DTBarton

Wanted to add in our after Thanksgving tradition. I use the leftover turkey and carcass to make Brunswick stew. I think it's better wit the turkey than with chicken. Then we pay homage to our southern roots and have country ham biscuits with the stew. It has made for a great after Thanksgiving tradition of sorts.

Not in Baltimore, but about 35 minutes south in Crofton, I've gotten good stuff at this place. Good butchers seem to be hard to come by, no one in Annapolis. Nobody in Lexington market can help you? http://mybutcherandmore.com/ The owner is very friendly and helpful.

Found myself in Waldorf today, so tried Lefty's. Definitely friendly folks serving you, very pleasant. I got a chopped pork sandwich and the Thursday chicken lunch special which is 2 leg quarters and one side for $3.49, a nice deal. They also have a chicken and rib lunch special for $4.49. I thought the chicken was very good, the pork just so-so. It is not very smoky, which works out well on the chicken but leaves the pork a little bland. Baked beans were tasty, but too sweet for me. I'd stop in again for chicken, maybe try a rib.

Thanks for the nice posts, you're the king of the road, got a trailer for sale or rent? Off topic, but your pictures from Las Cruces make me have to tell this story of PC run amok. Las Cruces city officals have been sued in Federal court. The suit requests the removal of three crosses from the Las Cruces city logo. "The crosses serve no governmental purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christian citizens," said the lawsuit filed by Paul F. Weinbaum, who lives in the Las Cruces area, and Martin J. Boyd of Las Cruces. Get out your Spanish/English dictionary. Las Cruces is spanish for "the crosses!" http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/32902.html Keep up the good work, Daniel.

My two recommendations for fine dining would be: http://www.aldositaly.com/home.html http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com/ Seems like the pub grub is pretty well covered above.

Given that you're in Manhattan, a little snooping around Chinatown should fix you right up. I can find most things in Szechuan recipes in stores in Philly's Chinatown (or the big Chinese store on Washington near the Italian market).

Bonaparte's is certainly better than Whole Foods, but I can't get it anywhere locally anymore. Sometimes you gotta take what's available.

Finding a reliable supply of good bread is always a challenge. Places come and go, bakers change, and obviously it is a demanding day in day out job to keep up a high quality supply. My two current favorites are the bread from Bonaparte bakery in Savage Mill and the pain de campagne at the local Whole Foods. Bonaparte used to be sold at a caterers shop in my home town of Edgewater but they went out of the retail business and now I only get it on occasional trips out route 32 towards Columbia. The Annapolis Whole Foods pain de campagne is made in very large loaves. They cut you off a hunk and charge by the pound.

Great post Mayhaw! Glad to see you're maintaining your sense of humor in the face of all that trouble. Best to you and yours, you all have been in our thoughts and prayers. Can't wait to see the presentation. Maybe you could organize an Iron Chef type competition to see whose MRE cuisine reigns supreme! Not that you have anything else to do.

Let me try that Amazon link again: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books

I have gotten a ton of use out of the Chinese cookbooks by Pei Mei over the years. Not exclusively Szechuan, but lots of Szechuan and other regions. Three volumes, all three are worthwhile. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-h...7525768-9951056

Did the lamb have a sell by or use by date? I have also encountered strong smeling meat from cryovac packages, usually pork or lamb, ocasionally poultry. I rinse the meat really well and pat it dry. Usually, the rinse and dry clears it right up. If it still stinks, ditch or return. I feel like I've gotten to be able to tell the difference between cryovac smell and genuine bad meat, which is pretty rare in my experience.

Just make your own homemade cream of mushroom soup, it's really easy. For use as a binder/thickener in a casserole, use the flour. For use as a soup, I don't. Saute shallots (2 or 3) and mushrooms (a lot, like a pound, I usually use a mixture of button mushrooms and some kind of less expensive wild mushroom like oyster) until golden brown in about 4 TBS butter. Sprinkle about 3 TBS flour over the butter and veggies and stir over medium heat for a couple minutes to form a very light roux. Add about a quarter cup of Marsala and stir. Add liquid ( I use a combination of chicken broth and half and half. For richer, use less broth and even heavier cream, for leaner go the other way). Start with a couple of cups of liquid and stir for a few minutes to see how thick it's going to get. Add more liquid to desired consistency remembering to heat it for a few minutes each time to let the roux do its thickening. Salt and pepper to taste and puree in a blender. For a heartier soup, saute a little diced bacon or pancetta in with the shallots and mushrooms.

My father in law has been battling metastasized lung cancer all year. He's been through 3 courses of heavy duty chemo after an intense radiation course on his brain. Been tough and he's mostly survived on Ensure. He found that almost everything tasted horrible and he couldn't tolerate anything chunky or salty. He's getting a little better, the only thing I've made that he's enjoyed somewhat are cream soups. Cream of mushroom was the biggest hit, sauteed button and oyster mushrooms with a little shallot, a little marsala, and some half and half pureed in a blender. He actually ate a whole cup of that. Cream of asparagus was OK, but he liked the mushroom better. Good luck and best wishes to you.

As a blind recommendation for a nice bottle of moderately priced, medium bodied red wine, right now I would recommend a 2003 French beaujolais. It was a very good vintage and excellent bottles are available for between $10 - $15. Ask your local wine merchant to recommend one.

My family is a combination of innovation and tradition. Much of the innovation happens in the appetizers, which are pretty much wide open for whatever anyone wants to do. For the main meal, mom always roasts a conventional turkey, but over the years variations have appeared to provide options (fried turkeys, turducken). We usually have 2 stuffings, one my Grandmother's traditional dressing balls and the other maybe a little more exotic. I've served oyster, pancetta and wild mushroom stuffing to good reviews. There's leeway in the sides, too. Szechuan green beans are a favorite since we usually serve Alsace wine with the meal. Two cranberry sauces, one home made and jellied canned for my wife and my niece. Wife usually makes a pumpkin cheesecake because my Dad loves it so much

http://www.washtimes.com/weekend/diningout.htm

I use dijon mustard in all manner of salad dressings. I use dijon and brown mustards in all manner of marinades and barbecue sauces. One fave: Marinate chicken pieces in a mixture of chopped garlic, olive oil, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add lemon and oregano for a Greek feel if you like. Grill and enjoy.

There must be a rib joint somewhere around! It's not too late!

This place was on my short list to visit next time in Philly. It sounds like the Koch brothers were quite a pair. Nice to hear the remembrances, sorry to have missed the originals. My best to the family and friends. It's funny how deeply a food place can get in to you. I still haven't recovered from the passing of Claudio Aurelia a few years back. Still love Claudios but it's not the same without Claudio sitting my niece on the counter and feeding her mortadella, yelling at my brother and me (Hey, are you the computer guy or the submarine guy? I was the submarine guy).

GRILLED SHRIMP Great way to take advantage of the late summer shrimp harvest. Get fresh shrimp if you can, or buy previously frozen Gulf shrimp to support the folks affected by the hurricane. Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (as much as you need) Marinate the shrimp for several hours in a mixture of vegetable oil and your favorite hot sauce. I like Half Moon Bay's golden habanero. To grill, either thread shrimp on skewers, leaving space between each one or use a fish grilling rack and grill a small pile at a time. Just a couple minutes on each side over a medium grill until just cooked and browned some. Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Sprinkle with fimely chopped cilantro if desired.

I like to brush the corn with melted butter, grill it and dress with salt. pepper, fresh lime squeeze (essential), and finish with finely diced cilantro. The chili powder works well also.

Nice idea. My Dad is still with us but old age is encroaching quickly. Doesn't do the food related things like he used to. No particular phrases, but he taught me to have an interest in food and that it was OK for a man to cook (and do dishes). He used to make bread on weekends, was very fond of Oysters Ernie http://www.recipecottage.com/shellfish/oysters-ernie.html and at the beach was obsessive about serving the fish we'd caught that day simply broiled with butter, salt, pepper and lemon and to the table piping hot. It was worth the effort every time.

And as a good cow college graduate, I can't spell or type. Clamson, I mean everyone knows it's Clempkins.

I'm a Clamson alumni living near Annapolis MD. We get our tailgating fix at the occasional Navy game, going to Navy/Maryland in Baltimore Saturday. Sounds like a fun group you've got. However, as a good Clemson Tiger, we used to think that the only good that could come out of a Georgia/South Carolina game was if the stadium caught on fire resulting in no injuries, but a double forfeit!