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An old GF worked at a resort on the Canadian border one summer. The owner's wife was a notoriously heavy smoker, and my GF claimed to have witnessed her keeping one arm outside the curtain with a lit cigarette while she showered. SB (never was that bad)

Smoking I smoked off and on for most of my life. My cousin Mac taught me how to smoke when I was about fifteen and staying with his family at their lake cabin one summer. At my peak I smoked between three and four packs of Pall Mall straights per day! I actually considered smoking to be as much a hobby as a habit. I enjoyed visiting tobacco stores and trying foreign brands of cigarettes. I'd smoke a nice cigar on occasion, and even tried a pipe, but that was too much fussing for me. One of the oddities about my smoking, which people still see fit to comment on even though I quit nearly ten years ago, is the way I used to keep my ashtrays. I always stacked up the butts, smoked to nearly equal length, in neat little piles like firewood. I just figured this was efficient, and posed the least risk of an unwanted ashtray fire, but everyone else found it fascinating. It became a strange kind of trademark, and people could always tell when I'd been around. {Aside: When I was involved in covert activities I would consciously abandon this practice, and even took the additional step of switching to Marlboros, which I would mark with an "X" on the filter end using my thumbnail.} One morning on my way to work I stopped at a local gas station/convenience store and purchased my usual three packs of Pall Malls. I got to work, made a pot of coffee, and started some bookkeeping work on the computer. (This was in my pre-internet days.) About twenty minutes into the day I turned around to reach for the recently opened pack of cigarettes, and just decided I didn't smoke anymore. As simple as that! Of course, like everyone else who smokes, I'd thought about quitting, and had even stopped smoking for months or years at a stretch since starting at fifteen. I hadn't consciously considered it that morning though, or had any particular reason to choose that day. I'm not even really sure what the exact date was, only that it was just prior to Labor Day. The only thing I recall distinctly about the experience was remembering a story Old Joe Terzich had once told me. Joe was retired from the iron mines and owned a corner grocery store in a small community where he also served as a Township Commissioner. When my family had our engineering business we handled various projects for the Township, so Joe would stop by our office every now and then. He was a nice guy, and a real good talker. My Father was always happy if I would take care of bs'ing with Joe so he wouldn't lose a couple hours of work time. Since Joe liked to talk about money, politics and stock car racing I was happy to oblige. Joe used to call me "Smokey", and gave me a bad time about my smoking. He was an ex-smoker himself. Joe had been a shovel runner in the mines, and that job entails plenty of down time waiting for the next truck or train car to load. This provided ample opportunities to have a smoke, and Joe had gone through several packs a day for most of his thirty years on the job. The story of how he had come to quit smoking is what I remembered that morning. As Joe told it, he'd been mowing his lawn one evening when he spied his neighbor across the street who was also out doing some yardwork. Never one to pass up a chance to talk rather than work, Joe shut off his mower and set out across the street. In preparation for the conversation he reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette and discovered his pack was empty. And he just never smoked again. Since quitting I've had countless opportunities to relate this story, and it's surprising how many people who quit successfully had a similar experience. I've concluded that will power, self-help groups, hypnotism, patches, gums and other gimmicks notwithstanding, it's either your day to quit smoking, or it ain't. SB (offering Best Wishes to the "Quitters")

There are several good observations here, in addition to the advice about "collapsing" the dough, which is often called punching it down. (And some days that feels real good!) Most breads should rise until (roughly) doubled in volume. How long that takes is not the point. Even surrounding air temperature can make a lot of difference. Generally longer rises develop better flavors, and some doughs are even designed to be refrigerated overnight. The sagging could have been caused by an air bubble that built up beneath the crust. Improper rising time can cause this to happen. Checking for doneness with a thermometer is good advice. Just like rising time, baking time just plain takes as long as it takes. (checking your oven temp is a must too) Lots of bread books have trouble shooting sections which offer some help, but there's still a lot of live and learn involved. SB (still living and learning)

Since I'm SUCH a novice bread maker I don't rightly understand the purpose of multiple risings. As per the recipe, after kneading I let the dough rest (and ME ) for about 15 minutes, shaped and dropped them into the pans for their final and only rising. After your first rising did you punch down the dough? If so, what does this do, exactly? For such a "simple" bread recipe it sure gives rise ( ) to lots of questions. ← As several other respondents have pointed out, there's something "fishy" about this recipe. It may be the salt, the yeast, the rising time, or .... In basic terms, rising gives the bread it's lift as the yeast eats and gives of carbon dioxide. It develops the flavor,(ie: gets rid of the "yeasty" taste). Most breads use two rises, one in a bowl and one after they're shaped into loaves, but many recipes, especially sourdough breads, use even more rising periods. The only one-rise, in the loaf pan recipe I use is for English Muffin Bread (posted on RecipeGullet), which includes a heavy yeast to salt ratio plus the addition of baking soda to give it an extra boost. Even at that, this bread has kind of an odd taste until its toasted., then it's great! SB

The recipe you used looks proportionally the same as the one I used last weekend, (and several times previously), from Betsy Openmiers book, EXCEPT the 1st rising period would be about one hour, and the 2nd (in loaf pans) about 45 minutes. It's really rare to see a yeast bread recipe with such a short initial rising time. SB

I have to work quickly so that I'm forced to concentrate. That way I'll actually make fewer mistakes. It's the same thing at work. If I have 100 things to do in a day, I'll get 99 of them done. But if I only have 2 tasks, I'll inevitabley forget 1 of them! SB (ADD sufferer before it was invented)

Not quite the same thing, but I'm sure we all heard about the starving children in Armenia/Ethiopia/China etc who would be only too happy to eat he food we didn't finish? SB (wondrers what ploy mothers in Armenia/Ethiopia/China etc used to get their kids to eat?)

A lot of ingredients have the measure and/or weight of a "serving' on the package. Sometines it takes a little calculating to derive the quantity you need, so be sure to write it down. It's an especially good way to measure out things like peanut butter and shortening. SB (always has the scale and calaculator at hand in the kitchen)

Eating toast crust will make your hair curley! SB (likes crust anyway)(but not curley hair)

As the old saying goes, "What could be more American than hot dogs, baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet?" I suspect the hot dog owes quite a bit of it's reputation as "America's Food" to it's close historical relationship with baseball, the erstwhile "America's Past Time". As for the turkey, which Ben Franklin supported for our national symbol, I suspect the other Founding Fathers found the idea of an edible emblem distasteful? SB (now the Founding Mothers, on the other hand, might have approved?)

Wouldn't it be great if the "little girl in the long sweater" from the market read the story and contacted the author? SB (hopelessly romantic)(on all too rare an occasion)

My brother and I also used to walk home from grade school for lunch, and one of our favorites was elbow macaroni and cut up hot dogs in tomato soup. We named the dish "Mixed Getti Soup". When we were a bit older we had the option of adding some grated (Kraft) Parmesan Cheese. SB

I'd like to add my thanks too, and by way of showing my appreciation I'm posting a review of Sara's book, Sara Moulton Cooks at Home" that I'd written on Amazon in 2003, and which Melissa, aka "Gifted Gourmet", was perceptive enough to notice and remind me of. SARA MOULTON COOKS AT HOME, by Sara Moulton Sara Moulton is the Executive Chef for Gourmet Magazine and Food Editor for Good Morning America. She has hosted several shows on Food Network. She is a graduate of the CIA, has cooked in famous kitchens like La Tulipe, and worked on Julia Childs' televison show. The friends she acknowledges in the book's Introduction are a veritable "Who's Who in Food Today". Her husband is Bill Adler, a very prominent person in the recording industry, and her Mother, Elizabeth, is the former Editor of, ( I believe), Glamour Magazine, so Sara has not only an impressive resume, but very good connections. You might expect such a person to have quite a formidable presence. On television Sara Moulton comes across as one of the most down-to-earth people you would ever hope to meet, and her book seems to confirm this image. She begins one recipe with, "Whenever I have homemade chicken stock in the freezer, I feel happy". And, you have to believe she sincerly means just that. The recipes range from simple to elegant, but are all designed to be cooked and eaten at home. Sara is proud to label herself a "working Mom" to her two children, and her philosophy on food and eating might be summed up in the quote, "A home-cooked meal is always a great gift, as is sitting down to dine." The book is very straightforward in its compilation, with short personal comments to accompany most recipes. The instructions are concise and easy to follow, and the book is full of handy tips such as, "... the best way to store ginger?". There are a few pages of colored photos of dishes, and numerous black and white family album pictures throughout the book. Michael Green, Gourmet's Wine Consultant, provides a chapter on pairing food and wine as well as tips and suggestions throughout the book You could do a lot worse than to own this cookbook. SB (hopes maybe he helped sell a few copies)

Just an odd thought along these lines; but I wonder if the "Fusion Cooking" trend isn't somehow connected to our population becoming more heterogeneous? A modern manifestation of the old Brillat-Savarin/Tiny Tim "you are what you eat". SB (just musing)

I can understand where such a show wouldn't be of interest to The Food Network, (enough said?), but the concept might work on PBS. The format could be something like the CBC production mentioned combined with some straight documentary aspects. It wouldn't be about "old people", but about how our cooking and eating traditions are transmitted, maintained and adapted through human interaction. It's the kind of idea that would be easier to sell to an underwriter than an advertiser. SB (wants to offer his thanks to Sara for her participation here this week)

Alton Brown also handled this one on his show. He weighed mushrooms dry, rinsed and soaked, and concluded they will only absorb a slight amount of moisture no matter how long they set in water. SB (gives his a quick rinse before use)

My favorite bakery sells hot dog buns in eights. I bought a bag this morning, (and some kolaches), and had them earlier tonite with locally made Polish Sausages. (from an eight pack) As if the poor American consumer had it tough, I understand that in Holland, (and the rest of the EU?), tomatos are sold in fives and eggs in tens. makes menu planning a real mathematical exercise. SB (throw in a six pack of your favorite beverage ....

We used to have a local expression for somebody wolfing down their food that they "Ate (whatever) like Lyle Ginsel eats wieners!" Lyle, a 400 pound plus logging contractor whose fingers were virtually the same size as wieners, (but not as clean), used to down a whole pack, uncooked, by sucking them up one after another like strands of spaghetti. He almost appeared to inhale them. SB (rest his soul)(all of it!)

I was loath to participate in this discussion until I was sure what "semiotics" was. After consulting Merriam-Webster Online for a definition, I recalled a pertinent story. When we were in high school, what was probably my old friend Luke's singular lifetime semiotic musing dealt with hot dogs. He wondered why, "When we eat them boiled at home they're called wieners, at the ball park they're franks, and on a picnic we call them hot dogs?" I didn't know, and still don't. I do know that Americans probably eat as much pizza as hamburgers or hot dogs, but that doesn't make it the quintessential "American Food" any more than the fact that we have more pigeons than Bald Eagles makes the former the American Bird. SB (bemused)

I keep mine in the form of Vegeta, which I used to have smuggled from Croatia, but it's now available on Amazon! (what wonderful times we live in) SB (also likes Triscuits)

Bet your kids thought that was way cool! (or whatever they say) From Julia to Jimi .... Sara spans the spectrum of popular culture in the late 20th Century! SB

That's for sure! I wouldn't want anybody to find out I'd ever been a restaurant critic. SB (has already been a waiter)(enjoyed it too!)

Just for the fun of it, try the original recipe: 1 lb Eggs = 8 ex lg 1 lb Butter = 4 sticks 1 lb Sugar = 2.25 cups 1 lb Flour = 4 cups It's "moist, dense, and delicious" and "can be flavored many different ways" SB (but, as you may already have guessed, it ain't "light")

Lest I forget; although it would be uncustomary at my house, (in fact, it would be unprecedented), we would certainly have a round of toasts after dinner to commemorate such a special occasion! Here we hark back to my youth, when supplies for a night of festivities included a case a Baltz Beer, a few hits of Windowpane, and a bottle of Canadian Club Canadian Whisky, aka "The Queen", by virtue of it's label containing the Royal Seal and information that it's "By Appointment Supplier of Canadian Whiskey to H.M. The Queen". Althouth C.C. was a bit out of our price range, we kept a bottle on hand for use on those occasions when the urge for a round of toasting might strike us. SB (TO THE QUEEN!)

Julia and I had the same problem! I fell lots better now. SB (has used the procedure successfully many times since)(after cleaning the oven)