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Venison Sausage w/footgear Mice in Place: 1 Deer 1 Pig Spices Casing Skin Deer (reserve hide for mocassins) Grind Hog Mix Ground Hog with Spices Stuff Ground Hog into Casings Dispose of Deer Carcass SB (not real big on venison)

On weekdays GF is up before me, and I'll have one-half cup of Folgers while I check my email. On weekends I meet my racing buddies at a local cafe where the coffee is lousy but the bs is entertaining. In either case, when I get to my shop I'll make some real coffee. I prefer grinding my own French Roast beans, often from an internet source like Peet's, but if I'm busy I'll use a premium ground coffee I get at the local bakery/deli. I've never seen a coffee cart. Of course, around here one would be either stuck in the snow or frozen up for half the year! SB (-4 this morning)

I would say Elizabeth David had the ability to relay scholarly information without being pedantic. In a similar fashion, she could convey passion in a much subtler style than, let's say, MFK Fisher, who's my favorite food writer. I was surprised as anyone when Ms David held my interest for the entire length of "English Bread and Yeast Cookery", which I found myself reading straight through even though I'd only purchased it as a reference book.

Well, reportedly, my first word was "bite"? In retrospect, I guess that upon seeing the word "foodie" I supposed I had slowly become one over the years having read MFK Fisher in The New Yorker. SB

Hee hee! Or maybe they're too busy dealing with their offspring to cook! ← Touche! As a matter of fact, GF's two-year old grandson has been staying with us lately, but will spend tonite with his other grandparents, so I thougt I'd take advantage of the circumstances to bake bread since I won't be interupted by his plaintive pleas of "Poppa, Poppa. Up!" Although it's nice he likes to "help" in the kitchen. SB (may even have time for some .....

I wonder if the trend towards "lifestyle" stores .... for those consumers who don't have time to cook might not peak soon, and then begin to slowly decline over the next generation? After all, I would think people too busy to cook would have difficulty finding the time to reproduce? SB (maybe I'm just getting old?)

In Edina, the toniest section of Minneapolis, there's an establishment best described as a "deportment" store named "Alfred's grand petit magasin". www.alfredsgpm.com Alfreds' owner was inspired by Barney's New York and Los Angeles' Fred Segal. The store fearures designer furnishings, antiques, housewares, clothing and jewelry, and much more, dramaticly arranged throughout small rooms over three stories. It would take weeks to see everything they offer. The last time I was there I had a nice conversation with a stylish elderly woman about a reproduction 1830's brass French railway station clock. It was mounted high on the wall and she asked me to read the price tag for her. It was $325, but I'm sure had it been $1,325 or $3,250 it would hardly have mattered. There is also a indoor and outdoor cafe where such "ladies lunch". (I wouldn't be surprised to learn some of them even "have tea".) I haven't eaten there yet. The menu looks interesting, but I'm afraid I don't know any "ladies" to "lunch" with. SB

My Grandfather always used to finish off a meal of pancakes with a stack topped with sugar and poured whipping cream. SB

"dozens" of complaints! Wow! SB

That's about what mine looked like. I figured semolina is a hard wheat, so a rather more dense bread with a nice "bite" was fitting? If not, just tell everybody that's the way it's supposed to be. SB (that's what Julia would have done)

The book is one of my favorites. I've made the semolina bread, a Nick Malgieri recipe, and loved it. It makes really great toast, if you manage to save a piece! SB (and how about the photos in that book?)

I saw Martha Stewart's investment banker make this on Food Network. Supposedly she only cooks once a year, and this is what she makes! It was a funny show because she wasn't inhibited by Martha's presence in the least. In fact, she even got in a couple good verbal jabs. SB

If you're eating and driving at the same time you aren't paying appropriate attention to either activity. SB (serious eater and driver)

On a more serious note, a former employee of our engineering company who we called Uncle Ed was a Japanese POW for the entire duration of WWII, having been taken prisoner on Wake Island at the start of the war. Much of Ed's time in captivity was spent in camps in Japanese occupied mainland China. The stories of the hardship and suffering the prisoners endured were unimaginably horrid, especially concerning the food. They suffered from disease and malnutrition, and even those like Ed who survived had related health problems throughout the rest of their lives. Ed was very active in veterans organizations, and never passed up a chance to speak at schools and civic functions about his experience. One story he always told was about the annual Christmas gift the prisoners received from the Japanese. They were each given a fresh apple as proof of the beneficiance of the Emporer and people of Japan. Ed said that considering the food they were forced to eat all year it was very difficult, but he had always refused to eat "Hirohito's Apple". Uncle Ed passed away about ten years ago, but I try and tell some of his stories every year on Memorial and Veterans Days. Thanks Ed SB

My friend Yach was an army cook in Vietnam. One afternoon his outfit came under heavy enemy rocket fire. All the soldiers sought shelter except Yach, who proceeded to calmly and carefully cover up all the food being prepared and put lids on all the cooking vessels and turn down the burners. His CO was so impressed he put Yach in for a medal for courage under fire, or some such thing. Actually, Yach says, he had been partaking of copious quantities of some of SE Asia's native herbage via non-oral means, and was so stoned that when the shells started exploding around him all he could think of to do was "save the food". SB (Yach tells the story better because he stutters)

Not so good

I ain't offended. Just confused. SB (and still left-handed)

I can't even look at okra! SB (assuming emotional scars count?)

Well Tempis Fugit! I can't believe it's been a year and a half and I haven't tried to make palacinkas since! Well, today is GF's birthday, and despite being of Italian descent, she's always loved palacinkas. And since I have a jar of sour cherries from my cousins' trip to visit ancesteral homelands in Eastern Europe last year, I figured I'd give the recipe a try this evening. I'll let you know how things turn out. SB (even if they're less than perfect)

My butcher, Dave, retired this past year. He was the last butcher in my hometown who actually knew how to cut meat, plus, he always had a good joke to tell. Dave was a professional rodeo bull rider in his younger days, which I always thought was somewhat ironic. When I found out he was leaving I was almost tempted to become a vegetarian, (for about two minutes)

Believe it or not, the recipes given here make a damn fine version of a cobbler. (The definitions of cobbler, pan dowdy, crisp, etc are rather vague and overlap.) The batter rises up through the fruit as it bakes and makes a nice "biscuity topping". I spoon my fruit on carefully to give the batter plenty of room to get through and enough time to get crisp. SB (tryit!)

I emailed a friend who's a real opera buff asking about food references in opera. He said there were plenty of drinking scenes, but he could only think of a few that involve dining. Gaetano Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia Act III scene II Gerano Lucrezia's son, but who doesn't know he's her son and 5 of his friends are poisoned with wine. Lucrezia appears, tells them a supper has been prepared for their hositality, and they've been poisoned, and 5 coffins await them. Son pops out cries you need 6 goes to stab her, but she declares she's MOM and he dies in her arms. Verdi's Macbeth Act II scene 3, a banquet!! Lady Macb invites everyone to drink, but is interupted when Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo (whom he just had killed) no one else can see him, and are puzzled. The ghost goes away, and then comes back and really interupts things. End of banquet. Puccini Tosca Act II Tosca stabs Scarpia with a knife left on the table with his finished earlier dinner/snack. SB (supposes that's maybe because it's hard to eat and sing at the same time?)

I am definately going to try that! Maybe even throw a few orange segments in for color? THANX SB

I've never heard of a citrus cobbler, and I'm intrigued by the idea. I would think there would be too much liquid in the fruit, and that the membrane would be tough. You can easily cut the amount of butter in any of these recipes in half, although you might want to then add a pinch of salt, since the butter normally provides that flavor enhancement. Since cobblers are chemically risen by baking powder, (which is included in Bisquick), you can also substitute an equal amount of corn meal for half the flour and get an interesting texture that goes well with certain fruits. SB (thinking of trying a corn meal/pink grapefruit cobbler?)

I think this recipe is still on the back of the Bisquick box? In 350 oven, melt 1 stick Butter in 9x13 pan Mix together in bowl: 1 Cup Bisquick 1 Cup Milk 1 Cup Sugar Pour batter onto melted Butter Spread 1 Can Fruit Pie Filling of choice over batter Bake 45 min SB (can't get much eadier than that?)