HungryChris

I have had a few fish tacos. All were good, but my favorites so far have been with fried fish on a soft corn tortilla. I thought the soft corn tortillas used at Rubios were a big part of the overall flavor that I enjoyed. I have yet to find any like it in my area. If I did, fish tacos would be the first thing I would try and make with them. I would try lightly breaded fried Halibut first I think. HC

How do you go about gathering the eggs in a barn filled wall to wall with chickens? Surely not all of the eggs are layed in nesting boxes. If you were to find an egg in the corner, how would you know how fresh it was? HC

I believe that a light trip through seasoned flour before the egg dip would be a big help in the crust adherence. HC

johnnyd, A fine job, as always. Many thanks for the adventure! HC

I have to agree with Pam too. Braised lamb makes a wonderful stew, but shoulder chops were meant to be well seasoned and grilled or broiled. That is the beauty in them. inexpensive, quick and absolutely delicious. HC

When you get deli meats and cheeses in the little plastic bags and they make sure they put the printed price sticker along the seam so that opening the bag at home without tearing it open is problematic. I am sure it is a shoplifting prevention measure, but it sure annoys me. HC

I like to pick them when they are about 4 inches long. I cut them in half lengthwise and lay them out in a group of about six halves on a sheet of heavy duty aluminium foil, drizzle them with olive oil add a little garlic powder, salt and pepper. I grate some hard Romano cheese onto them (cut sides up). Then I wrap them into a little package as tightly as possible with them still lying side by side and put the package on a hot grill for 20 minutes. If the package puffs up with steam, you've done it right. They are quite good that way. I have also made them into fishing plugs for Stripers with some success when I am overrun with them. HC

If it is a whole top butt then it should be broken down into its component parts. To do this you should start with the fat side down. Remove the surface silver skin on the top. Once this is done you will find that you can break it down almost by pulling it apart with the help of a knife. The bottom part will be a triangular piece of fairly well marbled meat with the fat attached. Using the knife the meat can be peeled back and separated from the fat. There will be silver skin on the surface away from the fat that should be removed.The resulting piece can be cooked as a roast or cut into steaks. The same is true for the other two portion that can be divided into two leaner roasts by separating them following the silver skin between them. They make flavorful steaks, roasts or skewer meat. HC

I agree with the beef chuck. I have had excellent fresh burgers using chuck blade steaks. They are small enough so you don't need to buy a lot for just one or two burgers. You can usually pick and choose for the right fat content too. Cubed when just stiff from the freezer does the job. I have the KA attachment and also send it through twice for burgers. Really worth the effort. HC

There is a FritoLay plant out of sight from the highway but just off of I-395 that we pass on our way to Framingham, MA for our Trader Joes and Whole Foods excursions. When I lower the window at just the right time I can catch the aroma of fried snacks. As I sampled Munchos for the first time today, the first thing that went through my mind was that they taste just like that 'purfume'. I can envision Deb rolling her eyes at me as I lower the window and take big sniffs searching for that aroma, as I type!

I had never heard of them before today so out of curiosity I ventured down the hall to the nearest vending machine and sure enough there they were. At 55 cents for a 7/8 oz bag the risk seemed small enough. Not bad at all. Light and kind of interesting. Dehydrated potatoes, corn and or sunflower oil, potato starch salt and yeast never tasted so good. They must use the yeast to make those little bubbles that makes them so light.

In my patchy past I have worked on many construction sites and on one of them I collected the scrap pieces of marble from the installation of bathroom door sills. I would carve them into little figurines of all sorts using basic hand tools and sandpaper. Based on that experience I would say that marble is a soft stone that is most definitely refinishable. Just try a 1X4 with some medium sandpaper wrapped around it and have a go at it. You will be surprised by the results, I think.

#7 Miss You Rolling Stones

Let's just hope they remembered to take off the claw bands. HC

We have been there quite a few times, but only on warm sunny days, for lunch. They have a fabulous outdoor patio that is secluded and right on the river. Their menu is good and changes a lot, which I like. I can't recall ever being dissapointed with the exception of some local oysters that were expensive and just too small. The patio is the reason to go. The food is a good reason to enjoy the patio. HC

I got this at a flea market a while back because we had one when I was a kid and I always liked the straight forward design and ease of use. I recently bought some tangerines that were wonderfully juicy and well flavored, but so full of seeds that they were hard work to eat. Juice O-Matic to the rescue! HC

Tortilla chips and salsa are the first things that come to mind. 5 ROMA TOMATOES 4 MEDIUM TOMATILLOS (PEELED AND RINSED) 1 SMALL JAR ROASTED RED PEPPERS, DRAINED 4 OR 5 JALAPENO PEPPERS, STEMMED 1/2 MEDIUM BERMUDA ONION 1 SMALL BUNCH (ABOUT 3 DOZEN STALKS) CILANTRO (STEMS TOO) 2 HEAPING TBS GROUND CUMIN 1 LVL TBS CHILI POWDER JUICE OF 3 LIMES 2 TBS RED WINE VINEGAR 1 TBS SEA SALT Cut the veggies into chunks and put the hardest ones (onion, tomatillos and jalapenos) with the cilantro in the bottom of a blender or food processor then add everything else and pulse until you get the consistency you like. You may need to 'persuade' things along with a spoon between pulses. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors develop. I buy a stack of about a hundred small tortillas for less than 2 dollars and a container of corn oil. That is enough to make quite a few chips. I have found that you need to get the oil hot enough to brown the chips quickly and it doesn't take much time at all to make quite a few. HC

I guess we were a little behind in Connecticut, but we did the same thing with the heavy cream in the clean mayo jar in 3rd grade. I can still remember how great that butter tasted on a saltine! After reading about kids doing their chores that included churning butter, it was a great lesson. I bet the school system would frown on kids passing around glass jars today. As someone who loves buttermilk and makes it as well, I know that the world has different views as to just what it is. To me, buttermilk is made from skim milk and or butter whey that has been innoculated with live culture from an active source (like unpasturized buttermilk) and has been allowed to prosper at a warm temp for several hours. Much like good yogurt, good buttermilk is a thick and tangy product. In some cultures, the left over whey from making butter is called buttermilk straight away. Perhaps this is just the difference between buttermilk and cultured buttermilk. HC

I believe the wooden spoons in the kitchen of my youth were hardwood, maple or birch, I think. They had a yellow color and a well used patina and outlasted my tenure there. The ones I use are the 3 pack for a dollar, pine variety. They do not last like the hardwood ones. Some have curved handles from a steam bath or two and some a burnt end or handle from being left too close to the flame, but they are indeed an item I try to never be without. I know the dishwasher isn't the place for any wood, but in they go nonetheless. HC

Today I saw them raw peeled in WF in Manhattan (Columbus Circle) for $7.99 / lb and they did look a far cry better than the ones in Framingham. Still, I'd rather have them in the shell because I think there are more options open in preparing them. That was the only place I saw them in any form today, however. HC

I have to count myself in the deconstruct camp. I would have fish and chips with one fillet and make a saffron infused fish chowder using the frame and the other side. It's a fine dilemma you have on your hands no matter which way you go. Please let us know what happened. HC

Defrigerate to thaw Fetafy To add feta cheese (Would you like that salad fetted?) Gourmelize To add superficial garnish to an otherwise crummy entry (put lipstick on a pig) Carbundate to burn Copefy to supersize

I'm sorry, but I just don't want them peeled. When I see them sitting in a pool of pink water with a sign that says $9.99 /lb I just keep going. Some unknown middle person has violated those shrimp and charged me for it. No thanks! Get them from the boats to the store quickly! I'll deal with the rest. I think they fare better if they are just left alone and kept cold. Am I wrong? HC

I always have several tins of sardines at the ready. King Oscar is just about the best I have ever tried. I do prefer the lightly smoked in olive oil. Any other recommendations? On occasion, a sandwich on seeded rye bread with a little mayo and some onion juice produced by scraping a butter knife across the face of a halved onion will just hit the spot. Usually, though, a tin of sardines, a handful of saltines and a little chopped raw onion is just about heaven. I too, was chastised by my nonbeliever coworkers for having them at my desk and now only indulge at home. Cheers, HC

Well, WF did indeed have fresh Maine shrimp. They were headless, raw and peeled for $9.99 / lb. At least they are trying to carry them. I moved on to the lamb and dry aged beef with some dissapointment. I do hope to get some whole or headless unpeeled at a better price before the season is over. Cheers, HC