Aileen

Deep Cover Brown Ale, Longmont, Colorado. Seriously yummy.

I realize this is late in coming, but I ate there almost a year ago now, and it was absolutely fantastic. We asked our waiter to select wines for each course, focusing on the local wines, and he happily obliged. I was thrilled with the pairings, everything tasted wonderful. Also, I want to note that there were four of us for dinner, and two of us were driving up from San Francisco. The two coming from San Fran were nearly an HOUR late for dinner. I began to seriously panic after about 15 minutes. The host, Larry Nadeau, understood my stress and went out of his way to make me feel better. After inconveniencing him (and the entire evening schedule, as we had early dinner reservations), he gave the two of us free champagne and a few amuse buche, coming back regularly to see if we needed anything else. When the two who were late arrived we were seated immediately and treated royally, in spite of the huge inconvenience our party caused. I've never experienced such incredible treatment before.

Expensive salted butter and fresh bread. I don't hide it, though.

One of the first kitchen "gadgets" I bought was my Zyliss garlic press, about 16 years ago (recommended by The Frugal Gourmet on his shows). I've always loved it. I still use it all the time, and I'm a garlic fanatic. It came with the little plastic cleaner-tool that Alan mentioned, but my older model doesn't store the cleaner, I keep it in a drawer. I rarely need it, anyway - rinsing while digging with a fingernail gets any stuck bits. Sometimes I do the "smash and chop" with a knife, but I like intense garlic flavor so I usually press.

I've been enjoying the show but haven't tried any recipes yet, not sure I'll be able to find the ingredients. I live in a town with a large Hispanic population, though, so I might be able to find the culantro, if I can identify it (most of the markets around here don't label produce very well). Her ropa vieja doesn't interest me because of the peas and carrots. Also, I've been making a version from a Frugal Gourmet cookbook for years, and while it's probably not very authentic, it tastes wonderful and my kids love it.

I'm a huge fan of Rotel dip, too. Oh, and tuna casserole made with cream of mushroom. My boyfriend introduced me to smoked oysters on crackers with hot sauce. Yum. He thinks it's hilarious that I love them so much.

I finally tried the Campbell's soup mac & cheese recipe over the weekend. The four kids who tried it all liked it, but not as much as another (just a simple) recipe I've served them in the past.

Thank you for the report on the Velveeta Fudge! I agree that Macaroni and Velveeta seems like a more tasty use of the stuff. My personal favorite is Velveeta and Rotel. Yum.

I have a stainless Kenmore Elite, it's about 5 years old now. I absolutely love it. Never had a problem, it's practically silent, the buttons are in full view (must be a newer model that hides them), I don't need to rinse dishes at all and they always come out clean (including egg yolks!), and the racks are very adjustable - I can fit just about anything in it, including wine glasses on the top rack. I don't know whether it's cycle-time is longer than average or not, never really noticed. Plus, different options are different lengths of time. There's a "Quick Wash" that's about 20 minutes I think.

I have to say, I've generally been extremely lucky in this area (for which I am truly grateful!) The one experience I can recall off-hand is dinner at my MIL's in Florida, the one and only time I was there to visit her (she's now my ex-MIL). I was looking forward to some good seafood, and she said she had bought shrimp for shrimp cocktail as a snack after we arrived. I sat in her kitchen and watched as she took pre-cooked and shelled shrimp and proceeded to boil it for AT LEAST 10 minutes. It was excruciating to watch, I was itching to get up and take the pot off the stove, but of course I couldn't be rude so I just sat there. She served the beyond-rubbery morsels with bottled cocktail sauce. Yum.

I agree that the Velveeta Fudge sounds really frightening. I'd like to hear how it comes out! I ate no-bake cookies all the time as a kid, and my sister is planning on making them for Christmas because she and her husband are on no-wheat, no-dairy diets (she'll use fake butter, so sad). I always get rave reviews for my chocolate chip cookies, and the funny thing is that they're the Tollhouse recipe, slightly modified. When I tell people this they don't believe me, and I've had people who tried my modified version tell me theirs didn't come out as good as mine. I have no idea why.

I have quite a lot of counter space but I don't keep much out, either. Out all the time: bread machine - only because it's beautiful 10 cup coffee maker toaster oven microwave knife block Taken out when needed: KA stand mixer - heavy bugger KA professional food processor KA blender waffle iron immersion blender crock pot rice cooker electric can opener mandoline tortilla press coffee grinders (2) for spices mezzaluna and board - bought for fun, works well for herbs but I rarely use it because I'm usually chopping other things and it's not worth the extra cleanup. electric skillet - rarely used. popcorn popper George Foreman grill

I talk about food with my sisters (who both also love to cook) all the time, pretty much every time we talk. I've also found that food is a good topic of conversation when I have a "team outing" at work. There are no other women on my team, so when we are in a social situation I've found food/restaurants/cooking to be a good way to keep a conversation going. I've also learned a lot about my co-workers this way.

I don't really like most sweets, but I definitely appreciate the thought when they're given to me, and I usually just share with my kids and/or co-workers. I would LOVE to get a bacon of the month or wine of the month club gift, though! Mmm, bacon. Good kitchen utensils are always greatly appreciated, too.

I couldn't do it. Well, I could do it, I just wouldn't. No way. I enjoy eating meat, and my parents raised various animals for food while I was growing up, but I wouldn't kill/dress an animal unless I (or my children) was truly starving. I have a difficult time even cooking clams and mussels, knowing they're alive! Yes, I'm a hypocrite. Oh, and I don't eat blood, either. That aversion comes from my mother, it was drilled into my head from an early age that it's "un-Christian" to eat blood. I haven't been able to get over it, though I do like my steak medium-rare...

Yep, they are the same thing, minus the tortilla. It's just a mental issue for me, I guess!

Taco Bell is my favorite, but I rarely try any new items - I like the classics. I hated Chipotle the first few times I tried it (about 6 years ago), because gigantic burritos aren't my idea of good food, but recently my boyfriend got me a Naked Burrito, and I've changed my opinion. (Somewhat, anyway, because I still believe a burrito should never be as big as your head!) McD's: blech. I will get it for my kids as a special treat sometimes.

Hmm. The sichuan peppercorns my sister brought me from China (given to her by a waitress in a restaurant) have green husks. Is that odd? They have fantastic flavor and "zing", so I'm not complaining, I'm just wondering if they're supposed to be red.

I made the Osso Bucco last night. I had never made it before, so I figured this was a good recipe to use for my first try. It was very good, but also very expensive. There was NO veal to be had in my town (even at the local butcher's - very frustrating ), so I went to the Whole Foods about 30 minutes away and bought it there. $52 worth of veal shanks to feed to three adults (who definitely appreciated it) and four children (who definitely didn't!) I served it with the Risotto Milanese, but I think I would have preferred something less strongly flavored, like polenta or potatoes.

Interesting. I was in Vegas in June. We went to the MGM breakfast buffet. It was actually very good (I was surprised). Everything was fresh, hot (or cold), and tasty. I even played it risky and ate an egg benedict - they say never eat hollandaise at a buffet - and didn't get sick! I wouldn't call it gourmet, but it was worth the money ($18).

I remember Aspen! It was delicious. I still miss Food Sticks (or Space Food Sticks). I loved the peanut butter flavored ones. My mom had trouble keeping them around, my sisters and I would eat them all immediately after getting home from the store.

I just got back from a weekend in Seattle visiting a friend, and I must say I'm jealous of those of you with access to such wonderful food all the time! I told my friend that I would go broke buying food if I lived there. Anyway, we had dinner at Rover's on Saturday (mixed and matched courses), and our foie gras course that was similar to this one (ours had carmelized pear along-side) was the best I've ever had as well. I took one bite and completely zoned out everything but the taste in my mouth. My friend had the same experience. I went to The French Laundry in April, and while it still holds the title for best all-around meal I've ever had, this foie gras is one-up on TFL's. edited for spelling.

Yes to eggs, love lots of them. Not in oil-based potato salads, though, only mayo-based.

If samosas count then they're my favorite, but I adore all types of dumplings.

My daughters love Ranch, my younger daughter (6) would eat a salad almost every day if she can have Ranch on it. I like it, both as a dressing and a dip, but I've never loved it. (I'm a Blue Cheese person, myself.) When I was in Cologne (Koln) for work a few years ago we ate lunch at a steak house. They had a salad bar with various dressings, and the labels were in German and English. One label said "American" - I just had to try it. It was Ranch.