Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I've narrowed my choices down to Joy of cooking (newest edition), artisan bread in 5 minutes a day, and Larousse Gastronomique. Before you say anything let me just say that I read Gastronomique like a novel...where else would I find out what they served for King Henry VIII banquets? Seriously it does give a lot of good basic information that I have referenced many times. Looking at getting the new edition myself.

Home pickled jalapenos, stuffed with tuna fish. Jalapenos are cut in half and de-seeded before pickling with fresh oregano. Tuna fish mixture is canned tuna (your choice on brand and whether albacore or not), mayonaise and vinegar. Smash the tuna fish with a fork, only a fork, until it is very well smashed. Mix in mayo, tuna and a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper and salt if nedded. Gently spoon tuna mixture into jalapeno halves, then place on tray. Fan the jalapenos around the plate, garnish with hot pickled carrots. Serve with shots of a good tequila.

I've been a big Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's shopper for years. Plus we eat mostly homemade and not as much processed as some people do. So our habits haven't changed much. I too try to incorporate a few nights a week of no meat, no chicken, no fish meals. Where I am changing my habits is researching ways I can go more on my patio.

We live in a condo and do have a yard, but are not allowed to plant a garden. So I have had some herbs growing in the mulched areas for 4 years now. Last year we did containers for tomatoes and some chilis. This year I am planning more. I bake more bread now also.

For years I've made my own beer and wine., but we did recently stock up on a few whiskeys and gin as we fully expect the luxury tax to go up on those items.

I love the way the story mentioned his cookware. Now that's product identification! Great job Emeril

The question should be what do you like? I have had pasta that had been previously frozen and loved it. If it were ME, yes I would freeze the whole thing and have instant lunches!

Just be cognizant of the way you are freezing it and the time in the freezer. I use a vacuum sealer. One trick I learned is to freeze the item partially first and then vacuum seal it. That way you don't end up with sauce spurting out during the vacuuming process.

I wish I was going to be in NYC for these. All of them sound good an interesting. But I sit here in York PA, home of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Sigh. Oh well...at least coming up we have a great Brewmaster workshop. The York Historical Society is conducting 3 classes, 1 ea month of Feb, March and April. The classes are 2-3 hrs long, you learn to make beer, the history of said pleasurable libation, and get a chance to meet other home brewers...an adventurous lot! I've been making my own for several years now, and will be there!

Slow cooked roast beef with onions and mushrooms. Ladle some of the gravy on home made lumpy mashed potatoes, with a slice of homemade challah bread on the side. Heaven!

I was still new to baking bread. While watching Madeleine on PBS one Saturday morning I was inspired by the way she mixed the dough by hand right on the counter by mounding the flour into a pile and then making a well for the wet ingredients. Brilliant I thought! So I pulled a recipe out and mounded up my flour and the rest of my ingredients. Poured in the water and watched it run in rivulets through the flour and onto the floor! I hadn't thought about all the nuts and raisins I put in with the flour and how they would make little holes through which the water could run out! After I quit laughing at my lack of knowledge of building piles of flour, I spent 15 minutes cleaning up the mess and finally just dumped that batch!

All are good comments but let me add a few I use...I can, dehydrate, and make from scratch. I even have a soda club soda maker that after the initial cost of $70 makes excellent and personalized carbonated sodas and fruit juices. I make my own beer and wine, and again, inital cost is expensive for the wine kits, but the finished wine product is $20 a bottle. In some cases such as the chocolate raspberry PORT I just bottled, my homemade commerical equivalent isn't even available unless I go to a winery and pay $40 a bottle for it.

Go to this website for great ideas on homemade rootbeer, yogurt and all kinds of cheeses and yogurt...http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/cheese.html. I've been on his site many many times.
I also find people with the same likes and we split bulk items. I trade my beer and wine for other items (you can NOT sell homemade beer or wine, but can trade it), including massages. While cruising in Mexico I traded homemade zuchhini bread for coconuts from a person's yard, teeshirts were traded for fresh fish, etc.

My favorite chocolate stout is my homemade. I started making beer a few years ago. After tasting the chocolate stout of one of my fellow Central PA brewclub members, I begged for his recipe for three months...finally got it. It's a challenging recipe...mainly because it gets better and better with age...and while it tastes delicious after just 2 months, it tastes fabulous after a year. I've compared it to many of the micro-brewery chocolate stouts up and down the east coast and I still like mine better. BTW I am the only woman brewer in our club. Most of the homebrewers I meet anywhere are men. My husband does the taste quality control and helps me bottle it. I have also used it in chocolate cherry bread...now there's a wonderful bread!

On an economic note...the government is getting ready to raise the "luxury tax" on beer and wine...get in line at your local brew supply store to offset that cost.

My homemade chocolate raspberry port poured over homemade real vanilla icecream elegantly served in a red wine glass. What could be better?

I agree with many of the comments here...but especially love @honeybumper's comments and yes, I would also add Morimoto...yes, he's a bit hard to understand sometime...but let him cook and I'll watch and learn more!

I would love to see shows on how to make sausages, (sausage guy in Albequerque sounds like a good one to watch!), and how to make beer at home. Alton did one show on it but as a home brewer there is so much more to learn! Also the wine and cheese show idea is great! Lets get some depth to these shows.

At first I enjoyed watching NFNS but it's all about personality now instead of the techniques and teaching. I want substance!

Grab a lunch to go and sit out watching the harbor. Now that's a brunch I can do!