Rico

Wow. I didnt even know striped bass roe was something people ate. I swear, I learn more about food from egullet than I learn about anything else, anywhere. It's awesome. I love this place. Dinner last night was a shrimp and pesto risotto from the Neiman Marcus cookbook (I still have to use cookbooks most of the time; I'm not clever enough to be doing my own inventing yet - at least, not for company). I've also rotated the photo 180 degrees to make it look like less of a face with the lemons as the eyes ...

This hits on something I've been wondering with collagen (and stocks in general): When I'm making a - let's say chicken - stock, I (and I assume lots of people) use a carcass and discarded bones. I operate on the assumption that all the gelatin comes from the connective tissue on these bones. Now, I've got a couple questions about how this process works, especially with my particular eating habits. I was reared to bite the top off and subsequently eat the marrow out of my chicken bones. I attempt it with all bones, really. Don't flinch, it's good; even great (yeah, I'm Slovak). But in the process, I fear whatever gelatinous properties those ends contain end up getting lost for the stock process. So, first question: Is that correct? I've not noticed a real problem, but I'm the only person I know who makes his own stock, so I've got no real comparison. Second, the marrow: Does a cracked bone - with the marrow exposed - help the stock? Would it help to break all the bones in half to increase the flavor? When all my friends look at me in a shocked manner as I eat the marrow, I merely say it tastes likes 'chicken concentrate'. I've no doubt this is addressed somewhere in the egullet archives, but the search doesn't seem to find the specific answers ...

It's 8:37 here, and I already want to be eating lamb shanks and brisket and lobster and steak. And everything else on this thread. Sigh. Guess I'll go have some oatmeal. Anyway, Valentine's dinner posted inappropriately late (all from Vefa's Kitchen): Cheese-stuffed artichokes Honey-wine shrimp and vegetable orzo: It was all pretty simple and very tasty.

I will second this. And if someone gave me two votes, I'd third it, too.

Yes! The Dr. Pepper Heritage is what we call 'Dublin Dr. Pepper', as it formerly could only be found in the distribution area of the Dublin, TX Dr. Pepper plant (about a 44-mile radius in the middle of Nowhere, TX). Anyway, we used to make road trips in college to Hico just to get cases of the stuff. Say what you will about it, but it tastes worlds better to me. I'm actually a little upset they're selling it mass-market style. I kind of enjoyed being a snobby Dr. Pepper elitist. I guess now if everyone likes it, I'll have to find something else

Now, where I'm from, that's a Frito pie to be proud of. Nothin' shameful about that at all.

I'll drink Keystone in the summer.

Whoa. Posting a first-ever loaf on this thread is ... intimidating. But I'm looking past that, because I made bread. Real bread. And I'm excited about it, dangit! It's the Anadama from BBA. I've never had anadama before, so I don't really know what it's supposed to taste like but if it's supposed to taste good, then I think I did it right (I'm from Texas - anadama's a New England thing, right? Or am I just woefully uninformed?). I probably haven't even noticed a bunch of things that I didn't do right, but right now, I don't mind a bit.

Rooftop, I also had a little fun with brisket this weekend, after I smoked mine I turned it into chili (with some chorizo) ... Now I wish I had pastramified some of it, too. That reuben looks delicious. Anyway, sixteen-degree (farenheit) weather is against my religion. I know when it's that cold outside, it makes me want to kick cute puppies and steal sweet candy treats from small adorable children. But chili makes me feel better. Especially with plenty of jalapeno cornbread and a few of those tasy beverages in the background ... And no, I'm so not above drinking Bud Light with chili.

Okay, here we go. First post in the dinner thread. Chicken Souvlaki from Vefa's Kitchen. Also with tzatziki. It was my first recipe from that book - my first greek recipe ever, really. Based on this, I'm pretty excited to see what else is in there ... Yeah, my photography skill set is still developing.

Sweet. Like putting your goals down on paper ... except in front of an audience full of intimidatingly good cooks ... I don't really have recipes, but off the cuff I'll go with: Pie: cherry, apple or blueberry. And making my own crust for it, of course. I'm not much of a dessert guy, but I feel as if that's something so basic that I need to know it. I know what you're thinking: "He's never made a pie??" - I can see the judgement in the eyes of your avatars. It's withering. Duck confit: because it's also one of those things I feel like I should know how to do. A newer, better chili: I'm tired of being out-chili-ed by Wick Fowler and his pre-packaged stuff. Anything rabbit: Primarily for the novelty to me. I'll probably take whatever recipe I use from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (is there a commonly used acronym for that? It's a long title). A whole hog on a spit: Who doesn't want to do that? And I now have a backyard in which to do it.

I'm the sort of cook that grew up playing with Legos without wanting to look at the instructions. Sometimes I'd have to cheat a little and a police station ended up looking just like a police station. But one time the fire station ended up as a spaceship. The final product maybe didn't always have an official 'name', but I was usually pleased with it and had a helluva time making it.

Worzel, would you say La Paloma and El Fuego are 'Tex Mex' or just Mexican? I think I would say the latter, but I'm all about the semantics (slapping self on forehead for being that guy that wants to point out the difference between Tex Mex and Mexican in Texas ... on a Friday night)

Has anyone found great 'cue in Dallas in the past year since the last time anything was written on this thread? And, of course, I mean brisket. Baker's Rib is great ... but you know, it's great ribs. What kills me is that Dallas barbecue (and I've lived here for all of my tender 29 years) is so lacking, yet Dickey's barbecue (which originated here) is the face of Texas barbecue for a lot of major cities outside of Texas now - at least, that's the impression I have. Can someone tell me a great place in Dallas that I can say to my outside-of-Texas friends and family 'Well, yeah, you've had Dickey's, but that doesn't represent Dallas. What you should really try when you're in Dallas is ..." I've tried to find one for so long, now. What I have found is nothing. Nothing that even compares to Goode Co. in Houston, not to mention anything in Lockhart ...

Shiner Bock and smoked brisket. Oak or mesquite; doesn't matter which.

Could the smoke flavor be from mesquite instead of hickory? I know that's my favorite for brisket ... And I look forward to the brisket verdict! I always feel as if it's the red-headed stepchild of barbecue meat. I mean, of course, outside of Texas.