eldereno

I wondered that same thing!!!!!!!

I recently made sangria as the primary beverage at a summer party/birthday party. There were about 20 people there. Some tried the sangria but drank other things (mostly beer). I made a white sangria with pear brandy and assorted fruit and a red sangria with Southern Comfort and assorted fruits. The white I made with 2 bottles of a Spanish white table wine and the red with 5 bottles of a Rioja. Had lots left over. A few days later, I strained out the fruit and enjoyed the leftover sangrias with dinner over the next week or so. No one but me had more than two or three servings at the party. Folks here are just not as into it as I am!!!!!

Bella S. F. Once you get to the page, click on "salad" and it is the one on the bottom. "Watermellon, Lime, Red Onion, and Avocado Salad with Cilantro"

My SIL has had one since I've known her (19 years). She uses it regularly to do sausage gravy at large family breakfasts. She recently got a new one as a present from her husband and I got her old one. I don't usually do sausage gravy but do find it useful for the few times I've made my husband pancakes (something I know he wished I did more often). Once you find the temp you want....works great!

Made this for 20 people on July 5th morning. Had some positive feedback. Side salad was mesclun greens, orange segments, pickled red onion slices, strawberry slices, crumbled mild blue cheese, sugared, spiced pecans and a vinegrette of dijon mustard, OJ, white wine vinegar, S&P, and EVOO. Made me happy.

A terrific salad (click on salads and then look for the watermelon, lime, red onion, and avocado with cilantro one) was tasted at my friend's 4th of July party. Wow! Dianne is a wonderful cook and a great pastry chef....but this salad was out of this world. So looking forward to making it for my family and friends. Couldn't believe where she got the recipe! Donna

Thanks, JTravel, for making me aware of checking out the webpage. Though it is on the card, I would not have thought about going there, registering, and seeing how much it has to offer. Incredible! Donna

A new Wegman's has opened not far from my work. I have taken a brief walk around and it looks fabulous (20 different kinds of fresh mushrooms, including morels and truffles, many different cured hams, the cheese dept. looks great, lots of interesting things in the produce dept. that I cannot usually find elsewhere, and the bread looks terrific). Those who have experience with such a "grocery store" please give me all of the inside information and tips that I need to take as much advantage as I can!!!!!

I agree, Teagal, I like the options of creating a different look with runners or layering table cloths.

Table cloths on the table in my dining room. I have a very old dining room table but very large....which is needed in that space. The wood is getting kind of soft so I want to protect it some. I like how I can change the look of the room by changing the cloths. We have not been eating there a lot these days, though, so I have my most common cloths on that plays well with my kitchen colors. Not able to afford to buy more....but have accrued a nice collection to be able to change things up a bit for holidays and special occasions. I have a covered pavillion sort of struture in my backyard that has 3 very old and different tables set on it (some wood and some plastic). We eat and entertain more there in the good weather. I have good old thick white restaurant style table cloths to use out there, though they are not as pure white as when I bought them (after outside use and abuse). I like the uniform look they give to the space when they are used. Edited to correct grammar

I was commenting on The Secrets of a Restaurant Chef series on the FoodNetwork thread when I realized that what I was commenting on WAS one of the recipes this year that truly rocked my tastebuds!!!!! It was the meatballs by Anne Burrell. They were really good the first time around with her marinara on pasta. BUT, when I defrosted some, heated in the oven and then mixed with the marinara, placed on a toasted club roll with more marinara and fresh mozzarella, broiled to melt the cheese, spinkled with some shredded Parm and chopped fresh basil and italian leaf parsley......well....truly sublime! I will admit to subbing ground chicken for the veal (the store just did not have ground veal that day) but STILL.............

I've been recording all of her shows but have not attempted to make all of the recipes yet. I HAVE made her marinara and meatballs however. The marinara was okay but the meatballs were spectacular.....so light and so tasty (water being the key ingredient?)! They were really good with pasta and the marinara BUT when I defrosted some the other night and made meatball sandwiches (on Club Rolls) with some of the marinara, fresh mozzarella and some chopped fresh basil and italian leaf parsly sprinkled on top........well, I can only say "PURE BLISS." I am anxious to try some of her other creations. The show is so different from many of the other cooking shows on the FoodNetwork, I'm always looking forward to what I will learn from her!

A Bloody Caesar is never made in my house without the use of Old Bay!!!!

Another year, another SB!!!! Some of my menu is the same as last year, i.e. the fried wings with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing on the side, crudites. My SIL is making sweet potato fries and bringing something sweet. I have decided to make chili from venison, 2 kinds...one mild and one with HEAT. I've gotten a great "Chili Primer", of sorts, from a fellow egulleteer, Recoil Rob, and plan to use that as a start off point. There will be all the usual garnishes.....shredded cheese, onions, jalapenos, sour cream, avocado, etc. Probably some corn bread, corn chips, and tortillas. BEER!!! Enjoy, everyone! Go Steelers!

Most recipes for the loin suggest preparing it as you said. That's what I'll plan on. Your chili sounds great. I ordered some black beans from Rancho Gordo and plan to use those. I'm usually pretty good at making alterations and/or "winging it" once I have followed a recipe and know how I'd like to change it up. Not so good or confident about making it up as I go. Will probably use your great suggestions, ideas from recipes that I have found, and my own taste to, hopefully, put together a tasty treat. I thought I would start it on Friday night or Saturday morning, refridgerate it and serve Sunday (for Super Bowl) with appropriate garnishes to accompany it. Any help regarding amounts of the ingredients would be very welcomed!!!!!!! Thanks!

OK....I have been given a bunch of venison, some loin roasts and other roasts (not sure of the kind). Have found some recipes for loin medalions and wild mushrooms, which sound good. However, I would like to make a great chili with cut up or ground venison. I haven't found a specific thread on venison chili so thought I could post my question here. Any recipes for a really delicious chili made with venison????? The Super Bowl is coming up, you know!!!!

Looks beautiful, Chris. I've only made cassolet once so have not had yet the experience of experimenting. Seems like the changes you have made were successful. Good job!

Forgot to add the 1/2 spiral cooked ham and 6 bottles of wine from my boss. And, for my birthday (coming up), an electric turkey fryer/steamer that I opened early to steam the crab legs for Christmas Eve dinner. It held a lot of legs and did a good job (in between tripping the breaker). Oh...Oh.....Oh, and a collection of different kind of finishing salts! (edited because I thought of more)

I got an electric mandoline that my SIL saw on QVC. Have not yet taken it out of the box or used it. Anyone have any experience with one like it or advice? Also a rechargable battery operated wine bottle opener. My husband liked using it. I have not tried it yet.

Too bad you don't live closer to Virginia. I have both Tarbais beans and RG flageolets in my pantry. Do you have any friends nearby that you might stop by on with a borrowing container in hand?

Did the Les Halles recipe for cassoulet for New Year's Eve. A great success. Added some extra sausage, 2 more duck confit legs, otherwise followed the recipe pretty much exactly. Had only 4 1/2 cups of Tarbais beans so supplemented the additional 1/2 cup with Great Northern beans. Check out the difference in size, presoak. From the cassoulet I made a couple of years ago. The great northerns held up okay.....tasted good!

Donna - It is salty - we never need salt on our eggs when I serve them with Benton's . I don't think that it would hurt a bit to blanch it. You do that with country ham and the bacon is very close to that in flavor, I think. Try it with one or two pieces and then see what you think. We gave it to our dads for Father's day and they both thought that it was too salty and Mr. Kim's dad said that they prefer supermarket bacon ... ... I can see finding it too salty - but can you imagine preferring the taste (or lack thereof ) of supermarket bacon now that you've tasted Benton's? We don't even buy Neuske's anymore, which we used to love. ← I finally got around to making a second pound of Benton's Bacon yesterday and blanched half of it prior to cooking. It was a short blanch...actually I placed the sliced in cold water and just brought it to boiling and removed the slices to cook. It did remove some of the saltiness and the smokiness was still evident (though maybe taken down a notch)!!!!! When eating the bacon as a side with eggs and toast, I will do this. BUT, when using it to make BLT's or adding to a salad with tomatoes or an acidic dressing, I will keep it as originally made. You are right about not being interested much in supermarket bacon now!

Since I last posted here, I have gotten atleast 15 new cookbooks......3 of them signed by the authors (thanks to a wonderful friend in Boston who goes to book signings).

Kim, After all of your great photos and the recommendations of many here, I have purchased and received my first order of Benton's Bacon. Yesterday I made bacon, fried eggs, toast and sliced grape tomatoes for my MIL, brother and myself AND a BLT for my husband (the only way he appreciates bacon....can you believe it?????). The bacon was very thick and smokey but I found it a bit salty. It was greatly enjoyed but there are situations that I would appreciate less saltiness. Do you think that it may have been just that batch? Would blanching it first remove some of that saltiness?? Thanks, Donna

A friend of mine, who has little storage space, swears by an old pillow case (well washed, ofcourse) that she places the washed greens in, takes it outside, and swings over her head in a circular motion!