Toliver

If you have a kitchen, find some recipes here in the eGRecipe and take them pre-made or make them there. At least then you will know you will have something good to eat because you fixed it yourself.

I am hearing the first notes of "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go" ... and it is only August!! Hmmm...That reminds me of my Thanksgiving haiku that I neglected to enter in last year's eG Smackdown competition. It was a real charmer. In my post, I just wanted to encourage creepygirl to hang around eGullet long enough to expand her culinary experiences and expectations. Thanksgiving (and all other holidays) shouldn't be days filled with foods to dread if they're done right. I'd better stop now or I'll be donning the Auntie Mame ballgown and start singing "Life is a Banquet..."

Wonderful photos! What a nice melange of meals. I am sooo hungry now. As for taking photos tomorrow, just tell the new client you use the photos to help provide consistency in your work for all your clients, or something like that. If you make it sound official enough, she'll buy it.

Have you tried using the Character Table keyboard command to see if it will allow the degree symbol? If you're using Windows you can access the Character Table through the Start Menu>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools. The keyboard command for typing a degree symbol is Alt+0176 (hold down the Alt key and type the number 0176 in using the number pad, then let go of the Alt key). That should place a degree symbol wherever your cursor is.

Girl, You need to experience some good Thanksgiving cooking! We're talking deep fried turkies or one smoked on a grill with a good Cajun rub. And how about stuffing/dressing with diced jalepenos to spice things up? If you don't like the ubiquitous green bean casserole, try making roasted cauliflower instead. Instead of pumpkin pie, make a nice bourbon pecan pie. It sounds like you are hanging with the wrong crowd at Thanksgiving!

Bon Appetit Digest – September 2004 – “Where to Eat Now” issue – A slew of recipes and awesome photography! Great cover photo of a Rib Eye with Gorgonzola Butter and Crispy Sweet Onion Rings! Contributors this issue: Political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, stylist Kim Wong, journalist Jill Daniel interviews Placido Domingo for the end page Q & A, an essay by New York Times restaurant critic Nancy Grimes and even includes a couple recipes from Mario Batali’s papa (check under "Timesaving Recipes" at the end of the digest). A side article mentions that regular Bon Appétit contributor, eGullet’s own, Marlena Spieler has a new cookbook out titled "Grilled Cheese: 50 Recipes to Make You Melt". This issue begins with a few pages of a “Restaurant Directory” divided into U.S. regions. Starters – “Quick Bites from the World of Bon Appétit” by Hugh Garvey “Reservation Confidential” – Hugh offers some tips on how to use the restaurant reservation system (and all its quirks) to your advantage. “Global Chef, Inc” – A brief look at four chefs and their geographically vast empires. “Hooray Purees” – The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley is now selling its ready-made infusions to the general public: www.perfectpuree.com “Last Night the DJ Saved My Dinner” – A quick look at 3 restaurants and the trendy use of in-house DJ’s “Umami Dearest: the Chef’s Secret Fifth Flavor” – The fifth flavor is THE new trend in restaurants. Think truffle oil on popcorn (Thomas Keller) “Hot Destination: Shanghai” – Some suggestions on where to eat, shop & sleep in the Chinese city. “You Say Sushi, I Say Crudo” – Italian Sushi, anyone? Fusion sushi is a hot new trend. R.S.V.P. – Readers’ Favorite Restaurant Recipes Recipes: “Lime & Coconut Shrimp with Red Curry Sauce” (Rathbun’s – Atlanta, GA), “Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortcake” (EM Bistro – Los Angeles), “Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Truffled Polenta and Lingonberry Sauce” (Dish Osteria and Bar – Pittsburgh, PA), “Warm Chocolate Tarts with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream” (ChikaLicious – NYC), “Roasted Curried Cauliflower” (A.O.C. – Santa Monica, CA), ”Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Hazelnuts” (Farm Café – Portland, OR), “Artichoke and Celery Root Salad with Mustard Dressing” (Zinc Bistro – Scottsdale, AZ), “Chai-Spiced Honey Bundt Cake” (FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar – Minneapolis, MN), “Braised Lamb Shanks with White Bean Puree” (‘Cesca – NYC), “Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Black Pepper and Dried Cherry Sauce” (Fuel Co. Bistro – Charlottesville, VA), “Goat Cheese and Potato Tikki on Mushroom Ragú” (Mantra – Boston, Mass), "Sesame Chicken Skewers with Vegetable Slaw” (LeBus – Philadelphia, PA), “Pompano with Crab Meat and Citrus Beurre Blanc” (Annadele’s Plantation – Covington, LA), “Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach Barbecue Sauce” & “Bourboned Cream Corn” (Jasper’s – Dallas, TX) Table & Home – “House Style” by Laurie Glenn Buckle You can copy the table décor of some hot restaurants at home. They key is a few simple pieces. Spice Market (NYC) and Patina (Los Angeles) are broken down piece by piece. Personal Taste – “LES is More” LES stands for the Lower East Side of NYC. Alan Richman takes a look at some of the changes over the years. Wine & Spirits – “The Mix Masters” by Andrew Knowlton The reborn American cocktail is based on fresh ingredients & old-fashioned know-how. Andrew takes a look at 10 new hotspots where the cocktail is making a comeback. Recipes: “Pear Martini” (Martini Bar at the Raleigh, Miami), “French 75” (The Library Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans), “Cherry Smash” (Flatiron Lounge, New York) There was no Top 20 Wine list in this issue. (Note: There’s an interesting (but annoying) ad for Las Vegas as this point in the magazine. “Annoying” because it two pages of stiff “trading cards” featuring hot Vegas chefs including Bobby Flay, Alain Ducasse, Nobu Matsuhisa,Thomas Keller and many more. You can learn interesting facts about the chefs like Thomas Keller collects antique peppermills and Alain Ducasse’s favorite ingredient to use is olive oil.) People and Places – “I Married a Restaurant Critic” by Nancy Grimes From the article: “If you think dining out five nights a week for five years is a dream job, think again. A dining companion dishes on the highs and lows of eating for a living.” Going Out – “High Steaks” by Heather John This isn’t your father’s Bonanza Steak House anymore. They’re “glammed-up” and hotter than ever thanks to Atkins. Steak Houses mentioned include: Lincoln (Santa Monica, CA), Craftsteak (MGM Grand in Las Vegas), Blade’s Prime Chophouse (Fort Worth, TX), “The Besh Steakhouse at Harrah’s (New Orleans, LA), “FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Marsha Brown (New Hope, PA), Blackfin Chop House & Raw Bar (Boston, Mass), Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (Manhattan, NY) Bon Vivant – “What’s New. What’s Hot. What’s Good.” by Laurie Glenn Buckle Chef jackets worn as regular clothes? A blouse with a menu on it? It’s a new trend, go figure. Daniel Boulud is now designing cookware (photo shows a retro-looking 5-quart cast iron casserole): www.danielnyc.com Kitchen towels that look like ink drawings: www.silverskillet.net A restaurant model cake plate with marble top: www.dovermetals.com Plates with illustrations from the classic 1924 reference book “Le Petit Larousse Illustré”: www.gien.com Room spray & body scrub with an olive scent by fashion designer Norma Kamali: www.barxv.com A cool looking platinum-rimmed espresso cup with stainless steel saucer & spoon from Village Heights. Kate Spade’s line of serving pieces: www.katespade.com A zebra wood boat-shaped fruit bowl by Zebrano: www.clio-home.com Stainless steel mixing bowl with non-skid exteriors! www.oxo.com (who else?!) A black granite mortar and pestle pretty enough to be kitchen artwork: www.johnjuliandesign.com Odd-looking horn flatware: www.derenaudin.com “Where to Eat Now” – by Monica Parcell – It’s a guide featuring 250 of the hottest restaurants from coast to coast. Recipes (and the hot restaurants they are from): Appetizers - Avec – Chicago: “Chicken, Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Panzanella Salad” Matine – Salt Lake City: “Moroccan Braised Beef” Zaytinya – Washington, D.C.: “Lamb and Tahini-Stuffed Pita Wedges” Adega Restaurant & Wine Bar – Denver: “Artichoke, Roasted Shallot and Camembert Fonduta” Elements Café – Haddon Heights, NJ: “Baked Yukon Gold Potatoes with Grilled-Vegetable Ratatouille and Goat Cheese” One Midtown Kitchen – Atlanta: “Lamb Riblets with Spicy Honey-soy Sauce” Isa – San Francisco: “Arugula, Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Orange and Pomegranate Salad” Desserts – Sugar – Chicago: “S’mmoralist” (Decadent photo!!) Sona – Los Angeles: “Peanut Butter Beignets with Caramelized Bananas and Bitter Caramel Ice Cream” Spice Market – New York: “Warm Jasmine Rice Puddings with Passion Fruit” Primo – Orlando: “Lemon Soufflé Tartlets” (another great photo!) Cascadia – Seattle: “Hazelnut Gelato Profiteroles with Warm Kahlúa Sauce” Union Bar & Grille – Boston: “Vermont Maple Bread Pudding with Walnut Praline” Ceiba – Washington, D.C.: “Camote Tartes Tatins with Pumpkin-Seed Brittle” Town Hall – San Francisco: “Chocolate and Butterscotch Pots de Crème” Splurge Dining – Monarch – St. Louis: “Lobster Macaroni and Cheese” Carlyle – Portland, OR: “Rib-Eye Steaks with Gorgonzola Butter and Crispy Sweet Onion Rings” Abacrombie Fine Food & Accomadations – Baltimore: “Pork Tenderloin with Cider Jus and Rutabaga Puree” & “Rutabaga Puree” Perdix – Boston: “Roasted Monkfish with Curried Lentils and Browned Butter Cauliflower” Ovio Bistro Eclectica – Seattle: “Five-Spice Duck with Butternut Squash Ravioli and Broccoli Rabe” Michael Mina – San Francisco: “Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce, Creamed Spinach and Truffled French Fries” Le Francais – Wheeling, IL: “Sausage-Wrapped Lamb Chops with Tapenade Butter” & “Tapanade Butter” New Restaurants with new twists– Table 8 – Los Angeles: “Crab Fritters with Herb Salad and Meyer Lemon Aioli” Phat Thai – Aspen, CO: “Grilled Chile Salsa with Rice Crackers” Vermillion – Chicago: “Red Snapper Baked in Indian Yogurt” Casual Chic – Familiar food upscaled a little – Azia – Minneapolis: “Lemongrass Scallop Skewers” Woodfire Grill – Atlanta: “Wild Mushroom Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Fontina and Rosemary” & “Pizza Dough” Simon Kitchen & Bar – Las Vegas: “Root Vegetable Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette” Lulu’s in the Garden – New Orleans: “Roasted Chicken with Garbanzo Ragout and Gremolata” Rouge – Houston: “Saint André and Fingerling Potato Pies” BLT Steak – New York: “Popovers with Gruyère” Glory: An American Bistro – Chicago: “Fried Calamari with Rouille, Cherry Peppers and Lemon” Luca D’Italia – Denver: “Rigatoni with Cheese and Italian Sausage” Bakery-Cafes – Tartine – San Francisco: “Toasted Almond and Pecorino Sandwiches” Alon’s – Atlanta: “Heath Bar Brownies” La Spiga – New Orleans: “Yellow Squash and Mozzarella Quiche with Fresh Thyme” On the Scene – “The Western Insider” It’s a short look at ice cream shops out west. There’s also a calendar of upcoming “food” events. Hotels, Inns and Resorts: Calistoga Ranch - Napa Valley Fast Weekday Dinners – “Every-Night Cooking” by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard Summer dishes change as summer vegetables crop change. Recipes: “Gemelli with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Bacon”, “Spicy Crab and Melon Salad”, “Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos with Corn Relish”, “Poached Eggs in Pipérade”, “Chicken Sauté with Green Olives”, “Veal Scallops with Mint and Capers”, “Pan-Fried Catfish with Arugula-Orange Salad”, “Panko-Crusted Mustard Pork Cutlets”, “Lamb Chops with Herbed Sweet Onion Compote”, “Curried Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches”, “Miso Soup with Shrimp and Watercress”, “Oven-Braised Halibut Provençale”, “Crab and Corn Chowder with Bacon”, “Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Fennel Salad”, “Red Bell Pepper Soup with Orange and Basil”, “Roasted Bell Pepper Halves Stuffed with Bulgur and Spinach”, “Roasted Turkey Breast with Balsamic Glaze and Bell Pepper-Onion Saute” Timesaving Recipes – “Too Busy to Cook?” by Michael Shrader of the Nine Restaurant Group in Palm Springs Recipes: “Lemon Pound Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream”, “Seared Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tartare”, “Penne with Broccoli Rabe, Tomatoes and Parmesan” Recipes from Armandino Batali (yes, Mario’s Dad!): “Beef and Sausage Meat Loaf with Mozzarella”, “Spaghetti Frittata”, “Anise Unscotti” Recipes from Tim Byres , a chef in Dallas: “Grilled Salmon with Mustard-Dressed Greens”, ‘Toasted Coconut Waffles with Poached Apricots” Recipes from Robyn Fuoco of Mainly Café and Bakery of Philedelphia: “Egg Ribbon and Parmesan Soup”, “Vegetarian Black Bean Chili” Feedback – End page Q & A with opera singer & restaurant owner Placido Domingo

Yep, good old hornworms. When we were kids, my dad would pay us a quarter for every worm we pulled off the plants. We didn't touch them with our hands (way to "oogey" for even us kids)...we used clothespins to nab them. We got to be experts in finding the well-hidden not-so-little buggers. If you don't have kids in the neighborhood to bribe to find the worms on your plants, your local garden shop will have some powder or spray to rid your plants of the beasties. You should also check to make sure you don't have white flies either. Again, your local garden shop should have a powder/spray to get rid of the pests. I know you said no poison, but this is a war. It's either you or them. If you staunchly refuse to go the spray/powder route, there is a garden author by the name of Jerry Baker who has devised recipes for home "tonics" to take the place of chemicals & sprays. He mixes stuff like dishsoap, tabasco sauce, household ammonia, etc, to make concoctions that you spray on your plants to fight pests or clean the soil or fertilize your plants. I've seen some of his shows on PBS. I have never tried any of his "tonic recipes" but some people swear by them. Here is an eGullet-friendly link to one of his books on Amazon. You might also want to check on eBay for any his out-of-print books. If you don't want to wait to buy the book, a poster at the very bottom of this page about hornworm problems claims to have a Jerry Baker recipe that will prevent pests from infesting your plants. Mix it up in a spray bottle and spray your plants (if you don't have the garden hose sprayer attachment). Edited to add: It's probably too late for this year, but some gardners believe you can plant "companion" plants that will naturally deter pests from coming around. Some of these plants include Garlic, Marigolds, Borage, Pyrethrum, and Basil. Again, I don't know if they work but it's worth a shot and it's poison-free.

The Slim Jims are in my bottom drawer at work. Shhh. Say no more.

Fat ripe red tomatoes Red, yellow and green bell peppers White "champagne" peaches A bunch of basil Shallots the size of plums! Garlic And an apple turnover and a tomato pie(!) from the German woman who sells baked and canned goods. I saw raisins for sale at one farmer's booth. Isn't August kind of early for raisins? I always hate seeing them because, to me, raisins always meant Autumn was coming and the end of tomatoes and peaches and Summer.

I do the bi-monthly digest for Chile Pepper Magazine and there's a regular column by Chef Bill Wavrin of the Miraval Spa who recipes are health-conscious but also sound good to eat. You may want to either check out the magazine at your local news stand or the magazine's website. Miraval Spa's web site also has a recipe section with some interesting dishes: Clickety

You can also roast marshmallows or make S'more's using the heat of the embers.

After Googling for Hires Root Beer Extract I found this info: So you won't find Hires Root Beer Extract anymore unless you want to buy old bottles on eBay. Another site suggested if you can't find root beer extract on your local grocery store shelf, try searching online for Brewing Suppliers. Click here for HomeBrewHeaven.com Once at the site, do a search for root beer and you will come up with Zatarain's Root Beer extract. Here's another brew supply site. Click on "Online Catalog" on the left side and on the page that appears, about a third of the way down their list of products, is "Root Beer Flavors and Equipment" where they sell their own brand of root beer flavoring. And if you need to know how to make root beer from extract, here's one recipe: Click Here. They also have instructions on how to make root beer from scratch. I have not gone through either process so I can't vouch for the recipes. I hope this helps.

Make a BLT but instead of lettuce, add slices of avocado. It is superb.

You could offer: Like a Virgin Cocktails (no alcohol) Shake Your Love Shakes Against the Wind Baked Beans Hurts So Good salsa (very spicy) Who's Crying Now salsa (even more spicy) Heat of the Moment salsa Turning Japanese sushi Raspberry Beret Sorbet & Send Me an Angel-food Cake topped with Whip It whipped cream Rock Lobster canapes Sowing the (Pumpkin) Seeds of Love snacks Wind Beneath My (Buffalo) Wings Pasta with the Lady in Red Sauce Shock the Monkey Bread

Has anyone tried S'Mores with the strawberry marshmallows? I'm thinking it'd be pretty good...

As kids, we would choose our favorite home-cooked meals for our birthday dinners. Mine was always my mom's Chicken Fried Steak (round steak with Corn Flake crumb breading ). When we got older we moved on to having dinner out on our birthdays. But now that we're grown and see less of each other, we've switched back to having home-cooked favorites for our birthdays. The interesting twist is that we all cram into the kitchen now to cook the birthday meal and just let my mom supervise. Between one brother grilling outside to another brother slicing and dicing in the kitchen, it's become our ritual to cook and bond. It helps make the birthday even more fun.

Is there any other way to get Swiss steak to turn out like it's been cooked in one? Perhaps the experts will chime in, but I think the only way you can get Swiss Steak to turn out like it's been cooked in a pressure cooker without using a pressure cooker would be to either use a very tender piece of meat (then why make Swiss Steak out of it?) or use a long slow-cook method. I am wondering now if a slow cooker/crockpot could be used to make a slow-cooked version of Swiss Steak. The purpose of the pressure cooker is to make a tough cut of meat fork-tender (which this was! ). Tough cuts of meat cooked in a crockpot have turned out fork-tender as well which makes me wonder if this method could possibly work.

Last night: Swiss Steak in the pressure cooker, homemade mashed potatoes & gravy with a side of green beans long-simmered with bacon.

Next time, smack it with a tenderizing mallet (or have your butcher run it through their tenderizing machine), bread it and fry it. Bottom round is good for Chicken Fried Steak, Swiss Steak and a poor man's Stroganoff. Mmm...Chicken Fried Steak.

Okay, now that rocks. I have got to try this. How much chipotle paste do you use per single batch? Given my past record in the kitchen, I'd probably overdo the heat factor (Hello, my name is Toliver and I'm a Chile Head ).

I am flummoxed by such blanket statements as "there are no great restaurants in San Diego". And I hardly think any sane person would move out of San Diego because there are no good restaurants...moving because the price of housing is currently in the astronomical range, perhaps, would be much more believeable. But you're telling me you're moving because you couldn't get a decent foam? Oh, please. So what is your yardstick, what makes a restaurant "great", in your opinion? I am really interested in hearing why you think so many San Diego restaurants fail to measure up. edited to complete a sentence.

I've seen these stemless glasses advertised and am having trouble understanding the concept. I've always heard that when drinking some wines, you should hold the glass by the stem instead of the bowl as the warmth of our hands can impact the wine negatively. Is this a myth? If it's not a myth and if that idea has some merit, then why remove the stem of the glass which forces the drinkers to hold the glass by the bowl?

Pickles is correct (leaving that last tail-end bit on acts like a handle) but I think the recipe is incorrect. If the shrimp is to be eaten by hand, then the tail-end is left on and it's to be used as a handle. But when the shrimp is to be eaten by a utensil (in soups, stews, pastas, etc), all shell material should be completely removed for ease of consumption. Which is why I think the original recipe is incorrect in calling for the tails to be left on. I'm with Brooks...I don't mind eating the tail. Hey, I need all the roughage I can get!

I think this warrents further investigation. Perhaps some eGulleteers who own those wine glasses can volunteer to imbibe...er, I mean, experiment further and report back their findings.

Rumor has it the beef used in their chili is actually leftover hamburgers that didn't sell. Works for me. Gosh, you made me hungry!