petite tête de chou

Do the English and Irish add honey to their tea? What I mean to ask is do they use it a lot as opposed to white sugar?

A couple favorites spring to mind... Wedges of iceberg with homemade blue cheese dressing (extra, extra blue cheese) I like a good Thousand Island dressing on iceberg wedges, too. A mixture of greens (romaine is a must), home-grown tomatoes, thick slices of red onion, garlicky croutons and a simple vinaigrette (using really good olive oil) . Cobb salad is super tasty. But that has sooo much stuff in it that, somehow, it seems more than "just" a salad.

Hi Marcia. What varieties of tomatoes have proven themselves worthy of your efforts? It sounds like you're a tenacious gardener that knows her rewards well. Nothing compares with homegrown tomatoes, no matter how late in the season they arrive. Love 'em!

ChefCrash, what instrument, exactly, are you going to use to crack those heads open? And how do you intend to eat the brains? On a cracker? Scrambled? Just a spoon and a smile? Can we see these brains?

The "spent" vegetables, bones and bits n- pieces used to make stock are definitely *my * treat. I'll usually stand at the kitchen sink with a salt shaker and nosh away. Really, bones of any kind have always appealed to me. I can suck on a steak bone for quite a while, especially if I have a little pool of Lea and Perrins and butter to dip it in.

Make a batch of cheddar/apple cornbread. Slice in half- making two "slices" of bread. Mayonnaise, a pretty thick layer of crispy bacon and sliced tomatoes. Cook in (on?) a panini grill that's been oiled with bacon grease.

Thank you! Lord knows I have enough bolted lettuce to try out the method. Aside from space here are a few more reasons why I don't do more vegetable gardening. If mothers milk was ALL they ate!

These peppers soaked in soy sauce with chunks of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and slices of rare beef. I'll eat them until tears run down my cheeks. Incredibly good.

Hmm. I believe the movie in question is "The Warriors." The quote was provided by David Patrick Kelly's character, Luther. He said it while banging beer bottles together that were stuck on his fingers. Or am I completely delusional?

My grandmother and mother would usually serve one pile of vegetables, one pile of starch and one pile of protein with a glass of milk for their suppers. Dessert and coffee afterwards. Their meals, like themselves, were intensely unpretentious, without-a-doubt economical and downright sensible, rarely fussy. So, I guess canned vegetables (some of which I still eat, straight from the can, sitting cross-legged in front of the tv watching Fantasy Island reruns), a pile o' mashed potatoes with salt/pepper and MARGARINE (remember, it was thought to be better for your families health), overdone steak with lots of steak sauce and cartons of cheap neapolitan ice-cream just *scream* retro to me. And because I had a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine snow-cones are retro, too. I LOVE snow-cones!!

Chicken/beef liver and onions fried in bacon fat. Caramelized onion and cheese tart. Use the fat for the onions. Do you have any cast iron pots and pans that need seasoning? Use it to saute chopped cabbage and apples or diced winter squash with thyme and rosemary. Make a mess of fried green tomatoes. Brush a bit of the melted fat on shucked cobs of corn and grill. Use it to create a roux for a pot of gumbo.

Lestat? Like the vampire?

Absolutely. An especially nice find at the bottom of a sweet vanilla custard. Also, consider drying them in a low oven for future use. A sour cherry (fresh or dried) sauce with pork or venison is good. Add the dried fruit and almonds (or hazelnuts, my favorite) to granola. Include them in a riff on sweet and sour pork/chicken over rice. I haven't tried it, but make popcorn balls (light caramel sauce) and add the dried fruit to them. Brownies or fudge with sour cherries is awesome- include a bit of espresso. Biscotti. Lucky you!

How about focusing on a fun presentation of fruit? Not the most exciting thing in the world but they look cool. Such as this?

I'll always remember taking a bite of my fathers taco when I was about six years old. It was loaded with extra sharp cheddar cheese and dripping with red grease and Tabasco. I loved it. LOVED IT!

Too damn funny. Too true. "Tarragon and mothballs." Cripes. My sides hurts.

Ellen, I've always loved your wordy, colorful posts. I sit back and relax into your views and dry-wry humors. They're especially welcome in the wee hours after midnight. Thank you for admitting that you don't feel comfortable in a "bathing suit." While society considers me to be a rather small lady there is no way that I'll wear what is, essentially, my underwear in public. After spending long and precious years suffering from hardcore eating disorders, after seeing my best friend of 20+ years who weighs over 200 lbs. wear a bathing suit without shame...I'll *still* keep my underwear under wraps, my confidence prominently displayed and every one else be damned. 'Ef em.

Actually, my mother found these. She gave them to me many years ago when I loved to entertain. And even then, I still didn't use them. But I still love the Irish linens.

Really good idea. The leaves are pretty tender and I think that I'd have a sodden mess on my hands if I tried cooking them. But a quick wilt with bacon fat and vinegar? Can do! Thanks Smithy.

That's exactly what bolting is Martin. We had a few pretty warm and sunny days while I was gone and up the lettuce went. I had a few leaves in a salad last night and it wasn't *too* bitter- then again, I really like bitter flavors. Your plants are looking good, especially the peas. I don't trim my tomatoes but many people do. What kind of tomato is it?

I leave town for one week and three lousy days and my lettuce bolts. -sigh- Perhaps the bitter bolts can be made palatable with a quick stir fry and tossed with sliced garlic almonds?

Miracle Whip plays an integral part in my favorite Chem Lab treat. White, spongy, cheap bread (the kind you roll "bread balls" from), a couple slices of Kraft wrapped-for-your-protection "swiss cheese" and gobs of Miracle Whip. Washed down with a blue Nehi and I'm sure to get a A on my periodic table of elements test.

What I look for in a restaurant is the same as what I look for in a mate. Smell Cleanliness Welcoming atmosphere without being fake and can they cook?!

I'm still up, Deborah. One of the many things that I've liked about your blog is that you usually download your pictures in the wee hours of the morning. They've really brightened my insomniac-ridden nights. Thanks!

They would be nice in a souffle that would include either sorrel or baby spinach and your favorite cheese.