I started to cook some beans last night following the recipe on this site for gallopinto (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/05/gallopinto-nicaraguan-rice-and-beans-recipe.html). Per the recipe, I soaked the beans for 30 mins, brought to a boil, and simmered for 30 mins. Then I covered and forgot about them on the stove. It is now about 15 hours later. Can I just simmer them now to finish cooking, or is there something unsafe about getting halfway through cooking and forgetting about them? Is this all clear or bacteria city?

I've got a bunch ready to be cooked and eaten. Any great recipe suggestions?

Just wondering if anyone has ever been to a dinner or event at the JBH. I just bought my friend tickets to an upcoming dinner there as a gift -- it's one of the "greens" events targeting people in the 21-40 year old age group. It sounds like a great event, but I'm curious about the atmosphere, crowd, food, etc. Anyone have an experience? If so, hope it was good, since I already paid!

Serious gardeners/ingredient gurus: I'm perplexed. I've been growing poblano peppers and thai bird chiles this summer. Both are doing great. I've had a few mature peppers on the plant that I didn't want to pick because I was not yet ready to eat them. In my experience, poblano peppers are always green. But my ripe poblanos, left unpicked, turned red. The same happened to my bird peppers (although this is less strange to me since I've seen these peppers in red, yellow and green).

Anyway, my question: is this normal? Do poblanos (and other green peppers) generally turn red? And what does this mean for the flavor of the pepper?

I know this topic has been rehashed a million times, so sorry in advance. BUT, I'm planning an afternoon of eating in Red Hoook and haven't been in some time.

Any particular favorites in this crowd? Also - for dessert - a swingle from Steve's, or a treat from Baked? Thanks, eaters!

Stealing honeybunches' idea....

I'm heading to Nantucket for the first time for a few days in August. Any not to be missed food?

Thanks!

An offhand comment sparked a debate between a friend and me. I insist on noodles. She claims to have "never have heard of anyone who prefers noodles in their matzoh ball soup."

What say you? I say, 2 carbs are better than 1!

I assume that this has been covered at some point before, but I couldn't find it in the archives, and needed some group catharsis so, here goes.

Last night, my dinner was inspired by beautiful finds at the farmers market, a relatively pricey piece of fish, and a whim. I was very excited about both the preparation and how it was going to look on the plate. I made purple cauliflower puree, garlicky braised collard greens, and sauteed a nice looking mahi mahi filet. It was all very eh. And the colors, which in my head were going to be bright and interesting and fun (purple cauliflower puree!) , were just disconcerting. Like eating muppet.

So, SE'ers, lend me some support. Tell me about your most recent and fabulous dud.

I posted recently about a wooden spoon getting moldy in my dishwasher. (I threw it out, you convinced me.)

On further investigation, I think I have a deeper problem. My dishwasher smells, and any food scrap on any plate left in my dishwasher for a brief period of time grows moldy. Is it possible that there is mold living/growing in the drain of my dishwasher? How do I get it out? And between now and then, are dishes washed in my dishwasher dangerous (they come out appearing clean)?

I am beyond grossed out. Help.

I've been pretty busy lately and haven't cooked that much. So, a wooden spoon that I used maybe a week and a half ago had been hanging out rinsed, but not cleaned, in the dishwasher waiting to be run. When I opened this dishwasher to fill and run it last night, I was faced with a wooden spoon growing a copious amount of mold. Eww!

Has this ever happened to you? Think the spoon is ok after a good wash, or is it curtains?

I always get confused about the rules re freezing, defrosting and re-freezing, so here's my question.

I made a big batch of bolognese with some ground chuck that was in the fridge and didn't make it to be hamburgers. I immediately froze the meat sauce for later consumption. Assuming that I get tired of spag bol and want to make something else with the leftovers (lasagna, say), would it be safe for me to defrost the bolognese, use it to make my lasagna and then freeze the lasagna? Or is the cook, freeze, cook, re-freeze not safe for the meat?

This is the second year that I'm planting more than just a few herbs in containers on my roof. I've learned a few things, but am looking for a good book with some tips and guidelines about what an urban gardener can grow. Anyone have a book they like and would recommend?

I've got some skinless, bone-in chicken thighs in the fridge. And that seems like a decidedly un-festive st. patty's day dinner. I also have some Guinness...but can't quite put the pieces together. Any thoughts on how the two could become one? Or should I just can the whole idea, cook the chicken and drink the beer?

I'm not sure if this is a NYC specific phenomenon, but it's getting near impossible for me to go out somewhere in my neighborhood on the weekend and have lunch. I'm not talking about a menu with free mimosas, 4 egg options and an obligatory pasta or sandwich. Sometimes I want lunch with varied savory food options (and maybe even nice lunch) on a Saturday at 1pm and not pancakes or eggs. Enjoying a nice meal during the middle of the day seems decadent, and is something I can't do during the week because I'm at work.

Am I alone here? Does everyone else just loooove waiting around for a no reservations brunch table to have an egg that you could make just as well yourself at home for super duper cheap? Should I stop my whining and give the chefs who have killed themselves on Fri and Sat nights a break? What gives?

I made meatballs from the recipe in the January issue of Gourmet. (Here's a link if you're curious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spaghetti-and-Meatballs-351190)

They tasted delicious -- I really loved the meat mixture -- BUT when I got to the browning the meatballs step, everything literally fell apart. The meatballs did not stay ball shaped at all, and some of them just totally broke apart in the pan. When I was finishing the cooking in the sauce, I was afraid to stir at all, thinking I might just end up with meat sauce after all my hard work.

So -- what am I doing wrong? Any suggestions?

When Carla agreed to sous vide her steak last night on Top Chef (although she noted that she was unfamiliar with the technique), alarm bells went off in my head. Having perused the internet today, it's clear that I'm not I am not alone.

Although it was definitely the wrong move for Carla, the technique seems to be widely appreciated by chefs and those who appreciate good food. But I don't really get it. I don't mean the concept. I understand how the cooking happens. I'm just not sure why or when anyone would want to use it. I don't think I've ever eaten anything cooked sous vide. Does it just make your protein mush? What effect does it have on food? When is it the right technique to use?

I'm having a NOLA themed party next weekend, and want to have a lot of Abita Amber on hand. Anyone know who stocks it (without special order)?

I'm thinking about lobster for dinner on Valentine's Day. Lobster is always delicious simply prepared with lots of butter for dunking, but I'd like a more interesting and complex cooking project. Anyone have any great recipes or ideas?

Until fairly recently I used a "wet" measuring cup (you know, the kind with a spout ideally suited to liquids) for everything. Obviously, the design is not great for dry ingredients (say, flour), which is why I went out and bought myself a set of dry measuring cups when I started making pizza dough regularly. I offhandedly mentioned my previous method while paying for my dry measuring cups, and the guy at the store looked horrified. In fact, he told me that the volume of the two kinds of measuring devices is different. (So maybe my dough and brownies would be totally different with the new appropriate equipment....)

I'm inclined not to believe him. Everything seems the same to me. Does anyone here know for sure?

I'm having a friend over for dinner who gets sick after eating onions or garlic (leeks, chives, shallots are a no go too). I'm feeling stuck. I almost always start meals by sauteeing onions and garlic with some olive oil. Any suggestions for a tasty allium-free meal?

I really liked the sound of this recipe posted yesterday, so I made it for dinner last night. I followed the recipe to a tee (unusual for me with pasta recipes) because I was unsure about cooking the pasta in the sauce, and wanted to get the ratio of liquid to pasta right. Turned out the flavors were great (though I'd up anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes next time), but the pasta cooked way quicker than the recipe suggested, and I ended up with a much wetter dish than anticipated.

Anyone else give it a whirl? How were your results?

I've got some really limp carrots and celery hanging out in my fridge. If I use them as part of the veg base for my soup will they be gross and rubbery, or saved by souping? I know people use scraps for stock, but this would be to stay in, not be strained out....

Anyone willing to share their favorite recipe? Chili is my husband's request for birthday dinner/college football watching celebration. I have my standbys, but am looking for a standout. Thanks!

I am tailgating this weekend and very excited about it. The food fanatic in me wants to do something more than throw a kielbasa on a portable grill (though I will do that, and it will be delicious). However, I am limited in that my kitchen is under construction and I can't cook anything at home. My fridge is functional, so I could potentially do some very straightforward marinating, but I have no counters, no oven/stove, everything is covered in dust and all of my appliances and everything are packed away. As I mentioned, we will have a small grill. Any suggestions serious eaters?

And I hope the answer isn't absolutely nothing. I'm getting a new oven and it has a convection feature. What is this useful for? I'm lost.