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My mom is an excellent cook...I grew up with two Italian grandfather's with large gardens, so we had fresh vegetables for most of the year (growing up in California)...both of my grandmother's were excellent cooks...frankly we couldn't get a bad meal growing up....My brother and I were extremely lucky...and honestly until reading many of the posts today, I didn't realize how lucky. Even though I know times were often tough and $$ was often short...we never ever ate out of a can or uncooked food....

As for me, I grew up loving to cook, still love it today..even it does get tedious during the week after working all day. My son, who is 16 is also pretty good in the kitchen.

So thanks Nonna Emma, Nonno Fermo, Nonna Settima and Nonno Demo and thanks mom from the bottom of my heart...

I am Italian and from Humboldt County, California....so the traditional Christmas Eve dinner is Dungeness crab, french bread and salad and lots of white wine...oh and it would be a complete dinner without sampling some of the many (7 or 8) different kinds of cookies my mom bakes....

With french bread, white wine and my dad!!!

Snickerdoodles...

Scalloped potatoes, asparagus, peaches, ribeye steak, champagne and Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles

I agree with Tracy H...grilled cheese MUST be cut on the diagonal to get all the cheesy goodness...I am also firmly on the diagonal cut for every sandwich...my spouse on the other hand is firmly in the lengthwise cut group for his sandwiches (with the exception of the aforementioned grilled cheese).

Well...my hubby is quite a pit master, so I would have to say my own backyard...if not Henry's Hi Life in San Jose does a fine job!!

Please go back and bring the 3 year old, some flowers, a heartfelt apology and a big smile. Seriously, if the restaurant has been open for some time, yours is probably not the first to barf there. Kids get a pass....your wife, clogging the toilet, maybe not so much...but it was a stressful situation. I am sure the staff appreciates your cleaning up after your child.

@kris10...you touched on one of my hugest pet peeves (and trust me I have many)...when my son was small and he made a disaster of the table, floor, etc. I would try to clean up as much as possible, but I also left a big tip. Kids don't learn how to behave if they are never exposed to restaurants , but that doesn't mean you abdicate parental responsibility for cleaning up after your own child. My son is now 16 and drives himself to his favorite place to eat---In n Out...and I know he cleans up after himself...

I used to commute on the train every day and there was a guy who ate his cereal with apple juice...

Made this for dinner last night....really good!

I have had my 7 cup Cuisinart for 21 years, use it all the time and it works like a charm.

Wow...I feel like I have lost a good friend. The Silver Palate Cookbook was my first "grown up" cookbook and it was put to good use...my copy is falling apart. Among the favorites..Chicken Marbella without a doubt, the Carrot Cake...what an amazing cake...and I never, ever make homemade pizza without using the dough recipe from New Basics...the lamb chops made with ginger and soy (altho, I must admit I use the recipe as an outline and use different ingredients--the cooking method makes perfect med. rare lamb chops every time)...RIP