Basilgirl

Cumin makes me want to hurl. My ex-mother-in-law (from South America) would sprinkle liberal amounts on ANYTHING she cooked, especially her microwaved bowl-o-chicken parts. BLECH. I can handle cumin in a chili powder blend but that's about it.

Forgot about the bagel dogs with dijon honey mustard that I liberally sprinkled with cayenne. Also forgot about the Superbowl thread, or this would have gone there.

My Superbowl spread for two: Bonnie's Buffalo Chicken Dip that's been floating around the Internet - really, really good stuff - you wouldn't think so by looking at the recipe - shredded chicken mixed with Frank's hot sauce, topped with cream cheese melted with ranch dressing & some chopped celery, baked then topped with monterey or cheddar cheese (I used a 4-cheese Mexican blend) and baked some more until melty and bubbly. My boyfriend went nuts over this. Served with really yummy broken up tostadas from Mexico - extra crunchy and salty. Usinger's summer sausage in the shape of a football - too cute - and Cabot's aged white cheddar with assorted Pepperidge Farm crackers Brie en croute with raspberry jam and almonds Crudite Bugels!! Lotsa Sierra Nevadas for me

Half of a ham on pretzel bread from Corner Bakery, with parmesan potato chips. There used to be a good amount of pretzel salt on the pretzel bread, but not this time Still delicious though.

Never unless it's something very messy that I don't want to spill on my sweater or leather sofa. My boyfriends insists on eating every meal in front of the TV, on the coffee table, while reading the paper. So sometimes he eats by himself while I enjoy a civilized meal at my beautiful oval teak dining room table, which expands to seat 12.

I like the one I've been making lately from Marcella Says. It is braised with pancetta, red wine vinegar, garlic, anchovies and a little water. Different and delicious. As for cutting it in half, I often do this to make a roast fit in my slow cooker. Then I do "Italian Beef" by dumping in beef broth, Italian dressing mix, pepperoncinis with a little of their juice, red pepper flakes & oregano. I use the meat to make incredibly good shredded beef sandwiches on crusty rolls with melted provolone. Yum.

Northern Virginia, just outside Washington. We have sucky diners. The Tastee 29 is too scary looking to go inside.

You New Jersey-ites are so lucky to have so many good diners in your state. I saw Al Roker's diner special on The Food Network yesterday and I was drooling. Your thoughts on Mastoris Diner in Bordentown or the Elgin in Camden?

I hardly ever eat breakfast, but on a solo snowy Sunday morning it seemed like a good idea. Two eggs scrambled with Jarlsberg, 4 slices of Nueske's Canadian bacon, a multi-grain Thomas' English muffin, coffee with half and half. Then out to shovel!

Saturday night we made pizzas on store bought crusts with the new Sargento "Bistro Blends" mozzarella and asiago with roasted garlic. Good stuff. Yesterday I roasted a chicken on top of carrots and onions, stuffed with fresh sage and rosemary and a lemon. The cheap roasting pan quickly made a complete char of the onions and carrots; I threw them out. Oven roasted french fries and a salad of romaine, red onion, blue cheese and pears. Also made a pot roast from Marcella Says that we will have tonight. It has pancetta, red wine vinegar, garlic, anchovies, dijon and is incredibly delicious.

Marcella Says and Lidia's Family Table

Chicken olio aglio, braised fennel, Sardinian bread casserole - all Lidia Also made a big pot of lentil soup with a homemade tomato/sage sauce stirred in, and did a ginger/rosemary rubbed pork loin in the Set It and Forget It. Dinner is ready for the rest of the week

Alfredo sauce, chicken, red onion, fontina, garlic - sort of like the Roasted Garlic Chicken pizza at CPK

Reuben Pizza - Thousand Island dressing, drained sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss Muffaletta - olive salad made with tons of garlic, genoa, ham, provolone Roasted veggie (onions, red peppers, zucchini, eggplant, etc. ) w/ raw tomato sauce pizza 5-cheese (mozz, provo, asiago, parmesan, swiss or blue or some other white cheese) white pizza with tons of garlic/olive oil/red pepper flakes and Italian parsley

I bought a chuck blade steak the other day. Not sure what to do with it, so I shoved it in my freezer. Grilling is out - it's freezing out there! Cook's Illustrated suggested it for teriyaki. Slice it thin and stir fry? It's pretty thick, like a roast. I'm assuming it's not something to Crock Pot. Suggestions, please...

Sunday night: Ina Garten's French onion soup with fennel and a ton of booze (brandy, sherry and white wine - I didn't have any Pernod so I left it out) - good, but almost too sweet; red leaf lettuce salad with crispy prosciutto bits, red onion and blue cheese crumbles, "Sauce for Salade" Swiss type dressing Monday night: "Italian Beef" sandwiches from the Crock Pot, made extra juicy using my Mom's old "Pot Roast Dip Sandwiches" dipping gravy (the only use I have ever had for dried onions from a jar), served on buttered toasty rolls with melted provolone; classic Lay's. Tonight, with subzero wind chills in D.C., will be chili made yesterday in the Crock Pot topped with pickled jalapenos, cheddar, scallions & sour cream, with either flour tortillas, corn tortillas or tortilla chips, or maybe cornbread if I can get it together, and lots of beer

I like Jacques Pepin's version from his book with Julia - slice potatoes thin, cook with chicken stock, onions & herbs, layer in a gratin dish and bake - but of course I have to add a ton of cheese

Queso beer dip from Epicurious with tortilla chips Pigs in blankets with homemade honey mustard A football shaped Usinger summer sausage Smoked salmon cream cheese on Triscuits Popcorn Sierra Nevadas

Saturday night: Nueske's ham, potato gratin, roasted fennel with parmesan Yesterday: For the upcoming week, made a yummy white bean soup and an "Italian Beef" chuck roast in the Crockpot; also made jambalaya with ham and chicken and cornbread with scallions which we had last night. I think we are pretty much set for the week, and that makes me feel good.

I made Biba Caggiano's white bean soup yesterday - improvising of course - isn't that the fun of making soup? I added fresh rosemary, thyme & sage and instead of the potato called for I used the extra potato-y chicken broth from a potato gratin from the night before. Also added a splash of balsamic and much more garlic than was called for. Substitute Nueske's ham chunks for the prosciutto rinds. It is delicious.

Alka Seltzer Morning Relief (two tablets) works for me I bought Chaser 2 but haven't tried it yet - you take the pills before and during drinking, and who's going to remember to do that? I just read in a magazine that a raw red bell pepper helps - no dip. I tried that on New Year's morning and it really did seem to help. I've also read that fruit juices are good. A Bloody Mary, heavy on the Old Bay, and a cheeseburger also works for me. My old cure was an Egg McMuffin and a large Coke, but that was long ago...

Chicken breasts in a vodka lemon cream sauce, with a little chopped tomato & scallions Lentil salad a la Mario Ecce Panis Tuscan bread with lots of organic butter A cheap Cotes du Rhone

Pork and sauerkraut, of course! With a side of black-eyed peas. Got to get both the Southern and the Northern traditions in. Although this year it will be my first cotechino with lentils instead.

Nor will you. If you can travel a little farther, China Star in Fair City Mall in Fairfax has fantastic Szechuan food, and very decent "Chinese-American" food as well.

Nueske's Applewood Smoked Ham and Smoked Turkey, Breakfast Trio, and a cheesecake Kringle. Good stuff. Vic Firth's "Mario" 12" pepper grinder - I got to pick the color - it was hard - so I went with Mario Orange!!!