kayb

The caramelized peach and onion hash sounds fabulous. Details?

There are two things I eat at McDonald's: The hash browns and the apple pie. Re: frozen fish fingers. They make excellent fish tacos.

Old standby. Peaches and cottage cheese. With a few blueberries for good measure.

And a lovely version of it. I haven't had one in forever.

Mr. B.'s Bistro is always a favorite of mine. Tujagues on, I think, Decatur (right off Jackson Square) is a good local spot. And I can never pass up Drago's, in the Hilton. Just bring me a dozen chargrilled, and keep the beer coming!

Yep, like that, except I don't use the cider vinegar (though I might!) and I sprinkle the ribs down with a dry barbecue rub first. Definitely broil with bbq sauce.

Grandson and I took out for the farmers market this morning; after that stop, we went to the vet and picked up the dog's prescription, and then I asked him if he wanted to get donuts for breakfast. Nope, he said, he wanted Sonic. So to Sonic we went, where he got a grilled cheese and fries and tea, and I got a Diet Coke. Then back home where I fixed myself some yogurt, granola and blueberries. Healthier than the donut I wasn't supposed to eat, anyway, I guess.

Thanks for that. It hadn't occurred to me the degree of separation from diners felt by Asian waiters at an Asian restaurant, or even Mexican waiters at a Mexican restaurant. Almost like they were part of the furniture. I'm sure I've been guilty of "looking right through them," although I don't THINK I've ever been part of the dining party from hell. I did two short stints as a waitress, one at a local diner when I was in high school, one at a bar and grill when I was in college. Both times I was in a familiar spot; most of the diner patrons were people I knew (or was related to), while most of the bar and grill patrons were folks I'd sat and drank with before I started working there. Most complaining was good-natured, and I'd give back as good as I got. Obviously, most waiters don't have that luxury.

We used to use a big aluminum dishpan. Any broader-than-it-is-deep cooking vessel will do. I have used a Dutch oven, but you have to stir constantly to get the bottom layers up to the top. I finally settled on my big enameled turkey roaster pan. I don't season at all. I may add a little water if it seems like it wants to stick. Then when I'm ready to cook, I add butter, salt and pepper.

Chum is a pretty baby. When's your first killing frost, usually?

Oh, hell, no. I'm already surrounded by a kitchenfull of appliances that are smarter than I am. I assuredly do not need one that's psychotic, to boot.

Just leave my basic Crunchy Tacos alone. Mild sauce, please.

FWIW -- Having been a participant in the freezing of hundreds of bushels of corn over the course of my life, here's how we did it, and I still do it: Cut off the kernels and scrape the cobs. "Blanch," though it's not a true blanch, the kernels over medium heat for maybe five minutes. Portion into bags, express as much air as possible, seal and freeze. It's not necessary to vacuum seal. We would simply (and I still do) squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing.

I love your reviews, though I'll likely never get to most of these places. Thanks.

After the late and much lamented Justin Wilson, Pepin is probably my favorite ever chef to listen to or watch.

Well, that's an interesting concept. What proportion of mustard to butter?

Healthy breakfast. Yogurt, granola, and a diced peach.

I could do without my IP and my sous vide circulator, though I wouldn't want to. I would hate to have to do without my CSO, for all the reasons @Okanagancook cited above, plus the fact you can bake/toast/whatever something and not heat up your kitchen on days like today when the a/c is out.

How it was, was like this. I have been trying all day to finish out a project, and as I was printing it, naturally enough, I run out of ink. Off to Sam's for ink cartridges, which leads to picking up a rotisserie chicken. Which in turn leads to stopping by Meals for Moms, a block away, and picking up green beans and corn casserole. Augmented by the fact my a/c went out Sunday. Fortunately, (1), it's an unseasonable August cool spell, and (2), it's fixed, but is frozen into a solid block of ice so I can't use it until in the morning. Thus:

Your sunset photos soothe my soul. Your seafood pictures, on the other hand, make me hungry. Keep 'em both coming!

I'm curious -- who needs a recipe for grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches, mini or otherwise?

I enjoy fine dining, but I don't want to do it often. I love small, out-of-the-way local spots that are noted for one thing that they do very, very well. Casual is fine with me most of the time. I do prefer to go in, sit down (in a comfy chair!) and be waited on as opposed to ordering at a counter and getting a number, but I won't reject a place because of that.

I've done holiday gift baskets for my kids' inlaws, and other friends, for several years. Contents vary over the years, but have included: 1. Jams and jellies 2. Pub cheese 3. Chicken liver pate (note, for that and the pub cheese, you need to include directions to keep them refrigerated) 4. Pickles of all sorts, including pickled quail eggs and small knockwurst chunks 5. Chutneys, spreads and sauces. I did a big batch of Vivian Howard's Blue Q barbecue sauce and canned it one year. 6. Meringue cookies 7. Rice krispy treats 8. Pralines 9. Fudge 10. Chocolate bark 11. Quick breads 12. Flavored butters 13. Bagels 14. Homemade bread 15. Homemade crackers 16. Candied nuts 17. Eggnog (someone on here, maybe @BonVivant?) shared an eggnog recipe a couple of years ago. It's pretty wonderful, but damn, it's strong! I believe if I make it again, I'll cut back on the booze. One reason i like to make it is that it amuses me to watch the reaction of the liquor store when the old lady strolls up and wants Everclear. I generally aim toward the out-of-the-ordinary. Pickled quail eggs are a big hit, as is bacon jam and homemade crackers. One year, I made Eudora Welty's white fruitcake. It was awful -- doughy and not tasty. So I froze it, sliced it thin, and made biscotti out of it. That was pretty good.

I have one of those. Use it a lot.

I bet it would be an excellent way to make croutons, too.