Susan in FL

I think you have something there. Even though I haven't really been afflicted with the food fatigue thing, I have always found that I "need" to eat a variety of food and my appetite follows that accordingly. For example, if I have been having a lot of one dish meals like pasta, stews, etc. without an assortment of vegetables in my diet, I get hungry for a bunch of fresh vegetables, almost to the point of craving whatever it is I haven't had recently. Like last night, we grilled a little roast of beef, and had with it a plate-full of mushrooms, baby artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. Of course I also need a big serving of some greasy junk food if I do low fat eating for an extended period of time!

I would imagine that can be true. It makes sense to me. However, I have seen a few Mojito recipes that don't call for adding lime halves, too. I did it exactly as the recipe states the first couple of times I made Mojitos with the Sloppy Joe's recipe, and didn't notice a difference after making that modification. Thanks for the post. Interesting!

Even when I put okra in gumbo (and I always do), I like it with some file sprinkled on it at the table.

I love the ideas I get from you, Elie (and everyone who posts on this thread). I hope to put something like that together soon. You also reminded me of that very soup, which I have been wanting to try. It's time for Thai again soon. Nicely put! That sounds like a wonderful company dinner. It sounds like a wonderful dinner for anybody, but especially doable for company. Yesterday we met my son halfway between Daytona and Pensacola to pick up our granddog, Josie. We are babysitting for her for about two months. So after seven to eight hours on the road, we didn't feel like doing much last night, and we had hamburgers and again, corn on the cob.

Same here! This is most impressive, and I have learned a great deal from the discussion. An aside... I wasn't as excited about this cook-off, because for me pizza didn't fall into the category of a dish that I've "always wanted to make at home (and may enjoy out) but rarely have made, or haven't made successfully." We make it fairly regulary at home, and successfully. But, I see that it obviously doesn't fall into that category for many of the participants, as well. I've probably been taking the cook-off criteria too literally; or maybe, if anybody else has done the same, maybe we want to revise the criteria a little to make it a bit more broad. In any case, after this, the pizza we make at home will be made much more successfully! The ideas are fantastic, and I especially can't wait to try a pie with eggs.

Gladly... Here's a link for one copy of the recipe. One way I have adapted the directions is to squeeze the lime juice into the glass, then add the sugar and mint, and then crush the sugar and mint with the back of a spoon until sugar is dissolved. I pop the lime halves into the glass after I do that. That way, there is more ease in crushing up the sugar and lime.

1st course was roasted spiced shrimp atop mango and avocado salsa. Then, duck three ways: sauteed boneless breast, deep-fried leg-thigh pieces, & a medallion of duck innards paté -- all over a "bed" of snow peas, with Syrah to drink. For dessert we are about to have mango mint fool and barleywine. I miss my camera.

Yes, we must remember we are in FL. I ate and drank there, and am able to confirm that they are not known for their food. The Mojito was good, and in fact it's the Sloppy Joe's recipe for Mojitos that I routinely use. Click to see the Sloppy Cam.

Alberto, that is the most beautiful homemade pizza I've ever seen.

Honestly I cannot say that has ever happened to me, but if it did, I would do what the other Susan does, with the addition of food magazines and probably without the cold compress. (Seriously. Such is often my reading material when I go to bed early.) The compress might interfere with positioning needed for turning the pages, depending of course on what body part a compress is placed. (I will place a smilie after that statement.) Substituting a glass of wine for compresses could work, too.

The Florida Legislature passed a bill to allow smoking at the Key West location of Sloppy Joe's, based on being in an historic building, without a children's menu, and with sales of food not exceeding 20% of its revenue. Click here for the newspaper story from the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Wow, delicious looking food and great photos, as always Percy. Now I'll take my turn to play catch-up; although not all of my dinners this past week have been both noteworthy and photogenic. Well it doesn't make any difference how photogenic anything was if I can't load the pictures. The USB cable has been temperamental lately and it looks like a little prong or some part of it is broken. Damn, that bums me out, bad. One of the best photos was going to be Thursday night's dinner of beautiful and tasty ribs that we slow cooked on the grill, Caesar salad, and corn on the cob. Not as pretty but about as good-tasting was going to be sauteed herbed boneless chicken thighs and baby artichokes, with homegrown baby cabbage from our garden and Florida grown corn & zucchini, from Wednesday night.

Tonight at Happy Hour a Yuengling on draft at a real back-woodsy Florida fish camp type place on the Halifax River. From the looks of the bar, it surprised me that they even had beer other than in cans that smell like cigarettes. Then, a Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA at home.

I hope to see both types of topics, as on the Wine Forum. I must say though that I am enjoying the type of notes being posted on the current threads going on here now. I myself need to brush up on how to write a Tasting Note. I certainly haven't mastered that. Jeff, we "allow" folks to add their tasting notes as well as scores for the beers they try, here, too! Really I do get what you're saying about the sites devoted to beer, and hope you'll continue to share your impressions and expertise about beer on eG also. I enjoy your posts and appreciate your contribution to this growing forum. Mary, I got a kick out of the brewing going on in your tasting room!

Susan so what do you think? i tried it a while ago but don't remember if i liked it or not... ← I love Tuppers' Hop Pocket, and suspect from reading about other beers you are enjoying that you would like it. Hope you get a chance to try it again soon. I love its extreme hoppiness, but smoothness at the same time. Another thing I have always liked about it is its consistency... We've never gotten a bad bottle and it always tastes the same. The exception of course is that the best we've tasted is draft from the Old Dominion brewpub. We used to take growlers of it home. This is Russ's overall favorite beer of all time.

Thanks for the great info, doc. That's what I have and I appreciate the tips. Good job, Grub. Impressive. I am following this interesting cook-off, but want to pass on participating this time. Cheers!

Wow! I have never seen them that expensive. Same here. We don't pay more than $30.00 when we get them from Publix, and usually under $20.00 each. Kim, I definitely wouldn't pay that much either. I hope you have success shopping around for a good price.

BCinBC, better late than never. Glad you posted. I'm looking forward to hearing more about foods and beers that you enjoy. Thanks for the links.

The posts on this thread are mouth-watering! That IS outrageously cheap. I didn't know of that beer, so I did a search to find out a little about it. In case it's new to anybody else as well: It's an American-style lager [that is correct, isn't it?] made by The Lion Brewery in PA. Chufi, I'm so glad you found this thread and the Beer Forum. I have noticed good-looking beer in some of your food photos. Welcome. I will not tell your husband. I see that so far one fellow beer lover has responed to your questions about how to discover new beers in the U.S. To add to that, I think of three main things for finding good beers, brew pubs and beer bars and good beer stores/specialty shops. That sounds much like you described in The Netherlands. Yes, many American Brews... Do you find American microbrews in Amsterdam? Yesssss!! I knew you would find a stout you really, really like. I love Dogfish Head's Chicory Stout, too, and am glad that Dogfish Head beers in general are showing up in Florida. There is hope. ...Four of my favorites! I am drinking Wild Goose IPA even as we speak, but I wish it was a different goose. I wish it was Goose Island. I am about to switch to Tuppers Hop Pocket. The Wild Goose is drinkable, but the least favorite of the beers we have on hand right now.

Brent, thanks. You and the others who are so good at tasting notes have me wondering about whether membership would like to have separate, or additional, topics for tasting notes for beer. ..."Official" tasting notes. This really is another topic, so I am starting a new thread. Here it is. Again, thanks for yours. I am learning a lot.

I'm seeing some really good "official" or "properly done" tasting notes (TN) being posted. I am wondering how you all feel about the possibility of posting a separate (or additional?) topic when you're posting the notes you took on a specific beer. I don't want anybody to feel like they are being monitored by the Beer Review Police here or anything like that, but I can see advantages to threads being devoted to TNs on particular beers. A primary advantage is that if anybody does a search for a specific beer, such TN threads on that beer would come up in the search. Another thought... If we post TNs on beer, should we coin another phrase to show that it's beer, not wine, for inclusion in the topic title, such as for example "Beer TN: Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale" instead of "TN: Black Sheep Brewery Riggwelter Yorkshire Ale"? In the meantime, and while there is discussion about this, please do feel free to post threads devoted to tasting notes if you are so inclined! I really like them, also because I learn what characteristics to look for when I'm drinking beer. However, this won't mean that a short, informal report on beers won't be welcomed (such as, "this beer is delicious" or "this has great citrusy hop flavors"). Did this make any sense at all?

All right! It's a go!

wonder how many are counted & voting, both places ← LOL!!

Thanks, Bill. In thinking of cab's distance for Wendy, I forgot about Antonio's. Based on the dinner I had there, I would highly recommend it. I was by myself when I was there, too, and wow... the very handsome waiters took excellent care of me. It was a wonderful place to dine alone, by the window with a view of the lake down below. I went to Antonio's in Maitland. Here's the website. There is a menu online. Are all three locations basically the same? Wendy, if you have time to spend at the airport around dinner time, the restaurant at the hotel (the hotel which is located inside the airport), Hemisphere, is actually very good. If you are there for lunch, the other restaurant and bar in the same hotel is a good lunch or snack place. From Hemisphere, you can watch the planes flying in and out.

Last night: Moussaka, The Cookoff. Tonight Russ cooked delicious pinto beans and kale.