Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I made beans and greens last night that were really above and beyond--I grew up on southern-style beans with lovely chunks of ham or bacon as part of the base, and up to now all my efforts to reproduce them for my vegetarian partner have been decidedly lackluster. But last night, some really quality homemade broth and two different kinds of bacon salt made a DELICIOUS batch of beans. My homemade mac and cheese is also nothing to sneeze at. But I'll admit, I often think whatever I've made most recently is the Best Thing. I'm sort of like a dog.

Pulled Pork! I remain a Very Cheap Date

Milk with a little splenda, but when it's good coffee just black.

Is "put it directly in my mouth" a choice, because last time I had prosciutto in the house it was definitely a do not pass go, do not collect $200, proceed directly to nomsville boulevard situation. Otherwise I could stand to wrap it around some roasted fruits I suppose.

Ribeye, om nom nom

Eggs. I don't even LIKE eggs, so when other people are making them sriracha is a must.

Serve? It's cute that you think it lasts long enough to make it from deli to dinner party, whatever my intentions.

But I do like it wrapped around marinated dates, or just with a nice aged cheese and maybe some good bread.

I grew up in the South, so for me American flavor is about making do with what you have and using time to make up the difference left by a lack of ingredients.

Successfully making pulled pork on my own for the first time--and not just a little bit, but like 4 shoulders worth, plus some totally amazing bourbon barbecue sauce. Happy birthday to me! Especially since my puny friends at my birthday party only ate like a quarter of it and I had it for every meal in some fashion for about a week. Did you know pulled pork makes great fried rice?

Definitely knife skills. I used to skate by with some shoddy (and dangerous) work, but then I took a job prepping meals for another family, and the first time I sliced open a finger and had to ask for a bandaid (I lied and said I cut it on a rough edge of an open can, who hires a cook that can't chop onions without bloodying herself?) I decided that had to go. My food is prettier, it cooks more evenly, and I don't have to wince every time I so much as think about picking up the lemon juice.

Though admittedly it turned out not to be a "fantasy food," my imagined version of the Turkish Delight in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was something like baklava on steroids. I was rather disappointed by the real thing when I finally encountered it.

I am also with aly on the loveliness of "eating your words" in the Phantom Tollbooth... though for me the great fascination was with tasting the letters at the market. My mouth still waters for a crisp, juicy A!

My heart aches for you.... Losing a dog is So Hard, especially unexpectedly. I celebrate all the love and companionship you gave each other and mourn the loss of a Great Dog.