Yes, we know we are doing this ahead of most of the rest of the world, but tomorrow was the preferred day for those who could commit. I prefer to think of it as the gala kickoff to a festive week!

The info:

Date and Time: Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:00 noon

Place: Milagro Modern Mexican, 20 Allen Avenue #130, Webster Groves, MO 63119

Who: All Serious Eaters who live, work, or happen to be hanging out in or near "the Lou" and their spouses, significant others, children, acquaintances, or other random people who like talking about food and eating tasty stuff!

Probability of churros = 100%

See you there!

DH cooked over the weekend and now is complaining that his back hurts. He already has kitchen clogs, but when he is in the kitchen for hours at a time (like over the holidays), they just do not get the job done. He claims that the kitchen rugs that recently bit the dust only partially mitigated the problem and now wants to buy the fancy Gelpro mats for the kitchen.

Now, those mats are spendy, to say the least. Before we go dropping a couple bills on them (because we need one large rectangle for the stove/island intersection and one runner for the sink/dishwasher/second workstation area in our kitchen), can anyone who has had experience with these give reviews?

Are they worth it? Do they stand up to hard use? Are they ugly? Will I ruin the mats walking across them in heels? It really would help to know these things about any of the available brands/products and alternatives.

Thanks in advance!

This was one of my favorite features on AHT but there have not been any recent additions to it. What's the deal? Won't someone step in and ask, say, Warren Buffet or Meryl Streep about their burger preferences? Enquiring minds want to know.

DH and I are heading to Vegas next week for the (more or less semi-annual) trip. We are planning on a total of seven to ten meals (lunches, dinners, breakfast/brunch, late night, snacks). We will of course be hitting our faves (Lotus of Siam, Raku late night, L'Atelier for a tasting menu, some Bouchon Bakery pastries), but want to mix it up a bit. We were thinking about dining at some or all of the following:

D.O.C.G.
Sage
Hot and Juicy Crawfish
Mozen (for their sunday brunch)

Any thoughts from those of you out in Vegas or who have been recently? Note that we have been to most of the established spots in Vegas over the years and are looking for different and tasty options.

Thanks in advance for your help!

The scapes arrived at my local farmer's market this weekend. We picked up three bunches that had a dozen scapes to a bunch. The plan is to use one bunch for garlic scape pesto and two bunches for pickling tomorrow afternoon.

This will be my first time pickling scapes. I have seen a number of recipes on-line, but I have some questions.

1. Some recipes say to use only the straight part of the scape, but some recipes say you can use the whole scape. Any opinions? Experiences?

2. A number of the hot process recipes I have found call for 45 minutes of processing, which seems like an awfully long time. (They all seem to come from one source.) I just pickled asparagus two weeks ago and those processed for only ten minutes; the pickled scape recipes in the books I have around the house (Canning for a New Generation and Put 'Em Up) call for 15 minutes of processing. Can I safely change the recipe to process for 15 minutes?

3. Some foods do better as refrigerator pickles and some do better in a hot water bath. What are your views on refrigerator pickling of the scapes versus hot water processing?

4. One of the recipes that appeals calls for fresh basil leaves in each jar. I have used an assortment of fresh peppers and dried herbs in pickling, but never fresh basil. Will it turn an unappetizing color?

As always, thanks in advance for your help on this!!

After a long winter, it finally is strawberry season! Tomorrow DH and I will be going to buy a flat or two of early berries to turn into sorbet, frozen berry bits of goodness (whole frozen berries) and strawberry freezer jam.

Last year I made freezer jam using the recipe on the back of the Sure-Jell freezer pectin bag (amped up with a little creme de mur). It turned out great! However, I would appreciate any other recipes, ideas, or tips.

I do have one specific question. We make a lot of jam and I would like to have some variety. I have some great vanilla balsamic from Oakville Grocery and cannot help thinking it really would be a great addition. Can I successfully add balsamic vinegar to the fruit mixture without impacting the jelling?

As always, many thanks to the SE community for your insight on this!

DH and I are on a two day whirlwind road trip down through Nashville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and into Florida down to Broward county. (Long story, don't ask.) However, we figure we are entitled to at least eat a couple good meals on the way.

We are taking Highway 24 through Nashville and Chattanooga, then 75 through Altanta down to the Florida Pike south until we hit Broward.

Any eating suggestions relatively close to the highway? Informal and not a lengthy meal (but tasty) would be best.

Note that we will hit Nashville in about three hours, so speed counts. Thanks in advance!!

Last summer, DH and I made our first foray into refridgerator pickling. We made pickled spicy okra with a great recipe from Lisa at Homesick Texan and did great pickled jalapenos from David Lebovitz. The results were delicious and a big hit as host/ess gifts at barbecues. We even had a "pickle plate" as part of our Thanksgiving meal!

Pickling season has rolled around again and this year we want to try cucumber pickles. I adore bread and butter pickles and plan to give the Alton Brown recipe a try.

However, DH is accusing me of "pickle discrimination" because he likes his pickles spicy. Can anyone recommend a refrigerator pickle recipe that will yield crispy and spicy cucmber pickles that will keep the "pickle peace" in our home?

Thanks in advance!

DH and I are going on the annual Memorial Day eating tour of Chicago this weekend. Just to change things up, we are going to go bright and early on Sunday morning to the Maxwell Street Market to view and partake.

Any suggestions on vendors and/or delicacies not to be missed? Tips on vendor location and parking also would be appreciated!

So DH and I are flying to NYC for our anniversary in February. We have not flown to the City since December 2001. Back then, it was not a problem to have Zabar's pack us a cooler bag to travel with caviar, whitefish salad, chubs, etc. and a Cool-Pak and to carry it on with us. However, we now live in the "no liquid or gel" age and I expect that TSA has a narrow view about what chilling apparatus can be brought on board.

DH and I hope to acquire some of our favorite delicacies, including bialys, knishes, a assortment of products from Murray's Cheeses, and the aforementioned whitefish salad to carry home. Checking perishables is not my favorite option because it risks both lost luggage and spillage.

Has anyone had any experiences bringing what I would call "semi-solid" food like whitefish salad and softer cheeses on a flight? Can you get them through security? And how did you keep them cold? Will TSA allow a Cool-Pak or similar to be carried on?

Thanks in advance!

I am spending Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with DH and our friends . . . let's call them Mr. and Mrs. Reservation. Mr. Reservation travels and entertains a lot for his job and appears to have eaten at pretty much everywhere worth eating. He always knows about the hottest new places almost before they open (we ate at Alinea within six weeks of its opening and L2O within a month of its opening) and is the king of scoring the tough reservation.

As you might expect, dining with Mr. and Mrs. Reservation involves very serious eating, both of the fine and roadfood varieties. We already have reservations at Schwa, Takashi and Perennial for dinners. I expect that we will be bringing wine to Perennial and far too much wine to Schwa. (Travelling with Mr. and Mrs. Rez often involves bringing a lot of ibuprofen and having cab fare.) We will, of course, hit Hot Doug's for dogs and duck fat fries. I am adamant that we get to Double Li for what someone on this site accurately dubbed "chicken crack".

That leaves us with two lunches/brunches left to fill. I would love to get Mr. Rez to a place he has not heard of or that is really new for midday meals that are particularly tasty. One key element is a menu that will allow us to taste a wide variety of items, but will not kill us with portion size (as I anticipate that there will be far too much food and wine at dinner each night).

Serious Eaters, our lunches are in your hands. What do you suggest?

Let me say up front that I am a big fan of Peeps regardless of the time of year or theme. Yes, I know they are a bit tacky, but to me it is not spring without consuming a few packages.

However, last year I found the most delicious Peeps ever . . . COCOA PEEPS BUNNIES! Yes, all that marshmallowy, sugary, Peepy goodness, but in a lovely warm cocoa brown shade and with a tasty light cocoa chocolatey and sugar outside coating.

I could not get enough of them and consumed several packages last spring. I have been eagerly looking forward to their seasonal return.

The problem is that I cannot locate these anticipated delicacies anywhere. I purchased them at Target last year and none are to be found there. (There is not even a space where they used to be as evidence of their continued existence.) Nor can they be located at Walmart, Walgreens, my local grocery stores (I have looked in about half a dozen of them so far) or any of an assortment of area vendors with large holiday candy displays.

I am discouraged by the thought of spring without the cocoa bunny Peeps. Has anyone seen them anywhere? Does anyone have advice on obtaining them?

And finally, I have seen "orange cream" Peeps eggs in the stores this season. I tried the Peeps peppermint stars last winter around Christmas and found them inedible. Has anyone test-driven the new flavor? Is it worth trying or will I be happier sticking to the classic chick Peeps this season?

My inlaws will hit ground around mid-afternoon the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and then will proceed to be "in the house" (both literally and figuratively) as we put together the holiday meal.

We do not like to go out to supper the night before Thanksgiving because we have too much work to do on the festive meal. I also would like to avoid cooking something different entirely when I am struggling to keep enough measuring implements, bowls and pans clean for cooking as DH and I use them.

I would love to find something that could be cooked and assembled the weekend before Thanksgiving and then frozen and either reheated or baked on Wednesday afternoon. Quick and easy would be a bonus. I am not averse to throwing a side salad together to accompany, but do not want to do much more actual cooking than that so DH and I can concentrate on the preparations for the festivities.

Any suggestions? Recipes?