Mudpuppie

The gravel road on which I grew up was lined with wild plums. They probably weren't all that good, but it sure was exciting to come home with a bag-full. I've also foraged for prickly pear. Don't know why -- again, I think it's the thrill of the hunt. They don't taste all that good, and between the spines and the fire ants, they're just a downright PITA. My one favorable TX foraging experience was blueberries in the piney woods. Don't remember where. They were damn good, though. Also, fishing for crawdads with bologna on a string... but I'm not sure that counts. The crawdads usually let go as soon as they break the surface.

Clean and pare. Steam until just underdone. Marinate in balsamic, EVOO, oregano, S&P, store in a jar in the fridge.

Whoa - does it roll them out for you? My cuisinart doesn't, and rolling's where I run into trouble. If it's mixed right, rolling's the easiest part. There's a big pie crust tip.

Mexican-style rice (though I'm closer, now that memesuze shared a Diana Kennedy recipe with me) -- it's always gummy. Other rice I do pretty well. Enchiladas -- I can never manage to keep the tortillas from dissolving. I've tried frying them. Doesn't work for me. Harumph. Fortunately, my Kitchenaid mixer mastered pie crusts for me. Can't make one without the mixer, though.

This won't help you. My ex-mother-in-law-equivalent made it at our house once. She soaked the matzoh in water, mixed with eggs, and fried in vegetarian schmaltz (on whose non-existence I would have betted heavily). I loved it. To me, it tasted like fried chicken. Like I say, this won't help you.

My very extra special favorite is a breakfast taco from a certain place in Austin. Since I only get those about twice a year now, my second-favorite is garlic-cheese grits. Sautee the garlic until it gets a little toasty and butter gets brown. Stir liberally into grits, along with a couple handsful of sharp cheddar. Top with tabasco. A biscuit or two would be nice on the side.

This vegetarian is positively drooling over the BBQ pics.

I was going to refrain, but now I feel compelled to cite a precedent for BAY-zil: Basal.

In French it does. "Onion" does not have a 'g' in French or in any other language. Nope. "Oignon" does, though, in French as well as in English. Now, mind you, they do have the fourth of July in France. Also no 'g'.

Well, if you really want to make limoncello, you could start by making your own vodka. But first you'd have to plant some potatoes....

I went grocery shopping with my ex-sister-in-law once. She picked up a package of pasta "boaties" for a pasta salad she was going to make. I'd also like to be the first one -- possibly in the history of the world -- to say, in print, that the word "onion" does not contain the letter 'g.'

Sorry -- neither of these answers is going to help you much. The two best I've ever had were 1) a bottle an acquaintance brought back from Sicily, and 2) a bottle I made myself. Making it is really easy, even if you're lazy. It only takes a little time to prep the ingredients. The hardest part is the patience; it takes several weeks to a month for the flavors to really develop. Plus, if you make it, you can control the sweetness. My strongest advice if you make it: Don't use cheap booze.

Not: Monosyllabic restaurant names Upmarket salts Low- anything Restaurant menus that boast 50-word descriptions (with multiple verbs)

Sorry. I have principles. If you want the address of the restaurant, I'd be happy to oblige....

Saw this on a menu at an otherwise trustworty Mexican place last night. (Micheladas were also on the menu.) Chavela preperada: White wine, beer, clamato, and lime juice in a salted mug, with 7 jumbo shrimp on the rim. Help me out here. Does this sound good to anybody? If so, why? No judgment. Simple curiosity. (Yes, I know it should be "preparada," not "preperada.")

Is it just me, or does that sound like a voice-over explanation of an Iron Chef dish?

You're right, of course. I'm from Texas. Give me a break.

Carmelized onions are one of my favorite foods, and they're one of my favorite ingredients. I love them in mashed potatoes, on a grilled cheese sandwich, as a condiment for tacos, and sometimes I'll eat them on a slice of good bread with some blue cheese. What do you do with them?

Hey, thanks. I'll check it out.

I have some of these in my freezer. Got them at the Napa Dean and DeLuca. I like the idea of them, but they took hours to cook. I don't think I got the full effect because I was so frustrated by the end. When I want grits, I want them 20 minutes from now.

I heard about this on NPR last night. (Article here.) Suspciously absent was any info on the liquor lobby. I'm sure they're pushing for this too. The state senator they talked to mostly framed it as a public safety issue -- SC, he says, has the strongest drinks in the country, and that ain't good. Not that I think the potential change is bad. Just wish they would be less circumspect about all the reasons behind it.

I had my first Epoisse last week. A freakin revelation! Thanks to eGullet for recommending it! I need to try this. But first I need to know how to pronounce it. Help?

Not to quibble, but my opinion is that cooked turnips and rutabegas taste totally different. I think i could pick them out in a blind taste test. Love 'em both, by the way.

I am curious to hear more of this soup...was it a pureed soup? Chicken based? I need answers here!!! Yes, pureed and creamy. It was very smooth, save for small bits of pear. I think it probably had cream in it. Don't know about the chicken stock -- I'm veg. and can usually taste it, but I didn't notice it this time. At the time, I googled and found a couple recipes. My vacation ran short, though, and I haven't gotten around to making it.

Every time I've grown it, it's been tough -- no matter how many outer layers I remove. I finally learned to slice/chop it fine enough so that the fiberousness (?) didn't matter.