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Eats in Las Vegas
I enjoyed Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian. The in house grappa and ricotta gelati were both amazing.
Cook the Book: Pumpkin Baking
I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
Unwieldy parchment paper
If you put a little smear of whatever you are making in the four corners under the paper, it will hold it down. Just a tad more to wash but worth it imo.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My favorite incident was terrible at the time but so funny years later so it has become my favorite memory. When I was younger, I loved the canned cranberry sauce. The family would pretty much put it on the table just for me and I would eat it all. Well my aunt was a terrible cook so I don't know exactly what kind of creation this was but it was made from beets and looked pretty close to the canned cranberry sauce. I dug in gleefully only to spit it all out on my plate. I now like beets but sure didn't when I was eight. I was scared to eat the canned cran at her house for years after that.
Eats in Las Vegas
I enjoyed Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian. The in house grappa and ricotta gelati were both amazing.
Cook the Book: Pumpkin Baking
I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!
Unwieldy parchment paper
If you put a little smear of whatever you are making in the four corners under the paper, it will hold it down. Just a tad more to wash but worth it imo.
Can we call them something different?
Calling mini burgers the S word is a pet peeve of mine. I was on a mission to boycott all places serving anything called that but since damn near everywhere does, that is not possible. I don't see why places can't just say "mini hamburger".
Cook the Book: 'The Craft of Baking'
I can't stop thinking about the princess torte I had. So cute and tasty.
The Meat and Chocolate Trend
A couple years ago I made some bacon chocolate chip cookies and they were so tasty that I think I ate the whole dozen in about two hours.
Foodie spots in Las Vegas?
I enjoyed myself at Mario Batali's San Marco in the Venetian. http://www.enotecasanmarco.com/
I can't remember the name of the drink I got but I asked the waiter for a bellini and he suggested this grappa, strawberry, and rhubarb puree drink instead and it was beyond tasty. I also still drool thinking about the ricotta gelati I had.
I know you said off the strip but if you do get dragged there, you could enjoy eating at San Marco.
How do you control your food cravings?
I don't. I eat what I want and have decided to just live with being a tad chubby rather than deprive myself.
Kiwi: To Peel or Not To Peel?
korovka: I eat toms the same way and sometimes even a sweet onion that way.
Cook the Book: 'Bite-Size Desserts'
Carrot halva balls!
Who Likes Grape Soda?
I love grape soda because it reminds me of Dimeatapp! I love almost all fruit sodas except orange. My favorites currently are peach, pineapple, and cranberry but grape will always hold a special place in my heart.
What do you go "out" for?
There are two kinds of breads that I can't make myself so I always go to restaurants for those types of cuisine.
Injera- I can not get this Ethiopian bread down. A couple failed attempts. Well and they do have amazing tea at my favorite Ethiopian place.
Hoppers- Sri Lankan pancake type thing, though that is not even a good description. Everyone should eat one. The textures are amazing.
Do You Eat or Email First?
My husband and I have a small apt so both of our computers are in the living room/ kitchen. We don't have a dining room or any other table so we always eat at our desks. So it always ends up that we check the internet and make/ eat breakfast at the same time. Quite often the food is tasty enough to make me forget I was in the middle of reading a website but not on lazy just bagel with flavoured cream cheese mornings.
Omitting Soda Pop
I probably have soda 1-3 times a month. It's always Dr. Pepper, root beer, or cranberry soda.
I was not allowed to have it as a kid so in my late teens I was crazy for it and drank so much it's disgusting. It's been years since that though!
I really enjoy soda but as a chubby girl, decided my calories are best used elsewhere so I drink water most of the time. (tea and coffee sometimes)
Cook the Book: '660 Curries' by Raghavan Iyer
I will never ever forget my first time with Indian food. I was fourteen. I was the kind of person who carried hot sauce in her purse. I thought I could handle almost any heat. The waiter asked me what heat level I would like my food (1-10). I said 10 and he asked me if I've ever eaten Indian food at 10. I told him no but that I would be fine. He tried to get me to go with a five or six. I refused and he told me he would put in the order for it as I wished but told me I would think it was too hot. I was a tough girl and he turned this into a challenge. When the food came, I started crying and with the nose running about five bites into it. I tried my best to finish it all and that was one of the worst dinners I have ever had. I am sure the kitchen staff laughed at my crying and sniffling the entire meal.
I have learned much since then!!
Cook the Book: 'Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies'
The very first time I made cream puffs I decided to make them chocolate. I also had zero piping knowledge. I also decided to make a few large ones instead of a million small ones. Needless to say, they looked like big piles of poop. They did taste great but I made them for someones birthday and was deeply ashamed to give them to them. They laughed it off and enjoyed them but still, years later, I am ashamed of those. I really wish I had taken pictures.
The Pastes of Provence: Know Your Tapenade, Pistou, Aïoli, and More
Oh I can't stop salivating now.
Threadless T-Shirt Giveaway: Baron VonFunburger's Haunted Castle Cavalcade
I love a whopper and Burger King's onion rings!
Cook the Book: 'Rustic Fruit Desserts'
I grew up on strawberry shortcake, so it will always have a place in my heart. My new favorite is angel food cake covered in balsamic soaked berries with whipped cream.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Well it's not a very exiting story, but my favorite thanksgiving memory is rolling up those crescent rolls from the tube with my mom back when I was little. Those things are so good!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Back in my very early 20's.... My friend's mother was in the hospital, so she and I were going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all the family and friends...
We did the dips & apps... the veggie side dishes.... turkey in the oven looking wonderful... things are all coming together at the right time and we are doing a great job!
Then somehow the rolls catch on fire while I am making the gravy... I think I have completely repressed the memory of how that happened??? All I remember is the fear that the curtains would catch next and the kitchen was going to go up.....
So there is this whole slapstick routine with the flaming rolls, the water, the smoke & steam and the floating ash... Finally we get back to business. I whip up some bisquick drop biscuits to fill the gap left by the rolls and we get dinner on the table...
It wasn't really until after everyone had plated up and put the gravy boat to work that we realized the skillet had been uncovered during our little diversion and a lot of ash had floated into the gravy.... mmmm mmmm mmm, creamy ash gravy.... a family favorite to this day....
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first year I knew my husband, he was a dedicated vegetarian. As soon as Thanksgiving came along and the possibility of not being able to have turkey occurred to him, he decided poultry was acceptable food.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One Thanksgiving I did my best mise-en-place thing, loading up my kitchen counter with all the stuff I'd need to make pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, the can of pumpkin got shoved behind my cookbook stand, and the pumpkin never got included in the pie. I thought the mixture seemed a bit light in color, but all those spices cover a multitude of sins. We discovered the problem during clean up.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
In our family, the "cookers" don't have to do the cleaning....so one year my son volunteered to peel the potatoes- and thought that offset the 2 days we spent cooking, thusly no longer having to clean. Ha!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
my first thanksgiving away from home, i decided the day before to throw together a full feast with my two university roommates (neither of whom can cook). it had all the fixings - a 12lb turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing... everything turned out amazing and the turkey lasted less than 48 hours before we had eaten every last scrap
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Last year I got to spend thanksgiving with my dad. It was his last. Love you dad.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Bob Evans once sold my brother the plastic display pie instead of a real pie-and non of us realized it until we tried to cut into it! They were very happy when he called back and returned it for a real pie-apparently the fake pies are very expensive!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the year I was in london and ate a turkey sandwich from starbucks for my thanksgiving dinner :(
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the first time that I was allowed to sit at the adults table for thanksgiving with the extended family, I ended up between my great-grandpa, who couldn't hear, and my uncle, who got really loud when he had a drink or two. This ended up with my uncle trying to talk to me, and my great grandpa asking "WHAT" every time I tried to answer. I shut up after about 2 minutes.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
After a painful Thanksgiving with my inlaws I decided that I would make our own family dinner. It turned out great until it was time for desert. The dog had decided she had enough of us ignoring her and jumped onto the table. Pies and whipped cream went everywhere. It was the first and last time our dog ever got on our table.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My first Thanksgiving! I was 24 and all of my fiancee's relatives came to my tiny apartment. There were about 12 of us crammed around a card table trying to eat. The food was good, but it was hard to eat, no one could move! Aaaah the good old days!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One year, my sis and I decided to do a "dishwasher turkey". She had read about it, seen it in one of the numerous food shows she'd watched, etc., and we just "had to do it". So, with two other turkeys and several other types of meats being brought by the 30 some crowd expected at the Orphan's Thanksgiving (at her place that year), we attempted the dishwasher turkey. She had read that the steam from the dishwasher cycle steamed the turkey perfectly, as long as the turkey was wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. Eagerly, her husband gathered around after the cycle ended to tastle this magnificent bird. One problem... it wasn't done. Not even close, actually. So, she put it in for another round. Still not done. Time was starting to run out, so she shoved it in the oven, praying that it finished in time for dinner. It wasn't. Her husband gleefully ate from the plethora of others foods available, including two other turkeys, and was very pleased when he had a whole turkey for "leftovers" the next day. For years after, we asked her if she wanted to wash the food in the dishwasher before she cooked it. After all, one can never be too careful.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
the first Thanksgiving dinner I prepared I made two colossal mistakes: every dish was a recipe I had never made before & every recipe had some difficult prep or cooking techniques ~ it was handsdown the most streeful & exhausting cooking experience I've ever had ~ I got the meal on the table & then excused myself and took a long nap. Needless to say I learned a valued lesson ~ only one new recipe & only one dish with a difficult prep or cooking techniques per meal.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every other Thanksgiving we visit my grandparent's ranch in south Texas. Eating the traditional dishes that my grandma makes is a great annual activity. We usually end up with lots of extended family over, including a couple that owns a vineyard and brings their wine with them. They always arrive with the air that they've been tasting it already...
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
We have a big family and cook 3 turkeys to feed the crowd. One of them is cooked outdoors since we run out of oven space. The first time I fried a turkey on my own I couldn't seem to get the oil hot enough. After a while, I finally noticed the probe wasn't far enough in the oil. After a frantic attempt to now cool down the pot (setting it on bricks in the grass and hosing the outside with water - not too smart), it finally cooled down enough and when we finally checked the bird, it was perfect.
These days I now cook the bird on my Weber. It's way more predictable!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Every year I grab whomever is in my unit at Dland to treat them to a Thanksgiving dinner. The reason being that for about 4 years I had to work on Thanksgiving and Xmas and know what its like trying to find somewhere to eat on that day. So it has become a tradition to invite all the guys who had to work that day and couldn't go home.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My story is; I was born on Thanksgiving. No one had dinner that fateful day!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Story, story, story, story. I wish I had a good one for you. All I know is that the best food always was done by my Grandmother. Southern cooking and all. She learned from the best. Her dumplings are legendary.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My mom made really good gravy. I think I was in second grade. I was so excited about it, I got up in front of my class and told them about it. Not much of a story unless you know my mom and her cooking repertoire.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I can't say I have any particularly interesting stories. My parents never did the thanksgiving thing until I was at least in jr high and even now i'm not sure we really have a handle on it. this year i'm doing it, we'll see how it goes.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was transporting a cooked turkey with the fixings to a friend's house. When I got there the gravy had spilled all over the trunk of my car. I had to clean the trunk and run home to see what kind of gravy I had in my freezer, couldn't serve turkey and fixin's without gravy. sharonaquilino(at)hotmail(dot)com
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I was newly married and it was my first attempt at cooking a turkey. I was completely repulsed by the gizzards and neck. So much so that I really couldn't even eat any turkey. I'm over that now.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A couple of years ago, we decided to forgo the turkey and have a roast and Yorkshire pudding, with all the trimmings. My mom popped the pud in the oven and unexpectedly had to leave for a few minutes, putting my sister and me in charge of watching said pudding. Well, it was ready and my sister grabbed it out of the oven and the pudding took flight out of the pan and flew across the kitchen, landing broken on a (thankfully) clean floor mat. I just remember that time stopped and the look of utter shock on both of our faces. We pieced the pudding back into the pan before mom got back.....we were going to keep it secret until she finally commented that she didn't do a good job because of all the cracks. We fessed up and had a good laugh
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Update on the AB smoked turkey that I have been worshipping and coddling for 5 days. We put it in the smoker and after about an hour the new, fancy smoke box thingie malfunctioned, the wood and the turkey caught fire and I thought all was lost. We wiped the smoke off the bird and realized its bottom really didnt need to see the light of day so we just kept cooking and it is out now and resting. Havent tried it yet but I am hopeful.
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My favorite incident was terrible at the time but so funny years later so it has become my favorite memory. When I was younger, I loved the canned cranberry sauce. The family would pretty much put it on the table just for me and I would eat it all. Well my aunt was a terrible cook so I don't know exactly what kind of creation this was but it was made from beets and looked pretty close to the canned cranberry sauce. I dug in gleefully only to spit it all out on my plate. I now like beets but sure didn't when I was eight. I was scared to eat the canned cran at her house for years after that.