Jaymes

Are you saying to take the live lobsters and cut off their claws and tails while they're lying there squirming? If so, I am afraid I'm a little squeamish for that. Is there another optional Step #1??? Like, can I have the fishmonger steam them, and then bring them home and start cutting off body parts and proceed from there???

Cool - Thanks!

Yeah - I personally don't ever get too bogged down with being so "really authentic" that I sound like that tiresome nag Karen on Frontier House. I just try to prepare stuff that tastes good. Because Cookie didn't throw in any wonderful canned tomatoes from Italy means nothing. Other than that he probably didn't have any.

Thanks Really Nice - great recipe. And Nickn - wow - great instruction. So all in all, now that I'm going to the store to get the stuff and make RN's recipe, which ham choice should I make??

It's my understanding that the original "chili" (ie, "chile con carne") started out on the trail with either American or Mexican caballeros. Cookie cut up some beef and over the campfire simmered it with chiles and water. Actually, since Cookie would have had on hand a big supply of dried beans, it seems likely that (contrary to the big "bean debate") they might have been added before tomatoes.

I'm a poor girl. And "everyday" vermouths are all I can afford. And I have a Rosso e Bianco two or three times a week. I can attest that they are very, very tasty. Viva Italia.

House of Joy in Jerome. Must reserve FAR in advance. Edit: Just in case you're interested: 928-634-5339

Jin - Floating a little really nice EVOO on top gives it a whole different flavor - kinda Italian - ditto the crushed red pepper & parmesan. You should try it. It's just so nice and mellow, as compared to the "brighter" (for lack of a better word) flavor of butter.

Right. Or they could just be recently-arrived, terribly chic and sophisticated, upper-class Europeans.

I don't cook it with whole black peppercorns -- but after I've ladled it into individual soup bowls (as I said way back on page 1), it does get a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes. Along with a dollop of EVOO and a dusting of grated P.Reggiano.

Yum. Absolutely yum. When I was in Italy, I discovered my very favorite aperitif. The Italians called it a 'Rosso e Bianco' -- 'Red & White.' Mix equal parts red vermouth and white vermouth. Serve in martini glass, with a beautiful slice of lemon floating about in it. This is best served cold. I actually like it so much I keep my vermouths in the fridge; but when I am elsewhere, stir it with ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into the glass. Heavenly. And I envy you your 'really interesting' and 'artisanal' vermouths.

Exactly what I was trying to say very delicately in the Kulfi post. Thanks for saying it here. My grandma calls that easy Kulfi, the Tuti Phuti Buri Mem di Kulfi (the fractured/broken old white womans Kulfi), for it is made by her when she is too tired and is willing to compromise on the taste. It does a certain job, but that is never replacing the taste and richness and magic of Kulfi made from scratch. I absolutely agree with that... EZ doesn't usually have the taste, magic, texture or satisfaction of a dish made from scratch. In fact, I'd think that goes without saying. But occasionally, in the interest of time, like Suvir's grandma "when she is too tired, and willing to compromise," it is good to have some "EZ quick" recipes. Such as the cornbread made with doctored-up Jiffy mix. And also, I have found that when beginning cooks see difficult and complicated recipes with long lists of ingredients and instructions, they often can be too intimidated to even attempt them. For example, my recipe above for Pumpkin Flan that begins with "take one pumpkin" might stop novices from even trying. On the other hand, if you give brand new and unsure-of-themselves cooks a recipe that looks simple and easy, and they try it and have a big success, it encourages them and spurs them on to try ever better, and more difficult and complicated dishes. And, even if beginning cooks are willing to attempt a preparation calling for more advanced technique, or steps/ingredients, and it fails, they well may never even try again. I began my flan career with Gringo Flan over thirty years ago, when I was a brand-new bride and budding cook and hostess. Flan was my favorite dessert in Mexican/Spanish restaurants. I was afraid it'd be difficult. I'd looked at other flan recipes, and just didn't know if I could pull them off. I wasn't sure about baking something in a 'water bath.' Many recipes called for whole vanilla beans. I'd never worked with them and wasn't sure if I could even find them easily. But then a friend (Mexican, actually) showed me that recipe for "Gringo Flan." I looked it and its short list of ingredients and instructions and thought, "Hey, I can do that." And I did, on several occasions. Whereupon I thought, "Boy, this is really good. And it's not hard at all. I wonder what flan is like when made with one of the more complicated and authentic recipes?" That led me to now having about eleven flan recipes (and several creme brulees) that I prepare often; Gringo Flan frankly, no longer among them. I have indeed advanced beyond it. But here on eGullet, we have all levels of cooks -- beginning, intermediate, advanced -- as well as others just checking things out. I don't believe it ever hurts to give them many options. Or, to have many options available to you in your own quiver of culinary arrows. Who knows when I will be as old and tired as Suvir's grandma with her Tuti Phuti Buri Mem di Kulfi. And be darn glad I can at least still totter to the stove and open up a can of Eagle Brand and whip myself up some Gringo Flan. It may not be the very best, award-winning, flan in the world (although it's damn good), but I'll bet it beats whatever they're serving up over at the old folks' home.

In addition to turkey/chicken broth, add a couple beaten eggs to your cornbread dressing.

Just reread the posts here and want to agree with Suzanne about the noise factor. One of the restaurants in our town pipes in a radio station that is obviously popular with (and selected by) the waitstaff and cooks, customers be damned. And this is not a restaurant that is actually trying to cater to a younger crowd. They market themselves as a rather upscale, sophisticated "family" place. I don't go there anymore unless I absolutely HAVE to (like a meeting or something). For goodness sake, try to have unobtrusive music, unless you're catering to an 18-year old crowd that likes being hollered at all through their meal. And, in a full, busy and noisy restaurant, you simply don't need any more noise of any kind assaulting you from the intercom. So, I'd suggest you turn it off altogether when the restaurant is full, then back up when it is less so and music adds to the ambiance.

Suvir - I did receive the tomato chutney that you were kind enough to send me. As per your suggestion, yesterday at lunchtime, I did halve (lengthwise) and then lightly fry two hard-boiled eggs which I ate with the chutney. And then, last night, had some leftover pork roast which I also ate with the chutney. It is absolutely delicious to be sure. As you know, I am cooking for one most days, and might not have occasion to prepare a complicated dish using your chutney until the next time I have dinner guests. But I always have in my freezer some individually-frozen orange roughy filets. Often, I take out just one and spoon over some salsa and pop it into my toaster oven for a few minutes. I am planning on trying it with the chutney either tonight or tomorrow, and I am certain it will be delish! The chutney is wonderful and I appreciate you taking the time to send me a sample. Now that I know how tasty it is, I'll obviously have to prepare some myself when this is gone. Thanks again -

For any of you who have never made flan, and might want a simple "starter" recipe with which to begin, here's one. Most of my "gringo" friends just call this recipe, "Flan." It's interesting to note that most of my Mexican friends also have this recipe, and make it when they're pressed for time, but they call it "Gringo Flan." Easy Gringo Flan 1/2 C sugar 6 eggs 1 13-oz can evap milk 1 14-oz can Eagle brand milk 1 t vanilla pinch of salt Caramelize sugar in skillet or microwave. Pour into flan mold. Allow to cool thoroughly. Beat eggs until mixed, trying to get as few air bubbles as possible. Add evap milk and condensed milk. Fill condensed milk can with water and add that as well. Add vanilla and salt and combine well. Strain mixture and pour into mold. Set in lower half of 350º oven in a pan of warm water. Bake for one hour or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, and then refrigerate until time to serve. At serving time, unmold and spoon caramel over. Sometimes I add some orange juice and zest for orange flan.

Mulling means to simmer something with spices... as in "mulled wine" and "mulled cider." And I hope I'm right. When you venture an opinion with a crowd as informed as this, you are often proved wrong literally within seconds. But this is what I have always understood it to mean. The spices generally used are the ones you might think of as "pumpkin pie" spices. For my mulled wine and cider, I usually take an orange or a lemon and stud it with cloves, and also drop in some cinnamon sticks, a little allspice and some nutmeg.

My family has a loooooong tradition of eggnog. And I remember drinking it back some fifty years ago when I was just a very small child. My grandmother made it every year. And into it she put: "1 Cup bourbon for the main taste, 1/3 C rum for flavor, splash of brandy for the kick." Although the amounts of everything seemed to change year by year according to mood and memory, the main gist of it was always the same. Lots of bourbon, which gave it the main flavor, punched up with some rum, and kicked up with a little brandy. That's how we've always done it, and it makes the flavor absolutely superb. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I too love rum cake. Make it with spiced rum. Even better.

Can you suggest any national brands that you enjoy (or any in the NY metro area)? I'm looking to broaden my search for the best store-bought egg nog. If you get some store-bought, you can improve it considerably by whipping up either some cream, or egg whites, and folding them into your store-bought. We have a good brand down here, but I doubt you get it there. Just in case, it's "Promised Land Dairy." And that reminds me. I always get a jug of that each year for a special neighbor. Christmas is sneaking up on me this year, and I hadn't remembered it. So now I have.

Much of this is repetitive, but.... Obviously, if you're selling food, it has to be of consistently high quality. That's the business you're in after all, and that's the bottom line. However, even if the food is really good but the place looks dirty, I won't go back. If the restrooms are filthy, I know that the owners/management do not take cleanliness seriously and I shudder to imagine what the kitchen looks like. If there's no soap in the Ladies', I know the staff has not properly washed their hands before leaving. So, if the food is good and the place is clean, now I, like others, expect friendly and hospitable service. I want to be treated like I am a guest in their home. I don't want to be looked down at, or condescended to, or ignored, or stuck off at a bad table when the restaurant is obviously not full, or otherwise be made to feel bad in any way. Now, we've got good food and a pleasant, friendly, clean atmosphere. I think the biggest mistake new restaurants make is to try to be all things to all people. Just pick a vision, stick with it, work on making it the very best it can be. And then, when you have that down, branch out if you feel you must. To take this example down to its most basic level, I think of places where they are just soup and sandwich, but they try hard to have the BEST soup and sandwich. Or a steak place. Fine, have the best steak. Or BBQ. Or Catfish Parlor. Or burgers. Or whatever. But, especially when starting, pick one thing, have one vision, one niche, and shine that until it positively gleams. Limit your menu - if it's upscale French for example, then select a few things that you can do really, really well, and concentrate on that for at least the first year. Then expand and branch out if you wish. Most restaurants that I have seen fail have done so because they started off by trying to do too much, with no vision or exact knowledge of "who" they wanted to be, and they took a scatter-gun approach and instead of being all things to all people wound up being good at nothing in particular. Of course, it also happens from time to time that they just had the "wrong" vision, and whatever it was wouldn't work. But that was rarely the case. Location is important, as others have said, but if you do a bang-up job, people will drive for miles and miles, and even fly halfway 'round the world, to get to you. There's a ratio there. The better you are, the less you have to depend on location. If you're mediocre, you'd better be damned convenient to a lot of people.

The Lamb Rolls sound great. I have taken Lamb Curry for appetizers before. Cut your left-over lamb into chunks. Whip up a curry sauce in the skillet. Toss lamb cubes in skillet until flavorful and well-coated and seasoned. Arrange on baguette slices topped by individual different types of condiments: tomato chutney, mango chutney, peanuts, coconut, slice of green bell pepper, piece of pineapple, slice of green onion, etc., whatever. That'd look pretty as well, with all the different options laid out on the tray. Or, you can just leave the lamb curry in a chafing dish, and set some bread slices or large crackers alongside, and a dish of toothpicks, and some condiments so guests can sprinkle on whatever they choose.

I love eggnog and make it every year. For guests, serve it in a silver punchbowl that has been frozen into a large block of ice around which I've also added bits of holly and other evergreens. And of course, those little silver punchcups. I also substitute eggnog for milk this time of year when preparing French Toast, bread pudding, tapioca, etc. If you'd like to try a Mexican version of eggnog, see if they have Rompope at your liquor store... booze already added. Very nice.

Maybe it is not the same one, but I thought Dot's was only open for lunch? Are they open any other nights besides Friday? I wen there for the first time a few weeks ago and it was a good hearty meal. It is not an easy place to find, but well worth the hunt. All about Dot Dot's is only open on Friday nights. And it's the All-you-can-eat Catfish & BBQ. The catfish is heaven. The BBQ is good, but I've had better elsewhere in Austin so I don't get that. I think she opens up at 6pm on Friday nights, and the line is already halfway down the block. It's very, very good. And costs something like 7 bucks or so... Don't remember exactly, but cheap - under $10. And a "real Austin" experience.

Awk. Forgot to add some real favorites: Breakfast tacos at Ken's Tacos and More Friday night all-you-can-eat Catfish Buffet at Dot's Place. Lord love you Dot!