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Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved

Posted by Adam Kuban, August 28, 2009 at 2:45 PM

There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week.

Compiling Recipes for a Family Cookbook—Advice?

Tips for moving the recipes from a box and into a book, this way» [©iStockphoto/paigemcfadden]

"Add a shopping list for each recipe. It's helpful for folks who don't cook much, because not cooking also means not spending a whole lot of time in the grocery store. If you're going to include a recipe that has been passed around lots, check with other members of the family who have to see if they have made it their own by changing things a bit—including multiple versions of the same recipe can be useful...." —Scoggdog

Crazy Combinations

"Dark chocolate bar with pepperoni, salami, and ham, topped off with fresh mozzarella- all on Italian roll" —vivosergirl

Mooncakes

"Mooncakes are an acquired taste. I personally love them, but I'm Chinese and grew up in a traditional home. My husband is American and hates them. I'd go with the lotus seed or red bean ones. I am not a fan of the salted egg yolk or nut ones. I usually buy the little ones for more variety, and the 'trendy' ones in pineapple, green tea, etc., are really good. The giant ones (I'm assuming that's what the $35 one is) are often used for engagement announcements and stuff." —fanghsing

Suck the Head!

"Wow, I wasn't sure where this one was going." —tusti

The Power's Out for Days at a Time. Survival Prep

"It was gin for us after Charley and the other 4 that year. We solved some of the problem by installing a whole house generator that comes on 30 seconds after the power goes off. However, i have been hurricane ready all my adult life as we lived in Houston and then south Florida and i always have several cases of water, nutrition bars, chunky soups, chili and stew, canned fruit all for use after you and the neighbors have eaten every thing from the freezers and fridges. If the power still isnt on, you can flee to family up North or a hotel ( if you can find one that isnt full of electric company workers). Charley was a moveable feast as we ate our way through the neighborhood. It was a good time for a while." —ocarol

Restaurant/Celebrity Chef Cookbooks: Giving Away Secrets?

"I can't imagine why they wouldn't be honest about giving away their secrets. You are eating their creations in their restaurants, they are giving you part of themselves, so why wouldn't they reach out to people who can't eat in their restaurants or would like to re-create their food?

"I am in the club that can't stand people who don't share recipes, or who feel the need to keep "secret" ingredients, isn't food for sharing?

"For myself, being progressively ill, and having to be taken care of most of the time by my parents, nothing makes me feel better than being able to prepare awesome meals for them as the only way I can really thank them for what they do for me.

"I have read of many chefs enjoying watching patrons take bites of food and see their reactions savoring something they have produced and say it makes all their hard work worthwhile." —bobcatsteph3

Pressure Cooker Phobia?

"...My Indian friend got me a pressure cooker a few months ago. In various other parts of the world they are considered an essential, and he said his mom uses it to make rice, lentils, and lots of other things. I find that if you include the time to bring the thing up to pressure and cool it down again (about 25 minutes total), it only makes sense for things that take longer than an hour to cook...." —WhatsCookin

[And some really useful and informative links from DaveFaris. —AK]

What is Your Kellog's Cornflake Fantasy?

Not the exact commercial that sparked this thread, but an equally trippy Kellogg's fantasy nonetheless. I had forgotten that the rooster was named Cornelius. —AK

"I think the chicken would be unhappy with my fantasy, since it would involve crushed cornflakes and deep-fried chicken." —dbcurrie

What Do You Eat for All-Nighters?

"Little known fact after midnight calories don't count, at 6 a.m. they come back again. So I usually eat the worst things during that window." —CATERPILLARGIRL

Overrated Hot Dog Joints, Part 3

"I have a couple of hot dog criteria....

• 5: Whatever toppings you choose you should still be able to see the hot dog in the bun.
• 6: When drunk throw all those rules out the window and get as many hot dogs and toppings as you can for $5." —joeqboo

What's in Your Kid's Lunch Bag?

"...When he does pack a lunch, he loves to generate looks from those around him by packing a steaming 'hot dog' in a bun. I say hot dog in quotation marks because that can range anywhere from a Bests Kosher dog to a carrot dog.... What he does is warms a tall thermos by filling it with boiling water and capping it while he heats his hot dog. When the hot dog is ready, he puts it into a bun and wraps it in foil. Then he opens the thermos, pours out the water, and slides the hot dog inside, resealing the thermos tightly. The older glass-lined style thermoses work best for this. He's been bringing this lunch since elementary school, and always gets stares when he unwraps the steaming hot dog." —Gator Pam

[I would actually love to see a video of this technique. —AK]

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