I know there have been posts on SeriousEats (especially re: Jeni's ice cream) about using corn syrup to get ice cream parlour texture at home. If I use corn syrup should I omit any vodka that was in the recipe to keep it "soft and scoopable" or use both? Do they each serve a different function?

I keep hearing rumblings online that Wall's BBQ might be permanently closed. Anyone able to confirm or deny this? If they are open does anyone have tips on time of day or day of week to eat there?

Any thought on Pink Pig BBQ?

Lastly, is there better fried chicken than Mrs. Wilkes that I don't want to miss?

I was just wondering if any Torontonians have any hot tips on where to get Mexican ingredients that aren't readily available in supermarkets (i.e. tomatillos, poblanos, Mexican cheeses, herbs/spices). I know there is a small grocers in Kensington market but I'm in the east end and traffic makes Kensington only an occasionally shopping destination.

I bought a ton of strip steaks when they were on sale... and then figured out why they were on sale. They aren't very good. Tougher than you would expect from a strip steak and fairly flavourless despite good marbling. Can I cube and use them in a non-grilling application like a stew or braise? What would you do?

DH and I are going to Chicago for a few days and need to seriously limit some of our meal choices. We have about 15 restaurants selected for about 6 meals. Haha.

Hot Doug's is on the list for sure. Also, XOCO (thoughts?).

Here is where I need opinions:
Fried chicken: Remus' or Harold's?
Barbecue: Lem's or Uncle John's?
Taqueria: El Pasadita or Tierra Caliente?

Also, any recommendations for reasonably priced must try eats near Navy Pier? We are going in about a week so will be too late for reservations at a lot of the pricier hot spots I imagine.

I want to make the most out of my cherry tree. I was thinking of drying or freezing a lot of them... but I shudder at the thought of pitting them. Does any one have a favourite pitter?

Does anyone have a favourite rhubarb jam or jelly recipe? I just got gifted a big shopping bag full of rhubarb. Yay!

You go to a comic book and graphic arts festival and come home with three food related prints.

How about you? Is food cropping up in unexpected areas of your life?

Any favourite recipes for flank steak? I saw it at the grocer's today and decided to finally give it a try. I don't have a grill though, just a 10.5 inch cast-iron skillet.

So I was thinking I'd braise some beef for tacos in the vein of barbacoa or similar but a lot of recipes seemed too intensive for a work night. Long story short, I braised the beef in a 2:1 ratio of beef stock to salsa. The beef tastes delicious and has a mild chili heat but the tomatoes from the salsa became so intense and sweet I'm not sure tacos are the best application for this now shredded beef.

Would you still make tacos? If so, with what garnishes/ toppings? If not, what would you make instead?

Our closest "couple" friends are coming for dinner Friday. They are both big eaters/food lovers but he has to have his gallbladder out and is on a fairly fat-restricted diet. I really want to do something Tex-Mex-ish but need ideas beyond the main course.

I was thinking of braised skinless chicken drums shredded for make your own tacos with avocado, fat-free sour cream, salsas, etc. But what else can I serve? Anyone have a great recipe for a gallbladder friendly Mexican inspired salad? Sides? Things that can be cooked the night before or are quick are also ideal because the dinner is only a few hours after work.

Many schools are adopting healthy snack programs which are intended to include healthy foods from each of the food groups. Cheese and yogurt seem to be the obvious choice for many of the programs, but often the cheese is stringable cheese or processed cheese slices. Are these actually healthy (compared to "real" cheese) or do you think it is just a cost effective "better than nothing" solution?

Husband and I are looking to into the viability of a kitchen redesign. I am wondering how people feel about cabinets with shelves versus with drawers. What is your ideal ratio? The kitchen is 9ft x 9ft and will most likely be an L shape design with a free standing work table. Big windows on 1 1/4 walls with low sills make a U or galley shape unworkable.

The previous gardening thread got me thinking. One thing I've been mulling over is building a polytunnel in my yard to plant some veg and herbs. I have a black thumb and have had (no lie) zero success growing veg and herbs from either seeds or small plants. I think the two major problems have been cold springs and an overly shaded yard. Anyone have a polytunnel? Had a polytunnel? I must admit I am a huge River Cottage fan and got the idea from H F-W. Haha.

My husband and I just bought our first home. The kitchen is fairly small and we want to keep the pantry to the essentials to (a) eliminate waste and (b) save space. We've never stocked a kitchen from scratch before. What do you consider your essentials? Also, the basement is large and dry so we could put a pantry down there for large/dry/canned items if needed.

So I took the advice of an earlier column and got some good aged gouda. Now what?

A friend was recently married and had her favourite drink (mojito) as the signature drink at her wedding. For Christmas I was thinking of trying to make a lime and mint infused rum (sort of a mojito-cello) that could be mixed with bubbly water to make mojitos.

Would this work? Any tried and true recipes? Do I have enough time? I've found limoncello recipes and wondered if I could just adjust to use lime and mint instead of lemon... but wasn't sure about quantities.

I don't want to "waste" an expensive bottle of booze. So I also wonder if just making a minted simple syrup would be the better route? Make a gift basket with all the mojito makings and some snacks. Ideas?

Long story short, I went to the States to visit the in-laws and have an early Thanksgiving this weekend. At dinner, I met a corrections officer who is trying to introduce recycling, compost, and horticulture programs at his prison. He was trying to find organizations that advocate for these types of programs who might be able to help him apply for funding/implement these programs. I couldn't really come up with any ideas, so I thought I'd tap into the brainpower of my fellow SeriousEaters. Any ideas? It is in PA if that makes any difference.

My uncle called me up this morning asking me for a recipe to pickle tomatoes. I've never pickled anything but I have a basic pickling recipe from Ad Hoc at Home (1 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water). I am not sure if that is appropriate for pickled tomatoes or what seasonings would be good to add.

Any tried and true recipes you can share?

The husband and I are supposed to be meeting up with some people in the Fairview Mall area for dinner. Looking for relatively cheap eats, but tasty. I've had a few recommendations for Johnny's Burgers but I'm not sure if it is an eat-in place or just take-out. Any ideas?

Let's forget that I am coming late to the party... I have wanted to watch the movie for a long time but was worried it was going to really stress me out. I already knew most, if not all, of the information presented in the documentary but it still upset me a lot. My husband and I do not make a ton of money, and we are trying to buy a house which means taking on a mortgage, but we want to try to make some changes in our day to day lives that are affordable and can help make even a small impact against the big agribusiness machine (i.e. joining a meat CSA). What changes have you made? What realistically can be accomplished on a limited budget?

I often use my iPod to surf seriouseats and have been having a few problems. In many, if not most, mobile articles the recipes are missing. I can access them via the recipe section but not through the related article. Also, I read all sections of the mobile site but often miss out on entire articles (possibly because they are cross-posted Slice or AHT articles). Anyone else notice this?

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law brought over a trivia game for the Wii. I was surprised how many questions were either directly or indirectly food related, and was pleased that my food obsessiveness gave me the winning edge. Since then, my husband and I have befriended a new group who are very keen on board games. Each of my teams has ended up winning, in part because of the number of food related questions that seem to come up in trivia games. People often ask how/why I would know those answers. Has anyone else benefited in this way? Or, is it just a fluke?

Does anyone have a tried and true lemon ice box pie recipe? Do you top with meringue or whipped cream?

The title says it all. The ingredients are honey, brown sugar, oil, peanut butter and granola. The recipe made more than anticipated and I am going on vacation (with no fridge so they won't keep). Think they will freeze okay?

Curse my @!!***!!! electric stove top! I was cooking a pot of pinto beans on the stove and misjudged the amount of time I had before I needed to remove them from the heat and the beans on the bottom... More