Margaret Pilgrim

I totally agree about monkeys. Tripe can be delightful, i.e., menudo, or various French preps. Andouillette is, again, a favorite of mine. Quality varies, as do cooks. Again, my theory about no bad foods, only bad cooks.

My mother used to cook brains every once in a while. I never liked the consistency, which as a child I compared to scrambled eggs. I have not encountered brains as an adult, but adore sweetbreads. Perhaps support for my premise that there are no bad foods, only bad cooks.

Grilled zucchini with hacked together "chili ranch" Work in progress, focaccia Sauced Baked Alongside minestrone W

A good method for chicken broth but not so effective for chicken enchiladas.

He wasn't retired and at home then. He ate lunches out. I found a bite here and there or lunched with friends. Also, DH, an engineer, frequently reminds me that microwave is the most efficient form of cooking,

Actually, you nailed it with your quip. in 20 minutes, DH has heated and eaten lunch. He self-defines himself as "time intolerant". As i wrote, i try to keep several "planned overs" on hand for him, and he brings in frozen entrees like enchiladas, tamales, Swedish meatballs, etc. for close to instant, i.e., 5 minute, lunches. It works for him, which in turn works for me. At breakfast, I make "old-fashioned" oatmeal in the microwave. Put meal in bowl, cover with water, stir with impeccably clean finger and nuke for 5 minutes. Douse with heavy cream. Enjoy. I still really love your refrigerator magnet. Please never let my DH see it!

Word!

You may or may not still find this to your taste. We used to have a prime grade standing rib for Christmas Eve, but DH and DS decided it was too rich for them to handle, too much internal fat. So I switched to Choice grade the next year. Still too rich. Now I buy a supermarket "butcher" grade, whatever they are featuring for around $5.99 a pound, roast it low and slow, like several hours at 275 and everyone is happy. Very flavorful and tender but digestible meat..and a ton of Yorkshire.

Great idea. Thanks. I guess Ann_T already has dibs on your potatoes. Rats!

Nice. An impecunious French friend served us veal rib bones that he grilled. Divine, and according to him, almost free. i asked my local butcher, albeit not the boss, and was told that they would sell me those but priced it out at the same cost/pound as the whole veal rib roast. Errr...no thanks.

Beef short ribs; ox tail. Or better yet, short ribs AND ox-tail braised together. Calf's liver, cut thick, seared and cooked medium rare. Served over creamed spinach = a plus. 1 1/2" thick ground sirloin, hard sear, very rare inside. Sweetbreads, crispy seared, custardy inside. Rib cap, cooked medium.

Beefsteaks with fresh mozzarella Corned beef

@ElsieD Go the the Red Star website Click on "find a store". it works for the US. I don't know about Ontario. Good luck.

I can only say that we usually experience excellent service. We have an inside joke about going into a new restaurant and meeting the waiter from hell, supercilious, condescending, with that "you are SO lucky to have gotten in here!" attitude. By the time we have placed our order, he is slightly more accommodating. After seeing our responses to a course or two, he is close to amenable. By the end of the meal, he is positively jovial. As we walk out the door, husband will say, "Well, we broke him down." And a good time will have been had by all. But acquaintances, having had a same waiter at a same restaurant, have told us of the miserable time they had, mostly because of this person whom they felt was antagonistic and pushed his own agenda, They never made the attempt to get him on their side.

@bon vivant While it all looks fabulous, I particularly love the first picture of bundled diners and jar of hot sauce on the table. Warming body and soul.

Your decision and reasoning are sound. Our microwave keeps kitchen-phobic husband alive at lunch. He has not walked within 10 feet of the CSO and seems to have created a permanent rat-track. He does sometimes look at its clock. Our ancient microwave doesn't have one.

I'm not sure that our CSO will do much of any of the things we daily use a microwave for. As in heating leftovers in 3-4 minutes; melting butter; heating milk or for that matter reheating a cup of coffee; nuking a "TV" meal for lunch. My frustration with the CSO, and it is probably due to my inexperience, is its 10 minute pre-heat function and time loss. It will be great for "cooking" but I don't find it great for fast reheats.

9am "lunch" at the flea market Husband chose "revueltas"; I had "loroco". + hot sauce. Cabbage salad on the side.$3.each

Super simple Saturday night Chili Corn bread e Married up, with scallions and sharp cheddar as attendants

Monkey 47.

Returned the TV book and checked out Milk Street Tuesday Nights I am finding it very interesting, probably useful, full of dishes I would actually cook and probably enjoy. A copy of Milk Street Magazine had also come in, and it too has some usable content. Surprise, surprise! Never too old to learn new tricks.

No, his point was not that service was so seamless but that waiters were merely food runners, perhaps an American idea but certainly not the French model. He mentioned that he noticed that an adjacent table received a different plate than he although they were each having the same tasting menu. The waioter explained that the chef sent out the plates he had calibrated each table would enjoy, some getting veal, some getting woodcock etc. My point, exactly.

At a small dinner in Paris, the subject of waiters came up. One guest had regaled us with descriptions of his twice a day Michelin starred meals over the past week. He dropped a comment that he never noticed his waiter. WHAAAAAT? Your waiter is not only your server but your only conduit to the kitchen, the chef. How does the kitchen know that you like, even care about the food? Even in a diner, the cook likes to hear someone say something nice about their work. I can't imagine ignoring the waiter, essentially your partner for the duration of your visit.

Seriously, I have found the comments, remarks, experiences related on this thread enormously interesting and helpful. Not the least valuable is the self-realization that I've gained by relating to others' usage and opinions of these various appliances. We, no, YOU are a bonanza of experience and ingenuity.

Giant mango Pork belly With potatoes roasted aside, and dilly creamed zucchini Milk Street French apple cake ...