joler

I have been to Charleston many times, and in fact was once married there! I would not recommend Hyman's or A.W. Shucks (which is just a touristy place). I would recommend Magnolias (or her "sister restaurant Blossom's" and Peninsula Grille and also tops on my list is the Charleston Grille at Charleston Place Hotel...fabulous. Also, Hanks (for Seafood), Fulton Five for Italian, and I haven't been there in a while, but Carolina's Restaurant (near the Exchange) is very good - there is also a really unique liquor store on the corner across from there. Poogan's porch is fun for brunch although I've had mixed experiences there. Also great brunch is "Slightly Up the Creek" in Mt. Pleasant - it has beautiful water views and delicious shrimp and grits (which is actually shrimp, scallops and grits! mmmm!) Be sure to go to the Library and have drinks in their rooftop lounge. Hope you enjoy your trip - Charleston is one of my favorite places.

mix salsa in with the turkey. I agree with Varmint, I have found ground chicken tastier than turkey, but then, there's nothing you can do about that right now is there? Don't add too many breadcrumbs - you will wind up with hockey pucks (that is the voice of experience talking).

I'll make sure they are REALLY big pans.

I love it! I just turned my a/c on last night for the first time and it's been 95 the past 2 days. I don't even mind the humidity. Wake up on a warm, humid day - it feels just like the beach. I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago and on the day I left for good the temperature with wind-chill was -50 F. That was it for me. Sometimes now, I think maybe even NC is too cold for me! Gotta move further South...maybe Charleston.

I believe most people eat less in the warm weather. It is nature's way of making sure you look better in your swimsuit and thus, ensures survival of the species. However, when I'm at the beach I am always STARVING. Must be the salt air. Or the knowledge that there is a good supply of steamed shrimp nearby.

The Parador de Tortosa is great - a 10th Century Medieval Castle. I stayed there a couple of years ago. It is worth it to get the "Superior" room (still only about $125 US a night) because it is actually a suite with a balcony and they have jacuzzi tubs as well. Gorgeous setting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the little town of Tortosa had some great little gourmet shops too. However, the most fabulous place I stayed during my 2 week adventure from Barcelona to Cadiz was The Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella. It is incredible, a little pricey, but worth it.

Well, I think people were trying not to get too anxious since it's only July and the party's not til October. But if it makes you feel better, my friend and I talked about it last weekend and we are psyched about it. I was thinkin' bout making a couple of big pans of Bourbon Bread Pudding. Whaddya think of that? Hey, is that a picture of a little Varmint? He's awfully cute. I really liked your old avatar though and was hoping you'd come to the pickin' dressed like the guy with the spikey hair.

I'm a little late posting to this thread, but couldn't help adding my 2 cents worth. I went on WW last year and lost about 25 lbs. Since then I'm back up about 7. I never attended any meetings, just joined on-line and used their point calculator and journal. I subscribe to Cooking Light and I would take each new issue and calculate the points on the items I was interested in - I like their recipes much better than WW's, although I have made a couple of WW recipes that weren't bad. Sometimes I'd make up my own recipes and use their calculator to figure out the points. I stopped buying the WW bars because, even though they are tasty, they are full of partially hydrogenated oils AND I didn't think it was such a good idea to get into the habit of eating what is basically a couple of candy bars every day. I would like to lose the 7 lbs I put back on but I'm totally bored with WW. I'm not much of a red meat eater either so Atkin's is not all that appealing. Part of my problem is that I have not been able to continue exercising as diligently as before since an injury. I'm bored with WW. I've sort of been doing what I call "Weight-WHatkins". Which is pretty good amounts of low-fat protein (mostly fish and eggs, some chicken) and lots and lots of veggies and fruit. I do not load up on a lot of fatty protein like cheese and cream. I drink lots of water and alcohol in moderation and then only when I go out (not when I eat at home). It seems to be working - at least on the weeks when I don't break down and consume what remains in the peanut butter jar... Nutrition is also a hobby of mine, I am considering going back to school to acquire my Masters in Nutrition. So if you get overwhelmed with your project and need some assistance, or a proof-reader, I am happy to assist.

Excess?? Tee hee!!! I am the eternal optimist.

Grits may differ from polenta, but I have successfully used them as a substitute. I made a vegetarian "grits" lasagna that turned out great. Use yellow grits, pour prepared grits into a 13x9" pan and refrigerate. Then use slices of the grits as a substitute for the noodles in your lasagna recipe - I layered mine with sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, pepper and onions and a purchased sun-dried tomato sauce...cheese of course. Twas yummy. Nothin' better than Cheese Grits I've also had "Grits Cakes" which are nothing more than seasoned grits, chilled and then fried up in a little butter. Also very tasty and a good alternative to English Muffins - with poached eggs on top.

I agree, the profits should help pay for the event. You could easily charge $12 a shirt. Of course, I still think a contribution bin is in line as well - if by chance there is excess, it can go into the Pig-stock 2004 fund.

Our Asian Market now carries Durian ice cream and I've been tempted to try it. When I was in culinary school a few years ago my class was given an assignment to bring in an "exotic fruit". I brought in a Durian. I'd never tried it before. I took it into the garde manger kitchen and was actually gagging as I was cleaning the fruit out of the spiny shell. That's how bad the stench was - I've never gagged at the smell of anything before. The entire class left the kitchen. After that, I put the fruit into the cooler thinking I'd wait a while before I tasted it (to get over that whole smell experience). But when I tasted it, it tasted just as bad as it smelled...well not quite as bad, but close. Maybe they do something special to it to make it palatable in the ice cream. I'll stick to Mango.

Can I bring a non-egulleter guest? If so, put me down for 2 and let me know as the date gets closer what I can contribute food and beverage-wise.

Greensboro just got an Earth Fare and it has been supremely dissappointing. I still make the 40 minute drive to Winston Salem to shop at Whole Foods, which is by far the best (over Earth Fare AND Fresh Market). However, I rarely make a trip to the beach without stopping for a pound of Fresh Market's Jalepeno Pimento Cheese. They have the best commercially produced pimento cheese I've found. They also sell those chocolate dipped peanut butter filled pretzels, so the store does have some redeeming qualities.

I know I'm late in responding, but I'd love to attend.

Just back from a trip to Orlando, Florida which included 2 days of down-time combined with a 3 day "techie" conference. As promised in a previous thread, I did visit Emeril's new Asian-inspired restaurant and have a full review for you but first let me indulge myself with a few observances about the Orlando area…. Disney - I have to say, they make the best popcorn on the planet. Now, I know that isn't exactly an appealing topic to the great gourmets that reside on this site, but for me, it was an experience I wish to re-live over and over. I mean, what DO they do to that stuff? Pop it and then soak it in butter? Ahhh. Nirvana. Ok, the frozen chocolate covered bananas weren't bad either. And that was just at Animal Kingdom! Couldn't get anywhere near the Rain Forest Café, it was so crowded, but who wouldn't want to sit on a plastic replica of an exotic animals back-end in front of a bar housing a tropical aquarium? Pretty cool. And who would have guessed that those frozen Margarita's at Epcot Center actually had alcohol in them? But I digress…. The first evening, I had dinner at Jiko, the African restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. The Lodge is absolutely beautiful, apparently it is a replica of a famous lodge in Africa. The floors are dark wood with African styled carpets, the chandeliers are encircled with African Shields, the elevator doors are etched with the images of giraffes and other exotic animals, it is really a very special place. I began the evening at the Victoria Falls Lounge for a cocktail before dinner. The lounge is dark with low leather chairs and sofas and dark rattan tables in the seating area. The bar is topped with green marble and every six feet or so is a lamp adorned with carved rhinocerous heads. Large pillars painted to resemble sculpted sand rise from floor to ceiling. I ordered a "Safari Martini", (Absolut Citron, Van Der Hum Tangerine Liquer and a splash of cranberry) and enjoyed the company of the bartenders who were clad in denim nehru jackets. After my cocktail, I headed down the winding staircase to "Jiko" the resorts fine dining restaurant. I had chosen this restaurant because I'd read a lot of good things about the Chef, Anette Gray, and also read that the restaurant has the most extensive, exclusively South African, wine list of any restaurant in the US. Since I was dining alone, the maitre'd asked if I'd like to be seated at "The Cooking Place" which is a marble counter area flanked by 2 huge clay and red tile ovens at one end. This was the perfect spot for me to sit because it allowed me to enjoy watching the preparation of the food and also enjoy the company of Tarana, a recent graduate of Johnson and Wales in Charleston. It was a slow night at the restaurant and only one other person sat at the Cooking Place, Teddy Hill, a South African wine maker from Rustenberg Vineyards. Teddy was there on a training/selling mission and it was his first visit to the U.S. I felt very fortunate to be in such knowledgeable company, unfortunately, he'd already eaten, so I was still left to dine on my own (unable to try more dishes with my limited, albeit hearty, appetite). For my first course, I chose the Roasted Warm Octopus Appetizer, the waiter suggested Neil Ellis Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the dish. The wine was very citrusy and grassy, very good, but not what I would have paired with this dish. Because it was roasted, the dish had more heavy, intense flavors. The octopus was good quality, very fresh, cut into large chunks, served with a tomato, caper, and black olive "salsa" and piled high with fresh watercress. The presentation was nice, served on a triangular plate with additional salsa dotting each corner. For me, the salsa was a little overwhelming for the octopus, I would've preferred something with a little less tang and more "bite", but it was still very good. My second course was also an appetizer, the Maize Tamales. This paired beautifully with Kanu Keystone, a South African Blend of Cabernet and Merlot, very rich with lots of berries and not too tannic. The Tamales were filled with white corn blended with parmesan cheese, cream, roasted caraway seeds, cracked pepper and truffle oil. It was one of those dishes where the first bite is good, but it just keeps getting better and better with each consecutive bite. Warm, creamy, peppery, the ultimate comfort food. Mmm. I get misty just thinking about it. Full. Just enough room left for dessert. I agonized over the freshly made Apricot and Coconut Sorbets served with Spring Fruit Salad and Green Tea Citron, but finally settled on Pistachio Crème Brulee. It arrived with a nice hard shell, creamy texture with a few small chunks of nuts, and a layer of smooth dark chocolate on the bottom. Very nice. The Chef came out and spoke to me for a while during my meal and she was delightful. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are visiting Orlando. The following night, after a full day of food and drink at Epcot Center, I dined at Emeri'ls new restaurant, Tchoup Chop with my friend Kristi and my new friend, Teddy Hill. Another Orlando observance…cab fares are outrageous! It was $50 one way from my hotel at Epcot Center to Universal Studios City Walk, something you might want to keep in mind if planning a visit. To date, I had heard two negative reviews of Tchoup Chop, so our original plan was to go and try some appetizers and then decide if we wanted to stay for a meal, but with the cab fare being so high, we decided to stay for the whole meal. In retrospect, we should've cut our losses and headed back to Epcot for some more popcorn and frozen margaritas. The restaurant itself is beautiful, curved walls reach up to very high ceilings, a reflecting pond filled with water lilies extends the length of the dining room, and a chandelier of crystalline Hawaiian leis separates the dining room from the bar area. The waitress brought a Chinese "To-Go" box filled with Shrimp Crackers (think shrimp flavored Pringles) and some peanut sauce for us to munch on while we perused the menu. I could eat peanut sauce on dirt and be happy, so I felt the meal was off to a good start. We started with two appetizers; Pork and Ginger Dumplings with Sake-Soy Dipping Sauce and Ginger BBQ'd Gulf Shrimp. The pork dumplings were served in a bamboo steamer atop shredded cabbage. The dumplings were very small and the pork tasted slightly of lemongrass. The sauce was uninventive. This was not an unpleasant dish, but honestly I've purchased frozen dumplings from the Asian Market that were equally good. There just wasn't anything special about this dish. The BBQ'd Gulf shrimp were very good, served in a thick dark BBQ sauce, sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds, cilantro, pepper, garlic all evident in the flavor. I enjoyed this dish although it may be too salty for some tastes. Next, we tried the Miso Soup with Lobster and Shitake Mushrooms. Just the sound of that dish sounds wonderful to me which is partly why my disappointment was so extreme. This was a typical Miso soup served in small ceramic cups with a few small pieces of lobster, cubed "Blonde" Miso, and some shitake mushroom slices. The most disturbing thing about the soup was a strong smoke flavor, my friend insisted it was "liquid smoke" and I couldn't believe they would actually use something like that, but now I'm not convinced that she wasn't onto something. I asked the waitress and she told me the smokiness came from the "Blonde" miso. I think she was pulling my leg. Regardless, the presence of the lobster was pointless as the flavor was completely lost to the smoke. We split two entrees, the Steamed Catch of the day (which happened to be Amberjack) was steamed in a banana leaf and served along side some sticky rice topped with sesame seeds in a bamboo steamer. Again, the presence of smoke flavor was evident, but I don't see any Miso in this dish so where is it coming from? The whole thing really aggravates me. Our waitress recommended the FireCracker Fish for our second entrée, she said the fish was "Triple Tail", something I've never heard of. The fish appeared to be dredged in a cayenne spiced flour and deep fried, leaving a "crust" that was papery in texture, like thin, spiced cardboard. The fish itself was nice and fresh, very white and mild tasting. It was served with a coconut, mango sauce that appeared to be thickened with, (gasp!), cornstarch. Most irritating though, was the fact that the kitchen refused to split this dish onto two plates as I requested. Even after I sent it back to the kitchen once, they returned with the same plate and an extra plate, saying the Chef wanted to maintain the integrity of the presentation (which wasn't all that impressive in the first place). The check arrived before I could inquire about dessert and I took that as a sign from above. I have in the past been a big fan of Emeril's. I have eaten at Nola and it was delightful. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I would not recommend this restaurant unless they make some serious improvements to their preparation. Next time I will try Roy's (Yamaguchi) and I will definitely make another trip back to Jiko.

Sort of! Only Jethro-sized portions.

In my most recent visit to NYC, I did not encounter a single rude person other than the cabbie's (again, not New Yorkers). In fact, everyone was most eager to help with directions, dinner reservations, shopping, whatever. I love NY. Living in the South gives me the means to enjoy the city more than I ever could when I was living there though (paying exhorbitant rent).

Grouper also works well. I had a large filet the other night. I rubbed it with some Basil-infused olive oil, coarse salt and pepper. Simple, but delicious.

Well actually, when I said "creamed potatoes" I meant "creamed potatoes". The potatoes they serve at Hillbilly Hideaway are small, new potatoes with the skins on that are boiled and then served in a butter and cream sauce with lots of black pepper (and salt of course, everything has lots of salt). They are delicious.

I tend toward the Pogophiles with the veggie plate, however there is nothing like a really good piece of fried chicken. Macaroni and Cheese is a must, butter beans, tomatoes only if they are really good, greens, fried okra also a favorite. Varmint, if you are ever headed West, you should try to stop at Hillbilly Hideaway, 4365 Pine Hall Rd, Walnut Cove, NC. It is a "Family Style" restaurant that has been around for ages. It's in an old log cabin with a couple of plastic pigs on the roof and everyone carves their names on the walls (even Billy Ray Cyrus) Anyway, the food is awesome. For lunch they come with a cart loaded with bowls of creamed potatoes, collard greens, fried chicken, meatloaf, pinto beans, tomatoes, and country ham. Breakfast is great too, biscuits and gravy, fried apples, pork tenderloin, etc., etc.

A blonde heard that milk baths would make her beautiful. She left a note for her milkman to leave 15 gallons of milk. When the milkman read the note, he felt there must be a mistake. He thought she probably meant 1.5 gallons so he knocked on the door to clarify the point. The blonde came to the door and the milkman said, "I found your note to leave 15 gallons of milk. Did you mean 1.5 gallons?" The blonde said, "I want 15 gallons. I'm going to fill my bathtub up with milk and take a milk bath." The milkman asked, "Do you want it Pasteurized?" The blonde said, "No, just up to my boobs; I can splash it in my eyes."

I collect ceramic items that look like food. For example, I have a soup tureen that is shaped like a tomato, among other items. It's fun to look for these things in antique shops. Huge collection of menus...right now they are all in the bottom desk drawer. What does everyone else do with their menu collections? (other than start a web site)?

Hot pickled Okra is also a favorite.

prepare grilled corn as noted above only instead of butter and salt, wrap each ear in a slice of bacon and sprinkle with chili powder. yum.