kayb

You will, I hope, forgive me if I stick to my grass-fed, locally raised beef.

Faded Rose, a long-time Little Rock restaurant staple, used to have a frog leg entree. Sauteed in either garlic butter or lemon butter, as I recall. Having grown up eating frog legs, they were no big deal for me, but the Yankees in my life always got a kick out of them. But oh, that Faded Rose soaked salad....

God love you. I won't handle much of anything stronger than a Cubanelle without gloves, after having made mole sauce several years ago with ancho, guajillo and chipotle peppers (well, the chipotles were in adobo and all I did was chop them up, so they were harmless). Thought I'd die. And your eyes NEVER itch so much as when you can't rub them.

If sodium is an issue for you, they have an unGodly amount of it. Taste is average, at best.

The "Chicken Dance" song is running through my head.... Da da da da da da DAH Da da da da da da DAHDa da da da da da DAH da da da da.... (repeat as needed)

I really want to be adopted into your family.

So how do you prepare crocodile? Alligator is a big thing here in Cajun cookery in Louisiana and some parts of east Texas. I have never seen the point in it. How do you prepare crocodile and what are its good points? Oh, and welcome!

Re: the mutant Driscoll's strawberries. They are somewhat interesting if you cap them and then fill the core that always seems to exist in the center with something like caramel or white chocolate. Just sayin'.

Re: "....Ate straight up." -- So would I have, my friend. So would I.

I have eyed it, but not yet made it.

A couple of bacon biscuits with homemade blackberry jam. Followed by a nap. Ready for the day now.

Not a Deep Run Roots recipe (but I think Vivian would approve of it): Slice an assortment of tomatoes, salt and put on paper towels to drain. Cut kernels off three ears of corn. Mix with a half-cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream, some cumin, some chili powder, and a healthy portion of grated cotija cheese Mix a half-cup of mayo with a cup of grated cheddar. Brush a pie crust with olive oil. Add a layer of corn mixture, a layer of tomatoes, alternating until you've used them all or the crust is full. Top last layer of tomatoes with the mayo-cheese mixture. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly. Let cool to lukewarm. Try not to eat more than half of it at a setting.

Not a combination of which I would have thought. But it sounds intriguing.

Just kill...me...now. Dang it. I have been jonesing for meatloaf, mostly so I can have a meatloaf sandwich. Very possibly tomorrow. I've been jonesing for steak, too. But I don't want to cook it. I want someone to cook it for me. Perfectly. Going to a conference next week; may have to make that happen. Love-love-love the tomato eclipses. No cooking here of late. Tons of work stuff, and then to just make it interesting, I took a long weekend and went eclipse-chasing, an outing that included a pot-luck dinner on a houseboat in the middle of the Tennessee River shortly before 99.4 percent totality.

Most welcome. Always happy to welcome another member to the pimiento cheese aficionado club. I highly recommend it with bacon and tomato (lettuce is optional), as well as topping on a burger (again, with bacon is most excellent. I have also been experimenting with pimiento cheese grits with some success.

I commend to you the eggs baked in stewed tomatoes. I didn't have country ham but I had proscuitto, which I laid out on parchment on a cookie sheet and baked until it was crispy, for the ham chips on top. Marvelous.

Oh, man. Now you've got me wanting barbecue. And although GOOD 'cue is available four blocks from my house, I can't do it, because I have a dinner guest tonight and I'm grilling shrimp and I don't want to ruin my appetite. I made do with a bowl of watermelon.

I was going to say exactly what @mgaretz said re: the plastic mats. If you have WalMart in Boston, they sell a multi-pack of what they call "flexible cutting boards" that are exactly that, for a couple of bucks. I have one given me at the Lodge outlet when I bought my skillets (which are still sitting on my dining room table, unseasoned, four months later...) that subs for a silicone lid on my biggest mixing pan or a roasting pan if I need to marinate or refrigerate something. It has birds on it. The colors are, I guess, a bonus.

The aroma is, indeed, delightful. Doesn't hold a candle to the taste, though. FYI: You can whiz it up in the blender and it makes FINE pizza sauce.

The recipes are not out of reach for an average, or even subpar, home cook. Simple ingredients, simple techniques. You'll love it. And it IS a great read.

Al Biernat's has a wonderful steak. They make a port/foie gras sauce that is to die for. Ate at Cafe Pacific a few years ago and had the best halibut I've ever had in my life. It was over roasted corn polenta. The waiter kept asking if he could take my plate, and I kept saying, "No," because I kept thinking if I waited a bit I could take just one...more...bite... Both are in Highland Park, a short Uber ride. I think it was 10 bucks last year; maybe not that much. You need reservations for Al's. Cafe Pacific, maybe, maybe not. Wouldn't hurt. Cafe Brazil (several locations, including one in Deep Ellum, adjacent to downtown and walkable) has marvelous coffee and a good breakfast, including some Brazilian dishes. I still order my coffee beans from there.

No, it's pretty unusual. And I've typically had good produce from this vendor. There's only one at the market I tend to stay away from, and his stuff is often just old.

Canteloupe and cottage cheese. Disappointing canteloupe, which aggravated me; got it at the farmers' market, and it should have been luscious this time of year. I may chunk the rest of the bowl. Just tasteless. Today was steel cut oats. Didn't photograph it. Just not photogenic.

No, you really probably shouldn't.

@Toliver -- Thanks. Snagged 'em both.