[Flavor marriage game.]

brown sugar is great on oatmeal

oatmeal

[PMS: Tell it Like It Is. Your cravings, Babe (Part 2)]

oh boy- love this topic... Anything high fat- pizza, chinese food, chips all washed down with wine!! We live on an island and the only chinese food is on the mainland- That time of month, we pay to have the food flown over- takes a little more time than regular take out- but does the trick!

[Paying for the Wedding]

This is a new one for me- You seem to have already made generous contributions. Times they are a-changing though- just yesterday a friend told me about accepting an invite to a large Thanksgiving dinner party and being charged $200 a head by the hosts. It must have been some Turkey- Maybe cooked by Marcel from Top Chef???

[Best Teaching Cookbook]

Welcome MP,

My first cookbook was the Betty Crocker binder-style one. Still has some good info. These days I like the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (ISBN 193361501X). Will be given out during the holidays. ATK produces the Cook's Illustrated magazine; very, very helpful pub.

Some authors to checkout:

Mario Batali - Ingredients lists aren't overly complex, so you can hone specific skills like braising, and basic tomato and/or cream sauces. I like M's cooking philosophy.

Anthony Bourdain - especially the Les Halles Cookbook - Another stripped down "it's all about the food" type book; recipes are usually just a few steps so again, you can focus on technique.

Julia Child - Read everything! Very good for technique.

I love the ATK Family Cookbook- bought it for my daughter who is just starting out and she uses it daily.  Also love the Best Recipe Series from ATK. Very helpful and includes the science as well as the recipes.

John-Georges Vongerichten - Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef - Recipes were just a bit challenging (and I'm schooled). But, after a while I fell in step with the way he constructs the tastes and tones of his food.

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[Bravo's Top Chef Season 2]

I watched the show for the first time today.. Thanksgiving.. I know why I have been seeing this topic discussed so much..  Show seems like fun.  The cooking was disappointing..  Are the contestants chefs in real life?  Or is it a mix of cooks and people who they thought would melt down on camera.. Is that Miss Rushdie?

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I just watched the thanksgiving show for the first time last night- the cooking seems to be a notch below last season- but the personalities are getting interesting. Anthony Bourdain rocks- Loved him as a judge. I don't understand why, if Marcel was the only one who attempted to pay attention to the assignment(cutting edge etc.) that they gave the win to the elia's mushroom soup- was it the only edible course?