Dana

I have bought several deli-type chickens and found them to be pretty tasty, but no crispy skin. I usually get them just for the meat - chicken caeser salad, chicken salad, quesidillias, etc, when I'm pressed for time. If I'd had time, I'd have roasted one myself, but in a pinch, they're fine. I think because they are cooked whole, bone-in so to speak. My college age kids get them because they are "real food" as opposed to something processed.

YES I'm fixing some for lunch on Thursday.

Prudhomme's was one of our favorites, as well. We have been known to drive there from Beaumont, TX for lunch. (a two hour drive). Last thing I heard was that she'd retired and sold the place, but at that time, they had kept the name. It's been probably 3 years since then, so maybe it's sold again? or changed the name? A good friend lives in Lafayette, I'll see if she knows anything. Prejean's wasn't NEARLY as good. The dancing was fun, the the mache choux sucked.

This is creepy-----mine has the grape motif as well..... I don't recall ever having a problem cleaning it up. Seems like the crusties slid off without much trouble.

I have a pressure canner, but I haven't used it in many years. I used to can green beans from our garden, and something else, too. Maybe peaches, but I can't remember right now. It must have been easy, because I was only 20 or so, the beans were great. I should get it out and replace the gasket and use it again. I used to pressure cook chicken for casseroles, and the cooker made the BEST round steak and brown gravy!! Brown the steak in the bottom, and water and pressure till done. (I can't remember how long that is), but it was terrific, like a braise. This thread has brought back some memories!!!!!

Pan fried pork chops with a creamy pan gravy Pan-roasted cauliflower Broccoli/Bacon Salad

fifi--You might try getting catfish fillets instead of buying the 'nuggets'. The 'nuggets' most stores sell are bellies, not the best part of the fish. IMHO, 'nuggets are good for cat food, and that's about it.

I haven't been there in years, either. The one in Beaumont closed a couple years ago. The thing I remember most was the supposed 'cheese' sauce that tasted more like flour than anything else. GAAA

Malawry posted a very good Almond Black Pepper Biscotti recipe last year. She had used it for a project on spices while in culinary school. I have made them often - my mother just loves them. For Christmas, I made some, and left out the pepper, then dipped one side in melted chocolate. Chill till chocolate sets. They were great.

Buffalo Mozz. I cannot bear to dirty my cart with any other type. I don't care how expensive it is. I'd rather do without than buy the stuff in cry-o-vac plastic.

A little more info, please, MM. Did you saute the bacon, then cook the remaining stuffing ingredients in the bacon fat before stuffing? If the backstrap was meduim rare, then the stuffing would need to be cooked before, wouldn't it? This sounds like something I'd try. We have a freezer (actually 2 freezers) full of venison.

I totally agree with the "day off" concept. Let's face it, we like food because it tastes good, and most lower calorie foods aren't that great. Having something to look forward to on the weekend helps keep me on track during the week. It's that excercise thing that hangs me up every time. I'm still looking 'for something I enjoy doing'..... I like curling up in the recliner and reading cookbooks. I don't think that qualifys as cardio anything.

Don't expect any browning on a crock-pot chicken. All the juice gets trapped in, so the bird is VERY moist, almost to the point of being mushy. It works ok is you need cooked chicken meat for enchilidas or some chicken casserole or something like that, otherwise, the crock pot method, IMHO, is not the best. Just through the sucker in the oven and be done with it. As for the original question, I don't know why you couldn't use your favorite scalloped potato recipe, and just cut back on the milk/cream by 1/3 or so, and bake on high till done. I guess Christmas is over now, and the point is moot.

Anyone else have to work? I will get off just in time to drive home with all the drunks. Glad I don't live too far.....

Pancho's is the baddest of the bad. I can only remember that we've eaten at Monterrey once, and that was several years ago. I don't remember the candy, but it sounds like a caramel. Good luck in it's recreation, Clair797!!!

Don't know if they are still in Houston, but we have one in Beaumont.

Lucille - sorry it's taken me so long to get back. My computer seems to have a mind of it's own For red rice: Saute onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and green onion (amounts are up to you, I like more onion and less bell pepper) in veg oil. Add rice, season with salt, black and red pepper, and stir till all grains are coated. Add tomato sauce and water (substitute sauce for part of the water called for to cook the rice as per package directions) and cook till rice is done.- again per directions on the package. Sorry about the vague amounts. It all depends on how much you are making. I usually make 1 1/2 cups rice for 1 can tomato sauce and 2 and 1/2 cups water. This make a moist product. I'm not from Lousiana, but have lived in SE TX for 20 years. This dish is common here.

Both segments are terrific. I totally enjoyed both and hope to see more of your work. Hope you'll be able to be able to interview other people as interesting as Ted. He was great - very down-to-earth. Thanks a lot!!!

To me, red rice and jambalya are two totally different things, with dirty rice even different than those. Red rice doesn't have any meat in it and lots of tomato sauce, jambalya has any meat you might have on hand, including but not limited to: chicken, smoked sausage, pan sausage, pork and most always ground beef, with a FEW tomatoes, while dirty rice has no tomatoes and no chicken, but any other kind of meat is ok, and liver is expected. The only thing I put dried shrimp in is seafood gumbo. Red rice and dirty rice are ubiquitous for 'plate lunches', especially ones sold for church fund raisers, along with potato salad and cornbread. Can we ever have too much starch?

Whenever I've had Indian rice pudding, it has been thin and runny - perhaps that's the way it's supposed to be, unlike the one I make that's denser and more custardlike. With the exception of the rice pudding, the Indian desserts I've had are very dense in comparison to American desserts. Is this true with most Indian desserts? They were very good, just very different texture-wise from ours.

Savir - where are you?????????

Creme Brulee My family would probably divorce me if we didn't have it.

It must be the cool weather we're having here in the south, 'cause we had a hankerin' for a gumbo, too. Mine looks like the first pic of Jason's, meduim dark, I guess. I put in chicken, deer smoked sausage, and shrimp. I'd have added the leeks, too. This is GUMBO, not rocket science, as I attempted to convince someone on a similar thread several months ago. Gumbo is like potato salad - everyone's is different, but everyone's is good.

I like to try the "scratch" method to see if it's measureably better. Usually, it is. If it's worth the time/trouble/expense, then I go for it every time. I also tried Emeril's worchestershire and found it to be much sweeter than Lea and Perrins, and, while I do enjoy the process, I don't panic if I run out- just use L&P. My homemade tamales were delish, however, I didn't go to through the lard-rendering process. I just bought some. Tamales were very satisfying to make, although I can see that it would be best to have several people to help-a lot to do and quite time consuming.

When my second fridge conks out, I'll have to buy another as I am now dependent on it. It holds any number of bottles of wine and beer, as well as extra dry goods such as flour, sugar and bisquik. Here in the south, stuff like that gets creepy crawlers in a hurry. As previously stated, the extra fridge is great for brining and thawing as well. Congrats!!!