mikey

I seem to remember a short item in Consumer's Reports a few years ago which said that the high acidity and salt content of commercial mayo made it difficult for anything to grow there.

Jaybee- I have a continuing interest in custom folders, but my taste has always exceeded my disposable income. (I had one by a local maker I used to carry; it disappeared and I now count it as lost) The only name knife I own is a Centofante. You'll agree, won't you, that while dependant on the type of steel, heat treating can make or break the ability to take and hold an edge. That kind of heat treating generally has been too expensive to use in mass production. That aside, I use the following: 10" Henckels chef's knife Henckels paring knife(both 4-star) Victorinox boning knive(curved blade) Sabatier(ROWOCO) 10" bulnt end slicer(flexible) Chicago plastic handled paring knives(not much more expensive than the red plastic Victorinox, but more substantial) Chicago bread knife a couple of aluminum handle paring knives, maybe Ecko?(more sentimental than anything-belonged to a great-aunt) I don't think any of these is the ultimate knife.

"MISSOURI WALTZ" BROWNIES 3/4 C flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 C shortening(butter) 1 C sugar 2 eggs 2 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 C chopped nuts Sift together flour, baking powder & salt cream butter & sugar, beat in eggs add melted, cooled chocolate & vanilla add dry ingredients & nuts spread in a greased 9x9 baking pan, bake @ 350F for 25-35 min. Frosting 1 1/2 C powdered sugar 1/2 C light cream or evaporated milk 1 Tbsp butter 1/4 tsp peppermint extract 1 drop green food coloring 2 oz unsweetened chocolate Mix sifted sugar & cream in saucepan cook over direct heat until it reaches soft ball stage add butter cool until lukewarm & add flavoring & food color beat until creamy & thick spread on brownies melt chocolate & cool; spread over mint frosting

I made a large batch yesterday, and they turned out well. Braised in wine with mirepoix & garlic. I used the oven-browning method(40 min @ 450) and braised in a 300 oven. Do I remember a TV chef "trussing" the ribs to keep bone and meat together? (This is not overly important to me, I can overlook an untidy appearance in my own cooking.) Thanks for all the info.

With nuts whenever possible(pecans or black walnuts) I also like the ones with mint & chocolate icing (I quess they're called "grasshopper" brownies now, but the first one's I ever had were from a St. Louis Post-Dispatch recipie, called "Missouri Waltz Brownies)

Braising is a cooking method I mostly have ignored, but I have the urge to try some short ribs. Suggestions?

My favorite cornbread: 1 ¼ C. cornmeal ½ C. flour 2Tbsp sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 C milk 2 eggs 1 Tbsp melted butter Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl Mix eggs and milk in another bowl, and add to dry ingredients; add melted butter Heat 8”-10” cast iron skillet and grease with oil or shortening Pour batter into skillet, and pour ¾ C milk over top of batter. Bake @ 375F for about 25 minutes Not at all southern style, but really good.

As a kid in central Missouri, we had a brand called Juicyburger. It was available canned and cooked, or as a spice mix to make your own. I think it was a local product, and have no idea if it's still made. It could be made without visivle tomatos, and that was a real plus for me at the time.

I can't say how many folks actually use it , but in south Louisiana roux is available in jars(heresey?) on grocers' shelves. (Also from web cajun food sources.

I never have anything resembling a hot dog bun in the house. I usually split hot dogs, knackwurst, smoked sausages, etc. (4-6/lb) and brown them in some butter, and eat on whatever bread is available.

I hate the use of the giant pepper grinder (phallic symbol?) as a prop, available only at the server's pleasure, rather than a more modest grinder remaining on the table as a proper condiment for use whenever one chooses.

-When your server says "does everything taste good?" -When the check comes before dessert -When the server at Macaroni grille says "here's some Italian butter" (evoo & pepper) -possibly the stupidest, most condescending thing I've ever been told in a restaurant.

Spaghetti Carbonara w/cream and crumbled mild Italian sausage w/gorgonzola cream sauce

At least rasslin' is still real!

Frog a la Peche.

From my experience, shelf life and no resistance to heat. just leave a 6-pack of diet coke in your car trunk for a week or two in the summer, or visit friends wha have had their stash of diet coke in the closet for a year.

It was a dark and stormy night.....

Cornbread dressing Grapette Chicken-fried steak

Cheetos Hot dogs with ketchup Candy "orange slices" & marshmallow peanuts

Raw tomatos alone (on a sandwich or chopped in a salad is fine)(I had roasted tomato w/dinner last night-go figure) raw celery coffee wine as a beverage(God help me, but my taste buds won't allow me to enjoy it) Bring on the cantaloupe!

Bolivar- I just sent my post directly to you by mistake. If I retained a copy, I don't know where to find it. Would you please post it when you receive it.

Deacon's list are good choices; are there any particular kinds of food you're interested in? A number of restaurants have web sites: Spaule Alouette's Capers Vermillion Bistro There are also a number of respectable barbeque joints and a large number of Mexican restaurants. What do you like? I can give you more detailed info when I'm at home and have more time.

I almost forgot-the latest issue of Consumer Reports reviews gas grilles, including the Weber Genesis B.

Not exactly on point, but here's a web site where I've spent an inordinate amount of time. (I have no experience with these grilles, but if I can ever talk myself into spending this kind of money, I'm going to drive down to the factory and look)

I first encountered sichuan peppercorns through the Time-Life Foods of the World books, and found them at our local Chinese grocery. I used them in a dish variously called "Ants Climbing Trees" or "Ants in Trees", which is basically cellophane noodles and ground pork seasoned with soy sauce, Sichuan peppercorns(ground), and some other things I really don't remember now. The taste is sort of spicy/nutmeggy, but I don't remember any numbing effect.