kpurvis

Oh my. Thank you. Just the thought of that will keep me going all day -- since I have at least two cups of fat in the refrigerator lfrom last night's duck braised in the slow cooker. And Suzanne, I'll throw another back to you: Duck cracklings with cocktails. Mmmmmmm.

Oh my heavens -- more great Southern writers than I can count or even begin to list. But yes, any list would have to have: Edna Lewis, especially "A Taste of Country Cooking," anything by Bill Neal, Ronni Lundy, especially "Butters Beans to Blackberries," Hoppin' John Martin Taylor, Damon Fowler, Jessica Harris' "The Welcome Table," any of several books by Sarah Belk King, anything by Lee Bailey, both John T. Edge and John Egerton on Southern food culture, Eugene Walters, especially if you can lay your hands on his "American South" contribution to the Time-Life series from the '60s, Ben and Karen Barkers' "Not Afraid of Flavor" for the chefy side of Southern cuisine, Robb Walsh's "Legend of Texas Barbecue" and, and, and .... sorry, my list would be pretty much endless. As soon as I hit "add reply," I'll think of 20 more.

Do you know about barbecue hash, usually found in South Carolina? I've found several versions: Some of it is a way to make a hash out of leftover barbecue. Some of it uses parts of the pig not used in the barbecue. (You don't want to know -- think pig liver. ) And some of it involves beef or venison and is a sort of stew served on the side with barbecue, sort of the way Brunswick stew is used in North Carolina.

Yeah, I second that. I'll third it, and raise you two: Crisco in sticks! Hershey's cocoa in the wide-mouth box! (Who ever came up with that stupid small opening that couldn't handle a tablespoon?)

The pronoun "we" used by a waiter. It makes me feel like I'm being spoonfed grool in the old-folks home. "Ain't no 'we' here, bubba, unless 'we' plan to split the check with me."

I love this thread! Thanks for starting it. My husband hates to camp and I love it, so I've been training our 10-year-old son to be my trail buddy. We just got back from a two-night car-camp with his Scout troop. On the second night, the whole troop always does chicken hobo packets (packing my own stash of hot sauce makes it slightly more bearable ). On the first night, when I get to do our own meal, I try to do something more enjoyable. This time I took a frozen bag of my own Bolognese sauce, heated it on the Coleman and served it over good-quality toasted buns for a Sloppy Joe. Toasting buns takes a lot less fuel than trying to cook pasta. I also specialize in camp breakfasts -- this time, we did pancakes, cooked apples and Canadian bacon. Other times, I've caramelized banana slices in a skillet on the Coleman and poured pancake batter over them. Unfortunately, the Scouts have a solid rule that no one can take alcohol. Too bad -- a little nip by the fire would make the S'more smears on my jacket easier to take.

I second Loufood's method. On my one short experience at Le Cordon Bleu, that was the way the instructor did it. (Or should I say, that was the order the instructor barked at us.) My favorite comment on the mushroom-washing issue was from Lynne Rossetto Kasper, who once said that the whole nonsense about individually wiping mushrooms clean was just a conspiracy to make more work in the kitchen.

I used to collect the Betsy McCall pages. Wow, haven't thought about that in years. My mom used to get all sorts of gross ideas from women's magazines. Betsy McCall! Have not thought of Betsy for let's say...many years! Thanks for tickling that part of my memory. Those paper dolls! Seems weirdly appropriate to talk about Betsy McCall in a bad-sandwiches thread, doesn't it? She was, after all, the ultimate white-bread kid . . .

On a quick road trip through Birmy, a friend took me to a Greek seafood place that was fun. Not upscale like Highland's or Hot Hot, of course, but homey has its place, too. I recall the place was crowded, popular, and the fish dishes were tasty. Any Birmingham hands remember the name? It was on a small side street downtown, Greek-owned, had the owner's own line of olive oil on display.

The one my mother will never live down: Peanut butter and bacon. She had read a tip in a women's magazine that peanut butter would keep the bacon crisp. I never trusted Betsy McCall again. Given how gross it was, crispness really wasn't the point. As I recall, it was made even more horrible by the fact that she used leftover breakfast bacon, and she sent the awful thing with me as a lunch at day camp. So it sat in the heat, getting good and rancid by lunchtime.

The bottle is a 2001 Quail's Gate Optima from the Okanagan. I probably won't be back in Vancouver anytime soon, so I want to enjoy it at its best advantage. What kind of desserts do you lean toward for a wine that sweet -- or am I wrong to keep it in that role?

Thanks, all, for the kind words. Sorry for the delay in replying -- I've been on the road in New York, Boston and Providence, working on book research. (More importantly to food people: Ate at Babbo, DEB and the Parker Meridien burger joint. Also was at Johnson & Wales national high school recipe contest. The Johnson and Wales culinary museum is very, very cool.)

It doesn't necessarily fit your flavor bill, but I recently made something incredibly good from the Karen Adler book on smoking/grilling fish (can't remember the exact title -- "Fish on the Grill"?) It was smoked mussels: First you steam them open in a broth of 1 cup white wine, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons snipped chives. When they open, put them in an aluminum pan and smoke them (I used indirect coals on the weber, with hickory chunks), for 20 to 30 minutes (no longer, so they don't dry out). While they smoke, boil 1/2 cup of the wine/lemon juice broth for 3 minutes. Place 3 large egg yolks and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a blender. With blender running, pour in the hot wine liquid and the melted butter. Recipe calls it "lemon garlic hollandaise," and it was very good as a dipping sauce. You could probably tweak the broth with lemon grass and ginger.

Strange, isn't it? I just finished doing the same thing yesterday afternoon and it was the oddest feeling. Like if I got on a scale, I would find myself 5 pounds lighter. That won't last though -- after looking through so many recipes, all I wanted to do was cook something!

Good timing, Anna. I just started a short leave of absence, working at home on a book project, and I figured I'd sneak in a few chores at the same time. (A girl can stay at the computer just so long!) So one of my goals is getting the recipe collection under control. I've been trying a new system, a combination of the plastic pages Britcook uses and section dividers with pockets, all held in a very large three-ring binder. I go through 7-8 food magazines a month, dogearring pages with recipes that catch my eye. When the mags overflow the straw basket by the table, I go through and tear out whole pages. I sort them into the basic categories. (Recipe categories -- there's a Freudian question. Mine include "family," "entertaining," and "potlucks" because I get asked to take food to so many events.) Recipes waiting to be tried go into the pockets on the dividers. Recipes that get voted into the permanent collection get clipped and slid into the plastic pages. Using section dividers with pockets on both sides also lets me move around the candidates. At the beginning of summer, for instance, I can move all the grilling recipes into the front pocket and leave the rest of the "family" possibilities in the back pocket. At least, that's the theory! We'll see how it works.

I have a cousin named Tump, for reasons no one can recall. In fact, in some circles, all I have to do to establish my Southern credentials is point out that I have a cousin named Tump and an aunt named Verna -- bless their hearts.

Update: The Cup is supposed to reopen next week, under new owners, who plan to keep it the same as it ever was. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, Holly and others, I take it you've all seen the news that the Coffee Cup appears to be closed? We had a story on it earlier in the week. There's still no final word on what's going on with the building. But we could start a great general thread: Bobby Flay visits and the place closes the next week.

At the risk of using a posting board to my own ends, I have to confess that I read this thread with more than the usual interest. I am in the midst of researching a book on this subject, specifically on funeral foods in ethnic groups. I wondered: Would any of you who replied be willing for me to contact you by back-channel? I am particularly interested in finding several generations of a family that would be interviewed for the book. I'd like to hear stories of how things used to be observed, how they are observed now, and what each generation misses about food rituals that have disappeared. To save anyone the time of looking up my member profile, I'm a newspaper food journalist in Charlotte, N.C., and my e-mail address is kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com. Thanks in advance for any feedback anyone can offer. This is a richer and deeper subject than even I expected when I began my research.

But 201, don't you think that conversation could have happened anywhere? Some people have closed minds on food, but in my experience, that has less to do with where they're from than how they were raised. I don't think it's more of a symptom in Charlotte than it is anywhere else. Heck, I know people in NYC who never leave the few blocks around their apartments and offices and turn up their nose at any place that hasn't got a Zagat listing. Here in Charlotte, I get plenty of calls from New Jerseyans who've relocated here that go like this: N.J. caller: "Where do I get real bread? I hate these biscuits." Me: "Where have you had biscuits?" N.J. caller: "I tried one from a drive-thru window." Me: "Oooooh dear." I'd love it if people were more open-minded about their food experiences, but on the other hand: That leaves more to discover for the rest of us. Oh, and Phaelon -- on fun/funky, I left off the Penguin in Plaza/Midwood. Best job of renovating an old place while keeping the best parts. That's the trouble with answering "tell me where to eat in your town" questions. There's always more than you can remember at one sitting.

Oh, and I forgot to ask: Is that a Coffee Messiah sign from Seattle as your signature? I have one of their T-shirts. Love that place. The counterperson gave me a quarter and let me play the disco ball in the bathroom.

Sorry, Varmint. Between holidays, ice storm, two illnesses and the end of a very large project -- I haven't stuck my head out of my foxhole in weeks. Dining in Charlotte: Come on in, Phaelon -- the water's fine. We have a lot going on, more than I can even begin to list. For starters: Asian: Asian populations have been heavily represented here for quite some time, with Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese and Korean predominant. A good place to start is at the Asian Corners Mall at North Tryon and Sugar Creek. Don't let the parking lot scare you. It was an abandoned shopping mall until it was taken over by 3 sisters. It has a large supermarket stocked with food for all the dominant ethnic groups in the neighborhood, including Asian, Mexican and Caribbean. Asian is the main thing, though. In the mall beside the store, there are several good places. I like Cali, but inside, Dragon Court is much quieter than it should be. They have good food, but I think most people don't find them because they're inside the mall. Also inside is Hong Kong Barbecue, a good source for buns. Beyond that, you'll find a number of good restaurants and stores along Central Avenue, including Dim Sum and several good Thai restaurants. On South Boulevard, I like Pho 98 as well, and there's a good Indian restaurant near that, Jaipur. Melting Pot: They've been around a long time, but I haven't visited in years. It's fun for date night, but I like doing fondue at home, where I can get comfortable. Jamaican: The place you saw listed is Anntony's (that's right, not Anthony's). Also a longtime place. I like their greens, their chops and their chicken very much. And their sauce, sold in local markets, is good to keep on hand for grilling season. I have a shameful addiction to both Anntony's Caribbean Sauce and the Roasting Company's Tico Sauce. BBQ: Sonny's and Bubba's? What listing are you reading, for heaven's sakes? For eastern N.C. barbecue without driving to Wilson, try Bill Spoon's on South Boulevard. Bubba's is OK and has a following but if you want Lexington-style, drive to Lexington -- it's only 30 minutes. (And for all the other barbecue nuts who will immediately follow this post with vociferous arguments -- simmer down. Barbecue debates get way too heated, which is why I usually avoid them. Keep an open mind and an open mouth -- that's my motto.) Soul food: That's a great thing to know about Charlotte. This is a city, and there's more history of soul food than there is barbecue. In the Carolinas, barbecue is a larger tradition in smaller towns and rural areas. For great soul food: The Coffee Cup (of course) and don't skip going there for breakfast some cold morning, and the United House of Prayer For All People. Many of the UHOPs serve food, but for the best all-around experience, go to the Mother House on Beatties Ford Road. (Take Beatties Ford north until you see something that looks like the Emerald City. Turn left into the parking lot. Don't miss the coconut pie and the macaroni & cheese.) Farther up the street is McDonald's, which also has a long history. It's changed hands and I haven't had a chance to try it lately, but it's worth knowing about. Mexican: It's huge here, and growing rapidly. Shopping and restaurants are booming. We still don't have a white-tablecloth Mexican restaurant, but that's coming before too long. Give the community a little more time to settle in. Other suggestions: Fine dining (Zebra, Pewter Rose, Upstream, CiBi, plus several new places that are about to open uptown, like Blue and Luce), fun and funky (North Davidson for Cabo or Boudreaux's or Kelly's, Plaza-Midwood for Dish), specialty food shopping (Ferrucci's, Dominicks, Salute, Pasta & Provisions, Dean & Deluca, Carniceria La Mexicana and Panaderia La Mexicana, Payal and Bombay Bazaar, Home Economist and many more). See? Far more stuff than I can cover in a posting. I've been here for 17 years and the changes in Charlotte's food scene are enormous. We put as many things as we can in the paper. It would help to get a copy of the Living Here section we do every year, for general reference and addresses. Try the chamber of commerce, or call the circulation department. And welcome to Charlotte, Phaelon. Pull up a chair.

Extensive testing (meaning I measured a bunch of people in my office) led me to conclude that on almost everyone's first finger, the first joint equals 1 inch. Comes in really handy when you're trying to decide how long to cook a piece of fish. Of course, the first joint of your middle finger would be about the same, but asking people to show me their middle fingers would have skewed the sample.

How is Mexican Coke different from the American version? Is it made with sugar rather than corn syrup? I'd agree with Human Bean -- it's debatable. And it's been taken up in other threads, I think, and is off the point for this one. But here's a link that I think will take you to the column I wrote: charlotte.com