Shamanjoe

I've never gotten the "olive oil as a topping" thing. Maybe I just haven't had a good enough one? What would be good to drizzle over ice cream? I'd imagine something that's darker green and more fruity flavoured..

That sounds pretty good, I make have to make the hour drive down there and check it out.

The difference with the "artisan" pastas is that the bronze die hasn't been coated with Teflon. The hard flour actually abrades down the die over time, giving it that rougher texture. In essence, the pasta is texturing itself. The major companies started Teflon-coating their dies because it made them last longer, but I agree the old-school non-Teflon coated ones make a pasta with more character, and it definitely holds on to the sauce better.

I've only tried it in a few things Chris, but the Hiram Walker curacao took a great Mai Tai and turned it into just an acceptable Mai Tai. I'd stick with something else if you have a choice.

Dave, I have a bottle of Cognac-based orange liqueur called Liqueur d'Orange, Cognac Prunier. I'll have to crack it open and see how it plays in a Mai Tai. John, I have a vanilla bean just begging to be used. I'll have to whip up a batch of simple and make it. Oh, and I lied, apparently the only orange curacao I have is Hiram Walker If I find the Marie Brizzard, I'll definitely give it a try.

From what I've read, the blue doesn't taste any different than the orange, it's all a matter of colouring. Not that I'd want to put blue curacao in my mai tai, if just on principal, but if you're at home in a pinch, blue is better than none.

That is a HUGE issue for me. Just the other day I had a little tear in my eye as I had to throw away some beautiful (when they were new that is!) red peppers that were in the fridge because I never got around to making that roasted red pepper pasta sauce I was so jazzed up about.

Al dente also means not quite done, but in the sense that you take it out of the water, and finish that last little bit of cooking in the sauce itself, so that it soaks up some of the flavour and helps it stay together.

I love a drizzle of Amarula Cream Liqueur or Chambord on top of my ice cream.

John, I've have the Bols and a bottle of Hiram Walker. I remember reading somewhere that the Bols was Vic's curacao of choice, but I honestly can't remember which one I used at the moment. I'll have to take a peak when I get home and let you know. Tammy, I would go ahead and get a bottle of Cointreau anyway, even if you end up using the curacao in your tiki drinks. It's one of the most versatile orange-based liqueurs I've come across, and while not strictly the same as a curacao, it still makes a damn fine Mai Tai.

I do that too. It seems to make the sauce come together that much better, and it's good when I don't have to time to really slow-cook it down to a thicker consistency. Sautéing with or just after the aromatics cooks some of the canned flavour out of the paste and gives it real depth. I like to sauté it nice and slow to build up the flavours when I have the time.

The box now has this whole spiel about how they've revamped their formula, it's so much better, etc. I think one of their new catch phrases is "Oh yes we did!" Let's just say their crust is still horrible. Though definitely better than it was, their "light dusting of garlic" leaves your fingers greasy and covered in little granules, which is annoying. The sauce doesn't taste any different, when I can taste it at all. Their pizzas always seem to have little to no sauce, even if you order extra. Bottom line, good in a pinch, but still nothing to compete with even the crappiest home-baked pizza.

I just bash the heck out of some ice, usually in a plastic bag, which ends up yielding a range from snow all the way to unbroken cubes (though my ice cubes are actually round with holes in the middle. I shake with that and don't strain. As long as you shake really hard (I'm a big guy, and for tiki drinks I make a lot of noise when I shake ), it comes out fine. One thing about the mai tai, I tried it with both cointreau and curacao, and I'm finding myself preferring the version with cointreau. It seems to have a more pleasant tang to it.

I've made a resolution to eat well in the new year. That doesn't mean start a diet or make a resolution that I'll never keep (like exercising or losing weight). What I mean by eating well is that I will raise the quality of the food that I make during the year, and will actually COOK more of the food I eat during this year. We're all the victims of convenience and time. Ordering a pizza here, or getting a whole roasted chicken at CostCo for $4 is quick and easy, but it's not always good. To start out the new year, I bought a pound of lamb sausage and made a nice ragu out of canned Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, and various dried herbs and spices. I cooked some nice flat pasta to almost al dente and finished it with the sauce. Accompanied by some bruscetta rubbed with a garlic clove (now that's real garlic bread baby!) it was heavenly, and one of the better meals I've had in a long time. What I'd like to see here is recipes, tips, tricks, techniques, whatever you're using to improve your eating in the new year. It may be as simple as keeping some cooked and rinsed pasta in the fridge for a quick meal when you're short on time, or cutting all of your veg as soon as you get home from the store so they're in there ready to snack on/throw in the frying pan. Let's hear it

Add another one Maggie! I just picked up "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart. I can't wait to start baking bread!

That sounds like we might be on to something, though I think I'd drop the Deli part.. Miami Fizz, has a nice ring to it.

There's already a couple drinks with that name. Can I be super impossible and want a name that doesn't exist for any other cocktail? Thanks for the suggestion though.

If it's a matter of saving a dollar, then I agree it's probably really about whether you enjoy it or not. It starts getting ridiculous to me when you're paying a 75% or more markup for something you could make at home. The simple syrup mentioned earlier is a good example. I was at BevMo! earlier today, and a 750ml bottle of Depaz Cane Syrup (basically simple made from brown sugar from what I can decipher) was almost $5. The same amount of simple could be made at home in less time than it takes to go to the grocery store, and for much less money. Other things, I think its crazy not to make them at home just because I enjoy making them so much. Like hamburgers, pasta sauce, etc. Those things I don't look at from a cost standpoint so much as an enjoyment standpoint. Yeah, I can save a dollar a jar on pasta sauce, but I'd be crazy not to make it at home because it tastes better and I enjoy making it.

I'm close enough to Canada to drive Peter, mind if I show up too? Do I just sniff the air and follow the good smells to your place?

I know they're notoriously tricky to take care of Chris, but I've always had good luck with keeping it warm, and giving a good watering only once the soil is starting to dry out under the surface (if it looks dry on the surface, poke your finger in the soil, and see how far down it goes before hitting moist soil). The worst thing you can do to any citrus is over-watering.

That "juice" could likely be the reason.. Fresh juice, just like in cocktails, makes all the difference in the world. And ditto the simple syrup idea. Trying to dissolve anything but superfine sugar in a cold liquid is an exercise in futility. It would be much easier to sweeten your tea while its still hot, or add a dose of simple after it has the ice in it.. Some folks drink sweetened iced tea simply for the sugar, and it matters almost not at all what type of tea it is, whether it was brewed properly, whether it was brewed and sweetened in a vessel that only rarely gets cleaned (and since sweet tea breeds vast amounts of bacteria, this can be not only common, but pretty nasty), or whether lemon comes in a wedge or a packet. I can say from personal experience that more than half of the population who drink sweet tea, in the Southeast, where sweet tea is popular and unique, the sugar is literally all that matters. I do like tea, but I usually prefer it hot, so no need for instant there. When I do drink iced tea I don't take lemon and I sweeten with Splenda, if I feel like it. I like tea, but I'm not a fan of hot drinks. I usually drink it iced, though never with lemon, and NEVER with sugar. I'm just amazed that people pay $2-$4 outside for something that (depending on how much you spend on the tea in the first place) can be as much as 80% cheaper at home. Or, heaven forbid, buy pre-made bottles of tea at the store. I've looked at the labels, and 90% of them have sugar, and they all have an ungodly amount of sodium. I thought tea was supposed to be good for you. Definitely crazy to not make your own tea at home, iced or otherwise.

While not nearly as well-thought-out as bostonapothecary's experiments, I came up with a quick drink on New Year's Eve, mostly to save a friend who was trying to improve her cream soda with a healthy dose of Jameson's.. 1oz passionfruit vodka 1oz mango rum .5oz Cointreau Cream Soda Shake the alcohols with ice, and strain into a pint glass filled with ice. Add the cream soda to fill, and give a quick stir. This had a wonderful fruity smell and was undeniably sweet. In other words, a huge hit with my target audience and immediately labelled as "dangerous" due to its smooth taste and sweet aroma. We were making it with A&W Vanilla Cream Soda because that's what we had, but I really think it would be better with Jones Soda's Cream Soda. The only problem here is that the Jones is hard to find. I'm going to tinker with the recipe and refine it more, maybe make it an actual cocktail instead of just an on-the-fly mixed drink, but I'm having trouble coming up with a name. Any suggestions?

Dave, I take it that the following quoted thought has never popped into your head then edited to correct spelling and formatting..

I wonder, Maggie, how many of those active users even know how many cookbooks they have. When you started this, I had to go count. And it took me three days to have the time to do it, and remember to actually count when I had the time to do it..

That "juice" could likely be the reason.. Fresh juice, just like in cocktails, makes all the difference in the world. And ditto the simple syrup idea. Trying to dissolve anything but superfine sugar in a cold liquid is an exercise in futility. It would be much easier to sweeten your tea while its still hot, or add a dose of simple after it has the ice in it..