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My mother hated to cook so when I moved into my own place, she didn't gift me with a cookbook. So I bought my very first, "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece and Rome," which I only knew about because I watched PBS all the time. Even then the only section I cooked from was Rome; after I was married I made my husband a ricotta pie from that book.

My biggest pie disaster was trying a recipe for lemon chess pie from the Washington Post. I read the recipe at least twice before trying it out and it seemed straightforward enough. However, the pie would not set when cooked in the oven. I took it out at the end of the cooking time and the filling was still liquid. So I pitched the pie and tried a second time with the same outcome. I never did figure out what went wrong.

I've never been able to make a lemon chess pie. I remember reading a recipe years ago in the Washington Post food section and thinking it would be easy.

I followed the recipe to the letter. I pulled the pie out of the oven--and it sloshed. The oven was hot but for some reason the pie didn't set up properly. I dumped the whole thing in the trash and started over again. Same thing. I never figured out what was wrong with the recipe but I never tried to make chess pie again.

Marcel Desaulnier's Death by Chocolate.

Cranberry Sauce With Champagne and Currants definitely. I could eat this right out of the pot!

My favorite memory has nothing to do with school lunches but an ad:

Back in 1988, fast food chain Roy Rogers had an ad campaign set to the song "See You in September" that poked fun at school lunches while actors dressed as cafeteria workers displayed trays of unattractive food to the camera. Aside from poking fun at school lunches, the ad voice over reminded students there were just a few weeks left before school (and school lunches) started so head to Roy's.

The ad failed on so many levels: making fun of lunch ladies; promoting fast food over school lunches, which try to be nutritious (unless you're my 12 year old who eats pizza and mashed potatoes at the same lunch) but more importantly, eating breakfast and lunch at school is the best meal some kids get all day.

Roy Rogers, which is owned by Marriott, pulled the ad in response to pressure. I doubt there's even a copy up on YouTube but I haven't looked.

We ate at Peanut Butter & Co. a couple of weeks ago on our trip to NYC. Be warned: It's a very small shop--probably 5 or 6 tables. But everyone in our group liked their sandwich (with carrots & chips). My 9 year old ordered the Elvis, a grilled PB and banana. Bacon is an option but we figured he was sacrificing more than a few cholesterol points on the sandwich without bacon. S'Mac was also on our agenda but we didn't make it so we'll have to go on our next trip up.

I don't disagree with your basic premise that Emeril has done a lot for the cause of serious and delicious food. He was always out in front for various causes and groups.

However, I was more than tired of "Emeril Live," which he "bam"med to death. I mean, what cooking show really needs its own live band? At that point, I decided he was more about entertainment than cooking and stopped watching. I also think the beginning of the end for "Emeril Live" was when Alton Brown got Emeril's 8 PM time slot. When I saw Alton in Nashville, he joked about not looking Emeril in the eye when he passed him in the hall.

Or perhaps it was a close second to Knowlton asking Donatella if she knew what she was talking about.

What a pretentious little snot-nosed brat Knowlton is. On previous episodes, I chalked it up to the editing so the tension could be ratcheted up. I couldn't excuse last night: he was just insufferably rude.

I've got a throwdown challenge for Mr. Knowlton: I'm from New England. Come make me a lobster roll and I'll tell you if it passes the test.

Lake Champlain Chocolates does a chocolate of the month gift. We got one for my parents and they loved it.

A friend of mine who did her graduate education in England called this the "turducken of carbs."

It reminds me of poutine: French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered with hot gravy (usually brown gravy).

Oh yes, Fritz is very real. I first heard of him on an episode of Bobby Flay's "Throwdown." IIRC, Bobby lost that challenge.