JAZ

I can see your point, Katie, and I'm all for adapting to circumstances. But I've been in Chris's shoes -- you're at a conference, you've been with people (not necessarily people you like) all day long, you don't want even the attenuated socialization required in a bar. You want a drink, and you want to drink it in your own room. Yes, you can order a scotch on the rocks or a local beer or glass of wine from room service, but if you want a good cocktail, you probably have to make it yourself. And I don't know about you, but sometimes (often) after a long day, I don't want a glass of wine or a beer. And that's when a couple of packets of sugar and lemon wedges swiped from the afternoon beverage break can save your life.

A friend of mine recently made a salad that consisted of poached pears, sliced, topped with shaved aged gouda cheese and candied walnuts. It was really good, if a little monochromatic. But if you sprinkled on a few pomegranate seeds you'd have a pretty and different kind of fruit salad.

I've been cooking from One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless, and now I'm ready to buy one or two more Mexican cookbooks. So, if I'm going to get one of Diane Kennedy's, which one should I get? Essential Cuisines? My Mexican Kitchen? Something else? And I see that there's a 20th Anniversary edition of Bayless's Authentic Mexican -- is that something I should consider? I've enjoyed cooking from Bayless, and I like his approach, but I'm thinking that from what people have said here, Kennedy could provide some good background, whether or not I actually cook from her books.

This is the recipe I use; it calls for 1/2 cup of sugar per pound of walnuts. I add cayenne to the sugar to spice them up, but it's the same ratio without it. Don't omit the oil -- it give the nuts a gloss they don't get otherwise.

I have the opportunity to get the Chef's Choice "VariTilt" model #632 (here) for less than half the list price. Seems like a pretty decent machine, for what I need. Does anyone have any experience with these? Also, if I get it, should I spring for the non-serrated blade?

Chris, I've served jerk chicken skewers with a mango salsa, which goes well with the flavor. If you wanted more of a sauce consistency, you could puree some mango, onion, and lime juice. For seasoning, maybe allspice?

It packages great. You can use plastic or cellophane bags, or tins. For shipping, I'd definitely use tins -- I line them with plastic wrap, or put the caramel corn into bags and then into tins.

I've been using basically the same recipe that Jaymes uses for 25 years, and mine says exactly the same thing: "boil for 5 minutes." Works fine. The (minor) differences between mine and Jaymes' are: Mine doesn't call for salt (on the other hand, my mother, from whom I got this recipe, always used salted butter). It calls for a teaspoon of cream of tartar. It's my understanding that this helps ensure a crisp product. My recipe doesn't call for an addition of vanilla -- that sounds great; I'll have to try it. I use dark corn syrup and no molasses, but I imagine that's a wash. The recipe I use calls for adding nuts (roasted & salted) when you're tossing the popcorn with the caramel. I never used to make this with nuts, but recently I've tried it that way. It seems that no matter what I do, the nuts seem to sink to the bottom of the roasting pan. I'd like for them to become one with the popcorn. Any tricks to help that? The spiced versions sound wonderful too. I'll have to try them. (Oh, and now that silpats have been invented, I'm all over using them instead of waxed paper.)

Some of the pasteurized, not-from-concentrate juices are decent in cocktails. One thing about citrus juice and club soda, though -- make sure you strain the pulp out of the juice (or buy the kind without pulp, if you're buying it), because when you pour in the club soda, the bubbles will attract all the pulp and bring it to the surface in a nasty looking raft.

I'm a fan of crispy bits of meat, which were mentioned early on, but I guess I don't see how that relates to crusts and outside cuts of baked goods. I don't really care that much about bread crust -- I can take it or leave it. But I've never cared for the outside pieces of anything baked. Too dry and overcooked for my tastes.

I make a lamb curry in which the meat is marinated with yogurt, lemon juice and spices overnight then cooked in the marinade the next day. While browning the meat might add to the flavor profile, I can't see any practical way to do that. And it has plenty of flavor, so I've never seen a need to change it.

I'm not saying that pans stick to my knives, or that the knives stick to each other. But two years after I stopped using a block, if I have my two chef's knives (a Messermeister and a Wusthof) on the counter next to each other, the blades swing together. So they're definitely, if lightly, magnetized.

Define "long" -- I haven't had my knifes on a magnet for almost two years, and they're still magnetized. Doesn't seem to affect them, though.

As I said here, I wasn't satisfied with it. My comments: It seemed like a great idea but didn't work at all for me.

Am I the only one who thinks orange flower water tastes like soap?

Maggie has been, for me, a scrupulous editor, a generous tour guide, a delightful dining companion and a tireless coworker. Also a great friend. I'll miss having her as a fellow volunteer, but I look forward to her smart and thought-provoking topics and posts.

I've used a slightly Westernized version of Indian saag (creamed spinach) to fill phyllo triangles. That might make a good version of spinach dip.

If you like the idea of chile and chocolate, why not add a pinch of cayenne, or chipotle or ancho to your flourless chocolate cake? I've altered a regular brownie recipe (for an 8x8 pan pan) with half a teaspoon of cayenne and a teaspoon of cinnamon, for a "Mexican brownie" version. It's a hit whenever I serve it.

While I liked Cochon, I think it's not as good as Herbsaint (which you also have planned, right?). Since you want to go to the Pere Marquette for a julep, why not go before dinner and eat at Mila? It'll save a lot of travel, as well. And if Chris is at the bar, you'll have better drinks there than at Carousel, which is fun, but doesn't have great cocktails.

I've pretty much always just cooked for one or two (unless I'm cooking for a dozen or two), so to me it seems odd to have to have a "strategy." But I realize that if you're not used to it, it can seem daunting. And on second thought, I do have a strategy, but I've been following it for so long it doesn't seem like one. My first thought is that there are two issues here: lunches and dinners. To answer the first, lunches, it would help to know what your workplaces are like. Do you have a kitchen at work? Microwaves? Refrigerators? If you have both, then lunches can be both easier and more varied. If you don't, then sandwiches and some kinds of salads are probably your best options. The good thing about sandwiches and salads is that they can often use up protein and vegetables from previous meals. There's all kinds of good advice here about cooking and using extra protein already, but sometimes what people don't think about is using cooked vegetables in subsequent dishes. If you're roasting vegetables for dinner, roast extra and use them in a pasta salad for lunches. If you feel the need for protein, a little left over chicken or cheese can complete the meal. You have beets for dinner? Make a beet salad with feta cheese and mint (pine nuts are great too) for lunch the next day (or the day after). You got a huge bunch of broccoli because it was on sale? Cook it all and use the second half for broccoli soup. Generally, if you think "ingredients" instead of recipes, you can end up with the start of a new meal. It's not always possible, but if you can cook things without much strong seasoning or sauce, then add the flavorings afterward, you've got more useful fodder for future meals. I get pork shoulder or chuck roast and pressure cook it for an hour or so with nothing much more than salt, pepper and broth or beer. Then I can use the tender meat for chili, stew, pulled pork sandwiches, ragout -- whatever -- by adding the appropriate seasonings afterward.

I went ahead and bought the 11-bottle model. It fits on the counter right that divides the kitchen from the living room, and I think it's going to work great. It comes (of course) with racks designed to hold wine bottles, but they're removable, so I'm hoping to find a flat rack that can fit onto the holders. On the other hand, I think I'll keep the top rack for wine -- I mostly drink reds, and it'll be nice to have a cool place to store a bottle or two.

I think that electric v. gas ovens is not a big deal. If anything, a good electric oven will provide more even heat than a gas oven. If you can deal with the adjustment from a gas cooktop to electric, then the oven is a piece of cake. (Worry about other things -- knives, decent cookware.) What seemed to be the problem when you cooked potatoes and zucchini in the electric oven? I cook potatoes and other vegetables all the time in electric ovens and have no problem getting them browned and crisp. If the temp was too low, then it's a calibration problem. As suggested earlier, bring an oven thermometer and check it before cooking.

Another thought -- if you interpret "British" food to include British colonial foods, then you could do some Indian-inspired appetizers. Saag paneer comes to mind -- a little bite of spicy spinach with a chunk of paneer on top (or you could cheat and use farmer's cheese, if it's easier to find).

How about a version of baked beans on toast? Cook some beans ("baked bean" style) -- a little spoonful of beans, with a little triangle of toast on top. Another idea would be bangers and mash. Cook some bangers and cut them on the bias. Lay a slice in the spoon and top with some mash -- if the spoons are heat-proof, you could run them under the broiler.

For equipment, we used to travel with this set. Loved the glasses, but other than that, it wasn't the greatest -- the shaker is small, and there's not much room for extras. I could fit a picnic knife and a small plastic citrus reamer under the molded plastic holder, and could fit a small lemon and lime inside the shaker, but that was it. At Tales of the Cocktail this summer, Plymouth gave away a very cool looking bartender's kit. From the outside it looks like a picnic wine cooler that will hold two or three bottles, but it's fitted with a Boston shaker, double-ended jigger, bottle opener, bar spoon, muddler, strainer and Mexican style citrus press, all strapped onto a center board with elastic straps. The center piece pulls out and all your equipment is right there. (If I can find batteries for my camera, I'll post a picture.) I used that for the first time on my latest vacation. The problem is that the items are pretty cheap. (Hey, I'm not complaining; it was free.) The glass half of the shaker, which was very lightweight, broke; the metal half is warped. The citrus press isn't deep enough for lemons, and it's aluminum, so it's already starting to discolor. However, I'm thinking that if I replace the items that came in it with higher quality, and swap the bottle opener for a picnic knife, I'll be all set. There is no room for bottles, so that's a whole other problem.