Margaret Pilgrim

An upscale San Francisco bakery makes equally upscale poptarts. Our son, who to my knowledge has never tasted the Kellogg' product, adores these.

My go-to dinner party cookie, a neutral bite to accompany a simple dessert, ice cream, posset, etc, is Pepperidge Farm "Bordeaux", crisp, not too sweet or having a strong flavor profile.

Source?

I've been using Rao's marinara for some 30 years. Of course I can make its equal at home but a jar on the shelf saves some rainy days or unexpected drop-ins,

Guess I'm a junk yard dog, but I have always found this service extraordinarily precious. Too much emphasis on service, which IMHO should not draw attention.

I was introduced to elk by relatives who hunted. When first married, we were bombarded with all cuts of elk in efforts to help our starving student budget. I never really learned to love it. It is "sweet". Needs to be cooked as rare as is safe since it dries out easily. Ground was good in chili. Stews/braises okay. Steaks certainly not beef. Just my take.

Patricia Wells' Vegetable Harvest puts vegetables front and center rather than being strictly veg or vegan although there are plenty of recipes that fit those bills. Absolutely delicious dishes as we've come to expect from her.

Jo, I’d just go with your original idea. A fast roux. I do this all the time to make gravy for takeout rotis chicken. (Slightly reduce a can of chicken broth, add any gelled chicken juice from chicken container. Add this to a roux, bring to boil for a minute ~> close to instant gravy.)

I had the toddy coffee "rig" back in the '60s. It made a decent cup, especially considering the systems prevalent at that time, and was a slight convenience in the morning, but wasn't worth the hassle, planning ahead, clean up. Went back to Melitta.

Staff note: This post and responses to it have been split from the Significant firsts in the kitchen discussion, to manintain topic focus. We enjoy a much simpler dish. Simply a handful of ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut up. Half an onion. Throw all in a small pot and melt over a low heat, continuing to mash the tomatoes as they cook down. When a thick puree, add a good size lump of butter and good glug of heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Give a couple of whirls with a stick blender. Clean and fresh summer in a bowl in under 10 minutes.

Reminds me of the chef's warning chart at Bistro Paul Bert in Paris. Steak: Bleu, Saignant, a point, mal cuit. (Blue, bloody, to a point or perfect, badly cooked)

Several years ago someone brought a braised kale dish to a country pot-luck. It was so amazing that I called out asking who the contributor was. Turned out it was a worker from the Catholic Worker Farm sitting across from me. Essentially, finely chopped mixed kales, bacon, onion, garlic, herbs. It was divine and not difficult to create. I could make an entire meal of it, soaking up the juices with good bread. Maybe a poached or fried egg on top.

Also understand that writer/AI is coming from the experiences of tuna sandwiches and sardine/creme cheese dip. Kind of missing the point of these products. I have used (separately) shrimp and octopus in (what I consider) incredible mixed fish cerviches, have been served others straight out of the can with lemon, etc..

Today’s “is not your father’s F&W”.

Is anyone near the top of Eater paying attention to the caliber of content? Concept as well as writing? Experience and judgment of writer?

Thoughts?

Always makes me laugh when the egg carton claims both free range and vegetarian diet. Riiiight. Tell that to the chickens!

@weinoo Your kozmatik is also a great grill for small meats. Skewers, thin slices. Enjoy!

We have a Trader Joe 5 minutes by car, 15 minute walk from our house. We used to shop it regularly but find better prices on organics and shelf goods at Grocery Outlet. I do return to TJ when I want young NZ rack of lamb.

Food processors are my tool of last resort. I detest cleaning them and resent having to pull from and replace in cabinet storage. I rely on a clamp-on-the-counter hand-cranked grater that lives installed in my pantry. FAST, effortless, breaks down into only two parts for washing. $4 at a PA flea market. It "shreds" into fine 1/3 inch shards.

Fage 2% runs full fat a close race.

Employing vertical integration, Costco has created its own chicken farms/butcheries, that guarantee their quality and quantity parameters. Consistent size and quality with moderate control over cost. Still, designed as a loss leader.

Thanks so much for this, Anna. It is great to hear your cheerful voice.

I served these recently with a prawn and octopus cerviche. Very successful pairing.

You think those areaddictive, try these (or other) chili and lime flavored.