avocado

as a 20-something lady who would in fact be QUITE impressed by a well-crafted cocktail, i give you major points for trying this tactic. while there's lots to be said for classic cocktails, the kind of girl who would enjoy that sort of thing might also be impressed by a unusual but tasty drink with some retro or kitchy charm. i am, in fact, that kind of girl, so here are some things that i would enjoy and also would spark some interest in the person who thought to offer them... -prosecco in a proper glass, or a real bellini (not of that champagne-and-peach-schnapps business). -cheap-ish red wine mixed 50/50 with sparkling lemonade, and be sure to call it "tinto de verano," it's a legit beverage served in spain and trust me, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. -mad men is so hot right now, so a gimlet or a tom collins would be fun to offer someone who watched the show- bonus points for cool thrift-store glassware. -infuse some vodka! do some googling, the sky really is the limit, and it's an interesting thing to talk about while you enjoy your beverage.

tomato + salt + mayo + bread = magic

Aweome ideas, thanks! I think the ganache is what I'll try...do you think it would work with bittersweet chocolate as well as white?

I want to make an irish cream frosting. I'm really pretty flexible about what kind (cream cheese, buttercream, ganache, whatever). It's going on a dense chocolate cake. Anyone have any recipes or at least a method where I could safely substitute Bailey's for another ingredient (say, heavy cream or vanilla)?

it's total church-lady kitsch-food but here are my two standbys that people go NUTS over: buffalo chicken dip and symphony bars. for the buffalo chicken dip, google "bonnie's buffalo chicken dip," it's all over the web. for the symphony bars, mix up a batch of brownie batter from a box, put half of it in the pan, layer in three large symphony bars (the kind with the toffee chips), add the rest of the batter and bake according to the directions on the box. the symphony bars turn into a creamy filling, almost like oreo creme. i'm telling you, i've made all manner of high-class food for parties and get-togethers, but this stuff is what people really like.

...when you start to think that just about any dish could be improved by topping it with a pornographically runny-yolked egg.

^ Domestic Goddess, I made pineapple upside down cake for dessert too, and also had raves. I'm staying with my grandparents and it's their favorite. So nice to be showered with compliments.

ketchup and mayo, a dollop of each touching each other on the plate (or grasy paper bag), so i can have a dip of one of the other or both swirled together. oh, and salt AND pepper.

ling gnawing on that lamb is priceless! love it. i have been glued to this blog all week. the pictures are absolutely beautiful, and you have taken such care in describing all of your adventures this week so we can all experience them vicariously. congratulations to both of you on your impeccable taste in food, drink, and men/women.

Lexy, what beautiful pictures, so rustic...and the treats look delicious.

This looks delicious, but I have no idea what it is! Could you elaborate? Is that coconut? Are they frozen? I bet I'd like them either way.

Rainbows! Flaky pastry! Orlando Bloom!! ← Rachel, you've made me grin on a rainy Monday morning. Klary, I've been enjoying this blog immensely! When I saw the thread, I actually said, "Yay!" out loud. Good thing my office door was closed.

I'm not one to turn down ANY food really, neither cake nor pie being any sort of exception. That said, cooked fruit is not my favorite texture- pulpy mush just doesn't do it for me. While I do like a nice slice of banana or coconut cream, the creamy and chocolatey pies just aren't good enough or plentiful enough for me to place myself in the pie camp. So cake it is! With frosting, please. I'll take it however you want to give it to me. I can't think of a variety of cake that I don't like. And I agree with whoever said the the best cake is the dense, sticky kind, approaching brownie-like. I'm salivating. You know, I read once that people with a sweet tooth can be divided into two categories: sugar and fat. I'm fat, without a doubt.

My mom said it gave her terrible gas, so she didn't stick with it long enough to see any positive effects.

DiBruno's, please! My favorite thing about Philadelphia (I'm a Wilmington native) is a stroll around the Italian Market and a stop into DiBruno's on a Saturday morning.

I love stinky cheese. Except raclette. A smear of raclette on a cracker is the ONLY thing I can ever remember spitting out. It triggered my gag reflex like nothing ever has. I had to go out for ice cream to get the sensory memory out of my head.

Monkfish. Nothing and no one could ever convince me to take even a bite of monkfish. This stems from my prep cook days when I had to clean about 50 pounds of monkfish tails for a special. If you've ever dealt with raw monkfish, you know what an unsavory task this is...and if you never have and therefore still enjoy monkfish, I won't ruin it for you. I had nightmares for days afterwards.

I'm not pregnant, but have had experience taking medication that caused continuous nausea. One thing I always carried with me was goldfish crackers, plain or cheddar, because they're tiny and you can kind of "sneak" them into your tummy one at a time. Also grits, sometimes with an egg cracked in and stirred up right at the end of cooking. I know the texture of grits is not for everyone, but it goes down alot more easily than oatmeal when you're nauseated- trust me. I also found honeybush rooibos tea to be soothing. It smells a little medicinal but you can sip it cold of the smell bothers you.

There's an ALDI in my town, and I hear it was cheap but I've been kind of afraid of it since I've never heard of ANYONE who actually shops there...but if it's got the eG seal of approval, I'm there! Thanks! P.S. Scordelia, I actually sliced my achilles' with a chef's knife- my worst kitchen battle wound to date- so I really feel your pain. Speedy recovery!

I love allsorts. So much that now I have a serious craving and anticipate an allsorts hunt this weekend.

This blog is beautiful, just beautiful. I'm really taken with your business philosophy. If it weren't for all the good you're doing in your community providing employment, I'd be begging you to take me on as an employee. Seems like much more satisfying work than writing instuctional materials for a software company. Blog on, G, you've got my undivided attention.

M&Ms. Plain. The big bag. I'm not interested in the regular-sized bag, or even king-sized. I need the whole pound. And I will eat the whole pound. I only allow myself to buy them as a special treat, usually around holidays when the fun-colored ones come out, or the mint ones at Christmas time. I went to Cuba for a summer a few years ago, and in Cuba there is virtually no chocolate...my boyfriend at the time knew me well enough to have a gigantic bag of M&Ms waiting for me on the passenger's seat when he picked me up at the airport. I know they're not quality chocolate, and I know they make me nasueous after just a couple of handfuls...but I'm a glutton for punishment. You know, I believe it's prime time for the Easter pastels...and I think they're on sale at Target...

I work at a software company, where we're all proud nerds. Every year on 3/14 at 1:59 p.m. (3.14159!), we eat pi. I had chocolate cream.

I have never found the nerve to go into a Mexican grocery. And for heaven's sake, I have a degree in Spanish! I always feel like they'll laugh at me there. I guess Mama Fresser is a better man than I!

I had Coldstone for dinner the other night too...only in my case, it was Valentine's day and I was feeling sorry for myself in my Valentine-less state...sweet cream with cookie dough and brownies pretty much solved it. I agree that Coldstone's ice cream isn't very good. It's very thick and sticky, and gratuitously fatty, IMO. Not much flavor either. But I'm big on chewy chunks of things in my ice cream, and nobody does it like Coldstone.