petite tête de chou

Defintely peanut oil, love the stuff. I wish that I knew of a brand that had a more pronounced peanut flavor. But then, the smoke point would be lower, correct? Second choice would be soybean oil. But only if I *have* to.

Perhaps you could make crisp, sweetened cups of thin chicken skin and fill them with something? A pudding or custard with booze soaked, dried sour cherries?

This guy *really* knows how to play with his food! Too funny.

About two months ago I made a small batch of refrigerator pickles using apple cider vinegar, water, salt, homemade pickling spice, white sugar and fresh garlic. Pretty good but need to be spicier. Decided to make more, reusing the brine. After about a week there's some cloudy sediment at the bottom of the jars. They have been in the 'fridge for the whole time. Now, I don't think there's anything wrong at all but I just *know* that once my husband sees it I better have a good answer as to why it's okay to be there. What do I say? Except, fine, more for me!

It seems that whenever there is a church fund-raiser or charity auction a spaghetti "feed" with garlic bread (no fresh garlic was harmed in it's creation) and iceberg salad is in order. I live in a logging and farming community that has seen better days and folks will tend to stick with the familiar standbys. This means spaghetti, steak n- potatoes, pizza (only two pizza joints in town), Americanized Chinese (very, very sweet dishes), Americanized Mexican (most items taste of the cans they came from) and fast food. -sigh- The culinary suffering I tolerate to live where I want.

Freezing your fennel leaves is a better option than drying them. They will remain a bright green and retain their fresh flavor. Wash the leaves, dry thoroughly, then strip the leaves from the stalk and either freeze whole or chopped in freezer bags or containers. Or you could make a paste from them with a bit of olive oil, freeze the paste in ice cube trays then place them in a bag or container. You can pull your bulbs now. Or you can wait a bit and pull them right before the weather turns cold (below, say, 35 degrees), allowing them time to reach their maximum size. A favorite use for the bulb is to make a fennel gratin. Quartered bulbs (depending on size), butter, garlic, salt/pepper, grated parmesan and fine breadcrumbs. Seriously good stuff. I use the fronds in tea (good for an upset stomach), add them to hot or cold pasta dishes (especially with artichoke bottoms or hearts), rice pilaf or in fish dishes. I'm dying to try Pear and Fennel Soup. Fennel is *such* a great plant to have!

I prefer just a bit of salt, too. I eat fries about twice a year. However, I prepare fries more often since my husband likes them.

Iron Chef #2. Summer in bowl and on plate. Nicer than nice. Peachy keen, even.

"Studded with cloves and cinnamon, And duly spiced and pickled, That viand was as choice an one As ever palate tickled! And by those peaches on his plate No valorous soul was daunted, For oh, the more of them you ate The more of them you wanted!" Excerpt from -Mrs. Reilly's Peaches- by Eugene Field I vote for peaches!

Well, I still like to roll spongy white bread into little balls and eat 'em. I guess I could take it a step further and use a bread stick to play pool with them.

I have stainless steel burner covers that serve two purposes. 1) They hide my -ahem- untidy drip pans and 2) let me know that the stove top is cold. I've used the surface to bring meat up to room temperature before grilling but that's about it.

I've had the shucked, raw beans in salads and cold pasta dishes. But you could serve them steamed with butter, use in a stir fry, add to your succotash, etc. Use them as you would any fresh bean.

Maybe cold tea?

I like them. Modern, retro-y, kinda fun- not too serious.

Last year (or the one before- aged cheese is good, aged memory, not so much ) I used the Cooks Illustrated recipe. Eh. Neither of us were impressed with its flavor or texture. I read recipes until I was blue in the face and decided to sort of wing it. So.. 2 c. AP flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 c. granulated white cane sugar 1 c. lightly packed golden brown sugar 4 large eggs, room temp. 3/4 c. vegetable oil 1/2 c. melted, unsalted butter, cooled 3 c. coarsely grated peeled carrots (I like to see and feel the vegetable pieces, so no fine grate for me!) The frosting... 3 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temp. 3 c. powdered sugar (perhaps a bit less) 1 1/2-2 tsp. pure vanilla 1 T. heavy cream Birthday sprinkles and candles I baked the cakes in two, round 9 inch pans, with waxed paper on the bottom and Pam with flour spray. They were baked at 350 F for 40 minutes (though 35 minutes would've been acceptable). The butter is *the* key for fantastic flavor. Really.

Thanks RodneyCk. Guess I'll take it out of the 'fridge.

Two come to mind. Torn pieces of white bread dipped (soaked) in Lea and Perrins Worchestershire sauce. Hot, pickled yellow peppers soaked in soy sauce with chunks of leftover steak and extra sharp cheddar, eaten until tears run down my cheeks.

I just finished baking my husbands annual carrot cake for his birthday tomorrow and was wondering what is the best way to store it until I frost it tomorrow? Cling wrap at room temperature (it's about 75 F)? The refrigerator?

Oh yes! Meatz, use every single idea offered in this post. Simple, classy and delicious.

I've noticed spaghetti's recipe, the epicurious recipe and Frog Commissary's are pretty much the same. Aside from the difference in fruit and nut combos, the other difference I noticed was one used 2 tsp. soda, one used 2 tsp. powder and one used 1 tsp. each soda and powder. I'd like to know is there a noticable difference in height and texture between the three? ← I don't see that your question was answered and I'd like to know too.

Items to make bread, biscuits, crackers, cakes, pie crusts- flour(s), yeast, sugar, salt, oil(s), eggs, milk/cream, baking powder/soda, vanilla extract. Potatoes, garlic, onions, pasta, rice(s), black/red/white beans, lentils. Vinegars, dried herbs (esp. thyme, oregano and rosemary), spices (esp. ground chilis of some kind, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns). A few frozen vegetables (corn and peas), frozen meat (pork, chicken and turkey), frozen stock (usually chicken and smoked pork and usually only during the colder months). Mustards, ketchup and mayo. I'm sure that I'm forgetting quite a few things but these are the most vital items in my pantry.

I *enjoy* touching and smelling my produce to determine its ripeness. A sticker will mean nothing to me.

Cherry vodka and slushy-cold lemonade.

There's quite a few possibilites on this page.

Well, I think that she is simply experimenting with different lifestyles/outlooks/foods etc. Instead of debating wether or not you're going to break up with her because of it why not join in? You certainly don't have to whole-heartedly embrace the vegan/raw lifestyle but most of the food is imaginative, fresh, colorful and healthy. Interest her and yourself in a variety of pro and con books on the subject. Prepare your meals together. Have fun with it! Continue to eat your meat but include yourself in her endeavors too. I mean, she ate meat and cooked foods for how long before she decided to change her diet? And really, most folks who try out the vegan and/or raw foods lifestyle rarely do it for the duration of their lives. No big deal. Ah yes, one other thing. The stereotypes you mentioned are just that. Stereotypes. When I was a vegan I was *not* a skinny, dredlocked (and what's wrong with dredlocks anyway?), drug using "freak." Nor were the majority of my vegetarian/vegan/raw foods friends.