[Honoring the Life and Work of fifi (Linda LaRose)]

Although I mostly lurk here I am saddened to hear of the news. I too would have loved to have had the opportunity to get to know such a wonderful person. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this time.

[Ingredients that die in your fridge]

Hmmm...good question, lets see, lettuce, milk, herbs, and for some reason bottled roasted red peppers...go figure

[Basic gourmet instruction]

Hello Everyone!

I have been posting and read, posting and reading on this board for some time now and I have decided to "put my money where my mouth is", so to speak, and really begin to training my palate and educated myself about good gourmet cooking. Currently I consider myself a pretty fair cook. Give me a recipe, I can make it, I have a good general working knowlege of ingredients. But certain things just elude me, things that would be considered "fine dining" or "the next level" like, tuffle oil, wine pairings, when certain stuff is in season, never had fois gras, things like that (am I making sense?) I am hoping to retrain my palate a little in the process.

So, how does one go about stepping out beyond the everyday cooking into the exceptional?

Thanks!

[Ratatouille]

I have been excited ever since I saw the ad for this, I can't wait! It looks so cute...

[How picky are you when you pick your produce?]

very, very picky. I am definately a pick through, smell, squeeze, knock on the melons kind of a gal...

[Cooking with Duck Fat: The Topic]

Question from the newbie....where do I get some? Cook a duck keep the fat? In a grocery store (I have never seen any)?

Thanks! I love new products (new to me anyway... )

[Interactive Wine Map Library]

That was the neatest thing. For someone who is just learning about wines, this is wonderful!

Thanks!

[Why does so much food suck?]

I read this whole thread with a kind of grossed out fascination. Let me start off by saying, I don't have the most educated of palates. (Mostly due to lack of availablity, and I am too scared of order food off the internet, something about it I don't trust) But I can honestly say I cook better food at home than any resturant I have been too (yet) here where I live. I live in Oklahoma, and most of the resturants here are chain food type eating establishments. The other Friday, my hubby and I ventured out to our favorite, locally owned, non-chain Indian food place to meet a friend of ours and it was nasty! It used to be quite good and it was so bad, my hubby and I agreed that from now on it was my home cooked Indian food or nothing. While I am picky about my food, I will sometimes when pressed for time eat fast food, or grab a sandwhich out, but I have to be starving. Mostly because of the lack of care that goes into it. At a fast food place I don't expect quality, but at least show a little care, or give me good service.

But I think for the most part most people I meet don't care. Some resturants I go into I can taste the heavy chemical taste of processed food, or I can tell it was frozen before, and whatever dinner companion I am with will either not taste what I taste, or will not care. It is always the biggest portions for the cheapest price. I think most people don't care at all about the quality of what they eat and have seen people eat huge portions of stuff that looks and smells repulsive to me. I just don't get it......I really don't.

Shelly59 ~ Take heart. This happens all over. I bought a homemade lasngna (sp?) to an office thing one day and no one touched it. They all ate these meatballs that another person makes with a jar of grape jelly and bottle chilli sauce. (oh, the meatballs are pre-frozen from Sam's Wholesale, the grape jelly and chilli sauce was the sauce they was floating in.....

the women was rude, sorry you had to go thru that.....

[Most Embarrassing Cookbook in Your Collection]

This cookbook called " a man a can a plan" its shaped like a can, and its all about how to make anything from a can.......gross......

I can honestly say I have never made anything from it...

[What the World Eats]

I have that book, and it is one of the most interesting books I ever bought. I too was shocked at the consumption of processed food and fast food the US family had over the other families. At the time I bought this book I was doing the low carb diet thing and this book got me to stop and really think about that idea.

facinating book!

[You know you're an EGulleter when...]

yeah...but it does lurk in the back of your mind somewhere.....hmmmmmmm....the food I used to call "normal" is now swell compared to what I can cook now.....

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did you mean "swell" or did you mean "swill"? makes a bit of difference in the post..

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oops! sorry! Swill.....

[Doritos X-13D]

People thought I was nuts! I ran all over looking for these things, curiosity got the best of me I guess. And WOW, they do taste like cheeseburger! How strange is that!

[Dinner! 2007]

I thought I had take pictures of this roast chicken I made, but when I went to download the pictures, they were not there! bummer!

I had roast chicken, with veggies.

Marlene, that rack of lamb looks fantastic!

[Doritos X-13D]

I saw these the other day and was intrigued to say the least. Now I have to try them.

(she says as she is running out the door to the store)

[Most Prized Cookbook]

My mother never cooked!! So I have no recipes handed down from gerations of family. I am pea green with envy over those of you who do.

For me, its my copy of "The Silver Spoon" I just love the recipes, I make them over and over again.

[Burger Toppings and Fixin's: The Topic]

I vote for bacon, jalpenoes, montery jack, mushrooms. I had a hamburger once with a fried egg on it, it was pretty good.

[Hell's Kitchen (US) Season 3]

I just saw the trailer on there website.

Lets get ready to rumble!

[Food on "The Sopranos"]

I use to love Artie in the kitchen! I love the wine glasses. They look more like "wine cups" than glasses.

I use to do a Soprano's night too. A new dish every week that I would take from the cookbook the silver spoon. I will miss those, too.

[Dinner! 2007]

Once again beautiful pictures and food! I too would love that cake recipe!

I had some plain baked chicken, rosemary carrots and rice and peas. I still haven't figured out my camera, so no pics..sorry

[The Man Who Made Gordon Ramsay Cry]

I don't know this guy, but I gather if he made Gordon Ramsey cry, then he must have one serious temper.

[Beginner's guide to good food on TV]

CKatCook, I just love your photo!!!

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Thank you!

[Food on "The Sopranos"]

I saw the Lincoln Logs too and was curious about the cream cheese. I have never heard of that. Now I am curious enough to try it.

I have seen the show since its very beginning and now that I really think about it, alot of the scenes do center around food. And good looking food at that...

[Dinner! 2007]

WOW...everyone's dinner is just beautiful! I don't have pictures I am still leaning to use my camera...I am almost embarassed to say I have a salad I bought pre-made.....hey, it least it had goat cheese...

[Corn relish]

a favorite around this house is a can of corn, black olives (chopped), parsley, red onion, tomato (chopped), and then some kind of favoring..depending on what I am eating, if a Latino dish, then it's chilli powder, cumin, salt, pepper. Or sometimes just plain vinegar.

[American palates]

I had a friend of mine come over from Germany once and she commented on how everything here in the US is sweet. I agree. I have a huge sweet tooth, always have, but I like my sweets as deserts. I don't like sweet bread (as most commerical bread seems to be here in the US) or sweet coffee. I drink it black. I think its a matter of conditioning. My husband and I don't eat processed food, we long ago gave that up and it does change your palate when you do that...in my humble opinion...