Marlene

I'd still vote for Uncle Jack's. Luger's has great steaks, but it just doesn't really strike me as a "date" place. At jacks, you'll get great steaks plus ambiance.

I'm pretty sure there might be another thread on this somewhere, but another vote for the Dacor here.

It's probably as close as I'll ever get to one of those mushroom thingys. Thanks! This looks like it would work really well.

I'd also go for the stand mixer. I do have a breadmaker, but use it mostly to make pizza dough or spelt loaves of bread when my friend's son comes over. You will be limited in the types of dough you can make in a bread maker, so it depends on what you want to make. On the other hand, a stand mixer is good for all kinds of things, not just cakes and cookies. I use mine to make mayonnaise, and other sauces as well as mixing beef etc for hamburgers. One other thing though. I found that my little Artisan KA did not knead well. It ran pretty hot when kneading for 10 to 12 minutes or more. I moved up to the KA 600 Pro to get good results on doughs that must be kneaded that long, when I started making a lot of bread. I was concerned about burning out the motor in the smaller one. I don't use a convection oven to bake bread, but I do use convection to roast, bake cookies and other things. In fact, I'd never roast any other way but convection now.

My lad was also about 2 1/2 I believe. He got invited to a birthday party there. For a couple of years he went nuts for the place, then it seemed to taper off. Now at almost 15, given a choice he'll always choose something other than McDonalds.

Do you mean Uncle Jack's at 36th and 9th? ← Oops. yeah, I think that's what I meant!

I haven't posted much either either, but tonight's dinner was rack of lamb, gratin dauphinois and fresh peas sauteed in butter and olive oil.

I haven't been to Ben and Jacks, but I like Wolfgang's very much. The new Tribeca location is good, but not as good as the first location I think.

I've been to all 4 and I have to say of the 4, Peter Luger's does the best steak. Striphouse would be my second choice. I will never go to Sparks again. Not only for the long wait we had, even with a reservation, but it was noisy as hell, and if you didn't like the din at your place the other night, Sparks isn't any better. Plus I felt the steak was mediocre there at best. If I didn't have to pick from your list, I would go to Captain Jack's. I really liked Captain Jack's which was an unexpected find. The outside looks like a tourist trap kind of place, but get past that, and the steak, service and wine list (yes I know you don't care about that) equal some of the best "name" places in the city. The sides were pretty outstanding too as I recall.

Oh Maggie. I get this. I did the same thing whilst my brother was dying and then my mother, this past year. Afterwards, I felt like I never wanted to cook again. I've already abdicated Christmas this year, as I won't have a family to cook for. We're traveling this year for the first time. It comes back. The joy of cooking. It just does. Don't force it, don't look for it. Don't hold your breath every day in anticipation that all of a sudden you'll want to pick up a chef's knife again. But one day, without even knowing it, you'll start to embrace the joy of cooking again. There's no timeframe and no rules to this one, I'm afraid. In the meantime, swill martini's and let hubby do the kitchen duty. Next week will be the first anniversary of my brother's passing. His favourite thing in the whole world was raspberry pie. I suck at pie making, but I'm going to make one to honour him. Maybe think about your mom's favourite dish and try making that. Tears may flow, tis true. But there will also be the bond of making something that she truly loved. As it will be for me next week. My pie may be flavoured with tears, but they will be tears of love and we will savour every bite. You will too, one day again.

We did grilled pizza for an eG tag team blog a while ago. As I recall, yes, the dough was cooked on one side first, then flipped and toppings put on. I also pre cooked most of my toppings. Edited to add link to said said pizza grilling

Dinner is anywhere between 7 and 9 p.m. Tending towards the latter during the summer, when we're outside enjoying the day. When we eat late, we usually put out some sort of nibble around 5ish. Baked brie, or something that holds people over till the later dinner. Growing up, as I recall, dinner was around 5:30 or 6. After my parents has their requisite 2 pre dinner cocktails in the living room.

They should. Just call Tupperware customer service.

Hubby is planning on making an apple salad tonight to go with our roast pork. I'm not exactly sure what's in it, besides apples and mayonnaise, but I'll report back if it's good! How about a broccoli and cherry tomato salad?

That sucks. The beef will freeze well and you can make the meal next time you cook for them maybe?

Bacon cheeseburger

Burgers, are in fact on the menu here tonight. I like mine medium to medium rare, bacon tomato dijon ketchup onion processed cheese. There are few applications for processed cheese slices, but burgers and grilled cheese just seem to call out for them. If I use peanut butter, it goes in the burgers, not on them. Otherwise, just salt and pepper and a little butter in the mix. And the bun must be toasted or grilled.

A project for a rainy day, Scottish Meat Pies

Interesting. I nuke my corn usually as well, but I've always husked first, then wrapped in paper towel. I think I'll have to try this. How do you know this stuff? Typewriter method for me as well. No, corn stabbers, but hubby likes them.

You're a real cook, you just haven't tapped into your potential yet. Vinaigrettes are really really simple to make. You could easily do a simple vinaigrette and use it over arugula or other lettuce and greens to make a simple tossed salad. If you've got green peas in your pilaf, you may not need them as a side dish. You could leave them out of the pilaf. Green bean sauteed with butter and olive oil with a little pancetta and garlic is wonderful. But then, again, what are your brother's favourite foods/dishes? where do you live and what's in season right now? You may also want to start off with things you have had before because then you've got a basis for how things should taste. Once you've got a feel for how things go together an how you put things together in a kitchen, move then into expanding your cooking horizions with the unknown.

Yes, and how do you get your pizza so round? Welcome!

I think you'll really like it, Matt. Mine's a 25 knife block, but there is certainly room for your 10 inch chef's and your cleaver and lots of other knives. I love mine.

My steak knives are very very sharp. I'd rather not keep them in my cutlery drawer, even if I did have room for them in there. They live in my knife block. My knife block isn't all that far away from the cutlery drawer or dishware, so they're easy enough to grab for table setting.

From my son when he was little. Beef Stroganoff = honeys and rice. I have no idea why.

I love my knife blocks. I have two of these, the only difference being that the one at home sits on a swivel base which is great for the place I have it located in. It has room for steak knives, a 10 and 8 inch chef's knife, and much more. I don't seem to have a problem with gunk accumulating.