HungryChris

I would love to try those, but just not stuffed. I also have a thing about prawns (which usually means fresh water) and I am more comfortable with gulf shrimp. A lot of prawns are raised in questionable conditions ( raised by eight year olds down stream from the battery factory) in Asia.

Finally got to try out the new smoker. Hickory smoked baby backs, vinegar based BBQ sauce and slaw. The old one you plugged in and it reached whatever temp it reached. The new one lets you set the temp and the time. Much happier with that and the fact that you can simply open the door, pull out the racks and mop or spray. The old one you would have to take them out to get at them.. HC

Salads with a variety of lettuces, avocado, Compari tomatoes, cukes, pickled zucchini, pickled onions, pickled asparagus and blue cheese crumbles.

Nothing like it and the price is right. I do believe it to be well worth the effort from time to time, Shelby, and seeing that pic, makes me want to go out and buy a chicken today!

Just returned from a trip to Cranston, RI to replenish my supply of kimchi. The brand I like best is Kimchi Pride http://www.kimcheepride.com/about.cfm which for some reason is becoming harder to locate lately. The local Oriental market switched brands recently and now carries a brand that is good, but just not as good as this stuff. I started out buying the pint size jars and quickly graduated to the quarts, then moved on to the half gallon jars, which I love for my pickle making. When I arrived at the market in Cranston, they only had one left and I was faced with the prospect of leaving empty handed or with a gallon tub. I chose the latter. I think I am up for it. Kimchi fried rice, anyone? HC

Found some fresh gulf shrimp today. These were U-8's. Biggest I have ever stuffed. Deb loved them, but I think U-10's are about as big as stuffed shrimp should be. She marched through all three, but I only managed 2. Put a couple in the freezer for steak and shrimp down the road.

RRO, Now that is a sammich!!!! Gimmy Somma that! Happy Valentines Day indeed!

I couldn't wait to try the start in cold oil French fries. Had burgers and fries tonight. Had a russet big enough to hollow out and go to sea in so I turned it into fries. This method produced some great fries. Much less stressful and easier to coordinate with the rest of the meal. Thanks, Shelby!

Meat loaf and pickled zucchini ribbons on homemade sandwich bread.

Home fries with leftover cut up sea scallops and an over easy egg. Sinful, but sinfully good as well. No lunch today!

Boy, Ann_T, Those pizzas look good enough to eat.!! Nice pics.

Fried Stonington Scallops. They looked and smelled so good I bought too many. 1 lb for two would have been plenty, but I bought 1 1/4 lb. I bet the few we had left over will be in an omelet quite soon. My first Caezar Salad was at a place, now long gone, that made it table side and taught me how to make it. I am forever grateful for that lesson!

Smithy, Will the cast iron skillet fit in the oven to be used like a stone?

Meatloaf and kimchi sandwich.

Soppressatta pizza, or in the local vernacular- "soupy" pizza. was supposed to be hot but was not so much. We enjoyed it nonetheless. HC

Good advice so far. Fresh is the best! The key to identify wet scallops is that the wet ones have the appearance of the milky blueness of skim milk. Those are to be avoided regardless of the label. Once you see them you will know. Good dry scallops will have the appearance somewhat like cooked chicken. While pan seared are great, simply shaken in cracker crumbs and quickly (2 minutes is fine) fried in 375 f peanut oil and served with a good tarter sauce is also a crowd pleaser. Good Luck and please report back, MF5. HC

Our go-to fries were from Pomme Frites in Manhattan (before their store burned). I tried so many times to replicate their fries with the two fry method, and have so many fry thermometers, you wouldn't believe it but just got so frustrated that I stopped trying. My fish and chips just became fried fish and salad. I will try this out and hope for the best. HC

Me too. I stopped trying to make them because mine disappoint. HC

It must taste good if you have it for dinner. Do you cook it like a beef steak on the grill? Inquiring minds want to know. HC

I truly wish I could oblige, you would be more than welcome to it! The first restaurant I ever worked in had frogs legs on the menu and to this day, I regret that I never tried them. There is a local Oriental market that often has large live frogs, but the details of that transaction kind of haunts me. I would like to try frogs legs someday, though. HC

Had big plans to use the new smoker delivered yesterday and toss the recently retired one in the foreground, but New England weather had other plans for me. The ribs will have to wait.

Char Grilled Oysters and a salad. We are lucky in that there are several oyster farms in the area and for some reason, this time of the year you can get primo, super fresh local oysters for 75 cents each. Shelby, just because I know you are wondering, yes I do like raw oysters on the half shell, but Deb, not so much. So I end up buying a few extras, making a hot cocktail sauce and having a few off camera on the down low. We all have our demons.

Bought a little too much fresh flounder for dinner last night and decided to broil up the last of it while still fresh. An unusual breakfast for me, but good, nonetheless. Had it with an egg, pickled zucchini ribbons and a compari tomato.

My issue is with making the dough that has good flavor. I always had the understanding that it was a long and involved process. HC

I had a feeling it had something to do with practicality. I would like to try making my own corn tortillas. I do have a press and a comal, but need to find a good starting point that will produce the flavor I like. I guess I had it in my mind that you had to make your own hominy to get a good product and that just put me off. HC