etalanian

I had the occasion to work two days with Rachel Ray doing food styling for one of her book promos when she was in town about 18 months ago. Rachel is a true media phenomenon. People lined up, standing three or four hours waiting to get their books signed. They weren't sophisticated, or even foodies. Just regular folks. They absolutely adored her. She is cute and perky, yes, but also very accessible to the masses. She isn't stuck up or phoney. WYSIWYG. Gets more viewers than someone who might be more intimidating. As far as bringing the masses along by baby steps, I don't think so. I think it's wonderful that she has made some of them aware of how to make a simple pan sauce; that is something they might not have aspired to otherwise. But that is the most sophisticated thing she offers them; she doesn't bring them along further in each subsequent book. I think that is also why they love her so much. They don't feel threatened or intimidated or under pressure. They see her on TV doing these simple things using language they use, making meals they can understand, and they identify with her. But I don't think the vast majority of them have any desire to go further. I don't even think most of them cook from the books. I think they simply find her accessible. A "star" they can identify with. And, that's fine. It's entertainment for the masses. And she gets that and makes it work for herself. Good for her. I'm wondering if the disillusionment with her that I hear running through this thread isn't really anger that FN has betrayed the very people they set out to attract. It was a noble aspiration, but there wasn't enough of a sophisticated base for it to be profitable. It's for profit TV. It's entertainment. Think about what sells on for-profit TV. That's why the shows are so great on PBS - non-profit - no need to satisfy the shareholders. (So hopefully we are all supporting public TV.) As for Sandra Lee, I can't even imagine making any of her "recipes." I don't think there is anything even remotely acceptable about them. Just one woman's opinion. FWIW. ET

You can flavor a basic white cake with lime juice and zest. Add a little lemon juice to brighten it. If he likes everything lime, I would also use the lime curd filling and put some lime juice and zest in the frosting. My son has asperger's, on the autism spectrum, and as I read your comments above I had flashbacks of my own son's birthdays. He asked for Baked Alaska for his 6th birthday. I know kids with autism can get fixated on certain foods, flavors, or textures. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to. Eileen

We've heated our doughnuts in the toaster oven, but never til they caramelize. OMG, sounds excellent. I can't wait to make this for my kids. And, for anyone in the Philly area, there is a very small chain of YumYum Donut stores that make the best doughnuts in the area. They're up around Horsham and Hatboro. Much better than the air doughnuts made by Krispy Kreme. Eileen

The only way to get a great, gooey, clear, well-cooked cherry pie filling is to pre-cook the juices and part of the cherries. Same with any of the berries. It's more than worth the effort. The flavor of the cherries will be strong and fresh-tasting, with a beautiful rich, red color.. Eileen

I'm with Kit on this one. Just line up the mises for a larger quantity. As far as washing the cuis? That's what a dishwasher is for. And the lard? Yeah, it's best, but here in Philly, fresh, high quality leaf lard, which is the only kind to use, is extremely hard to come by. And one more "tool": For those of you who haven't tried it, European style butter makes a wonderful crisp, flaky crust. A lot of people use part shortening to get flakiness. Personally, I think shortening should be outlawed. Yuck.

I'm with the 1:1:1 contingent. We make 'ritas all summer starting with the first night it's warm enough to dine outside. Always fresh lime juice. 1800 tequila, never reposado. (Of course, Patron Silver makes a great 'rita also). We never find this ratio too sweet, and it's never so strong with alcohol that we can't drink them well into the night. Everyone we serve them to loves them. Shaken and straight up. And in a martini glass. With the respect they deserve. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them. It's a very personal thing, like martinis. Hard to change someone's tastes when it comes to cocktails.

There are some great responses here. I agree with all of them. Port is wonderful with figs, sake with dried cherries and cranberries, Reisling for stone fruits, etc, but it's important that you keep in mind what the other flavors in the recipe are so everything is balanced. Also, you can temper the strength of any of these alcoholic beverages with simple syrup, so the rum, for instance, doesn't overpower everything else in the dish. Tea, coffee, wonderfully flavored vinegars, stock...all of these can be used depending on what you are making and whether it is sweet or savory.