snowangel

Thanks for the advice. First, I don't think brisket needs a sandwich. It stands on it's own! Second, I don't want no work, just less work. And, less stuff (5 bikes, lawnmower, snow blower, garden stuff, two cars, etc. sort of fill up the garage). I don't think a person can grill on a Smokey Mountain. Why did you opt for the Chargiller instead of a Smokey Mountain? I'm looking for a "one thing can do most of it" thing.

The cabbage reminds me that I often go to the farmer's market not long before closing time and bargain with them. They are often happy to greatly reduce price -- it's one less thing to pack up and haul away, and especially if it's perishable, they're getting something rather than trash.

In our house, big budget stretchers are beans, bacon ends and fried rice. There's something about bacon ends -- a $2.00 bag of them can provide a lot of flavoring bang for the buck in a multitude of dishes, and there's something about a bean dish that has pork fat in it. And, I can hardly think of a better way to stretch a bit of meat than fried rice or hash. Fried rice also makes good use of limpish little leftovers in the veg bin.

Had this last night (with mangos; peaches looked like crap). Leftover rice, warmed, with another mango, makes a most spectacular breakfast. I did not share with the kids.

Agreed. Mine was "limp and thin" eaten immediately. Two days later, heaven. Just as good leftover just slightly warmed up.

That stuff is a conspiracy. Is it really asparagus?

A couple of questions/comments: Smoking brisket is a serious time commitment. And, a serious beer commitment. I need to smoke some (I'm about to lose my smoking brisket virginity ). SOme to eat that same day. I also need some about two weeks later. In the interest of time, do you freeze? If so, do you heat the thawed stuff up or just serve cold. I hope you can provide a report in January when you've done your first sub-zero smoking. Finally, next time we see you, any "reinforcement" you can provide reinforcement to Paul that yes, I do need something besides the Weber; something like what you have. The Weber seems to need more constant attention than I can often give.

Justification and guilt-free. I do it all the time. I actually thought up stuff that I thought I needed to get as gifts to order something for ME to get the free shipping.

Tourist!

When I think of destination dining, I just, quite frankly, don't think of Burnsville, Eagan, or Shakopee. Nor do I think of great Indian or Mexican in these areas, but since you did find good Vietnamese in Burnsville, there may be hope. These are areas that I tend to only drive through, not to.

Too bad this place is so far from where we live. Burnsville feels like we are 1/2 way to Iowa!

Some things are harder to flame than others. Trust me. Old rotten fish guts are not highly flamable. It's a long (but good) story, but I now it's true. Gasoline and alcohol on the other hand....

For my kids and their friends, nowadays it's all about SOUR. The current favorite is Zours.

When I was 10, and living in Thailand, we had a fancy dinner at the French Restaurant (Le Cave????) at the wonderful and venerable old Eraway Hotel (which has since been replaced by some monstronsity). For dessert, we had Peaches Flambe. Never mind that you wonder where in the hell they got peaches in Bangkok in 1968, or whether they were even peaches. But, earlier that day, my sister and I got our very first ever pet -- a cat (Siamese, naturally); I remember nothing else about the meal. We named her Flambe. She was a wonderful cat, and lived to the ripe old age of 15. Made the move from Thailand to MN without flinching. But, back to the topic. Suggestions, please. My propane torch is ready!

I guess I thought BBQ had more to do with meat preparation than glop-on-top. But, I've been known to have been wrong about a thing or two in the past... Interesting that in Minneapolis, I have not seen a single BK add with Rick. We've had that Rachael lady, but no Rick. The sandwiches he touts do not feature him in the ads I've seen.

I'm still pursuing my dish-size theory. What did you use? Oh my. I'll have to try this. For the potatoes, I used a pie plate; I have one that is pottery that must be about a 10.5", and the sides are higher than your average pyrex one, but not really high. I don't have a gratin pan because this one is so pretty. Yes, the fat does help keep left-over roast chicken less dried and stringy. I'm betting it would be really good augmented with bacon grease. I, too, would like to try duck. Perhaps that should be next on the list after beef. And, I'll dig out mastering the art and look at desserts.

I'd have to agree with most of the comments above. I did not use the required amount of stock in the potatoes (it just seemed like way too much), so mine were absolutely wonderful. And, the chicken dish was, I agree, better today. I think this would be a good company dish that a person could made a day ahead and reheat. As a side note, roast chicken holds up much better if you save the fat and pour it over the chicken before putting it in the fridge (cheater confit?). Yes to the bourguignon and more challenging veggie dishes.

This is wonderful! I do acquiese on a radio (battery operated) because there is a fabulous station out of Grand Rapids, MN. I turn it off or tune it out for news and just use it for music. Gotta have music to cook by!

On the menu for Monday night. I've never made it before, got any good suggestions?

Thanks. Re-reading it made me wistful for the cabin. Only 7 months give or take a few days. Peter wll begin the countdown in early February.

It's cheap again, as are those country-style ribs which aren't ribs. Made the Mock Porchetta from the Zuni Cafe cookbook. Wonderful. The leftovers made great sandwiches and an outstanding hash. Yum.

But, there's a hair in my food.

Speaking from experience, this is not true if the winner is a 46-year old babe with three kids. I tried it.

See you tomorrow at 12:30 pm. Looking forward to it. I got the garage painted, so my outdoor chores are done, and I think I just barely made it weather-wise.

You mentioned the 31st in your previous post? I know AlexP was interested in the 31st, but does not have internet access until Monday (10/27).