Kim Shook

Marlene - when I saw those gorgeous brioche, I thought this post was Ann's - until I saw the carrots ! (It is Ann who hates carrots, right?) You are really working the breads! And - OMG - I really, really would love for you to share the recipe for the cake - that is amazing and I love, love, love icebox cake! Kim

With our crazy family, it might just have been possible! Well, we had 'the talk' (no, not that one ) and she's decided on a Mexican theme. Beef/chicken tacos, turned on grill for DIY quesadillas, black beans, "Spanish Orzo" (she had a gastic bypass, too, and doesn't do rice either), 'Mexican' cocktails, Chile-Cornbread salad and all the attendant fixings. Thank you everyone for your help! FYI, it was down to Tapas, BBQ and Mexican at the end!

Doddie - so glad to see you blogging! I always love your posts, so I am really looking forward to this. By the way - I went out the other day and got the ingredients for your ham/crab salad and am making it for today's lunch! Kim

Ann, both of those are just beautiful. I am so grateful that you take the time to share your meals with us. Kim

Am I the only dork in the world who can't see the phrase 'carne asada' anymore without thinking of the lion trying to get the other lion to pronounce it properly in that commercial ? ← I don't know that one! ok, let's just called it grilled flank steak than! ← Go here. Then click on "See the Big Game Commercial" bottom left. Then click "See the Big Game Commercial" again on the right. Goofy. But I can't help laughing.

Fantastic ideas. Thanks everyone! Can't wait to present to the youngun tomorrow! I think I'd like all of these parties! Am I the only dork in the world who can't see the phrase 'carne asada' anymore without thinking of the lion trying to get the other lion to pronounce it properly in that commercial ?

Thanks, Randi, I will! Kim

I hate rotary graters - even really hard cheeses just seem to gather in the rotary part and gunk up the inside rather than falling out. I just use my microplane for small amounts and my husband for larger amounts .

Well, Randi, I think that I won't try this again, then, after reading your blog. Pity, it sure was a good looking cake. What I may try to do is to make a lemon pound cake loaf and then do the simple syrup and glaze treatment. That part was good. It was the cake that was 'meh'. Really amazing that we cooked exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. I didn't even get the recipe from her book, but got it off the tv awhile ago and just noticed it in my 'to try' file and thought I'd give it a go. I really liked your blog! I just love reading stuff like that. Kim

Pam - probably an early dinner The bbq idea is a good one - so is the antipasti. I will pitch both ideas to her tomorrow.

Well, then, I think that I will make the effort to go get some full fat yogurt and try it again. Because it was so easy and pretty!

I had a really disappointing experience last night. I made this cake by Ina Garten. It has received rave reviews on the Food TV website and other websites I've been to. The cake is beautiful: But I really didn't care for the taste or the texture. The lemon taste is very pronounced, but there doesn't seem to be much other flavor. And the cake is a little heavy with an almost chewy texture. Here's a shot of a slice: The only change that I made in the recipe was to use fat free yogurt (the store didn't have full fat and I didn't feel like going to the Mediterranean Deli). Has anyone made this cake? Or, looking at the recipe, does it seem like it should be better than it was? I was wondering about the oil as the only fat in the recipe. Thanks, Kim

I need some help. Daughter is graduating from college in May. She had originally said Indian food, but has changed her mind. We finally got together regarding the guest list and it was much larger than either of us anticipated! It will probably be about 70 people. So I am looking for something to feed that many people that will not be terribly expensive, fairly festive, not overwhelmingly 'fancy' and not 'fiddly' (I will be about 6 weeks away from carpal tunnel surgery on my hand - I had the other hand done in January). I do want to cook it myself – not cater, if possible. Daughter didn’t have any ideas the last time we talked and we are getting together tomorrow to exchange ideas. So I need some ideas to throw at her. Hope you can give me some help! Ta, everyone! Kim

Oh, God! We don't have any little girl relatives/friends/neighbors anymore. I'll have to start driving by the grocery stores to check for the sales. Samoas, Thin Mints and Tagalongs. Did I mention Samoas?

I do this all the time. I never, ever eat cereal in the morning. That would require me actually putting milk in my "morning mouth" <gag>! But I love cold cereal, so it makes a great bedtime snack.

Honestly, I am a little tired of this topic. And I think that it's interesting that on a thread about manners some of us (on both sides of the issue) are showing so few of them. Reading many of these posts I keep wondering if the people who defend the OP's right to not eat anything and feel ok about that would have felt the same if this situation had taken place in another country. In other words: if MargyB had been an American and her in laws had been Thai - would you have all said that she wasn't being rude to refuse to eat? Sometimes I think that "culture" has to be foreign in order to be legitimate. Different groups/generations/religions in America have 'cultures', too - and I think that, as long as doing so doesn't violate truly important values, we can be as respectful of those 'cultures' as we would in other countries.

Ann - beautiful, beautiful hamburger buns ! Marlene - your Potatoes Dauphonaise look exactly like I always want mine to do, except they never seem to. I also always have trouble with my potatoes getting cooked enough. I have given up making them for company because there is always some embarrassing delay while I futz around with the microwave . Shaya - I had never heard of Sambousak before so I had to google it. MMMM. They are beautiful! Actually, every single thing in your post is something that I wanted to immediately sit down and tuck into. But that Tangerine Peel Beef is something else !!! Do you have an actual recipe that you have worked out? I don't think I could decipher one myself from the thread. Tonight was lazy night. I am still recovering from my re-injuring of my hand and Mr. Kim is sick. So I re-ran last night's salad: And fixed up a store-bought pizza with some Philly deli pepperoni someone sent us , red onion and olives (yep, plain old California black olives - I love them - (no shame)): Dessert was some more of The Blissful Glutton's Peach-Cherry Crisp: Edited to add: Notice the old school McCormick's red pepper flakes bottle in the pizza photo? I think that I have been refilling that bottle since we got married (25 years ago this month!).

Yay! I just picked this up at the library. Can't wait to dive in!

Truth be told, is anyone else thinking about trying this? ← OK, I admit I was intrigued when I read that.

Irrelevant, your honor. The guest had already accepted the invition. Further, expecting to negotiate the place at which your host choses to dine with you is presumptive in the extreme. It is a social occasion, not a business deal. I'm always curious because I'm as much a food snob as anyone, yet I get by without rude comments and name calling. The occasional "ewwww" but you, know that's going to happen if you order tripe. Perhaps going along brings about a little getting along, as the saying goes. And the making an issue of the whole "I will not have *anyone* dictate my behaviour concerning food" thing when the "anyone" in question is an elderly relative who asks little more than that you join her in lunching seems a little...I don't know... I agree with you 90% and have even entertained non-drinking vegetarians in my own home (HAH -- a joke of course, she drinks like a fish). Forcing something which someone doesn't consume "on principle" is unacceptable. But, if you eat fish, for example, they are allowed to try to get you to try a new and ickier version of fish -- like for a moment or two. But... The original poster accepted a invitation to lunch. "Foisting" did not occur. It was a voluntary decision and once entered into certain obligations follow, like being polite.Let me be clear. It's not a federal case. On the scale of rudeness it's less than elbowing an old lady out of the way so you can grab a taxi on a rainy afternoon, but more than picking your teeth at the table. (Actually, I think we should all draw electronic straws and everyone write to a different advice columnist and see what they say. ) ← I had a whole reply thought out and then I got to this post. All I need to say now is: WORD.

Thank you so much for the additional info Megan and tupac! I think that I will be making adjustments in my list until the day before we leave. Not sure yet how much time we'll really have in the city. Definiately all day the 20th, maybe a couple hours on the 21st before we leave and possibly some time on the 19th depending on what time our out of town friends arrive for the memorial service that night. We'll try to fit in everything that we can! Tupac - don't worry about giving me too much info - I need all I can get. Thanks so for mentioning DiPaulo's in Little Italy. My daughter had mentioned it after her last trip to NY and I had completely forgotten it. I am very glad that I got my crocs for Xmas! I am going to be doing a lot 'o walking!

That was hilarious! I just cracked up at the first sight of the finished sandwich.

Best. family. motto. ever. I am so stealing this.

Love it. Smelling, eating - all of it. Try to find some of the corn on the cob variety - the smell is heavenly. Nothing is more drool inducing than the smell of popcorn in a microwave and nothing is worse or more pervasive than when it burns!!

Klary, that salad looks fantastic. And the croutons are gorgeous - are they deep fried, shallow fried or baked? Kim