LaurieB

Oxyclean is a miracle. A friend at dinner knocked over a full glass of red, which was mopped up with a bunch of cloth napkins. I dumped them (the next day) into a tub of water & Oxyclean and WATCHED the stains disappear. Several of my chef friends swear by it for their whites, too.

Very good -- thank you all -- keep them coming. Laurie

Thank you, thank you. These are great! Keep them coming, please.

Ususally when my husband & I eat out, we order something that we can't make at home. Do you do the same, and if so, what is it? Laurie

First, thanks so much for all the responses -- keep them coming & I'll post more on my project. This just cracked me up: once went to a new chain restaurant everyone was talking about (in Hawaii, we don't get a lot of national chains, so I was curious) and was horrified when the waiter pulled up an extra chair and sat down at my table to take the order. <<shudder>> I can't even recall the food. I've never been back It's happened to me too -- I think the waiter was slightly surprised that we didn't invite him to join us for a beer.

I'm working on a small project that will focus on what people -- of all ages and walks of life -- look for when they go into an eating establishment. Any type of establishment, from fast-food to white tablecloth. I'm interested in it all -- cleanliness; how good/bad the food is -- the whole nine yards -- what you and your family and friends notice and how they judge a place. Major stuff, and the incredibly minor. I don't need/want specific place names -- just the kind of things you notice when you eat out. Thanks! Laurie

My husband & I don't travel a great deal, but when we do -- we want to make the most of dining time & dollars, so being able to check out restaurant menus & other pertinent info on-line is crucial. We look to checking places out on-line while making our travel plans -- although we're always open to change when we get to where we're going, on advice from the locals.

I'm coming into the time of year where my husband needs to take a lunch into work with him. Ham & Swiss; Roast beef & Cheddar; Egg or Tuna salad -- they quickly become routine. So any ideas for some tasty sandwiches? Or spreads? Thanks -- Laurie

From Katie Loeb: "sesame cracker-like lumpy things" I want a recipe for that -- just for the name alone. Anyone have one, or do I have to make one up?

In my ongoing quest for obscure information -- could someone explain a Sucket fork? Is this the name of the designer/manufacturer? The purpose for this? Thanks -- Laurie

Just being curious. My Mom and my aunts cooked because they had to. For Mom, frozen/prepared foods were God's gift to the mother, wife and professional nurse who had to also get food on the table, so I'm not exactly sure how I came to be into food/cooking and all that goes along with it. But I did. How did you come into it? Laurie P.S. My best friend, a professional chef, claims it was complete self defense. I think more of his talent, though.

"I think everyone needs to have a little "Go to Hell" night once in a while!" I love that quote! Thank you, Natasha! That could be a chapter in the cookbook which I am being pressured to write. Anyway, Tater Tots are big on my list. Also, frozen Michelina's pasta dinners.

Ribs are on the menu for next weekend at my house! How about sharing the recipe for the apple/fennel slaw? All looked delish. Laurie

Count me in to help and advise, if needed. I have designed and built a wine list, re-done bathrooms, and tasted lots -- of course, before doors opened. Good luck! I look forward to hearing how you're coming along! Laurie

The food/beverage/restaurant community in my town is very tight -- as a member of said community, it would only take me 1 to 3 phone calls to get the story on anyone I was considering hiring. I agree, lying on your resume could very well come back to bite you where it would hurt.

I wish you great good luck! Before making major investments in time/labor/construction/materials, etc., check to see what you legally need to do to continue/open/incorporate your business, if you haven't already done so. I've seen too may people move ahead, in a major way, only to be set back by legal issues. Again good luck! Laurie

OK, I do not lay claim to the Roasted Cauliflower as MY recipe. But I sure do pass on how to make this yummy goodness to anyone who wants to know. So here comes my Aunt, a woman whom I adore, who wants to know how to make this dish about which I have raved. I tell her -- it is, after all, so simple and so extremely good. WELL, she emails me that IT DID NOT COME OUT LIKE I SAID IT WOULD!!!! She then tells me she followed my directions EXACTLY -- except -- The fresh cauliflower was too expensive. She substituted frozen florettes. She had no olive oil. So it was roasted dry. Salt is bad for you, so omitted. No pepper, of any kind, so omitted. It came out burnt to a crisp and unedible. Was I crazy to suggest this? This isn't the first, or second, or third, time that I have given her a recipe and had her so totally ignore and/or alter it that it has come out inedible. What amazes me is that she'll only ask for it after 1) hearing me rave about it or 2) actually eating it at my house. I understanding tweaking or modifying someone else's recipe. I do this myself on occasion. But what do you do when you give someone a recipe that doesn't work because they've changed it so drastically? Thoughts? Laurie

Another vote for the Weber kettle grill. I bought one about five years ago for my husband's birthday -- however, he has only gotten to actually use it himself perhaps 4 times since then. He claims I am the Grill Hog. We don't have air conditioning, so from mid-May to end of September, the oven doesn't get turned on -- it's grill or stove top only. Which reminds me that I need to go and get the grill ready for the season. Laurie

Kris -- Caribou Coffee is not bad -- not sure if there's one near where you'll be staying. City Roast is a coffee stand at the West Side Market -- we buy a pound of whole beans there each week. They also offer a nice selection of teas. You can, of course, get a cup to go. Laurie

I'll be helping my sister host our cousin's wife's baby shower in a couple of weeks -- but, in the meantime, could you please post how you make creme brulee waffles? My mouth is watering. Laurie

I am curious as to how other EGulletters keep track of their recipe collection. 25 years ago this was not a problem for me (i.e., very small amount of recipes & cookbooks) but, today, after wasting 45 minutes searching for a recipe I knew I had (somewhere) but couldn't find -- I began to wonder how others keep track. Here's the general description of my "recipe collection" today: Approx. 275/300cookbooks (continuously growing, too ) Approx. 15 years worth magazines (Gourmet, Bon App., Food & Wine) 1 large (double size) recipe box 1 kitchen notebook 1 Word Document (containing approx. 200 recipes, formatted to be printed on recipe cards) 1 loose-leaf notebook holding menus I've collected over the past 10-15 years. Not included in the above list are recipes scribbled on scraps of paper, waiting to be typed into the Word doc., and a notebook recently started to keep track of wine and other beverage tasting notes. Please share how you keep track of your recipes. Thanks in advance for all insight/input. Laurie

I love dill pickles and never thought there could be such a thing as too many. But I now have a HUGE container of them in my fridge. Any creative relishes, etc. out there? Thanks -- Laurie

I've not yet eaten at Sergio Abramof's new place, Sarava, but have heard only good things. Plus, he is going to be a guest chef on the PBS program I produce, WVIZ Cooks!, which is airing this Saturday, 11 March. My "East Side Passport" is fully up-to-date -- just say the word. Laurie

I was raised with a "waste not, want not" attitude towards food. So here's my question -- what to do with those little odds and ends -- leftover leftovers -- the dribs and drabs left in your fridge/pantry that are still too fresh/good/plentiful to be tossed but too scant to be used as a main ingredient in dish. Tell me your ideas? Laurie

Kristin -- If you really feel you must spend time on the West Side, then I would feel duty-bound to join you for a Margarita at Luchita's.