fifi

They are certainly a deterant for anyone swimming ashore!

If you trussed a turkey using Chef Fowke's method and added the ice packs, that would be some strange looking bird.

What we call bluefish in the Gulf of Mexico is Pomatomus saltatrix. I have always wondered if what is called bluefish on the east coast is the same thing. You run into big schools of them around the oil platforms. They go into feeding frenzies and even go cannabalistic. You look at that boiling, bloody water and vow that you will never fall in! We never eat these things as they are very dark fleshed. We will sometimes stop and catch some for the fun of it, then keep a few for cut bait. I can't imagine eating them. What is the deal?

I have known several ladies that got a reprieve from the fatigue and insomnia at about the 4th month and felt great from then on. There may be hope!

Williams Sonoma had the turkey lifters on sale last year around the holidays. I don't rememeber the price, but they must have been pretty cheap because I bought several as gifts. You might want to look out for a similar sale this year. The garden forks are a good idea though. I have an Oxo turkey/chicken lifter that works great for lifting but I don't know that it would work so well for turning. It is a U-shaped thing with a handle on one end of the U. Looks wicked. (I can't find a picture of it on the Oxo site.) How do you keep the "shell" from getting messed up during all of that turning? Also, I saw a program on this a few years ago and the turkey was actually black. They (whoever it was) claimed that the recipe was followed exactly from the original as written by Thompson.

Many thanks to all for the great ideas. I am getting hungry for squash.

Soooo... Some brave soul please put this in the eGRA so I can find it and give it to my sister (the family pie maker) when I think of it later for Thanksgiving.

FG quote: Oh, you smelled that, too. I got suspicious and went back and read that letter again. (That was before I saw your post.) Having spent too much time with lawyers crafting similar drivel, I started recognizing the spin. (Sorry, I know you are a lawyer. I am just currently suffering from overexposure.) I AM sure that the letter isn't a spontaneous declaration of purpose.

With both of mine, I really didn't have morning sickness. With my first, I was working for FDA and we were always munching on pecans after testing them for aflatoxin and E. coli. (Noooo... We weren't supposed to do that! ) The doctor's theory was that that is why I never had that problem... Lot's of B6. I did have to control my weight and I did that by counting calories. (Still my most succcessful strategy.) That meant that my lunch bags were huge. Lots of salad and yummy leftovers as I was a pretty good cook at the time and knew how to cook healthy. I did go through some cravings... watermelon and amaretto and anisette snowballs. (New Orleans version of shave ice.) I brought one to the lab melted down so we could test it and determine the sugar content and therefore the calories. At about 4 months, I developed an aversion to handling raw meat. I could NOT do it. Eating healthy is somehow more fun when you know you are also doing it for the little bugger.

I don't recall having anyone reacting negatively when they learn that I am a "recreational cook". (My choice of words.) More often there is an exchange of information on the whys and hows of our various interests. I do love finding someone that isn't into cooking but is into wine. (I like to drink it but have no interest in studying it.) "Hey... I will cook if you bring the wine!

Oh my... All of these recipes with obscene amounts of butter are haunting me. I think some time back there was one for very slowly scrambled eggs with a ton of butter. I recall saying that I was going to try that and report back. (Haven't done it yet, but I intend to.) There are similar ideas on the brussel sprout thread. I am detecting a theme here in my thinking. Either that, or the butter industry is sending me subliminal messages. *checking cholesterol... hmm, still good... proceeding to add 3 pounds of butter to the grocery list.*

heh heh... I can't believe this came back up. Let's review the definition of "strange craving"... It has to be a craving for something that you maybe never had, probably don't like that much, and it hits like a bolt from the blue. That would make it strange.

I would certainly agree with that. I picked up a sausage and biscuit the other day at the McD's near my office. It wasn't so good. My neighborhood drive through makes a sublime S&B. I guess I just wish that RB had gone through my local drive-thru before he jumped on board.

Quote from RB's reply: Why am I having a hard time believing that RB ate the same sandwich that is being sold on a daily basis. Why am I having a hard time believing that roasted peppers and onions are being delivered fresh? Possibly there is a bag of refrigerated mush that was once peppers and onions? How can that be? The delivery trucks have separate refrigerated sections? Why would a BK risk refrigerated food? "Crispy integrity of the bread's crust"????? NOT THE ONE I GOT! I am afraid that RB's reply only caused me to further question the whole situation.

Soooo... If you were going to try this after thinking about it for 40 years ( ) would you go with the original 5 day method or go with the alternate? Is there any salt in there or just sweet butter? *curiosity juices flowing, nose actively sniffing for a fresh spinach supply*

I don't think it is "sad" that someone doesn't do a happy dance about food... as long as they do a happy dance about something. I really can't get into music. I enjoy the occasional performance but it is just not that important to me. I enjoy some art very much. Some of the Impressionists leave me in awe. I can't draw a good stick figure. But I am awfully glad that there are people in this world that can make good music and great art and I don't give a damn if they do that while eating at Mickey D's every day. In fact, food is not always THAT important to me. I get excited about developing a recipe or a technique. I do a happy dance when it comes out like I want it to. I do lots of happy dances when I have had a good time cooking with friends. In between, I can adopt an eat-to-survive attitude and not get too dissappointed about that not-so-good meal. I just eat it and move on, not wasting a lot of energy on bitching about it. Maybe the barrier for some is that it's just "not their thing". Vive le difference!

My preference is for the slow cooked methods where they develop a sweetness. I do something like the "slow cooked" in butter method, just not all day! Now I am thinking that cutting them in half and putting them cut side down in a gratin pan and addidng cream might be an approach. Sort of like a Brussels Sprouts Dauphinoise. But then, I am still in love with my gratin pan.

Oh my, Paula. I had heard of a technique like this but never had seen an actual recipe. Has anyone ever done this? Damn... I am curious.

Yeah... What Jin said. I wasn't complete in my yogurt cheese post. It was essentially what Jin does except the yogurt cheese replaced the cream. I do cream most often now since I am not into yogurt making. (I WILL get back to that.) The yogurt cheese adds a nice tang. If I wanted a lemon note I would use zest instead of juice.

I haven't done this in a long time and the first time I did it was an accident. My mother had grown some great spinach and I was sick of it in salad and plain sauted just didn't do it anymore. I shredded some up and quickly sauted it then I noticed this cup of yogurt cheese in the fridge. (I was in my yogurt making phase at the time and was using yogurt cheese for EVERYTHING.) I stirred some in, grated on some fresh nutmeg and... Hallelujah Hannah! That became my standard. I haven't fooled with that fresh-from-the-garden spinach since, but some variation on that might be worth a try.

I have developed a big curiosity about Morocco. I have your book but haven't gotten into it yet. Would you share your most surprising experiences that you had while researching this book? Was there anything that you just didn't like? On the other end of the scale, what was your absolute favorite experience?

To stay with Richard's original point, I think you have described the barrier very well. I actually know a family with two kids, age 14 and 16. Mom is a typical "soccer mom" with other interests like PTA and such. She doesn't work outside the home. Dad provides very well but works late and has to travel a bit. They actually keep their calendars in Outlook! (As she proudly showed me one day to demonstrate how busy they all are.) She cooks some. She is so busy that meals are whatever might be in the fridge to nuke and eat, all put up in single portions. The kids are a real pain in the butt. With all of their "healthy activities", they have lousy manners, don't exhibit much respect for others much less their elders, and their grades are mediocre. I wonder if there is any connection?

Good one MatthewB! That looks really interesting. My son is good at adapting a recipe and this one looks like a good starting point. He is also more into the savory side. I kept having trouble with the squash and something not sweet.

Interesting thread, Richard. I did a bit of a reverse for a time. I was raised among really good and adventurous cooks. We always had a garden. Cooking as fun was always a part of our family culture. However, there was a period of about 10 years where cooking was not part of my life. My family used to tease me about dusting my stove. My main meal was usually eaten out at lunch. The evening meal was a snack of fruit and cheese or whatever. I know about nutrition and tried to strike a happy balance while avoiding the stove. I wasn't into "convenience" foods but I did nuke the occasional Lean Cuisine. Cooking just was not a priority in my life at that point. I had other things on my mind. Then, my grown son moved in with me for a time while finishing school. He likes to cook and has since he was little. I said... ok... this will be fun. I bought a house with a pretty ok kitchen and a great pantry and we moved out of the condo. (Hey... The basset hound was getting too old for the stairs anyway.) Also, at this point, I could afford to indulge myself with all sorts of toys. That made it more fun. My circle of friends expanded to include some that are really into food so that added more fuel to the fire... so to speak. I never had the barrier of not knowing how to cook so I don't know what that feels like. (My mother had me making some pretty complicated cookies at age 6.) Money was not a barrier that I can ever remember though I have had periods of having to balance the checkbook to the penny every month. But I still went through that period where cooking and food just wasn't part of the program so I can understand if someone just doesn't care. Maybe they are just directing their passions elsewhere. What does bother me is seeing families that don't use cooking and mealtime as a tool for bonding and teaching. I learned a hell of a lot of science through cooking, and gardening, when I was very young. In fact, I attribute my life long passion for science to those experiences. The evening meal was important family time. I see too many families where that time takes a back seat to soccer games, lessons of whatever ilk, and general rushing around so that there is no time for kicking back and just being together. When are family traditions and values shared and taught? The patterns of modern day life dictate that about the only time this can happen on a daily basis is dinnertime and if that is not a priority, then what? Nutritional issues aside... That is what is missing and the best, fastest, most convenient food in the world won't fix that.

My son is going to his sister's in DC for Thanksgiving. There will be a gathering of about 10 friends. He has signed up for a side dish. He is thinking something that screams fall and he is a winter squash fanatic. He has gotten as far as acorn or butternut squash and chestnuts and is stuck there. So am I. Rather than a casserole type dish where the squash is mushed up, he is thinking cubes of squash and chestnuts tossed with something. HELP!