Now that you're updating and fine-tuning the site...

Just a suggestion... It would be awesome if I could access via my profile page the messages where people address me specifically.

Say, when I comment on a topic if someone addresses a message to me by writing @karmafreecooking... that I would have a centralized place to find those and be able to address people's comments/questions. it's hard to keep track of the topics I've commented on and to a conversation going if I do not know the conversation is happening in the first place.

do any of you readers agree this would help???

Truffle Oil - Yeah or Neah????

I am borrowing a trusted format here to understand your feeling about truffle oil.

I have heard and read every gamut of opinions - from it being the most luscious and delectable thing ever created... to Scott Conan saying truffle oil has no business in any fine dining establishment because they're not made from real truffles.

All I know... the last few times I have eaten anything truffle, i tend to get acid attacks!!! So now, when people push on me truffle oil when in a restuarant, I am not impressed.

Is it that my tastebuds are not very refined?? Am i just not ready for such a delicacy?? Or are you on Scott Conant's side and think truffle oil is something that's does not belong on our food?

YEAH or NEAH???

FYI to Serious Eats on Latin Cooking...

Lately I have been reading LOTS of reviews on tacos and Mexican cooking on the site. Just as an FYI... there's more to Latin cooking than just tacos. Just saying...

I know Mexicans account for approximately 70% of the Latin/Hispanic community in the US, but there is more to Latin America and its flavors than just tortillas in all their iterations.

Do you, fellow readers, agree???

Need some awesome Vegetarian Poutine STAT!!!!

In a serendipitous turn of events, I will be visiting Quebec City and Montreal very soon... and given this sudden switch in travel plans, I am realizing I do not have time to do my Canadian food research as I would normally do.

I know I want to try a great vegetarian poutine... what other Canadian VEGETARIAN delicacies should I also try during my upcoming trip???

My travel companions are not vegetarian, but any recommendations should have plenty vegeterian options for me. I get hungry when I travel. :)

Thanks...

Food Waste... who's really to blame???

I saw yesterday this FoodNetwork Special called The Big Waste. It was impactful to see all the waste that goes on in the food industry in the US. All the flour wasted from bakeries, the animals people don't want and the produce that is "not as perfect"people are not purchasing. It enraged me to see how much supermarkets throw out everyday because people are "not interested to buy" certain products if they have a small blemish.

At first I was upset at people for being so wasteful in farms and discarding perfectly good food. But then I thought... who's really creating the waste?? Is it the regular consumer who discard it or is it the butcher and the farmer who are not looking for ways to market us these "rejects", which according to them are perfectly fine??? Sure it takes a little bit more effort and time, but why discard good tomatoes into the compost heep instead of putting them all together and selling them cheaper to those who are willing to buy them?

Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Anne Burrel and Alex Guarnaschelli did a meal made out of foods supposed to be waste the next day. But was this waste because people were wasting it... or was it waste because the businesses did not want to use it anymore??

Did u see the special??? Who's more at fault here - the consumer, the purveyors or both?? Any thoughts???

Pizza and FlatBread... what's the difference??

A poll in SLICE today brought to the forefront a question I have had for a long time... What's the real difference between a Pizza and a FlatBread??

Most flatbread recipes I see around start with pizza dough... Most flatbreads I see do not include cheese necesarily, but then again there are cheese-less pizzas too... So is there really a difference??

What makes a pizza a pizza and a flatbread a flatbread?? Is this just semantics?? Or a way to bring more haute-ness and charge more for something we all know and love???

I tried to look for an answer among Kenji's 200+ question/answer article, but I couldn't find anything there. Share in your POV on this... Gracias.

Can I Freeze an Avocado???

We're in avocado season and we have all these avocados ripening all at the same time. I am eating avocados in every meal possible... but there's so much guacamole I can eat in one day.

Have you had any experience FREEZING avocados?? Does it work?? Should I mash them before freezing? Should I freeze the whole fruit? Is this a bad idea???

Please help me and my aunt who are drowning in avocados... and would like to save some for later use if possible.

My new skillets: Did I make the right decision??

I went into Macy's today with the mission to buy a new skillet. The musts: 10"+ wide, non-stick surface, oven-safe handle... all my pots/pans are stainless-steel so a SS finish and a lid would also be a nice bonus.

The options there:
All-Clad 2 skillet set (7 1/2" and 9") - $119 - 20% off
Cuisinart 2 skillet set (8" and 11") - $59.99 on sale - 20% off
Emeril's 2 skillet set (8" and 10") - $39.99 on sale - 20% off

I decided for Emeril's set. They did not have the stainless-steel exterior as the other ones, but are made by All-Clad (logo is on the box). Total price I paid with tax - $34 and change.

Did I make the right decision?? I went for the cheapest one made by All-Clad, but now I am second-guessing myself if I should have spent more and gone for the real thing.

What's your experience with Emeril's cookware?? It is really as good as the real All-Clad stuff?? Help me ease my anxiety...

Poaching in Olive Oil... could you reuse the oil?

I just finished watching an episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell where she poached salmon filets in an infused olive oil. She mentioned it's an investment because of the amount of oil used in the process.

My question to you guys... have you ever poached anything in olive oil? Is it worth it?? Do you save or reuse the oil for another purpose? Any vegetarian ideas to poach in olive oil??

Looking forward to your input... Gracias.

Poblano Peppers... are they spicier if they're riper?

I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food. But I learned to eat poblano peppers during my last trip to Guadalajara. Every time I ate them in different preparations, the spice level was tolerable to my wimpy pallate.

So, today I decided to make poblano rajas to eat as tacos. One of the poblanos was starting to look ripe, but I did not make too much of it. I roasted them, peeled them, made sure I took out all the veins and seeds.

The recipe I found called for 6 peppers, I only used 4. Still, my rajas are a lot spicier than I remember they were when I had them in Mexico. They're manageable, but much more spicy than expected...

Could the poblano that started to ripen been the culprit??? Could I have bought another type of pepper (a spicier one) thinking it was a poblano?? Please help me understand...

Batali going MEATLESS on MONDAYS... Really???

I read through an email I receive from the Meatless Mondays campaign people that Mario Batali now joins the Meatless Mondays movement by offering at least 2 vegetarian options in all his 14 restaurants across the US every Monday.

http://vegetarianstar.com/2010/05/04/mario-batali-supports-meatless-mondays-in-his-restaurants/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-elam/mario-batali-meatless-mon_b_557589.html

Initially sounds like a great idea and initiative... no? Hey, big chef Mario Batali is making this big statement. However, when you think about it in detail... is it really???

Committing to have at least 2 options in a menu, which on average has between 60 and 70 items to choose from, represents a mere 3% out of the total menu options. Not a big change or statement in my opinion.

To me, ANY successful restaurant catering to a wide audience should AT LEAST have 2-3 vegetarian/meatless options EVERY DAY!!! Not just on Mondays... I know I like to eat out any day of the week. I am sure all other vegetarians also feel this way...

Now, if Mario would have said ALL 14 restaurants will ONLY OFFER vegetarian/meatless dishes all-day Monday, every Monday, now that's an initiative truly embracing the Meatless Monday's concept. Eradicating meat dishes from all restaurants on Mondays would demonstrate his true commitment and would make a real statement and impact on the environment and on public opinion. But just 2 dishes on each menu????? Give me a break...

I know us vegetarians here at SE are in a minority, but what's your take on this piece of news??? Is this a good initiative or a wimpy effort?

What to do with Fennel Fronds???

I just recently started participating in a CSA and among the things included in last week's basket was a fennel bulb. I have eaten fennel and seen fennel at the store, but never actually brought one home to cook with it.

I searched some recipes and I know what to do with the bulb, but throwing away all those stalks and fronds seems so wasteful...

What should I do with them? Do you use them as you use dill? Or should I just throw them away??? Please advise...

Fine Dining Vegetarian in Chicago???

I am calling out to all you Serious Eats vegetarians and vegetarian food lovers out there...

I will be attending my MBA class reunion in the Chicago/Evanston area in a few weeks and I was wondering if you would recommend of any great Vegetarian Restaurants in the downtown/ on the way to Evanston area.

I can go to zagat.com and get several names, but I am interested in your opinions and recommendations too. I trust your good taste and service standards.

Kitchen Appliances Improvements and Suggestions

I am convinced that whomever designs small kitchen appliances has never had to clean or wash them before...

Why does a food processor needs so many nooks and crevices where food gets stuck and it's so hard to clean thoroughly?? Why does a stick blender doesn't have a detachable bottom part I can wash without having to worry about getting the top end wet, where the power cable is??

What improvements would you suggest to the makers of everyday kitchen appliances out there?

Recipe transformations - share your story!

In my 5 de Mayo spirit, I attempted to make a homemade Mexican salsa to snack with fresh corn tortilla chips. I chopped the tomatoes, the onions, the peppers and added most of the ingredients the recipe called for (at leats the ones I like and keep at hand). I was confident this was going to be one of the best salsas I had ever had. Unfortunately, to me it tasted more like a sofrito or gazpacho than a salsa.

Believing that nothing in the kitchen should go to waste, my futile attempt at a salsa turned into the perfect base for some Stewed Sweet Peas. The lime juice in the salsa really gave it a nice kick that otherwise I would have never thought of adding. This "unfortunate" salsa actually was key to these new delicious sweet pea recipe.

Have you ever had a kitchen blunder, a recipe that did not turn out as expected, but that in combination with something else, actually made it even better???

Want to bring TUNO back!!! Help me on the how...

After posting a few recipes in my blog, KarmaFree Cooking using TUNO, I just learned that Worthington, a company now owned by Kellogg's has discontinued the product. WHY???? For vegetarians, this is the best readily available tuna-like product "formerly available".

I would like to write the company a letter with a petition to bring the product back... because everytime I mention this to people, they are surprised and very dissapointed.

What's the best way to collect electronic signatures/names of people who support this "cause" too?? Should I do it in this forum - A Serious Eats Talk thread?? or do you know of any other way to do it??

I remember seeing right here in Serious Eats some sort of electronic petition to keep a NYC sandwich place open... I even signed the thing, but now I can't remember where or how to do it.

Any ideas or suggestions??

Whole-Wheat Phyllo Dough - Where can I find it??

I have been meaning to make several recipes using phyllo dough, but I would really prefer using a whole-wheat or any whole-grain version. I've seen recipes on the Internet that call for whole-wheat phyllo, but when I search, I can't find any brands. Do you know any brands of whole wheat phyllo and if I can purchase them over the Internet?? Please help.

Is there a Rice Cooker without an Aluminum Insert?

I have a confession to make... I can't make rice without a rice cooker. I have tried many times, but it just won't come out right. For years, I have been cooking mostly on stainless steel and avoiding the use of aluminum cookware. However, my trusted rice cooker is the only appliance/cookware I still own that has aluminum . I feel like I am cooking wrong everytime I use it.
Do you know if there are any rice cookers without an aluminum insert? When I search on the internet they do not specify. Please help.

Give a Latin twist to your cranberry sauce... Guava Piña is the way to go!!!... More

These are great alone as a snack or to top a salad. The fact they taste like "chicharrón" is an added plus for vegetarians...... More

Vibe colors, coconut cream, coconut flesh, rice flour, palm sugar and eggs... these are just a few of the components of Thai deserts. I really had the time of my life eating so many delicious sweets while in Thailand. They... More

It's time for the Weekend Cook and Tell Round Up! Last week we asked you to make something using the contents of your fridge, freezer, and pantry, no shopping allowed. It was wonderful to hear what everyone had sitting around in their kitchens, everything from Oreos to elk. Here are some of our favorite clean out the pantry recipes: My good friend hkrall made an incredible fridge fusion noodle bowl with pickled leeks, frozen dumplings, and a panko crusted poached egg. Check it out over at Drawing for Food. MadelynRodriguez made some great looking Spinach Puffed Empanadas using leftovers from previous meals. The empanadas were accompanied by a salad made out of Madelyn's extraneous vegetables from her CSA box. I... More