones and resilient immune system to her too. I wonder what my kids will say about me in 20 or 30 years??

Well, I kind of like Godiva... especially their new line, G. There were a few in that box that were very beautiful, creative and delicious. I do agree that the quality of their regular line has diminshed over the past few years. This thread has some interesting conversation about the topic.