PopsicleToze

Kim, thank you for that fantastic report. I've been looking forward to it since you started planning your trip and looked at people in the Qtr thinking, "That could be her now." So glad you had a great time!! And your comment that, yes, New Orleans does deserve to be restored, made my eyes well up a bit. Rhonda

I saute the trinity in butter before adding the beans and smoked meat. Typically pork is used, and that's great. However, there are also smoked turkey necks around these parts, and an old cook I met at a meat shop one day told me that she uses the smoked turkey necks (have the butcher cut in 2-inch pieces) because her daughter doesn't eat pork, and no one can tell the difference. I made it with the smoked turkey necks (with the smoking, the meat is similar in color and texture to pork), and they were great. After the beans have cooked, remove the meat from the necks to return to the pot and discard the bones. Might not sound great, but it was, and something to try if for whatever reason you need to cook a dish without pork. Rhonda

It made me smile And here is mine... My company now wants to make our basement into a workout room. Before you say, "What's wrong with that?" First of all, we're in southeast Louisiana. What in the heck is a basement doing in this building anyway (we don't have basements here -- can you say "flood"). Anyway, and for a variety of reasons, our basement has flooded on many of occasions and for many reasons. Now, with predicted layoffs and other measures, they want to make our basement (constructed in the early 60s with all of the asbestos that comes with that) a HEALTH room. Sometimes this place just tickles me pink. Rhonda

Thanks for the baby-mill info. Just ordered one for the great-nephew and looking forward to seeing it in action. Rhonda

I liked both shows. It was shocking to see 6-year children not recognize any fresh fruit or vegetables and not to be able to use a knife. It was still even more shocking to see the chicken experiment. Even when they saw the fresh pieces that were good to eat, and they saw the chicken carcass being whirled around to gook. As soon as stabilizers were added and they were shaped into nuggets and bread-crumbed to fry, all of them wanted to eat it. There was a 6-grader that was proabably about 300 pounds and already showing signs of diabetes. It's a real problem, and at the very least, it's a start. If we all do something to help, we might can make a change. His interest appears to be pure and genuine, and God bless him for trying. Rhonda

You can add chicken (necks, backs &/r feet) to the beef instead of veal to achieve what you want. Rhonda

Don't forget Southern polenta -- aka grits. They're fun for a starch other than rice. Rhonda

With the olive oil and tomato sauce, were you going for an Italian gravy? Pancetta and dried porcini mushrooms would be a good addition. You have plenty of flavor components -- no need to cook the vegetables to death, but if they were, you could whiz with a handheld mixer or something then make them part of the sauce. It sounds like it tasted great! Rhonda

Interesting. In your risotto with plain white rice, how is the texture as compared to arborio rice? This would be great and I can make risotto more often if I can use my house standard (jasmine). Rhonda

Excellent, excellent eating choices. You have really done your homework. Just a few things – might want to scratch Felix’s. If you go there, stick to the oysters on the half shell. For an alternate dinner place, if you haven't had Drago's charbroiled oysters, they are fabulous. The original location is in Metairie, but the Hilton Riverside has a Drago's restaurant there, and it's fantastic. Make reservations because it can be a long wait. If you find yourself there without reservations, tell the hostess that you're a guest at the hotel and you will be seated quickly. Regarding Cochon, my friends and I consider that to be a lunch place. It’s nice, and the food is good, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in any case. Casamento's is hard to get into because it's so small. Tried to eat there this past Friday. They close at 2:00, and we got there at 1:30 thinking lines would be gone. Nope. Also, they're not open at all on Monday, so you'll have to do it another day. We went to a little new place a couple blocks from there on Magazine -- Ignatious. That place won't blow you away with great food. I hope you have a great time!!! Rhonda

I'd buy one and be willing to spend up to coffee-table book prices on it. Contributors could upload their own recipes. Template could include a spot for a picture of the recipe and, also, maybe a small space at foot of each page with small picture of contributor along with short blurb about where they live. For instance, if I want to cook paella, I'm much more likely to read a recipe from someone who lives in Spain than someone who lives on Mars. It could even be accessible online (with paid access -- purchase of cookbook could give you password for access to online cookbook). That way, viewers could rate the recipe and comment on it like Epicurious or RecipeZaar. Rhonda

My grandmother never did quite learn how to scale down her meals after raising her family. She lived into her 80s and until the day she passed away, she made great big pots of everything. Most of it ruined in the refrigerator. It wasn't an economical way to cook. She was used to making ends meet, so even in her later years she would buy a big piece of inexpensive meat to stew or braise or something to feed a family who didn't live with her anymore. Maybe you could focus on cooking for 1 or 2 people and show how that buying better quality for just a portion or two could seem extravagant and delicious -- while still cheaper than overcooking. Good luck with your project. Sounds like it will be something really great for them and fun for you. Rhonda

Love/love/love the fish taco idea!! That is brilliant. Once in awhile I do fishsticks when I have teens around the house, but I always enjoy them, too. Pop right from the freezer on a baking sheet -- along with lots of Tator Tots -- and a fun dinner is knocking on the door -- oh -- and let's not forget the ketchup. On the verge of confessing too much -- nuked frozen corn on the cob usually appears, too, because there's no such thing as too many carbs on frozen fish stick night. Rhonda

Grew up with father and all of the great-uncles still raising pigs every year for family consumption -- complete with slaughter day, cracklins, hogshead cheese, etc. Everyone always fed them grain to fatten them up. "Pasture-fed" -- I don't know about that. They will eat just about anything in their way, probably everything, and they can definitely tear up a yard, but we always kept them in a pen, and unless someone actually wants his pasture torn to pieces, I can't see it. They would have to have some kind of fence around the pigs anyway, or they would become wild pigs. Also, the common denominator seems to be grains whether its whole dried corn (what we did), acorns for the parma hams, etc. I havent heard of feeding them peanuts, but that makes sense, too. And there was what we called "slop" to round out their feed. Ground grains (&?) that you mixed with water before filling their trough. They'd knock you down to get it. Call your local 4H extension group and they will probably have all of the information you could want on them. FHA and 4Hers are always raising pigs. Rhonda Rhonda

They're on special for $1 here. Had one last week and was looking forward to it from past memories. But it was awful. Might just be that one location, so I might have to try one more. Rhonda

You can do fresh bread crumbs, too. I do it with stale bread but don't dry it out further. Just tear bread into a couple of pieces and stick it in the food processor. Works great.

Southern girl here, too. Love biscuits and gravy with bacon, but for a full-fledged weekend breakfast: grits with butter, eggs sunny side up (cut up with yolk mixed with the grits), bacon or sausage (or sometimes even a fried pork chop) and toast with butter and mayhaw jelly. Then no lunch and an early supper When I visit NY, I love to have a bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onions & capers. Rhonda

Most people I know who purge have the crawfish purging in salt water that's in an old washtub and waiting for the water in the pot to boil. I hose them off and rinse several times in water, but I don't purge in salt water. At one time it was the norm, but now it's a matter of personal preference.

Heard on WWL this morning that someone had the great idea to have a full-blown Jazz Funeral procession to the St. Louis Cemetary to bury the brown paper bag! What a hoot! I hope they do it. I haven't settled on anything yet, and with no less than 2 close family members telling me over the Christmas holidays that they really don't care for gumbo I'm having a hard time coming up with something. Gumbo is my preference, but I'm trying to think of something else just as good. Making roast beef and gravy with everyone making their own po-boy was something I thought about, but that doesn't sound right. Barbecued shrimp would be good, but I love my sofa too much to let all of that butter ruin it. I don't mind people eating anywhere in the house, but I can't get the picture of people eating the barbecued shrimp with butter dripping all down their arms. I'm hoping to get inspiration between now and then. Rhonda

How many pounds are you talking about? Tricks for 5 or 10# that you want to do inside is much different than a sack or two that you will be boiling outdoors. Rhonda

Heat up the schmaltz separately until it stops bubbling to drive out all the moisture, decant into a measuring cup and wait for it to cool down and for the particles to settle out, then pour the top 90% into a bottle and leave the impurities in the cup. That's what I always did, too. Then, in MFK Fisher's How to Cook a Wolf, she suggested pouring the renderings into a jar then adding some water. The oil floats to the top leaving the water and the impurities at the bottom. Then I smacked myself on the head for not thinking of that. Rhonda

While not a Subway fan, it was a welcome sight last week when we had to stay in the hospital overnight with my father. The cafeteria was closed, and SURPRISE! there was an open Subway on the hospital's first floor. It beat a canned soda and chips from the vending machine, and I was glad to have it. Ordered a 6" turkey and cheese sandwich on wheat. I must have been a little out of my head, because I enjoyed it. Rhonda

If the problem is not having a meat grinder, you can grind a chuck roast (or whatever meat you want to use) in a regular food processor. Rhonda

For meat pies in Natchitoches, La -- Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant http://www.lasyones.com/ It's a little hole in the wall place 1 street behind main street, but they're great. Rhonda

The Kraft Blue Box is the only thing that shocked me a little bit while reading this thread. I guess my shame is that I use instant coffee at home most mornings -- but at least it's Community Coffee brand; there is no compromise for that one. Rhonda