kayb

There are, indeed, reasons to go to WalMart. I try to go early in the morning, during the week, when the level of "people of Walmart" is lowest. I buy several OTC meds there, as they are much cheaper; shampoo and hair spray; cleaners. I will also buy canned or bagged foods that are purchased from a wholesaler. What I will NOT buy is any kind of meat or fresh veggie. The quality is horrendous.

Will go back and chase that down, but I'd love to have your homemade char siu recipe. Thanks!

I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of cooked greens -- any of 'em, from spinach on down. But I did cook some mustard greens for New Year's Day, a nod to tradition and for my daughter the greens-eater. Have to confess they were less objectionable than collards or turnip greens or poke sallet or kale or spinach or... Got mustard by virtue of the fact they were the ones I could get in the smallest quantity.

Those are just lovely. Got a recipe you'd like to share?

I can tell you that Tyson, Pilgrims and Sanderson are all in COMPLETE control of the price of their poultry (the grower gets whatever they give him; it's as close to slave labor as you can get). There at least used to be a fair bit of crossover membership among the boards of the three. Don't know if there still is or not. All of which goes to say, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

With you, @Anna N. Can't find anything in it to like.

Tuna poke and lobster rolls. Best offer I've seen. I'd love to try to make that one.

Carved the underside of the last joint of my ring finger halfway to the bone on a mandolin. Cut a sizeable wedge-shaped flap off the side of my thumb immediately after having my knives sharpened, as I was trying to get the pit out of an avocado. Slit the palm of my hand trying to pry apart two frozen hamburger patties. Vast majority of those and other smaller mishaps due to my own inattention.

"...the mistake of going to Costco hungry..." Boy, do I know THAT one. Even though I don't have a Costco. Sams and Kroger are about as bad.

I'm going to a watch party that's also a fundraiser for a Congressional candidate, so whatever they serve. Some of my faves to have served in the past include: Pulled pork sliders Ham and cheese rolls Reuben sandwich loaf (triple rye bread, rolled thin, layered with corned beef, kraut, cheese, thousand island, and the edges of the bread sliced into strips and woven over the top and baked) Boiled fingerling potatoes, cut in half and topped with sour cream and caviar Beer-candied bacon A nice variety of cheese and charcuterie on a big board Crostini and my favorite fig tapenade. A big pot of vegetable beef soup Brownies Not necessarily all on the same menu, but those are some that have gotten good reviews over the years.

Could not turn down the brunch cookbook. I love brunch recipes -- just reading and salivating over them, let alone cooking them.

Oh, yum.

I wish I liked bell pepper. I love the look of stuffed peppers. But I can't stand that bell pepper taste.

There are arguments to be made in both directions. If there is a site that I know I can find every variety of spicy condiment, I'm going to go to that site when I want something spicy, regardless of what else it has or does not have. I'm sure there are people to whom an all-spicy site would be attractive. It would also have the effect of limiting your inventory and thus your cash investment in stock. But for me personally, I like to browse, and I'm likely to buy more of "oh, that looks good" than what I went to the site for. So the broader site is more appealing to me. I think it's a balance you have to strike with how much money you want to invest in ongoing inventory.

The dog does not look a bit sorry. I hope his/her stomach wasn't too upset. The cake is a work of art, as are all your confections. I am in awe.

Ah. I should have realized that. Used to see them around this part of the world; haven't in a long time.

Don't get me started on vision statements, particularly when a government agency does them. Much fluffing up and proclamation, and damn little meat on the bones. I'm very curious about the future of agriculture in CA, given the water availability situation. Not so much the almonds and avocadoes, but more the lettuces, grapes, fruits of the Central Valley. We have three major commercial growing areas for those crops in the US, and two of them are running short on water. I live in an area in nearly the same latitude, which is very economically depressed, and which has an abundance of water. It's a potential economic driver I'm looking at for the Lower Mississippi Valley, and I think it has the potential to turn this part of the nation around.

What @Anna N said. That's gorgeous.

I like it on graham crackers. But I tire of it quickly.

A poached or fried egg on a leftover baked potato with cheese and bacon is one of my favorite breakfasts. Sometimes I'll just bake a couple of small potatoes -- tennis ball sized -- and flatten them with a potato masher, brush the top with butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, cheese and bacon, broil it, and then top with an egg. Tough to beat.

Do you shred and dress a big portion of cabbage all at once, or do it as you make your sandwich?

Well, yes...sorta. It heats only from the bottom, not from the sides, so the cooking is a bit different. Also, I've read where people experience a bit of difficulty in getting the cooking setting (low, normal, high) adjusted to suit them. But mostly, the reason I retired the crock pot is that the IP negates 85 percent or more of the reasons for using it. I might well try the onions in it, though. There are still things I don't want to make in the IP; I made carbonnades a la flamande the other day, and I started them in the Dutch oven on top of the stove before moving them to the oven for a low, slow four-hour braise. Some things are just better cooked that way.

I love cabbage shredded like that and dressed with oil and vinegar on a sandwich. Most any sandwich. And on a taco.

H'mm. I had wondered about the texture issue for onions in the pressure cooker, having noticed how diced onions almost disappear when cooked at pressure. Like @Anna N, I don't think I'd care for that texture. I've retired my crock pot since I got the IP, so I may have to try the oven method. I love the convenience of having frozen bags of caramelized onions close at hand. Going to caramelize some today. I'm thinking beef, barley and mushroom soup today.

I am so jealous. Memphis Farmers Market will open the first of March, I think, and I will make a weekly pilgrimage down there until ours opens up here. There's also a new one an hour away from me that's doing a lot of work in greenhouses, so I need to get over there as well.