Jaymes

Sign me up with the "freeze the carcasses" folks. I buy a whole chicken and roast it. First night, we have roast chicken. Second night, I take off whatever meat is left that I can get off easily and chop or shred it and we have chicken enchiladas, or chicken curry, or chicken a la king or something like that. The carcass and skin and knuckles, etc., go into a freezer bag and into the freezer. When I get three or four carcasses, I spend the day making stock. I start by roasting the bones in the oven, and I also try to break whatever bones I can so that some of the marrow can flavor the stock. After I've got my stock all made and strained, I boil it way, way, way down. And I mean down about as far as possible, until it's almost like syrup. When it's been reduced enough, I pour it into an old-fashioned ice-cube tray and freeze (my ice cube tray holds about 1-2 cups liquid, so that's what I shoot for). When frozen, I transfer those cubes into a ziplock freezer bag which doesn't take up much space at all. Now, I've got little cubes of concentrated goodness to use as I wish. Honestly, I wouldn't say that making homemade chicken stock is expensive. I'd say just the opposite. If you have chicken carcasses (and who doesn't?) and you're not making stock with them, you're throwing away money.

The iced tea maker was declared to be obsolete on these shores when we discovered the cordless electric kettle. And there is yet another great invention to come from the Mother Country. Even in Texas in August it is faster than Sun Tea. Oh, I know Sun Tea is hopelessly inefficient. And, truth to tell, I don't think it tastes much better, either, if at all. But I just like looking at it. Not only is it beautiful, it reminds me of the days in the US south when a big jar of sun tea out on the front verandah was a sort of a signal of hospitality within. Often that would be the first thing that greeted you when you had been invited to some sort of ladies social "do" - a coffee or brunch or book club or bridge luncheon or something. As you probably know, the pineapple was a symbol of hospitality in the olden days. When the seafaring men sailed home from tropical locales, they often brought with them an assortment of fruit. The hostess of the house would set a pineapple out on the front porch to let all of the neighbors and friends know that her hubby was home from the sea, and that there would be excellent hospitality to be had within, most likely including a taste of sweet, exotic fruit. I always saw a big jar of sun tea brewing on someone's front porch as being much the same. .

Neither did I. But she sure loves hers. The thing is big and cumbersome, but she has it out on her counter at all times. And after I was introduced to hers, I did a bit of googling, and it turns out several companies make them, so someone must be buying them. I'm more of a "sun tea" gal myself, and really love the look of that sparkling amber liquid brewing in its big gallon glass jar out in the sunshine, but I do appreciate the large pitcher that comes with her iced-tea maker. And god knows it's quicker. You put ice in that big pitcher, add your tea and water to the machine, select a strength, push a button, and ten minutes later, Bob's your uncle. http://www.amazon.co...c/dp/B00008VSCO .

Yep - not often, but every now and then. I also like to dip up some PB on a carrot. shel If you like tomatoes, take an original saltine cracker, smear it with your favorite type of peanut butter, then top with a slice of good fresh tomato, add a sprinkle of sea salt, and pop into your mouth. Sounds weird, perhaps, but so so so so good. This has been my family's "standing over the kitchen sink" snack going back generations. It's one of the main reasons we all look so forward to tomato season. As for the peanut butter crunchy/smooth vs pulp/no pulp thing... I like both crunchy and smooth peanut butter. I like peanut butter "enhanced" with sugar and oil, etc., and the plain peanut butter as well, that I either make at home, or grind myself at Whole Foods, Central Market, and others of the many grocery stores here in Texas that have the grinders for the public's use, along with the fresh peanuts for sale. I guess I have to admit that I like it all, but like least the commercial varieties of so-called "natural" peanut butters. I don't really know why the stuff I grind myself at the store or at home tastes so much better. Perhaps it's because it's fresh, as opposed to the commercially-packed natural peanut butters that aren't. And pulp? I like the type that seems to be hardest to find: "some pulp."

Also perhaps "more on topic," my "comadre" seems to think everyone needs an iced-tea maker and she keeps saying she's going to buy me one. I've never been much for gadgets in general, and I feel like it's a little late in my personal game to suddenly require a new one for which I never previously have felt even the slightest need. Anybody have an iced-tea maker? If you do, do you use it? Does it justify the space it occupies when it's not in use?

Nice theory and I do note the smiley at the foot of your post. I got the concept of iced tea straight away. But then, I am well travelled having been on numerous round-the-world trips over the years. I am unsure how many Brits you have met, on whom you base your theory, but I don't know one who finds iced tea "repulsive". A very, very great many, as it happens. Throughout my life. Most notably, I suppose, beginning when I was a child and we lived in Europe and traveled extensively. And then in my early twenties when I moved by myself to Hong Kong, a place that in the late 60's was full of Brits, including my roommate, a young British secretary, and my boyfriend, an English lad that had gone out to the colonies and was working for P&O Shipping, and lived in a very nice large luxury flat paid for by P&O, along with several other single guys that also had "gone out" (and, by the way, threw the most wonderful parties). In fact, in those days, my social circle was made up almost entirely of Brits, along with a few Chinese, and one handsome Pakistani man that was a member of Interpol. And then, back in the States, throughout the years, we entertained in our home scores of RAF exchange fighter pilots and their families, sometimes just for meals and parties and social events, but frequently for several weeks, while they waited for their household goods to arrive, and to find a house and get settled in. Not to mention that in my 18 years as a travel agent, and 8 years owning my own travel agency, I often traveled to the UK just for vacation visits and work-related site inspections. Even now, by sheer coincidence, the neighborhood here in Houston where I live is basically an enclave of British ex-pats working in the petroleum industry. And countless times throughout the years I've heard Brits say some version of: "I don't know how you Yanks drink cold tea. It just sounds vile (disgusting, nasty, repugnant, revolting, repulsive, etc.)," often said with an accompanying facial expression to illustrate just how vile, disgusting, nasty, repugnant, revolting, repulsive, is even the very thought, and sometimes, even including what appears to be an involuntary shudder. Of course, everyone is different, aren't they? And I definitely did not mean to impugn your level of sophistication. Clearly a fellow that has chosen to become a Texan is worldly, indeed.

My theory about why most Brits find even the very notion of iced tea so repulsive is that they aren't thinking of iced tea in its proper perspective. Now that you are a Texan (at least temporarily, anyway), you're quite familiar with days of the sort of blistering heat that all you want to do is to find yourself a cool shady spot and gulp down gallons of something in a glass so frosty that rivulets are racing one another down the wet sides. On those days, nobody wants a cup of any sort of steaming hot beverage, since they're already steaming hot themselves. Those are the iced tea days. I'm not saying those days don't exist in England, although I personally have never encountered one and I think if they do exist, they're not the norm. So, when Brits are deciding what sort of hot beverage they want on a cool, damp, English day, they're comparing a comforting cup of hot tea with other hot beverages...coffee, cocoa, broth, hot toddy, etc. It does seem to have a great deal more to do with cozy comfort, rather than quenching any sort of thirst. The thought of a glass of cold tea instead (especially since many Brits put milk in their hot tea) is unappealing to the point of being darn near revolting. I get that. Therefore, when trying to explain the charms of iced tea to a Brit, I've found I do much better when I compare a frosty glass of thirst-quenching iced tea with frosty glasses of other cold beverages, as in "Would you like some ice water, or perhaps a lemonade? Or, how about a nice tall glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint?" Something just perfect on a hot Texas afternoon in the dog days of summer. And I suspect that, after having spent a little time dealing with this sort of heat, even the Brits would agree.

Those stemmed Irish Coffee glasses to which you linked are beautiful. And since the more-typical type with the handles are pretty common, you'd get considerable bonus points for serving guests coffee in the less-common ones. So it seems to me that if you have minimal budget constraints, and plenty of storage space, it might be nice to own some of the smaller and more unusual ones. But because we never had a lot of storage space, and we moved around a lot, it was wiser for me to own dishes, glassware, etc., that were more versatile. Pretty early on in my wife/mother/hostess career, I bought 12 of the larger, handled variety from a restaurant supply house and it's impossible for me to tell you how many times I used those through the years, and what all I used them for, because the uses were endless. The smaller glasses might be perfect for a shot of strong coffee & whiskey, but the larger ones work for hot chocolate, mocha, cappuccino, frappes and lattes, Mexican-style café con leche, hot and cold soups, mousses, souffles, parfaits, gazpacho, sundaes, puddings, jello desserts for the kids... And we often pressed them into service just for regular ol' coffee when we had a lot of guests and we ran out of other cups and mugs. Like I said, the uses were endless. I found those glasses to be particularly handy when entertaining guests at a cocktail party or buffet dinner when we weren't at a table, and seating was at something of a premium. The handled-glasses are more convenient for serving an assortment of appetizer-type soups, seafood cocktails, etc., and desserts to folks that are wandering around mingling with the other guests. And although some folks, like Chris, might not like lots of whipped cream atop their Irish Coffee, hot cocoa, mocha, mousse, parfait, pudding, jello dessert, etc., I'd say he's definitely in the minority. Not to mention that if you're serving something like a cold soup or tomato aspic that benefits from some sort of garnish or mayo-based topping or foam, you have plenty of room for that. In my experience, it was always better to have too much room rather than too little.

I know that some of these "preachers" really are concerned about the "preachee." When my children, for example, tell me that they're only getting on me about my diet and health because they care about me, I'm pretty sure they mean it. But - and maybe I'm just being too cynical - for the most part, I believe that many of these people that are preaching at you "for your own good," are really more interested in impressing you, and themselves, with their own superiority than they are in actually helping you.

I like beginning the day at with toast and coffee at Ya Kun. And a few bags of their coffee, and some jars of their Kaya (egg & coconut jam) make great (and inexpensive) gifts to bring back to the folks that are watering your plants and feeding your dog. http://www.yakun.com/

I've got friends and family in the area and visit often. And I never miss a stop at Prager Port Works: http://www.pragerport.com/

Avery.

Me, too. And I particularly liked what she said about choosing Liz as her final opponent, which was that she wanted to compete against someone that would cook with integrity, and not try to use some sort of sneaky shortcut just to win.

As I said on that other "vacation cooking" thread that Heidi referenced: I always take a big ham. You can serve ham for any meal: ham steaks for dinner, fried for breakfast, sliced for luncheon sandwiches, cut up in a cold salad, snacks with cheese and crackers, and finally, the bone for soups. It's got to be the most versatile meat there is.

They say that the tax dollars are not enough. I happily support them, though. And I, too, watch the Two Fat Ladies. What a giggle they are! And I've made many of their recipes. Their Peas with Lettuce recipe is a particular favorite.

I agree that is the main point of the show author and tv station, but point should be knowledge... Unfortunately, we are facing the times where money talks instead of people. Sorry, but it's not that simple. The "people" do "talk" and what they are interested in enough to do that talking is what generates the money. You can decry "money" all you want, but the fact is that when folks work, most of them want to be paid for their efforts. I suspect that includes you. So it takes money to produce and broadcast television shows. That money has to come from somewhere. If the show is popular enough (ie, enough "people" that "talk" about it), advertising dollars pay for it. If the show isn't popular enough, then what? I don't know anyone that would be capable of producing and broadcasting the so-called educational "quality shows" all by themselves just because they think those shows would be good for us and benefit an intelligent audience. So commercial TV has to appeal to enough viewers to facilitate whatever the viewing public is willing to support. PBS tries to broadcast "quality shows," but they have to beg for the money to do it. The money has to be there. It has to come from somewhere. You say "money talks instead of people." Nope. The people talk and the money follows. We as a populace get what we deserve in most things, certainly including television cooking shows. If the "people" demanded better quality shows, the "money" would follow. And, that said, has anyone here been tuning into the Cooking Channel? They're broadcasting reruns of many of those shows you all have been saying you miss. And, of course, since they're broadcasting "quality television," I read somewhere that they're struggling, while the mass-market appeal of the Food Network schlock seems to be doing just fine. So, indeed, the "people" are talking. And what they say they want is Rachael Ray. .

Are burritos actually Mexican in the first place? I've always thought of them as being Tex-Mex. And I like rice in them, it's a great way to absorb the various sauces involved, IMO. You see something similar in the north. Some would argue that it's a Mexicali thing rather than Tex Mex. I always ask for no rice just because I always feel like I need a nap after just a regular burrito. As much as I like them, more and more I find three tacos feels better and I can still move. Here in California, I'm sure there is an independent taco truck or taqueria within distance of almost any Taco Bell (or Chipotle). I'll go on a limb and say it will be better from the truck in most cases. There was a time when invidiual Taco Bells would make their own beans in a pressure cooker. I think now it's just add water and voila- dinner! Of course, in Texas, we really love our "breakfast tacos," which is something of a misnomer. Because they contain traditional breakfast foods (no rice) wrapped in a flour tortilla, and not corn, they probably should be called "breakfast burritos" here, like they are elsewhere.

And most recipes I've seen for Asian Honey Walnut Shrimp/Prawns call for mayo in the sauce.

I've been watching. I find the discussion about the typical foods of each region interesting. Plus, I've traveled a lot myself and I really like seeing them in various locations where I've been. In so far as just the "cooking competition" itself goes, not the best or most informative. And I doubt that the best chef is going to win. But there's something about watching the "Survivor"-like interplay among the cheftestants that is intriguing to me. I'll admit that I had to readjust my thinking after the first episode, and downgrade my expectations regarding the cooking skills/dishes alone.

Whereas for me, the blue bits are the best part. Yum. Crunchy.

Um.....I did. Way back here:

My experience is clearly not yours because I've loved bleu cheeses since my first taste of the stuff at about ten years old. And for me, the "bleusier" the better, with funky Stilton my favorite. I'll eat it straight - no crackers, no nothing. But it's particularly wonderful with slices of juicy pear. The perfect lunch. And that's a combination I'd suggest you try. But for serving to guests, I drizzle the wedge with good honey, and then top with walnuts. It's terrific.

Can you get buttermilk there? If so, you can make sour cream quite easily. If not, you can make a pretty good substitute if you have cottage cheese, lemon juice, and a blender. If neither of those methods produce what you're looking for, my advice to you would be to keep trying. There has to be some way for you to make delicious sour cream. After all, it ain't coming out of the cows that way. Somebody has to be manufacturing it.

Also, if you look for the street cart with the longest line of customers, that's a pretty good indication that the food is fresh and safe. And, of course, tasty.

Right you are. What I meant to say was that "now I HEAR you're making them in Ecuador!"