KatieLoeb

This book is out of print, but several used and new copies are available on Amazon.com. I just bought a used copy for $1.80! (I don't think there are any others left that are so cheap, but there are several in the $8 range.) Thanks for the tip. Hey Seth: Did you get your book yet? Let me know how that works out for you. There are some killer side dish recipes in there as well as awesome desserts. Schatze's Corn Pudding is classic! Happy to provide the tip and good on you for finding such a cheap copy! Frugality is a very sexy quality

And on this note... An article from today's Philadelphia Inquirer speaks of a premium vodka made from MAPLE sugar Rick Nichols on Maple Vodka This sounds interesting. Unfortunately, until whichever Pennsylvania distributor decides to add it to his portfolio, I won't be able to get it in this Prohibitionary state. Those of you in New England, consider yourselves fortunate.

I like the Chopin for potato vodka, but recently came across Zyr, which I sang the praises of HERE I've never tried anything smoother or more basically distilled to neutrality. Almost tasteless but delicious! A friend brought me back a bottle of Russian Standard from Moscow a few years ago. It was pretty good stuff! He said it was what all the Muscovite yuppies were drinking The Hangar vodkas are interesting because they are distilled from Viognier grapes, not grain or potatoes. There's a slight hint of that lovely viognier floral bouquet in the nose of it. The fruit flavors are also distilled with whole fruits, so the fruit flavors are very clean and pure. The Hangar Kaffir Lime is delicious and the Mandarin Blossom is just gorgeous.

Thanks everyone! This totally made my day! Ooooohhhh! These look yummy too! Me too!

On a more serious note: In German ----> Blau = Black; Burgunder=from Burgundy hence: Black grape of Burgundy = Pinot Noir/Pinot Nero Weiss = White; Burgunder=from Burgundy hence: White grape of Burgundy = Weissburgunder = Pinot Blanc??? Hey wait a minute! Yes - this IS confusing. Chardonnay was once thought to be part of the Pinot family of grapes. Advanced oeno-science has proven this untrue, however a lot of what's called "Pinot Blanc" in Australia is actually Chardonnay. Go figure. It's enough to make a wine geek a little nuts...or at least need a drink!

That'd be SudTyrol to you and me... :Imagine Leiderhosen bedecked smiley: Or this guy

You ain't vibin' with the bling bling thang. This may all be true, but more often than not the "Bling Thing" takes exorbitantly priced over-rated stuff and makes it all the rage. Like Crystal Champagne for an example of my point. Good Cognac should simply be enjoyed as is. Although I do have a chef friend that really loves Remy Extra Stingers !

Gordon: The glass is neither half empty nor half full. It's only twice as big as it needs to be. I'm a REALIST...

Calvados Sidecars are my favorite! I also experimented with Ginger Beer and Sidecars and came up with Ginger Sidecars. They'll be on our October specialty cocktails list here at the Bass, along with the Slippery Slopes and Dark n' Stormys you all sampled at the Pig Pickin', and Lemon-Ginger Cosmopolitans with Absolut Citron, a bit of Ginger Beer and the usual Cosmo accoutrement I live to be Cocktail Queen, High Priestess of Hooch and Principessa of Potables!

There's a selection of vomiting emoticons HERE There's also masturbating smileys

Thanks Herb. Coming from you, I'll consider that high praise is that to imply that i am skimpy on the compliments? Not at all. Only that you have a highly developed and discriminating sense of what's cool.

Gee, ! I am a bit over the top with the emoticons sometimes, but they're such fun! The site I use is Emoticons4U. A few others are on Hotbar.com. Perhaps the eGullet Powers That Be can see if we can get permission to use their emoticons on this site. They are out there in cyberspace for free after all. We really need this one: What's a food site without a drooling smiley?

Wasn't Inspector Clousseau looking for the Lee-SONSE for his Manky?

Owned by Jack in the Box??? :blink: [disgusted tone] Ohhhhh....[/disgusted tone] And here it comes at 15th & Walnut. I think I'll wait for Pico de Gallo at 15th & South to open instead. Suddenly I'm not so hepped up about Q-Doba anymore...

Those would be the "Star-Bellied Sneetches", yes?

Whether he's worthy of it or not, I'm blaming that ball-snatchin' dufus in the stands last night. Oh Dawn! I'm weeping for all of you in the Heartland! I watched the game tonight so I could be with y'all in spirit. I think that "fan" should take a sudden and extended vacation far far out of town. He's NEVER going to live this down. Poor schmuck! I guarantee his house will be covered in goat shit by morning

See - I wasn't the only one that passed out!!! Dean earned that nap in a big way...

Beans: Truly, we are twin daughters of different mothers So are you two talking about straight gin or vodka, or do you mean you premix the gin (or vodka) and vermouth and then store the mixture in the freezer? Like Beans, I keep the vodka (sorry folks - the smell of gin makes me retch) in the freezer so it already has that lovely ice cold viscous texture. Pre-chilled glasses are excellent as well. I will lightly rinse the martini glasses in cold water, shake them off vigorously and then turn them upside down in the door of the freezer. They get a real nice chill on them that way, sort of like chilled beer mugs do. I still mix the vodka and dry vermouth in a shaker with just a little ice. And yes- it NEEDS the vermouth to be a proper cocktail. If you want a vodka or gin chilled and served up then ask for it. Don't ask for a martini because you've just sucked all the skill and joy out of the bartender's job for them. Any idiot can chill a spirit and dump it into a glass. A true mixologist who makes your drink just as you've ordered it is really a rare find. You're much likelier to get your steak to come out medium rare than you are to find someone that knows how to mix a real cocktail these days. Beans - you're a sweetheart. You can be my long lost twin anyday! Edit: What DrinkBoy said...we're clearly in agreement!

*ahem* I apologize in advance, but I must revisit this comment. I don't know what it looks like when you blow your nose, BUT, if this is what the inside of my hanky looked like, I'd be off to the Emergency Room poste haste!

Can I just say - Nice turn of phrase, mon ami!

Thanks Herb. Coming from you, I'll consider that high praise

I used to park my car down below South Street where the meters stopped right around there and passed this place daily on my walk northward to work. Glad to see it actuallly has a name at this point. It's been a long time coming. Seems to be of the "Veracruzana-La Lupe" mold of authentic Mexicano restaurants. There's a new place opening at 15th & Walnut called "Q-Doba Grill". Anyone know anything about this? Is it a chain? Local? National? I'm totally jazzed to have other Mexican in my immediate sphere of take-out other than 12th Street Cantina in the food court at the Park Hyatt. Not that that's bad or anything, but some variety is always welcome .

Try this recipe instead: Kitty Litter Cake Recipe It's a cake that looks like a USED kitty litter box. Brilliant execution of a truly bent idea!

Right. I use evaporated skim milk as a substitute for cream in soups, custards, etc. It's low fat, but since a lot of the water has been removed, will do the job that whole milk or light cream would accomplish for those that aren't "calorically challenged" in the same way that I am.

Yes. It does sound as though the "alliances" had been formed -- which, as we all know -- is so critical to these "survivor" experiences. But I guess no one got voted off, did they?? Jaymes: No one needed to get "voted" off. We'd all just wander off from time to time and collapse whimpering in the corners and pass out. Then we'd wake up from see-sawing on our bloated little bellies! Katie, if I correctly recall that scene of you in the corner of the living room, propped against the air mattress, you were the only one to "pass out." Correct?????? Yeah, alright. So shoot me for extrapolating my personal experience to all of you! I still bet I wasn't the only one to wake up see-sawing on their bloated belly though... Whether it was during the party or later on is irrelevant!