I know there are Web sites for this kind of thing. But I just need to know what time it is, not how to build a clock. So I'm relying on you, my SE peeps.

The main Menu will be pretty casual, but all OVER the place. Grilled Ribeyes, steak tacos, someone is doing fresh trout, caught this morning I'm told.... For desert, some mixed berry pies, and two peach pies, one double crust, one with a "crumble" topping.

I'll be happily drinking Happy Blanche de Burque Belgian Wit from La Cumbre BC but would like to take a few bottles of GOOD wine for my fellow fiesta goers.

I know there is no definitive list. But of those of you in the know, what would YOU take?

Thanks for the suggestions.

Not a noob here. In the past I've always washed and cleaned my gwowlers after each use. But about six months ago while in the middle of a particularly nasty chemo cycle, after coming home from a dinner party with my wife, I was too tired to play and put my growlers in the garage where they've sat. Looks like they were all at least rinsed with water last time. Anyway, gonna need 'em Friday night and I'm looking for some tips on getting them clean and safe.
Thanks.

My wife makes an amazing sweet cornbread with raisins, but the raisins always wind up baked into the bottom.
A family member had suggested soaking them before mixing them in the batter, but this just resulted in soggy cornbread.
I can't give you any specifics on her recipe, cause I don't know any, other than she bakes it in a 14" cast iron skillet.
any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Ok, so I've been craving some good fried chicken, and I found a recipe that uses a kosher salt based dry rub, and it calls for the chicken to sit over night in the fridge, after being rubbed. I rubbed the chickenTuesday night and was supposed to fry it last night, but due to an exploding faucet in the kitchen sink, I wasn't able to. I still plan on frying it tonight, but I'm wondering if I should expect bad things. Or, might it even be better having spent the extra day being infused with tasty goodness? I'm kind of worried that two days in kosher salt might draw out too much moisture. Any thoughts?

Back Story, when my Grandparents came to the U.S. from old Mexico back in the day, they settled in Dodge City Kansas. At the time my Abuelita had limited access to masa harina for corn tortillas, though she did have plenty of red chile, ristras as well as powdered.
Anyway, she was able to make flour tortillas and that is what she would make her rolled enchiladas with. Living in New Mexico people scoff when I wax about 'em , but trust me, they are DELICIOUS.
I want to make a big old batch for my Pops tomorrow, they are his favorites. They require some baking on low heat after being dipped in a pot of red chile then filled with cheese and onions.
The problem I have is opening the oven to find a bunch of rolled tortillas floating in a pool of molten cheese on a cookie sheet. Not a bad thing, just not the intended purpose. Is there something I can do to the cheese to help it stay set, so it will melt and not run? If this helps, I use a blend of sharp/mild Tillamook, and bake for about 20 mins. at about 250 degrees.
Thanks,
T

I've got a friend who makes these amazing ground beef tacos. She seasons the beef, then rolls it out real thin between a couple sheets of plastic wrap, folds them into a corn tortilla then griddles them on a hot lightly oiled comal. The result is HEAVEN. Nice crispy tortilla on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside from the frying beef.
My problem, I can never get my seasoning quite right. Mine are usually under seasoned. Her solution is to pinch off pieces of the raw GB as she seasons it and tastes it until it's right.
Now, I've known her for 18(?) years and she has shown no ill effects from her tasting process. Me...I'm still not sold on tasting raw ground beef.
Anyone else out there do this? If so, please share.

I had never heard of them until I started coming here, and I'm totally ignorant as to how they work. Today I finally ran a Google search, and I am very interested. I came across a site, Local Harvest, that is offering up some great info.

While I still need to do a lot more research, I'm coming to you, Serious Eats peeps, for the short story.

I would like to know what kind of experiences you've had with providers, what I should expect, etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated

Ok, yesterday I took a jar of of peach / orange jam that is canned by a family member, out of my pantry. The outer ring on the jar was kind of loose and came off real easy. Now the flat cap that seals everything was tight, when I poked it with my finger there was no spring and when I pried it off it popped. Smells good, looks good and tastes great, but that loose outer ring concerns me. Any thoughts ? Thanks all.

First off let me say that this is NOT an attempt to flame a region or its cuisine. This is about me, or you, being underwhelmed by food that on paper you would think you would love.
As a teen I can remember staring at the TV, drooling and wide eyed watching Justin ("Oooh Wee, I wonder if that pig know he tastes so good?") Wilson and Paul Prudhome (sic) preparing all sorts of Cajun treats. Around that time the blackened everything technique took off, and I gotta say, as good as it looked, ech...
Growing up in SoCal, I was able to forgive the lackluster Cajun fare I was able to sample. I just figured you had to have it "in region" to really experience it. That said, in the mid 90's, my job took me to Louisiana, Slidell to be exact. I thought finally, REAL Cajun food.
Jambalaya, Gumbo, Etouff'ee,Boudin, Andouille, Red Beans and Rice, even Po' Boys, though not sure if those are Cajun. They all LOOK so dang good, but, for what ever reason; the flavor profile has just never worked for me.
Just curious what your culinary "let downs" area. Again, it's not the food or regions fault 
Oh yeah, my other is Thai, my wife's fave. Thai restaurants smell wonderful, but the food does nothing for me.

I write this as I sit at my desk desperately trying to hold onto my stomach. Let me start by saying that I can cook, and I love to cook, and I'm surrounded by great cooks who also love to cook. One of my favorite dishes is fried chicken, love it. My mom makes the best ever, my sister a close second, with my wife not far behind her. For whatever reason, I've never mastered the technique; it's just not something I do well, which leads me to this post. Is there something that you can't resist, that's WAY over processed, no where near artisanal or organic, or even close to made from scratch, that you know you shouldn't eat, but you do anyway, only to regret it like hell the next day? My FMD (Food of Mass Destruction) is Banquet Southern Style, skin on, of course, frozen chicken in a box. Served up with a side of Stovetop and a can or jar of generic gravy... I know, how I can claim to hold fried chicken in such high regard and then eat this. I am only but a man...
Anyway, do share,

Hello all, this is going to ramble a bit, but here goes. My wife makes a KILLER salsa fresca. Not an artisanal, heirloom tomato, organic veg affair. We're talking canned tomatoes, yellow hots from a jar, vinegar and assorted spices. The problem is that a batch yields about a gallon of salsa. All our friends and family dig it, so we're able to give allot of it away, but... Anyway, the wife wants to can it in 8oz jars. We were thinking a water bath method of canning would work, but it looks like we will need to invest in a pressure canner which is fine. My question to any canners out there, is it necessary to cook the product before canning? My wife doesn't cook or heat hers. The canning websites I looked at suggested heating to at least 180 degrees. We tried that last night with some and it didn't work, taste wise. Allot of the recipes I saw call for replacing the vinegar with lemon juice for acidity reasons to inhibit spoilage. We had tried that once before also just tinkering with the taste and it changed the flavor profile quite a bit, and not in a good way, for us anyway.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
BTW, we did try making smaller batches, but it just wasn't the same.

Hello,all. I'm in the desert Southwest and want to try a Chicago style stuff crust pizza. As I'm not going to Chi-town anytime soon, I though I'd try the mil order thing. I saw a video on Youtube of someone eating one and it sure did look good. Never having had one of these tasty looking treats, I'm gonna rely on my Serious Eats peeps for some guidance. So, if you've ever mail ordered one of these pizzas, I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas etc. Thanks in advance,
Tony
p.s. Not a word to the wife, she'd KILL me if she new I was dropping this kind of jack on a "frozen pizza"...