kayb

Lots of lettuce and tomato among the toppings (and salsa!), and we had watermelon for dessert! I did forget the jalapeños, probably because I don’t like them.

Enjoy Chicago, possibly my favorite city in the U.S.! No dining recs (I love Shaw’s Crab House, but don’t think they have a patio), but if you have any interest at all in American History, do not miss the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, on Chicago just about a block or two west of the Loop.

Regardless of their provenance, they’re wonderful.

Wasn’t sure where to put this, so… I’ve volunteered for years at a weekly soup kitchen run by m church and a neighboring congregation, taking a Saturday morning-noon shift about every six weeks. The weekend before, I text my team to get menu suggestions, so I can pass the grocery list along to the coordinator. This week, they suggested nachos, and I duly asked for chips, ground beef, beans and the trimmings. I’d never have thought of it for the menu. But we got more compliments on what a great meal it was than I ever remember having. Cheap meal, too.

What a superb birthday spread for Charlie! Lucky fella to be so appreciated!

Zagnut candy bars. Never see them any more. Stopped at a convenience store in SE TN earlier this week and they had candy cigarettes. ETA: Zagnuts can be ordered on Amazon.

Would love to see/hear about some of what you cook!

Welcome, Luis! you'll find all kinds of food and all levels of skill here!

It's beena wonderful look at somewhere I don't expect I'll ever go. Thanks.

identical twins, maybe? pickled Dilly beans. Wash and trim beans to stand upright in jar. Bottom of jar: smashed garlic clove, salt, pepper, big bunch of dill. Pack. Raw beans in. Boil 50-50 vinegar water solution. Pour over beans to fill jars. Water bath process for 19 minutes. can use other spices as it suits your fancy.

when the Raniers come in I will pay whatever the supermarket asks for them.

Here you go.

Hope your travels were safe and not horrifically delayed! Thanks for the vacation!

I cut mine off, scrape the cobs with a knife to get the “milk,” and freeze; I’ve done with and without blanching. Don’t add the butter until I thaw and cook it. I froze 24 ears Friday. Need to get some more.

@Kim Shook — don’t really have a recipe. However many hash brown patties cover the bottom of the baking dish. I think it was a 12-oz pkg of sausage, cut into coins and browned because I couldn’t be arsed to remove the casings and crumble it. About a cup, cup and a half of grated Gruyère. Five eggs because that was how many were left in the carton. Maybe half a cup of milk. I’ve used diced ham instead of sausage, and actually used leftover pulled pork bbq once. It was pretty good!

Love chess cake. Easy to make, too.

Thanks for taking us along!

Looks like marvelous food and a great visit!

More of a technique than a recipe. Sauté bacon lardons with some chopped onion and minced garlic; drain, and use the drippings to make a thinner-than-usual cornbread batter (about the consistency of pancake batter). (Do not put sugar in the cornbread if you’re in the habit of doing that). Toss the cooled onions and garlic and the bacon with about the same volume of diced tomatoes as you have cornbread batter. Put the batter in a heated and greased skillet, and dollop the tomatoes around on top. Top the whole thing with grated Parmesan and bake. Actually, I guess you could put the tomato-onion-garlic mixture with the bacon on the bottom and pour the batter over it. I never tried it that way.

Something of a variation on the Trashy Benedict: Line the bottom of a baking dish with hash brown patties. Top with sausage, grated cheese, and eggs beaten with milk. I learned I do not like the Vermont Maple breakfast sausage links I got from Misfits.

Tomato cornbread cobbler.

Hard to beat. I’ve had similar, several times this summer.

I used to buy frozen food occasionally from Schnucks, which has the freezer truck they bring around and deliver stuff to you every two weeks or so, at home or at your workplace. They would, “in season,” (I disremember what the season was) offer king crab legs. I bought them once, Googled how to cook them, and Child A and I enjoyed a delicious repast. But they’re like peel-n-eat shrimp. You want to put the shells in a separate trash bag, tie it up tightly, and take it outside before heading for bed. Not that I know this from experience or anything. Else it smells like Viet Hoa market (I walk real fast past the seafood section). Not unlike the time that, knowing no better, I put shrimp shells down the disposal. Not ever again!

Oh, my God. I’m in a sugar coma just from looking! Spectacular! Thank you for the “inside and out” look!

Happiest of birthdays! Looked like a great trip. I do love that area. Chocolates are amazing, but like @KennethT, I’m lusting for the OR’s.