gulfporter

re: Hominy for New Years: Posole was traditional for the Holidays where we lived in Mexico; there it was always red. I prefer the green posole which you see a lot of in New Mexico.

You will enjoy Oaxaca Al Gusto...I have a copy in the original Spanish, signed by Diana. I was lucky to meet her at a small luncheon in Central Mexico where we were living when the book came out. Have visited Oaxaca several times and the chapulines are fabulous, especially at the open air markets, where they are grilled to almost a char and served crunchy and hot...the way grasshoppers are meant to be cooked!

Yes, black-eyed peas are a must in the south. I'm also not fond of the traditional Hoppin' John so I usually make a version of Texas 'caviar' with them; it is a cold salad and quite good. When we moved to rural Virginia, imagine my shock at the local Safeway before New Years when the meat counter was full of pig faces. Local tradition. I was young then and grossed out; now I wish I had tried them.

Even if evap is 1/2 the calories of the real deal, it's not much of a caloric saving. I'd rather use 1/2 the amount of the real stuff. After struggling with my weight since childhood, fifteen years ago I lost 42 pounds and have kept 40 of them off. After years of diet failures that used low-cal low-fat low-sugar substitutes, I found portion control of 'regular' foods worked best for me. A little dab or dollop of butter, whipped cream, dessert, etc. will satisfy my hunger far better than any amount of low-cal alternatives. YMMV.

A vegetarian Wellington. I have not made, but there are several recipes out there (including Jamie Oliver's) and they do indeed look impressive for the Holidays.

Would I have better luck with either clams or mussels on the grill, as far as opening all the way on the grill? I'm looking for some sort of hard shell seafood to add to a cookout party, that I can throw on the grill then serve without a lot of intervention on my part, other than having either a dipping sauce or adding a splash of sauce/seasoning to the opened shell.

Love it!!!

Fry Daddy Deep Fryer Bread Machine Ice Cream Maker All given away after we gained too much weight!!

Thanks all for the advice! I will experiment soon.

I have a medical condition in both hands that makes shucking oysters too painful. I would like to serve them at an upcoming cookout from my gas grill. Anyone have experience in grilling unshucked oysters...will they magically open all the way once heated this way? Approx. how long will they take to open? I would like to add something to them after they open (garlic/herb sauce or ???).....will they oysters open enough to allow for me to drop something onto the bottom shell? Or are they just going to slightly open and need to be removed from the grill and the top shell taken off by hand? Appreciate any advice; have not worked with oysters, other then those purchased already shucked.

Medjool Dates are beautiful and easy to come by this time of year. You can stuff them with just about anything and get very creative. I often use cream cheese with grated orange peel, sweetened ever-so-slightly with some XXX sugar. I split the larger dates in two, fill with the cheese, then roll in toasted pecan pieces. I dip some half-way in melted dark chocolate (with or without nuts). For savory, I use goat cheese mixed with fresh mint...a quick zest of lemon on top works well with the savory ones. I keep the ingredients on hand for the entire season; you can whip up a batch in a few minutes when you get some holiday drop-ins.

Mil gracias!

Shel, please post the Meyer lemon panna cotta recipe (I have a tree full of Meyers). I'm leaning towards this tart recipe that has sliced Meyer lemons on top. Have not worked with Meyers before but have read they are thinner skinned than regular lemons and hopefully their skin is tender enough to use this way. http://www.marthastewart.com/857659/rustic-meyer-lemon-tart

We moved to a home in FL this year, and the Meyer lemon trees in the yard are ripe. I've googled recipes but have never used Meyers before. Anyone have a recipe they've used before and liked?

I have not seen the updated version "Essentials.." so cannot compare. The original version is a good read. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Ms. Kennedy a few years ago in connection with a small gathering for a book-signing in a private home (I was living in Mexico at the time and writing a recipe column in an expat publication). Her (then) new book was Oaxaca Al Gusto. I have the Spanish language version and it is delightful, especially since we traveled to Oaxaca on 3 occasions and find that Mexican cuisine to be the most interesting. It is available in English, of course.

I have done goose in the past. But lately we've done deep fried turkey, which you cannot stuff, so we make the meal a Cajun Classic and guests bring sides like dirty rice, collard greens, okra, sweet potatoes, corn maque choux. I bake a pan of oyster bienville stuffing. It's a fun change of pace from the routine TDay meal. And....my DH who hates roast turkey, loves the deep fried version, as do all the guests. It's a treat!

In pic, to right of sink, you have some free standing stacked storage. But they aren't taking full advantage of that space. Why not ditch the small units and add shelves there that take up the full space?

I have an earlier version of this indoor turkey fryer (mine holds up to a 14 pound bird). I wouldn't mind trading up to this new model that holds a 20 pounder. http://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-23011114-Butterball-Electric-Capacity/dp/B00BWKN0HC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415737642&sr=8-1&keywords=turkey+fryer+indoors I do 'stocking stuffers' with our foodie friends; this year we've all been focused on tapas. So I'm giving out these (I have one and it works great): http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415737872&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

It's a horrible policy on a few different levels. There's the economic strategy that others have discussed. But there's also the legal implication. As a couple, we have a one-drink maximum rule for the designated driver; it's a matter of safety and public responsibility. And it's not that we don't enjoy a cocktail and sharing a bottle of wine during an evening out...we do! In fact, we purposely moved (after retirement) to locales where we can walk to great eateries every night, so that we may indeed imbibe without worries about driving home. Taxis in our last 2 retirement towns were not an option (too small an area). We realize this bar is not requiring you to drink both cocktails, but they are requiring you to pay for them, so it's only human nature that most folks will drink both of them.

Yeah, saw that one. Just wondering if others have made it and lived to tell their tale.

Anyone have a tried and true recipe. Looking for a simple yet safe method, do not want to hang outdoors. TIA.

Count me as another broccoli hater, but cauliflower adorer. I also saute chopped cauliflower in olive oil until almost caramelized, then add butter and panko until well-browned; sprinkle liberally over fettuccine alfredo.

At least that's the take from the Food Section of this week's Washington Post. They included a recipe for 'Cauliflower Rice' by Ellie Krieger, in which grated cauliflower is the only 'rice' in the dish. My DH and I are big cauli fans. We use whipped cauli as faux mashed potatoes (and have had to convince guests they aren't real spuds). We also cut large thin slices of the whole head, smear with olive oil and s&p, then grill...they look like a large cross-section of a brain specimen and the grill marks against the white flesh is very appealing. What are you doing with cauliflower these days?

I use a hummingbird feeder brush.

Author missed the boat on Pennsylvania pizza. Any of the numerous pizzerias in Old Forge should have made the list. I grew up in Scranton and we went to Old Forge weekly. It wasn't until I was in college in NY that I saw a round pizza. I thought, wow, that's different. See here for story on Old Forge pizza: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2013/08/old-forge-pennsylvania-pizza.html