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We were in Beaune, France, when my moment occurred. It was in 1988 and my first trip to France. The restaurant in our hotel (Hotel de la cloche) was very famous so we had dinner there one night. It was the off season and only one other couple was in the place, so it was very quiet. Nate and I were conscious of the fact that we needed to add to the quiet, so we spoke in whispers. That's the back story. I decided to order les escargots because they were traditional to the region and I'd never had them. The waiter handed me a device that looked like an eyelash curler. I had no idea what it was for but took a guess that maybe it was meant for holding the snail. I picked it up, closed it around the shell, and then the device snapped out of my hands, clattered across two tables and finally fell on the floor. I would gladly have climbed into one of those shells if I could have. The other couple looked up at me and the man said..."It is a different way of life, is it not?" We all laughed....and then gabbed away for the rest of our dinners. PS, no harm was done to those snails...the waiter brought some pate for me, something I could handle!

I detest the evil weed. I once picked up a bunch at the supermarket-it was masquerading as parsley-and when I realized what I'd done I dropped it like a dead mouse. My hand sanitizer took care of the odor. I'm itching just thinking about it. I am of the school that says it tastes like soap and ruins everything it touches. It also gives my tongue a tingly sensation if I happen to accidentally eat it. Could it be that it isn't only genetic but an allergen too?
I am ok with low coriander quotients in Indian food, but I avoid Mexican and Thai because those cuisines are cilantro minefields.
I wish I could like it, but wishing doesn't make it so.

Pop a boiled potato, some excellent full fat sour cream, and a modest amount of salt into that schav for a delish and satisfying lunch!
Mollie O'neil's New York Cookbook has a wonderful recipe for vichyssoise.

I make a cold carrot/ginger creme soup...has some interesting things in it that make it stand out from the rest. It is originally from a book called Cold Soups (natch). It can also be eaten hot. If anyone wants more info post here and let me know! I adore cold soups in the summer...

I still have my copy of the 1965 Betty Crocker kid's cookbook. Love it and will never part from it, at least until I get some grandchildren! Jane and Michael Stern's "Square Meals", a 1984 book about meals and/or parties that may have been (or not). Much of the copy is hilarious. I actually made the Enchanted Broccoli Forest when my daughter was about 3. We had fun eating it.
My most recent acquisition is the "Tempting Kosher Dishes" published by Manischewitz in 1930. The writers (anonymous) really didn't know how to write a recipe so it becomes a challenge to the semi-adventurous cook to use it. Great Manischewitz wine/walnut cake....about the best use for that wine I've ever experienced!

1.CILANTRO a/k/a THE EVIL WEED
2. rolls (cans)of semi-prepared biscuits or chocolate chip cookies
3.pork, shrimp or any kind of shellfish.
4. canned or boxed stocks (veg, beef, or chicken)
5. cake mixes
6. Swiss Miss or other powdered beverages
7. Bottled lemon or lime juice
8. junk food other than pretzels or popcorn
9. margarine
10. Uncle Ben's converted rice (I've always wondered what he converted to and from)

Funny how tastes change as you become a grownup-I'm 51 so it has been some time since I ate Velveeta on a regular basis. My dad loved the stuff melted on white bread or just eaten out of hand. In '06 I decided to see if it might be a guilty pleasure for me so I bought a little bar. One bite and I threw it out. It was somewhere beyond YECH!!! I know I should have known better but turning 50 made me feel nostalgic. I got over it.

Joannabar - have used a Chef's Choice sharpener for years. Donated the old one (with the ceramic/diamond honing oscillating thingies) and got a new model 130 a couple of years ago. Three slots. Does a great job on the eclectic collection of knives that I have - a 40+ year old L. L. Bean carbon steel chef's knife, a couple of Sabatier's, Wustoff Trident, a loooong Dexter Russell slicer, a few Chicago Cutlery, etc.

The nice thing about the new sharpener is that it gets right to the heel of the blade - the old one didn't. Cooks Illustrated testing lab likes it, too.

As far as using a whet stone - I can, but it takes a LOT of practice and experience to get it right. The Chef's Choice does a great job, and does it quickly.

I have Forschners in my knife kit and Henckels I received as a gift at home. I like my Forschners better. They're sturdy little beasts, crazy affordable, and hone really easily!

My main knife is a Calphalon chef's knife. Otherwise, I've got some knives that my parents gave me when I moved into my apartment in college and needed to stock up my kitchen (a long-ish straight edge, a serrated knife, a couple steak knives and a paring knife). I also ended up with a semi-serrated bread knife. Nothing fancy by any means, but sturdy knives that have held up well.

The only three I really use are the chef's knife (most things), paring knife (small stuff), and the bread knife (tomatoes, bread). For sharpening, I only do the straight edge knives, using a whetstone (and a steel to keep them edges straight). I found a video on how to sharpen knives by hand on Grocery Guy. It requires some patience and coordination, but the results are good and it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the alternatives.

I bought my main knife from the guy who used to service the restaurant I worked at It cost me $5.00. I steel it every two or three times I use it, depending on what I'm cutting. It's generic, large (10-inch), and, for the most part, all I ever need. I bring it to a pro shop for real sharpening maybe every two years.
I also have a nice 10-inch carbon steel, also generic, from the same restaurant which I don't use much anymore because it oxidizes so quickly.
When I do the occasional catering job I bring a 10-inch sushi knife for slicing roast and such.
We have a set of Chicago Cutlery knives that a friend gave us as a wedding present. They mostly sit idle, as I find the blades are too thick and they get dull really quickly. I'm not a fan.
Depending on how much I use my knifes, professional sharpening seems to be needed only every year or two. Otherwise I use the steel I got from the restaurant supply house.

There is a big difference between sharpening and straightening a knife. The steel most people use in the kitchen a knife straightener to get a better edge and should be done regularly (if not for every use). Actual sharpening of a knife only needs to be done once or twice a year for household users and should be done by a professional.

Most of those sharpeners you see on TV or for under $500 are garbage and just destroy your knives.