tejon

You need to add a huge Stromboli to the menu. Then, it's perfect Now I'm remembering my Philly days!

Apple slices dipped in soy sauce. I always get funny looks, but the salty and sweet are really good together.

Chicken noodle soup here. Pulled some stock from the freezer, poached a chicken breast in it over very low heat, shredded the meat, then added chopped celery, carrots and onion. Tossed in some parsley and a bit of miced garlic to clear the sinuses. Meanwhile, I made egg noodles and sliced them very thin. Added the noodles back to the broth once all the vegetables were soft, waited until they popped back to the surface, then added the meat back to the pot. We're all sick here, so this is both food and medicine

Scratch. I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer, and it takes close to the same amount of time to get out the ingredients and mix them as it does to do the same with a package. I will add that I would much rather have cake made from a mix than canned frosting on anything, from scratch or not. That stuff is truly vile.

(quietly wiping drool off keyboard)

How do you make the chocolate cylendars that top many of the smaller desserts?

Also in the stunned silence camp here. I keep checking to see if there are more pictures, then drooling and wishing I could *taste* through this screen. What would you suggest for a home cook who wants to do something impressive as a dessert? I know that in most cooking there are dishes that seem complex and difficult, but are actually pretty simple to produce, so I'm assuming there are such dishes in the pastry arena as well.

Most of my cooking is therapy as well. On a good day, what I cook is an extension of a wonderful mood - joy in the form of food for me and my family. On a bad day, cooking is solace and an escape from everything else as I immerse myself in the zen of preparing something delicious. It's meditation of the highest form, requiring focus of all the senses, with rewards in sight, taste, touch, and smell. Om, indeed.

What are the desserts that you really enjoy making? What is your favorite to eat? Always wanted to ask a pastry chef these two things. Oh, and what is the dessert you keep making only because people like it so much, despite how boring/annoying it is for you to prepare?

That sounds just like Arden. Same age as Hide, if I remember correctly. He subsists on cheese, soy milk, almond butter on toast, and pretzels. It's really strange - he used to eat just about anything, but suddenly became very picky. Not sure why, but we keep offering all the things we eat and hope he'll branch out again soon. I'll definately give kabocha a try - whatever works!

So now I have to ask....why the funky pants? Bringing it back around to food, do most of the construction workers take boxed lunches to work? Fast food is such a common lunch for workers of all stripes here in the US, but I'd bet things are a bit different there.

I also live on the outskirts of Los Angeles and cook every day. Slightly different food budget, though! I spend around $350 a month for a family of two adults and two small children. This is after quite a bit of work to trim all our bills, as we don't have a lot of income coming in. I menu plan weekly, but don't assign anything to a particular day and tend to plan things around whatever is in season or freshest. Meals so far this week for us: Chicken Enchiladas, salad with orange, red onion and avocado Roast beef sandwiches with caramelized onions and au jus, braised red cabbage Chana dal, Basmati rice, roasted cauliflower with cumin

Made chicken enchiladas last night. Absolutely delicious. Bonus for me was getting the lovely broth that I promptly froze for later Albondigas soup.

Ah, the memories of freezing food in cubes for the boys! Have you tried the Super Porridge? I always had jars of assorted dried, ground grains and lentils to use for a quick breakfast for little ones. Another big favorite was mashed white beans with some olive oil, garlic, s&p as a sandwich filling. I loved walking past all of the jarred and boxed infant/toddler fare and grinning because I made such better, cheaper foods at home. As for the dinner, what about a pilaf or Biryani? You could have one featuring chicken and another layered with vegetables. Add in some roasted cauliflower and dal as supplimental protein and you're all set. Everything sits well and doesn't need exact timing or temperatures, so it should be easy to put together.

Time is as important as place for me, at least presently. I prefer late at night once the boys are asleep and everything is quiet, sitting at the dining table with Mr. tejon, savoring the food and the company. Heaven.

Years ago I was making Ropas Viejas in a big pot on the stove. All kinds of good smells emitted from the kitchen as it slowly cooked away. Somewhere along the line I decided to take a quick trip to the store. (cue in ominous music here) When I returned, the first thing I noticed was the smell. An acrid, horrible smell of things turning to charcoal. Wisps of smoke drifted from the front door as I ran to the stove to assess the damage. All that remained of the meat was a charred, black lump. The smell lasted for almost a week, despite airing the house and tuning on every fan I could find. Never left the house while cooking again unless there was someone present to keep watch.

Bebe is just gorgeous, as is her mother. Congratulations to you both!

They freeze very well. I used to freeze mashed avocado in ice cube trays to feed the boys when they were babies - popped out bright green and tasted really good when defrosted. Make sure to cover the top with plastic wrap while freezing to keep out air, then store.

Ah, but did you know your not-quite-newborn has already been sampling everything Andrea has been eating. Food consumed by mom actually flavors the amniotic fluid, which is then tasted by the baby in utero. The handy part of this - whatever the maternal diet was is already familiar and expected as flavors by the newborn, so there is no need to make changes in diet while nursing. Foods and seasonings consumed *do* flavor the breastmilk, which gives you a great head start in acclimating the baby to whatever you wish

I was hungry during only one of my two labors. The first was induced, and I had pre-ecclampsia and was pretty sick going into things and had no desire whatsoever for food of any kind. My second birth was very, very long and hard, and I was hungry well into active labor. Had my husband run and get me a 7 layer burrito hours before my second son was born, and we managed to positively thrill the L&D nurse when we gave her one as well. Now, right after birth is a whole different story. I wanted FOOD, RIGHT NOW. Even hospital food was like nectar itself. Though I would have been far happier to skip the hospital drek, truth be told.

1. We usually get regular rice. 2. We alternate bites of rice and dish, though a bit of sauce dribbled onto the rice is always welcome. 3. Chopsticks, always. 4. Everything - leaning towards more vegetables than meat. 5. No. 6. That varies - sometimes we go for dishes we know and love, other times whatever looks most interesting. 7. Our favorite local place just burned down, unfortunately. It was a small restaurant in a corner business center and I think succumbed to a kitchen fire. Not the best Chinese food I've ever had, but very good quality, fresh, and a good selection of dishes. Least favorite is another local restaurant that is highly advertised on cable. The food isn't horrible, but it's around steam table quality. Service isn't very good, and the prices aren't the best, either. 8. The first night we moved to this city, the kitchen wasn't fully unpacked and we were both hungry. Pulled out the yellow pages, plucked a name that made me giggle, drove over and ordered several dishes. They were done lightning fast, perhaps because we were the only customers there at the time. Pretty good meal, however. 9. Worst take out experience was in Clifton Heights, PA. Horrible, horrible food, took forever, and packed with a plastic spork. Need I say more?

Have you tried cooking the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven? I found this trick back when I worked at a group home and had to cook breakfast for 8-10 each morning. The slices come out flat and perfect, and it frees up stovetop space and doesn't require anything in terms of attention, other than pulling the tray out when they are done to your liking.

The only sweets I remember having in Hungary and Poland were sweet soups (cherry and raspberry, both delicious on a hot summer day) and Pavlovas in Poland.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't stand Girl Scout Cookies. Especially since they aren't even made with real Girl Scouts.

I do the same - I check to see what the violation was for before dining. It's also interesting to watch local restaurants and the health codes in the windows and how they change. That's more of a hobby, though.