DanM

We went to Chitos for lunch. This place is simply amazing! My wife had the better of our lunches with a sopa with rajas and a gordita with nopalitas and I had grilled talapia. It was some of the best Mexican food we have had. I only wish I saw the melon aqua fresca on the back of the menu because that would have hit the spot. I highly recommend this place! Dan

It will have one thing that 95% of Food Network shows don't have... A recognized chef with real culinary talent. Whether this makes for a good show, is another issue. Dan

Pam. Do you know any sources for kosher Mexican chocolate??

You really can make this dinner in 30 minutes, or less! Boy is this tasty! (followed) by a money shot of host eating a bite) And these days from 2/3 of of Food Network's line up... "I can teach you to cook..." Dan

We went to Jasmines last night. I had the green curry, which was pretty good. I was contemplating the whole red snapper in panang curry sauce, but at $26, it was too much. I looked at their menu and there is only one or two things on the menu that we can eat. Thanks for the suggestion, though! Dan

I use a cooked fruit method for apple pies. I mix the fruit with 2/3 of the sugar and let it pull some of the juices out of the fruit. I then saute the fruit with any spices over moderate heat to bring out more juices. I then add cornstarch dissolved in water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the juices thicken, I add it to the crust and bake. Any delicate fruit, like berries, can use a similar method, but the fruit is strained. The juices are then brought to a boil, the cornstarch added, and then mixed with the fruit. Rose Levy Barenbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible has a table that shows how much sugar and cornstarch is needed for a given amount of fruit. Dan

We are heading to Dallas next week for Thanksgiving. I see a lot of advice on high end restaurants, but I am curious about the small local places. What are your favorite holes in the wall, family run spots, dives, etc... in the Dallas area. I will be up in Plano and any cuisine will do as long as it is vegetarian friendly. Thanks! Dan

Just about anything, vegetarian friendly is important though.

Yesterday I had a huge honkin piece of baklava just after my colonoscopy. I now have a better appreciation for Kermit the Frog after a long day at the studio, thank you very much. It was from a Greek diner next to the medical center and was just oozing honey. At that point I had not eaten in close to 36 hours... It was SO darn good. Then my wife stopped by the Taqueria and bought me a vegetable empanada. Dan

Costco right now has chanterelle mushrooms for a very nice price, they are not the freshest, finest mushrooms you will ever see, but will be perfect for a pot pie. I use blitz dough for the crust and add a good handful of hinely chopped random fresh herbs to the mix. Dan

I personally like Belgian Saisons and Belgian strong golden ales with turkey. The dry crisp nature of the beer pairs well with lean turkey meat. My personal favorites for turkey are Ommegang Hennepin, 3 Mont, and Jolly Pumpkin Oro del Calabaza and Luciernaga. Jolly Pumpkin bottle conditions their beers and they all have a little bit of funk, so they might gush when opening the bottle. This does put on a good show for guests. ETA... What is your Thanksgiving menu? Maybe we can pair beers with each course or dish. Dan

I have in the past made large batches to last 3-4 days in the evening and then just nuke what I want in the morning. I will admit that it is not as good as freshly made, but nothing horrific. I also toast my oats when I remember to do so. I add the oats to a small amount of butter and let cook until aromatic. I also chop up a small apple and throw that in with some pie spice mix when adding liquid. Dan

I am also a self professed whole grain crank and am in love with white whole wheat flour.I substitute AP with White whole wheat at 1:1 with no ill affects. Good luck! Dan

Okay. I will admit it... My daughter is really darn cute. She is a little head turner. My wife and I occasionally go to a local Indian restaurant for Sunday brunch. there is a waiter there that gives my daughter (who is 9 months old) a lot of attention. He has stopped by our table to play with her for a couple of minutes regardless of how busy the restaurant is. We joke that he is her boyfriend. He has not crossed the line into weirdness or done anything uncomfortable. Has anyone experienced this? At what point is the attention too much? Dan

I have the following in my basement... I need to add a few more to my collection. 1994 Cantillon Iris (4 bottles) Trader Joes Holiday Ale from 2006 and 2008 Old Marley Barleywine (2004, I think) Panil Belgian Red from 2006 De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale I think I have a bottle of Stone Old Guardian, but I am not sure. And from my homebrewed archive Blueberry honey cyser cranberry braggot Abigail's Abby Ale (brewed in her honour when LOML was 3 months pregnant) Earlier this year I opened a 750 of Dogfish Head's Raison D'Extra from 2002 to celebrate my daughters birth. That bottle aged very, very well. I'm sure there is more, but I tend to forget these things.

Bump... LOML and I will be in Plano for Thanksgiving. Any new suggestions out there? Thanks!

It is a personal responsibility, not the government's, to regulate ones diet. The USDA already has 19 pages of regulations dictating the types and percentages of fruits used in fruit salad. http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRD3105806. If you are concerned about your sodium intake, ask for nutritional information. Most major chains have specific data. Yes, it will disgust you, but that's the point. Local restaurants are willing to make you dinner with no salt upon request. Caveat Emptor! Dan

Fish al mojo de ajo is one of my favorite dishes, but one I have yet to learn to make. I am sure there are a thousand ways to make it, so I was curious how people make it. What else do you serve it with besides fish? Dan

I just remembered a confection in Peter Grewling's Chocolate & Confections. It has a layer of sesame seeds coated in caramel that is mixed with dark chocolate and then topped with a mixture of milk chocolate and tehina.

Do you have a high power blender? You can make some tehina from it. You can also dust any baked good with them, like the crust on a pizza or on a pretzel with or without salt. Dan

+1 on flax seed flour. I know Trader Joes sells it. Another thing to get at trader Joes for smoothies is peanut flour. It is very high in protein and nutrients and will give your smoothies a nice peanut butter flavor. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4367/2 Dan

Trayfe! The pig didn't roll over and die out of sheer desire to provide me with bacon.That reminds me of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy where they are at the restaurant at the end of the universe. A cow like creature walks out to the table and starts talking to the diners about its pedigree and tastiest portions asks them which parts they want to enjoy. Always a great read. Dan

Chris. You haven't posted any updates in the past month. Have you stopped cooking from this book for a while? I hope you will revisit it. The information here is very useful. I am thinking of making the chipotle chicken and butternut squash tamales out of thanksgiving leftovers. I saw your comments about the watery nature of the tamales due to the moisture in the squash. I was thinking about making them a little different by cooking and pureeing the butternut squash with some chipotle. I could then mix it with the chicken or pipe it onto the tamale batter. What do you think? Thanks! Dan

Welcome to the wonderful world of kosher products. Here are a couple of sources that might be of help. First, the Chicago Rabbinical Council has a list of respected kosher supervising agencies. Not all agencies are accepted by all Jews. Triangle K and Tablet K are two that stand out... But that is a discussion for another time. http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php Second, the Orthodox Union has a product database that you can search. http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/product_search Regarding chili sauce. The consumer chili sauce products by Huy Fong are kosher, IIRC. It is possible that the industrial products are not kosher due to it being made in another plant that is not supervised. Your best bet is to call the manufacturer and ask for a copy of their kashrut certificate Dan

I picked up a few fennel bulbs today at the farmers market. I probably have four times more fronds than bulb (1 lbs maybe?). Any thoughts or suggestions on what to do with the bounty of fronds? Dan