rooftop1000

It might be fun, if you have enough stations, to have differt people make the same recipe with the right and wrong product. Like have people try to make risotto with short and long grain rice or make perfect mashed potatoes or potato salad with waxy or floury potatoes. Somewhat cruel to the person trying to make risotto with Uncle Ben's but would be educational tracey

I had an unexpected Ladies lunch on Tuesday with my mother. After a few hours perusing a large antique shop to get price ideas on grandma's stuff we headed right across the street to visit one of my former employers. http://www.kevinsthyme.com/ After poor Kevin told us how dismal business was in Feb. and about the power being out and ruining his Saturday night he insisted on comping us a lunch. My mother always being up for some coffee said that was all we should have...I told her to hush and we split a Turkey, Bacon, and Smoked Cheddar sandwich while we drooled over the 20something year old waiters. After that we found a supermarket that had neither been flooded or had no power for 2 days. tracey

I lightly toast the bread and then gently rub the garlic clove onto the crust then butter and toast a little more tracey

This made a 7 second mention on the Channel 2 News at Noon...with a straight face yet t

Just caught this one on facebook and thought it worthy of derision or discussion http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A10129&Summary=Y&Text=Y A10129 Summary: BILL NO A10129 SAME AS No same as SPONSOR Ortiz (MS) COSPNSR Markey MLTSPNSR Perry Add S399-bbb, Gen Bus L Prohibits the use of salt by restaurants in the preparation of food by restaurants. tracey

In my first culinary class at a community college we had an older gentleman who never had any food to "present" at the end of class. After a few classes the teacher paired him with me to find out what was going on. He was terrified of the knives so his cuts were awful and he was too embaressed to show his dish. It so happened we were making soup that day so it was easy to say Hey just throw it in the pot, it's soup. So knife skills are going to be a big one tricks and tips like lining baking pans with foil for easy/no cleanup might be nice too Taking a roast chicken through some salad dishes too...regular chicken salad, chinese chicken salad, mustard or other dressing combos tracey

For regular Basil I usually puree it with some oil then freeze flat in a zip bag so I can break off pieces. Last autumn I grabbed the last of my basil off the plant before a freeze and tossed it (literally) in the fridge, it wound up getting forgotten about and pushed to the back and it dried quite nicely sitting there on the shelf tracey

Some of the larger food recalls have generated topics with heated discussions...I humbley propose this one for just noting recalls. Recently announced - February 10, 2010 - Monrovia CA – Trader Joe's Company of Monrovia, California is voluntarily recalling Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, UPC 82818, Use by Dates/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella If you're a Girl Scout Cookie fan and thought the Lemon Chalet Creme cookies you ate were a bit off -- no problem with your taste buds. They were real lemons. As in duds. The maker of the Girl Scout cookie line, Kellogg's Little Brownie Bakers, issued a statement saying some customers had complained of "an off taste and smell." So, the bakers tested them and found them to be safe to eat, just not so good to eat -- "not up to our quality standards," company spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz told WalletPop in an email. But don't call this a recall, the company said. "We are handling this matter as a quality withdrawal." Cookies with the following lots codes of the cookies not being recalled, but subject to "withdrawal": 7455881, 7455882, 7455883, 7456741, 7456742, 7456743, 7457661, 7457662, 7457663, 7458521, 7458522, 7458523, 7459401, 7459402 and 7459403. CINCINNATI – Kroger Co. is recalling two onion soup and dip mixes because of possible salmonella contamination. The grocer said an ingredient in its Kroger Onion Soup & Dip Mix and Kroger Beefy Onion Soup & Dip Mix may have been contaminated with the bacteria. The mixes were sold in a number of states and are being recalled from its Kroger, Dillons, Fry's, King Soopers, City Market, Smith's, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Scott's, Owen's, Baker's, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less stores. Tracey

The restaurant was damaged Saturday night by a fire http://www.northjersey.com/breakingnews/022810_Wyckoff_restaurant_damaged_in_fire.html

Here is a great link for the dedicated hunters out there. You can sign up for weekly E-mails of sales in your area http://www.estatesales.net/ tracey

I have only had the "Italian/American" style of lasagna except for one time. I thought the bechamel thing was some invention of the Irish chef that had made it My husband is a trip when he makes lasagna...he uses the recipe off the Ronzoni box... He covers all the counters with tinfoil so he can lay the cooked noodles out so they dont stick together. It comes out good enough that my grandmother approved it, but I just can't watch. I usually par-cook enough pasta per layer and pull them out with tongs and a spyder, then drop the next layer's worth into the pot. Definately the 3 cheese kind over here, I mix the Ricotta with a few eggs and season with garlic powder, parsley,and Romano cheese. Start with sauce on the bottom then layer noodles, Ricotta, Mozzarella, and sauce till done...lots of cheese on top and bake. If baking right away no foil on top...if making ahead of time cover with foil till bubbly then remove to brown a little You can add thin slices of veg to the layers or if you wanted to hide veggies you can julienn them into the sauce Baked ziti is the same same except mix it all in your biggest bowl and dump into sauced baking dish...top with extra cheese tracey

The owners of Little Saigon have re-opened as Huong Viet at 358 Passaic Ave in Nutley. Ate there least weekend and I was pleased with dinner, but this was my first Vietnamese meal so.... "Someone" has some nice pics on their website...and my Facebook has some also tracey

A few days ago while digging through the freezer I tossed a package of puff pastry on the table...and forgot till much later so I refrigerated it. Yesterday I took some nearly spoiled milk and made about 3/4 cup of cheese, and refrigerated it. Today I mixed the cheese with pesto and topped the puff with the cheese, carmelized balsamic onions, and home pickled aparagus in little triangles. They looked beautiful.....tasted like crap but looked really nice Dinner was grilled filet mignon with steak fries and corn in butter sauce I should have topped the cheese with fruit cocktail and made dessert instead tracey

The easiest dessert sauces I can think of are - Frozen berries pureed with sugar or lemon juice, depending on if they are too tart or too sweet And - Melted Vanilla Bean ice cream use squeeze bottles from the dollar store tracey

Trader Joe's Company Voluntarily Recalls Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars Company Contact: Trader Joes Customer Relations 626-599-3817 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 10, 2010 - Monrovia CA – Trader Joe's Company of Monrovia, California is voluntarily recalling Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, UPC 82818, Use by Dates/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. The product involved in this recall was distributed at Trader Joe’s stores nationally and comes in a 7.4 oz box marked with Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 on the top of the box and stamped individually on the side of each granola bar. Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and Bloomfield Bakery continue their investigation.

If you have many people plating make sure you have a serving/measuring device for them so you can say every plate gets...2 scoops or 3/4 cup or whatever. You don't want to run out because someone thinks a "little more" won't hurt anything. tracey

I huge slab of my last loaf of mutant shaped bread toasted with way too much butter. I managed to play with the dough too much at the last min got a big seam in the middle, so it doesn't slice well. Thicker slices of course require extra butter tracey

I finally dragged the my mothers story out of her... Back in 1974 there was no week of special diet, they just stopped the Synthroid. She had to go back to the hospital for the treatment but didn't have to stay. She says they just waved a "wand" over her and sent her home. Maybe they knew less or they used less, not sure. She very clearly remembers feeling like a crazy person for quite a while though..... T

Wings, pizza, and roasted shrimp with pineapple habanero salsa... already had my share of onion dip at a party last night tracey

It happens to best of us ....I want about 50% of the crap in here but will buy nothing http://www.freshfinds.com/cooking/ tracey

That is Perfect...within range of what I would have blindly done too thanks

I was tasked with dessert for a party tomorrow night (would rather been asked for 20 roast chickens but...) I have an 8oz Soft Cream Cheese that will never get eaten and just bought brownie mix. I was thinking add eggs, sugar and vanilla to the cream cheese and swirl into the baking pan with the prepared mix, but anyone want to guess on how much egg and sugar for 8 oz soft cream cheese? Thanks tracey

I think you should do something from your last US vacation like braised pork and coleslaw...we can talk you through it Tracey

Steve, Sit down and breathe for 5 min then make yourself a decadent juice based smoothie. It appears you have had an important part removed, they havent given you all your meds yet, and you are malnourished. Slow down until they have you stabilized, it's allowed. If you want to come out to Jersey you can borrow my cat for a few days tracey

As Dave's list says....2.5 to 3qt pot is what I find myself using the most my husband and I merged almost identical sets and now have 2- 1qt used for tea or cocoa water...nearly useless 1- 2qt used for rice 1- 2.5 rice or small batches of pasta 1- 3qt small batch pasta A small non-stick pan for whipping up some eggs might be usefull too, no one want scrambled eggs to be an adventure t