hjshorter

Yum! Scharffen Berger is what I use in my brownies. Ghiradelli is my choice for a supermarket brand.

My order from Jacques Torres arrives today. If I can tear myself away from it I'll give you a report.

Excellent question. I bet he wouldn't either. Instead of being reviled as a bitch she would just be seen as a shrewd businessman.

I've been looking for it in DC and haven't found it yet, so apparently it wasn't tested here.

Thanks everyone; I really appreciate all the responses. Looks like I have some reading to do - and some book shopping.

Here's a fifth. I'm with you on the Tanqueray, but I prefer my gin and tonic with lemon. I'll have to try the gorgonzola olives - that sounds yummy.

I actually don't do much baking because I don't like "rustic and sloppy" very much, and haven't had enough practice recently to satisfy my perfectionism. A little training can be a dangerous thing! What would be helpful in addition to recipes would be a book with some equipment suggestions. I have most of the basic pans, but lack some of the specialty stuff. I will check out the Fleming book, and Regan Daley's the next time I can get to a bookstore.

I agree! I never got drinking lessons. I had to learn the hard way. My three favorites now are: 1. Tanqueray martini with olives 2. Scotch and water in equal measures 3. Tanqueray and tonic with lemon (summertime only) It took me until 30 to like the taste of scotch.

I always try and check books out of the library before I buy them. Great way to decide if you want the book. Our library doesn't have a very good cookbook collection, or I would.

oof, yes I remember the Dr Pepper. Back in my drinking days we used to go out and do "colors" - each round of drinks had to be a different color. The one that put me under the table one night was a clear drink called the Snowshoe. Wild Turkey and Peppermint Schnapps. And the smell of Jagermeister...ugh.

A good friend of mine refuses to drink tequila because "it makes her take her clothes off."

We tried this and it was OK, but I really don't like cornmeal in my pie crust. He makes a free-form tart-like thing on the show. Not sure how is would do in a pie plate. Our friend Tom, who makes the best pie I've ever tasted, uses all crisco. His blueberry pie is as close to heaven on earth as I think I will ever get.

That's the same recipe. It is extremely dense and fudgey - delicious! I second the advice to use the best chocolate you can get. I like walnuts in my brownies, but any nut will do in this recipe except pecans. The brownies are so rich that with pecans they suffer from fat overload. I have occasionally put dried cherries in with delicious results. I prefer the dried cherries from American Spoon Foods.

I have a really good one from Laurie Colwin's book Home Cooking if you're interested.

I'm looking for a good dessert baking book. I have Beard On Bread for things like breads and rolls. I worked in a bakery for a while in my youth, and know that I don't have the patience or equipment to produce "professional" stuff so definitely soemthing for the home cook. Baking With Julia was on my list to look at. I just hate shelling out for an expensive book without getting some opinions first. I've tried Maida Heatter's recipes when published in mags and they're generally good.

I've been making do with Fannie Farmer and assorted other generic cookbooks for my baking recipes, but have decided that I need an actual baking book. Any good suggestions?

Thanks Steve, I did see it. I now have a whole list of places to try next month.

As a very frequent visitor to Charlotte, I can second your assessment. However, it would be nice to have a resource to tell me where the "good, honest" cooking is. That's the information I want. I love New York, and am really interested in what goes on there, but we go to other places too, and so often have very little information about the worthwhile places in Kansas City, or Denver, or Charlotte, or wherever we happen to be. Steve, just saw the thread re Charlotte that you posted earlier - great stuff. Thanks for pointing it out.

OK, OK, so we're a little light on the genius here. Seriously, I spoke reflexively, and after some consideration, I have to agree that you're right about the coverage. This is my adopted home town and I am constantly defending it to those in other places. Guess my defensiveness spilled over to the food scene. And when traveling, yes, I do look to the national mags as a source of info about where to eat. Of course, now that the fabulous resource known as egullet has made itself known to me I will probably use it instead.

Sounds like far too much work! We always had severe penalties for wasting alcohol.

DC generally gets left out too, despite having a number of very good restaurants. Thanks to a number of recommedations I just subscribed to Gastronomica. And I too get sick of Cook's Illustrated. So often we try the "best" recipe for something and wind up disappointed.

i just noticed this comment. beer pong with an import?! in my book, if it ain't pabst blue ribbon, it ain't beer pong... OK, I have to ask, what the heck is "beer pong?" I thought I had extensive experience with drinking games but I've never even heard of this.

Just finished: Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis. Fierce Pajamas Anthology of humor writing from the New Yorker Currently reading: The Best Recipe recipes from the editors of Cooks Illustrated The Origins of Virtue Matt Ridley The latest New Republic and Fine Cooking

The Brick is a great place. They have terrific beer tastings, presided over by Bob Tupper, as in Tupper's Hop Pocket. My favorite bottled beer is anything from a little Belgian brewery calle Der Dolle Brouwers - Oerbier, Boskuen, or Stille Nacht. It's hard to come by, and almost always sold by the bottle. If I see any of their beers I buy as much as I can get. For everyday, we always have Tupper's Hop Pocket.

Do they still use the slogan "Works every time"? It was so sleazy.