IowaDee

Another offspring of terrible cooks here. However they made sure I could have a martini mixed and chilling in the refrigerator for them. Four to one with an olive please. Gently stirred of course, musn't bruise that damn gin. Too bad they didn't have a Girl Scout badge in bar tending.

I have enjoyed reading your blog so much. Like others here, I am inspired to give pierogis a try soon. Now if I could just claim to live in the Long Beach of Iowa! Nope, not a palm tree in sight. And even squinting won't turn snow into sand.

Wish I could "read" your refrigerator. Bet there are some good stories stuck on it. Other than an attack of homesickness, I'm so enjoying your blog. I grew up in the Mar Vista- Venice area. My folks both worked at McDonald Douglas in Long Beach. Hubby and I were back there on a trip and stayed on the Queen Mary. What fun. And your aquarium is world class!

I recently bought the new Sunset Cookbook. I'm anxious to see what you think of it. I would give up all my magazines before parting with my monthly issue of Sunset!

I just finished Appetite for America-how visionary businessman Fred Harvey built a railroad hospitality empire that civilized the Wild West. Loved this book. Basically it is the story of how Harvey built his business from a single lunch counter to an empire The research and attention to details are amazing. The author has even included recipes served in the Harvey House restaurants. The author is Stephen Fried and the book is well worth reading.

I loved Kelbos. I worked near-by and went there for lunch. Later, it was a special destination for my husband and me. The layout of the tables made you think you were the only patrons there. Remember that cool screen in the entry way. Lots of disks embedded with everything under the sun. I recently bought a box of tiny paper umbrellas at a yard sale with plans to hold a Kelbos party next summer. Another find was a old copy of Trader Vic's cookbook. Come on Spring!

Licking spoons is so ingrained in me that I fully expect to lick one that I've used to dole out dog or cat food. I really need to stop, look and sniff before licking!

Before moving to Iowa, I worried a lot about the cold winters. In a letter my mother-in-law mentioned growing mangoes in her garden. Well this California girl was no longer worried in the least about Iowa winters. How bad could it be if they could grow mangoes? Visions of avocado, mango and papaya trees danced in my head. What a rude awakening awaited me. I have seen mango pepper seeds listed in catalogs and it still makes me angry!

Cranberry sauce, both whole berry and jellied. Never could make it as good as the canned stuff

My father-in-law grew many acres of field corn. He discovered that he could plant a small plot of sweet corn in the middle of some field corn. It was a way to foil the raccoons. One year I planted Indian corn next to sweet corn. Had a lot of cross pollination and ended up with amazing looking sweet corn.

Probably way off base here but I thought maybe he was wanting to know what actual sweet corn was. Most of the corn crop is field corn which becomes animal feed and corn products. This type is often called dent corn. Sweet corn is what we eat right off the cob .........in Iowa, Roasting Ears. Pass the butter please.

A question of the usage of walnut as a material for cutting boards. Last year we hauled a walnut log to a local Amish sawmill and asked the owner to saw it into boards. He was willing to but not so happy about it. He told us that he used the sawdust from the sawmill as bedding for his horses. Sawdust from walnut wood would make the horses sick and was never used. He didn't supply any details. Before sawing our log, he swept an area clean so our "bad" sawdust could be isolated and disposed of. That makes me wonder what the sawdust has that would harm horses. I assume that the finished cutting boards no longer contain any of that mysterous substance.

As a young kid in So. Cal, I can remember my parents going through some lean times. They had a couple of friends who were skin divers. Many weekends they would drop off abalones for us. I can still "hear" the steaks being pounded into tenderness. As a kid, my favorite part of the whole deal was the beautiful abalone shells ringing the edges of our patio. I would love to be able to sit down to a meal of abalone now!

Going on a field trip to the Helms Bakery was part of my elementry school experience. The place was located in Culver City and was huge. After the tour, we were all given a mini loaf of bread and a little cardboard Helms truck filled with tiny chocolate chip cookies. I probably had all the cookies eaten before getting back on the school bus!

Another Iowan chiming in. There is a wonderful place in Des Moines called Gateway Market. Along with outstanding meat and seafood, the cheese and wine departments are great. The produce and bakery items are fresh and mouthwatering. We drive over 100 miles just to stock up on goodies. Remember there are no Whole Food or Trader Jo's in the state so Gateway Market really fills a void. There is also a fantastic cafe in the market. We gave our daughter a gc for her birthday and she was thrilled. Rick Bayless was there last year for a cooking demo but we had to miss it. Anyway, this might be another idea for your friend. Here's thee website for more info. www.gatewaymarket.com

I grew up in Los Angeles and never thought about the taste of the water. Tonight on Countdown, Keith Olberman said that the reason the water tasted so good was because it had bacon bits in it. Oh my I don't want to know any more....

Mr. Baggins is welcome to visit Iowa, the heart of the Midwest! He'd be a welcome change from the blandishments and constant phone calls from presidential candidates and accompanying minions! He could come in handy as headcover during a streak through a despised candidate's latest rally!

Hee is a link with lots of inifo on Mazatlan. You may have to dig for what you want but the forum moves pretty slowly. There are also photos, videos and info about most of the hotels and, better yet, the restaurants. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1507...ific_Coast.html

I doubt if you will experience any safety issues while driving. I was thinking of the hazards of dealing with people on bikes after dark, kids darting into traffic almost like it was a sport and trying to find paking places. Also any time someone wants to grab a bus they just wave at it. No need for bus stops, the driver will veer across a lane of traffic to get to the curb. Another thought, Mexico still operates according to the Napolenic Code, quilty until proven innocent! Drive with care. Back to food! You didn't mention where you are staying but if you have a kitchen, don't miss the chance to buy and cook some fresh shrimp. Mazatlan is the shrimp capital of Mexico. If you like avocados, you can get a cheap fix too. It is great fun just to cruise the aisles of a big market. And of course Central Market is a whole other thing. My least favorite meals have been Asian ones. Somehow the two cultures seem to clash at the table! Had some strange Italian/Mexican hybred meals as well.

I've been going to Mazatlan for more than 20 years and in all that time, have met only a handful of people going all inclusive. There are just too many good places to eat to spend all your time at one restauarant. You may want to park your car and use the cheap local buses. Traffic there can be horrible. Don't miss a trip to Panama for breakfast or lunch. The menu is boggling and everything is good. Save room for the dessert cart choices that an adorable girl will roll past your table several time! Plan on an afternoon at the Plaza Machado in the old part of town. Enjoy a beer at Cafe Pacifico, the oldest bar in Mazatlan. While you are there, enjoy some of the most authentic local food at El Tunnel. After lunch park on a bench and enjoy some wonderful people watching. And don't miss a tour of the Angelea Perlita Theater across from El Tunnel. An amazing place to see. Another treat is to go north as far as you can, all the way to Cerritos. You will stumble on a couple of very native restaurants with great seafood. Raw oysters harvested perhaps within the hour, washed down by great Mexican beer. If a larger meal is what your looking for, make a left turn right before you get to the shacks. There a sign that says Ginger's horses. Take that road to the end and you will find an amazing restaurent at Playa Bruja. I never get tried of the garlic shrimp but other's in the family love the coconut shrimp or the shrimp and lobster combo. If you're getting "beered out" this place has a full selection of the hard stuff. This would be a good place to discover the joys of tequilla! The Papagayo restaurant at The Inn has a nice menu. The breatfast buffet is very good. I love sitting outside and watching the ocean. Oh well, I could go on and on but I'll just say you are in for a treat. If you check out the Mazatlan Newspaper, The Pacific Pearl's website, there are a lot of restautrants listed. We have rarely had what I would call a really poor meal there. Enjoy your trip and take lots of pictures to share.

Tacos al pastor, one of the world's most perfect foods! Wonderful photos..

. And don't get me started on restaurants that have a tip jar on the counter for carry-out orders. I'm walking in, picking up a sack of food, and carrying it out to go home and eat it -- why am I expected to tip for being handed a bag? Sorry, but you're wrong not to tip on to-go orders..how do you think your food got into that carryout container and bag? My hubby bartended at a local Mexican restaurant, and it was usually him who took the phone-in orders, and got them ready to go... that took time away from bartending,serving all the folks sitting at the bar and getting drinks ready for the servers. Someone still has to cook your food and get it to you, does it really matter that much that you're not sitting in the restaurant? You should always tip at 10%, IMHO.

Soft serve vanilla ice cream with Saltines... you scoop up the ice cream with the Saltines, so you can get a bit of ice cream on your fingers as well. Crispy, salty, smooth, sweet, cold... I love it, my husband gags everytime he sees me do it. Repulsive is in the tongue of the beholder.

This is the untimate food porn for me! "Wow" can't begin to cover it! Please excuse any typos, drool is seeping into the keyboard...