fifi

Damn... What do they do for a special occasion? Surely, these folks are a very small minority.

All of this talk about Hooters is really funny. As a professional woman in a mans profession, I have had the "opportunity" to visit many of these places. I have even been to Boy's Town in Nueva Laredo. Anybody who thinks these women are being exploited are in a testosterone fueled dream world. The guys just don't want to admit that they are being "had". Funny story about Hooters. I was in the position of approving a certain manufacturer to supply a really big company. The young man, son of the owner, was a real dickhead. He, at lunch, boldly proclaimed that he was the local Hooters franchise owner. I put on my icy bitch-kitty corporate persona and said "Oh... Really". The look on his face was priceless.

Now that shop vac idea has merit! I've never thought of that.

Maybe we should start a scrambled egg thread. If I get to try this in the next few days (busy weekend) I will try it and start one. I think it would be lost here. I've got the right pot I think. It seems to me that the depth of the egg should be balanced with the width to promote even cooking. My only snag is that I am currently working with a lousy apartment electric stove. But it is rather weak so I should be able to carry it off. Any chance of you guys doing any more Nero Wolfe? That was really a kick. And timely, since I am currently working my way through the books. Thanks for all of your work.

Ok... I am going to try this but I have two questions... What size saucepan? "so that as the egg starts to set it is mixed back into the uncooked egg" Does this mean that you are stirring? Slowly and gently maybe?

I'm not an expert ... well you get the idea... But, some of my best syrups have been failed jam. So you just go for a jam and don't quite make it. Seriously, I have in the past added just a little bit of pectin to get a syrup consistency if the fruit would normally require a bit of pectin. I haven't had the luxury of raspberries (dammit) so I don't know about them.

You are either terribly brave or totally NUTS! (no smiley here, on purpose) I have not done this myself but have been present at friends in Hawaii and I can tell you... this ain't simple. I asked a lot of questions as the event progressed. As the pit was prepared, stones stacked, the fire set, it became evident that this is a job for experience. There are a lot of nuances and technique that can only be gained by experience. A short list... size and placement of stones, distribution of the fire and coals, timing of heating of the stones, preparation of the animal (they used a small pig), stacking the pig and leaves and other insulation just so, timing before you dig it up. You can't raise the lid and check it after all. And you can't regulate the temperature by opening air vents. All of these details and experience are passed down from father to son and so forth. And you want to do this for a catering job? In a part of the country where lighting the fire might get you arrested? I did have a rather spectacular dish in Mexico City at a restaurant called Arroyo. They had big masonry BBQ "pits" fired from below. Leg of lamb was seasoned then encased in big split agave leaves and left to slow cook until it was fall apart tender. But they had a lot of experience doing that, too. If you proceed with this madness, I think we will be interested in hearing how it turns out.

Dave... That video is exceedingly cool. You have just changed my onion chopping technique. I always had a hard time with those horizontal (to the board) cuts. This makes much more sense. I vote for videos!

Sparrowgrass and others that may have an abundance of green beans... I have a recipe for fresh green beans that some have threatened me with bodily harm if I don't cook it. It is one of those southern type recipes that is long stewed... none of that al dente crap! And, of course, it has a liberal amount of pork fat. I will put it into the recipe archive.

Back in the late 50s and early 60s my mother would make really good traditional "American" lasagne. Then she got into growing herbs long before it was cool to grow herbs. (She sent off for seeds for things we had never heard of.) Then one day she decided to make lasagne but use herbs from her herb garden. I remember that she read off the label what was in "Italian Seasoning" and proceded to go out and pick a bunch. I am sure that she had no clue as to how to adjust for fresh herbs versus dried stuff from the supermarket. I am sure that she was over-enthusiastic about how much she used. But, she was an amazing instinctive cook and that was the most amazing lasagne I have ever eaten. I remember it to this day.

I'm with you. The group clean-up with close friends is part of the fun. Even if I have things to clean the morning after, it is a rememberance. Goes to show you... attitude has a lot to do with it. Why not adjust your attitude and make the supposedly "bad thing" a positive. (Pollyanna suit now going back into the closet.)

I am a clean as you go freak when cooking so I usually don't have much to clean up from the cooking. I don't do a really big bash very often but I have found that hiring someone to keep up with dishes, serving, putting the food away, etc. is well worth it and not as expensive as you might think, especially when you think about what you spend on a party for 40 or 50. There is usually someone that my housekeeper or a friend knows that wants to make a bit of extra cash and will be willing to stay until after it is over and do the final clean up. Enterprising students are usually a good source as well and may even have serving experience. Then I can relax, enjoy the party, secure in the knowledge that I have helped a fellow human being in need and can nurse my hangover in tranquility the next morning. Then there are the medium size bashes where we are all very good friends and it is understood that we don't leave the host with a mess. It has just evolved like that. On vacuum cleaners... My daughter asked for a vacuum cleaner for her birthday and had researched it and got recommendations from friends. She knew I wasn't going to spring for a Meile so she chose a Hoover upright bagless with on-board tools. She says it is amazing.

Thanks Jin for clarifying the mushroom issue. I just checked and I have a bag of dried Shitakes, about the size of a good sized bag of Fritos. I paid $5.95 for it at an Asian market. I have to question gardening to get produce or fruit on the cheap. I seriously doubt that if you add up all you spend making a garden and tending it you will come out all that cheap. I am talking about the typical hobby gardener. When I garden, I don't consider the cost issue. I consider it a rewarding hobby that gives me goodies as a bonus. On salt... I agree with Jin. The "gourmet" salts are great for condiments where flavor and texture nuances make a difference. But to put them in food where they dissolve is a waste. I saw a cooking show once where the "chef" insisted on using sea salt to boil pasta. That is just nuts.

Green Beans (Southern Style) Serves 4 as Side. I invented this one day when I had a sudden craving for green beans. (???) I wanted to make them more delicious without losing the green beans in the process. The answer was to go a bit over the top with seasonings without getting so complicated that the beans got lost. The following recipe is what I came up with and has since become an addictive vegetable. Some in my family have been known to eat nothing else… for breakfast. The recipe is for one pound but I usually cook at least two. Just multiply accordingly. lb Fresh green beans Pieces thick sliced bacon Large white onion c Chicken broth Salt & pepper to taste Immerse the green beans in a sink full of cold water and swish around. This will get any grit off of them. Snap off any ugly ends and snap into about 1 inch pieces. Set aside. Cut the bacon strips crosswise into 1 inch pieces. In a heavy pot, big enough to hold all of the ingredients, cook the bacon on medium heat until all fat is rendered and the pieces are crispy. This is done relatively slowly so that all fat is rendered without the bacon becoming over browned. You will have to stir occasionally to ensure even browning. If you must, tip the pot and remove some of the bacon fat. For God's sake, don't remove all of it. (Reserve if you want to try the variation noted later.) Chop the onion into a medium dice. Add to the pot, sprinkle sparingly with salt, add fresh ground pepper to taste (I like a lot) and continue to cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked and beginning to caramelize. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking and caramelization without burning on the bottom. You will probably have to scrape the bottom from time to time. Add the green beans and chicken broth. Bring to a fast simmer, but not a hard boil. Cover and cook for about an hour or more, stirring occasionally. We are NOT going for al dente here. You want thoroughly stewed green beans, tender and luscious. Remove the cover and continue to simmer until the liquid cooks down by about half. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Notes: Pay attention to the cooking times. This is important. You can't rush well done crispy bacon, well caramelized onions, or thoroughly stewed green beans that develop a wonderful sweetness. (I have been accused of adding sugar.) Cooking down the "pot liquor" is also an important step. A variation is to take 1 to 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, combine with 1 tablespoon flour in a small frying pan, and make a medium roux. Add the roux to the beans when you take the lid off. Stir to combine with the liquid and cook until the consistency of the liquid suits you. This is a good recipe to make ahead for a dinner. Just reheat, but please don't microwave. The variation with the roux can be put into a casserole dish. Sprinkle some of those French fried onion things or breadcrumbs on top and reheat in the oven. Keywords: Side, Vegetables, Intermediate, American ( RG577 )

Someone needs to collect the information on brining in one place. I specifically mean concentration versus time for various pieces of meat. That stuff is scattered all over the place both here and in Cooks Illustrated. (I can't believe that those anal retentive types don't have graphs!) I know I have screwed up when first starting to brine things. Example... Brining chicken pieces overnight in the same brine I had used successfully for a whole big baking chicken or a turkey. The variables are size and density of the meat, concentration of the brine and time. I could discuss the gumbo basics, variations, tips and techniques. I have a digital camera but don't have a clue as to how to post pictures.

Dried mushrooms, specialty rices, canned coconut milk, just about any condiment you can imagine from Whole Foods or other specialty stores. Go to an Asian market and be amazed.

Puppy scheduling! I love it. Always go pee before starting to make a roux. Ditto brining. Anything that needs a long simmer, I now do in the oven. This is particularly convenient for things like chili that might stick on the bottom no matter how good the pot.

Freezing only helps health wise with storage time. Freezing doesn't kill the little salmonella buggers.

Col Klink smokes corned beef using essentially the same technique as for BBQ brisket. Do a search for some threads about it some time back. Everyone that got one was raving about it. I intend to try it as soon as I get my smoker set up again.

Interesting question and one I have wondered about as well. I am particularly curious about prime brisket. Would it smoke up any differently?

A few years ago we had 3 major injuries in our department at work from slicing bagels. Think microsurgery, cut tendons etc.

I want a magic gadget that you put unpeeled garlc cloves in at one end and out the other comes perfect diced garlic. I don't know that that exists but I dream about it.

I really, really, really want a mandoline. The current thread on cheap stuff is making me pause but I want one that makes waffle cuts and mounds of julienne fries.

Ikea also has this line of glasses with the horizontal ridges that are really cheap. You see them at about 10x the price in various high scale catalogues. I use them to serve wine bistro style or for juice glasses. My set has gotten broken so I need to make a run to Ikea. I will definitely look into those cutting boards.

Col Klink... I will be watching this thread with great interest for ideas for an upcoming event. I have just been to the liquor store to investigate some libations for some recipes. There are a lot of flavored rums and vodkas out there and I am trying to think of how some of those would pair with watermelon... coconut, vanilla, orange? Then there are the various spiced rums, dark rums... hmmm. I do agree with you on the rum direction.