Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

When I was in college I lived across the street from a Whole Foods. How I miss those days.

I am at least 100 miles from any of these stores.

I will usually share with my girlfriends. Usually there has been conversation as we read the menu, something like this:

"Do you know what you're getting?"
"I can't decide between the shrimp and the mussles. Do you know what you're getting?"
"I'm not a big fan of mussels. I can't decide between the eggplant and the salmon."
"Ooh the salmon sounds so good."

And thus, we have decided she will get the shrimp and I will get the salmon, and that our forks will wander onto each other's plates from time to time.

I wish we had a Target near us.

I am not particularly fond of Celebrity lines. Does anyone who buys a can opener care who is endorsing it? Particularly in the case of utensils, the quality is almost always crap.

This doesn't seem "Giada" to me either. They are offering a pie plate and a loaf pan, neither of which I have ever seen her use.

if i can't put meat in the microwave how am I supposed to eat my swanson frozen dinner?

If this is for two people, $50 shouldn't be that hard. It depends on what your eating habits are though. Personally, I hate leftovers and couldn't eat the same soup for four nights in a row.

When eating on a budget, the freezer is your friend! Clean out that fuzzy pint of ice cream with two bites left in it, or that venison you neighbor gave you, or whatever it is taking up space in there. Start freezing individual servings. I have been making a lot of casseroles lately. Country pie, stuffed shells, mac and cheese, etc. Cook two right away, wrap two in foil and freeze. The 7 bucks I spent on gratin dishes has probably saved me at least 50 bucks so far.

5:42 pm on a Thursday is pretty early to be breaking out the hard stuff, let alone be completely wasted already.

My dogs will lose their mind if you give them a fried egg.

Make the cake Friday, cool it (not in the fridge) overnight, cut it Saturday. I usually use toothpicks as a guide and cut with a big serrated bread knife. Brush off as many crumbs as you can.

It's best to frost it in a cool area. Depending on what frosting you are using, you may either want to chill it slightly, or chill the whole thing between layers, to keep it from sliding.

Don't worry too much about it - your husband will like it no matter what it looks like!

I am 27 and I love cooking. What am I supposed to register for? I already own a LeCruset pot, a KitchenAid, and a Cuisinart. The only things I can think of is some nice silverware, and a set of matching glasses.

It is amazing that the bridal registry tradition hasn't evolved that much. I don't know statistics but I think the majority of people who wed now have been cohabitating for some time. They don't need a set of china. They need money.

I think there should be registries for furniture. I'd be much happier with a new living room set than I would be with sterling silver candle sticks.

My registry advice is to keep in mind how many people are invited to your wedding. I have checked registries the day I get my invitation and the only thing left is a $400 set of cookware and some miscellaneous things for five bucks. If you invited 100 people, register for more than that. And keep in mind the price. Your uncle will probably be willing to shell out some dough for a gift, but your college friends will have a much different price point.

My good vending machine memory: At my school there are a few vending machines. This summer, during a break from a particularly boring and un-airconditioned chemistry class, I went downstairs to buy a drink, and there was a guy there emptying the change thing. He gave me a free gatorade, which was icy cold and delicious.

As a kid I mostly just stared at vending machines thinking about what I wanted. Usually I ended up with Doritos.

I love cookbooks, I probably spend more time reading them than I do making their recipes. My favorite reccomendations are:

The Betty Crocker Cookbook - whenever someone says "I can't cook" or something like that, I buy them this. For some people it's Joy or Best Recipe, but for me, Betty is where it all began.

Nigella Express - almost more than her recipes, I love reading her introductions to them. And the coleslaw recipe in this book is awesome.

The Modern Baker - I love this book so much. Beautiful photography, awesome recipes. Everything I have made so far has come out perfectly - from really simple muffins to the chocolate mousse cake that took me two days to make. It is designed for people who own both a food processor and a stand mixer, but it is easy enough to adapt the recipes if you don't have a mixer.

Also, the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. Who doesn't like cookies? Who doesn't want to know how to make chocolate chip cookies 85 bazillion different ways?

Make the cake tomorrow? Angel food cakes are so easy to make, my brother can do it.

Waffles or macaroons are my other thoughts.