Jaymes

Thanks for that. I used to live in the Philippines and remember well the kalamansi. When we moved to Tucson, I asked at our local nursery if they had ever heard of them and was told that in the US, those delicious small citrus fruits are called calamondin oranges. So I grew two bushes in order to have a ready supply.

I'd absolutely love that recipe....

Each parent obviously makes their own choices when it comes to child-rearing but for me, plain ol' common sense ruled the day. I can't remember when I first took each of my three kids to a fast-food joint. Maybe under a year old; maybe much older. It just wasn't an issue or a big deal either way. I don't see those places as the "Great Satan." I see them as an option to be used occasionally if the situation warrants. Maybe on a road trip. Maybe for a birthday party. Maybe a quick swing-through if the soccer game lasted far too long. None of our family eats often in any of them...probably no more than a few times a year. It's not something we ever made a habit of, but like I said, it ain't the Great Satan either. The thing I don't get is seeing parents with children in ANY restaurant letting the kids suck down soda after soda after soda. Speaking of crap that's bad for you.

The lime does NOT kill the parasites. Yes, you have to be careful.

Of course, actual pronounciations vary, even within countries, but I'd say the last syllable has a stronger sound than "shay." The pronounciation I've heard most often is more like "chay" - say-VEE-chay. And as for why it's suddenly popular, who knows. I guess it's just part of a cycle, and in the US, its turn has come. But seviche/ceviche has been very, very popular in Latin/Spanish countries forever. You could even argue that it's the national dish of Peru. And I used to live in Panama, where they consider it a national dish as well. The truth is, you can find it anywhere in Latin America that has a coastline.

Better late than never, I guess. And I don't know the definitive answer to this, but the cook of the Mexican family with whom I recently stayed peeled the tunas, sometimes removed a very few of the largest seeds, but sometimes didn't bother, dropped the peeled tunas into the blender with some sugar and a little water and made a runny slush, then strained it into a pitcher and added additional water and sugar to taste. Sometimes, she also squirted in a little juice from a few of the small Mexican limes. She made a different "water" each day. Those aquas frescas were a favorite thing about my stay. They are thinner and more lightly-flavored than what we think of as juice, and very refreshing.

And another: Tuna - fruit of the cactus which, although very short, does have some good info.

I just got back from a visit to Mexico where I stayed with a Mexican family. We had a nopal salad at least once a week. The nopalitos were just tossed with tomatoes, onions and some cilantro.

I gather that one should gather that this means the review was positive?

Prager? I repeat.

And what for after dinner? How about one of the remarkable ports from Prager Port Works, a small, family-owned winery. I love that place, and never fail to visit when I'm in Napa. You really should lay in a few bottles to offer a cheese and port option.

My dad was stationed at Basingbourn. He was a B-17 pilot (in fact, the lead B-17 pilot on D-Day) and to this day he cannot look a brussel sprout in the face. Even the aroma of them cooking is enough to send him from the room. He says that's the only green vegetable that was available, at least for the yanks, and they served them at every meal. And when he sees them or smells them, he's right back there. A 24-year-old risking his life every day, smelling the acrid flames, and watching his friends and comrades fall from flak-filled skies.

So, cdabney, when we show up, do we get a kitchen tour?

Lordy. New Orleans to the SF Bay area to Mountain Home, AR. There must be a story there.

Don't think I'd do it with fish, but I've got a great recipe for a pasta puttanesca sauce that is supposed to cook in the sun. I have a clear Pyrex casserole dish with lid that I make the sauce in. It sits in the sun for about 5-6 hours, and it's delicious. In the wintertime, I make it in a slow oven, but it's not as good.

And I'm just up the road in Springfield, MO. I love rattling around through the Ozark mountains in northern Arkansas. Beautiful country. I'll stop by to say hey, too, when y'all get goin' good.

I love Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook by Robb Walsh. Full of stories, recipes, tips, hints and legends. I think you can't go wrong.

Yes. I waited for months for a repeat of the TexMex show and was extremely disappointed. It was more like a poor man's Easy Rider - lots of shots of Tony either out walking along some road, or biking a deserted stretch of highway. I was hoping to see him sample the Wild Horse Desert's famous cabrito, or maybe some bbq'd cow's head tacos. Perhaps next time.

Oh. Well. Okay. I like that, too. Bread dipped in oil with some herbs and chile flakes. Why not. A little trendy and silly, maybe. But so what. Not sure it's deserving of words like "pathetic." My advice to folks that dislike it because they fill up on bread and oil is not to eat so much. And as for the bread and oil thing letting you know you're going to be disappointed in the entire meal, I think that's a good thing. Armed with that certainty, you can simply call the restaurant in question in advance and ask if they serve bread and oil. And if they do, you don't even have to show up to sample the rest of their menu. Because you already know. A real time- and money-saver if you ask me.

Ah yes. When life hands you lemons, make lemoncello. Katie, you're a treasure. And I, too, will be watching for what great things are next up in your life.

Chili, mustard, chopped onions and either chopped dill pickles or jalapenos.

And I've seen several reports and documentaries and features on television regarding the manufacture of olive oil. So how do the folks standing around the big vats sample the various pressings? Why, they dip bread into it, of course. You know, just like the rest of us that love good bread and good olive oil.

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms. That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant??regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value??essential to mention in a review? Emphasis added in above quote is mine. I hadn't noticed this reply until today, so want to answer. And my answer to that last question is that of course, it's essential to mention in a real "review." But, as I said, "reviews" in small-town newspapers most often (not always) are not the same thing at all as the sort of independent reviews one finds in larger publications. They usually are advertisements. Period. And while not mentioning the cold, lumpy potatoes may be a "disservice to the reader," if one does mention it, one will get one's cold, lumpy ass handed to them on a stainless steel platter.

Sounds like chilaquiles.

When is the KC Royal coming up? Is our own Joiei going to be judging? Is that any time soon?