Jaymes

No ya ain't, Colonel. When I'm not trying to make something sorta different and impressive, like several of the recipes already mentioned... I mean, when I'm just trying to sling together something quick for lunch, I make my "regular," and thats: Always Miracle Whip (for that little tangy touch), sweet pickle relish, onion, dash of Durkee's Famous Sauce (natch) and, about half the time, a little chopped up apple. I also like celery and hardboiled eggs in my tuna salad, but don't usually take the time to add them. But Miracle Whip, sweet pickle relish and onion are my "Big Three." I also like this: Apple Tuna Toss 1 head iceberg lettuce 2 C chopped apples....strong-flavored variety, not Fuji or mild types 1 11-oz can mandarin oranges 1 large can tuna (drained) 1/3 C walnuts For the dressing: 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp lemon juice 1/2 C mayo (or Miracle Whip for us "Whippers" ) Mix dressing ingredients and refrigerate hour or two or, preferably, overnight. Also, refrigerate other ingredients, tuna, oranges, etc. At serving time, drain oranges and set aside. Chop lettuce, add dressing and toss with apples, tuna, walnuts. Add drained oranges last and combine carefully in order to avoid breaking up oranges. This is a very nice light lunch for tuna lovers.

Thanks for the advice about the corn. I'll try it!

You are, of course, an acknowledged expert in Italian cuisine. Of the world's other greatest cuisines....French, Chinese, Peruvian, etc.... Which most pique your interest. Is there a little-known cuisine that you are interested in exploring? And, Miss Lidia, why? But, most important, thank you so much for your time. A grateful eGullet turns its hungry eyes to you.

i just want to take this opporutunity to remind everyone that my name is not "alan." Makes you wonder what Alan got for HIS birthday. Probably a plate that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMMY!! Perhaps. But perhaps the chef, having been alerted beforehand that this particular birthday dinner was in honor of Tommy, an internationally-known food writer (which he certainly is, writing daily about food to a worldwide eGullet audience), decided instead to prepare a croquembouche, "choux" (or creampuffs) filled with crème patissière and strategically "glued" together with cooked sugar to form a mountain, and then, before adding the final spun sugar strands, to frost it with meringue at the top and a pale brown chocolate ganache at the bottom to resemble Mt. Vesuvius, and decorate it with small “trees” of candied rosemary, oregano and thyme, fronted by deep-aqua-coloured marzipan in an exact replica of the Bay of Naples, complete with small chocolate fishing boats, then to drizzle it with the traditional spun sugar strands and finally, to top it off with a jigger of warmed brandy shoved down into its lofty peak, which the chef, in a grand flourish and, being careful to avoid his toque, he then lighted, and proudly presented to a stunned Alan.

Well, when you think about it, "poaching" is pretty-much what we do to most pasta, isn't it?

i just want to take this opporutunity to remind everyone that my name is not "alan." Makes you wonder what Alan got for HIS birthday.

Helena - I love your avatar. It looks like a large lady sitting next to a small refrigerator. It's quite reminiscent of me. Wish I had found it before you did

Drop that pasta and no one gets hurt.

Sounds to me like grand fun to try, and then get back to us as to how it turned out. PS - Don't invite the "pasta police" and I mean that literally.

MY recipe for Reuben Sandwich: Get "Reuben craving" and go to Katz's to satisfy. Get "traditional" Reuben after arguing with waiter about what that is. Ask for extra pickle. Ask for doggie bag. Put half of corned beef from sandwich and all of extra pickle into bag. Eat Katz's Reuben. Still have "Reuben craving." Stop by grocery store on way home. Buy rye bread, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese. At home, combine mayo, ketchup, pickle relish to make Russian dressing. Take out nice handful of sauerkraut, arrange into form about size of bread, place between paper towels, and roll with rolling pin until all juice is extracted. Smear Russian dressing on bread. Top with Swiss cheese slices, sauerkraut patty, remaining corned beef from Katz's. Close sandwich. Heat skillet. Melt butter in skillet and smear little more on outside of bread. Grill entire closed sandwich on both sides til cheese is melted and sandwich is nice and warm and crunchy and flat. Serve immediately with extra pickle from Katz's alongside. And Shiner Bock. Lean back and reflect on "Great Reubens I have known." Be glad craving is over. But just know this: It will return... Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but soon, and for the rest of my life.

I find it impossible to eat a PB&J sandwich without a pickle of some type alongside. Usually, with the sweetness of the PB&J, prefer an unsweet pickle, but really love Bread & Butter. When I was a kid, we used to put them on sandwiches made with bread and butter and nothing else. I thought that's why they were called that. But in the "pickle" category, I especially love those sweet/hot ones you can get in Louisiana, and which we Texicans make by adding 1/2 jar chopped garlic, 3 or 4 lbs sugar and four ounces or so of Tobasco (or jalepeños, or other hotsauce) to a gallon jar of drained regular dill slices. My crowd calls them "Texas Sweethots" (but of course, we call ourselves that as well ).

Just curious.... Why don't you do that exact same thing, but with the flat of a fairly wide-bladed knife (I use a chef's knife). Just position and hold the blade over the clove (being sure that the handle extends beyond the board of course, or you get a nasty surprise ). Then whack the blade with the closed fist of your other hand. That way, if you want it really pulverized, after you smash it once, you can chop chop chop, smash again, chop chop chop, etc., until it gets to the consistancy you like. And you don't risk smashing out the bottom of your bottle (al la bar-room brawls).

Was asked to post recipe... Peach Sangria 2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (in winter, I use frozen) 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed 1 orange, thinly sliced, seeds removed 3 T sugar (or to taste, depending on size of lemon) 1/4 Cup Peach Schnaaps 750 ml dry white wine Combine all and chill well, at least one hour. Serves two very jovial people. As is immediately apparent, there is no brandy, so this is a pleasant, light, fresh-tasting summertime drink. Particularly good variety of Sangria when entertaining guests upon pale-colored carpeting. And on occasion I have, at the end of the evening, fished out any remaining peaches (now wonderfully marinated) and served them over ice cream for dessert.

Happy to. It's a real winner. Always a big hit. Light, refreshing, and easy. I'll post it in the "summer drinks" thread.

Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man. Do you know the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane? And hot cross buns? Also, I guess I was a sweets fanatic even in childhood. I simply could not get beyond the candy cottage of the witch in Hansel & Gretel. If I close my eyes, I can see it still. And I'll bet you can, too.

Really love good Sangria...like the heady stuff you get in Spain. I serve Sangria at dinner parties often.... especially when I'm cooking Mexican. However, after several unfortunate incidents involving enthusiastic and boisterous guests, and my light beige carpet, I now always serve white Sangria (especially this time of year, when fresh peaches are so abundant, and I make Peach Sangria).

I DID like it, Miss Stella. On that particular visit, I was with a tightly-herded bunch of folks and we had little say exactly when and where we went. We had Steak & Kidney Pie several times during that visit and, although I am certain Londoners (especially eGulleteers) could tell you where to find better, when I took my first bite there, I remember thinking to myself, "Oh. Well, THIS is good! I was beginning to wonder!" We were not at the food court however; but rather, up in the dining room. Christmas was on the way, so the place was decorated and festive and fun. And I quite liked the S&KPie. There were five at our table and we passed stuff around and everything was, we all agreed, exceedingly tasty. I bought a beautiful white wool "throw" for my sofa. I also bought some Harrod's aprons, one for my daughter to wear in her bachelorette pad, and two more as eventual hostess gifts to bestow upon my "foodie friends" the next time they invited me for dinner (these two particular friends had each expressed a desire to travel to England someday but had not yet been able to; they were ab fab thrilled with my gift). So, all in all, it was great fun. And, believe me, I know a little something about fun.

Didn't read the Wall Street Journal article, so don't know if they commented upon this or not.... But, I have read that one reason why so many mid-level restaurants now insist on blasting untolerably loud "theme" music at you is because studies have shown that the higher the noise level, the less likely you are to stick around.

TURTLE SOUP: "Take one live she turtle......" (actual recipe from one of my cookbooks) John. That is absolutely brilliant. And amazing. But after perusing it thoroughly, I have decided it would be far easier (and more in keeping with my humble abilities) for me to just buy a plane ticket, fly to London, track you down, and engage in creative sucking up until I get invited over to your place for Cassoulet.

til i heave me last breath, jaymes. i'd tootle around london with you any time. i try to stay away from horrids. i visited once and was swept into a sea of swirling bodies, admonished by a guard to remove my day pack Well, when I was last there, it was the dead of November, so perhaps the smart set was skiing in Gstaad. And the tourists were cruising the Greek Isles. And the guards were looking for someone shiftier. Someone with a daypack, perhaps?

Boy, me too. I also don't put sugar in my hot coffee or tea. Just don't like 'em sweet. But a tall glass of iced coffee, with sugar and cream. Man....that's decadent summer living for me.

Cake batter. Chocolate Chip cookie dough.

Oh my goodness that sounds wonderful. I must do it immediately. Exactly how do you do it? Tips and instructions please! Do you score or parboil at all?

Steak & Kidney Pie at Harrod's? (Don't forget the camera.) Okay, so I enjoyed it. What of it? So kill me. Knock me upside the head. Gobsmack me. Gag me with a banger. I admit it. I'm a tourist. In fact, it's my very favorite thing in all this world to be. I just wish I could afford to be a tourist more often. Always being a "local," in my colorful native dress (my current financial circumstance), is highly overrated.

Treating customers like they are nothing to you but a billfold is shortsighted in any business. I'd bet everything in MY billfold that StellaB & her sisters won't be going back there. Furthermore, as they say in the business world (regarding customer service), "If you make someone happy, they'll tell a few of their friends. If you make them unhappy, they'll tell the world."