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From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I don't have a favorite variety of olive or anything, but I have been really enjoying the olives I picked up at TJ Maxx recently. There were some stuffed with garlic, some stuffed with onion and soaked in gin, some stuffed with jalapeño and left to brine in a solution with other peppers.

From Recipes

Meat Lite: Black Beans and Rice, My Way

@blindermo No water necessary. If you get the beans hot enough, they will begin popping and rolling all over the place. The fat from the chorizo will help ensure that everything gets moving smoothly.

From Recipes

Cakespy: Leftover Halloween Candy Pie

This is so wrong on so many levels. And if I had any leftover Halloween candy, I would make it tonight.

From Serious Eats

$25,000 Cupcake Car For Sale in Neiman Marcus Christmas Book

Cute they are. But the most expensive item in this year's catalog they are not. At the very least, there is a special edition supercharged 2010 Jaguar XJL that comes with a set of luggage... for a paltry $105,000.

http://jalopnik.com/5375470/2010-jaguar-xjl-supercharges-into-neiman-marcus-christmas-catalog

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I don't have a favorite variety of olive or anything, but I have been really enjoying the olives I picked up at TJ Maxx recently. There were some stuffed with garlic, some stuffed with onion and soaked in gin, some stuffed with jalapeño and left to brine in a solution with other peppers.

From Recipes

Meat Lite: Black Beans and Rice, My Way

@blindermo No water necessary. If you get the beans hot enough, they will begin popping and rolling all over the place. The fat from the chorizo will help ensure that everything gets moving smoothly.

From Recipes

Cakespy: Leftover Halloween Candy Pie

This is so wrong on so many levels. And if I had any leftover Halloween candy, I would make it tonight.

From Serious Eats

$25,000 Cupcake Car For Sale in Neiman Marcus Christmas Book

Cute they are. But the most expensive item in this year's catalog they are not. At the very least, there is a special edition supercharged 2010 Jaguar XJL that comes with a set of luggage... for a paltry $105,000.

http://jalopnik.com/5375470/2010-jaguar-xjl-supercharges-into-neiman-marcus-christmas-catalog

From Serious Eats: New York

2010 Michelin Guide to New York: The Stars Realign

lol @ redfish. The way people talk about it, you would think it deserved a star, though.

From Talk

OK to freeze homemade cookie dough?

A word of advice. You can freeze either in logs or in balls, but think about what kind of dough you have before making a determination.

Plain cookies (sugar, peanut butter, etc) are just fine in logs. Things with chunks (choc chip, nuts, etc) do much better in balls. It's frustratingly difficult to try to cut reasonably similar cookies off a log when you keep running into solid pieces.

From Talk

Apple cider raisin bread--It smells and tastes like Fall.

@Pointy I'm serious.

Apple cider: We're cool. I've got no problems with you. You are a welcome addition to almost any dish.

Raisins: Why ruin perfectly good grapes? Seriously.

From Talk

Apple cider raisin bread--It smells and tastes like Fall.

Anything to get rid of the raisins!

I was sure my feelings towards those vile fruits were going to be echoed in this thread, as I first read the title as "It smells and tastes like FAIL." Imagine my disappointment...

From Talk

The secret to Chinese (Asian) cooking is….

Re: "chefs" I believe the comment was to indicate that OP does not believe the people appearing on Food Network qualify as actual chefs.

From Talk

Plan my vacation!

In DC, I had a great experience at Bistro Bis, a pretty damn good experience at Art and Soul, and a tasty burger and DELICIOUS shakes at The Good Stuff Eatery.

Bonus - Art and Soul is from Art Smith of Top Chef Masters and Good Stuff Eatery is from Spike of the original Top Chef.

From Talk

Condiment Envy - How many condiments are in your fridge?

I thought the new rule was that only spice combinations counted as condiments, not individual spices. I can't imagine there are more than a few people on a board like this that don't have at least a shelf full of herbs and spices.

From Talk

Condiment Envy - How many condiments are in your fridge?

At first I thought I would be in the 10 or fewer category. Then I started thinking about all the oils and vinegars and whatnot that I ACTUALLY have in the kitchen, and I think I'm probably in the 35-40 range. Amazing what you accumulate over a bit of time.

I have limited pantry space, though, and my fridge always seems fairly full (stupid side-by-side; I hate it so much), so I can't imagine I would ever have room for 80+ condiments.

From Talk

Cash, credit, check, or other: How do you pay for food?

Credit for everything. Don't really ever carry cash unless I'm going somewhere I know only takes cash. Makes keeping track of spending easier, plus I don't have to worry about losing anything (a lost credit card is a phone call away from being canceled, and if there are fraudulent charges, the company is going to work to protect its own money).

I know that my credit score is quite high from a recent mortgage re-fi (hooray for dropping down to a 15 year), as is my wife's. We are constantly getting 0% credit card offers in the mail, so take that for what you will.

It's likely that it doesn't matter if you use your card unless it is a strange and sudden departure from normal spending patterns.

From Talk

Frozen meals: yay or nay?

I never buy frozen meals, though I do occasionally buy frozen side items like spring rolls or dumplings, and I'm not ashamed to buy frozen veggies.

I enjoy cooking, so buying a frozen meal takes away an opportunity to cook AND usually ends up costing about the same as cooking something fresh (if not more!). Like brooke29, though, I do freeze food that I have cooked either to save for later or for quick meals/snacks. I'm particularly fond of my home made frozen burritos.

From Talk

Memphis recommendations?

There's also a Blue Plate Cafe just off Court Square downtown, but I think it's only open at lunch. Can't say I'm familiar with any 5 cent burgers, but they do have pretty tasty all-you-can-eat catfish on Fridays and Saturdays (maybe just at night, though).

From Talk

Memphis recommendations?

As follow-up on a couple things people have posted...

I would say that Huey's is pretty good, but actually the Germantown Commissary listed for BBQ has a better burger. The downside is they take forever to make, so it's best to order it right when you walk in and they take your drink order.

For sushi, Sekura is really good, but if you don't want to head all the way out east (assuming you're downtown), I would go to Blue Fin on Main Street instead.

Actually, any of the restaurants around Blue Fin would be good choices for delicious food. McEwan's, Circa, Felicia Suzanne's, The Majestic Grill, Grill 83, etc. are all good choices.

Someone suggested the Little Tea Shop. That's actually right next to Bardog (which I mentioned in my first post). I will add that the Little Tea Shop is something of the place to see and be seen at lunch. It's always full of attorneys, and usually has one or two local politicians.

Someone also mentioned the Cupboard. Similar in style to the Little Tea Shop, but a bit further from the downtown core. It also recently got a pretty bad health inspection score, so that's something to keep in mind (though I have never gotten sick eating there).

It's also clear that we have a decent number of Serious Eaters here in Memphis, and we should get together to have a bite/drink at some point.

From Talk

Memphis recommendations?

I would actually skip Corky's unless you want to go just to go. There are plenty of other places to get better BBQ (The BBQ Shop on Madison is great, Cozy Corner on Auction is, as well. Even more "fast food" type places like Central BBQ or Topps BBQ are nice and tasty.) though you can't really go wrong with what you get anywhere.

I will second the fried pickle suggestion, though.

If you want really good fancy food, I would suggest Restaurant Iris.

If you want Vietnamese food I would suggest either Saigon Le or Lotus (which I think is better, but dinner can be an all night affair).

If you want surprisingly good bar-type food, definitely hit up Bardog.

There are plenty of good, authentic Mexican restaurants on Summer Avenue, but the locations are not always ideal.

If you drink beer, you should definitely go to Boscos (they brew their own - and if you see any Ghost River beer served at other places you should order it). You can also go to The Flying Saucer (they just have tons of beer).

I have tons more suggestions, but I'm going to go ahead and stop now. Feel free to post again if you want more or if you have questions about particular places/cuisines.

From Talk

bread not rising up?

Do you proof your yeast first, or do you just have it do all the work once you have mixed the ingredients together?

From Serious Eats

How to Get Your Hands on Some Barbecue at Memphis in May

I think it's awesome that you're hooking SEers up with a spot to eat for BBQ Fest. It's a great time every year, but it's a lot harder to enjoy if you're "out in the cold" just smelling all the good food.

Sadly I am out of town for the festivities this year, but I hope this sort of generosity to the community continues on in the future!

From Talk

Velveeta Cheese Bait

I have caught some giant catfish using cheese as bait. The stinkier or more disgusting, the better (catfish are bottom feeders and eat lots of decaying things). Just plain Velveeta or cheddar will do fine, though.

From Talk

You live where?

On an island... kinda. Really more of a peninsula, but people who name things around here aren't exactly up on proper geographical nomenclature. In Memphis, Tennessee.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating'

I now have a fridge full of pre-chopped fruits/veggies just waiting to be munched on. Plus, my grocery cart has become full of wonderful dried beans and grains. Yum.

From Talk

Ostrich — the other red meat!

There is/was a great little bar up where I went to school in the middle of nowhere Minnesota that had bison burgers and ostrich burgers. The bison was good, but let me tell you the ostrich was out of this world. One of the very best burgers I have ever had, hands down. I'm a believer!

From Recipes

Cakespy: Leftover Halloween Candy Pie

I just found a pie crust in my freezer, and the local supermarket has a huge amount of priced-down candies on sale...hmmm, yep, this is going to work for Friday coffee break. :)

From Recipes

Meat Lite: Black Beans and Rice, My Way

You shouldn't add salt immediately, but one hour through the cooking process, it's important to lightly season. Finish seasoning at the end of cooking.

1 kg black beans
8 liters water
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 sprigs epazote

Clean and wash beans. Put them in a large pot and cover with cold water twice the bean depth. Bring to a fast boil (cover on pot). Take off cover when you have reached a boil. Do not stir at all - they will surface by themselves. When they surface, add the remainder of cold water. Bring to a boil again. Cover and cook over a low flame. In 1 hour, add the salt and epazote. Again, do not stir. When the beans have boiled for 2 hours, remove cover and taste a few for tenderness. If they are easily mushed by squeezing them between your tongue and gums, (no teeth) then they are done. If not, boil another 30 minutes and try again. The older the beans, the longer they will need to cook.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Congrats to our winner gargupie, and thank you to everyone who entered. We have notified the lucky new olive oil owner and updated our Contest Winners page.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Any olive cured any way, I love them all. I have a small dish every day after work with a glass of wine. or beer. or whatever is available.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Blue-cheese stuffed olives, in a dirty vodka martini!

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

arbequina olives are my personal favorites - and not just because they're fun to say! as always, feta makes anything taste better and these two go great together

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I love ALL olives. The more the merrier. Kalamata, Black, Green, Nicoise bring it on! What a beautiful idea & a great opportunity! I would love to showcase this on my site!

From Recipes

Cakespy: Leftover Halloween Candy Pie


My left over goes to the local hospitals ER breakroom. It does'nt last long there.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I'm not a fan of olives, but I do love olive oil!

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Kalamatas are amazing, but I'm a huge fan of the black Greek/Turkish ones, not sure of the name...

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Moroccan oil-cured are my favorite, the wrinkled ugly things.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Nicoise are definitely my favorite, but I'm a sucker for jalapeno-stuffed green olives too!

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I actually don't love olives: I like tapenades and things, but am not a huge fan of eating olives by themselves.

...but I sure do love olive oil :)

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Yum! Warm mixed olives with fennel, orange zest and Anaheim chile. My favorite olive is the gaeta.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

My olive of the moment is garlic-stuffed green. Yum!

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I have never meet an olive I didn't love. Since I am just back from Madrid, I will say arbequina olives with a nice red wine at an outdoor tapas bar.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

Not really a huge fan of olives but olive oil is a wonderful thing.

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

I still remember the first time I had a kalamata olive. I was 13 years old, and my family had decided to picnic with some friends along a river. One person had brought along a bunch of kalamatas and was raving about them. I was eager to try one, but when I did, I thought they were awful. But after eating them at random intervals over the years, I've grown to love them; they're now my favorite :)

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

been craving saltiness lately and it's been satiated with the kalamata olives. :)

From Serious Eats

Weekend Giveaway: Nudo Olive Tree Adoption

the little spanish arbequina olives, hands down.

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