Jaymes

What an interesting little gem this post is!

In my house, it's mashed potatoes. And homemade applesauce, too! And some kind of good brown bread, and that's dinner.

Hi Lindacakes, I'm not Helen, but I've been looking for a really good fruitcakey cookie. Could I get those recipes too? pat ← I'm not Lindacakes, but here's my recipe for Fruitcake Cookies. It's in the wonderful Christmas Cookies thread. Fruitcake Cookies

Pollo Loco is really good. I remember when we lived in Tucson, there were concerts in the park each Sunday evening. We'd swing by Pollo Loco and pick up enough chicken, salsa and tortillas for our crowd and any friends we had invited along. Magical evenings, due in no small measure to Pollo Loco. If you'd like something at least similar before March, there's a thread somewhere here on eG about how to make that grilled chicken at home. And then some salsas and tortillas, and your pollo can be loco, tambien!

I have to say that this sounds really, really wonderful, and I'm definitely going to try it, so thanks for posting it. But from the description, not sure it would work as a side salad or starter for a meat-heavy stew. Do you think it would?

Um, Word, and just not for guys. We had the iceberg/blue/bacon combo this week and I finished it before I sliced my meat. ← I'd agree with this. Men do seem to like it, hence its traditional popularity in steakhouses. The kind of salads they don't like seem to be too fancy, and especially congealed. What is it with men and congealed salads?

Seems to me like restaurants usually ask if we'd like the wine now, or with our main. If you frequent a restaurant that doesn't ask, and if you have a preference, I'd just let them know that when you order it.

So many funny stories in this thread, but I love the thought of lasagne made with 2 cups of flour. And hapless guests encountering big "white lumpy things" and trying to guess what on earth they could possibly be without letting on to anyone else at the table. Thanks.

War Eagle Mill I have never ordered from them. Just thought I'd mention that. ← I have, they are very nice to work with and shipped my order right away. I have actually been to the mill in rural Arkansas near Fayetteville. ← Ditto here. I've tried many of their products and have been very pleased.

I'm not sure it's more or less "ethnic" than anything else, but we've got a whole eG Cook-Off dedicated to mafé right here. It's fantastic. ← Perhaps you'll recall that the original poster used the word "ethnic" in his request. I suppose you might say that all soups are "ethnic" to some group (beef stew is probably ethnic to American Midwesterners, for example), but should you be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I did, you might assume, as I did, that by "ethnic," he means something uncommon to the average American. Which I think an African Peanut Chicken Soup might quite likely be.

And that actually is very good for making French toast. ← I never thought of that. I guess it would be good, but still, all of those preservatives and assorted wonk.... ← You don't put that much eggnog into the French toast, so I don't think it's an issue. However, I don't go buy that stuff just to put into the French toast. That's how I use it up when somehow or another (like a gift, or after a party when someone else has brought it), I wind up with some. However, commercially-, freshly-made eggnog from premium dairies can be very good, with very little, if any, "assorted wonk." And it's a way to avoid the worry of using fresh eggs. But over the holidays I do often use my homemade eggnog for French toast. It's a kind of a tradition in our household. And the rest of the year, I frequently use melted vanilla ice cream.

Avgolemono Looks pretty, very tasty, easy to make, easy to find, the lemon makes it taste somewhat exotic but not so exotic that most Americans find it "too foreign" to be enjoyed. Or go even more "ethnic," and try an African Peanut Chicken Soup. You can google for many recipes, and I'm sure there are African restaurants in LA. I'm in Houston and there are several - Ethiopian seemingly the most popular.

Actually, the "median targeted age" depends entirely upon the cruise line and the itinerary. While that may be true for the Queen's Grill on the QE2, warmer, shorter cruises most definitely don't have a median age of 65. In fact, 7-night Caribbean and Mexican Riviera itineraries are more like a floating spring break with lots of young people, singles, couples, honeymooners, family reunions and the like. The bars and discos are hopping at night, and the children's programs are lively and well-attended, featuring kid-friendly activities and games. One favorite is a "treasure hunt" where the pint-sized pirates in costumes all trek down a sandy beach to search for [pre-]buried treasure. There are theme and affinity cruises for everything imaginable, from lecture series to R&B to blues to poker to architecture to symphony to bridge to golf cruises where the passengers play a different course every day. You can even find churches where the entire congregation gets born again every morning at sunrise out on the promenade deck. And formal nights have far fewer aging big-bosomed dowagers in pearls, sequins and beads than they do 20-somethings wearing what were obviously their prom dresses just a few short years back. I feel certain that if you queried the lower- to mid-priced cruise lines like Carnival, they definitely would tell you that they're not marketing the Good Ship Geriatrica. As for healthy, all cruise lines with which I am familiar offer a "spa cuisine" featuring low-calorie dishes, and if you have any other dietary requests, such as kosher or low-salt, you have only to ask. If you don't like heavy sauces, then you can follow my suggestion above and order meals where the main ingredient itself is the star, and not the method of preparation. For me, there's nothing quite like having a waiter stand there and remove lumps of sweet snowy-white crabmeat from a pile of shells. And then ask if I want more. The prime rib is usually outstanding, and hard to find, since, in my experience, most restaurants these days slice the prime rib and then cook it like a steak, rather than roasting the whole thing and then slicing it. It's a far inferior method as far as I'm concerned and I don't order prime rib in restaurants anywhere nearly so often these days. It's something I really look forward to on a cruise ship. You don't have to gorge yourself on crap food and gain weight. I actually find dieting easier onboard ship. For example, I can have just a little Stilton when I know there's more where that came from, and I don't need to down the entire wedge because it might be a while before I get it again. I can have just a few bites tonight and tomorow, if I wish, order more. When people talk about cruise ship food being bad, or bland, etc., they might be right (not always, but perhaps for the most part) when it comes to the prepared dishes. It's hard to please everyone, so they probably do err on the side of caution, especially when it comes to highly-flavored cuisines. Mexican Night was more like Mexican TV Dinner night. As were Asian Night, Indian Night, etc. But you have to try hard to mess up plain grilled scallops or shrimp, or broiled salmon or lobster tail, or prime rib, or smoked salmon which I devoured pounds of every morning at breakfast, or caviar, or crab legs. And when you're sailing with an unlimited supply of the world's best cheeses, wonderful baked breads and pastries, and fresh fruits galore, why on earth would you want a mediocre enchilada or curry anyway? The last cruise I was on, I lost 15 pounds. You walk a lot, even just around on the ship. And I sign up for all of the walking tours on land. I know, of course, it's trendy to sneer at cruise ships, their passengers and their food. But the truth is, in my view, a completely different picture.

Carnitas.

I've cruised quite a bit, most recently 102 days around the world. My experience has been that many of the prepared dishes are pretty average, but if you stick with items that are prepared simply, like rack of lamb, prime rib, crab, lobster, good cheeses, fresh fruits, etc., you'll dine swell. And the appetizers are often the best offerings. If the main courses didn't look that great, I'd just have several appetizers and a salad. I miss it, frankly.

And that actually is very good for making French toast.

And although I am certainly not a food historian so any speculation by me is just that, I've always wondered if the climate in the British Isles might have something to do with it. Mexico, for example, is a class-based society. But when peppers and corn and tomatoes and epazote and cilantro and all sorts of fruits and many other foodstuffs grow wild, and there's plenty of room to cultivate those that do not, it's much easier and more logical to develop a flavorful cuisine. The UK is crowded, with much less land and a much shorter and less-favorable growing season. And perhaps the temperament of its people has had an influence. Maybe as a culture, they're less likely to experiment and more comfortable with the traditional, the known, the familiar. I don't recall, for example, ever hearing anyone say anything like, "If you date her, be careful because she's got that famous hot, temperamental, fiery British blood"; or "Come to my big, fat, crazy, wild English wedding."

Well, whatever the reason for the past reputation, you're indisputably correct now, Maggie, as witnessed by the many fine UK restaurants that have taken up permanent residence on the various lists of World's Top 50 Restaurants.

Belize is generally considered by frequent travelers to have the worst cuisine in this hemisphere. It's startling, too, because one would think that what is basically a Caribbean/Latin American country would have food full of taste and flavor, fresh fruits, fish, local meats, interesting vegetables, unusual herbs and spices. Instead, it's bland and boring, few herbs and spices, often relying on such staples as canned vegetables (peas are a favorite), canned evaporated milk, and even canned meats. The food there without question surprises and disappoints uninformed and unsuspecting visitors. The previous name for Belize is British Honduras. It was colonized by the Brits in 1638. Coincidence? But like I said, the British reputation for bland and boring food is fading - especially as the older generation that takes it as gospel passes away. However, because it's no longer true doesn't mean that it never was.

Most insightful post. The reputation for bland, boring, underseasoned, tasteless, unimaginative, uninventive, traditional, often-boiled textureless food, while deserved at one time, is certainly a thing of the past. All of the influences you cite have played a large role, especially travel and immigration. I remember a time when the only place you could get a highly-seasoned and flavorful meal in London was at a curry house. But that is no more. Reputations often take a long time to die. This one had basis in fact, but its death is overdue. ← The problem here is that by suggesting that these influences is what makes contemporary british cuisine interesting the assumption that traditional british food is uninspiring remains. ← Perhaps so. As I am American, I find nothing wrong with the assumption that the outside influences of immigration and travel make for a richer tapestry of society. I certainly believe that American cuisine would be much plainer and poorer and less varied and interesting without influences from our returning international travelers and our many immigrants from across the globe. Perhaps that's because we started off primarily British as well. ETA: Have you ever been to Belize?

If somebody told me that I was receiving "cocktail-themed gifts," I'd sure be hoping for some rum balls somewhere in that basket.

Most insightful post. The reputation for bland, boring, underseasoned, tasteless, unimaginative, uninventive, traditional, often-boiled textureless food, while deserved at one time, is certainly a thing of the past. All of the influences you cite have played a large role, especially travel and immigration. I remember a time when the only place you could get a highly-seasoned and flavorful meal in London was at a curry house. But that is no more. Reputations often take a long time to die. This one had basis in fact, but its death is overdue.

Next suggestion, other than buying the tripe and making it himself, is to find a French restaurant with a French chef, become a valued regular, cozy up to the folks in the kitchen, and ask if occasionally they would prepare the dish especially for him.

And Abra, you might advise your inquirer to go to one of the Mexican restaurants and try the menudo. Since he likes tripe, he might love that soup. Obviously it won't be the same as in Caen, but as it's practically the national soup of Mexico, it is quite tasty.

I'll second what nonblonde said. Assuming this person has already inquired at the butcher shops and meat counters of the grocery stores, I'm still positive there's tripe to be had in Little Rock, if for no other reason, because of the fairly recent influx of the Mexican population in that part of the country. I'm sure there are Mexican markets around but if not, tell him to call the Mexican restaurants and ask if they offer menudo, which is the very popular Mexican tripe soup. Then ask where they get the tripe. If it's not available in any commercial markets or butcher shops (which I personally don't believe is possible, but I could be wrong), they're getting it from a food supplier and I'm sure wouldn't mind ordering a few extra pounds for your friend. You know, Little Rock is not some tiny backwater town. It's a fairly good-size small city with over three-quarters-of-a-million folks in the total metropolitan area and you can find pretty-much anything there if you put your mind to it.