PopsicleToze

I would have walked over and said, "Excuse me," as I picked the stale bagle off the floor and then deposited it into the wastebasket. Then, I would have went back to my chair and sat down as if nothing had ever happened. I would not have apologized to him, but just went back to business as usual. Rhonda

Here are some pictures taken by Chef Jerry on 11/25 on famous N.O. restaurants. Unfortunutely, Sid-Mar's wasn't one of them, but watch the slideshow and you might understand what they're facing -- an uphill battle. http://community.webshots.com/album/511432705HPAdMi And note that Arnaud's opened today. Rhonda

Then you haven't been drunk enough

I've yet to see a taco truck/cart in New Orleans. However, when I do, I'll be one of the first in line to buy some! Rhonda

The worst potluck I can remember was when I was in high school and it was <sigh> at my own family's THANKSGIVING. My aunt invited everyone to her home that year and she told everyone she had this great new recipe. SHE was preparing the entree, and everyone else should just bring a side and dessert. (Did I mention that the woman is cheap? She is. Very.) The main dish was a chicken casserole, and she was so proud of that dish that she gave everyone the recipe. I still have it, if anyone wants it! It calls for not even a real chicken, but 3 CANS of "Swanson deboned chicken." I wasn't even a good cook then, but I remember thinking, "That ain't right."

Great thread. I admit that I take my nieces/nephews there -- every since they were toddlers and saw the big M in the sky and cried "frees - frees". Yep, I'd pull in and buy them french fries, because that's what an aunt does. (Spare me. They are fine and not one of them is overweight nor unhealthy.) But I never ordered anything there myself. Sure, I'd steal a fry, but I never actually ordered anything. So, if they put something edible on the menu that I felt good about ordering, I might order it. That's what they want. They already have their niche; they want us, too. They want us all. Rhonda

Thank you for working toward those goals. As far as "it's all pretty much up in the air" that's what is so hard to deal with. To keep it food related, no matter how much the chef/owner wants to reopen, restaurants work on a slim margin anyway. It's hard when the clientele aren't there. Personally, I thought I would starve before eating at a Shoney's or Applebee's, but the truth be known, not many people are very hungry. And at the end of the day, after dealing with everything one has had to deal with at work, the last thing on a person's mind is going out to dinner.

I like the cornbread idea, too. We have a recipe that uses sour cream, jalapenos and creamed corn. The end result is just so good. And to go with chili, it would be great -- separate or together. Rhonda

Saying "men can't cook" is just as sexist. But it won't get anywhere near as much attention. The reason we get so riled up about Ramsey's statement is because we acknowledge that cooking has traditionally been done by women. ← I don't know. That's what we've been told, but I'm not so sure. The best (noted) chefs have traditionally been male. I cook to please and nurture people. I'm not sure if the "best" chefs were not taught by their mothers!! It's very easy for me. If I want someone to feel better, I cook for them. If they already feel good, then that's a bonus. We get to share something very nice. I like that. Rhonda

Southern potato salad definitely requires the use of eggs (about 4) Mayo Mustard Pickle Relish Chopped celery and onions (optional) S & P

Mine was at Dorignac's last spring when I was buying four 1-lb bags of peeled Louisiana crawfish. I had a bad experience once before and was cooking for guests when I opened a bag and found that they smelled bad. Not wanting to ever go through that again (scramble for dinner while guests are hungry), I always have the clerk open a bag now so I can smell it. The guy told me that he wasn't allowed to open the bag. Not wanting to accept that, I explained that I would be buying four bags (they're not cheap), and that I needed to ensure they were fresh. Not finding a manager, he gave me a look of disgust but agreed to open the bag. They were good. I was happy. So, he gave me four unopened bags and I told him that I needed the one he opened. "No, ma'am. We aren't allowed to sell anything that has been opened. I will have to throw that one away." They've done it for me before at various stores. I had no idea he would throw it away, but he did. Right in front of me with this little look of, "Are you happy now?" on his face. I was just in shock and walked away with a blank look on my face. Rhonda

Every time I visit my mother in New Hampshire, I bring 24 cans of Moxie back with me in my carry-on, and do my best to ration them (I can get it at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati, but not every time). Every time, I get weird looks from security, but they ask what's in the bag, I say "24 cans of Moxie and a pound of pastrami," they pause and nod and wave me through. My delicious thing today was licking the spoon from the pot of cajeta I made this morning. ← Forgive me, what is moxie? I have no clue!

I caught the show last night and would definitely eat at Soft Tofu anytime. That food looked so good. The only thing that was disappointing was that he didn't take anyone with him to that huge Vietnamese grocery market. It was disappointing when he looked at something interesting and say that he didn't have a clue what that was. It would have been nice for a guide from the store to take him on a guided tour and explain what the things that interested him were. Rhonda

Confusing Horriscope, your play-by-play detail of your shrimp and okra gumbo was fantastic. I've never seen okra cooked down that much before. No wonder you don't need a roux AND okra. Now, I get it. And I bet it was fantastic! Thanks for posting that Rhonda

Oh, and mine would be a sardine sandwich. Rye bread slathered with dijon mustard, spread with canned sardines and topped with a nice slice of red onion.

That's called an "impossible" pie. They're printed on the boxes of Bisquick. I know because you have no clue what I've had to eat growing up. If curiousity does get the best of you, here's the recipe AND pic Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie You're welcome

I don't buy the meal kits, but I do head to the salad bar for prechopped vegetables when I'm short on time.

I was making a cassoulet and didn't have brandy. I was very young and did have a bottle of B&B (brandy & benedictine). Trying to save money, I just said, "What could happen?" Note: Never put B&B in your food. The dog turned up his nose at it. It was only 1/2 cup, but it ruined the meal.

The proper response would have been to look their parents squarely in the eye and say, "Excuse me. Your sons just about knocked over my child's high chair. She could have been hurt. Could you please tell them NOT to do that again? Thank you." And if the idiots didn't make their children behave after that, you should have asked for the manager. Rhonda

Eggs are your friend! Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite things to cook, just in general, eggs are so versatile. Omelets, scrambled, fried, boiled for egg salad sandwiches or just sliced and put in a salad, frittatas, whatever! And they're about $1 a dozen. Chicken thighs was a great suggestion. Acutally, you can get the a 10# bag of whole legs on sale for about $0.39/lb, and you can do just about anything with them. Of course, they take a little cleaning when you get home to cut off the extra fat (render it for use in your cooking), cut off the rib cage that is left on the thigh (use it for chicken stock), etc., but it's so worth it. Anything you can do with breasts, you can do with dark meat, and IMO dark meat tastes much better anyway. Pork steaks are great, too, and very inexpensive. I believe they're just sliced pork butt, but they are good. I marinate them a lot with Cuban-flavored ingredients and have them with a black bean and rice salad. Very good. Do yourself a favor and skip the soft drinks. They're not very good for you, and they can get expensive. Make tea instead. Plan your budget and prepare BEFORE you go shopping. Most major grocery stores have websites now with their specials on them, and take advantage of their frequent shopper cards. Lots of time IF YOU STICK TO THE SALE ITEMS you can save lots of money and even "Buy 1 Get 1 Free". Familiarize yourself with prices so you know a good deal when you see it. Rhonda

I've seen a cooler of those live tiny shrimp at the Vietnamese outdoor market here. I have no idea what their name is, so I've never been able to search for a recipe. Any idea?

Put the ice in a pillowcase (make sure it's in good condition and not threadbare) and whack it on the floor. It just takes a few overhand to the floor whacks, and it's crushed. True.

Call Brigtsen's for their early bird special (Tues/Wed/Thurs before 6:30). This place is so great that it can be your "special" dinner for only $20 (without drinks, of course). It really is that great. http://www.brigtsens.com/ Get a muffeletta at The Napoleon House for maybe $6 or $7. One muff can feed 2 people! http://www.napoleonhouse.com/menu1.html You can get a couple of Creole tomatoes at the French market, some mayo & bread and have great tomato sandwiches with a big glass of iced tea, one of my favorite treats. An oyster po-boy at Acme Oyster House is always good. http://www.acmeoyster.com/ The Gumbo Shop is very inexpensive, and it has a great atmosphere. There's even a little courtyard to sit if it's not too hot. Try their combo plate with jambalaya, gumbo & red beans for $8.50. http://www.accesscom.net/gumbo/gumbomenu.html Have fun!

That was the point -- it was their personalities. One was self-absorbed and cruel, and one was loving and compassionate. Woman A was such a convicted, righteous vegan that she ate fried alligator. Woman B wanted to make gumbo for the family, but respected the fact that she was in a vegan household and instead tried her best and made gumbo d'herbes, which the family wasn't shy in telling her they didn't like it. -------- Edited to fix the quote links.

I watched the show -- twice. It originally aired about 6 months ago. I live in Louisiana, and I watched it because I thought they would really play up the Cajun back-woods angle -- alligators as pets, dumb country people, and they did just a bit. However, what they really played up was the differences between the mothers. It didn't matter if one was a vegan and another a meat-eater, and it didn't seem to matter about the California v. Louisiana lifestyle (and not many people here live the lifestyle of the portrayed family). What the show portrayed to me is the difference between the two women. On one hand, you had a totally self-absorbed, hypocritical woman who is miserable and treats her husband and children horribly. She has no clue how to treat people with kindness and courtesy, and I have no idea how her wounded her children are going to be when they grow up. If you noticed at the beginning of the show, her children were interviewed and her sweet little girl (about 8) said she wished her mommy wasn't so angry all of the time. Her parental skills consist of screaming at her children and belittling them. Her husband gives into all of her demands and doesn't seem to have much of a backbone. It was just because of her desire to become a vegan that the whole family had to become vegan, and her daughter actually cried at the end of the show in total devastation when she found out her mother had tasted fried alligator. On the other hand, you have a woman who lives what some would consider a total back-woods existence. This lady was a very caring, loving, giving mother who puts her family first. I fell in love with that little Cajun boy -- and he is ALL country boy who loves to hunt, fish, etc. What a character. It was evident his mother had good parenting skills when at the beginning of the show the little boy had done something he knew he shouldn't do. She discussed the matter with him and asked him what he thought his punishment should be. He was red-faced ashamed of what he had done, and he gave her the punishment that would hurt him the most, i.e., not allow him to go fishing for several days. Awww. Gotta love him! The Louisiana woman also tried her best to treat the family with kindness and respect, even when she wasn't shown that in return. She came off as a loving woman who always does her best in any given situation. I respect that.