Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

finewinedine: remember Dan Ackroyd promoting the restaurant "Pre Chew Charlie's" on SNL in the 70's-- the waitstaff would chew your food for you, then spit it into your mouth.

you can puree jalapenos in adobo sauce with mayo and ketchup for a fine fish taco sauce. Add a few slices of avocado to the taco too, and then thank me quietly....

You don't have to eat those little packages of instant oatmeal. Make a large batch (1 cup oats, 4 cups water, dash salt) of steel cut oats and keep them in the fridge. Takes twenty minutes, and you can heat individual portions for breakfast over the next few days.

It's much tastier, cheaper and healthier.

Those burgers would sure be improved with a side of fries. Alas, no frier. But the home fries are pretty good, and the potato salad is excellent.

The one to get is the Gourmet Burger with dry blue cheese. And a big glass of Penn Pilsner to wash it down.

It is easy to screw up a gin and tonic. If the tonic comes from a gun, it's never going to taste vibrant. I spend a fortune on those little bottles of Schweppes tonic. I let the gin sit with some fresh lime juice, and muddle the rind in there as well, for two minutes. I add a dash of bitters, then ice, then slowly pour the very fresh tonic down the side of the glass. Give it a gentle stir, and enjoy. I promise you'll never order another G and T at a bar again.

I really miss Bovril flavored crisps....

The Salt Lick is excellent and worth the drive. It hosts a large pit and is exactly as you'd imagine a large BBQ joint to be. The surrounding countryside is beautiful and nearby is a Hindu temple complex with peacocks wandering the grounds which you are free to visit. BYOB, I think. Mapquest it and go! Visit cute nearby towns Gruen and New Braunfels too. Austin is close, and Hill Country is home to many wineries.

I make this dish frequently, though I usually top it with leftover roast chicken: shredded thigh meat is best. For the dressing, try omitting the garlic and substituting a chopped shallot. Instead of vinegar, use fresh lime juice. A little brown sugar adds colour and a hint of sesame oil and black pepper add another intriguing dimension. Finally, top with chopped roasted unsalted peanuts.

Sangiovese-- the name is derived from "blood of the gods"-- specifically one Roman god, Jove. Super Tuscans are an attempt to emulate the great wines of Bordeaux.

Try roasting the cauliflower first. Also, making your own curry blend of spices is more satisfying than using curry powder. Chicken stock adds a deeper dimension of flavor. Finally, this dish lends itself to endless variations; it's a good recipe/technique to have on hand.

Lacking Crisco one evening, we made flour tortillas for our bean burritos with bacon fat from the jar instead. (We used this with the beans too.) They were the finest tortillas we'd ever made.

Yes to Lucy's bahn mi, a refreshing, exotic, mildly spicy, grilled porky treat (and quite the bargain). Yes, Penn Pilsner if the finest real beer in the region (along with their gold, dark and wheat beers), but a glass of Iron City (the only beer you chew before you swallow) does help a Primanti's down. A great cup of coffee brewed to order is available at the 21st street coffee shop on 21st and Smallman. The pastry shop next to La Prima offers wonderful canoli and sfoglietelle (sp?). Get the chocolate eruption too at Enrico's.