Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Polenta with mushroom ragu is the perfect comfort food to me.

I love that I live in a universe where Roger Klingsporn is the spokesman for Beaver mustard. That is all.

I tried to make a currant pie for my then-b/f's mother (I don't recall why, maybe because she was from Belfast and I'd read it was an Irish dish or something, who knows). I ended up with some sort of purple-y soup in a pie crust.

My younger brother (he was probably 15) kicked me out of the kitchen and when I returned the pie was PERFECT. To this day, I have no idea how he saved it but I suspect it was related to the tapioca he was addicted to at the time.

When I was a kid, I adored a peanut butter that my grandmother used to buy - it was peanut butter with bacon bits in it. I'd say that unless the bacon boat has completely left the dock, it might be time for a comeback.

Wisconsin: cheese (of course), beer (of course), veal, sausages of every make and model from chorizo to bratwurst to salumi.

Goat cheese on rosemary carta da musica

I made a currant pie for my high school boyfriend. It wound up some sort of bluey-red soup in a pie shell. My younger brother shooed me out of the kitchen and about 45 minutes later called me back in to a gorgeous currant pie. I have no idea what I did wrong, or what he did right, but I'll never forget my awe.

I didn't like Reed's - it seemed to have a grapefruity taste I wasn't looking for. I do love Blenheim's, and Cock and Bull (is that still made? It was a must-have for Moscow Mules).

La Merenda in Milwaukee - I knew we were onto something when my husband ordered the lollipop lamb chops...a second time.

Kavanaugh Hill Spice Works, which is Ruth and Bill Penzey's original spice shop. Or I go to Penzey's or The Spice House, both of which were started by Ruth and Bill's kids. My husband used to work at Kavanaugh Hill when he was in high school and we love to take out-of-town guests to see the tiny little shop where it all started - and to spend money, of course!

Wait - Katie died? I had no idea. I feel sick to my stomach - I knew her and her family quite well but had clearly fallen out of touch over the years. Our families used to go camping all over the US together.

I'm sorry for Mr. Tucci's, and the world's, loss.

I think this issue was handled years ago. Warning, NSFW, strong language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFUDbOldMs

Thanks, Reservoir Dogs!

Even if this isn't your brand, http://virtualweberbullet.com/ is an excellent resource for the smoking newbie. I bought a smoker for my husband last summer, and he usually smokes once a week now. I heartily endorse their recommendation of maintaining a "smoking journal" so you can remember what did and didn't work. And remember, a smoked "failure" is still usually better than an unsmoked "success"!

I even kept the bones from our pork shoulder and smoked them separately, then threw them in the freezer in a ziploc bag. They're AWESOME added to soups!