joiei

Sounds good to me, Lori! I am not protective about 'Southern Stuff' at all, I was just told that it was very Southern and it surprised me! Nice to know I am not completely ignorant ! ← A lot of German immigrants came to the United States through the port of New Orleans. Maybe that is where the connection is?

This is only a description of the Volpi product and not of all genoa salame. The Vismara, for example, is by no means lean at all. I'm still uncertain what classifies as a genoa salame. ← I hope these definitions will help. As a rule, they will tend to be different from producer to producer according to their own recipes, ingredients and quality of the meats used. These come from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council's web site. I would imagine fat content varies from producer to producer. And a personal perference as to which is better probably prevails also. I do like the Volpi but really prefer the Molinari, and sliced thin, thin, thin. I am not fond of the flavor of the Boar's Head, to me it tastes like the stuff they sell at Albertson's.

You know what happens after the gauvage, though, right? ← Yeah... look what it did to Chicago (aldermen). ... ahem... u.e. ←

Genoa salami, also spelled as Genova Salami from the dItalia web site. I also like the Molinari dry sausage. I have trouble finding it here. I have memories of wandering into the Molinari Deli on Columbus in San Francisco many years ago when I lived there. It always smelled soooo good in there with all the sausages hanging and the cheeses and other good stuff.

Thanks everyone for your help. IF anyone would like to meet up for coffee one morning, pm me only please. Is the Memorial Day parade a funky thing? I can get out there and wave a flag for the HEROS, deed I can.

kar-mel is a town on the california coast, not a wonderful treat. I agree with you. oops, Carmel is a nice little touristy town in its own right, but it ain't no caramel. edited to try to correct my mistatement.

I agree with Jason. Instead of making something that they can get back home all the time, give them a real treat and do something very American. The roasted beef finished with the strawberry shortcake sounds wonderful. I would not be surprised to learn that his family does not drink alcoholic beverages of any kind, ask him if you can before the dinner. That way, if tea and coffee are the standard, I would stick with that. Have a great time and give him all of our congratulations. hurrah.

ZIPLOC OMELET This works great !!! Good for when all your family is together. The best partis that no one has to wait for their special omelet !!! Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed. Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

Or, bacon, peanut butter and mayonnaise. Seriously, it's really good. ← one of my favorites is Bacon, Avocado and spinach on lightly toasted whole grain wheat with mayo

I am going to be in Omaha for the Memorial Day weekend visiting my brother. He is new to that area. Where should I go for meals. It needs to be a place where he can wear bluejeans. Some places that I have looked at are The Flatiron Cafe V Mertz Vivace and ice cream place that I don't remember the name Tom and somebody's sounds like lunch to me. Cuisine style is open, middle eastern appeals, just need to keep it casual. I will be staying in Old Market area.

The term for the scalloped edge on knives is granton. a nonstick coated knife? Why? You aren't cooking on it. And the first time you go to sharpen it, it's gone. Why?

when I figured out that I was having a lot more fun cooking to help finance school to be a history teacher than I was doing my internship in a high school classroom, I dropped out of school and haven't looked back. I have learned that all those education classes helped because one never stops teaching others in the culinary field, sharing your knowledge is just part of it. The history classes, I still love reading the Will and Ariel Durant books, but that is now my pleasure.

by using the clarified butter method, I am controlling the amount of salt and other liquids that are going in and flavoring the sauce.

I love them also. They are so easy. The only time I use the other kind is when I am making something like duchess potatos or piping the dough for cream puffs.

I make hollandaise the way I was taught over 28 years ago. On the stove top with warm clarified butter. It is pretty quick and easy to control the quality of the sauce and if it gets too think and mayonaisey, then I just thin slightly till I get the right texture. We used to make the sauce and hold it for a period during service. I know, I know all about the salmonella thing but this was 28 years ago. I don't thick I have had a batch fail in 20 years and that was because it got too warm. No problem to start over. Aslo, I ususally dont make it until right before I need it. If you have everything ready to go, it goes together quickly and all you have messed up is a bowl and a whisk. edited to correct spelling

Ospina Coffee Company Is their coffee really worth $75.00 a pound?

oh man, I feel sorry for you. Those knives are such a piece of crap. I have used them, the manufacturer must have no scruples.

Tom Fitzmorris' New Orleans Food ordered directly from him and he was gracious enough to autograph it for me. Culinary Mexico by Daniel Hoyer

I dine solo a lot. Because I do not get off work until after 8:30pm, I usually get in after the dinner rush has been sat. I have no problem with sitting alone at a table, I am ususally too involved with a book or working on notes from the days work or whatever. If anyone else in the restaurant has a problem with me sitting alone, I am totally unaware of their being uncomfortable with my situation. Plus, I really don't care what they are thinking or feeling, that is their problem, I am hungry and like nice dinners. Sometimes I will sit at the bar, and being a nondrinker, I have never had a bartender refuse to serve me if I only ordered an iced tea to go with my dinner. In fact, at some places I have been, I have not been the only diner at the bar. I know some times it is faster to get sat and order than waiting for a table. If I have made a reservation, then I do not feel like I have put any other diners out to wait for their table. The first time I ate at Bluestem in Kansas City, I was a solo diner and have now been back with groups with plans to take more to show off the quality of the food and service. The same at a couple of places in DFW. Happy Mothers Day all you beautiful ladies.

if you do not know New Orleans, then take the tour. try to get in touch with Mayhaw Man, he can direct you to the best tours.

It's my understanding that Grits and Polenta are actually different. True grits come from white hominy. Polenta is generally from yellow corn. ← http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta "Description Polenta is made with either coarsely, medium or finely ground dried yellow or white cornmeal (ground maize), depending on the region and the texture desired.[1] As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known as puls or pulmentum in Latin) commonly eaten in Roman times and after. Early forms of polenta were made with such starches as the grain farro and chestnut flour, both of which are still used in small quantity today. When boiled, polenta has smooth creamy textures, caused by the presence of starch molecules dissolved into the water. [edit] Similarity with grits Polenta is very similar to corn grits, a common dish in the cuisine of the Southern United States, with the difference that grits are made from coarsely ground corn, hull and all. Most popularly grits are made from corn which has been processed into hominy (see nixtamalization), which originates in Mexican cuisine, making it grittier yet. Polenta's similarity to boiled maize dishes of Mexico, where maize originated, may be a coincidence, as polenta is not a part of Spanish cuisine." People boil their grains to make mush. All over the world. There just isn't that big a distinction, excepting that probably as a whole food being ground from the whole grain, grits probably have a higher nutritional value, or at least more dietary fiber. I have had plenty of yellow grits. Dad used to prefer them. ← some other quotes from that wikipedia site

keep in mind that grits came first. Georgia's relation to grits with description. edited to add link

from grits.com website. even more info from Southern food edited to add second link

A lot of it gets shipped to other regions, like up north.

I ordered direct from Tom and it came right away autographed to me. I will be cooking some from it this next week.