snowangel

Yes. Even if it's just you and me. One of the nice things about lunch is that even at a higher end restaurant, lunch is almost always very affordable, and I've been wanting to try Vincent. Name a time?

In my case, add to the pile a 1' long strip of cash register tape and 2' of those cash register generated coupons to get me to buy products I wouldn't consume even if they were free (what I really love are the pet food coupons; don't have a pet, have never bought pet food). And, they hurry me along to bag my own groceries. I even had a clerk suggest that I start bagging while she was checking! Like I don't watch those prices (don't assume that because they scan, the prices are correct, and some of them don't have a clue about produce varieties). Most times, I opt to spend a tad more on a full-service grocery that doesn't do any of these things.

Ditto. Goodfellows always seemed a little too "corporate/expense account" for me. Less to do with the food than with the atmosphere, methinks. And, I'm more of a try someplace new person than an old standby person (unless, of course, it is 2:00 in the morning after a "long evening").

I mentioned this on the Twin Cities Farmer's Market Thread. Yes, we should get together. I vote for something relatively inexpensive as to not exclude anyone (including me!), and suggested perhaps Korean, Vietnamese, Big E's, whatever. So, I'm soliticiting suggestions (all sound good to me) and days/times. I've been hankering for a local gathering for over a year, when I was seemingly the lone TC voice...

Way to go! Nice review. I'll look forward to more of these. Do let us TC'ers know when you have reviews published (or drafted) of local haunts. I did read your entire review packet!

It's wonderful. It's also wonderful with bacon and bacon grease. Ah, pork fat. I just love pork fat.

I rarely purchase parts either. Once in a while, though, whole legs (thigh and drumstick) go on sale for 15 to 25 cents a pound, as long as you buy ten pounds or more. Those are weeks I make stock and confit. I shouldn't have said "never" -- as I also purchase the leg/thighs for stock when they are on sale, too. I've never confited (sp?) them. Just do it as you would duck confit?

So, let's get planning. Restaurant? Korean? Vietnamese? Big E's? Weekday evening? Weekend? I'm open to almost anything.

If you're up here and interested in Udapi for lunch, let me know -- I'm home weekdays. It's on Central Avenue (in the 50's), and Central Ave (closer to Lowry) has had a mini-resurgence. Patel, the Indian grocery, has moved across the street and is greatly expanded. Holy Lane absorbed the space next door and so now the restaurant/deli is much larger and the grocery section is absolutely wonderful. There's also a decent Mexican hole in the wall in that area. Yes, 128 Cafe. It's been a while since we've been, but have never been disappointed. The new kid in that area is Heartland, and we had a great dinner there this summer. Owner is former chef at W. A. Frost. Another little gem in that area is Trotters.

Another great apple for baking and cooking is the Haralson (also good for just plain eating). I know that many of the orchards here who offer baked goods use Haralson's almost exclusively.

Welcome, Matthew! I usually hit Udapi when I get a hankering for Indian food -- I like the food and they fairly close to where I live. Any other favorite Twin Cities haunts?

Heavens. I'm feeling positively promiscuous, having lost my poultry hacking virginity at age 9, shortly after I lost my butchering poultry virginity. In all seriousness, it is a good skill to have. I have never purchased chicken parts (other than feet for stock), nor have I ever purchased a pre-cut up bird. I have much easier access to great whole chickens than cut up ones.

We eat a lot of soup. In fact, split pea is on the menu tonight; stopped at the meat market yesterday and there were some lovely ham bones. When I was working outside the home, one of my fall-backs that was really popular was potato leek soup. It's a really fast one, and I almost always have potatos and leeks in the house.

Count me in! Diana loves to cook, and she really needs to work on and expand her horizons, including technique, etc. Peter is starting to display interest (energy level at times prevents total compliance). So, count in 2-1/2, I guess. It is time Diana learned to properly cut up a chicken (I learned at age 9 or so). And, for me, with the kids, a "set menu" is a good thing (prevents sibling squabbling).

It is a little more complicated than this. A true ketogenic diet is actually very high in fat, low in protein and carbs. It is most often used for children with epilepsy which is untreatable with medication. Basically, fast until your body starts producing ketones, then eat pretty much nothing but fat (mayo, cream, butter, oil). Liquid intake is controlled.

For how long? I am reminded of the top of our wedding cake, which my MIL discovered in her freezer, some 20 years after the fact.

Life is good. Smoked meat fat just makes it better. Word, according to Peter (age 7).

In the spirit of things, here's what's cooking in Minneapolis on an absolutely gorgous day (pushing 80, very sunny). Ribs are slowly smoking. Thanks to Klink's expert lesson, Weber Kettle had not made it over 250, spending most of it's time at between 200-225. Cookies (chocolate chip/toffee bit) dough in fridge. First pan will go in just after supper so they are nice and fresh. Potato salad (vinagettey) in fridge. Baked beans (bourbon) simmering nicely in crock pot. Peter just made his favorite appetizer -- tuna salad (tuna, mayo, dash of mustard) to be used as dip with parmesean Goldfish crackers. He (age 7) did it all himself, and for the first time ever, didn't overdo it with the mayo. Previous attempts have been 2-1 mayo-tuna. We'll snap the ends off the green beans just before cooking. I've been getting the best green beans I can remember in years from the farmer's market. Squeeze of lemon and kosher salt after the're cooked crisp/tender. Beer and coca-cola (icey cold over ice cubes) for adults and kids respectively. Diana is off in Nebraska with my folks, so she's missing our Saturday festivities. Wish I was there, or you all were here. Is wine out of a can better or worse than wine out of a box?

Excellent idea, Susan! And, further "in the spirit" (who knows which spirit???), I'll be smokin' a rack o ribs. On sale ($1.28/lb ; pork has been way cheap lately) with a nice fat cap. There's something about booze and smokin' flesh Come to think of it, a Kindred Spirit trip to the Farmer's Market (that's what we call it here in the land o 10,000 lakes) is also in order. New potatos, green beans, squash, onions, shallots, heirloon garlic, leeks, etc. We are too late here for any berries, but the apples (especially the chestnut craps and Haralson's) have been nice and crisp, tart and sweet at the same time. Yes, revel and rejoice. Share in what our Michigan friends are doing, albeit long distance. Vulcan mind meld or something like that.

Sob, sob, sob. I should be having a grand time in Michigan. Toast to us fellow Heartlanders that have things like kid stuff and Protestant Guilt that prevent such well deserved hedoniistic debauchery and camaraderie. Strikes me that Klink should be hyping all of you up for a trek to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Our dress-up trunk even sports TWO tiaras. I now return to our regularly scheduled program of knitting and mopping the brow of a sick child...no rest for the wicker. But, on my list for tomorrow, is sidecar fixings. If not in person, at least in spirit.

I think there has been some confusion above between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk . They are very different.

Call in sick, Babe! It's called that most legitimate of illnesses: Vision Trouble (can't see going to work).

edited for stupidity I think a lot of pumpkin pie recipes call for it. Check out this web site: http://www.petevaporatedmilk.com/sides/Default.htm I've never bought the stuff, but for some reason, used to have a pet recipe booklet. One of the kids used it to make a collage. But, I do remember my grandmother that when my mother was born, she couldn't nurse, so the standard was to feed infants evaporated milk with a few drops of Karo syrup (latter to prevent constipation). What possessed you to buy it?

Linguine with roasted tomato sauce and slow cooked green beans (ala Zuni Cafe Cookbook, but with bacon grease instead of olive oil - yum!).

I store mine in a narrow, deep cupboard and swear everytime I need to find something at the back of the cupboard as I have to unload just about everything. I, too, keep meaning to organize the thing, or at least figure out a better way to organize them in that horrible cupboard.