Basilgirl

I have thought for years and still do that lamb tastes like wet sweaters. Maybe my momma just didn't cook it right.

Well, thank you. I'm blushing. The SO said they were the best biscuits he's ever had in his life!!! He actually went crazy over that meal. "You've outdone yourself this time." I mean, it was good, but I've made better. I think. By the way, the beer batter is from Gourmet many many years ago - beer, flour, salt, Tabasco. Made great rings. I think tonight we'll be dining on a...lighter side.

Beer battered fried chicken tenderloins and onion rings Corn on the cob roasted in the husk in the oven, with cayenne-lime butter Sliced tomatoes in Greek vinaigrette Bisquick drop biscuits

Indian meal moths.

Had a Ben & Jerry's smorgasbord last night at an anniversary party. Half Baked/Too Twisted was awesome. They stopped making my favorite years ago - White Russian . Anybody seen that anywhere lately???????????????

Thin sliced pork loin on delicious fat jalapeno-cheddar foccaccia from Safeway's bakery, Gulden's spicy brown, swiss & thinly sliced red onion, wrapped tightly in foil and heated in oven until gooey. Sierra Nevadas. That was all.

I LOVE my Showtime. S.O. hates it b/c he says it cooks better than he can on an outdoor grill. Makes awesome pork loin. Make little slits and stuff with Tuscan herbed salt (sage, rosemary, garlic, kosher salt whirled together - from Sally Schneider's A New Way to Cook). 20 minutes a pound. Perfection. I've also made lobster tails and souvlaki - very good. It may be cheap and f'ing dangerous, but I still love it.

Tommy: Is that Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen I spy? Next to the Thai cookbook? And what do you think of it if it is? I love it. The Vino Italiano book disappointed me.

Marcella's tomato salad - smash garlic, let sit with red wine vinegar and salt. Add tomatoes. She peels. Ugh. I add olive oil and pepper. Fresh mozzarella and basil. S.O. eats the garlic.

I love summer for the produce, but fall/football season/winter is best for cooking. Looking forward to Sunday afternoons in the kitchen - French onion soup, homemade bread, chili, stews, the game on my little 5" b&w tv...GO SKINS The Redskins kick off the season tomorrow night. I am SO NOT going to see Britney.

Saturday: Beer batter fried chicken chunks, corn on the cob roasted in the oven in the husk (BUTTER), fried green tomatoes Sunday: Mario's turkey/pork meatballs, modified (one TABLESPOON of hot pepper flakes? plus more in the sauce, TWO tablespoons of salt - maybe these were typos from Food Network?), homemade foccacia Monday: Pork loin in the Set It and Forget It, roasted Yukon Golds with garlic & rosemary, tomato/mozzarella/GARLIC salad No wonder I'm so fat

BLT's, BLT's, BLT's

Tommy, try Freschetta's new Brick Oven Style and get back to me. It's good.

LOVE fried green tomatoes, done any way. I've never tried a beer batter, do you think that would work? I always serve mine with a mayo/tomato paste/cayenne mix on the side.

Poor Rachael. She HAS toned it down. I think she and/or her producers read all the nasty posts about her on their Web site chats. Looks like she's been doing Atkins, too. I can't decide if I like her or not, yet I always watch if she's on. At least she's stopped with the salt over her shoulder.

Planet Wayside in Hamilton, VA has closed due to the untimely death of Suzanne O'Neil, who founded the restaurant with her husband, Tim. This happened about a month ago, I don't know how I missed hearing about it. Have any e-gulleters ever been there? It started the "Crummy But Good" articles in The Washington Post...what a great little place. Delicious food, good people running it, inventive menu - I never got to try the "Whiskers on Kittens" soup, but my sister said it was good. There was always something funny on the daily special chalkboard sitting on Route 7. "Welcome Idiot Marylanders" was a favorite (apologies to MD gulleters). The last time I was there the owner (Tim) had on a t-shirt that said, "YOU! Out of the gene pool!" From the Post, July 24: "Former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright entertained visiting dignitaries in the humble shack with low ceilings, and actor Robert Duvall also took meals there. "On an outdoor chalkboard used to display the daily specials, the O'Neils would write a humorous message such as "Honk if you're brain dead." Oh dear. Very sad.

I'm making a big fat Greek salad for dinner tonight. I've never been able to duplicate the typical Greek salad dressing at home. Lemon juice or red wine vinegar? Both? Garlic? Help.

PS - I made a great pasta with sauteed zukes & onions tossed with grape tomatoes (this was before the local ones hit) which were marinated with EVOO, a little balsamic, garlic, capers, smoked mozzarella, little cubes of pecorino, pepper flakes. Tossed with hot pasta and threw in the zukes. Served at room temp. People went nuts. One guy even said he hated zucchini "but that was the best pasta I ever had." I wouldn't go that far, I'm no Mario . But it was pretty damn tasty.

You could also get sneaky and grate it up in pasta sauce. They'll never know. Well, maybe not.

Ratatouille Roasted zukes & onions, good pizza topping I made a savory bread pudding once with zucchini. It was really good, but I don't know the recipe off the top of my head. I'm sure you could wing it.

Anytime is a good time for carbonara!

I just got some kasseri the other day and wanted to flame it and say OOOPPAAAHHHH but I chickened out. Can you saute it up like haloumi?

Hot pepper rings - you know, the pickled ones. I don't think you sound silly Tommy.

Roast zucchini, onions, tomatoes, eggplant in the oven with olive oil, S&P, herbs. Provolone. Artichoke hearts, capers, Kalamatas, crushed red pepper, fresh mozzarella, tomato. YUM. Spinach & feta.

I've always thought lamb tastes like sweaters. Really.