Jaymes

I guess we all make up our own minds as to what is and what is not ethical, but since you asked... To me, speeding is illegal and although it can be unethical as well, I don't find it necessarily so. As far as lying goes, one can lie for very ethical reasons. There are a great many things that are not illegal, but that are decidedly unethical. Like perhaps sleeping with your best friend's husband. Not illegal in most states. But most folks would probably say that's unethical. And when my grandmother was dying of Alzheimer's, I found myself lying to her a great many times. Among other things, telling her that her husband had just gone to the store to get her some ice cream and would be right back went much better for us all than watching and listening to her grieve repeatedly every new time we told her the truth, that he had died several years back. But hey, if that's how you justify your behavior, who am I to disagree. And even if I did, it's obvious you don't care anyway. I have no clue why you asked us all this question, pretending that you care what others think, when you pretty clearly don't give a rat's ass. Just to initiate a discussion and a lively thread, I suppose. I know that's not illegal, but I wonder... Is it ethical?

Well, I'm no "expert," but while we both wait for one to arrive, I'll answer as best I can. I don't know about the crock pot and banana leaves. Seems like it might work. I don't know why not. I wrap it in banana leaves - into packets that are about the proper size for one serving, and tie with twine. And then pack them into a Dutch Oven. Then cover and bake. And that's how I serve it, too. Each person gets one packet on their plate, which they unwrap. It makes for a great presentation as well as being delicious. I suppose I might try wrapping it in the same sorts of packages, and then stacking the packages in the crockpot. Folks in the know that have actually had this dish cooked in a "pibil" in the Yucatan say that it's not the same without that smokey fire flavor, and I've thought about smoking the packets low and slow in a barbecue grill or smoker, but haven't tried it. I'll be curious to see how yours turns out. PS - Just in case you don't know how to make those banana leaves pliable: Wash them off a bit (they're often dirty), then dry them, then heat them, either over an electric or gas burner. As they heat up, they'll soften so that you can fold them.

Can you amplify about WPT serranos and which Knorr? I feel pretty sure after spending a lot of time in Mexico that the "Knorr" refers to this ubiquitous green & yellow label: Knorr Caldo de Pollo We actually discussed it in another Mexican cooking thread. For the most part, the Mexican home-cooks I know all use it basically as a sub for salt. And when they refer to it, it's either "Knorr" or "caldo de pollo" or even just "caldo." Full name not required. Everybody knows that's what you're talking about. And to answer the original question... Back during the heyday of that packaged taco-kit thing, we generally used it to make Sloppy Jose's - the taco meat ladled hot onto a hamburger bun, then topped with grated cheese (immediately, so it starts to melt), shredded lettuce and chopped tomato and onion to garnish if desired, and/or pico de gallo or hot sauce for a little heat. Much easier for kids to handle instead of that crispy tortilla shell that crumbles in your hand. And those tasty juices get soaked into the bread. I raised three kids, which meant a LOT of birthday parties. These "Sloppy Jose's" were my go-to birthday/slumber party meal. The kids all loved them. To get that corn tortilla taste and crunch, either I'd break up those tortilla shells and serve them alongside, or we'd open a bag of Doritos or something. And frankly, although "inauthentic" junk Mexican food it clearly is, the grownups found them pretty good as well. Along with a cold Dos XX to wash it down. Por supuesto. _______________

I, too, am interested in trying Andiesenji's method. But I will compare it with the way I was taught years ago, and that I have always used, and that I mentioned upthread. Which is not to add water, or cream, or the rest of it until the end. And that's when you finish them with the cream. Gordon Ramsey uses creme fraiche. Gordon Ramsey perfect scrambled eggs That sounds wonderful. Perhaps in my "head to head" test, I'll use the creme fraiche instead of the regular heavy cream or half and half I've always used.

Our favorite family potato salad is also "high cal" as it, too, calls for about a half-pound of bacon, but it's simpler than Ms. Sorosky's. We justify the calories by reminding ourselves that we only have potato salad once or twice a month, and that's generally just in the summer, so it's okay if it's a bit of an indulgence. Uncle Larry's Potato Salad 6 fairly large red potatoes 2T apple cider vinegar 1/2 lb bacon 1/2 C mayo (preferably Duke's) or M.W. if you prefer it 1 bunch green onions 3 hard-cooked eggs Cut the potatoes into large bite-sized chunks. Boil in lightly-salted water until tender. Drain well. Immediately, while potatoes are still hot, sprinkle with vinegar and toss. Fry bacon in large skillet. When crisp, remove bacon and chop, reserving bacon fat. Add 1/2 C Duke's or Hellman's to bacon fat in skillet and stir until smooth and all the brown bits are scraped up. (You can discard some of the bacon drippings if you think you’ve got too much.) Chop green onions and eggs and add to potatoes. Pour dressing over all and stir to coat. Correct seasonings and serve at room temp.

I use it for most applications calling for sugar, but not all. I do, however, reach for the piloncillo every time the recipe says "brown sugar." We love it. In fact, I'm having a little right now, sprinkled over grapefruit.

Never heard of chaya so I Wiki'd it. Quoting: "The leaves must be cooked before being eaten, as the raw leaves are toxic." Not planning salads, I hope. I think I'll just pass on this one. But that does bring to mind a couple more things - chayote and jicama.

But I think that education can make a difference. Although it's undoubtedly true that it's easier and more affective among the affluent, I believe it can reach all socioeconomic levels. Several folks in this column have compared poor eating habits to smoking, and I think that's a pretty good comparison. In 1964, the US Surgeon General's office estimated that approximately 42% of all American adults smoked. Now, it's under 20%. And I recall when there first was mention of designated drivers. I figured there wasn't a chance in hell of anybody adopting that policy. But now, it seems to have become routine among a great many people. Our collective progress as a society might be along an unceasingly uphill and winding road filled with potholes, curves and detours but, over time, it does seem like we manage to make improvements. I do think it's worth worrying about. And I think it can be done. And without resorting to the worst aspects of a "nanny state." We just have to figure out how.

I really love Prager Winery & Port Works Easy to find.

Not my assertion at all. You're right. My apologies. I was referring to this quote: Upon closer inspection, I see that you were not the one that made that assertion. Sorry.

Hi Jaymes, How I wish you were correct about the possibility that the fast food thing was a treat. Nope, we were there a few years in a row and this was not summer but October/November. And I am not in the least suggesting banning Taco Bell. We have eaten more than our share of "Fiesta Salads" while on the road. Try to pick up stuff at grocery stores...but sometimes the spirit is simply too tired. It's a four day drive and that's a lot more than 4 times a one day drive as you may imagine. Subway is our latest go to for lunch. We have a public school system in Canada too but what healthful stuff did you ever learn in school? What they taught was government mandated...Canada's Food Rules here. I'd no more live by them than eat at Taco Bell everyday. Plus school teaching is not too conducive to real education a lot of the time. Let the school system try to teach you something and it's like a death sentence to learning for many teenagers. These Moms (and there's plenty of them who are not systemically "undereducated") are often chronically exhausted and at the bottom of the financial (and power) heap. I have no solutions...and this is not my place to do so, had I any. When we walk the dogs at night, even late, and see all the kids still up and the little girls wearing plastic wedge shoes, etc...my heart aches. (But then I am old and everyone knows the elderly get crabby. , yadda, yadda) Well, I certainly share your dismay (as I think you know, I'm old and crabby, too), but I don't agree with Stan's original assertion that the problem is that the US has created a system of affordable abundance. Because, if true, then the solution would be to...what...limit choices? And the only way to do that would be through the power of the law? How? Banning fast food? Governing what can and what cannot be sold to a free populace? Prohibiting fast food joints and companies that produce fat- and sugar-laden treats from advertising? I do think that perhaps limiting choices in our school lunch programs might be a good place to start. I remember my school lunches back in the 50's. They're a far cry from what kids today are eating. So if finding a solution were up to me, I'd start by bringing back the lunchroom ladies, the ones that cooked actual meals. And I'd get rid of the Coke and candy and snack machines. As for education, most schools do have health classes - usually affiliated with the PE department. Or at least they did when I went to school. I'd try to put more emphasis on healthy choices. I know some elementary schools even have gardens that the kids tend and harvest. I don't know. I suppose that I think, like most folks, that the problem is obvious. The solution, not so much. ________

If part of the problem was, as you suggest and you're probably right, that the women were "undereducated," then it seems to me that the solution is to educate them. We do have a public school system in this country, so we have a vehicle to do that, if we collectively agree it needs doing. And although I don't disagree with your overall premise, I'm someone that fed my children very nutritiously (they'd tell you to a fault), but even I might let them stop in at Taco Bell and pick up lunch if it were a special occasion such visiting Daddy at work. What you saw might not be indicative of the way they usually ate. However, even if it is, I still say that the solution is education, and not to ban Taco Bell (which, by the way, since we're using it as an example, does actually have some very nutritious choices).

There's no comparison. Nuking the lemons and limes make them so juicy that it's actually difficult to cut into them without spilling teaspoonsfull of juice. I actually roll and nuke. Force of habit. I don't really need to roll, but I do. I make limoncello a lot, and always have tons of lemons with no peel left over. I toss them into the freezer. Then, when I need some juice, I throw one of my frozen "nudie" lemons into the microwave for 1 minute. Plenty of juice.

Okay, I think I've got it now. If I'm fat and continue to make food and lifestyle choices that keep me fat, it's not my fault. Thank goodness for that. I just need someone else (in the form of the government) to pass (and enforce, of course) a bunch of laws that will protect me from myself. O happy day. ______________________________

Perhaps it's just me, and perhaps I'm wrong, but personally, I don't think that our system that produces "an abundance of food at low price" has anything whatsoever to do with our problems of "obesity, diabetes, heart disease and so on." Just because we have a wide variety of affordable food from which to choose doesn't mean that we are somehow forced to choose stuff that's bad for us. In fact, quite the opposite. Healthy choices are there. They're everywhere. They're easily and readily available. Even the smallest of grocery stores sell apples. And they also sell Twinkies. That a certain segment of the populace never chooses apples has more to do with education and individual accountability than it does the happy fact that there's a lot to choose from. I'm sure each of us has, at one time or another, been in the grocery check-out line behind someone using food stamps. Our system insures that anyone that would like to buy that apple can. But do they? That's the issue. Not the availability of both apples and Twinkies, but the choice.

After reading that recipe, I must say it does look excellent. And interesting. I'm definitely going to put it on my "to do" list. Thanks for posting it.

How interesting. I've never heard of heating the cream first. So of course I must try this right away.

You could always do something like the fresh fruit that Soba suggested, or any other fruit, or tasty liqueur, or good sauce, and/or Pepperidge Farm cookies and just before you arrive at their house, stop in at a store and pick up some ice cream.

Maybe because the 'experts and chefs' had always done it with lots of water and didn't really know how less water would work? Not sure they'd be called 'experts and chefs' but the Italian friends I've had through the years have told me that the "pasta should swim" in the water. I don't use as much water as do some others, but I always check to be sure that the pasta is "swimming." More diligent oversight (stirring) can take care of that but, if you're not careful, you will wind up with one gooey mass of pasta stuck together.

Yes. As I believe I said in the "chores you hate" thread, I do have a friend that does just that. And once she told me that if she could, she'd have every single cabinet in the kitchen do dishes.

Interestingly enough, it requires a great deal of self-control. Despite the fact that most "experts" say that's what you should do, it's extremely hard not to just beat some into the eggs before you begin to cook. But once you get the hang of it the other way, you'll never go back. The difference is amazing.

What's the rationale behind not "overbeating" the eggs? It feels like lore grounded more in gluten than in protein, but perhaps I'm missing something. Honestly, I don't know. I'm sure she gave a reason somewhere, but I basically just took her word for it. I do know that adding that bit of cream at the end, rather than the beginning, makes for worlds of difference. So I suppose I just decided that she must know what she's talking about, and to do it her way. Just to add.. I don't have my copy of Larousse Gastronomique to double-check, but I believe I recall the 'scrambled egg' entry to state that it's a dish of eggs that you stir while cooking and "finish with cream." Escoffier says that when your eggs are just about done, to remove from heat and add a bit of "cream and butter." Huge difference from adding water or milk/cream at the beginning. I always set my little carton of cream (or can of evap milk if we're dieting) right by the skillet, so it's ready to go in at that perfect penultimate minute when the eggs are almost set, but not quite.

Many decades ago, I saw Julia demonstrate how to perfectly scramble eggs, and that's how I've done it ever since. A few pointers from her - don't over beat the eggs. Beat just until the yolks are incorporated. And although you can add seasonings/herbs at the beginning, don't add any additional liquid then whatsoever. Not water. Not milk. Not cream. When the eggs are just about done (around the time Andrew says to remove the eggs from heat) that's when you pour in your cream and thoroughly incorporate it. It gathers up the yucky bits, and turns the whole dish into moist and creamy, but thoroughly cooked, soft mounds of perfection. It does require a lot of discipline to not give into the temptation to stir in something - water, milk, cream, etc. - at the beginning but, according to Saint Julia, that is absolutely not the way to do it.

Yes, and I've also seen it called Chinese parsley. In addition to cilantro, you can also often find a nice selection of chile peppers at those Asian markets. Darienne, do you have Asian markets where you live? Have you tried that?

How will it fare in Texas? I think pretty well. As this article points out, because all In-N-Out burgers are cooked to order, you can even have yours med rare, if you want. There are a lot of things this chain does right. Most important, to me anyway, is that everything is fresh. It will be fun to see what happens in Texas. The In-N-Out story.