HungryChris

I remember the Yumbo, but for all the wrong reasons. My first encounter with Burger King was in college. I had my first Wopper and quite enjoyed it. On the next visit, unsure of the name, I thought that was what I was ordering again, but instead ordered the Yumbo. Of course, being that age, I ate the whole thing, but that was my last one. Now, I can't tell you how many years since my last burger at either place. HC

I don't have a recipe, but share your fondness for the stuff. I first found the Dinamite version on the left in Greve Italy, in Chianti and bought it as a gift for some friends at work. They raved about it so much that I bought more on our next trip and tried it myself and liked it as well. I searched high and low on this board, in NYC, every Italian specialty shop I ever set foot in and on the web in general. I found the Coluccio version which is good, but not as hot and pretty pricey, but you can mail order it. It must be a regional thing because when I asked shopkeepers in nearby Florence, they just shrugged. We are returning to Chianti in September of next year and I will be sure and buy more. HC

We paid a visit to McD to investigate the lobster roll this past Saturday. It was not $7.99, but $9.99. Keep in mind this one is on the way to many of RI's nicest beaches. Still, it was a winner.

After searching for several years for a supply of shishito peppers without much luck, I started growing them in my garden. I still do an occasional web search which turned up the link below. Went out to the nearest TJ's which is in Warwick, RI, and sure enough they had them. Nice to know. http://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/shishito-peppers HC

We visit Las Vegas quite a bit and that is the only place I have bought a hot dog from a cart in years. I like the Vienna Beef natural casing, prepared dirty water style, with sauerkraut chopped raw onions and yellow mustard which we often eat poolside. At home I buy the Deutschmacher natural casing which I also prepare dirty water style with chopped kimchee, chopped onions and yellow mustard. Deb, on the other hand likes ketchup, mustard, relish and chopped onions put on the roll first with the dog on top which I dutifully prepare at the cart and bring to the pool with in Vegas. Given the choice, she prefers it grilled which is how I do it at home. For some reason the Deutsmacher does not lend itself well to grilling so she insists on Ocar Meyer, which I abhor, but prepare nonetheless. She also finds the New England style hot dog roll, butter toasted is an integral part of the dish when possible. If I am cooking for myself, I am quite happy with the 89 cent Aldi's 8 pack roll. HC

It is also possible that the lobster had passed on to lobster heaven a while before being processed. That is why most markets go through their tanks looking for "sleepers" or slow moving ones that will not last long. These are cooked up quickly to prevent what you describe. HC

Cloth napkins are one luxury we like to indulge in. Because they are now used less commonly, we look for them at flea markets and the like. We can find them quite often in elegant format for less than 2 for a dollar. It is just one side of fine dining that is easy to attain and kind of fun. We both like linen, but the feel and heft of the fabric says it all. If it feels right, we buy them. They all really need to be ironed, so the more you have, the less frequently the ironing sessions need to be. HC

I like them with a simple seasoned flour and egg and milk dip breading, fried crisp as a side dish. I also like them fried the same way and then prepared in a casserole just like eggplant parmesan. HC

I like to hickory smoke pork ribs that have been rubbed with a pretty basic dry rub (brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin) the day before smoking. The BBQ sauce I have come to really enjoy on the side is a vinegar based version that goes like this: 1 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup catsup 1/2 cup water 1 tbs salt 1 tbs red pepper flakes 1/2 cup of A1 Steak sauce (I use the imitation from Aldi's ) It is best made a day or 2 before so the heat spreads out and permeates the sauce. It keeps in the fridge until it is used up. HC

I like salads and often like to include something like avocado, pickled roasted beets, palm hearts or canned or marinated artichoke hearts. The other day I made my version of chicken mei fun and opened a can of bamboo shoots which I do reluctantly because I usually end up throwing the rest of the can away a few days later. This time I drained the unused shoots and put them in a container with vinegar based salad dressing to cover. The next day I included them in the corn and tomato salad I brought to work for lunch. I love the texture and flavor and will not be throwing them away again. HC

I have been a long time fan of JP. I read his book The Apprentice a few years ago and not only thoroughly enjoyed it, but admired him all the more afterwards. He has had quite a life! HC

I could not agree more about LOS. We always pay at least 2 visits per trip. I am a lightweight when it comes to heat and I will never forget asking for "5" for some dish. It was quite good, but I could not inhale over it without coughing uncontrollably. I love the Nam Kao Tod and have even made a decent version myself. It is a must do!!! I also cannot do without a few pounds of crawfish with the garlic butter at the Boiling Crab on Decatur. I have been craving them ever since our last visit and will be there again in September, without fail!!! HC

I admit to never having tried Fatburger. I think I have been put off by the name, don't really want a big burger (could not finish the regular sized burger at my local Five Guys and have to go with the small) plus we never stay right on the strip so a trip to In-N-Out on Sahara can be combined with a stop at Trader Joe's on Decatur for "supplies" without much trouble. HC

Not sure how many models they have. Maybe its older than these. http://www.specialtyrestaurantequipment.com/store/manuals/carpigiani_LB302-502-1002-G_manual.pdf HC

I recently went to a local fabricator who cut me a piece of 1/4" steel plate 16" X 17" while I waited. I went with the quarter inch plate because the half inch would be about 40lbs, which I think might have made me less likely to use as frequently as the pizza stone. As it is, at 19 plus lbs, it is something to be cautious with. It could easily damage your floor, sink or counter and you certainly would want to keep little kids or pets out of your path when moving it. The cost was $26. I baked it at 550 deg F for about an hour. Even though I had vigoursly scrubbed it with a number of cleaners, it smoked quite a bit for the first half hour. I am very well pleased with it. It does a far better job than the stone I broke and at 550 deg, takes about 8 minutes to bake a true Peppy's pizza challenger. I like a thin crust pizza, and a thicker one would probably take longer. With respect to the fresh basil, I have found that soaking them in olive oil and putting the soaked leaves on prior to the other toppings works well to prevent them drying out. The olive oil treatment is also highly beneficial for sliced mushrooms. Rust has not been an issue at all, but I keep it in the kitchen and use it rather frequently so it stays dry. HC

I have found that boiling in a copious amount of salted water for a few minutes (a little longer than quickly) and then into an ice bath followed by a pan saute with garlic, salt and pepper and a spritz of lemon juice on the plate does it for me. The bitter taste is left behind in the water and the flavor is great. It is even good cold the next day. HC

In-N-Out Burger (we prefer the one on West Sahara) is always one of the first stops we like to make. HC

Ebay has a ton of the CO2 extinguishers in the $30 price range. I would imagine they must be shipped empty and need to be refilled. HC

I have no experience with SV, but I do corn beef tongues on a regular basis. I use Morton Tender Quick which is mixed in 1 cup of TQ to 4 cups water. I add bay leaves, mustard seed and a bit of distilled vinegar and brine for 2 weeks. Then I braise for several hours just below simmer. The results are quite good. Once I tried to brine as usual and then smoked for three hours. The skin did not slip right offas it does with the braise and had to be cut off with a knife. The process was tedious and I have not done it since, but if I had my heart set on smoking another one, I would cook it first. HC

Several years ago I bought some ramps on ebay with the intention of trying to get them to grow in my yard. A few days later I got a card from the post office saying I had a package to pick up and I stopped in on the way home from work to do just that. I presented the card and after a brief moment, I saw the recognition in the woman's eyes and knew that I had been the subject of some heated conversation in the back room. She said "Oh, we delivered THAT package!!" I got home and saw that the delivery had amounted to being tossed into the middle of my front lawn. I brought the package inside and quickly realized why it had been so poorly received at the post office. Every year a few more come up and maybe this spring I will finally harvest some ramps. I have read that children in Appalachia who have eaten too many ramps can be sent home from school because the odor from their skin is disruptive to class. HC

highchef, it's a Jenn-Air. I realize after it's too late to edit that I said 550C, when I meant 550F. The small oven is a real good idea if you can do it. When I bake no knead bread in the larger oven (the dutch oven will not fit in the smaller one) it takes almost a half hout to get up to 500F so I know it uses a lot more electricity. As far as gas refrigeration, what was available then was not really what I wanted. Twice now in 28 years, I have had to empty the fridge and freezer into the trash because of an extended power failure, which isn't bad, I guess. I just think in a cabin things would be in there for shorter duration stays and not be a problem. HC

Here's my two cents: I moved out to the country many years ago. I was concerned about losing power and opted for an all gas (propane) range. I loved the stove top cooking aspect, but hated the oven because it was uneven heat and not a dry heat, as teapot stated above. When the thing finally needed replacement, I opted for a double electric oven with a gas cooktop and aside from having to keep the black glossy top clean, I could not be happier. One aspect that I had not anticipated was that the smaller top oven heats up extremely fast (550 C in five min) and is where I do most of the common small items. It makes killer pizza! I don't know if the expense can be justified in a hunting cabin, but felt the insight might prove useful. HC

I like the Russets as well. I bake them in a 500 degree oven after smearing them with a small amount of bacon fat that I keep for that purpose until they are just coated. To me, the skin is one of the best parts and I like it crispy, If I have sour cream, I like it with chives in summer months, when my chives are up and finely chopped green onions in winter. If I have no sour cream, then I am happy with butter. I heard Tom Mueller, author of Extra Virginity on NPR say that once you try a baked potato with very good olive oil, you would not waver from it, but have not yet tried it. HC

A few years ago I reached into the oven with a new Walmart towel and when I grabbed the hot cast iron handle, the towel partially melted, which also explained why it was not much good at absorbing moisture. Since then I have paid much more attention to the towels I buy. I like linen towels, some heavy and others fine for wrapping rising bread in. Not too big or they hang into the gas flame on the stove. Many of mine carry the battle scars of such encounters on their corners.

Before Emeril Lagasse ruined it for us by declaring lamb shanks a delicacy, they used to be dirt cheap. I absolutely loved them cooked on the grill because they provided a wonderful combination of tastey lamb and some great chewy tendons that when well seasoned were just great. HC