fifi

You are absolutely right about that. There is such a thing as too clean. I, for one, worry about our recent obsession with all of the anti-bacterial soaps and such. Overuse of antibiotics is another popular rant of mine. We are looking for trouble. Humans evolved in the presence of the germs. With the exception of a few nasties, that we have learned a lot about how to control, they just aren't the spawn of the devil. In fact, without them, life would be impossible. However, is it too much to ask that the grocery carts, hand baskets and conveyer belts at least get a bit of a wash so that they aren't so visibly and disgustingly grungy?

There is a thread here somewhere on being a good guest. (I would normally provide a link but I don't want to test the search function while "under construction".) I have a few acquaintenances that I enjoy their company but not necessarily their cooking. I have developed a few rules: 1) If they are not interested, you can't convert or teach them. As a gracious guest, it would be rude to even try. 2) There are few things that I find truly inedible (raw fish and raw tomatoes, turnips, and a few other personal quirks). Maybe some of the packaged convenience crap is not as good as what you might make but it is rarely so bad as "inedible" or some of the more flamboyant adjectives that might be used. Think back to what you ate in college. Or think of the starving children in *insert current shit hole here*. They probably wouldn't turn up their noses at Hamburger Helper. Get a grip. It is only a meal. 3) Being a gracious guest is more important than being a gourmand or conspicuous foodie in these situations. I tend to blank out the food and enjoy the evening for its other attributes. 4) Enjoy a good gossip about the food on the way home. "Mabel is a great gal, but her cooking is crap... Bless her heart." (Southern thing. You can hurl any insult and it is ok if you bless their heart.)

There is a thread here somewhere on being a good guest. (I would normally provide a link but I don't want to test the search function while "under construction".) I have a few acquaintenances that I enjoy their company but not necessarily their cooking. I have developed a few rules: 1) If they are not interested, you can't convert or teach them. As a gracious guest, it would be rude to even try. 2) There are few things that I find truly inedible (raw fish and raw tomatoes, turnips, and a few other personal quirks). Maybe some of the packaged convenience crap is not as good as what you might make but it is rarely so bad as "inedible" or some of the more flamboyant adjectives that might be used. Think back to what you ate in college. Or think of the starving children in *insert current shit hole here*. They probably wouldn't turn up their noses at Hamburger Helper. Get a grip. It is only a meal. 3) Being a gracious guest is more important than being a gourmand or conspicuous foodie in these situations. I tend to blank out the food and enjoy the evening for its other attributes. 4) Enjoy a good gossip about the food on the way home. "Mabel is a great gal, but her cooking is crap... Bless her heart." (Southern thing. You can hurl any insult and it is ok if you bless their heart.)

I am with beans on this one. My pattern is just about the same. I love a project and can happily putter about in the kitchen getting something just right. Then I sit down to eat and just go "um... I can't eat." Therefore, I tend to like to cook things that make great leftovers. I can't really get into baking either. I have made my occasional foray into bread baking and that can be fun. But, we are not big bread eaters and it pains me to watch a reation turn into a fungus farm.

I am not usually picky about dirty things... thinking a little dirt never hurt anybody and I am not dead yet. BUT... this is one of my pet peeves. Don't they ever clean those things? And how about removing the garbage, circulars, notes, used kleenex. Now that I think of it, the hand baskets are pretty gross, too. When I am just picking up a few things and grab a hand basket, I often have to go through several before I find one that at least LOOKS somewhat clean. There is no excuse. Then there are the grubby conveyor belts at the check out. Is that chicken juice? GAG!

I didn't see this late at night, but this has got to be about the stupidist thing I have seen in a while. $50 to unscrew a jar lid? I really have room on my counter for this thing. Oops, I didn't notice that it "stores easily".

That whole Freon thing is simplistic. Making PTFE is a whole different process. As to the phosgene reference... Go back to Organic Chemistry 101. Phosgene isn't even remotely related. Processes are common to many things that aren't even related chemically. *removing soapbox from the closet* This is the kind of thing that drives me nuts. We have dumbed down or outright eliminated the sciences in our educational system. That means that any kind of outright bunk is taken in as fact if the media glitz is right. How can a population make rational decisions on scientifically complex questions if they don't have a clue? ARG! *soapbox going back in the closet... for the time being*

I don't have access to "fruit wood". Would pecan do? Thanks, klink. I think I am headed to doing it your way. Maybe I will wait for a cold front. I had a pork butt on the WSM last night. It was a warm and breezy night and I had a little trouble getting it up to 250 at the top vent. I think that was due to the breeziness. With a cold front, I could probably get it down to 150 without the fire going out. Therefore, I may wait until our Gulf Coast "winter" to try this.

Someone needs to revisit Chef Fowke's trussing method here with pictures. I haven't tried it yet but it looks like a brilliant technique. (Even if it does look like a baby. ) Where is that thread, anyway? Will someone with better searching talents please provide a link?

I vote for passing the baton to GG Mora for Thanksgiving week. Anybody that is willing to do that is tops in my book.

Wow... geez... You are feeding your kids REAL food and they like it... Who knew? That is really encouraging. Yeah... kids can be surprising. 30 years ago when mine were little, they were a constant surprise. They got "guilty" pleasures by "stealing" carrots and snow peas out of the garden. It was fun watching them skulk around playing Peter Rabbit. They are good eaters to this day.

Cusina... Can't wait. I am also a mother-grandmother-great aunt-self trained cook. What is so cool about these blogs is that we get a glimpse into someone's cooking "lifestyle". Just be yourself. I am already looking forward to that recipe box.

I will join you in the gagging session... and I'm not even a liberal. Sorry... There is not a whole lot of food out there that is worth $500 for one dinner. Especially not "bait". Seriously, is that really true? $500 for dinner? Sorry, I can't think of anything that would be worth $500. And, as I think of it, I could afford that. But I wouldn't. Sort of a value for price thing.

Thanks for that post, eskimoted. That is about what I do to make lard from pork fat. I have not tried that method yet with duck fat but you have given me confidence. I have never messed with duck before. WELCOME to eGullet. This is a fun place. I hope you stick around.

Just ignore the objections and tag! (That is what happened to me. I came into it kicking and screaming and then had a good time.)

Sheesh... And I thought Deluxe was a step up. Yeah, the orange powder does still have appeal when I am sick. I have relapsed to that. I have to admit that squeezing the orange goop out of that Deluxe foil bag is a little creepy.

Ah... memories. Do you mean that you haven't tried it on the kiddos since? I am deducing here, due to your comment about still having the panko. Actually, I am thinking about doing a mac and cheese for Thanksgiving. However, my sister is lobbying for Hawaiian mac salad. The Thanksgiving menu negotiations are entering a critical period.

Why does this Suspicious SSB smell lawyers in the water? Good questions, Sam. And, yeah... Teflon® has been around and in peoples' bodies for a lot of years. The chemistry of such a stable and non-reactive material has been proven in the most hostile environment known to man.

A few years ago, I sent my son shopping. He came back with these chuck steaks because they were on sale. (This was before he knew better.) What to do. I seem to remember that I whacked them a bit with the tenderizer mallet, seasoned them up, lightly floured, sauted and then "smothered" in the good old southern style. That would be kinda like a braise. They were pretty good. Chuck has wonderful beef flavor but is a little too chewy for a typical steak treatment in my opinion.

I prefer to make my own. I use the same pattern of cheeses as you. *entering confessional* However, when I am sick, nothing but the Kraft crap will do. Several years ago, I did upgrade to the "Deluxe Shells and Cheese" from the scary orange powder version. I can always tell that I am getting well when I crave a Pizza Hut deep dish Veggie Lover's pizza, no tomatoes, extra sauce. *leaving confessional, soul feels good*

Good point, Stone. I have always wondered the same thing for the same reasons. I have generally given up on it. Oooohhh... Sometimes I will just to make me look smart in the kitchen. The only other reason I do it is for a specific effect like a coconut or demi-glace glaze toward the end.

I missed that article also, Dave. Great work. Mumble years ago, I actually met Plunkett and some of the other folks that worked in that original lab. I got invited to this anniversary/reunion type party at the Dupont country club in Delaware. Listening to them telling their "war" stories was great fun. But then, you have to appreciate what a bunch of research engineers call fun. It seems that having to keep this great stuff a secret during the war was very frustrating as they continued to imagine new uses for it. Plunkett has to have passed on by now. At the time he was living somewhere around Corpus Christi, TX. (Dupont had a fluorocarbons plant near there.)

Thanks, beans. Your seasoning recommendations look more familiar to me, and sound better. I think you are right about the temperature. My memory is telling me that my Bellingham friends have used about 150F or maybe a little less. I also remember that there is some rule about maintaining at least 160F or so if you are going to sell it. Some kind of health rule that probably makes no sense to those folks who have been doing it cooler all of their lives. I can't find the old e-mails since I last picked their brains about this, therefore, my poor momory. woodburner... What is Indian candy? I tried the bacon candy one time out of curiosity and surprisingly, I found it delicious. "Surprisingly" since I am not real big on sweets, especially with meat.

I have just about got my Weber Smokey Mountain smoker doing what I want it to do, including playing "Hail to the Queen" as I approach. Now I want to go beyond pork butt and brisket and into that rarified realm of smoked salmon like I enjoy so much in the Pacific Northwest. I went to the Virtual Weber Bullet site and I am not all that impressed with what I saw. It seems to me that the temperature was a bit too high compared to the war stories of my PNW buddies (they try to keep it down but not into the cold smoking range) and the seasoning looked a little strange. (What the heck IS savory, anyway? And, why don't I know?) I am also a bit leary of the dill. I don't recall ever having dill on the delicious home smoked fish I have had in the PNW. The style of smoked fish that I am talking about is the drier kind that is often served for snacks and starters. I have ordered from Vis Seafoods in Bellingham with great success but I really want to try to do this. Another problem is that you ain't gonna find alder wood in the Great Gulf Coast. Hickory, pecan and mesquite are typical here. (Nix the mesquite, I think. Probably too strong.) So... Seasonings for the cure? What fish other than salmon? (Halibut doesn't lurk down here.) Smoking time and temperature? Wood? What say you?

Kudos from another dedicated fan. mmmm... Does this mean that you are going to Alaska and not the heartland? Does THAT mean that we can expect more fabulous writing about Alaska?