IrishCream

10 years later! The Bounce sheets controlled infestations for many years and then this past summer I saw a moth. I freaked out and ran screaming (major bug phobia here). After I calmed down I went thru my pantry and, sure enough, there was an unopened bag of rice that was infested. I threw out all dry goods in the pantry including pasta. I was very disappointed til I realized I hadn't replaced the dryer sheets for 3 years. Voila. I'm sorry they don't work for many of you but for me they've been a miracle aid...I jut rip them in half and put a piece on every shelf in my home I do think that Bounce is better than other brands for this.

This is a great question. My frustration is that I have collected 100s of cookbooks and when I want a recipe I have no way to know which cookbook it will be in...for example, a few days ago I wanted to make tabbouleh, I pulled out some Wolfert and Roden cookbooks but I knew there were dozens of other recipes scattered among the many books. Then a day later I heard Martha Stewart on Sirius Radio saying that she has used a program to scan all of her cookbooks into the computer and automaticallly sort them as to ingredient, dish, etc. so all she would have to do is type in tabbouleh and every single recipe in her cookbook collection would show up. She said she did this by scanning the barcodes on the books which automatically uploaded the content of the books to her computer. That is fabulous but where do I find it? She couldn't remember the name of the program. (It's very hard to believe because what would stop someone from going to a bookstore and scanning in the barcode without actually buying the book?)

When I was single I used to just sling a few short ribs into a pot, add a can of chopped tomatoes, a diced onion and seasonings and let it braise in oven. It was a great single person meal. Last year I purchased Keller's Ad Hoc cookbook and wanted to try a recipe. I decided to use his braised short ribs recipe for a dinner party. It took two days. Complicated and fussy to cook which is fine if the results merit the effort. It was insanely expensive by the time I boiled down a good bottle of Cabernet, not to mention that short ribs are no longer cheap meat. Miracle to find them for $5 a pound. All I can say is I followed his recipe exactly (it's Keller after all) and not a single guest complimented it (well, they were polite but you can tell the dif). It was bland, boring, blech. Kinda sad.

I had the same dilemma last week. I had planned to make Santa Maria-style BBQ for house guests. I've found them in Mexican markets in the SF Bay area but there are none to be had in my new location. I used Pinto Beans. They turned out delicious. I wouldn't sweat it. Pinto Beans are a bit bigger but by the time I added all the additional ingredients, the taste difference was not noticeable.

I'm a gimlet lover but for years now I've been specifying "fresh lime only" due to the constant addition of too much Rose's. Hasn't that been a problem for you? Very nice article. Thank you!

Isn't it amazing they have brought Munchos back? For years now I've been stopping the Frito-Lay person when I see them in the chip aisle to ask for Munchos. Many have told me they don't even know what they are. Others said they've been discontinued. But that has all changed in the last year. Now I find not just small bags but the big bags, and they are only $2 each! That price is imprinted on the actual bag design so it's not going away. What a deal! Now if someone would just bring back Zima...

Great story, Jaz. But speaking of patty melts, which I love by the way, I can't resist adding this:

I finally got around to looking at this book as I want to make short ribs for Super Bowl. What a great thread this is and I am so glad I read it through as her short rib recipes are apparently not the most impressive. A recipe that caught my eye was "Braised Escarole with Cannellini Beans". My winter garden is burtsing with escarole I can't keep up with so I decided to try the recipe tonight. Despite susbtituting canned beans the recipe was fabulous and super simple! My husband and the teen loved it, too. Later this week I plan to try the Braised Broccoli Rabe with Arugula, both of which are abundant in my garden right now.

And to think that all these years I thought I was the only Muncho fan anywhere and that is why they fell out of favor! They were readily available growing up in California but no longer. I haven't seen a full size bag in 10 years or so. In fact, Muncho hunting is a great excuse for a road trip...the only places I ever encounter them anymore are obscure truck stops in the middle of nowhere (snack size only!).

Carolyn, thanks so much for your reviews of Bin. Makes me want to jump on a plane to LA! One thing I am curious about is that Epoisses was on all 3 of your cheese plates. I was under the impression it was a seasonal cheese? No?

What can I use as a substitute for hing in recipes as I cannot find it here?

Has anyone made this chutney lately? I plan to try it today as I have an over-abundance of tomatoes from my garden. However, I went to 4 stores yesterday and could not find hing (asafetida). Is there a substitute for it? Also could not find Sambhar Powder so plan to sub regular Curry Powder from Whole Foods. So frustrating I have no Indian grocery store in my small town. But miracle of miracles...the one tiny Asian grocery store had fresh curry leaves! I almost fainted!

I tried Bay Leaves. Didn't work for me. I went thru a dozen Safer Moth Traps. Yes, they caught some of the moths but never really put a dent in the infestation. I threw away $1000 of dollars worth of food and scrubbed and scoured. I even moved! The moths moved with me! Nothing worked til the dryer sheets. I just threw the pieces of dryer sheet at random onto the shelves. Gosh, I'm afraid I will jinx myself by even typing this ... but my life is really so much happier now that they are gone. Can you imagine how embarrassing it is to have a dinner party with moths flying around your house?

Sorry to bring this nasty thread back up but...I think I have found a solution. I waited til I was moth-free for 10 months to post this. Ok, you all will think I am nuts but it worked! Here goes: anti-static dryer sheets. I know it sounds crazy but it worked for me almost overnight. I cut the sheets in half and placed one on every shelf that holds food. Moths were completely gone within a week. Unreal. Bizarre. Easy. I have no clue why it worked but I'd be interested to hear if it works for anyone else.

I have a solution! Stop watching TV.

You might try making "Common Crackers" which are a very authentic New England companion to clam chowder. "In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs" has a recipe for them.

Really enjoying your blog. And nice garden. In 20 yrs in Houston I could never keep Tarragon alive. Maybe the lower humidity in SA helps? The Japanese Plum looks like what I always call a Loquat which grows wild in the Houston area. Ms. Old Foodie...Southern gravy differs from a white sauce because it is based on caramelized meat drippings as opposed to plain butter or oil a la bechamel. Also a lot of black pepper and never nutmeg...it's amazing how different they taste with almost identical ingredients. While it may be called cream gravy it is based on milk. Southerners are way too frugal to use real cream in gravy. Country gravy is just another name for the same thing though some claim that country gravy is based on a browner roux. Sausage gravy is another variation where fresh pork sausage is crumbled and fried and the gravy is built on it's fat. Doesn't it sound horrid? Tastes very good.

Maybe they used roasted tahini which can add a smoky flavor? Crepes AND decent Middle Eastern food? I am getting quite jealous. Need a roomie?

Oh my gosh! That sounds like my ideal food. I want it right now! I lived on mushroom/avocado/swiss crepes when I was in college. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

A word of advice if you are not used to a day spent wine tasting or even if you are: lunch is more important than dinner. It's imperative to have a decently full stomach otherwise you run the risk of getting completely toasted. Those little tastes sneak up on you after 4 or 5 wineries (20 or so tastes which is the equivalent of a bottle of wine or more). If you are a breakfast eater, have a decent breakfast and make sure your guide either provides or stops for lunch. Even a take-out sandwich will help and many of the wineries have picnic tables where you can bring your own bag lunch to eat. Also, many of the more expensive restaurants have quite reasonable lunch menus.

I've had the book for well over a year. I love it. I think the pictures are stunning with beautiful color. True they are lush rather than understated which may be old-fashioned. Yes, it's heavy and hence unwieldy. But as a true fan of Louisiana cuisine, I don't know of any other book that is as comprehensive or even comes close. I haven't cooked extensively from it, but my Louisiana born and bred husband has enjoyed every recipe I have tried so far. I have River Road Recipes 1 & 2 which I like as good examples of community cookbooks. But I'd say Folse's recipes are superior because they have actually been tested outside "Aunt Dottie Mae's" kitchen and had to meet certain standards. He also has more very local recipes like Natchitoches Meat Pies, etc., as well as modern recipes that he serves in his restaurant. I guess I also respect the fact that he self-published this huge book with so many color plates and recipes for such a reasonable price. At $50 it's a bargain in my opinion compared to many other cookbooks. I know what you mean by coffee table cookbooks. I consider things like the " 'XXXCountry' the Beautiful" series or that country series by Williams Sonoma to be coffee table cookbooks. I wouldn't put this in the same category at all. (It's too damn big to make a good coffee table book! ) Probably your best bet is to try to see a copy before you buy it.

We ate at C'est Bon and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a fantastic piece of swordfish, cooked perfectly medium rare, on a bed of spinach and fried eggplant. Thanks all. It may be in the process of changing ownership as there was a sign on the door saying they no longer accept C'est Bon coupons and our receipt said "O'Donnell's".

Thanks for the suggestions! I really appreicate it.

Well, given that my post about my upcoming NOLA weekend only yielded 2 responses I don't expect much. But on the off hand chance anyone can recommend a restaurant for next Saturday lunch in the Ponchatoula area, I'd appreciate. It's with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who were forced to move there due to Rita. Both their homes are gone for good. They'll be staying in Ponchatoula. I want to take them to lunch but really don't want to go to Cracker Barrel. Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for the explanation. I guess I wasn't even sure what you meant by seltzer. I am now assuming you mean the thing called "soda water/club soda" bottled by Canada Dry and Schwepp's, etc. ? Does it include the ubiquitous flavored fizzy waters or will they also make the beer taste off?