Kim Shook

Yay! I am so glad to see so many people here that find teaching manners to children to be important! I have seen on so many other sites discussions about manners where people decided that it was snobby or something to adhere to 'someone elses rules'. But, of course, these same people were the first to criticize their fellow Americans for not observing other cultures 'rules' when outside of the US. I have never understood that. Why is etiquette important only when it is 'foreign'?? I don't think that teaching manners is an either/or thing. I have a 22 year old daughter who has beautiful manners (encompassing all that implies) and is tolerant and kind and thoughtful. I can't imagine teaching/modeling one without the other. It's kind of like the old works/faith argument. I believe one is incomplete without the other.

Well, with your imput (thanks, again!) and daughter's final word here's the menu: Apple Cider-Glazed Pork Tenderloin on Buttermilk Chive Biscuits Iconoclastic Deconstructed Spring Rolls Liptauer Cheese Spread w/ pumpernickel cocktail bread Red pepper jelly cheesecake w/ crackers Roasted mini potatoes w/ béarnaise Crudités - Radishes, carrots, bell peppers. fennel, belgian endive, snow peas Bleu cheese & caramelized shallot dip Caesar dip Asian Style Dip Skewered Fruit Spiced pecans Orange Marmalade Cake The invitations go out today. Wish y'all could come. The food won't really be appreciated (except by daughter and Mr. Kim) and will elicit 'so fancy' comments . This is really another topic, but everyone wonders why I 'bother' to go to so much trouble. I try to explain that its my hobby and I enjoy the effort, just like they do golfing or gardening or sewing, but they really don't see the point. sigh. Thank you so much, everyone!

Katie, you may have to get really specific with people. Say "don't you have grandma's recipe for ___? I would love it if you would send that for the cookbook." Also, when possible - especially with the older folks - hands on works better than letters. On a visit a while ago, I sat down with my grandmother and went through her recipes, including ones she had from my great grandmother (her mother in law), a ledgendary Southern cook - even as a tiny little girl I can remember eating things at her house that I wouldn't eat anywhere else. I know that my grandmother would have NEVER gotten around to copying all those recipes and mailing them to me, but I was able to talk to her and make my own copies.

Thank you all. I am going to take your advice and add crudites and dip and maybe some skewered fruit, too. Daughter 86'd the Hoisin Chicken Wontons ( - that's my favorite), but loves the idea of everything else.

To chime in again, I agree that the binder w/ the plastic protector sleeves are a good idea - like someone else said, you can add to it in years to come. This would be a wonderful way to welcome new members to the family - by adding their special recipes to the cookbook and sending copies to everyone. Lots of people do scrapbooks like this and they can be really pretty. This is what I do with my recipes - the ones from my webpage? I print each one out as I add it and put it in a binder in a plastic sleeve. I used the kind of binder that has a clear plastic sleeve in the front and made covers and spine labels with cool food clip art that I found online.

I emailed that kid about his pan - haven't heard back yet. I really want one of those pans ! Thanks for the link!

Katie - this is a great idea and I love everyone's suggestions. Good luck with this - I tried to do the same thing for my sister-in-law (Mr. Kim's sister) when she got married. No luck at all. I begged and nagged to no avail. Discovered years later that most of my in laws 'famous' recipes were in fact 'back of the box' type things and they were embarassed to admit it !

My daughter is turning 22 later this month. We have been to a few utter crap 'heavy hors deourve' type parties and my daughter is requesting a 'show 'em how its done' party for her birthday. I wanted to get some imput on my menu in progress: Apple Cider-Glazed Pork Tenderloin on Buttermilk Chive Biscuits Hoisin Chix Wontons w/ Wasabi Slaw Liptauer Cheese Spread w/ pumpernickel cocktail bread Goat cheese w/ honey & crostini Red pepper jelly cheesecake w/ crackers Roasted mini potatoes w/ béarnaise (thanks, azureus!) some kind of citrusy cake Too many cheesy things? What am I missing? Which should I toss? Something green? I do want finger food, if possible. Thanks!

I had such good luck with asking for advice from egulleteers for Chewy Peanut butter cookies and Chew Chocolate Chip cookies before Christmas, that I thought I'd ask again. I am wild about chewy brownies (I am seeing a pattern here). So much so that I have considered cooking them in tube pans so that I have nothing but edge pieces ! Anyway, I looked at the brownie threadand I am giving browniebakers recipe a try. They sound like what I want. Here's my question. I heard on another board that the larger the pan, the chewier the brownies. So, if instead of using a 8x8 pan, I use a 9x9 pan (or larger), I will get super chewy brownies. Does this make sense to the bakers here?? Thanks!

After all of this angst, wouldn't you know the little sucker just peeled right off with no residue whatsoever! Not a wasted endavor, though. I will use y'all's hints to get the gunk off the original piece !

OK, the trashy menu is all set. As predicted, the Knorr Spinach dip and Crab Meltaways will make an appearance. I forgot about the meatballs (in the obligatory bbq sauce and apricot preserves), artichoke dip and the pigs in a blanket that I was specifically requested to make. I spent the afternoon rolling up a gazillion of those little cocktail weinies - I did use puff pastry instead of whomp biscuits - do I get any credit for that?? My additions will be raw veg (to soak up some grease) and this really good yogurt cheese dip I make with labne, herbs, olives and cukes. Probably won't be touched . I am sounding snooty, but I will actually enjoy that trashy stuff, too. Happy New Year, everyone!

I just put that baking stone on my wishlist for NEXT year !

I have two different systems depending on if I have made the recipe or not. The first thing I do when I get a magazine or cookbook is to make a list of all the recipes that I might want to try and tape or staple it inside the front cover (recipes that I have torn out of magazines or printed from the web go in file folders divided by type of food in a file drawer). With recipes that I have actually tried and want to keep, I put on my webpage here: Kim's Cookbook It's a good site and very easy to use. I print out each recipe and keep it in binders so that I don't have to print it out everytime I want to cook it. I also keep things like my Christmas menus, shopping lists for Christmas foods, general canning information, etc. there. I really like that I can give people who ask for recipes the link and its there for them. I also like the feeling that I am keeping a record of my tried and true recipes for my daughter and any future generations - I know that I love having recipes from my older relatives - especially the ones who have passed.

Let us know if you like the wonder cup. My dad and I both got them in the past and decided that they were more trouble than they were worth.

We have finally, after having a big freezer (as well as the one in the fridge) and a computer for many years, realized that we can 'combine' the two. We did a freezer inventory and put everything on a spread sheet. Now, when we go shopping or take stuff out of either freezer we either add or subtract from the list. It's not perfect, because we sometimes forget, but it is a LOT better.

I am talking about the paper label that is pasted on the side of the pan (the outside). The first pot we got, we assumed that it was supposed to come off. So we peeled most of it off, scrubbed off what we could, scraped off some more...you get the idea. Years later there is still a smeary, sticky place where the label was. I just got a new pot for Christmas and I am wondering - is this supposed to come off or not??? It looks like it should come off - its not even completely pasted down - the edge is coming up! Help, please!!

I just made a huge, huge haul ! Everyone was very generous and I didn't get any clunkers at all!!! 9 qt. Lodge cast iron dutch oven 2.75 qt. le creuset pot Best Food Writing 2001, 2002 & 2003 Mark Bittman's 'The Best Recipes in the World' A hand mixer (my old one heats up when I mix egg whites!) heavy gauge set of graduated biscuit cutters stacking cooling racks Marion Cunningham's 'Lost Recipes' 'The Silver Spoon' cookbook A 14"x 20" Henkels cutting/carving board A 4 cup Oxo side/above view measuring cup Sur la Table gift certificate 1/2 dozen plain white waffle weave 100% cotton side towels and the coolest of all: A laser thermometer like this: laser themometer I just love this thing!!! I made a batch of peanut brittle yesterday and used it instead of a candy thermometer and it worked wonderfully. We measured the temperature of everything in the house, including body parts !

I adore that cranberry thing. In the South, we call them 'congealed salads' - I love that dowdy name, too! I like the sweet ones and shrimp mold, but not vegetable ones. And tomato aspic (people sometimes act like this is different from a congealed salad and better, somehow) gives me the shivers!

Years ago, I used to make a recipe from the back of the Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild rice package for a Chicken casserole that we loved. I hadn't made it for at least 10 years and just recently tried it again. I guess our tastes have changed, because we found it really dull and bland!

Thanks for all the advice. I took it and did a little judicious stirring and it didn't burn ! Still tastes like crap to me, though ! I have to tell you that chefette emailed me a recipe and a wonderful set of directions for similar fudge that actually tastes good and I made that today. It is just amazingly good fudge. Rich, complex, creamy. Mr. Kim, who likes his family's fudge LOVED this - and so did I! We'll see what the rest of the family says, but I know this is good stuff (and I am not even a dark chocolate fan). I keep likening it to good wine when you are not a wine connoisseur - you KNOW that you are drinking something different and special, even if you can't articulate what exactly it is. Does that make any sense at all? Anyway, here is chefette's recipe (in my words): Chefette's Fudge

We have done various things throughout the years - going out, having a party, etc. But I've never been able to have a great time with all of the build up and expectations, so we toned it down a few years ago. Our daughter was young and another couple who are close friends had little ones and with the dearth of babysitters on NYE, we just decided to have a quiet evening at home. We go to their house relax, play cards, watch the ball,maybe shoot off some fireworks and have a good old white trash pig out (not sure that the other couple realizes that its a white trash pig out ). The menu always includes: crab meltaways, Bisquick sausage balls, Knorr spinach dip, Velveeta/Salsa/Sausage dip and leftover Christmas sweets. I usually try to make a few interesting things (potstickers one year, a huge antipasto another year), but they don't usually get much attention . This year the added sparkle will be me and Mr. Kim freaking out because our 22 year old daughter has decided to drive to NYC (we live in Richmond, VA) with a friend for NYE in Times Square ! Don't know how relaxed this year will be with us on the cell phones every 3 minutes ! Happy New Year, everyone!

Made a goose with a friend as a cooking project a couple of years ago with Julia's recipe. We were all underwhelmed by the flavor, but agreed that it was worth the trouble of roasting a goose just to get that incredible rendered fat to roast the potatoes in. They were the BEST roasted potatoes that I have ever eaten. As a sideline, we also made a wonderful red cabbage dish that I have made time and time again. Here's the recipe for that, if anyone is interested: Red Cabbage Braised with Vinegar and Bacon

Word.

K8memphis, the rock candy fudge actually sounds like what these crazy people like theirs ! I actually make a delicious fudge. Creamy, moist and firm. It isn't hard to make, either! It is an old recipe that my great aunt made forever. Foolproof! But its not the kind that my in laws like .

I am trying to make the world's most irritating fudge. It is the traditional fudge of Mr. Kim's family (why am I making this???). It is not my kind of fudge at all. It calls for lousy chocolate (Baker's), it is gritty, bitter and when considered perfect by them, very dry (to get it dry enough, I actually have to cut it and let it sit out, covered with wax paper for 3 or 4 days). So I hate this stuff, but am trying to make some folks happy for Christmas and I am making it (it is such a PITA that no one in the family has made it for years and when I surprised them with it last year, they were thrilled). Anyway, here is the question. The recipe calls for mixing the chocolate, evaporated milk and sugar in a saucepan, bringing to a boil (I do this on medium heat), stirring. Covering with a lid for a couple of minutes and then uncovering, boiling to soft ball stage - WITHOUT STIRRING. This part obviously takes a few minutes. Lots of recipes call for this. My question is: How do I prevent it from scorching while it is hot enough to boil for that amount of time without stirring??? I am using a good, heavy saucepan. But at the end of the cooking time, when I stir in the butter and vanilla, it is always scorched on the bottom. Is this normal? Here is the recipe, if you want to see it: Kenny's Fudge Thank you for your help!!