Toliver

Let me help Ruth out: "Yellow and white cakes, search for the perfect" "White Cake, lets find the BEST recipe for this" And some others: "The Best Chocolate Cake, tweaking the recipe" and another on Chocolate: "Finding the best Chocolate Cake recipe, do you want to participate?" "World's best carrot-cake recipe" "banana cake recipe, Searching for the perfect one" "I want a Spice Cake recipe, Show me your best!" "The World's Best Coconut Cake, Gimme" "Looking for good flourless choc cake recipe, Whose got the best?" "Strawberry cake recipe?, Like the box kind, only not from a box" There was also this discussion about Yellow Cakes: "Need Tried And True Yellow Cake, Preferably moist (duh)" And these aren't cakes, but were under "the best" category: "Lemon Bars -- best recipe, anyone interested?" "Best pecan pie recipes, looking for some buttery goodness"

I do the same with baked potatoes but I also add avocado. Here I've been guilding the lily all this time and I didn't even know it. Oh, Saint Mario!

I've never had one but I've heard that White Castle burgers have a hole in the middle when they go on the fry griddle. Can any east coasters/mid-westerners verify this? Jason? We'll be having burgers (and hot dogs) for the 4th of July and I will, hopefully, get some pix of the making (my mom uses a not-so-secret ingredient), the cooking and the building for consumption.

I agree about the water. I've found that by making it iced water, it's more satisfying and not as boring. As for summer treats (and bringing this sort of back on topic) I'm diggin' the Diet Pepsi Slurpees at my local 7-Eleven.

That might explain why I never get what I want on my incredibly infrequent Taco Bell visits. ← The Taco Supreme is the same as the regular crisp taco except it has sour cream and diced tomatoes in it. You can find all the menu items by clicking on "Nutrition Guide" on the Taco Bell web site. Wish they'd bring back the Bell Beefer...

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the recipe for chipotle mayo was using it in potato salad, deviled eggs, egg salad sandwiches...you know, the usual suspects when it comes to mayo but the chipotle mayo would add a kick to them. I wonder how it would go with artichoke leaves? Hmmm... There's a baked artichoke heart-cheddar cheese dip I usually make with diced jalapeños that uses a cup of mayo. Now I am thinking it might be interesting to use the chipotle mayo in the dip. And aren't there veggie dips made with mayo and sour cream? This spicy mayo would give them an interesting slant.

Nope...hoisin is a bean based condiment, also called Duck Sauce. Plum Sauce is that stuff you put on egg rolls or dip chicken fingers it - basically a vinegared plum jam of some kind. ← My confusion comes from this post from the "China and Chinese Cuisine" forum: So "Plum sauce" is what is served with Moo Shu but it's not really plum sauce, ergo hoisin.

Mimi's Cafe is listed 6th and it's a horrible restaurant (PF Chang's is rated 89th by them ). So don't judge by their picks. I just Googled your hotel and it looks like you're pretty close to the Town & Country convention center. The Trolley is a great idea for getting around. As Octaveman pointed out, the nearest trolley stop is about 1/4 mile north of the convention center in the Fashion Valley mall. You can take the trolley east to Mission Valley to get to Gordon Biersch. It might be about the third stop after you board the trolley. Here is a map showing where the Gordon Beirsch is in Mission Valley. I believe trolley stop is at just about the "T" in "Mission Center Rd" on the map which is just down the street from the brewery. Both the Cheesecake Factory and PF Chang's are on the northeast side of the Fasion Valley Mall. PF Chang is, in fact, not even part of the mall but is northeast across the end parking lot. Adam's & Albie's are on the same side of Hotel Circle as your hotel, just a ways west. Adam's has corn fritters (they're like pancakes) that are quite tasty though the last time I was there on a weekend it had an hour wait to be seated.

Mayhaw Man (Brooks) posted in the "Behold my butt!, Any tips for improving it?" discussion yet another method of satisfying the roasted cauliflower addiction - Roasting cauliflower on the BBQ: Now that BBQ season is upon us once again, I am eager to give this a try. It sounds great.

Isn't plum sauce just hoisin sauce? Here's a Hoisin Dressing I found Googling: "Chicken Salad with Hoisin Sauce" Scroll about a third of the way down the web page. edited for spellling

Not sure of the availability of "injector kits" in Ireland...but I was surprised to see them yesterday at my local grocery store here in California. They were in the barbecue aisle and came wrapped with the bottle of marinade. Before this, you would usually just find them in BBQ accessory stores. Here is a web site that sells them. Note that you may not want to go the route of using for-human-type syringes to marinate your meat. Marinade injectors typically have a larger hole in the needle since some marinades may contain more than just liquid. As for the original question about a good marinade, here is a recipe that my brother's mother-in-law always uses. It's a secret recipe so don't tell anyone you heard it from me. The MIL is known for this secret recipe and won't give the recipe out to anyone, not even to any of her kids. If they want something marinaded, they have to bring the meat to her and she marinates it and then they pick it up, take the meat home and BBQ it. The MIL uses it for chicken but also uses it for shish-kebabs which are always a huge hit at family get-togethers (you marinate not just the meat, but the hardier veggies, too). So one day my mom asks the MIL for the marinade recipe and the MIL gives it to her, thinking "it's just between us." A few months later, my mom forgets that the recipe is a secret and submits it to her retirees assocation fund raiser "community cookbook"! Which is where I got the recipe. Here it is: Primi's Secret Marinade 2 to 3 lb.'s good quality meat 1 & 1/3 cups soy sauce 1 & 1/3 cups 7-Up (yes, the soda pop...substitute no other brand) 1 cup white wine 5 tablespoons brown sugar (heaping, not level) The juice of one small lemon 4 to 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 1-inch of ginger root, crushed 1 bay leaf, crushed Ground Pepper to taste Mix all ingredients except withhold 1/3 cup of the soy sauce, 1/3 cup of the 7-Up and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Add these to adjust the flavor of the marinade to your liking. Add meat to the marinade and chill it overnight in the refrigerator. Drain meat before grilling.

Oh. My. God. That sounds fan-freakin'-tastic. That's sheer genious, Brooks.

From Amazon.com's Friday Sale: Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch Stir-Fry Pan The Commercial Nonstick line has been phased out by Calphalon so get it while you can. This is a good sized pan at a great price though it's 2 cents short of free shipping. I think they price it this way on purpose so you have to buy something else in order to get the free shipping! Call me the cynic! The 10-inch pan I have has some heft to it. Sometimes you'll see an offer for a 9-inch version of this pan, but I think this 10-inch is a better buy (better too big than too small).

Well, you could always try posting queries in the respective forums of the areas you'll be crossing. I get to Vegas once a year for a convention and can only recommend "chi-chi" joints. Three years ago I had dinner at Lawry's Prime Rib off the Strip. It has art deco decor (which I love) and the wait staff is extremely attentive. The prime rib I had was fork tender. Like Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse, everything is pretty much a la carte. If you're on Atkins and looking to eat a lot of meat, there's a Brazilian Grill in the Mirage that will feed you meat until you drop. The Steak House in Circus Circus is supposed to be as incredible as the Circus Circus Buffet is inedible. The Sunday buffet in the Steak House is supposed to be great, too. The World Buffet at the Rio (across the freeway) is good. I can make a meal of the Mongolian "BBQ" by itself. There's also an expensive seafood version of the World Buffet there but I would pass on that. If you're looking for low-end, there's a Fat Burger on the Strip with most excellent burgers. If you're looking for high high-end, there's a lot of celebrity chef restaurants in Vegas now. Emeril (his Fish Shack in the MGM and Delmonico's in the Venetian), Bobby Flay, etc, all seem to have Vegas joints. I seem to recall another Chef recently opening there (Keller?). When leaving Las Vegas, if you will be heading north up 15, be careful when 15 briefly dips into Arizona before you get to St. George, Utah. I believe the speed limit drops to 55 when you cross into Arizona and there are highway patrol eager to write speeding tickets.

I am curious about the addition of the jam to Andie's mustard recipe. Is it used because of the pectin (to add body to the mustard when cooked) or because of the fruit or because of the sugar content or perhaps a combination of all three? Also, the shelf-life on the non-canned (not processed) mustard doesn't seem to be very long whereas commercial mustards seem to last forever. Would more acid (vinegar) help to give it longer shelf life? Thanks for this great class! I hope to tackle a couple of the recipes this weekend.

Bon Appétit Magazine Digest – July 2005 – "The Barbecue Issue" Contributors in this month’s issue: Restaurateur and cookbook author Tom Douglas, Pastry Chef Deborah Snyder, restaurant critic for the Japan Times Robbie Swinnerton, chef and cookbook author Mark Bittman, cookbook author and Canadian TV chef (and BBQ King) Ted Reader and Food critic for the Dallas Morning News and cookbook author Dotty Griffith. Great photos, as always! The Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild posted a recipe for “Lemon-Berry Shortcakes” in her monthly “Letter From the Editor” column. Starters – “Quick Bites from the World of Bon Appétit” by Hugh Garvey The Empowered Entertainer – Two BBQ tips: 1) How to create those “X” grill marks on your BBQ steaks and 2) The Touch Test – How to use your hand to tell if a piece of meat is rare, medium, well done, etc. Green Eggs and Fans – Kamado clay ovens for grilling (www.biggreenegg.com) BBQ Bibliophilia – Hugh recommends 3 BBQ cook books: “Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life”, “Weber’s Real Grilling”, “Peace, Love and Barbecue: Recipes, Secrets, Tall Tales and Outright Lies from the Legends of Barbecue” Planks for the Memories – Cooking on cedar planks is nothing new. Hugh says there’s more than cedar these days. www.natures-cuisine.com www.bbqwoods.com www.sauteecedar.com Chiles, Chiles Everywhere – Some of the winners of the annual Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A Perfect Day in Toronto – What to do and where to eat in one day in Toronto. Punk Rock Chocolate – Order the Punk Rock Box of chocolates from Chocolate Bar in Manhattan and help support the CBGB rock club. R.S.V.P. – Readers’ Favorite Restaurant Recipes Recipes: From the Robbie Swinnerton travel story in this issue, “Soy-Glazed Chicken Skewers with Green Onions”; “Lemon-Ginger Muffins (Baldpate Inn – Estes Park, Colorado); “Chocolate-Chile Cream Pots” (Hell’s Backbone Grill – near Utah’s Zion National Park & Arches National Park); “Parmesan Tart with Arugula Salad and Red Pepper Coulis” (Braidwoods – Dairy, Scotland); “Curry-Coconut Lamb Chops with Mango-Mint Salsa” (Fairmont Kea Lani – Maui, Hawai’i). Entertaining – “Party Improv” by Mark Bittman Mark submits an Indian-spiced barbecue that needs little effort for six people. Recipes: “Grilled Tandoori Lamb”; “Grilled Vegetables with Mint Raita”. Mark has a suggestion for dessert and some tips on what to do when. Wine & Spirits – “Summer Sparklers” by Heather John Heather presents the ultimate barbecue wine…Australia’s sparkling Shiraz. Red Alert – “Sparklers to Try” Fox Creek NV “Vixen” Sparkling Shiraz-Cabernet Franc ($17) Hardys NV Sparkling Shiraz ($23) Rumball NV Sparkling Shiraz Special Cuvée ($26) Majella 2002 Sparkling Shiraz ($30) Craneford 2001 Sparkling Shiraz-Petit Verdot ($35) Galah 1992 Sparkling Shiraz ($40) Rockford NV Black Shiraz ($41) Kitchen Favorites – “Potato Salad Days” by Victoria Abbott Riccardi Four Potato Salad recipes to get you through the entire BBQ season. Recipes: “Yukon Gold Potato Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and Truffle Oil”; “Caesar Potato Salad with Grilled Red Onion”; “Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing”; “Creamy Southwestern Potato Salad”. Kitchen – Outdoor Gear BBQ King Steven Raichlen test drives 4 different BBQ’s: Ceramic Cooker (Viking C4 – www.vikingrange.com); The Weber Ranch Charcoal Kettle (www.weber.com); Barbecues Galore’s 52-inch Grand Turbo Gas Grill (www.bbqgalore.com); The Horizon Classic Barrel Smoker (www.horizonbbqsmokers.com). Restaurants – The Hot Seat – Bellavitae, New York. Restaurants – Top Tables The Restaurant Reporter – “Where to go Now” by Tanya Wenman Steel Portland, Maine - Duckfat (Chef Rob Evans – www.duckfat.com); Blue Spoon (Chef David Iovino); Mims Brasserie (Chef Joe Boudreau). Carmel & Pebble Beach – Covey & Quail Lodge (Chef Cal Stamenov); Adrian’s Gourmet Kitchen (Chef Brian Reed); Lodge at Pebble Beach, Club XIX (Chef Rick Edge). Aix-en_Provence – Les DeuxGarcons; Le Passage (Chef Reine Sammut). A side bar recommends Bovey Castle in Scotland. Restaurants – Going Out – “On ‘Cue in Memphis” by Dotty Griffith Dotty lives high on the hog as she eats her way through the best “Q” in Memphis. A side bar recommends some ‘cue joints in Arkansas and Mississippi. Bon Vivant – “What’s New. What’s Hot. What’s Good.” by Laurie Glenn Buckle An apron with a cowboy yelling “Come and Get It” on the front. www.pickettfences.com Karim Rashid-designed chairs in red, white and blue for that 4th of July bash. www.umbra.com Talavera Oven-to-Table dishes in bold colors and shapes. www.chantal.com A classic plaid table cloth. www.surlatable.com An “Aladdin” teapot designed in 1939 in vivid red. www.bauer2000.com A retro-preppy belt in either “Margarita” or “Elephant drinking Martinis”. www.ckbradley.com A straw clutch purse with a crab design by Anya Hindmarch. “Barbecue Greats” by Ted Reader Where there’s smoke, there’s something delicious to eat. Recipes: “Brown Sugar and Bourbon Ribs”; “Chicken with Tangerine, Honey and Chipotle Glaze”; “Beer-Marinated Tri-Tip with Blue Cheese, Wild Mushrooms and Onions”; “Jalapeño Cheeseburgers with Bacon and Grilled Onions”; “Smoked-Cheddar-Stuffed Chicken with Green Apple Slaw”; “Cedar-Planked Monkfish with Fire-Roasted Puttanesca Relish”. One side bar has some basic grilling tips and another has suggestions for what kind of beer to serve with your “Q”. “Bali in the Backyard” by Para Papatheodorou and Katie O’Kenndy (great photos by Fran Gealer) The host recreated his favorite vacation place (Bali) and offered a BBQ menu to match. Recipes: “Vietnamese Shrimp Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce”; “Chicken Satays on Lemongrass Spears with Peanut Sauce”; “Grilled Ginger-Lime Snapper in Banana Leaves”; “Coconut Beef Curry on Chinese Egg Noodles”; “Pineapple, Cucumber and Green Onion Salad”; “Banana Fritters with Coconut Ice Cream”. A side bar offers a recipe for “Passion Fruit-Pineapple Vodka Coolers”. “The Ultimate Steak” Recipe: “Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Gorgonzola Toasts”. “Fish for the 4th” by Tom Douglas Instead of hamburgers and hot dogs for your 4th of July BBQ, why not serve salmon and spicy shrimp and some new takes on All-American Sides. Recipes: “”Berry Rum Punch”; “Spicy Shrimp Remoulade on Molasses-Buttered Toasts”; “Fennel-and-Dill-Rubbed Grilled Salmon”; “Grilled Cornbread Salad with Red Onions, Arugula and Red Wine Vinaigrette”; “Buttermilk Cornbread with Monterey Jack Cheese”; “Chopped Honey-Mustard Slaw”; Triple-Chocolate Cookie and Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches”; “Triple Chocolate Cookies”. Side bars have suggestions for decorations, music and lighting. “One Crust – Four Pies” by Deborah Snyder with fabulous photos by Charles Schiller It’s a fool-proof crust for four pies featuring the best of Summer. Recipes: “Tender Pie Crust”, “Peach Lattice Pie”; “Lemon Meringue Blueberry Pie”; “Sour-Cherry Streusel Pie”; “Spiced Plum Pie”. “Fired Up in Tokyo” by Robbie Swinnerton In this report, Robbie explores how the Japanese do the “Q”. Fast. Easy. Fresh – “Quick Dishes for Every Night Cooking” Recipes: “Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Onions”; “Mixed Berries with Mascarpone-Limoncello Cream”; “Jicama, Radish and Pepita Salad”, “Chilled Corn Soup with Adobo Swirl”; “Root Beer Granita Float”; “Quick Chunky Plum and Cherry Jam”. Readers’ Timesaving Recipes – “Too Busy to Cook?” From reader Tony Matranga of Los Angeles, CA: “Grilled Brined Shrimp with Garlic Oil”; “Oven-Roasted Plum Tomatoes”. From reader Jan Esterly of Pittsburgh, PA: “Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Molasses and Mustard”; “Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Onion and Bell Pepper with Thyme Vinaigrette”; “Grilled Pound Cake with Balsamic Peaches”. End Page Q & A with CNN NewNight anchor Aaron Brown.

Result of clicking on your link: ← Click here.

Yesterday I met up with someone who just came up from San Diego and they said the June Gloom hasn't been as bad as it normally it is. So you may actually have nice weather when you hit town. That is something to smile about. And I may have miscommunicated about the Del Mar Fair. It's not really a food festival but an actual county fair with amusement rides, 4-H animals, garden displays & flower shows and the usual Ginzu Knives-type booths. Like I said, we mainly go for the food. They sell the usual corn dogs and lemonade, but we prefer the not-your-run-of-the-mill joints that sell things like falafel burgers, deep fried artichoke hearts in a garlic batter, Indian fry bread and roasted ears of corn with lime & chili powder. There's even a BBQ place out in the Centerfield (you have to cross over into the middle of the race track to find it) that seems to be a big secret because there's hardly ever a crowd out there which is surprising because we think their "Q" is good, especially for Fair food. I've always enjoyed attending this fair because the Fairgrounds, though not actually on the beach, are quite near the ocean so you get a nice ocean breeze as you walk around during the day. If you do go during the day, make sure you wear sunscreen even if it's "cloudy" (which is really just the marine layer) because it should melt away by mid-morning. Please post about your trip when you get back. I'd enjoy hearing about your activities.

They sound fantastic. Oh, the endless possibilities of smoked eggs! edited to add: To go along with the bacon theme, smoked-egg salad sandwiches with bacon crumbles (though you'd probably need to "cut" the smoked eggs with regular boiled eggs so the smokiness wouldn't be overwhelming). And a not-so-typical spinach salad topped with mandarin oranges, slices of spring onion and crumbles of smoked boiled eggs served with hot bacon dressing all sprinkled with some bleu cheese crumbles.

No gravy...horseradish. edited to add: Leftover meatloaf sandwiches with a mixture of mayo and horseradish.

Would local codes allow you to place a "sandwich-type board" (two-sided free-standing sign) on the sidewalk out front to help increase your visibilty and allow you to advertise specials? Also, do you have any outdoor seating (with umbrellas during the summer)? Sometimes that's a draw, as well. That's too bad about the shop lacking visibility and tough access. "Location, Location, Location" seems to be a major ingredient to success. Is your exterior signage flat on the building or do you have any perpendicular signs which might help increase your visibility?

Well, there's always Todd Wilbur's "Top Secret Recipes" version of Popeye's Fried Chicken (paraphrased to make it okay to post): Popeye's Fried Chicken 6 cups vegetable oil 2/3 cup All-Purpose flour 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons white pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons paprika 3 eggs 1 frying chicken with skin, cut up Using a wide, deep pan or a deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Mix the flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a wide, shallow bowl. Using another wide, shallow bowl, beat the 3 eggs. Drop a pinch of flour into the oil to check it. If it rapidly bubbles around the flour, then it's hot enough. You could probably use a thermometer to check the oil temperature instead. Coat a piece of chicken in the beaten eggs and then dip generously into the flour mixture. Place the chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry for 15 to 25 minutes or until dark golden brown. When done, take the chicken out and place on a rack or paper towels to drain. Makes 8 pieces. You will find this recipe all over the internet if you Google (and there's another supposed Popeye's recipe on the internet with powdered spaghetti sauce mix as one of the ingredients that just gives me the heebee jeebees from reading it). I have not made this myself, but I've seen some comments left on Todd Wilbur's website stating that they made it and thought it was very close to the Popeye's recipe. Please let us know what you think if you make it.

I would think with your standard ground round you'd need a drip pan, at least, with all the fat that will melt out. If anyone BBQ's a meatloaf, post pictures please! If you're doing a typical comfort food-type meatloaf, yes on the ketchup. And don't forget the strips of bacon on top. So you don't normally add breadcrumbs to your meatloaf? I made a meatloaf once, thinking "I don't need a meat-stretcher like bread crumbs" so I left them out. I could have used the resulting meatloaf as a doorstop, it was so "heavy". My mom always soaks a couple slices of bread in milk, squeezes out the milk and shreds it into the meatloaf mixture. To me, the bread or breadcrumbs helps make the meatloaf a less dense end product.

When I visited my mom in San Diego over Memorial Day, I was surprised to see plump green tomatoes on one of her plants. They're a tad small right now but I am in hopes of tasting the ripe harvest when I visit her for the 4th of July. Her cherry tomato plant is wielding an explosion of flowers right now. She is also staggering her planting since the season is long for that area. She just planted an heirloom (something with stripes) so she'll have tomatoes all the way through October.

#3 - Rosemary? #5 - Chives? #9 - Lemon Grass? #14 - Lemon Balm? #19 - Chervil? #27 - Chicory or Dandelion? #30 - Basil