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Flocko

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Posts posted by Flocko

  1. FYI, I picked up 2 cases of the spicy Blenheim's "red top" and a case of the less spicy "yellow top".  Ah, nothing like a shopping trip to South of the Border.

    We've also got beer and wine lined up for the pickin' thanks to donations from local proprietors.

    Dean or others:

    What whiskey do you recommend to go best with the Blenheim's?

    Bill

  2. I recently suggested a smoked paprika infused vodka for Bloody Mary's at a Spanish restaurant.  I've also made horseradish infused vodka intended for oyster shooters that makes a pretty righteous Mary as well.

    Habanero infused vodka is good stuff.  Herbacidal made some of that last summer that had to be dispensed with an eye dropper.  It practically made the tomato juice bubble and smoke. :blink: Once properly diluted it made a mighty fine Mary.

    But is it possible or reasonable to make fresh tomato juice? Why resort to something coming out of a bottle or can?

    Just thinking here.

    I have a Bloody Mary Deviled Egg in my book.

    Speaking of which, any preferences on flavor of DEs? I thought I'd bring some of my more exotic ones, especially some hot and spicy.

    Hi Debbie:

    I just got your book and hope you'll sign it for me at the "pickin".

    I love any kind of deviled eggs. The Bloody Mary ones look great. I was also especially drawn to: pimento cheese deviled eggs (two of my favorite things in one package); green eggs and ham; spinach bacon deviled eggs; and the dirty martinis (will they work with gin as well?? :rolleyes:

    Any ones you bring will be well appreciated and eaten by yours truly. Thanks!!

    Bill

  3. And here's a link to Debbie's book: Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy.  Buy your copy today!

    Oh, and only 34 days until the Big Pig Shindig.

    Thanks Dean and Debbie! I just ordered it. As Leon Spinks said immediately upon coming to consciousness after being knocked out, "I like eggs".

    34 days and counting...........I can hardly wait.

    Bill

    Cool, Bill. Bring the book to the pig pickin', as Debbie informs me she'd be happy to sign it for you. There will be lots more copies available at the independent bookstore that's just a few blocks away, too!

    I thought of doing just that. Amazon says it'll be here by August 8...............I DO love deviled eggs...............&pig...................&hushpuppies.................& greens.............&okra....................&&&&&&&&..............(you get the picture :rolleyes:)

    Thanks,

    Bill

  4. I heard ice cream mentioned. I have a hand-crank White Mountain that someone could use. The cranking keeps the kids busy, too!

    And someone should bring the obvious dessert....a pig-picking cake!

    I am fully capable of filling your deviled egg needs. I cooked 360 eggs while testing recipes for my cookbook, which I ended up having to complete in 10 weeks. I may need refrigerator storage, however. I'm going to see if the farmers of the CSA I belong to would be willing to donate their 'licious free-range eggs to the cause.

    HRH Queen of Deviled Eggs

    Hmmmmmm........deviled eggs!! :smile:

    And here's a link to Debbie's book: Deviled Eggs: 50 Recipes from Simple to Sassy. Buy your copy today!

    Oh, and only 34 days until the Big Pig Shindig.

    Thanks Dean and Debbie! I just ordered it. As Leon Spinks said immediately upon coming to consciousness after being knocked out, "I like eggs".

    34 days and counting...........I can hardly wait.

    Bill

  5. I heard ice cream mentioned. I have a hand-crank White Mountain that someone could use. The cranking keeps the kids busy, too!

    And someone should bring the obvious dessert....a pig-picking cake!

    I am fully capable of filling your deviled egg needs. I cooked 360 eggs while testing recipes for my cookbook, which I ended up having to complete in 10 weeks. I may need refrigerator storage, however. I'm going to see if the farmers of the CSA I belong to would be willing to donate their 'licious free-range eggs to the cause.

    HRH Queen of Deviled Eggs

    Hmmmmmm........deviled eggs!! :smile:

  6. Help me build a menu.  The following is what I know we'll have:

    Eastern NC-style whole hog barbecue

    Western (or rather, "Lexington") NC-style barbecue

    Slow-roasted chicken

    Slow roasted goat (that's still not certain)

    Brunswick Stew (the variant known as Varmint/Dave or "VD" Stew)

    Cole Slaw

    Collard Greens

    Barbecue potatoes

    Corn n' Limas

    Okra in some form (you're in charge, Brooks)

    Hush Puppies (Malawry)

    Lots of Desserts

    Tea

    Beer

    I'll be looking for folks to bring the desserts again.  My sister-in-law has promised to bring a huge caramel cake and other desserts -- maybe a coconut cake.  Peaches will still be in season, so a cobbler would be good.

    So, what are we missing?  Who's going to help??

    Hi Dean:

    I'll bring a couple of bottles to contribute to the great sounding cocktails I have read about :biggrin:..............there's a concept, bringing booze from Utah to North Carolina!! :rolleyes:

    My flight gets in late Friday night. I'll be staying at the Brownstone. I will be available Saturday for any menial tasks that may need to be performed. Let me know if I can help and how.

    I'm getting pretty excited about this shindig!!!

    See you all soon.

    Bill

  7. Hi All:

    Just back from Carmel/Monterey......................ah, so many great restaurants from which to choose and so little time :sad: ...............but we did very well.

    Stokes was great for dinner. L'Auberge was fantastic!! :biggrin: ...........now one of my top ten of all time..................same with Pacific's Edge at the Highland's Inn (both were tasting menus). Kurt Grassing's Chop House was very good as well.................had to go there to have Narsai David's Assyrian Lamb Chops...........ummmmm!!! Also they had some old gems from Narsai's famous wine cellar.............'70s and early '80s Martinis, Heitz, BV, etc at very reasonable prices. We had some good small plates at Big Sur Bakery and a great late lunch at Nepenthe. I've always had the ambrosia burger there, but this time had fried sweet potato puffs and a red and yellow beet salad with chevre. Very tasty and THE VIEW was of course spectacular.

    A lunch at the wharf one day was at Abolonetti's........very good fried calamari steaks.

    Stopped in San Francisco on the way for a requisite lunch at Tadich Grill before heading down the coast..............great petrale sole as usual. We also made a stop at the Ferry Building and got some cheese, fruit, and chocolate :rolleyes:

    All in all a great trip. Thanks to all for your recommendations!!

    Bill

  8. I just tried this Bobby Flay recipe for "Grilled Quail with Pomegranate Molasses and Horseradish Glaze with Spicy Walnuts and Tangerine Vinaigrette" a couple of weeks ago. It was sooooooooo great I made it again Friday night :biggrin:

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/re...6_12635,00.html

    It was well worth the effort and the vinaigrette and the glaze was enough to used the second time. I found the pomegranate molasses at a Persian market and use it a lot to sweeten vinaigrettes anyway. Couldn't find any fresh pomegranates so substituted grapes in the salsa/topping. It was really stunning.

    Bill

  9. Hi Susan:

    It sounds like you had a great and delicious trip. I'm glad you made it to Moab and the Brewery. I have been down here in Moab (110 degrees today :sad: ) a lot lately, so I was probably in there having a Scorpion Pale Ale myself at the same time. I should have given you my Moab office number and I would have "bought"................(you know.........locals discount and all :biggrin:

    It looks like you enjoyed the canyons as well. Next time come and stay longer in Utah. This is truly "God's Country"

    Bill

  10. Hey eGullet,

    On a recent grocery store trip to stock a new apartment, I got a 3+ qt. bottle of olive oil.  I have since read that one should use olive oil within months or it will go stale, or maybe even rancid.  What do you think?  What, in your opinion or experience, is the shelf life of olive oil for somebody who cares about freshness in their ingredients?  By the way, this is "mild" olive oil.  Don't ask me why I bought it.  I was actually not the one doing the buying.  It was one of those "You're an adult now, but I'm still your Mom, and by God I can still stock your cupboards when I want to," so I think I was a bit conscious at the time of how much I was spending on individual ingredients.  A smaller bottle of extra-virgin may have been a better idea, but I think I was thinking I would mostly fry with this stuff.  Does this make a difference in terms of shelf life?

    Thanks.....

    I buy Greek Extra Virgin oil (either Acropolis or Minerva brand........usually about $27/gallon in SLC) in one gallon cans. It is very green and fruity. I decant it into 5 750ml "scotch" bottles that are green tinted (light as well as temperature is supposed to affect the freshness of the oil). I fill the bottles up to less than an inch from the top to have the least possible surface area and store the bottles I'm not "working on" in a basement cold room. The oil remains fresh till the last bottle............which I must confess is only about 6 or 7 months!!.................and there are only 3 of us...........but we use it for everything :biggrin:

  11. Later this month I'll be heading west by air with one of my sons and a friend, for a roadtrip and a visit to my other son.  We will land at LAX and head up the coast, starting a 10 day loop, ending in the San Diego area before going back to LA to fly home.

    It is going to be a trip on a budget, so no luxury hotels or upscale dining experiences this time.  It will be a different kind of traveling for me, unlike any vacation I've ever taken.  I will be forced to resist fine dining :sad:, but I really want to eat good food rather than junk, and I hope to enjoy some decent adult beverages, too. :smile:  I hope you can help me with what I'm calling "This Old Woman's Roadtrip With 20-somethings" by recommending stops for good roadfood or other inexpensive eats along the way -- perhaps brewpubs, hamburger joints, farmer's markets, etc.

    Also, as part of the sight-seeing, we're interested in breweries or wineries which aren't too far off our (still tentative) path, especially ones that are not crowded with long waits to see or taste.

    The tentative itinerary is:  From LAX (not wanting to spend too much time in the horrible LA traffic I've heard so much about), go to the beach, perhaps Venice Beach/Santa Monica; head up Route 1; through Malibu; continue mainly on Route 1 (maybe 101?) to Salinas and/or San Jose; San Francisco; east to Yosemite National Park; Lemoore, where my son is stationed; Death Valley; Las Vegas; Utah/Zion National Park; Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Arches National Parks; Grand Canyon; Interstate 40 and/or some other routes to San Diego; probably a couple days in the San Diego area, and then back to LA to fly home.

    Thank you so much for any ideas, recommendations, or links to threads which would provide us information.

    Hi Susan:

    You have quite an ambitious trip planned. If you do make it out here to "God's Country" in Utah, particularly Moab, which is at the entrance to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, I recommend to you two brewpubs: Eddie McStiff's and the Moab Brewery, both on Main Street. Both are good...........my favorite being the Moab Brewery.........good eats too, but kinda touristy. There is also a winery a few miles outside of Moab, Castle Valley Vinyards. They have tastings and tours, but I cannot in good conscious recommend the wine...............110 degree summers and freezing winters do not Napa Valley make :wink:

    The is a nice little innexpensive place downtown on Main Street for great wraps and smmothies, The Peace Tree.

    If I can be of any assistance or provide further information re: lodgings or iteneraries in any of the 5 Souther Utah National Parks, please feel free to PM me.

    Have a great trip!

    Bill

  12. Another vote for Bouchee in Carmel.  Pacific's Edge is also very good at the Highland's Inn.  Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn is amazing with beautiful views from the dining room.  Cheers!  :)

    Thanks syrah girl...........I hadn't considered the Post Ranch. We're going down to Big Sur one day and plan to stop at Nepenthe (for old time's sake :cool:) .....................maybe dinner at Sierra Mar? I'll look into it.

  13. Thanks samgiovese, milla, and lizard: Those are some great looking suggestions!!

    It was interesting to note that Narsai David is connected with Grasings. I used to eat at his "Potluck" in Oakland in '69 and '70 and then at Narsai's in Berkeley (Kensington?) in the late '70s and early 80's. His lamb with pommegranite, onions, and red wine is one of my favorites.

    Thanks again, all!

    Bill

  14. Help me with some suggestions, please. Though a Bay area resident for many years, which included many vacations and trips to the Montery Peninsula, I have been self-exiled to the deserts and mountains of Utah for 30+ years. Though I make yearly pilgrimages to San Francisco to EAT!!!, I haven't been able to get down to the Monterey Peninsula for 12 years or so.

    What are the restaurants that I shouldn't miss on a four day stay in mid July. We're staying on Cannery Row in Monterey.

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Bill

  15. Maggie:

    Well, after over a year and a half, I have finally cleaned out and moved from the "house of lost and misplaced books"

    Add 207 to my total, including a copy of Jacques Pepins Complete Techniques my wife got me for Christmas :biggrin:

    The books from the "house of lost and misplaced books" include (but aren't limited to :wink: the following:

    "Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook"

    "Chez Panisse; Pasta, Pizza, and Calzone"

    Barbara Tropp, "China Moon"

    Mark Miller, "Coyote Cafe"

    Fernand Point, "Ma Gastronomie" 1974

    "Creole Feast".....15 chefs

    "The Restaurants of New Orleans", edited by Roy F. Guste Jr.

    "Antoines Restaurant Cookbook" Roy F. Guste Jr.

    "Arnauds's Creole Cookbook", John DeMers

    Numerous Prudhomme books

    "Cooking With Michael Field"

    Several Beard, Julia, and Claiborne books including Claiborne's great 4 volume compilation of his columns from the NY Times, "Craig Claiborne's Favorites" :biggrin:

    ...........and many, many more waiting to be rediscovered and treasured!

    Flocko

  16. Terrific!  I have now requested reservations for the New Yorker for Monday night and Baci for Wednesday night, so now I just need something for Saturday night.

    :smile:

    Marlene:

    You can't go wrong with the New Yorker for good beef and an overall good meal downtown. For Japanese/sushi I strongly recommend Takashi, right down the block from the New Yorker. Takashi has been the best sushi chef in SLC for about 20 years and just opened this new place in the spring. It's terrific!! In addition to the regular sushi fare, Takashi has a sizable collection of "small plates" that are wonderful (Try the fried eggplant in miso......yum!)

    For an inexpensive great lunch, try the Atlantic Cafe in the 300 South block of Main.....about half a block from Takashi and New Yorker. It's an eclectic Croatian/Bulgarian/Greek cafe.............wonderful smoked beef and feta..........also great stuffed cabbage rolls. It's become my regular lunch joint downtown, when I don't want to blow my budget at Takashi.

    Have a blast!!

    Bill

  17. One from my youth in the '40s and '50s, that I still serve to little ones and myself :biggrin: :

    Your choice of bread;

    Mix peanut butter (I like chunky) with a grated carrot;

    Add fresh squeezed orange juice to mixture for lubrication;

    Spread on bread!

    Young and old alike love them, they're not too sticky, and they're good for you too :wink:

  18. do not go to utah with alcohol in your car. i believe it is completely against the law there...

    Mongo is correct. It is illegal to have any open container of alcohol in the "passenger compartment" of a vehicle in Utah (This, of course begs the question, "What about vans and RVs?"). It is also illegal to have any alcohol in your possession without a Utah Tax Stamp.........thus any alcolhol, open or not, that is not bought at the Utah State Liquor Store is illegal!! Most officers do not agressively enforce the latter, except as a pretext to search for other "illegal substances" :rolleyes:

  19. Dr. Mongo:

    I just wanted to report that I made your chicken liver curry last night. It really worked :shock:, and was wonderful!! :biggrin: ...........and maybe even better as leftovers for today's lunch. I accompanied it with "Monica's Cabbage with Black mustard seeds (Muttakos Poriyal)", from RecipeGullet, which was terrific as well.

    Tomorrow I'm trying your okra recipe. I found some lovely fresh okra in an Indian market up near the university in SLC (who would have imagined an Indian market in Utah, eh??..........much less, OKRA :wink: ).

    Thanks again for the great blog!!

    Bill

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