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The Ten Most Recent Comments By dmzapp

From Talk

What's in your kitchen junk drawer?

I guess I've moved too often for a wondrous drawer like that....my kitchen junk drawer has "stuff" related to kitchen use in it. Right now there are some thermal cups that I use once every two years, a thermos that someone gave me, a new package of bamboo skewers (in standby mode) an old anodized (50's) mixing cup, the kind with a lid, put stuff in it and shake until you arm falls off.....and some candy thermometers and an oven thermometer, a plastic cutting board with a crack (won't I find a use for it some day?) and knives that have not passed muster and are waiting to go to St. Vinnies.
Yours sounds like a lot more fun. Most of the stuff that is in your junk drawer is in my office supply area.....which covers a bit more than one drawer.
Zapp

dmzapp at 10:38PM on 10/07/07

From Talk

What are your variations on cornbread?

I have a variety of recipes, so depending on what I am serving.....last night it was a bit sweeter variety with home canned green beans cooked with smoked pork shanks...dinner was a hurry up kinda deal.
But basically my recipes have sort of common ingredients and I use yellow cornmeal normally, or self-rising if I can find it.
My muffin pans are some old things, very thin and look like some early non-stick, being thin they brown wonderfully.....or I do cornbread in my iron skillet in the oven if I am using the self-rising recipe.
Pinto bean soup is one of my faves also, years ago found a recipe for Arizona Mountain Soup, it's a keeper
Zapp

dmzapp at 7:05PM on 09/29/07

From Talk

What is your favorite fast food on road trips?

We have a tendency to do marathon driving when we go cross-country, like mainly driving all night and into the next day when we stop and sleep. So we end up with a sort of day and a half long day. Because we are confined to the van that long, we really only eat breakfasts. Our good luck holds well for picking good breakfast places, including Lilo's in Seligman AZ.... and others that I can't name now. But once down south (we both have early childhood and early adulthood memories) and will just start drooling at Waffle Houses and in Florida, Huddle Houses. Nothing fancy, just good quantities and I like the fact that you can see eggs being broken, bacon and home fries on the grill, nothing that is not prepared fresh right in front of you.
Zapp

dmzapp at 9:58PM on 09/27/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I found you through A Hamburger Today, but had also seen other mentions, finally just HAD to see what it was about. I like the variety offered here, all sorts of interesting things that land here just because they are good.
Zapp

dmzapp at 9:48PM on 09/27/07

From Talk

Refrigerator magnets, do you collect?

My RM's are limited to a few that hubby made for me, carved out of wood, a lamb, a fish. Also one magnetic picture frame and the whole rest of the freezer section is filled with GLOW in the DARK Refrigerator Poetry.....and hubby and I can sometimes be found just standing in front of the closed frig reworking our little fantasy stories......nut cases, that's us. We don't require that it be poetry, just weird stories........

dmzapp at 1:19AM on 09/20/07

From Talk

Natural cook top cleaner?

If you use any cleaner like Simple Green, definitely do go over it with vinegar afterwards.
I would be concerned with Barkeepers Friend as it has a bit of abrasive, but if you don't rub too hard and rinse well, you should be ok. Barkeepers Friend is much like Zud, Zud works better, goes after "organics" so if I spill something that burns onto the top, I use Zud, then rinse like a maniac and glosss over all with vinegar.
My cooktop is also black and looks gross and smeary most of the time....yuck.

dmzapp at 1:12AM on 09/20/07

From Talk

Feeling cheesy?

Cheese fiend here, almost any kind, with or without other foods. I prefer to just taste the cheese, not mixed in with other foods. I find I eat less of it if I keep to just tasting the cheese itself.
But I grew up in a city that had this wacko restaurant that made things like peanut butter bacon hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches to kill for. Mind you this would have been pre1960, so it was new and different to us all. The grilled cheese was the classic kind, but at the absolute last moment before it came from the kitchen they opened it up and slapped in cold lettuce and tomato.......had to be eaten immediately but was divine. I always thought it needed some of that bacon on it also.

dmzapp at 1:06AM on 09/20/07

From Talk

Pressure cookers....do you use one?

I have two, both obsolete so when the gaskets finally go, they are headed to the trash bin.....what a shame!
If I am running short on time, I have a tendency to look at the pressure cooker or the pressure pan to see if I can bail my fat out of the fire. But I cook stuffed cabbage in the cooker, and I have been known to stuff a whole chicken in the smaller pressure pan when I run out of dog food. Also, for the human members of the family, I have pre-cooked a whole chicken for gumbo. When it is done, I just cool it a bit pull the skin out, cool the meat and cut it up, the juice goes in the frig to defat itself and then I can construct a pot of gumbo in a slightly shorter period of time.
There are good new cookbooks out, some with multiple meals that are cooked in one pot..... I love mine.
Zapp

dmzapp at 12:58AM on 09/20/07

From Talk

ZZZ....bedtime foods

Since I read in bed for hours....my bedtime snack must be non liquid in nature and mostly portable. Also my 85# puppy likes to "help" me stay trim by assisting me with said snack.
In light of these facts, my snack is almost always a custard cup of Cheerios, sometimes with a handful of wasabi peas. I am careful not to share the wasabi peas with the puppy.
My hubby is often up in the middle of the night also and I can hear the Cheerios or Raisin Bran hit the dish, but his is with milk.
Zapp

dmzapp at 7:48PM on 09/15/07

From Talk

What's your favorite non-chocolate candy?

Similar list...........
black licorice, the softer kinds, not the ones like my van tires
almond brittle, actually I've never met a brittle I didn't like
spice gum drops, in "traditional" flavors only
salt water taffy
so many of the old fashioned candies are just not the same....Walnettos, the taffy on sticks....whatever your area called them are just faint imitations....or is that my taster?
Anything else, must be dark chocolate to come into the house
Zapp

dmzapp at 6:37PM on 09/13/07

Responses to Comments by dmzapp

From Talk

What are your variations on cornbread?

My favorite cornbread recipe is just the basics. A cornmeal mix, egg, and sweet milk, a little oil and bake in a hot oiled, cast iron skillet.
But my kids love the taste of Jiffy mix. But when I make jiffy mix it always seems to fall apart while slicing or after it's on the plate. It tastes great but is so fragile, it must be eaten with a fork.
Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong, or could that just be the nature of Jiffy mix? I follow the directions to the letter and bake in my cast iron skillet.

smitchathome at 9:08PM on 04/12/08

From Talk

Annoying food habits...

My boyfriend drives me INSANE when he eats! He holds his silverware like a freakin shovel! I'm dying to say something to him about it, but don't want to his feelings. It's actually embarrising whe we go out to a nice resturant, all dressed up and here comes the shoveling...agggghhhh

annoyedinca at 1:33AM on 02/06/08

From Talk

Don't Miss Food between SF and Seattle?

Last June I took a drive up highway one from Ca. I stopped at the Surf Shack in Port Orford Oregon. I had the BEST ribs I have ever had there. Cool layed back spot!

mizlaurel at 1:33PM on 01/22/08

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

Ed Levine

bessfour at 4:16PM on 12/27/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I picked up the link off eGullet.

sjwoodin at 4:13PM on 12/27/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I heard Ed Levine on one of Martha Stewart's Sirius radio shows. I was impressed and intrigued and couldn't wait to get home and check out Serious Eats. I'm so glad I did. What a great community! Thanks for all the tips.

I've been trying to convince my niece to apply to Serious Eats to work as an intern. She's a darling 35 year old who lives in Manhattan and has worked in the restaurant world for many years. She's cute, intelligent, articulate, upbeat, loves to cook and knows her way around the computer. She needs a push......any suggestions??????

parker at 2:32PM on 12/27/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I saw Ed speak at the Gourmet Institute even in October.

deborahs at 2:20PM on 12/04/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I first heard of Serious Eats on eGullet in a little post on the Chicago board. It was by someone mentioning the Amateur Gourmet and the new site.

At first the name scared me. Serious Eats sounded too serious for me, but I was assured that seriously Serious Eats was not scarily Serious.

I'm very glad to have found it. I like the idea of being a Serious Eater.

Never could stand the idea of being a "eGulleteer". Talk about seriously scary. Heh.

Karen Resta at 2:11PM on 12/04/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

A link from the Mario site. I bought the Mario/Copco risotto pan and the cast iron skillet and was looking for the link to the products page. Found this instead. This is my first night here...love it already!

greenkitchen at 7:08PM on 12/02/07

From Talk

How did you first hear of serious eats?

I was freaking out at work because it was the day before I was leaving for vacation in France and I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to find a place to eat. My co-worker suggested posting to Talk on Serious Eats and I've been hooked ever since. And yes, France was wonderful and yummy!

arathi at 12:59AM on 11/28/07