Jaymes

One thing I really miss about living in Texas were all of the breakfast taco/burrito places. Nothing better.

Hey, me too! I feel better now thought I was the only one that owns, reads and truly enjoys this book. Not just pure entertainment though! I have actually *gasp* cooked a few things from it. Fried green tomatoes, yum. Not so sure I am ready to try Cooter Kebabs or Roast Christmas Possum yet, but I know I will be someday!It seems to me that there are quite a few 'homestyle' recipes that I have made from that book. Right now, all of my stuff is in storage in Texas, as I am temporarily living with and caring for my elderly parents. So I can't go grab the book and look up the things I've enjoyed making. I will say that I have a close friend that is a home healthcare nurse. She's black (I'm not), but she mainly cares for elderly white folks (some of whom have gotten none too pleasant in their old age). She saw White Trash Cooking lying on my kitchen counter and she just about had a heart attack herself from laughing at that cover. She told me later that she bought it and always makes sure to leave it lying around when she has company. And there was an interesting aside. In the book, they talk about fried egg sandwiches. You smear your bread with either mayo or MW, and then put a whole fried egg on one piece, and smash the other piece down on top of it. The yellow oozes out, and it's a real 'kitchen sink' treat. That's the way I was raised eating egg sandwiches, as was everyone I knew. My friend, Carrie, on the other hand, was not. She asked me about that specific sandwich, saying that she had never heard of doing it that way. She and all of her family and friends hardboiled the egg first, then sliced it and put it on their sandwich, something nobody I knew ever did. It's interesting to me that Carrie and I were raised in basically the same part of the country, but obviously were affected by different customs.

Me, too. With mayo, sliced homegrown tomatoes, and sweet onions. My second favorite sandwich is the classic rueben. The thin one where you put the corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing on rye bread and then you grill it into greasy crunchiness.

And here's the thing I don't understand. You've got a sort of average per table per sitting. So in comes a party of four and they order appetizers, cocktails, expensive mains, desserts and a couple of big reds. Now you're WAY over your average. And then you've got a four-top that orders two mains and splits them, and one dessert that they pass around. And as others have pointed out, who knows exactly why... But...um... Isn't that the cost of business? Doesn't it average out? Isn't that the way the retail industry (not to mention most of life) works?

I like 'White Trash Cooking,' too. Turns out that's the way I was raised. Especially liked the bit about eating tomato sandwiches over the sink while the juice runs down to your elbows.

LOL! I read the title of this thread, and started thinking..."hmm I don't think I'm embarassed about any cookbook I own..." Then I read this post. Yes, I would be embarassed to own a RR book. Or Sandra Lee. Sandra Lee!? Hey, I do have my standards. They may be low, but not that low!

Rachel Ray's original 30-Minute Meals. And what's even worse than owning it is the fact that I actually USE it. Often.

Very perceptive.

Kathryn, thank you for taking the time to post your wonderful photos for us to see. I was there last year, but couldn't make it this year. I swear I could smell the smoke coming through the computer. Yes, the Mitchell's whole hog shots are terrific, but I particularly loved the sandwiches from Salt Lick and Southside, with slices of brisket, a hank o' hot link, a couple of pickles, and some big rings of cool, crispy raw onions. Made me wish I were there. Or at least back in Texas. Thanks again.

I'd strongly recommend that you read Being Dead is No Excuse, the southern lady's guide to throwing the perfect funeral. Although it's written by the ladies of the Mississippi Delta, and they're so "southern" that sweet tea runs in their veins and they make Arkansas look like a bunch of yankees, it still will give you an excellent glimpse into the styles, customs and culture of the south. It's also hilarious, and chock full of great southern recipes. I'm sort of in your neck o' the woods - Springfield MO - and also used to live in Alaska (Fairbanks). You should take your family to Eureka Springs for a weekend outing. It's a wonderful little artsy town and there's lots to do. I really admire your positive, upbeat attitude. I've lived over 38 places in my lifetime and long ago discovered that you can either whine and complain about what you don't have in the new spot, or you can concentrate on what's wonderful. You clearly have adopted the latter approach and I applaud you.

Kindness and compassion. That really raises my spirits. Thank you for that.

Regarding several comments upthread about really big molcajetes... Just returned from six weeks in Michoacan. I, too, saw some things in the market that I thought were really big molcajetes, made from what appeared to be a quite porous stone. Indeed, I thought about using them for planters. But about halfway through my visit, I was invited to spend the afternoon at the home of a wealthy Morelian family. They asked what I would like to drink and when I said, "water," they inquired as to whether the water "de piedra (of the stone)" would be fine, or would I prefer bottled. "Agua de piedra?" They took me into the kitchen where I saw what I had assumed in the market were very large molcajetes. Instead, it was a water filtering system. They fill the depression with water, and it drips through the porous stone. The water tasted delicious, pure, cool, refreshing. And, they assured me, quite safe to drink, as they had been drinking it themselves and serving it to guests for decades.

I'm sorta surprised by this. When I think "Texas hot links," I don't even think about sauce. It seems to me that the sausages are so flavorful and, in particular, already so juicy that if you're not careful, the juice runs down your chin. Adding more sauce not only is unnecessary, it would be a distraction. I always thought that the sauces offered were for the hunks of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, goat, etc., what-have-you. But not the sausage. Am I alone in this? Do most of y'all add sauce to your Texas hot links? Edited to add: Been thinking more about this, and continue to be puzzled. I've been to Southside Market many, many times and, as I recall it, they have a big vat of their sauce sitting there along with other condiments. The sauce is a thin, peppery, tomato-vinegar-based hot (spicy) barbecue sauce, not at all "relish-like." They do also offer, IIRC, a pico de gallo-type salsa/relish that many folks (like me) ladle onto their pinto beans. Now, it's been two or three years since I've been there, and I go to a LOT of BBQ places, including the other famous one in Elgin, Meyer's Smokehouse (which is practically next door), so it's quite possible I'm mixed up on this. But are you SURE that the "relish-like" stuff was supposed to be a barbecue sauce? And not, say, a garnish for sandwiches or the beans?

Great news! Thanks.

I thought I read somewhere that Ed Mitchell had retired. If so, this may be one of the few remaining places where you can get some of his legendary 'cue. That alone might be worth the price of admission.

What is Spin Blend, and if you couldn't get it, what would you substitute?

With Memorial Day and summer picnic season right around the corner, thought I'd bring this back up. And Hummingbirdkiss, by any chance could you post the exact recipe for your bright pink potato salad?

How I tell when our steaks are done. For this system to work: First, don't be a masher....one of those dreadful people that take the spatula and squeeze all the juice out of the steak (or hamburger patty - what the hell are those people thinking?). The steak has to be juicy, and preferably room temperature for this to work properly. Second, you can't turn it over and over several times. If you're a serial fiddler when it comes to meat on the barbie, contain yourself. Third, you have to like your steaks medium rare. So, if all of those conditions suit you, here's my advice: Put your steaks on a hot fire (this works in a skillet as well) for five minutes. Then turn them over and watch them closely for small bubbles of juice to begin beading up on the surface. This is called "pearling," and when it happens, your steaks will be cooked to a perfect medium rare.

I thought I remembered considerable discussion of the subject, but I may have read it elsewhere. Of course, even had there been previous chat, it could never hurt to have more. So maybe I didn't read it on eG, but it does seem to me that I read somewhere where somebody was getting ready for a party, and put considerable amounts of guac into foodsaver bags, then flattened and froze them until it was party time. And I still heartily recommend those previous threads for folks looking for recipes, hints, tips, methods for preventing discoloration, etc.....

I know how long OUR "hostess" waited for us and indeed, it was not long enough. We got badly lost trying to find the place where she had insisted we dine. We did manage to straggle in 45 minutes late, only to discover that our "hostess" had waited about a half-hour and then left. Our group stayed and ate, and much of the conversation centered around how long we would have waited, were the situation reversed. We agreed that given the variables (six people, foreign country, etc.), we would have waited 1-2 hours at least. I mean, as others have suggested, go to the bar, have some snacks. Don't know that there is any "right" or "wrong" answer, but we were curious as to what others thought would be a reasonable time.

No...YOU picked the restaurant. None of them had ever even heard of it. You're waiting for your out-of-the-country-foreigners dining companions to show up. Never mind worrying about being seated, ordering food, etc. How long would you wait before leaving?

So here's the scenario... You live in a large city. We'll say, for sake of argument, it's somewhere in Mexico. You have visitors coming from out of the country. There are six of them. You are aware that these people are not dear friends that know each other well; but rather, acquaintances that met, we'll say, online, and now are vacationing in Mexico, driving around your state in a large, rented Suburban van. To your knowledge, only one of them speaks Spanish, and none is really familiar with your city, most having never been there before, and one having been there only a few times. It's doubtful that any of them have cell phones. Your city is old and colonial, and the narrow streets and considerable traffic can make it extremely confusing to navigate. You know only one of the group (the one that speaks Spanish), but you have agreed to meet them for dinner at a local restaurant of your choosing. This group is staying at a downtown hotel and there are many fine restaurants within a few blocks to which they could walk, but you choose a restaurant farther out, which would be a, say, 15-20 minute drive at best, by people familiar with the city, and not during rush hour. The appointed hour is, we'll say, 7pm. You get there on time, but they're not there. How long do you wait?

Actually, yes, if memory serves me correctly. We have had several previous threads on guacamole and I think the subject was covered pretty thoroughly in one of them. Seems like some folks even fill the plastic bags with the prepared guac and freeze them. Anyone interested in the subject should definitely check out those threads. There are lots and lots of great ideas and recipes, along with more tips about keeping it green, and why it turns brown.

I do live in Springfield. And, according to an article I read in the newspaper last week, the population of the Springfield metropolitan area is now inching toward a half-million. Hardly New York stats, but still enough hardy souls to be considered a small city by most people's standards. There are at least three active farmer's markets that I am familiar with, but I've been told that there are more, with new ones opening all the time, according to this article about the increasing popularity of farmer's markets. The biggest one, and the one that I patronize most often, is the Greater Springfield Farmer's Market, held in the parking lot of the mall. The management of that market makes regular visits to the farms of the vendors to be certain that they are selling only produce that they have grown themselves. It doesn't cost much more to buy produce there. But it does require more time and effort to remember when the market is open, and rearrange my schedule. Not only do I have to shop on certain days, I have to get there bright and early or much of the "good stuff" is gone. All I'm saying is that I'm not so sure that patronizing farmer's markets is a money issue. Except insofar as money influences education. Edited to fix link.

I'm not so sure I agree with the notion that farmer's markets are primarily for the affluent, excepting perhaps the more relevant fact that higher levels of income seem to result in higher levels of education. Where I am currently living, in southwest Missouri, there are many farmer's markets and roadside stands. The land around here is rich and fertile and folks have been tilling the soil and enjoying the rewards of fresh produce for centuries. At the main farmer's market (held in the parking lot of the local mall, and open from April through October, Tue, Thur, Sat), there are always large numbers of shoppers that certainly don't look affluent. In addition to accepting food stamps, there is a policy of selling for very little and even giving away food that doesn't look pretty enough to sell. Sure, you have to cut out some bad spots, but you can acquire them for pennies, and often not even that. At the end of last summer, I got a huge box of corn for nothing. I arrived rather late in the afternoon and was sorry to see that all the corn was sold. "I think there's some in the giveaway box," the proprietor of that stand told me. "We're closing up for the day, so you can take it all if you'd like it." The corn had worms, but after I shucked it and sliced off the kernels, I had enough corn to fill a Dutch oven, and boy was it good. The Amish maintain a very large agricultural presence around here. They make it known that anyone that would like fresh produce and cannot afford to pay the prices (which are competitive with local supermarkets) has only to ask. I don't get a sense, here anyway, that it's only rich folks walking around the farmer's markets loading up on tasty tomatoes, melons, onions and cukes.