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Simple marinara - just olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomatoes and a generous handfull of italian parsley.

I've used any kind of cucumber I was given to make pickles. If they're large, then either slice them or cut them into spears, depending on what type of pickles you're making. If they're really large, then I trim them to jar height, then cut them length-wise to the desired spear size. Use the ends to make bread & butter pickles, or other sliced pickles.

Cioppino

C-Town - it does an excellent job of catering to a diverse ethnic community. Meats include chicken feet, pork bellies, and various internal organs from cows, pigs, chicken and sheep. Vegetables include a wide variety of greens, peppers, and fresh herbs. Also cactus and a few other things I haven't learned what to do with. Canned goods include things like three kinds of tahini, and the largest cans of hominy I've ever seen.

Deep frying. Using all that oil just seems like a waste. Anything calling for an appliance or tool I don't have, where the substitution wouldn't be easy. I'm not particularly fond of dealing with egg whites. Firm, glossy, not dry - those definitions don't compute for me. Major (and even some minor) ingredients impossible to find in a rural area.

marinara loaded with mushrooms, onions, browned beef, sausage and eggplant

basil pesto

old time sauce that my Croation neighbors made. cook all afternoon meat, tomatoe sauce, green peppers, onions, garlic. cinnamon. thick and globby

white clam but only at my favorite restaurant. I also love pesto. I make a great pesto.

My choice is bolognese.