Margaret Pilgrim

Had a yen for tuna noodle casserole. Not sure it needs to go into current rotation. Good enough but perhaps you can’t go home again. Actually, my mother never heard of much less made thus dish.

The photo in your linked article is a sad attempt compared to yours! Well done.

Agreed. We have sublime bottles of homebrew from two wine geek friends. But we reach for the Banyuls or sherry.

I DO!!! We're also fond of red Banyuls vinegar but it's kind of hard to source.

This speaks to my point above. We live in Dungenous crab country. Boiled live crab + homemade mayo with kiss of Coleman's mustard powder is the classic treatment. Of course you can douse it with Louis sauce, but when it is fresh and good, leave it alone and taste nature's magic.

My one Paris cassoulet was some 25 years ago at Chez Maitre Paul. When it came to table, the waiter took two large spoons and removed the crust, setting it on a side plate and taking it away. I was perplexed but didn't say anything. (Today, I would ask him WTH he was doing.) Probably/possibly the kitchen repositioned it on another hot but not crusted casserole, reheated the whole thing and reserved it.

I think that "fish and ..." depends entirely on the quality and variety of the fish. I prefer FRESH fish and shellfish lightly handled and seasoned. Butter and a kiss of lemon are seldom out of order, gentle herbs perhaps. But heavier sauces seem to me better left to meats, poultry and fish of lesser or dubious quality. So, if your fish or shellfish have seen better days, a dose of morel and vin jaune sauce or Bearnaise or Newburg might help out. Otherwise...

I have bought and liked “Knorr stock pot gels”. The veal was excellent but seems discontinued, while chicken and beef are still randomly around. They work for me.

Before the holidays, I was buying organic pastured medium size eggs at Grocery Outlet for $3.99/dozen. Excellent flavor, orange yolks. Mid-December they went up to $4.99, then $5.99, still a value. Haven't seen them in several weeks. Have been buying extra large organics for $5.99/dozen, cheaper than the same quality large size, i.e, supply and demand when most people reach for large eggs.

In case I've sold anyone on (Jacques Pepin's favorite) Peppermate mill, my 45 year old one recently deconstructed and I immediately ordered a new one. The standard price seems to be $39.99 but I snagged this one at substantial discount. Ordered and received white. It came 72 hours after I placed the order. I am delighted.

I believe that New Mai Wah, my neighborhood market, sells fresh pigs ears. They sell most other parts. Half heads, uterus, tails, blood....

IMHO, it is the pork that creates the flavor. I usually simply add an onion and a few garlic cloves and then let the meat do its job. Additional flavor accents are perhaps best left to later garnishes. Most will "cook out" during the long braise.

Ah, I forgot tripe. That was in rotation also. But the pickled or sour kind, and fried. Today, I love it in tacos, but mama didn't cook it Mexican style. ETA, my last comment brought to mind that many of my current favorite meats are in fact offal of one kind or another. Mexican tripas, cabeza, lengua, cesos, or French andouillette, tete de veau, museau, falling in line with my maxim that there are no bad foods, only bad cooks.

Contained chopped pickles and red bell peppers.

In WWII, my mother conserved meat ration tokens by frequently serving odd-bits: tongue, heart, liver, kidney, brains. As I recall, tongue was the easiest to "sell".

Thinly sliced pig tongues in vinaigrette = delicious and approachable dish. Tongue tale: a school roommate and I unexpectedly dropped in on my parents around meal time. On seeing us, my mother exclaimed, "Oh, no! We're having tongue!" My roommate replied, "Super! I LOVE tongue!" She immediately had my mother curled around her little finger.

One of our favorite hosts in the Yonne dept of France used to serve delicious pigs ear canapes. Braised with aromatics and wine, succulent and porky. Excellent. And similarly, he transformed andouillettes into small morsels of goodness that were a perfect foil to a glass of wine. He served us many outstanding plates, many with benefit of scant description for some of his guests.

Everything you need to know about that Thanksgiving turkey.

As I recall sandwich spread, the first couple of tablespoons out of the jar were a nice sandwich addition, but it staled quickly and took on an "old oil" flavor.

Our last cassoulet was here. Quintessential, enormous. I remember thinking at the time, "This is the cassoulet of your life" and meaning that it was enough to sate me for life. It did.

Yes. Am hoping to buy it locally and in a larger size.

Connoisseur. Sometimes excellence comes in surprising packages.

I've gone through a litre each of Shark medium and "he-man". They are quite alright but both sweet to my taste. More like sweet chili sauces. I'm still looking for Panich.

My father used to be amused to share (Wilson's brand) jarred pickled pigs' feet with me when I was about 4 years old. To this day, I love pickled meat products: fromage de tete, tongue, cold meat in vinaigrette.

In our family's case, their concern is not calories or amount of fat intake but rather mouth-feel of very rich beef.