Pierogi

WHAT local butcher shop? *grumble grumble grumble*

YES ! YES YES YES !!!

My overwhelming take on these things is that they are just gaggingly sweet. But I am NOT a soda/pop person. We never had it around when I was growing up, and I'll take water or iced tea any day over any kind of soft drink. Even the non-diet stuff leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and does nothing for my thirst. Diet sodas are even worse, I've never tasted one I could drink. Like some of the other posters, I'll stick with coffee or chocolate for my caffeine rushes, with the occasional (very occasional) Pepsi.

Yes....yes, oh yes. Never mind a perfectly made Reuben, or any ilk of Po' Boy for that matter, which are surely works of art, but see the thread on simple sandwiches here "clickity" for the absolute ambrosial offerings of a perfecty made avocado/bacon on sourdough sandwich. And of course, the muffaleta. Both of them worthy of the term "mind-blowingly good". Last meal worthy.

Ohhhhhhhhhh, how I wish I had a digital camera !! Maybe for my birthday..... Anyway, dinner tonight was so good, even without pics I had to jump in and contribute my first to this thread. It was hotter than the hinges of Hell here today, so when I got home, and the house was like an oven after being closed up all day, the last thing I wanted to do was turn on the oven or the stove burners. Salad sounded like the way to go. So, chopped romaine, chopped orange bell pepper, sliced radishes, chopped sweet onion, cubed extra-sharp cheddar, some about-to-go-South cauliflower trimmed of icky parts and broken into very small flowerets, a small can of drained, oil-pack tuna and some croutons (packaged, sadly, but still decent). All tossed with Ina Garten's basil-Green Goddess dressing. A good rosemary baugette and some sweet butter. Trader Joe's chocolate gelato for dessert. Cool (cheap) sauvignon blanc in the glass. I'm happy. And in absolute AWE of everyone else who posts here. I want to come to ALL of your houses for dinner.

Those of you in Southern California (LA area) or with good cable/dish service......LA Times columnist and E-Gullet member Russ Parsons is scheduled to be on the KTLA Morning Show (that's channel 5 in LA, the CW from Los Angeles for cable/dish folks) Tuesday morning, 7/3/07. I *think* I heard them say it was in the 7-9 a.m. time slot, although they do an extended interview segment after 9, so maybe it's that segment. I was distracted (mascara application takes my full attention....) this morning when I heard the promo. This on the heels of a feature in the esteemed Long Beach Press-Telegram last week. Set those VCRs/TiVOs !

And yet.......and yet.....if you watch those little *inspirational* promo commercials within the show (you know, read/see more about JAG's/Rory's/Amy's/Paul's journey at www.somewebsite......) all you hear JAG talking about is watching the sunsets and sunrises, and tasting the cuisines of these exotic foreign lands and the bluebirds and the water nymphs and the charming little woodland creatures he befriended. OK, so I embellished a bit. But, seriously, watching that little promo commercial for the website I mercifully blocked from my brain, you'd think that his service time had been in the company of My Little Pony and Hello Kitty. Something doesn't add up. And I think its the editing of both the promo and of the show. I'm done. Oh, I'll keep watching it like I look at wrecks on the 405 on the way home. But none, NONE, NOT ONE, of these people deserve my time after this travesty is over. I think I'm watching at this point to see how they justify giving TeeVee time to any of these people.

Ohhhhhhhhhh, an avocado/bacon sandwich on crusty bread, with a schmear of good mayo, S&P, maybe, maybe MAYBE the thinest whisper of both sweet onion slices and dead-ripe tomato........... *THAT* my friends, is a thing of beauty. Worthy of the gods. I guess, for me, it leaves the domain of "simple sandwich" after about 4 ingredients, plus bread. S&P don't count. Multiple condiments definately DO count. Italian dressing, sandwich spread, oil and vinegar.........blech. Too much. Good bread, good fillings, a little binding schmear or drizzle, Nirvana. IMO, its the excess drippy condiments and superfluous, bulk-enhancing fillers (i.e., shredded bad lettuce) that kill it. The fillings, well, how can you say no to a muffaleta?

Will someone, PLEASE, give JAG a Prozac ??!?!??!

Hmmmmm. I *think* about washing poultry before I cook it. Usually, however, when I think about it, it's after its already BEING cooked. Does that count? Other than that, my hands, fairly compulsively, and my boards. I at least wipe them down in between ingredients. Use a dedicated one for meat/poultry. And my knives. If they've touched raw meat/poultry they get a scrub, if they're just been used for veg/herbs then they just get rinsed & wiped. I honestly never think about rinsing beef/pork/lamb. And mostly I don't even rinse the poultry, only if the recipe reminds me to. As far as cans go, I have one of those can openers that don't pierce the top, it breaks the seal and lifts the entire lid off. But even when I didn't I just opened and cruised on by. Don't wash the triple-washed salads either. Honestly, if the bugs are there after three commercial washings (with a sanitizer solution), my peasly little tap water rinse ain't gonna help.

It's even more annoying if you're a single like I am, with an admittedly limited attention span (I hate left-overs), and all the bags are a pound or over. I have basically given up buying grapes, cherries and strawberries in the grocery store because I just can't get through the entire package before they rot. Luckily, even though TJ's produce is still pre-packaged, the packages are smaller, so I can usually eat the edible parts before they start to walk out of the fridge under their own power.

Again, thanks to everyone. I think I will subscribe to the "all gloves, all the time" theory for handling any peppers but the most innocuous bells. All remedies are mentally catalogued, however, for future need.

THANK YOU for posting this ! I was at work when I first saw this thread, and couldn't answer, but I was mentally screaming, we used broth in the micro lab to GROW bacteria for crying out loud ! OK, I'm better now. Seriously, I used to work for a microbiology testing laboratory, and broth (both chicken and beef) is very common either as a nutrient addition to media, or a medium itself, to grow all sorts of interesting (not to mention kinda nasty) little critters. Lab supply houses sell dehydrated broth(which I'm assuming is pretty darn close to boullion powder). And the average room temperature, especially in warm weather, is not too far off from the ideal incubation temperature of 35°C. Got problems getting your bacteria to grow for your preservative effectiveness test? Add some broth and watch 'em go. Refrigerate your broths. Always. Always. ALWAYS. Boiling may kill the critters themselves, but they leave behind some nasty traces (they don't just go *poof*) you don't want to know about.

Picky. Picky. And then more picky. And sniffy. And touchie. And feelie. And then sniffy again.

OMG ! *slapping forehead* HOW could I have forgotten pierogies??? Although, in my defense, I usually tend to make ones filled with meat or sauerkraut & mushrooms. But still... *durf*.....I'm not worthy........

Thanks to all. Mercifully, the burning finally stopped after a couple of dousings with rubbing alcohol, followed by some hand lotion. I guess its the same principle as the bleach, to cut through the oily residue. I think maybe I didn't leave the milk on long enough, that could have been why it wasn't effective. I was surprised as well that it didn't work. These are all, however, mentally filed away for future reference. And jgm, I have really bad arthritis in my hands too, and damn-it-all, the bloody capsaicin oil didn't seem to help one iota ! I was sorta hoping it would , at least to get some positive out of it. But my friends did love the dinner, so it was worth it.

Thank you thank you thank you, Amen and Alleluia. I love Ming, I think he's adorable (not to mention sexy.... ) but I absolutely want to b*tch-slap him silly every time he says "GUYS". Just sets my teeth on edge. And Julia is the BEST. And always will be.

I had friends over for a b/day dinner tonight, and the guest of honor requested my Italian stuffed peppers (a Lidia Bastianich recipe) that calls for cubanelle or Hungarian peppers. You know, the long, skinny, MILD guys. I've made this recipe numerous times before, and have always bought the peppers from the same place. Well.......I guess they got a new produce guy, or maybe the climate change has messed with the capsaicin content of those Hungarian peppers. While I was pulling out the seeds and the pithy ribs, I noticed that my nose and eyes were a bit irritated, but I really didn't think much of it. Long story short.......the hand/fingers I used to help scoop out the seeds and ribs are still, SIX HOURS later, burning. Clearly the peppers were mislabeled. Also clearly, if I had known these suckers would bust the top off the Scoville Scale, I'd have worn gloves (they were HOT even after cooking, never happened before.......). My question is.......if I get into this predicament again, how do I neutralize the chili oils on my hands? I tried washing with soap a billion times (I mean, I did DISHES and they're still burning), lotion, cortisone cream, milk, rubbing a cut potato over the area, and finally rubbing alcohol. Nothing has been 100% effective. Still burning after all these hours. What to do, what to do if ever I get unknowingly capsaicin-slimed again?? Thanks in advance,

Ditto Bruce, my condolences for your White Dog. I have two (Dogs, both White....) and know how important they are (dogs in general, White Dogs in particular).

What a great story ! He sounds like a special man, and his attitude reminds me a lot of Jacques Pepin. Simple, straightfoward, no pretense. Just about the craft and the results. Gotta love it ! ETA: By the way, I have loved the rest of your blog as well, and am very much looking forward to the next couple of days. It's impressive that you cook as you do with your schedule.

By the way, GREAT questions/topic Carrot Top, thanks for starting it. And great responses. Very interesting and enlightening.

#1 would be...WELL made French fries......very crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. NOT overly greasy. Satly and hot and crisp and slightly, just everso slightly oily. Not too thin, not too thick. *YUM........sigh* #2 would be...mashed potatoes. Any form, any ilk, well, ok, full fat versions only need apply. Made with no butter or cream....pass. Use the potato boiling water for liquid.....WAY pass. With bleu cheese is probably my number 1 favy-fav, followed closely by roasted garlic. Slightly lumpy, not too smooth. Cream, butter S&P, heaven. (Sour cream or creme fraiche is sure a good alternative to the cream or 1/2&1/2.......) #3......a blast from the past. My mother's potato cakes made from leftover mashers, that I simply CANNOT replicate. I saw her make them a million times, and I can't do it. It's a mom thing I guess. I don't believe she used flour, or milk, or made a batter out of the leftover mashers, I think she just formed the cakes and browned them slowly in butter, but...........they remain lost to the ages to me. Honorable mention, Pommes Anna and Brabant potatoes. Both crispy & oh-so-buttery.......

All of the above, depending upon the ultimate destination of the tortilla in question. Microwave/low oven is best for stacks of torts that will be used for enchiladas or burritos. For enchiladas, an alternative way for corn tortillas is to dip then very quickly in hot oil, followed by a quick dip in hot enchilada sauce. Some recipes do away with the oil dip, and just soften them in the hot sauce. This only works for corn tortillas though. Flour torts are way too delicate to handle that kind of treatment, and will fall apart quite quickly. Microwave/low oven heating always requires the dampness of either paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. If in the oven, then over-wrapped with aluminum foil. For soft tacos, the dry skillet/skillet, open flame route is the way to go. It crisps up the tortilla everso slightly, even while making it more pliable, and gives it a very good charry-smokey taste as well.

Do you tend to mostly cook foods or recipes that spring from your home culture, or do you tend to mostly cook things from other cultures? Yes and no. Probably 3-4 times a month I get a wicked craving for something from my childhood.....some sort of comfort food like Mom used to make. I *must* make pierogies (hence the moniker.....) and some of my Mom's cookies at Christmas-time. For the balance of the time, I am way more adventurous than my parents ever were. Avocados and cilantro were exotic discoveries to the parents. Where are you from and what is it that attracts you to the things you choose to cook? Born in the great Midwest (Chicago, Southside, aka Little Warsaw) and moved to SoCal when I was 8. Daddy was a Wisconsin farm-boy. If it didn't sit on his plate and declare itself meat and potatoes, he wasn't interested. Lasagna was outside of his comfort zone. Mom & I got wild & crazy when I was in high school. She'd cook Daddy a pot roast (well done........) and she and I would have tacos, quiche, enchiladas and gyros for the week. I think living in *multi-cultural* SoCal did broaden my culinary outlook. I also am way more inquisitive than they were......I'll try just about anything once. The thought of my parents eating foie gras, sushi, carpaccio, or soft shell crabs is something that I cannot wrap my head around. They just never would have done it. But I sure do, regularly. How long have you been cooking...., I remember "helping" Mom when I was very small, we still lived in Chicago. Got sort of serious about it right after I got out of high school. I'd make dinner periodically, or just help Mom out. So, let's just say.......a loooooooooooonnnnnnnggggggggggg time ! ...and has your cooking shifted from that of one culture to another over time? Absolutely. As I said, growing up it was meat & potatoes. We got wild when we had spaghetti or pizza ! Whoooooo-hooooo ! Now, I routinely cook Thai, Indian, Mexican, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Cajun/Creole, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Middle-Eastern........you name it. I pick and choose what I like from each cuisine and go for it. My pantry is stocked with fish sauce, garam masala, coconut milk, file powder, 3 kinds (at least) of olive oil, 10 kinds of vinegars, chipotles in adobo, posole, sesame oil, siracha, Tabasco, and on and on. Mom would have loved it, but she'd also have been absolutely blown away by the variety and the diversity. How did you learn to cook - from a person, from books, from television, from (?) All of the above. The basics, and the passion, and the idea that food was a gift you gave to people you loved, from my mother. I used to read (and still do !) cookbooks like novels, I can remember reading Mom's Fannie Farmer cookbook on rainy days when I was bored. And some of my best memories are watching Julia (ahhhhhh, my hero) and Graham Kerr with Mom, and thinking what they did was way cool. I still watch all the instructional cooking shows I can find. They can only make my technique and my creativity better. What direction would you like to see your cooking go in the future - do you have a "plan" or any ideas as to what focus you would like to take? I just want to improve. To get more creative, more fearless, less reliant on recipes and more sure of my own tastes and palate. E-Gullet has been a huge force for my improvement in this area. And to continue to feed people I care about with dishes that I am proud of, and that I have prepared with passion and love. And I want to improve my baking skills, which are lacking. I want to master pasteries (pie crusts, tarts, cakes......I actually make decent cookies) and yeast breads (again, I make decent quick breads, especially sweet ones, but yeast breads have caused me much tsuris......)

You *know* you're an EGulleteer when........... You trot out to your patio at 9:30 at night, braving a major June bug invasion, to pluck some fresh mint leaves to put on your "midnight snack" of sliced strawberries macerated in Grand Marnier, then drizzled with some fresh lime juice & sprinkled with sugar. AND chiffonade-ing (forgive me, I'm quite sure I spelled that wrong....) the mint quite precisely before adding it to the berries. Which, BTW, were delicious. The mint absolutely made them sing. And I managed to dodge any attacks by the dreaded Junie Bugz.........