BarbaraY

Some years ago our market had lamb shoulder on special at a very good price. Our stores here always saw the meat into slices and then tie it all back together making a very nasty excuse for a roast. It always gets protein globs between the slices and is just plain disgusting. I asked the butcher for one that hadn't been sliced and he brought it out and asked, in a sarcastic tone, if I was going to cook it till it fell off the bone. I told him I was going to bone it and he said he was glad it was me doing it. Needless to say he is no longer working there. I have Merle Ellis' "Cutting up in the Kitchen" which gives detailed instructions. I won't say it is easy to do but it is mostly time consuming. Don't slice open your thumb like I did once, though.

Right on, Jason! Carbonara is one of my favorite quick dishes and calories be damned.

I have been melting butter in it for years and it works fine for me. Perhaps your setting it too high. I agree that microwave popcorn sucks but I do it anyway if I want a late snack and don't want to have another pan to wash. I find that chicken thawed in the microwave is tough. Reheating leftover is a good use for some dishes like soups. Mine has a reheat feature with a heat sensor that is OK but not for anything that should be crisp. Pizza gets reheated in the convection setting.

On the counter are coffee maker, Kitchenaid, toaster, Cuisinart, can opener, tea kettle, blender, (which would be in a cupboard if I could find a place for it.) and the mini-chopper that I forgot to put away. Above the sink in it's own rack is the stick blender. Waffle iron, griddle, crockpots, spice grinder, and rice cooker live in the cupboards. Microwave/convection oven has it's own cart and the toaster oven sits on a tiny counter between fridge and freezer. Also on the counters are knife block, paper towel holder, and a Lazy Susan with cooking utensils.

We get limes at 10 for $1.00 here most of the time and we are way out in the country in Central CA. Our Safeway often has little Key Limes at a reasonable price. I love Key Lime Pie.

Electric for me. Mine is a cheap-o Presto and has done well for about 5 years. Very hard water here and a cup heated in the microwave will get a nasty looking scum on it. I went looking for a teakettle for the stove and ended up buying this one. I do have to give it a boil with vinegar every couple of months because the lime starts to flake. It's used every day since I have tea every morning.

Thanks for a great blog. I enjoyed every bit of it and your babies are adorable.

We eat most dinners at home with occasional nights out. Always have dinner in the dining room even though we have a table in the kitchen where we eat breakfast and lunch. Table is set the way my grandmother taught me and I taught my kids, which is a correct table setting with silverware 1-inch from the table edge, napkins on left, etc. Dinners are usually plated in the kitchen. No artistic presentation unless it's a dish that really requires it. My daughter says she doesn't like her food to touch and I think that's part of a good presentation. I hate eating in a food service establishment that so loads the plate that it isn't visible. It just looks sloppy. There is no eating in front of the TV unless it's something truly earthshaking. I don't do sandwiches at dinner time even though they seem to be popular. In my opinion sandwiches are lunch no matter how elaborate. My own personal foible and I don't condemn others for doing it. As to food appearance, our dinner last evening was Kielbasa with potatoes and cabbage and it ain't purty but is sure tasted good. Served with honey glazed carrots.

Helen, the pumpkin one sounds very, very good to me. I love pumpkin dishes. Of course I love lamb, too, so might even try that one also.

I saw that TV show, too, and thought that the soup was closer to Thai than Chinese. Pineapple in the soup just didn't appeal to me, either. I like lemon grass flavor but not with Chinese dishes yet. Maybe someday there will be one that I'd be willing to try.

Early this year I sorted my collection and got rid of a goodly number of cook books. All those micro wave books that accumulate each time a new oven is purchased, some odds and ends of things that I call Happy Homemaker books that tell one how to make 300 Jell-o salads or how to cook Mexican with a can of Toamto soup. They went along with many other books to a friend of a daughter with instruction to do what she would with them. The one cook book that I regret losing was a small one from the Peoples Republic that disappeared along with a couple of others during a move. I know I didn't give it away but think someone picked it up. I have become very selective when adding to my collection. I usually wait a couple of weeks before actually buying anything new until I'm sure I actually want. French Laundry will probably be one I will add.

Wow! I want one, too! Just have to figure out where to put it. I couldn't possibly put it inside without setting the house afire.

OMG! Some of that stuff sounds absolutely disgusting!

It is so much fun reading your blog. We are a world apart in all things from age, to living situation, and careers. Maybe Mickie is me in disguise peeping into another world that I can only imagine.

I do mine by cooking bacon and onion till the onion is soft. Then I add chunks of Kielbasa and potato, top with lots of coarsely shredded cabbage and a good sprinkle of Caraway seeds. Cover with a lid and let simmer until cabbage and potatoes are soft. We like a grainy mustard with it.

Oaxacan Chorizo is the best I have ever tasted. Breakfast on the plaza may have helped increase the pleasure. Clayuda with thin slices of roast pork is heavenly.

I made this today. I had already marinated the ribs when I found that my Plum Sauce wasn't the usual Koon Chun type but a brown syrupy dipping sauce but I went ahead with it anyway. Not too bad but I want to try it with real plum sauce. It took 45 minutes to get tender.

I used the three lb. coffee can method until I bought one of the electric wands. I recommend them highly. Heap your charcoal on top and plug it in. 8 to 10 minutes and you have it started. Just don't leave it too long. I've also used the pile of twigs method and the egg carton with paraffin.

About 35 years ago I worked in a small town restaurant that had more items than any other place around so this isn't necessarily a new trend. Oddly, we seldom had anything wasted. If all else failed, it was ground up and put in the meatloaf. Personally I would rather see a shorter menu with fewer items done well than everything imaginable down in a mediocre fashion.

Noise levels are beyond my comprehension. We have been known to ask, when we first arrive, if the music can be turned down. Have also been known to just leave if the answer is no. We were in Palo Alto and wanted Sushi. On entering the place that had been recommended, we turned around and walked right back out. The noise was deafening. Not conducive to a good Sushi eperience.

I have never looked for these particular items but I shop for most things Chinese at Kwong Tuck Wo on the corner of Hazelton and San Joaquin in Stockton. They have a large selection of things beyond my comprehension but are always very helpful when asked questions.

I made yakisoba last week using slivers of pork. It turned out very well. No mayo though. Maybe next time. I can't seem to post the photo right now but will try again later.

How about cooked rice, Gorgonzola, onion innards, roasted red pepper, maybe some sun dried tomato, egg to bind, and shredded basil?

I've never stuffed an onion although I have stuffed all sorts of other vegetables. Your post set me to thinking abut what I would stuff an onion with. Corn bread, sausage, chopped onion innards, red bell pepper or jalapeños, some sort of cheese, and some garlic. Perhaps sage leaves. Corn bread, chorizo, jalapeño, chopped onion, cumin and oregano with pepper Jack cheese. The butternut squash sounds very good, too. Now I have to go try some of the ideas that are rettling through my head.

I just checked my two favorite mail-order places in SF Bay Area.and found a white sauce mix at one of them. It is called Nissin-Mama. Is this the same thing or do I have to search further? Sauce source Scroll down.