PopsicleToze

It sounds like you did a terrific job not only with the budget restraints but with the last minute surprises, too. Congratulations! $1.50 to $2 a head was outstanding. Rhonda

HungryC, your gumbo looks out of this world and is making me very hungry -- and it's a long time until lunch. BTW, love the color of your LC. Rhonda

I talked to her on the phone and she was somewhat excited. She thought this might be it but thought for some reason it was some type of fowl, pheasant maybe. And then... I had sent her the book quote, and that confirmed it. This is what she wrote me: Anyway -- another big thanks to all of the experts at E-gullet. There is nothing you don't know or can't find out! Rhonda

All of your desserts sound nice. Don't forget a nice coffee station with all of the little extras added. Rhonda

Sesame oil is highly fragile and needs to be kept in the refrigerator. If yours is in the pantry, it has very probably become rancid. Rhonda

If you haven't discovered FoodNetworkHumor.com -- try it today. I just found it yesterday and it is HILARIOUS! Good stuff about all of our mostly least favorite food stars. Rhonda

Thank you, everyone! What great information, and after reading about the pie, I'm definitely making one for myself. I think the advice is right on target. Off to research Gala Pies and come up with a recipe, and I'll definitely post my results. Thanks again for the help! Rhonda

A friend asked me to make her a Treasure Pie. She said it was a British meat pie with whole boiled eggs as the treasure and explained that the bottom was a regular pie pastry but the top was phyllo. I've googled and all of the treasure pies I found were dessert pies with fruit and such. Can any one provide a recipe for this dish? She's having a birthday next week and this was what she asked me to cook for her. Thanks Rhonda

The foil would hold in the moisture and keep it from drying out, but kindof like steaming it. However, you're not going to get the nice roasted browned lovely bits that uncovered roasting provides. Rhonda

I want one of the Kitchen-Aid paddles that does a complete swipe of the bowl and eliminates having to stop/start machines to scrape down the sides with a spatula. They're only $25 -- I have no idea why I haven't bought one already. Rhonda

Deensiebat -- your Basque potato-leek soup is cookbook photo worthy! I'll bet it tasted as good as it looks. Rhonda

If they want a themed party, find out what they want to go with. Ducks seem to be a popular theme around here. Just do some decorated iced cookies to match the theme, and then let your wife worry about the decorations to tie the theme to the party. For an afternoon baby shower, think high tea – but in a very laid-back, casual fashion. Finger sandwiches served on silver trays are usually a mainstay with chicken salad being the most popular, but you will want more than one type. Just take the time to trim all of the ends, etc., and decorate the salad tray. Cherry tomatoes add color and can be a nice easy decoration. Spiced nuts – you can make these days in advance. Fresh fruit and vegetable trays are typically part of the menu. These trays are something I usually order. You’re going to be busy with last minute things, and it takes a lot of time to peel and arrange fruit/vegetable trays. However, make the dips for them yourself (can serve in hollowed out bell peppers for vegetable tray and halved cantaloupes for the fruit tray). In addition to the cake, make a few desserts and candies: chocolate fudge, truffles, whatever. The sweets are usually the first to go. If you think cupcakes wouldn’t be too much with the cake, google “baby rattle cupcakes” and you will see some adorable ideas. I’ve also seen bird nest cupcakes with coconut on top of the frosting for the nest with little jelly beans for the eggs. I've never seen alcoholic beverages served. Punch is old fashioned, but if you have a pretty punch bowl it would be nice to serve some since the mom-to-be can't have caffeine. Homemade ginger ale is really good, too. Good luck! Rhonda

Come on down! The more the merrier and you could help with prep work! It made by Wright's brand bacon: http://www.wrightbrand.com/Default.aspx I looked at their site but they don't have it listed. I found it on some grocer sites, but it looks like it's been downsized to 48oz or 3lbs. I thought it was 5# -- I dunno -- could have been 5lbs previously, but now it's 3lbs. Still, you can find it depending on the sale or grocer anywhere from $3 to $5 and I usually pick it up for around $3.50. There's a lot of prep work first. First, separate the big chunky pieces to use for carbonera or other dishes. Then, there will be may be some whole slices in there. If so, I separate and use for breakfast or such. Then render the bacon fat and store in the fridge. The fried bacon bits and pieces are stored in the freezer for baked potatoes and other dishes. And the 10# back of chicken leg quarters is another big prep night. $0.39 to $0.49 is what they are on special sale here usually, but when they're not on sale they go up to maybe $0.89. However, if they're not on sale one week, they will be somewhere else the next week. Just keep a lookout in the weekly circulars. When you get home, there is work. You have to trim well because they include a lot of fat (easily removed) and about 1/2 back section is still attached to the thigh. Remove thighs for use in dishes. Render chicken fat (I usually add onion for flavor) for use in other dishes. Then, I make a chicken stock with all of the drums and trimmings. Rhonda

I didn't cook either -- was out of town and had work to do so I couldn't even go out to eat. So, on the way to hotel, I stopped at Whole Foods to pick up a few things to graze on. In addition to what's shown, a couple of satsumas and a little chocolate mousse for dessert. Oh, and a golden pineapple for this morning's breakfast. What I forgot to buy was sopressata salami. That and a little dijon mustard... The soft cheese was a nice goat cheese and the hard cheese was something called Marco Polo -- cheddar with peppercorns. Rhonda

Without the luxury of having more than one meat protein, think something that can multi-task. Around here we can get a 5# box of bacon ends and pieces for about $3.50. The good thing about this is that it's not all sliced. There are pretty good sized chunks of just bacon meat in there, which I substitute for pancetta in pasta carbonara all of the time. You can also use that meat instead of the ham hock in your greens and you can also render some bacon fat to saute the vegetable seasonings in your soup. I'm not sure if you're planning a vegetarian lentil salad, but if you do one with meat there are plenty of lentil salads that have bacon in them. Another option would be to plan the menu around chicken leg-quarters which we can find on special around here for $0.39 to $0.49/lb for a 10# special. Then you can trim the parts and render the chicken fat. Use the trimmings to make chicken stock for yoru soup. Use the chicken schmaltz you rendered to saute the onions, etc. for your soup. If kale is too expensive, change to soup to Pasta e Fagioli; beans and pasta are cheap. The pumpkin ravioli goes well with the bean and pasta soup, too. Then you have lots of luxurious chicken thighs to work with. Rhonda E/T/A: There's usually about 12 thighs in the 10# packages, which would be enough for your group. I usually just include the legs in with the stock, but I have seen nice recipes when you bone the leg and then stuff it with a chicken mousseline where it's appropriate to serve at dinner parties.

Is the shower co-ed or women only? Rhonda

Agree with the previous poster about hunting and fishing would be about the only way I can see it working -- or foraging, gardening, etc. I just can't wrap my head around being able to prepare an entire meal for $1. Things like eggs, rice, potatoes, etc. have been mentioned, and while economical, they're not free. Eggs are well over a dollar a pound. I don't know how many potatoes you could get for $1, but not enough to feed everyone. Even for a potato soup you're going to need dairy or maybe even chicken stock. Even for the beans, you need at least onions for the vegetable seasoning. I don't know about grocers giving you anything for free, even though they throw it away, which is ridiculous. However, you can cook cheap, and it could work for $1 per person -- maybe -- as long as you don't have to count the cost of things you already have on hand in your pantry. Chicken livers are one of my favorite economical ingredients. You could make a pate or crostoni (they ate a lot of stuff on toast) for an appetizer, or fry them then top with a sauce for an entree (a sherry-based sauce goes really well with them, use with other chicken giblets and make a dirty rice. If you're doing it for a party theme, make it a little easier on yourself and up it to $2 per person so you can enjoy Two Buck Chuck along with your meal! Rhonda

Not in England so I can't help you there -- but I have done this for a family get-together. If you are a cook, consider doing this yourself. I live in Louisiana, so there are plenty of catering options around here for a hog roast (cochon de lait around these parts), and I spent a lot of money for a hog that was okay but the skin wasn't crisp enough. I could have kicked myself for not having the nerve to just order the pig and cook it myslef. There are a few threads on this site that can help you (Varmint's Pig Pickin, for one), and the site I remember the most was the 3 Men from Miami, http://cuban-christmas.com/pigroast.html Either way you choose -- good luck on hour event. Rhonda

I've only ever used mature coconuts before but decided to buy a young coconut at the market just to try it out. This was what I was expecting... And this is what I got... Before I split it open, I drained the milk, and that was okay. However, look at that flesh, and it tasted much worse than it looks. Rhonda

He had 2C of chardonnay in there. Rhonda

I can't stand them either, and I don't understand how I can eat a 6" po-boy and still not be full. It's very strange. Rhonda

Where do you live? Humidity is a big culprit in candy-making. I needed to make fudge yesterday morning, but the humidity was at about 80% so I postponed the fudge. And I make tons of peanut brittle. The only time it was ever sticky was when I tried to make it on a humid day. Rhonda

I'm surprised that there isn't more concern. It's a pretty big industry, and it's not just Louisiana -- it's the entire Gulf Region. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas will suffer, too. "It's like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer," pretty much sums it up -- if we didn't have to worry about all of the people who will be economically devastated by this. Rhonda

Louisiana's oyster industry facing perious dangers from FDA's new ban that only targets Gulf oysters. Times Picayune article here: Louisiana blasts new FDA rule requiring oysters to be sterilized to prevent rare bacterial illness Seattle wonders if Northwest oysters will be next... click The seafood industry has faced monumental challenges in the past few years and now this could cripple or kill many South Louisiana restaurants. There's already warning signs posted in every restaurant that sells raw oysters warning patrons about the potential dangers. I do not see why the FDA feels so compelled to do this when there are so many greater threats around. Aren't they eaten raw practically around the world? The Louisiana Restaurant Association is urging restaurants, fishermen and the public to call their members of Congress and the White House to get the FDA to rescind its plan. Rhonda

Dinner solo so something fast and easy -- spaghetti with simple tomato and butter sauce. But we have some ugly weather today and it's getting a little chilly -- so comfort food this weekend for sure. Rhonda