Raynickben

I love cheesecakes. Making them, eating them, it's all good. However, about 90% of the time during the "cooling in the oven period" the cheesecake develops cracks. Sometimes they are small but the one I made this weekend had a crack so large it completely ruined the visual appeal of the cheesecake. How do I avoid this? I read one recipe that said "dont' worry if your cheesecake develops cracks. At least everyone will know it is homemade". Sorry, that's not quite what I want people to think. Help!

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram More on The Texas State Fair from Amy Culbertson. Deep Fried Fare delves into all the fried foods the fair offers including the fried twinkie (which I don't even want to know about) to the fried Oreos (what the !!@#$?). I need a salad. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Old tea, new tea by Cheryl Ng Collett has a lot of great information on area tea spots and tea pots. Note from me: York Street offers an eclectic array of teas after dinner and one night we had and African tea that was so good that we bought a couple of pounds from the chef right then and there. Aahhh tea. So dignified. Like a salad. Not like a fried oreo. Kim Pierce reviews Jacques Pepin's latest book: Fast Food My Way. The DMN's annual Holiday Cookie Contest is now open. Details here.

A few weeks ago I saw Rocco on the "Ali and Jack Show" (I swear I was on the treadmill at the gym and completely held captive by the screen in front of me) and from what I read on the captions, Rocco is developing his own talk show with cooking segments etc. His being relieved of his cooking duties was probably in the plan. The funniest part of his appearence was when he walked out on stage he heard a female audience member say "he's not that cute in person" and he called her on it. What an EGO!

Just received this email: The AIWF is planning a national event to celebrate Julia Child's life and you are invited. It will be held in Washington, DC, on October 24, 2004. The detailed registration form is located at http://www.aiwf.org for your convenience. Please feel free to share this with anyone you think may be interested. We hope you will participate in this special tribute. Sincerely, Ken Sethney AIWF Website Volunteer

Ft. Worth Star Telegram Poet Maya Angelou has written a food memoir titled "Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A lifetime of memories with recipes". Food Editor Amy Culbertson reviews the book and includes one of Angelou's recipes. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste The Texas State Fair runs from Sept. 24 - October 17. The food competitions are a huge part of the fair and in All's Fair the Texas Taste Staff presents five winning recipes from last year's fair. If you want more Fair info, including where to find the nearest corn dog stand, go to www.bigtex.com Oil & Vinegar is a culinary gift shop chain with their first Texas location now open at the Dallas Galleria. Cheryl Ng Collett has the details. Kim Pierce reports on the growing use of screw-caps, instead of cork, to maintain wine purity. Cap Dance. The I Love to Cook Book by Lauren Groveman is reviewed by Kim Pierce. The Dallas Morning News: Metro Sharon BuMann is a New York artist specializing in the medium of butter. Her sculptures have been featured at The Texas State Fair for five years now. Katie Menzer interviews Ms. BuMann and gives a preview of this year's creation. Moo.

Wouldn't it be funny if you got like 30 people together, went to Portofino, and all ordered the Osso Buco?

Wow. That is brutal! Foodman: Please, please, please keep your eye out for any rebuttals, letters to the editor, etc. from Mr. Salmassi. I want to see those!

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram The sudden popularity of CUPCAKES! is reported by Carolyn Jung of Knight-Ridder. Anyone with kids knows cupcakes never left the building. Bud Kennedy announces the results of J.D. Powers and Associates survey on chain restaurants. Carraba's is #1 in the South. Guess what is the worst chain restaurant? Anyone with kids knows this hell on earth. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Short Orders by Kim Pierce asks three local chefs: "What is your favorite convenience product for cooking at home and how do you use it?" FYI: My favorite convenience is running water.

I just finished reading it. I enjoyed it, especially the customer anecdotes and his thoughts on various cocktails. He did repeat himself a few times, maybe to string out some more pages, but overall worth reading.

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram It's Hatch Chile season. All you need to know about the green chiles of New Mexico is here in Going for the Green by Amy Culbertson. FYI- Central Market has a Roasted Hatch Poblano Pesto that is muy delicioso! I made beef fajitas and spread the pesto on the tortillas. June Naylor reports on this weekends Zestfest. "Folks can taste and buy a wealth of snappy sauces, salsas, spices, barbecue, chili, chips, meats, salad dressings, soups, beans, mustards, nuts, jams and candies, with flavor influences ranging from Southwestern to Thai. Smokers, grills, cooking accessories, books and art will be on display and on sale, too." Article here and official website here. The Dallas Morning News Karen Elizabeth Watts shops at a GAS STATION for party food. Man that brings back college memories when I had no money and no real credit card but I had a Mobil card and you CAN sustain life at the corner gas station. And they sell Hostess snowballs too! Fill 'Em Up and Gas station recipes. Viking is giving away one-hour classes. That's right. Viking is giving away one-hour classes. Details here. Mofongo, a "Puerto Rican dish made of green plantains, olive oil, garlic and crispy bits of pork rind" can be found at Coqui Bakery in Hurst. Cheryl Ng Collett reports They got mofongo.

The Dallas Morning News had a quick blurb on DoughMonkey last week. They were impressed. Check out the picture!

I live in the Dallas area but I did go to Liberty Bar last month and it was very good. It's in an old house that leans to the side and while you won't be sliding all over the place it is visually unnerving at first. The food is unique (not Tex-Mex!)and everything we had was done well. It is a casual place and a bit on the noisy side but I think it will work for your business needs.

What is it about the Fig Newton? It is the greatest weird cookie of all time. Really, who would think an obscure fruit like the fig would be so beloved in a cookie? And it has to be a Newton. Fig bars sold under generic brand names are not the same. Yes, I have tried the other fruit Newtons. Does not compare. Long live the Fig Newton!!

D Magazine Great Grapes. Julie Blacklidge visits 17 wineries in North Texas. Locations, prices for tastings, hours of operation and a short summary of each winery makes this article a keeper! The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Robb's Tex-Mex Cafe. Kim Pierce interviews author Robb Walsh and asks "what is Tex-Mex cuisine?" Everything Tastes Better with Garlic. Cathy Barber reviews this new cookbook by Sara Perry and I'm pretty sure without having seen the book that Ms. Perry is right on. The Dallas Observer Think Pink Now where have I seen that headline before? Oh yeah, the DMN used "Think Pink" on 7/14 for their article on rose`s. Guess what? Dave Faries' article "Think Pink" is on rose`s. Imagine that. You still should read it because Dave Faries is a witty writer but next time how about using "Hey Jose`! Try a Rose`!"

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram It's harvest time for organic rice growers L.G. and Linda Raun. Amy Culbertson features this Wharton County farm and offers a primer on types of rice. Going against the grain. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Martha Sheridan goes to the Pure Luck Dairy in Dripping Springs. Pure Luck makes several types of chevre, feta, Del Cielo and Sainte Maure. The article includes the basics of making goat cheese and where to purchase Pure Luck's products. With the passing of Julia Child, Kim Pierce asked several Dallas area people who had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Child what they remember. click.

The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste All hail the Greek Salad by Kim Pierce. If you are enjoying the single life this will make it better. If you are hating the single life this will make it better. The fact is cake makes everything better. Tiny Cake by Cheryl Ng Collett. Right next to the cake story they print a story about two new low-carb stores in town. That's cruel! Carb Counters by Kim Pierce. And in the local news section Katie Menzer has a story about cooks getting ready for The Texas State Fair food contests. Time to get cookin'.

Saltgrass Steakhouse has THE best burgers. They don't have chili and all that but for your basic hamburger/cheeseburger you will be very happy. I am also a fan of Scotty P's burgers. And you must try the onion rings. They have the perfect amount of breading and you can actually see the salt crystals.

Ft. Worth Star Telegram June Naylor and Bud Kennedy offer their picks for the best burgers in the Ft. Worth area: Grease is the word. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Ice cream and herb combinations are here in Herbs on Ice by Laura Ehret.

I have given very nice olive oils and balsamic vinegars and those have been very much appreciated.

D Magazine: The Best of Big D D Magazine's annual "Best Of" issue is out. It features the magazine's editors and writers picks for best dining, nightlife, services, things to do, etc. It is usually only online for a month: D Magazine Home Page. Ft. Worth Star Telegram Amy Culbertson visits the Johnson Melon Corporation of Knox City, home of the seedless watermelon. Seeds of Success By the way, if you are ever singing a song and don't know all the words just sing the word "watermelon". It always fits right in. Try it. The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Barbara Rodriguez is in a pickle: Pickles, quick! I think the word "pickle" will work in a song too, but not as good as watermelon.

Chestnuts and Cashews and Pistachios. The rest can just disappear.

The Dallas Morning News: Texas Taste Think Pink Kim Pierce reviews the superior pink wine, the rose'. (I can't figure out how to add an accent to the "e" so the article is not about the flower ok?) The Ft. Worth Star Telegram Stuck on Cactus Barbara Hansen takes on the Mexican nopales, described as "prickly pear paddles". Make nopales a pal of yours. The Dallas Observer Innards and Outs Which is more disgusting: haggis, scrapple or headcheese? Dave Faries and some local chefs discuss and disgust.

That's a good one Diana. But does your friend ever keep making the same thing for you every time you are over because she thinks you love it?

Do what kids do. Take a little of her food and a lot of yours and after eating yours you spread her food all over the plate so it looks like you ate it. Look for some ducks to feed. Dump it when no one is looking behind a bush.

In college they would serve "London Broil". I don't know what kind of meat they used and it was covered in a brown gravy with canned mushrooms but I ate plates and plates of that stuff whenever they served it.