Jaymes

Actually, I do have a clay comal. I attended a cooking class with Susana Trilling, and that's what she recommended, and what she uses at her school in Oaxaca. But I can't use it on the electric stove that I am currently chained to. I was thinking perhaps I could buy one of those metal rings that Asian stores sell to put under woks on electric stoves. I very much prefer the clay comal, and wonder if that would work. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Interesting, isn't it, how it makes no difference what country or type of cooking one discusses....the personal tastes in cooking vessels vary. There never is a consensus. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have traveled extensively throughout Mexico for the last four decades and although it's true many of the upwardly mobile folks eschew the old ways (and not just in cooking utensils), it's been my experience that most experts seem much to prefer the cooking properties of the original clay comales. And I agree with Rancho that they impart a wonderful, earthy, smoky flavor that the metal ones just don't. Of course, I currently have a soulless, long, oblong metal one because it fits over two burners on my electric stove. Also, I've had to haul it around with me, and the clay ones become more fragile with age. So if someone saw me standing there, cooking with my metal comal, they might even think I prefer it. They'd be wrong. Sadly, when it comes to clay vs metal, the inferior product is the quicker, the handier, and the more convenient. So it becomes more popular. While the superior product slowly becomes the province of grandmas. And, of course, food hobbyists that are willing to seek out and preserve the original. And best. But while I'm cooking on my modern metal comal, in my heart I'll always be searing my chiles atop hot, fired clay dug from the earth of Mexico.

Funny how threads can totally get to you. I find that now, right this minute, I have to have some mashed up avocados.

I was always told that it originated in New York in the dining room of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel sometime in the 1920's. But that home cooks in the American South latched onto it with particular enthusiasm and made it their own. It is a particularly festive dessert to carry to church suppers and various other potlucks. You know how we do. So I think of it as a Southern Thang, even though it probably didn't originate here.

I'm no food chemist and obviously could be wrong, but most of the recipes I've seen call for 1 T vinegar and 1 C buttermilk, which is definitely enough to impart the slight tang that is one of the hallmarks of the cake. It's not enough to make it sour, but I think you can definitely taste it, along with the hint of chocolate. Perhaps there is another reason, but that's why I've always assumed the vinegar is in there.

And here's my very favorite recipe for fresh spring peas: Peas with Lettuce from Two Fat Ladies.

There have been at least three previous threads here on eGullet where Red Velvet Cake is discussed extensively, with many recipes (including mine), the pros and cons of each, opinions regarding various types of icings, etc. This is one of those threads: Classic Cakes That Need Resurrecting Here's another: Need Red Velvet wedding cake And here's a third: Red Velvet HELP!! There's lots and lots of great information in those threads. I can't imagine you'd have a question that isn't answered somewhere there. And you'll have your choice of many recipes, all of them tested and tasted and tried and true.

hmmmm. the channel club, north of town, for steaks and seafood. big salad bar of multiple types of salads. the restaurant at the shee atika lodge (right downtown) was known for its slowness, food was okay. there's a macdonalds. my fave is the bay view restaurant, 2nd floor of the building with the russian american co.people really don't come to the southeast to eat. I'd agree with all this. But don't miss the church.

Well, hell, as most folks could probably guess from looking at me, I'll have to fess up... The truth is...I like it all.

...southerners topping m&c with bread dust to "absorb excess oils from the butter" is akin to research showing mint leaves were applied to juleps to absorb excess bourbon. Jess - have I told you lately that I love you?

I had such a wonderful evening! My daughter is visiting, and for our "Mother-Daughter" project, we cooked a meal from Suvir's cookbook! We had: Cucumber Raita -- This was a wonderful accompaniment to the spicy meal. It was cool and pleasant, in addition to having a delicious flavor on its own. Mangalore Fried Shrimp (pictured on the cover) -- Man, was this good! It had just the right amount of 'heat' for our palates, and the flavor was delicious. It was so good that I can hardly wait to have guests for whom to prepare this dish. Stir-fried Green Beans with Coconut -- The aroma as this was cooking drew all of our eaters to the kitchen to find out what was going on. I simply can't explain how much we enjoyed it. It was nutty and exotic, and I am now a huge fan of unsweeted coconut. We served it all with a nice helping of steamed white rice to sop up the delicious juices. This was a truly wonderful meal. I've previously made several other dishes from this treasure of a cookbook. I want to tell any of you that don't have the book and are considering getting it that not only are the recipes terrific, but it is a beautiful book, with full-color photography, and Suvir's description of how each dish figures into his life -- his family, his friends, his remembrances of the country of his birth. I've got to say that this is a truly remarkable book. Could not possibly recommend it any higher. Even if, for some reason, one is not interested in Indian food, the poignant, heartfelt writing enchants. It repeatedly reminds me of how much all of us, as members of families, have in common. Thank you, Suvir.

Having done several stints in the midwest -- including Kansas and Nebraska -- I can assure you that 'fancy-ass' is in the eye of the beholder (or the woman whose covered dish has been placed immediately alongside). But perhaps Ohio was a bit too harsh.

Sounds to me like you've turned the glorious, but simple and humble, mac & cheese into some sort of fancy-ass midwestern casserole. Indeed, a relocation to Ohio might be in order. Perhaps there is a culinary witness protection program to which you can apply.

Really, really wonderful photos. Thanks so much! I do wish, however, that you had called in a helper so that you could photograph the batter going into the skillet. Would have been terrific to see the consistancy of the batter as it poured. Not to mention the bubbling as it hit the hot skillet. In the "hot cereals" thread, my dad talked about when he was a kid and they'd have to grind their own corn.... Of course he didn't have that wonderful mill that you showed. Isn't it funny how something, such as cornbread, that seemed like such an unimportant, humble, accepted, unnoticed and unremarkable part of one's existence growing up turns out to be so marvelous when one thinks about it?

I spent a few days in Eureka this last summer and also enjoyed the Samoa Cookhouse. It's fun and very interesting from a historical standpoint. Also the food was great. We had breakfast and dinner there. We also enjoyed the Cafe Marina. It's right on the water. Don't recall the entire meal, other than it was very good and I particularly enjoyed the oyster stew.

Yes, like Gold Beach, and Jerry's Rogue River Jetboats!

Yes. I remember when we first started getting it in Texas. My relatives in Missouri and Atlanta hadn't even heard of it. But then I read that the first month it was for sale in Miami, it outsold vanilla. That apparently caused the Haagen-Dazs folks to do some quick rethinking.

Well then, you might like this recipe. It's my very favorite for cooked carrots. Ginger-Orange Glazed Carrots 2 1/2 C thick-sliced carrots, or baby carrots 3 T ginger preserves (or orange marmalade and 1 t grated fresh ginger) 2 T frozen OJ concentrate 1 T butter Cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of salted water 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook at this point. Drain and set aside. In saucepan over med heat, combine preserves, OJ, and butter. Stir until melted and combined. Return drained carrots to saucepan. Cook over med heat, uncovered, 5-6 minutes or until carrots are tender and well-glazed, stirring occasionally.

Carrot cakes and breads that you can freeze. Ditto the pickles, that you can 'put up.' Copper Pennies Shredded carrot salad

Tortilla soup is the best thing for a cold. As any Texan can tell you.

Gym coating is an extremely durable epoxy resin used on wood flooring (and gymnasiums) hence the name. Well, I got THAT part. I know it's used on floors in gymnasiums, which is why it's called "gym finish." What I don't know is how that particular finish differs (in chemicals, components, method of application, etc.) from other wood finishes. Is it actually a different substance that they use? Or just a whole lot of applications of the same thing?

I think that's an exclusively NYC thing. We didn't have it on LI when I grew up, and I haven't seen it in New Jersey, but....I lived on the stuff when I was in college (early 1980's, Brooklyn). They would fill up one of those 5"x8" aluminum containers with fried rice and you could either get a bunch of fried wings or a half of a fried chicken on top of it- all for around 3 bucks. The appeal was that it was a filling meal for very little money. Even now I think you can get it for under 5 bucks. And no, I never considered it 'proper Chinese takeout', even then. The fried chicken wings thing I totally get. And do get. Along with fried rice. What threw me was considering fried chicken wings 'covered in sauce.' Can't even imagine how one would go about eating that. Wouldn't they be messy to pick up? Too bony to be worth the trouble to manage with chopsticks? Spitting out bones? I don't know....that just doesn't sound like anything I've seen. Am I missing something?

1. Plain white steamed rice with dishes. I love fried rice, but as a separate meal, usually lunch, usually made by me from leftovers of the plain white steamed rice that I got with last evening's takeout meal. I hate having the flavor and texture of fried rice intrude upon whatever is the dish I'm eating. Particularly annoying with mild and delicately flavored seafood dishes. 2. Depends upon how many dishes I've ordered. If there are only one or two, then rice in bowl with little bits of dish over. If there are many dishes, then rice in middle of plate with dishes arranged around. 3. Depends upon mood and how hungry I am. If I'm not that hungry, have only ordered one or two dishes, I use chopsticks. Otherwise, fork. 4. Eat everything, except for the aforementioned red peppers. 5. I am really and truly puzzled by that question. I don't recall seeing such a dish and from the other answers in this thread, it appears that nobody else can recall it either. Is it common where you are? What made you think of it? 6. Depends upon who all is ordering with me. We usually each select our favorite standbys, trying to coordinate....one spicy, one sweet, one garlic, one chicken, one beef, etc. And we usually do try to incorporate a new dish each time. 7. I'm in Springfield, Missouri, where they are all awfully proud of something called "Springfield Style Cashew Chicken." There are probably fifty (or more - they seem to be everywhere, at least one on every corner) small takeout places that specialize in just that. Been here a year now, and haven't tried any of them because they just don't look appealing. Favorite place is large and commercial with an all-you-can-eat buffet, but they have a separate menu that caters to the local Chinese community. Once you know that, you can eschew the sweet & sour pork, etc., and get wonderful dumplings and paper chicken and other dishes. 8&9. No real best comes to mind; no real worst. Some better than others of course, but nothing really stands out as being worthy of mention.

Have friends that cook a lot, and have a big kitchen complete with a long harvest table so that they can both cook and entertain there. Also, the wife gives cooking classes. They had a wood floor put in and asked for a "gym finish." I'm not knowledgeable enough to know exactly what that means, and how a "gym finish" differs from other wood floor finishes, but they've given that floor extremely hard wear for at least ten years now, and it still looks as good as the day they got it. Cleanup appears to be a breeze.

...but Dick assured us...Friends and 'reglars' call him 'Skinny.'