I have bananas in a fruit bowl which sits very close to another bowl that contains garlic.

Today, my banana has a very distinct garlic flavor to it.

Can't find anything online about the absorption feature of the banana, but am thinking of putting them next to some coffee beans tonight. That could be an interesting flavor combination.

I'm frying a big pan of bacon right now and wondering why I'm not adding an savory elements to it - a concept I've never thought of until this morning. The Google search for spiced bacon brought up many recipes which include sugar, but I'm not really keen on those. The bacon rarely makes it to the plate for breakfast because it's just too easy to pick at it until the rest of the meal is done cooking. I wondered how to make it a better munching experience

So far I've only added pepper, but am ready to throw some rosemary in there.

Do you spice your bacon? If so, would love to hear your flavor combination.

Soon I will have a new house and a bigger kitchen (might have to change my screen name). As I consider my preferences for the color and design, I wonder how you chose your kitchen blueprint. There are so many options that I like I'm not sure how to pick one that I can live with for a while.

Help me understand.

For T'giving I made two outstanding appetizers (I was asked to bring them by the host): Blue Corn Tortilla Crusted Crab Cakes in Spicy Carrot-Mango Broth and Mango-Green Onion Relish, and Toasted Pecan and Gorgonzola Stuffed Dates.

My friends who celebrated the day with me, raved over and over about how good everything was. (It really was.)

Then comes dinner ... the standard turkey, mashed potatoes, Stove Top stuffing and canned gravy. Dessert was a basic pumpkin pie made from the can and with a frozen pie crust and, to my horror, whipped cream from an aerosol container.

How can people, who definitely appreciate the taste of exceptionally well-prepared and tasty food, be okay with eating that which has no flavor at all?

I don't want to sound negative, but this really confuses me. Several of these people are great cooks, so this mystery continues to boggle my mind.

I'm thinking they love delicious food, but lack the initiative to prepare it. It just seems to be a gastronomical dichotomy that makes little sense to me. Thoughts?

... would you be a Professional Chef? Restaurant Owner? Food Network Host? Food Critic? Vineyard Owner? Culinary Scientist? Gold Medalist in the Culinary Olympics? Other?

I can't decide.

It's been three weeks since hand surgery.
I never knew I would miss chopping, mixing and creating edible goodness so much. I have found out that what I make in the kitchen, to some extent, really does define me.
This would be a very interesting social experiment, if only I weren't the subject!
It's going to be a long fall and winter, I fear.

Anyone else ever go through a period of no cooking? It is not fun!

Here's a new one for everyone: I'm having a significant hand surgery this week, which is going to render me a one-armed wonder for at least two months. Naturally, it's my right hand. I'm going to have a cast from my fingers to my elbow, and am not to use it at all or get it wet. My fingers will not be much use, as one part of the surgery is on the index finger. My hand will be split like the lobster boy claw. Ouch.

What to make? I won't be able to cut anything until October. I'm not really one to eat anything from a box or can, so I'm trying to determine what I can make and freeze ahead of time. Eating with my left hand is not going to be successful (I've had previous right hand surgery three years ago - hey, I'm a lemon).

I've already made a couple of soups and some chili. I'm going to cut up some vegetables and freeze them for later use. I'm also going to make some tapenade and hummus, but am afraid they won't keep that long in the fridge.

Oh, and I'm staying away from yeast products.

Any thoughts? I'm thinking that the unavoidable side effect of weight loss is eminent.

Just curious if any SE'ers consult their respective city or regional magazines to find new restaurants. If so, what categories make sense to you? Or do you focus mainly on price and/or location?

Disclosure: I work for a city magazine and we are changing our categories and subheadings for our annual city guide. I am debating whether to use headings like "New American" or
"Upscale Eclectic" in place of "Casual." I really want to separate the chain restaurants from our local ones. And yes, we are having editorial meetings to decide as a company how to proceed. I am really quite interested in everyone's thoughtful opinion, not looking for editorial direction. That's what they pay me the small bucks for!

My mother's ample kitchen bounty, a conglomeration of 75 years of acquisition, is destined to end up in mine. I have an impossibly small space, so I'm going to have to sacrifice something to add the newly inherited stuff.

Many posts ask what people need. I am asking what would you get rid of?

I wasn't paying attention in the store and the beets - yes, jarred beets - cascaded to the floor. Totally my fault. I didn't know whether to run, laugh or die. I chose to tell the nearest employee and offer to help clean up, but they shooed me away. To hear the overhead announcement, though stated without judgement or disdain, was just as humiliating as I imagined it would be.

Has anyone else felt the disgrace of being the reason for a cleanup in aisle seven?

Has anyone heard of them? I'm told they aren't well known outside of West Michigan, but I have some doubts about that. I

Does rice vinegar (or any vinegar for that matter) go bad? I found an old bottle in the back of my cupboard that's turned a strange brownish color. It smells fine, but looks like molasses. There is no sediment at the bottom of the bottle.
Use? Throw out? Any thoughts?

I had a coffee filter malfunction this morning which resulted in a brew filled with grounds. We immediately call this "cowboy coffee" though I'm not sure why.

Do you have nicknames for food? We also call brussel sprouts "sprussel brouts" quite intentionally. It's just an inside joke that no one really gets. Food nicknames, anyone?

Working up a sweat after meticulously scrubbing off the remains of roasted cabbage, I gave up and let the pan win. It made me look closely at all the remnants of things cooked previously. I smiled, thinking to myself that this pan had lived and served me well. It has seen the good, bad and downright ugly for years.

If your pans could talk, what would they say?

It seems to be legit.
www.bakonvodka.com
I know there's a few people on SE who might get a kick out of this.

... hummus. I'm eating the most delicious Lebanese food right now, and suddenly remembered the first time I tasted hummus. It was as if my tastebuds exploded - it was that good. I'll bet it was 20 years ago, and I still recall loving every second of it.

I'd have to say it was a defining moment for my palate. Anyone else have such a culinicious tale?

Who's got the unfailing secret to peeling hard boiled eggs? It's always a crapshoot with me ... either the egg peels seemlessly without any problem or I can get the shell off to save my life (or the egg). I cook them the same every time: eggs in water, heat to boil, set timer for 12 minutes. Drain. Run cold water over eggs to stop cooking process. I'm tired of throwing eggs down the drain because I can't get the shell off of them without destroying them in the process.