LaurieB

Michael, Where was your article and whom did you list? I'd like to see it. Flying Fig's chef is Karen Small -- and the food is great. Michael Fadel and Nick DeCoco at Sage are phenomenal. Laurie

It's now on my list, too.

There is a Dave's directly across from the West Side Market -- very large selection of Hispanic products and not quite as seedy as some of the other Dave's.

I worked in a restaurant where the manager had the bad habit of leaving her set of manager's keys laying around. So one day the chef found them, put them in a 6 pan, filled it with water and put it in the freezer. By the time she started looking for them, they were frozen into a solid block of ice. I wish I could say she was much more careful after that, but alas. The next time, her keys ended up in a 6 pan in the oven.

Hi -- I don't have a good way to reheat cornbread -- it dries out really fast, but I have a recipe for cornbread pudding which is not bad. Let me dig it out and I'll send it to you. Laurie

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Cheese puffs. They have to be DanDee cheese puffs, though.

The City Centre, from what I know, is very nice. Let me see if I can get the most current scoop on it for you. It's been a few years since I've worked Downtown, so I'll do some research on that for you, too. All the restaurants I mentioned upthread are excellent, not within walking distance, but just a short cab ride away. Cleveland is definitely a meat and potatoes town (read German/Polish/Jewish), but there is also a fairly large population of Latinos and Asians. If you're interested, PM me and let me know when you'll be here -- maybe I can give you a tour of some of our markets and we can have lunch. LaurieB

Indeed, brie in puff pastry is truly food of the gods. I have to tell you that, while some will turn to chocolate to celebrate, or to ease pain, I turn to brie in puff pastry.

Add 2 more for me.

Triumph!! NOBODY guessed the pickle ornament was mine! I've decided that I will play the game with my kids on Christmas Day -- the only problem is what to give as the prize. Any suggestions? There will be my 2 boys (23 & 25), a girlfriend (25), neice & boyfriend (24 each) and nephew (20). A new tradition. Laurie

OK, OK, I think Andie wins! Like I said, I bought a pickle for my gift to myself. I'll let ya know who guessed it was mine. Laurie

Well, alrighty, then! I have already bought my Bring Your Own Present -- a Pickle Ornament. Maybe I'll play the game with the boys -- they're too big to tear the tree apart, but whoever finds it first will get a prize Thanks for the info! Laurie

So can any erudite eGr tell me why, if you're German, you're supposed to have a pickle ornament? Maybe a pickle ornament should be my gift to my at the Bring Your Own Present Party Laurie

I sometimes do an egg souffle roll. I think there's a basic recipe on Epicurious -- if you can't find it, I'll post mine. You can fill it with any number of combinations and it's good at breakast, brunch or an early lunch. Laurie

For those of you who have a Christmas tree as part of your Holidays, what, if any, food related ornaments do you have on it? It never really dawned on me. We have 2 trees (a small one in the den and the big one in the living room). My husband usually takes care of the decorating of the big tree -- it's not about the ornaments as much as how many lights we have. This year there's 1600. Anyway, I happened to have the time to help put the ornaments on, and noticed that I have a number of food-related ones: A set of four with different paintings of vegetables 2 different clusters of grapes, with 2 additional mini clusters A chef, standing on a pot, holding a whisk My favorite -- a little black teapot, which my great-great grandmother brought with her on the boat from Germany. How this made it in one piece never ceases to astonish me. How about you? Any? Any favs? Laurie PS, as a girl of German heritage, I am sad to say that I don't have a pickle. Every year I mean to get one, but don't even know why you're supposed to have a pickle ornament on your tree. Anybody know? Thanks. L

Cheesy poofs. But only the skinny DanDee cheesy poofs. No other kind match up.

Luchita's in Cleveland is one of my favorites. 3456 W. 117th St., Cleveland, OH 44111; Phone is 216.252.1169. The chef is named Rey Galindo. Make Ruhlman buy you a couple of Cuervo Margueritas there when you come to town. Laurie

Finally had some time to cook. Cream of celery soup finished with cilantro. Very delicate but at the same time VERY rich. No salad Herb roasted pork tenderloin with pan sauce; roasted cauliflower (my DH's new favorite vegetable ) and a gratin of shredded potatoes with some apples and horseradish. Cranberry mousse for dessert. All was good. LaurieB

OOh just thought of another. We rarely had "brunch" type stuff. But Sunday nights when my mom didn't want to cook, we had pancakes -- lathered with butter and topped with sugar and rolled up -- and you ate them with your fingers! That's how they were different from breakfast pancakes. I forgot about those, too. Thanks, all, for the memories. Laurie

"An early version of steak tartare" For me, perhaps. For my Mom, it was just me scamming raw hamburger. Laurie

I totally forgot about the raw hamburger thing. I was five. I had a salamander (the repitile, not the piece of equipment) and I had a ploy. My mom would give me a hunk of raw burger for the salamander. I would give him half, and I would eat half. Then I would go back to the kitchen and say "he was really hungry today! Can I have some more?" Then back to my room where he would get half and I would get half. I have to believe my mom knew I was doing this. I hope. Laurie

Eating the knust off my grandmothers homemade bread, slathered with butter. The knust (german) is the heel of the bread. We fought over it. I was 17 before I learned there was an English word for it, since I always heard it referred to as "the end piece of bread" by my friends.

Katie, If I send you my address and some leak-proof FedEx envelopes, will you share your staff meals? Laurie

We COULD NOT look at anything left over for our little staff meal today. We sent out!! for pizza (pepperoni & double cheese) and some salad. Very tasty and a nice change. Laurie

Turkey pot pie with shiitakes Turkey Tettrazini Turkey Marsala Of course, turkey sandwiches! I'm going to try a recipe I just came across for cranberry mousse dessert, made with leftover cranberry sauce which sounds pretty good. Hope all had a good Thanksgiving! Laurie