Darcie B

I too often dine alone when traveling. I usually don't take a book because I'm worried that sends the signal that I'll be taking up the space for far too long and will only order crackers and water. At least that's the signal it sent to me when I was a waitress many moons ago... I will usually order a drink and an appetizer right off so the waiter won't worry that the tip will be small. I generally have an enjoyable time - after all I'm there for the food!

My neighbor had a sweet basset named Nigel. It just fit. Looking forward to the rest of the blog. Oh, and the hotel pans for flours - consider that idea stolen!

I celebrated with a coconut cream pie with rum. Plus I made empanadas (mini meat pies) for dinner. I'll celebrate Pi day too, which is the date the American Pie Council should have chosen for National Pie Day.

Most of the time I view finicky diners as a challenge. My friend's wife has a litany of restrictions: lactose intolerant, allergic to shellfish, coconut, peanuts, soy and I think one other thing. Anyway, I always try to make the entire meal friendly to her but still make it delicious for everyone. Dessert is the hard part. No butter? Yikes! Sorbet is my friend. However, one meal is different than several days - and none of my friends ever looks over my shoulder making suggestions. I will hurt someone if they try that. Just ask my husband. I think I have weeded out the friends that were too picky or just didn't care about food. I'll go out with them but don't invite them over for dinner anymore.

I don't like foodie, either. But I really don't like gourmand or gourmet because they sound elitist. I call myself a food nut, but I am sure many people would not choose that. Boy, that was helpful.

Sorry, I don't have any info, but you might want to consider lard as a substitute for shortening. It work wonders in pie crusts and is actually better for you than butter or shortening. Do choose a natural lard, though, not one that has been hydrogenated to extend its shelf life.

I'm sorry you weren't pleased with the Pugliese. It's one of my favorites in the BBA. FWIW, my crumb never gets as airy as the photo either. The Pane Siciliano is another favorite.

I only wish I had a Whole Foods (better yet, Trader Joe's) here. I shop at Kroger and Aldi, have to put up with crappy produce (I wanted a plantain yesterday but of course they didn't have any), smelly people, crying babies, you name it. And I love it. I get in the zone and unless the crying kid actually runs into me, I hardly notice him. I love to linger in the "ethnic" aisles, perhaps to the chagrin of those in a hurry, and see what new goodies are on the shelves. I read labels, mentally keep track of how much everything is adding up to (), and spend ridiculous amounts of time deciding which bread to purchase. I rarely splurge on anything. Like Sandy, I'm just happy when I'm putting the cheese in the cart.

Does she have a cocktail to go with that? Enough 'tinis and I guess it might start to make sense.

I grew up on the "cream of ____ soup" casseroles and used to like them. (Then again, I used to like my ex-husband.) Haven't made any for quite some time, though. (Casseroles, that is, not ex-husbands.) How about the lime jello "salad" with cottage cheese? Served elegantly on a piece of iceberg lettuce, of course. I like jello, and I like cottage cheese, but that combination makes me shudder. The texture is so....wrong. Aside about jello: at my grandfather's funeral in 2006, at the church ladies' lunch there were no fewer than 9 different jello concoctions. There may have been more - I was counting them to keep my mind occupied, but the tears may have messed up the count. Edit for stupidity.

Just wanted to say that I've loved this foodblog. I know blogging is a lot of work, so thank you all for your splendid efforts. It was interesting to see each of you work toward weight loss from a different angle. I have a few pounds to lose myself, and I know that exercise is going to be the key since my Lizard Brain is very, very powerful. I just wish I didn't abhor working out so much (too many years of sports, with injuries that now cause pain, is the reason I don't want to do any exercise now). But I can also eat healthier and you've all inspired me to do so. Thanks again.

I don't think frying directly from the freezer would work. I attended a demo last month where someone attempt to do that with choux paste and they didn't expand at all - they were like little bricks. I don't know about holding it in the fridge.

You make an almond toffee (butter, sugar, cream, corn syrup boiled to soft ball stage, poured over sliced almonds, then baked at 400 degrees on a sheet pan until bubbly and golden - spread out the mixture after a few minutes in the oven to get it thin). Then cut half of it into sticks while still warm but not liquid and pulverize the rest into crumbs when cool. Coat your truffles (these were a basic ganache truffle) with the crumbs and put a "stick: in them. If you want the ingredients and measurements for the toffee just PM me.

phan1 If you like Hershey's Special Dark, try one of the plain Hershey's Cacao Reserve Bars. I was pleasantly surprised by them - and found them to be far superior to regular Special Dark, but readily available. They are quite a bit more pricey than Special Dark (which I use for applications where subtle nuances in chocolate are lost), but for straight eating, I find most of the higher-end chocolates to be worth the price differential. My favorites include Michel Cluizel single origin Mangaro and Concepcion, and Guittard single origin Chucuri and Ambanja. I've never heard of Rocky Mountain chocolates, so don't know how they compare.

Truffle "Lollipops" from Flo Braker's Sweet Miniatures.

It's doubly tough when you are out to dinner and the offender is your boss, not your guest. Squirm city! I would (and have) discreetly corrected a friend's faux pas, but really can't with my boss (tried once, after the fact - he was not amused). The funny thing is he claims to know a lot about food, but he mispronounces almost everything (from "foreign" food items to people's names), he doesn't know the difference between a T-bone and Porterhouse (thinking they came from different parts of the cow), I could go on. I cringe every time he asks if anyone wants an "expresso." I've worked for him for 10 years, and hopefully will last until his retirement (~2 more years). It's going to be a loooong couple of years.

I think you would end up with mushy pasta that stuck together if you did this. I could be wrong, though!

Sometimes you can tell who manufactures a store-brand product. The manufacturer's code on canned goods is very specific, down to the color of ink. I have found a few that way, but have not always been able to make a determination. For the record, Aldi brand Macaroni 'n' Beef is made by Chef Boyardee. Not that I would ever eat it, mind you. I use Kroger brand items for some things (sour cream, canned tomatoes, milk, eggs, butter, and a few others) but don't use them for pasta, canned beans, and most cheeses. I have used trial and error to determine which store brand items are good/superior and which are not.

My limited experience with this is that adding vital wheat gluten does not work, specifically in bagel recipes. I tried it when I was out of high gluten flour, and my bagels were dense and horrible. I used 2 tablespoons of VWG to 1 cup of flour. I didn't test any other levels since the initial results were so disappointing.

I'll start the New Year of this thread with the following. This is from last week, at a Kroger in West Virginia. Brown Sugar (Domino 2lb) $2.19 (30 cents off reg. price) Barilla Pasta (1 lb) $1.00 (29 cents off reg. price) Cauliflower (1 head) $2.49 (39 cents off reg. price) Sour Cream (Kroger 16oz) $1.00 (26 cents off reg. price) Kroger Bacon (12 oz) $3.00 (99 cents off reg. price) Pillsbury Flour (5 lb) $1.99 (29 cents off reg. price) Cherry Tomatoes (1 lb) $2.99 (2.00 off reg. price) Canned Kidney Beans $.79 (20 cents off reg. price) I didn't buy any milk but it is hovering around $3.75/gallon for 2% One change I have noticed since last year is that Kroger has fewer items available for the 10 for $10 sales. I used to be able to get 28 oz. canned tomatoes (Kroger brand) on the 10 for $10 sale but not in the last 8 months. The price for those is holding steady at about $1.69 with occasional sales to $1.29. Prices don't seem that much higher, but my grocery spending for 2007 was up about 22% over 2006. Part of that is due to my financial circumstances changing, but part may be due to higher prices.

I posted this on my blog, but thought I would share it here, on the thread that was the inspiration for my post. Cake vs. Pie - The Debate On the eGullet forums several months ago a debate ensued about which was better, cake or pie. I came down firmly on the pie side, where (as usual) I was in the minority. Since we are fast approaching an election year, I thought we should let cake and pie duke it out for themselves in a debate. I will act as moderator. One note: cheesecake asked to be allowed to debate since he is neither cake nor pie, but he was deemed to not have the fundraising levels necessary to participate. After a coin toss, Cake is allowed to go first. M: Cake, what do you have to offer the voting public? What makes you a better choice than pie? Cake_2 C: I am the candidate for all people. My textures range from light and airy (to fit the blue states) down to moist and dense (surely a red state pleaser). There is a texture for every palate in America. I clearly give the people what they want. They want the icing on the cake! They want to have the cake and eat it too! I offer a plethora of delectable icings, again with a range of textures and flavors to suit every mood and need. I say to you, what do people celebrate with on special occasions? Have you ever seen a wedding pie or even a birthday pie? No! The people demand cake and I will give it to them all. M: Pie, it's your turn. What makes you the superior candidate? P: Cake says he is for everyone, but in reality he is only for the privileged elite - "Let them eat cake!" Pie He claims to be all about texture, but I offer more texture than he can even comprehend. I can be firm, but loose if the situation calls for it. Cake is too stiff to be able to relate to the common man, but nothing is more homespun and American as apple pie. Does the song go "baseball, hot dogs, lemon cake and Chevrolet?" No, indeed. I offer a range of tastes for everyone, from the lowest shepherd to the elite chess player. I can contribute to more parts of the meal, too. A chicken pot pie on every plate! Cake cannot offer the substance needed for the main course, but I can be with people from the appetizer to the dessert. I believe the choice is easy. M: Cake, there have been assertions that you are too dry. What is your response? C: That assertion is only from those who choose to overbake me. If they would listen to my message and pull me out of the oven sooner, they wouldn't need to resort to using milk to wash me down. P (interjects): Cut and run! Always wanting to pull out of the heat before the job is finished! C: That's an interesting response from someone as flaky as you. You can't even make up your mind if you are dinner or dessert! Talk about waffling! M: Let's please each take our turn. There will be time for rebuttal later. Pie, Cake brings up a point I wanted to mention. You have often been called flaky, and sometimes even downright nutty. Your response? P: If being tender yet crisp is a crime, then I am guilty. I am a deep individual. And I believe that being nutty on occasion is just being human. M: Cake, Pie has considers himself deep. Do you feel that you are as well? C: Not only am I deep, but I have many layers. In fact, I have many more layers than pie, who would collapse under the pressure. P: My layers might not be as lofty but I have hundreds of layers in my crust alone. M: Any last comments? C: I am the all purpose candidate. I embrace layers of diversity and I've been a sponge soaking up the knowledge needed to be an effective leader. Throughout the years I have retained the specialness that makes me desired at every important occasion. I come in all sizes to meet the needs of any situation. I feel I can best expound on the values important to the nation. Pie lacks focus - he is trying to cover too many bases. P: I cover more bases, but this is a diverse country. I can relate to everyman, and I remain humble. I can be tarted up for a special occasion, but let's face it - the main work to be done isn't going to be fancy, it's going to be grunt work. It's not for cupcakes (and need I even mention that Cake is the Devil's food?) The country can't be trifled with - let's buckle down and cobble together the best nation we can! C: I just want to point out that I was the angels' food first and remain so to this day.

My New Year's resolution is to find veal knuckles in Charleston, WV. Wish me luck. I will be in Chicago next month (with any luck) so if I strike out here, I'll look there. I'm short and out of shape, but regularly haul 20+ lb. enameled cast iron pots in and out of my oven. A few months ago I cooked for a large crowd and had 15 lbs. of chuck, 3 bottles of wine, etc. in an obscenely large pan that I had to schlepp by myself in and out of a low oven. It weighed close to 50 lbs. That wasn't fun but it makes 30 lbs seem better. A large turkey in a roasting pan will be 20+ lbs. It's unwieldy, but not that bad. And as stated above, you can halve the recipe. FWIW, I am thoroughly enjoying Elements.

Santa must have mixed up his naughty and nice list, because I got - a Thermapen (yea!) - plate warmer - Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques (book AND DVD) - The Making of a Chef - a lovely crystal serving bowl - electric waffle cone maker - The Best International Recipe (Cook's Illustrated) Plus I bought myself a Mario Batali enameled cast iron 4 quart DO in Penne ($24.99 on amazon.com + free shipping). It looks perfect on my cooktop.

It cracked some, but I may have overbaked it a little (it never did pass her test for being done by springing back). RLB has you cool the cake flat and then roll - other recipes I've seen say to roll warm, then un-roll, fill and re-roll. I don't know if that makes a difference. There is no flour in her recipe - just eggs, sugar and melted chocolate. It had a good flavor and was moist even with an extra 4 minutes in the oven. I would try it again, this time taking it out earlier.

I made my first attempt at a Yule Log on Christmas Eve. I went a little crazy with the meringue mushrooms but I didn't have another use for them so I stuck them all on the log. I used Rose Levy Berenbaum's recipe for the cake, a whipped cream/cream cheese/Kahlua filling, and a standard chocolate ganache for the icing (except the lighter parts are buttercream). My husband made a ganache mouse with sliced almond ears that was too cute. Someone ate it before I could get a photo. Thanks to everyone here for the demonstrations.