Toliver

CMD does rock! The cakes that I've tasted made from CMD recipes were quite good. In fact, the book is a great example of this thread...adding something new to something pre-made to get something better. In my circle of friends, I know of only two people who make cakes from scratch (one of them makes party/wedding cakes for part-time income), the rest are all "Mixers". The book has been a great quick gift to give to family members and friends who like potluck-type recipes. My mom used to bring a Jello something to potlucks/family gatherings but now is a cake whiz with CMD. Thank God.

I am very surprised that it has retained it's green coloring. Having grown up with the jarred/canned stuff, which is a pale white, your homemade 'kraut provides quite the verdant contrast. Let us know if you cook with it (Mmmm...pork roast & sauerkraut).

The leftover half of a "Fred Flinstone-sized" bone-in rib eye, rare, sliced thin on a mixed green salad with vinagrette. A side of Uncle Ben's Parmesan & Butter rice....should of made my own but it was quick and thoughtless. For dessert, Denali's Caribou ice cream - vanilla with swirls of caramel and mini-chocolate covered cups of caramel.

Sorry that the image isn't there in my post above. You get what you pay for when you use a cheap-ass (free) web site. Here's a link if you want to see it:eGullet chef's jacket

I was amazed at how the chef-to-be was given his chance to "be the Man" in the kitchen and yet was yelled at the entire time for not doing it the right way. Geesh, isn't anyone trained anymore? Then they showed him prepping more ducks for the rotisserie, which means he ain't at the grill cooking or plating. Couldn't someone else have done this so he could get back to more important matters? Are all restaurant kitchens run this way?

Actually the change has already taken place. My local Costco as well as local grocery stores sell them. I have no idea how their sales are doing since the campaign started, but it's started.

This is an aside, but as I was reading your course I thought it would have been really, really, really bitchin' cool if you would have been wearing an eGullet chef's jacket in your pictures. Too bad they don't exist, yet. My apologies for altering a copyrighted image without permission.

Apparently it didn't affect it by much, but she had to cook by candlelight. Guess she has a gas stove. Yes, she did just fine. Amazing, isn't it? From reading her blog, it sounds like one of her better days. Go figure.

It'll be interesting to see how last night's power outage effected her attempt.

Mmmm...meat flavored potato chips.

RN, what did you do with the rendered fat from the bacon? Mmmm...rendered bacon fat. Please tell me you saved it all and I will sleep peacefully this evening.

Yes, I agree. That's why I've been eating tomato salad for days on end. I know the season will be gone shortly and there'll be a long wait until next year's crop. I'll enjoy it while I can.

Heeheeheeheeheeheehee. I agree. It's like drinking a bottle of perfume. Girl, you are drinking the wrong kind of gin! Yes, there is the perfumey gin (Tanqueray) which is good with tonics. Then there's the King of Gins, Bombay Sapphire, which has no perfume whatsoever and makes the best martinis. Smoooooooooooooooth, it is! Call it a "Stealth" gin, it's so subtle. If you're ever in San Diego's Gaslamp district, go to the bar in Croce's and ask for a Sapphire martini with their garlic-marinated jumbo-sized olives. It's not just a martini, it's a meal! As for guajolote's shindig, Shellfish course: Shrimp Scampi but with lime instead of lemon and cilantro instead of parsley. Could also add diced hot chiles depending on whether the guests are chileheads or not. Perhaps adding a shot of tequila, too. Sliced baguette on the side to help sop up the buttery garlic-chile sauce.

Great course, Marsha! I just attended a "knife skills" class last weekend and this reinforced everything they mentioned in the class. While different knife grips were shown in the class, the grip you showed in your course is the one I went with...felt much more natural. I am still trying to get used to the "claw" you have to make with your other hand. As you suggested, perhaps practicing on a sack of potatoes will make it feel more natural (looks like mashed potatoes this weekend...anyone have a recipe for garlic-roasted mashed potatoes?). We weren't shown the wrist-fulcrum method of slicing, though. I am wondering if animated GIF's can be made of the two different methods for better illustration. GIF's can be low in file-size and are easier to post than video clips. Thanks again! Edited to add: The knife class instructor I had also mentioned that they do make knives specifically created for left-handed people. Perhaps Chad or another knife afficianado on the board will have more info...

They replaced every expletive she said with the word "cookie" and made me very hungry in the process.

I posted this in another thread, but my brother had a remodel job where the contractor completely forgot about him towards the end of the job. The completion date came and went and so the contract was broken by the contractor. My brother still owed a balance to the contractor, but because the contractor broke the contract, my brother ended up renegotiating with the contractor to finish what was not finished and then only paid the contractor half of the original balance due. The contractor wasn't very happy but he knew he blew it. You may not be able to get the time & effort back but a trip to Hawaii can help ease the pain. Or perhaps a complete set of Wustof knives can, or....you get the picture. I'd go see a lawyer.

I would think this would put you in the driver's seat. What kind of concessions is the contractor giving you since he blew the completion date?

Damn straight it was good. The company's name was Snyder of Berlin (not related to Snyder's of Hanover who makes all the pretzel snacks). Here is a review of their infamous Steak & Onion potato chips. They were incredible chips. They definitely had a steak-ish grilled flavor and were very salty, too, but tasty nonetheless. Unfortunately, they stopped stocking them in local grocery stores a while ago. A friend cursed my name everytime I saw him since I had gotten him addicted to the chips and then he couldn't find them anywhere. I finally found the company on the internet. They are now a subsidiary of Birds Eye Foods. The bad news is that they no longer seem to make the Steak & Onion chips. Here's their current web site I wonder if the mesquite flavor chips taste similar... Edited to add: Another brand I like is Trader Joe's Salt & Vinegar chips 2nd Edit: I found the Steak & Onion chips! Funny that they don't list them in their regular products. You have to go to the second link posted above and click on "Catalog" on the left side. It's the 4th item listed. Whoo-hoo! 3rd Edit: Turns out that Snyder's of Hanover DID make a Steak & Onion potato chip, too. However, it doesn't seem to be listed on their web site so perhaps they don't make them anymore. It is listed in their chip flavors but is NOT listed in their "store" items. The right hand is not talking to the left hand here.... This is more info about potato chips than I ever wanted to know!

I say go with what tastes good to you. I don't have easy access to pancetta so I use bacon. Mmmm...bacon. Also, the adding of the egg off the heat always scares me so I, wimp that I am, add it while the pan is still on the heat. I am sure there's enough residual heat to kill anything that may have hitched a ride with the egg, but better safe than sorry. It's interesting that Mario's recipe has no added liquid and the other two do. I learned to make it Mario's way...simple, quick and delicious. It's a great way to use up leftover pasta. Let us know which recipe you went with.

I am curious about any sort of mop sauce used on the bbq you've consumed. I've heard that vinegar-based sauces, as opposed to tomato-based sauces, are used more in the bbq of the southern US. Have you experienced this yet? Also, what kind of table condiments are the norm in southern bbq joints? Anything out of the ordinary? edited to add a "the"

The horror, the horror...

Do a Google.com search looking for "pepper mill peugeot" and you'll find lots of places selling them online. The prices don't seem to differ too much from site to site. You could also do a search just for "pepper mill" and you'll find oodles of choices. I also have the Oxo "ball" but I found I like too much pepper too much and was getting carpal tunnel using the handgrips. My brother gave me a Mr. Dudley battery-operated grinder as a Christmas present that, surprisingly, actually works rather well. If you get the chance, look for the Unicorn brand Magnum pepper mills. They "ain't as pretty as a Peugeot" but others have posted that their output is very good and the grind is easily changed.

I care, too! I am curious as to a) where you have it fermenting (indoors, outdoors, locked in a shed somewhere?) and b) can you smell it a mile away? I'd love to see new pics to see how much green is left in the leaves. Thanks for keeping us updated!

I have enjoyed Peohe's everytime I've been there. Ironically, I usually dine there with people who refuse to eat seafood and fortunately, their red meat entrees are just as satisfying. Their booths do have a crazy cyan Mod-'60's kind of pattern to the cushions but I ignore that and choose to focus on the great bay view. Have you been able to dine out on the deck? And regarding tables by bathrooms, there was an awesome microbrewery here in the town where I currently live that had the best food and the best beer. Unfortunately, the first thing you smelled when you entered the place were the bathrooms right near the front door. DOH! Talk about an appetite killer. It makes me wonder if the staff just became accustomed to the odor and didn't realize how bad it was. Sadly, they are no longer in business. I hated to see their red ale go...

Where does one get non-hydrogenated lard? Besides rendering your own... I've never bought it but I've seen lard (called "manteca") in my local grocery store but I assumed it had to be hydrogenated like Crisco, et al. Guess I should pick up a package and read the label instead of whizzing by.... Not to hijack the thread but should I assume that margarine/oleo is the worst offender of the three choices...butter vs lard vs oleo?