viva

***thanks*** andiesenji! I saw several recipes out on the internet for pork cakes, they seem to vary between chopped pork fat liquefied in boiling water (kind of a "lard-rendering-for-dummies") vs. ground pork sausage, either of which are in lieu of butter or shortening. I'd love to try a "Meemaw" recipe! It was kind of interesting, all of the recipes I saw out there were listed as very old, early 1900's or late 1800's, mostly on "traditional" or "legacy" recipe web sites. I like the idea of digging up an old way of cooking and reviving it.

Right next to Margaritaville is a restaurant called Marguerite's which is on the water and is pretty good. Go there for sunset, have a vodka and Ting (Jamaican grapefruit soda) or two, dinner, and then you can stumble directly over to Margaritaville. There's a jerk joint down the road from the Half Moon called Scotchies, which is the best jerk chicken & jerk pork. You order by the pound and also order sides (plantains, breadfruit, etc.). There's a verrrrrrry hot scotch-bonnet sauce (hence, Scotchies) served in a bowl that will knock you on your rear. It's fantastically cheap, but don't be put off by the dirt floor and thatched-roof environment - we had used them repeatedly for catering and many local MoBay'ers recommend Scotchies. There's a small bar there as well where, if you're lucky, they will have fresh pineapple and will make you a pineapple margarita. Phenomenal. The RitzCarlton (next door to the Half Moon) has a nice beachside barbecue, as does the Half Moon. Do NOT eat at the Japanese restaurant affiliated with the Half Moon... it's a nightmare.

AmbrosiaFood, yes, that looks like most of the recipes I found online. You said your grandmother made something similar...did you like it? Since I am not sure exactly what I am supposed to be making, I think I am going to try a couple of varieties to see what happens... - Chopped pork fat/boiling water method, similar to the recipe posted by AmbrosiaFood, adding a few more candied/dried fruits and, er, maybe just a wee bit of whiskey. - Pork sausage method - A regular old white fruitcake as emergency backup Since this could expand the horizons of pork fat cooking everywhere...I'll post results of the Great Pork Cake Experiment!

There's a reason In n' Out Burger *always* has a line out the door and a car line wrapped around the block. It's damn tasty and is always quality. I don't mind Fat Burger or a couple of local burger joints, either. There's no reason for me to go to McDonald's for a burger - it's mushy crap compared to these others.

Alrighty - I was recently given a cooking challenge by a dear family member, and I would love to surprise her with a resurrected recipe. I need your help! Every year for Christmas, she had an aunt who used to make a Pork Cake as a version of fruitcake. She doesn't have too many details about the cake, other than this: she's not really sure how the pork got into the cake (other than it wasn't in large, obvious chunks). It was a light-colored fruitcake, with candied fruits, and no obvious taste of liquor. (Personally, I think the concept of cake, pork, dried apples & whiskey might necessitate a little deviation from that memory). I posted about this in the Fruit Cake thread, but it landed there with a dull thud. I think y'all are the ones who understand that "Pork" and "Cake" are not mutually exclusive terms. I've done a bit of internet searching, and Pork Cake looks to be a heritage recipe in the South (and Midwest), but the recipes are pretty vague, specifically regarding the pork. Most recipes say "salt pork" or "fat pork", either ground or chopped fine, either saying "very fat" or "no lean". Inevitably the pork is covered with some boiling water, and then mixed with the other ingredients. Sometimes it is drained, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the instructions say to let the pork/water combo sit and cool. All the recipes are damn old and not specific enough for this inexperienced Pork Cake baker. Even more confusing... some recipes just use "ground pork sausage" without the boiling water step. Otherwise the recipes appear to be standard fruitcake recipes, maybe with coffee or whiskey, and various chopped candied/dried fruits. This makes me wonder if I can take a good white fruitcake recipe and replace the butter/fat with the ground fat pork/water combo. There's a teasing mention of a Pork Cake in the Resurrect This Cake thread here, but no one appeared to be up to the challenge. I, friends, am willing to experiment. Thoughts?

I'll throw down the gauntlet here with an odd question... has anyone ever had fruit cake with lard or pork in it? Specifically a white fruit cake? I am trying to re-create a fruit cake for a family member who grew up in Texas, and her aunt used to make a fruit cake that (as she says) "had pork in it". I ask "was it lard" and she says "I don't know... do you think you can do it?" The only other thing I can get out of her is that it wasn't actual chunks of pork. Ideas?? I was looking at andiesenji's recipe for white fruit cake as my starter... maybe I should use freshly rendered lard in place of butter? Maybe that "second" rendering of lard (as per the e-Gullet lard recipe) that's more pork-like?

I thought I'd report back with more research (the trials I go through in the name of research!). Thoroughly enjoyed Pisco sours in Peru, but I couldn't make enough of a distinction between different brands in order to merit bringing back a bottle (vs. just buying a bottle in the US and saving my arms the trouble of carrying it). We kept calling the Pisco sours "Peruvian margaritas". I had many. Anyway, there were some variations on the Pisco sour and other Pisco drinks that I thought were interesting: Maracuya Sour = passion fruit juice, sugar, egg white & Pisco Coca Sour = lemon juice, sugar, egg white & coca-leaf-infused (yea!) Pisco Algarrobina = algarrobina syrup (carob-tree honey), Pisco & milk (I was not adventurous enough to try this one. Pisco & milk did not appeal to me in the least, but hey, I'm willing to share the idea.) Chilcano de Pisco = Pisco, Sprite, lemon juice & bitters (slight variation on the one George listed above) There were also several drinks with items macerated, and Pisco/ice over top, the two most prevalent being passion fruit and coca leaves. Pisco report concluded... and I have to say that I vastly preferred chicha de jora (fermented corn beer) as my Peruvian drink of choice. Not sure if I can obtain it in the US, unfortunately.

Just got back from a trip to Cusco & Machu Picchu and thought this would be a good place to post. We had a wonderful meal in Cusco at a restaurant called "Pachapapa", which is in the San Blas square. (Also lots of fun gallery/antique stores on that square!) Anyway, you sit in an interior courtyard next to a beehive woodburning oven: The day is sunny, the weather is warm, there's a gentleman playing traditional guitar... To drink... chicha de jora, which is the tradtional fermented corn beer... it's a little on the sweet side, but foamy and delicious. Not to be confused with chicha morada, which looks & tastes like grape juice and is non-alcoholic. I love chicha de jora And, naturally, pisco sours. Which will knock you on your butt at that altitude. To eat... adobo de chancho (in front), which is pork stewed with aji chiles, chicha de jora, onions & a kind of a sweet potato. Also aji pizza, made in the wood-burning oven, and another pizza with cured salted alpaca meat (this one was eaten too quickly to be photographed). All served with a small dish of spices (hot!!!) and a fresh green salsa. Way in the back of the picture (we had this delightful dish in a couple of places) was pollo de amarillo, which is chicken in a creamy aji amarillo pepper sauce with potatoes & onions. It was wonderful. Also went to Chez Maggi's in Aguas Calientes... they (well, the whole town) was without power (therefore no photos... too dark), so we dined by candlelight and everything was from the wood-burning oven. Pizza & calzones! They had a fabulous sangria made with white wine & apples. We had some fresh salsa here as well, but while the salsa tasted delicious, it was the unfortunate cause of "Incan Revenge" later on.

I did "tangerine-cello". It's yummy. Good sub for cointreau or triple sec.

I work in an industry where I have to deal with layoffs, acquisitions, mergers, etc., and the advice that I give my clients in these scenarios is this: - Tell your employees what you know when you know it. It's the most direct, honest, and ethical approach. - If you really need some employees during the transition, pay 'em to stay. It's better to give a few very key employees a "stay" bonus than it is to risk not being able to continue the business. My two cents from the consulting world...

Carolyn, thank you for sharing your thoughts in such a moving piece. It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered dear family who have passed away and how we celebrate them through our shared traditions of food and family.

I don't have the Barrio recipe, but I have a guac recipe with pomegranate seeds that is similar: - 1/3 cup chopped white onion - 3-4 finely chopped Serrano chiles (seeds or no depending on your heat preference) - 1/2 tsp coarse salt - Pulp of 4 large ripe avocados - 2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice - 3/4 cup halved seedless grapes - 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds First mash the onion, chiles, & salt together, then mash in the avocado. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Sometimes I've thrown in other fruit like pears or raspberries. It's very tasty and a nice twist on the traditional guac.

I second the apple recommendation. I had an awesome pie made with quinces first poached in dessert wine, then baked in the pie with apples and maybe a dash of Calvados. A very sophisticated twist on the traditional Thanksgiving apple pie.

We have that. It's called a per diem. I get $50 a day for food when I travel for work. Although my ability to cook is very limited in a hotel kitchenette, I *vastly* prefer schlepping over to the Italian grocery around the corner and stocking the mini-bar fridge with coppa, salami, cheese, olives, fruit, foccacia, etc., so I can assemble my own sandwiches, have a little antipasta, salads, whatever. (Even though the check-out lady there gets mad at me because I don't speak enough Portuguese.) I eat out at a restaurant maybe 2-3 times per week when I travel. To me, eating out is more exhausting... takes more time, have to take a cab, you eat more than you really want to, etc.

Very true. The happy hour is exceptionally reasonably priced. (I think the "Big Ass Burger" is $5 and the huckleberry margs are $3?)

I'm ashamed of myself for forgetting the Roaring Fork. Quote from Howard Seftel, the restaurant reviewer at azcentral.com: I personally adore their happy hour, where you can get *frito pie* and have a huckleberry margarita. Or three.

You at least get some champagne with it. I don't think I'd pay $100 for it, but I'm putting the ingredients on my "sandwiches-to-concoct-at-home" list!

I forgot a strong hearty-ho for Barrio Cafe, which is in Central Phoenix. It's more upscale than hole-in-the-wall, but still fun & casual. VERY tasty. It also has the distinction of making one of the most straightforward and honest margaritas I've ever had - they call it the Sidecar - huzzah!

I've never had a cheesecake crack on me, and I've never used a water bath. I always use a springform pan (mostly because I suck at inverting cakes without destroying them). I also usually bake them for at least 10 minutes less than most recipes say. My favorite: a marbled sweet potato cheesecake ... it's getting to be the perfect time of year for this one!

It's not in Scottsdale, but Los Dos Molinas is not to be missed for fiery Mexican. Eat the red chile sauce on anything and be prepared to sweat (I like it on the carne adovada chimichanga, personally). The building is a double-wide trailer in South Phoenix, so if that doesn't count as hole-in-the-wall, I don't know what does! On the nicer side and closer to Scottsdale, brunch at Lon's at the Hermosa is lovely, particularly this time of year when you can sit out on the patio.

I'll take a peek when I get back home. The cap would lead me to believe that it's possibly a recycled bottle. I had to hack at it for a while to get the cap off ... I'm a bit impatient. Went out last night for Japanese... they had a couple of fun twists on the caipirinha: - Saquerinha - same as the regular caipirinha but with sake instead. Very tart & refreshing, not as sweet as the regular caip can sometimes be. - Saquerinha with kiwi - same as above but with kiwi instead of lime. They made it with a little too much sugar for me, but this has potential. Still had the sludge problem at the bottom of the glass (a la the raspberry caip from an earlier post), little black kiwi seeds got stuck in my teeth. The kiwi taste was also refreshing and cool, I'd like to try this one at home with cachaca instead and see what happens. They went down very easily, which is why today I am laying around my hotel room surfing eGullet.

Try a jalapeno-poblano cheesecake with a cornmeal crust & mango-papaya salsa garnish as an appetizer...sort of like a quiche but better.

It's a tough call between Greece and Brazil. I'd probably choose Brazil for the variety... meat (and more meat), Italian, sushi, pizza, coffee, and caipirinhas! I could die a happy person here. I'd have to find a Bahian restaurant for the seafood and spice. The only thing I would miss is US breakfast food. Muffins. Pancakes. Maple syrup. I'm *jonesing* for a good blueberry muffin.

oohhh. I've seen those little holes. I've always assumed they were vein holes or something. Just as well, I've never really cared much for swordfish!

Any links on or recipes forcandying your own fruit? I like the idea.