Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I recently had a fun experience in Boston - we took an MBTA water taxi (I think the fare was $1.70) from near the Aquarium to the Charlestown Navy Yard and had dinner at the Navy Yard Bistro. The Navy Yard Bistro has a nice mix of affordable and upscale menu items and an excellent wine program. (Their liquor license is just beer & wine, only a problem if you had your heart set on hard liquor.)
The water taxi ride was a great way to see the waterfront.

A woman I know who makes excellent hummus said she cooks the chick peas in a crock pot and then rubs them between her palms to remove the skins. She also grinds & toasts her own spices and makes pita chips.
I have to admit, I have not tried her methods (labor intensive!) but you can be sure when I see her handiwork at a party I'm first in line!

I finally got my son the picky eater to try something more than cheese pizza by topping the usual tomato sauce with bacon, corn & cheddar.
(frozen corn straight from the freezer worked great)

The hollow stalks make good Bloody Mary straws.

Ina Garten's brownie recipe is also very good - really rich & chocolatey!

Julie & Julia was good - the "Julia" parts are great.

Foodie Fail Gifts:
"olive oil set" (cruset, dishes, rack) - no need and no place to store it.
Case of wine - mostly screw tops, nothing over $12/bottle.

I've only seen brined or packed in salt. Olive oil sounds interesting, what are you using them for?

3x food cost

3 times food cost.

Please see a doctor, peanut allergy is very serious!

I only use chuck for pot roast, comes out great every time.

It is my son's birthday, so we had his favorite meal: bacon-wrapped filet mignon, green beans and mashed potatoes. I also added mushrooms sauteed with vermouth and roasted asparagus for the adults.