Basilgirl

If Don Rocks recommends a place, you know it's got to be good. I live in Burke and have yet to make it to El Pueblo - maybe this weekend. Rocks: The Swiss Bakery in the same shopping center has great pretzel rolls. Also, have you tried Villa Bella yet? (See above Basilgirl comments)

Yum! That sounds great. My favorite way to cook green beans is to roast them with olive oil, salt & pepper, and garlic. When they're done I toss them with lemon juice mixed with a little bit of mashed up anchovies. This is from Nancy Verde Barr's "Make It Italian" cookbook, but I first came across it in one of those Best American Recipes - the year's best recipes from books, magazines, the Internet etc. - books. Great cookbook series, by the way. I also like to do a Provencal type thing - marinate lightly cooked green beans in a vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar, shallots, garlic, thyme, and lots of Nicoise or Kalamata olives. Serve cold or at room temperature.

It's Marie's Premium Super Blue Cheese - 25% more cheesy chunklets!

Please to be explaining your last sentence?

Yes. I just bought a (small) box today on my lunch hour! "Nabisco Original Premiums."

What about Marie's Blue Cheese? I love that stuff. Especially the Super Chunky or Extra Cheesy or whatever it's called. Great on BLT's. I keep Good Seasons dry mix around (but I get the Safeway brand - way cheaper and exactly the same ingredient list) to make "Italian Beef" in the Crockpot.

Thanks for that recipe! That sounds a lot like what's in the bottles my sister brings me (and her friends!) Seriously, I could drink this stuff, it's that good. I think she gets it in a regular grocery store - she visits the Cocoa Beach area. Thanks again for the recipe!

I've been looking everywhere for that cheesecake cream cheese! I had it at my Mom's but she couldn't remember where she got it. It's SO GOOD

Besides the obvious antipasto platters, salads (vegetable, tuna, etc.), deli meats & cheeses - what do you make for dinner when it's really really hot and you don't want to turn on the stove/oven?

The first bacon, basil & tomato sandwich of the summer. On toasted 15-grain bread with pesto mayo and lots of salt & pepper. Herr's Thin & Crispy potato chips. Sierra Nevadas.

I just raided my boss's snack drawer and swiped 3 packets of Nabiscos. They were good. He won't mind.

My sister brings me yummy Cafe Geneva Swiss style salad dressing when she goes to Florida. It must be kept refrigerated at all times. They also make a Greek version with feta that is delicious. Cannot find outside of FL and there is no web site Any Floridians know what I'm talking about?

Saltines are served along side crab cakes in Baltimore. They are often used as the filler too. I love saltines but have been avoiding them due to their relative lack of nutritional value. I like to eat them upside down so the salt hits my tongue first. I think I will buy a "sleeve" this weekend.

If this has been mentioned before, I apologize BUT I was watching Rachael Ray last night and she pulled up an old phrase that I thought she had retired: "Yummo!"

Soft boiled eggs with well buttered toast nuggets mixed in Floating Island

Rachael Ray: "(Whatever) overboard!"

I apologize for that. Maybe it was subliminal. My bad.

Thanks, all, for proving that once again I AM USUALLY RIGHT!!!!!!

The Boyfriend and I picked up three pounds of heads-on shrimp at the beach on Saturday. We had a debate on whether to cook them with the heads or not. I said yes; he said no. My sister said yes, so that's what I did, except for the ones I fried. It did kind of gross me out to rip the heads off though. They were looking at me! Any thoughts about this issue? By the way, these were probably the best shrimp I have ever had. I guess because they were so fresh.

Three pounds of heads-on shrimp, most steamed with tons of seafood boil seasoning, some fried in beer batter (beheaded and peeled); beer battered Vidalias; hushpuppies; garlicky tomato salad. Sierra Nevadas. We have leftovers.

Yes, the lime juice will tenderize. My mom used to marinate chuck steak in lemon juice, scallions and sugar and then GRILL it. It was awesome.

I was watching How to Boil Water yesterday with new host Tyler Florence. He ended each sentence with "right" and started almost every sentence with "Alright..." It was driving me nuts, so I turned it off.

Marinated filet mignons my boss gave me ($20.00 a pound! good grief) that he didn't have time to cook Ore-Ida Oven Chips with lots of salt Edy's Peach Sorbet

Or "I don't know where you come from, but where I come from (insert name of ingredient here) don't come seasoned."

If you aren't just pulling our collective legs here I'd go with "oil" and "foil" ... but you are probably kidding, no? Yes, oil and foil, ya'll. That being said, I do like her. One day I will try frying canned biscuits in ol. They looked really good, especially after she pumped them full of honey butter.