Mudpuppie

They were thinking "$$$$$$". It's like substituting, I dunno, tenderloin for brisket in good bbq. There's a reason why it needs to be the lesser cut.

Caveat 1: I'm joining in late, so maybe no once cares anymore. Caveat 2: I can't eat bagels anymore (trick jaw), and am not an expert (native Texan). BUT... One place I've always liked is Hot Jumbo Bagel in downtown Austin. Fifth Street, I think, near the post office. Back when I was a bagel eater, their stuff seemed pretty good -- not that I knew the difference, really. But the main reason I like them is that evil corporate mofo Bruegger's moved in two doors down, as was their wont in the late 90s. ([soapbox] They followed the Starbucks business model of moving in nextdoor to a successful competitor, then stealing their business. [/soapbox].) But after a year, Hot Jumbo put Bruegger's out of business! I've always had a soft spot for that dumpy little place. I hope they have good bagels so I can justify this post.

Ooh, ooh! Use tomato confit instead! Bathe the thing in the tomatoes' olive oil and the tomatoes -- bet that would be really yummy. I can provide the tomato confit recipe, if you need one.

"..., my wife Betsey, ...." Just kidding. It's one of those few things in life that's absolutely reliable.

I always thought it was an oxymoron! I'm jealous, really. I have only horrific memories of chicken fried steak. It was served at least once a week in our school cafeteria.** And on high school band trips, we somehow always ended up eating at restaurants that primarily served chicken-fried foods. On one 18-hour bus trip, the chicken fried eaters among us ended up with food poisoning. Picture a charter bus, its tiny bathroom, and 20+ nauseated high schoolers.... Oh well. Never had a good one. I'm sure it's not the only thing in my life about which that is true. (**But for some reason, the institutional mashed potatoes and yeast rolls that accompanied the CFS rocked.)

HERETIC!!!! Edited to add

Here's another question. Does anyone know which cooking methods make turnips more bitter? I tried making turnip fries once, figuring that turnips could be substituted for potatoes in just about any recipe. But the frying made them inedibly bitter. Man, were they nasty. They were nice when raw, though. Any theories for why this happens, and on which cooking methods to avoid with the humble turnip?

*urp* This reminds me of what used to be -- and maybe still is -- a Texas wintertime staple: Warm Dr. Pepper. It was served at football games, outdoor festivals, etc. Ugh, my stomach turns just thinking about it. Note: Not a curative foodstuff. The opposite, actually, for me.

You're right. I stand corrected.

You know, you people have obviously never had any good turnips. There are a lot of bad turnips in the world. I feel bad for your misfortune. Edited to add .

Yes!!! This is the one I had in the back of my mind, but couldn't manage to remember. I knew there was a really great, unusual turnip product that I wanted to hunt down -- turnip cake, it was! You've made me a very happy girl.

I am so sorry for you!

This crop is a first for me. I usually end up with puny greens and no roots. This year I must have good karma. I forgot to add roasting to the list of things I know how to do. Indeed, it's one of my favorites. One of my best wintertime comfort foods: roasted root vegetables. Dice potatoes, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks (minced) and garlic; coat with olive oil, thyme, S/P and paprika; roast until tender. The leeks get crispy and a little charred. Sooooooo good. Thanks for all the ideas, and especially the links. Yum.

Yep! They're better!

Easy -- they're the best. They're so good, in fact, that it's impossible to put your finger on why they're good. That's how good they are. What could be better than anything that good? **Sigh.** I get back to Austin only twice a year now, once at christmas. They're usually closed around the holidays.

Turnips are usually pretty bitter, so I can understand your sentiment. I think they're good when boiled so much they're kind of killed, like in couscous. Actually, I've tried feeding them to my chickens, but they don't want them! Turnips are bitter when they're old, but the baby turnips are really sweet and delicately flavored. This is why I'm not sick of them yet, and why I want to expand my repetoire.

I've decided I need to eat more turnips. Actually, my garden is producing them rather well at the moment. I only know three ways to fix them: steamed, mashed, and raw. Any guidance and/or recipes? Thanks very much!

Hi Pan, Is that Campbell's soup with tripe in it, Pepper Pot, or something like that? I don't have the slightest idea! I was asking dankphishin to tell me! Yep -- Pepper Pot. It's only available regionally (mostly PA, I think), but the Campbell's website has advice on how to get ahold of it: http://www.campbellsoup.com/online_shop.asp

Oh oh oh!! And Jo's on South Congress. Now that's some kickass fast food.

Sorry, I have to be the dissenting voice on Thundercloud. I agree with you on their business practices, but have had too many gross-out experiences at too many of their stores to feel kindly towards the (mediocre, IMHO) sandwiches. Glad y'all have had better experiences, though. As for other Austin quickies, I love EZ's and Delaware Subs. And Schlotzsky's too -- there aren't any near my new neck of the woods, and I miss them. How about Central Market's cafe? And, I have an embarrassing soft spot for the sort-of-gross campus egg roll stands. I know the food sucks, but it's cheap and fast and the vendors are so darn friendly. Just undergrad nostalgia, I guess. Also -- the best breakfast tacos in town are at Porfirio's. I'm sorry -- there is to be no argument about this. North of Austin, can't beat the Czech Stop for a quick treat, even if it's not technically fast food..

It's also called vitamin C. I've seen someone on TV (Chiarello, I think) use smashed up vitamin C tablets in recipes. Don't know if I'd use that method in any quantity, though.

...Or take a trip to B.C. [Edit: Forgot to mention that the USDA woman -- who was actually pretty nice for a fruit Nazi -- told me that she'd let it slide this time, but that she could have fined me $100 for the single mangosteen, and $1000 if I had been carrying more.]

Chex Mix.

I can't decide if you're an optimist or a masochist....

The harvest of hearts of palm is actually a really big issue in deforestation -- globally, but especially in the Amazon. Since it's a fairly upmarket product, multinationals leapt into the game, competing for palm stands in developing countries. Sort of like the worst of the logging companies, the big corps have for the most part made no attempt to replace what they've harvested. Can we say "bottom line"? Because the traditional method of harvest is simply cutting the tree down, big problems have resulted. Fewer trees means diminishing habitat for lots of little critters, which means a harder life for the bigger critters that feed on them, and so on. Also, local residents rely on the palm trees for much more than food -- they utilize the fibers, palm oil, fruit, etc. You wouldn't think that something as innocuous as a novel salad ingredient could cause such biodiversity nightmares, but it does. There's a fairly new movement to harvest hearts of palm sustainably. Right now this means a couple things. It could mean that growers replace trees they cut down. They're also planting varieties of palm that mature in as little as 2 years, which means that replacement trees aren't a generation away. But they're also using new growing methods that encourage a tree to grow shoots -- sort of like bamboo shoots. The shoots are harvested and the tree stays put. Just a little palm trivia for you. Next time you pick up a can, you might want to see if it claims to be harvested sustainably. If not, maybe plant a couple of palm trees.... Here's a link to an interesting article on the shoot harvesting. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2214383.stm