KatieM

K8memphis, I'm glad you enjoyed the "sweet potato dealies"! Just one question for you, though: you said that you used cooked toasted oats. Do you mean that you dry toasted them and then cooked them with liquid? How was the texture of the end product? I suppose I should have clarified what I meant by oats a little more (gotta work on those recipe writing skills). I generally use dry-toasted, raw rolled oats. If I use Irish, or steel-cut oats, I use them cooked in liquid because they are too hard otherwise. I used the rolled oats raw for extra fiber, though I'm not sure that uncooked oats have any more fiber than cooked oats. It does, however, allow you to get a LOT more oats into the mixture. Think of the sweet potato as the cooking "liquid" I guess. I'm curious how yours turned out. I'm sure they were very yummy, especially with the Vietnamese cinnamon. Maybe I'll try it that way next time. In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed them! Katie

I think popcorn is a great way to use up those "seasoning mix" bottles that people insist on giving me for Christmas. I can never find a really good use for them except on popcorn. The Southwest seasoning mixes work well. When I used the Italian seasoning mix it ended up tasting like pork chops. That was kind of weird, but not a bad weird, really. I like to mix the kernels, oil, and seasoning together, and pop in the microwave Alton Brown style (paper bag it). We get really great local popcorn here in Illinois, so sometimes it doesn't need much seasoning at all. I'll have to try K8Memphis' version, though. Then it's already in the bowl! And bacon grease? Where's the drooling smiley? Edited to say, wait! If you were worried about clogging the spritzer, could you use clarified butter instead of regular butter in the bottle? Would that work? Or am I delusional?

Glad to help! I hope the recipe works out well for you. As I said, it's a work in progress, so if anyone has suggestions to improve the recipe, I'd love to hear them as well.

I have a similar "recipe" I've been working on for some time. I basically wanted to create a portable oatmeal, since I love oatmeal so much, but rarely have time to make real oatmeal in the morning (actually, I'm just worthless in the morning and can never manage to get up early enough to do it). I have tried those "oatmeal squares" that claim to have an entire bowl of oatmeal in each square, but I have found them to have entirely too much sugar in them for my taste (or health). Plus, I'm certain they have instant oatmeal in them, and I'd prefer to use reguar rolled oats. So here's what I do: Bake a good sized sweet potato. Scoop out the insides. Add as many oats as you can get in there. I like to toast the oats first, but that's a personal preference. I usually add an egg to aid in binding and allow me to add even more oats. You should be able to get at least 2 cups of oats in there. You don't have to add an egg, though. You could use egg subsitute or just leave it out. The texture will be different, though. I usually add a little brown sugar, but you could leave it out. I also add cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg to taste (in my case it would be a lot). I also like to add toasted walnuts for extra crunch and protein. One time I had some leftover Irish oatmeal (cooked), so I added some of that. If you use Irish Oatmeal, it must be cooked. I actually liked that version the best, but I don't always have leftover cooked Irish Oatmeal in the house when I'm making them. They still turn out fine without it. I shape them into cookies and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. You definitely have to pat them down, because they will not spread on their own. I apologize that this is not more precise, but it is a work in progress. Basically, the point is that I'm using sweet potato and egg as a binder, instead of corn syrup or marshmallow. You could probably use cherrios in there somehow. I'm a cherrios fan myself. I just haven't worked on that yet. Let me know if you do. When I eat these, I usually grap a paper towel, nuke the cookie (or two if I'm really hungry) for just a few seconds, and eat out of one hand while driving with another. I like them warm, but again, that is a personal preference.

Just make sure that you don't get MAPP gas. It's usually in a yellow tank instead of blue or green (that propane is). I used to work for Bernzomatic, which manufactures the torch tips and canisters. MAPP gas is a little too hot for brulee work, IMO. Regular propane works just fine. Home Depot and Lowe's both carry kits with a trigger-start torch and fuel. Trigger-start with a temp control is my favorite torch head. I've got a closet full of them, though. I haven't tried the spreader tip. I may have to check that out, although I seem to recall it making the torch slightly more dangerous. I actually used to do creme brulee demonstrations with those torches when I worked at contractor functions, because I thought it would be kind of stupid for me to try to do a soldering demo for plumbers. Plus, food and fire always attracts a crowd! I probably sold more torches for culinary purposes than for plumbing, but it sure was fun. And I agree, those little torches they sell at Williams Sonoma and such places are for weenies. I kept trying to get Bernzomatic to create a full-size torch that had a nice grip, trigger-start, and looked sleek, packaged with a fuel tank that was also sleek and black. They could have branded it under Calphalon (another division of the parent company) and made a killing selling "real" chef torches. Oh well. No one listenened to me. Their loss.

Just to reiterate how much I like this cake, I thought I'd share that I made this cake yesterday for my birthday. Yes, I made my own birthday cake. Kind of sad, yes, but this way I get to choose exactly what goes in it, and what kind of cake I get. Besides, if my roommate had made it, well . . . I iced it with a different buttercream than I usually use. This one started with a creme anglaise that you beat into the butter and then add an Italian meringue to. Anyone know what that's called? RLB calls it "silk meringue buttercream" but I'm sure there's a more standard name for it. Just like she calls IMBC "mousseline buttercream" or whatever. Regardless of what this buttercream was called, it was awesome. It think I ate about half a cup of it while I was trying to ice the cake. I know that's a lot of buttercream to eat straight, but trust me, this buttercream you could eat the whole batch! Anyway, point being, this cake rocks. I may try Neil's mixing method next time, though. Just for the sake of comparison.

I made some cinnamon marshmallows the other day, and they are WONDERFUL in hot apple cider. As Neil said, you really don't even have to spice the cider, since the marshmallow does it for you. Incidentally, all varieties of these marshmallows dissolve beautifully in hot liquid. I sent a bunch of these in a care package to my little sister who is in her first year in college. First, because it was a nice thing to do, but also because I'm curious about how they hold up in shipping. I'm working on some pumpkin marshmallows for Halloween. I think I'm going to use a round petit four cutter and make little jack-o-lanterns out of them by piping a bittersweet chocolate jack-o-lantern face on them. Something fun and interesting to take to a Halloween party I guess. I'll let you know how they turn out.

So I said that I was going to challenge myself this weekend, and I did: I'm actually feeling very proud of myself. I spent most of Sunday working on croissants, which I had been pretty scared to try before. The way it's written in MAFC V2 made it seem like I might be able to tackle it. I just love the way Julia wrote the book, with detailed instructions on how to roll them out and get 12 croissants the same size. They actually came out pretty well! Of course, I will need more practice to make them perfect, but what I made were definitely croissants, with hundreds of teeny flaky layers, and I was so excited! And they freeze beautifully, too. There are instructions on how to freeze them at each stage if you run out of time (or just need to go to bed). I made them all the way through on Sunday, and froze the ones that I didn't eat right away. It only takes 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven to bring them back to that just baked goodness. I've started thinking, "why on earth haven't I done this before?". Julia helped me do it, and gave me confidence to do it again. I also made some potato and leek soup, which was wonderful. It had both potatoes AND rice in it, which quite frankly alarmed me at first. But I tried it, and it really does work! While I was doing this soup, it struck me how economical it is to cook out of this book. I probably spent a whole $3-$4 on making this soup, and it makes 6 servings. Why have I been so scared of this book before? I'm definitely going to make a habit out of making more recipes from it. After all, I haven't gotten to brioche or puff pastry yet! Anyway, I think that Julia would have been proud. I felt that it was a wonderful way to honor her memory.

Last night I made the Best Ever Brownies from Baking With Julia. I know it wasn't exactly one of her recipes, but I wanted to make brownies, and those felt appropriate. This weekend I'm going to pull out MAFC V2 and try something I've been scared to try before. Haven't decided what yet, but I'm definitely going to challenge myself. BTW, I think the coq au vin IS pretty!

Yep, those are Roma beans. Or squirt beans as my brother and I used to call them. I guess because they kind of squirt when you bite into them? We grew squirt beans, regular string beans, wax beans, and sugar snap peas when I was growing up. I loved summer. In the summer we ate all kinds just barely cooked until tender. My mom canned all the regular green beans and wax beans. The extra squirt beans were frozen (they don't can well). The sugar snap peas never lasted long enough. We just ate them. Yes! I do! I think they go especially well with pork chops and mashed potatoes. At least, that's what we always ate them with. I suspect this was because of my mother's subconsious need to serve an all-white food plate (or beige, I guess). Any other Scandinavian-Americans that can relate to this phenomenon?

Dude, I do the same thing, but I pack them up and move with them! I'm too poor to start all over again when I get there! I need that half box of rice or the quarter full bottle of 409. That is a really nice gesture, though. I will probably do that with anything I can't really take with me. I LOVE the last out, first in box idea! That's fantastic. I'm definitely going to use that for this move.

That is an impressive list, Hillvalley! MUCH better today. Made the brownies last night, and they were PERFECT!!! Woohoo! Fixed me right up. I also made a blistering hot salsa, because I had some nice tomatoes and chiles laying around, and for some reason I needed it to be hot. So hot it hurt. So hot that I was coughing from the fumes while I was chopping. Whew! I'm going to have to add an extra tomato to it today, but last night it was just what I needed. Not sure why I had that craving last night. I usually can't handle spicy stuff, and I'm a complete wuss about it. But last night I needed it. You know what? I think I found my new favorite "that time" food! I swear the heat actually helped my cramps. Well, and the salt from the chips felt good too. Ok, so here's what I did last night - Came home from work, started brownies. Licked the spoon, bowl, beaters. Put brownies in oven. Started on salsa. While brownies were baking, I ate - At least half a bag of Tostitos Scoops chips (which fit salsa in them so nicely). Probably a third of the batch of salsa, even though it was way too hot for me and was burning me inside and out. Since I seed the tomatoes when I make salsa, I poured all that lovely goop on a plate and sprinkled with salt. I ate this with a spoon. Kept checking the brownies. Every time I did, I stuck the knife in, and when the brownie batter stuck to it, I licked this off ( I washed the knife in between checks, but only because my roommate would be having some of the brownies too) Ate more salsa. Started sweating and wheezing. Geez that stuff was hot. Brownies finally came out of the oven. I restrained myself from eating them immediately. I cleaned up the kitchen and watched the Olympics. Ate the first brownie straight up. It was a corner piece. Had to check them, you know? Ate the rest of the tomato goop while watching the mens' swimming relay. Ate two big brownies with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream(my own brand of very custardy vanilla). Sighed with pleasure. Brownies were still very warm. I LOVE these brownies. They are crispity on the top and gooshity inside. Plus they are a little bit salty (this is a good thing). I am all better now. Watched womens' gymnastics team finals. Nearly had a heart attack several times. Needed another brownie at midnight. With a big glass of milk to help with the residual capasin still clinging to my gullet. Went to bed a very happy girl. This morning I needed a gallon of water, but that did not stop me from eating another brownie for breakfast (or from packing one in my lunch). Finished my resume this morning before work. Smoothed a few things over with my current boss. All is right with the world again! See? Now I'm just going to make brownies whenever I get the urgent NEED to make them.

What a great topic! I've moved four times in as many years, and I'm about to do it again next month. Moving sucks. This time shouldn't be as hard, though, because I actually have a month or so to plan. The last several times it's been in less than two weeks. So I've already started by trying to eat up or use up some of the things in the freezer. Hmm . . . what to do with the gallon of strawberry puree I made last month when I thought I needed it? And the corndogs we bought because we thought it would be a funny addition to our last party, but nobody actually ate them? At least this time, my roommate is staying in the house, so whatever I can't eat up or take with me can stay with her. As for the actual moving day, eating out is ESSENTIAL! If only so that you get a break from the mess for a little while. Of course, this time I'm flat broke, so the establishments will have to be a little less nice than the last time around.

Hmm . . . I'm not sure how to explain what a Northern Redneck is. Maybe a true Northerner can help me out with this (I don't really consider myself to be a Northerner). BUT, I'm sure you could see for yourself if you've ever been to the State Fair. Or, in my town, the County Fair demolition derby. That's the most highly attended event of the summer. Of course, I like going to the demo derby, so what does that make me? Well, I guess I have a few in my family, too. My dad's side of the family is all farmers. One time we had a family reunion at one of my great uncles' places. We had a hog roast and hay rack rides for the kids. Normal family reunion stuff. But then I met one of my cousins who was from that neck of the woods (Peotone, IL). She was probably a 3rd cousin thrice removed or something. I can't remember. Anyway, she said to me, "Ooooh! Yer one of them city cousins!". Now, I grew up in Champaign, IL. Not in the middle of nowhere exactly, but I certainly didn't consider myself a "city" kid. I thought city kids were from Chicago or New York or something. To her, I was a city kid, though. That would be my example of a Northern Redneck. Oooh, I just thought of this one! The last time I went home to visit my family, one of my dad's friends had just poured a new concrete patio. So that evening, we all went over to admire it. Everyone stood around, hands in pockets, jingling their change, saying things like "Whelp . . . looks real good Kurt . . . yah did a real nice job on it . . . sure hope it doesn't rain though . . . " and Kurt regaling us all with hilarious tales of how his son almost dropped the wheelbarrow and how he never thought they would get it smoothed out in time. So we stood outside for a while, repeating the above statements, then went inside to sit on the screened-in porch and admire his work from there. The men drank some beer, and we all ate some puppy chow (the kind made from Crispix, not Chex) and leftover Easter candy. Umm . . . do those descriptions help at all?

Those aren't jokes about Northern Rednecks. Those are jokes about Norwegians (or Swedes, if you happen to be Norwegian, or Danes if you happen to be either of the above, etc). Of course, I'm Danish, and got teased relentlessly in college because I went to a school that was made up of about 90% Swedes. We Danes are always being oppressed by the Swedes. Actually, I much prefer the jokes about Iowans or North Dakotans . . . ie: So two North Dakotans went on a fishing trip and rented a boat to take out on the lake. The fishing was really good in one particular area of the lake, so they decided they needed to mark the spot somehow. So the first North Dakotan says, "Ja, so, doncha think we should put an X in the bottom of the boat then?", and the second North Dakotan says, "Ja, but what if we don't get the same boat tomorrow?" Haven't you ever listened to the Prairie Home Companion? There are jokes about Northern Rednecks, but they are pretty much identical to those about Southern Rednecks. We need to make the distiction between rednecks and Southerners. Not all Southerners are rednecks, and not all rednecks are Southerners. Where I come from (East Central Illinois) there are plenty of trailer-dwellers. In fact, I had several friends who grew up in double-wides or "manufactured homes". My brother is marrying a girl who grew up in a single-wide. When we told jokes about Southerners, it had more to do with Debutante Balls and being "polited to death" and other such GWTW stuff. Of course, that was probably more out of jealousy. And I can personally vouch for the fact that there are plenty of "cheap champagne and dyed satin shoes" weddings above the Mason Dixon. Also RC Colas and Moon Pies eaten together. Not only a Southern thing. Then again, I am NOT a Yankee. I'm a Midwesterner. There is a marked difference. BTW, thoroughly enjoyed the article!

I need a brownie today - BADLY. I mean, so badly that it hurts. I've been craving a brownie for several days, and I haven't had one yet. And it's not even just a chocolate craving necessarily. I have chocolate cake in the freezer (leftover from my chocolate cake experiments a while back). Didn't work. There's fudge in the house because my parents were in town last weekend and we went to Ocean City. That also didn't work. I tried just eating some plain chocolate. That didn't work. I ate some brownie scraps from the batch I made at work on Saturday (2nd job at bakery). They sucked. Had to use the owner's stupid "secret" recipe that sucks. I didn't even want to eat any scraps. The owner made me. So that didn't work. I'm very pissy today as well. I feel like crying for no good reason. Well, actually I do have a good reason, since I'm trying to work on my stupid resume and plan a move and try to figure out how not to get fired from the job I have before I have the new job nailed down. Sob. THAT'S IT!!! I AM MAKING BROWNIES TONIGHT!!! I will most likely consume the whole pan. Maybe my roommate will help. She's awesome. Edited to say that I am making the Best Ever Brownies from Baking With Julia, in case anyone was wondering

Oh man . . . where's the drooling smiley? That sounds phenomenal! I could definitely eat that every day. Now don't stone me, but I put sweet pickles in mine, plus a splash of the juice! My mom always did that, and I just kind of like a little sweet in there. I do it do egg salad, too. And I put grapes in my chicken salad. Ducking under my desk dodging punches now . . . Always toast the bread. Toasted pita is very nice. Although, I really like chicken salad on a croissant. Different animal, that chicken salad though.

Ditto the jelly sentiment. Not sure what else they're really good for. My dad has a tree right next to the compost heap, so it always overproduces. The jelly is really good, though. And if it doesn't set up right, it makes a very good syrup for pancakes and stuff. We like it on Aebelskiver.

I don't think that any of us would be looking at it that way at all. I find the information very interesting and informative, but I would not consider it all the information I would need to accommodate all guests by any means. I think that it is a good place to start. I had no idea about some of the dietary restrictions listed above, and I find it helpful. Say I have a friend who is Muslim. This list would aid me in asking my friend what he or she can or cannot eat. It would give me a good starting point for questions to ask. And I think that it would make my friend feel special that I was trying to be thoughtful and appreciative of their needs. Perhaps it would end up that they wouldn't be able to eat in my home. But I would happily eat in theirs! And I could return the favor in some other manner. Personally, I find these kind of dietary restrictions to be a fun challenge. My sister is a vegetarian, as well as a very picky eater. I actually really enjoy finding foods that we can both enjoy together. I find it to be a fun creative challenge. I also have a cousin who is getting married soon. He and his fiancee are both vegatarians, and she is vegan. They have asked me to make their wedding cake. Not only because they like my work, but because they know that I consider it a fun challenge to make a vegan wedding cake (not sure how I'm going to do it yet, but I have a year, so I'm not too worried yet!). I think restrictions actually force me to IMPROVE my skills. I subscribe to the "food is love" philosophy, and what better way to show your friends you love them than to find a way to cook for them what they (and you) will enjoy? Ok, getting off my soapbox now . . .

I just wanted to drop in and let you know how much I enjoy reading this thread. PLEASE continue to write in it! I am not Jewish, though threads like this one often make me wish that I were. There is just something so wonderful about eating together with family and friends and honoring the sabbath that way. Plus, all your descriptions are heavenly! I really wish that the protestant church had kept up the tradition of keeping the sabbath holy (I know, we are supposed to, but no one really does, or understands what that means), and though we often had Sunday dinner, and there is some tradition in that, it has not been kept up nearly as much in this era of so many people working on the weekends. I have resolved to keep a weekly ritual with my family when I have one. Just wanted to say thanks for writing, and I will be reading with envy every week! Shabbat Shalom!

I actually just had an 80's theme party this past weekend. My roommate and I are pretty much broke right now, so we didn't have a lot of food, but what we did have was pretty hilarious (in our opinion!). Also, as a disclaimer, I was born in '79, in a small town in central Illinois, so my food memories of the '80s are mostly of children's food and stuff my parents made for their parties. We had: Jello poke cake (I remember loving this stuff, but I thought it was pretty gross this time around!) Franzia wine in a box. Maybe not exactly '80s, but I know my aunts always had it at parties back then, and plus we just thought it was funny. "7 layer" taco dip. Ok, more like something from "Taste of Home" in the '80s, but still. Come to think of it, something "Taste of Home" probably still has in their magazine. Strawberry dacquiries, because my parents used to make tons of those back then. Someone brought "pretzel jello" and it was awesome. Can't remember the rest . . ate too much jello, drank too much rum Ok, so maybe the menu looks more like a white trash party or something from the "lutefisk ghetto", but I remember eating a LOT of jello back then. Ooh! You could make one of those Jello Aquariums, with blue jello and gummy fish swimming in it! Or Heaven is a Place on Earth cake (like Better Than Sex cake, only umm . . . not)

Snow cones! Every time we go to the beach, fair, boardwalk, whatever, someone always wants to get snow cones. They are VILE!!!!! I also hate those slushies or slurpies or "italian ice" crap that they serve at 711 and Skateland (or did serve, when I was a kid). Ughh . . shudder. . . someone hold me, I'm scared! Also, Skittles. Really, any artificial fruit flavored anything. Especially lime. I love limes, but not fake lime flavor. Fake lime flavor is evil. My dad always wants me to make him a raisin pie. WHY oh WHY was such a thing ever invented?! Tapioca. In any form. PLEASE do not put it in pie filling! WHY would you ruin good fruit with that nastiness? Nachos. They way everyone always wants to order them as an appetizer in restaurants (crappy restaurants, and they are drunk). I like chips, I like salsa, I like cheese, I like ground beef . . .etc. Just don't make a big pile of it and get my chips all soggy and nasty. Blech! Whew! That said, I do like gin, but I can't stand tequila. People keep trying to make me drink it. And I say, "if you enjoy vomit on your shoes, I will drink it" I love Dr. Pepper and root beer, though. And I am a woman. So does that make me weird? I actually have a whole set of root beer float glasses. And I always keep beer mugs in the freezer, so they are nice and frosty. Black raspberries. My family always gets excited when they are ripe. They are hard seedy, crappy imitations of raspberries. Sick. And they don't even have a good flavor to make up for it. Cilantro is fine, but it tastes sour to me, like a very sharp lemon edge. Are my tastebuds whack? Is it supposed to taste like soap? Ok, I'll stop now.

I would also like to recommend www.thatcakeboard.com. It is an excellent site that is dedicated solely to cake decorators helping one another. There is a membership fee ($10), but it is TOTALLY worth it. They send you a CD with all the photos of members cakes collected throughout the year, and there are several how-to's and many different forums for different types of cakes, etc. You can even do a free trial if you just want to see what it's all about. That is where I typically go for decorating ideas and for help with specific decorating questions. In fact, you'll probably see several of my cakes over there Just don't make fun of me, because I'm fairly new at this. I would consider myself a passionate amateur, but there are many different levels of decorators that post there, from complete beginners to recognized professionals. I hope I'm not out of line by recommending this site. Someone please let me know if I am. I have just found that for specific decorating questions, I find more help there, since that is what they are set up to do. However, when I am working out the kinks in my recipes or looking for new flavor ideas, I definitely come to egullet. Well, and I come here simply because I enjoy it as well. Hope this helps! Like Wendy said, there are a lot of sites that I go to for inspiration. I'll try to remember what some of them are, though Wendy has already posted several of them. Katie

Anyone flown SAS lately? I flew from Chicago to Copenhagen, and then from Stockholm back to Chicago a few years ago, and it was AWESOME. They served quite a lot of alcohol. It started as soon as you were seated, and continued through dinner and after when they served the coffee (and a little something to put in the coffee!) In fact, I think they fed us so much alcohol to conk us out so we would just sleep the whole time. I didn't mind at all! The coffee was outstanding, and they served fresh hot rolls that they had apparently just baked in their little plane oven. They walked around with baskets of them. I also remember the food being served in courses. I know there was a fantastic gravlax course, and though I can't recall the rest of the meal, I remember it being great. Well, at least by airline standards. We had two meals, and I'm sure there were snacks, but I slept the whole time, so I can't remember. The staff was so gracious and wonderful, and by the way, this was all happening in COACH! Well, this was pre 9/11 though, so I have no idea how the service is now. I can't imagine that it has changed that much, though. At least I hope not!

If I got Diet Coke intravenously, it wouldn't be enough. My mom never let us have "pop" with sugar in it, so we could only ever have diet. As a result, diet tastes normal to me, and ones with real sugar make me ill. Also, I am quite prone to addictions (of the legal kind), so it's actually lucky that Diet Coke is the only vice I have right now. Well, and chocolate. But that's more normal. I'm intrigued by this Sparkling Vanilla stuff, though. Sounds awesome! Oh, and I love Fresca. Also Diet Squirt, which is practically the same thing, but you can't find it out here (in B'more). Diet IBC rocks. Especially when it's out of a frosty mug like at Cracker Barrel.