Corinna

You ladies are certainly being industrious trying new drinks. It's inspirational! I'd like to give the 20th century a try. Any particular brand(s) of White Creme de Cacao I should look for? Thanks!

Beautiful twist, Anna! I should give that drink a try. Agreed! Such great suggestions, many of which I'm adding to my own list. (Especially the 20th Century, which sound like the perfect way to celebrate my third decade.) My recommendation was going to be an Aviation, if you can get a mini bottle of Maraschino (or, perhaps, invest in a bottle for future baking, etc.) Refreshing and a revelation, cocktail-wise, for me. Greater the sum of its parts. My question, from reading this discussion: I love Campari, and recently depleted my bottle making David Lebovitz's brilliant Grapefruit Campari Sorbet. Since summer is Campari season, I was planning to replace it tout de suite, but this thread makes me wonder if I shouldn't try a bottle of Aperol instead (I haven't ever had it.) Or should I finish my Cynar first? Have fun, ladies! I always enjoy reading your posts.

Thanks, Dan. I remember there being a buzz on here about it.

Thanks for all your recommendations, folks! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to one of the bigger liquor stores in the area, so my selections were seriously limited. I also should have mentioned I am in NY state, so prices tend to be on the higher side. I ended up with a bottle of Bulleit, which cost me $30. I hope it's okay.

Favorite, best-value bourbons these days? It's for a gift, so I don't mind spending a little money, I just want it to be worth it. (Unfortunately, I cannot get any guidance out of the recipient or his wife, but I know he likes bourbon and will appreciate something good.) I'd like to have a couple reliable options when I go into the store. Thanks in advance!

This was my first thought when I read the OP, but if this encourages people to cook more frequently, maybe it's not such bad advice. I haven't found it to be a good solution for me, but maybe it helps people who aren't as used to cooking (probably Ray's target audience) to plan meals and budget time to cook during the week. I feel the same way about buying pre-chopped veg (esp at a premium price).

This Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen is great and I make it often. That is saying a lot since I usually don't have the attention span to make anything more than once. The prep is simple, the resulting meat tender and the sauce wonderfully flavorful. I usually use a top round, since I find it on sale a lot, and I haven never used a steak rub in this recipe.

I was looking at these in the store the other day. They look great!

I'd also check the food halls at Selfridge's and Harvey Nicks.

This sounds amazing. Thank you!

I recently discovered that my oregano plant survived the long central NY winter, and is now taking over. Any new ideas about applications of fresh oregano?

It's delightful drizzled with honey. I also like to serve a local chevre with local Riesling.

I had read some comments that the Bradley doesn't get hot enough to smoke poultry properly, but I have also seen pics and heard stories of it being successful. Does the skin get crispy?

Have any of you had success with poultry and/or fish in a Bradley? Thoughts on the original vs digital?

Jaymes, where are you located? There is an amazing Mexican place in Canandaigua, NY. In addition to more US-ized Margaritas, you can order a "Margarita real" which is fresh lime juice, Cointreau and your choice of tequila from a list as long as your arm (no Cuervo!) Good stuff.

I think they're great: lots of choices (though I think think intensity of the smoke given up by different types is as much a consideration as the "flavor"); inexpensive; convenient. What else do you want to know? Some people seem to resent being tied to them, or find them overpriced. You don't, though. Which are your favorite varieties?

This is all very useful, thanks folks! I'm also glad this topic will be helpful to others. Please can you talk some more about the PID and what it brings to the party. (Especially since it increases the price of the project quite a bit.) Those of you who have experience with the Bradley Smokers, I'm interested in knowing how you feel about the "pucks." Thanks again!

I'm a newbie to smoking, but this time of year (and into the fall) it seems very appealing so I am looking for a basic electric smoker to start experimenting with. I want to be able to smoke traditional pork shoulders, briskets, etc. as well as other non-meat items, (cheese, etc.) After reading through the topics below, as well as the other extensive discussions on smokers on eG forums, I'm turning to you all to hear about which electric smokers you've tried, and their pros and cons. What's a good starter model? Old electric smoker topic #1 Old electric smoker topic #2 Old electric smoker topic #3 Ease of use is the main thing I'm looking for, because the easier it is to use the more I will use it. (This is the main reason I'm choosing electric over charcoal.) From what I've read temperature capabilities (apparently poultry needs to be smoked at a higher temp) and efficiency/accessibility of fuel are other important factors. Anything else I should to keep in mind? These Bradley and Masterbuilt units look like good candidates. Do you own either of them? Would you buy them again? Are there others I should consider? Thanks in advance!

I made a double batch of the cilantro-cashew paste last night. There was no appropriate chicken at the store, so I ended up smearing it on some nice pork shoulder steaks that we threw on the grill. Perfect for our first al fresco meal of the year, with coconut rice, romaine with lime vinaigrette and a Chilean Sauv Blanc. I look forward to trying it on chicken thighs soon (if I don't eat the res of it with a spoon.) Thanks for sharing this rockin' recipe! It's going to come in very handy this summer.

I recently enjoyed the Tasting Menu (4 or 5 courses) at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar for a friend's bday celebration. In addition to being delicious, I thought it was a great value and the service was very good. They do take reservations.

What a fun thread! I like to vary mains and sides, but there are some things that do seem to especially complement each other. My mum taught me always to serve some sort of potato (boiled, mashed) with fish. Something to do with the possibility of catching a small bone in your throat. It made sense at the time. Let's not forget grilled cheese & tomato soup.

Fabulous! I knew I could count on you all. Thank you!

??? As in fries with some sort of crab infused sauce? Please explain Fries with Old Bay?

This is a delicious preparation of tongue to be used as a base for tacos, or so many other possibilities. Thank you, Jaymes!

I'm looking for somewhere to have a drink or two before dinner at Aquavit. Is there anything particularly interesting somewhere nearby that you'd recommend. TIA.