Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Hey Kenji,

I have to say I've actually been looking forward to reading your posts about this little food adventure you're going on. This particular article came at a very interesting time because I just went out to dinner last night with a couple of friends at one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago (Big Jones), and they were doing a special multi-course vegetarian dinner. I'm an omnivore, but I get excited about dinners like this because it's a restaurant I know is going to do an excellent job and really make something delicious, different, and interesting. And of course, they totally did. I was really disappointed that the only other people I could get to join me were vegetarians. I feel like if I had said, hey, let's go to my favorite restaurant and try this awesome sounding menu, and just left the word vegetarian out, more people would have been interested in going.

Even my mom, who really likes vegetables, was skeptical about going to Greens, a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. She of course ended up loving it. I guess I don't get why there is such a negative stigma associated with having a vegetarian meal for so many people. And why am I so fired up about it, when I'm not even a vegetarian myself?! :) I think it's about the prejudice that comes with that word. It annoys me.

I'm curious about other omnivores reading these posts that are staunchly against vegetarianism/veganism. Do you guys honestly eat meat with every single meal?

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now. :)

I'd also like to know about baked donuts. I never could make that leap to deep frying, for any food really.

To my boyfriend for Christmas!! ;)

Lamb chops. Cute and tasty!

My fondest pork memory will be getting this prize and giving it to my boyfriend for Christmas. :)

Actually, I have to say that I'm happy NOT to see Kuma's on there. I have been there at least 3 times, and I think there are plenty of other places in Chicago that have equally tasty (if not better) burgers without the 3 hour wait.

I'll be showing my boyfriend this article tonight. Thanks for making my day Kenji. :)

Any suggestions for recipes to try and bring my mom away (even the tiniest bit, e.g., corn bread stuffing was denied this year) from the only traditional dishes?

Also, I only looked briefly, but I didn't see anything about cooking the turkey breast side down vs. breast side up. I've read so many stories about people who do that accidentally, and end up doing it that way on purpose from then on because the breast was so much more moist.

I'm glad other people asked the sand question because that was the first thing I kept thinking about. This looks like it was so ridiculously fun though (even with, or especially with) the turn of events.

Also: "if you've never thrown 10 pounds of sausage into a hole in the ground, you should seriously consider it. Immensely satisfying." I can't even begin to tell you how many inappropriate comments I want to make about this. It might have made my day. :)

Am I seriously the only person who is curious about what it's doing to the other end of the digestive system as well? I think that's what would make me more nervous than anything about trying this. It is afterall, a cleanse, right? I'm not saying I want details, but am kind of surprised that hasn't been mentioned at all.

I think I'm with the minority in the HP crowd here, but I think I'd rather try pumpkin juice over butterbeer. I always think of Paula Deen when I think of butterbeer. :)

It's a pasta salad with spinach, feta, kalamata olives, and some garlic, olive oil and balsamic. I'm not a huge leftovers fan, but I can eat that bad boy every day for a week and not get sick of it. I like to have at least a 1:1 ratio of pasta to spinach, or even higher on the spinach side.