Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

My stomach is growling. I don't think I'd make it through crimping 100 of those without a good lot of people helping out . . . but I've got a little "dumpling press" that I picked up God knows where that makes the job easier.

OK, I feel totally vindicated in my Popeye's pleasure now. Every time I'm in the South I indulge in one, luscious thigh.

I'll bet this would be fabulous with thin, rosy slices of pork tenderloin on top. If you didn't want to serve it completely naked, that is.

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The Trader Giotto's Three Cheese pizza . . . although lately I've been feeling a bit guilty about buying a pizza that's been imported all the way from Italy. Talk about the antithesis of buying local!

She's awesome. I just saw her present at a conference at IACP Greystone and she went on and on about these Brussels sprouts. Can't wait to get the book . . .

Oh what I wouldn't do for one of those beehive ovens . . . (sigh). Maybe next year? ;-)

By the way . . . I've got a list of gifts for winelovers on my blog here if anyone's interested.

Cheers!

Those peanut clusters look frighteningly good! Thanks for the list.

I've actually thought quite a bit about this in the past, so I'm happy the topic has hit the blogosphere.

To me, it depends. I love an adventure when I eat out . . . if I'm eating out for the food. Tapas, meze, antojitos--bring it on. The more new experiences for my palate, the better.

But if I'm out for the night to connect with my husband or a friend, where we want the focus to be on conversation and the food a backdrop (and I'm not saying it can be substandard, mind you), then I prefer the regular courses.

For instance, as much as I LOVED exploring the tapas bars in Seville, by the end of the week I felt like my husband and I hadn't ever been able to dig into a full conversation because we were always focused on the flavors in front of us or what to order next.

So for me, I'd have to say a balance of the two is the best bet.

Yes, yes and yes to the opening questions. I think I'm a shoe-in for membership. By the way, I've always wondered . . . what is liquid smoke made of anyway?

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My favorite duck confit recipe is from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider. She seasons the duck legs and cures them, as in the traditional way. But then she wraps them in foil and bakes them at a low temp for several hours. The meat becomes "confit" in its own fat and juices, saving on both money (duck fat is expensive!) and cholesterol. When you pull them out of the oven, the meat is meltingly tender and most of the excess fat is rendered. Then you just pat them off and can store them in the fridge or freezer, or crisp them skin-side down in a pan.

I'll have to try it on that pizza!

I'm not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving, but it's always . . . ALWAYS . . . Bon Appetit that I turn to for the feast. I still have the 1994 issue on my shelf from the first year I played host. Thirteen years later, the November issue is dog-eared once again.

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Congrats all! Ed, I always look forward to seeing what stories you're cooking up.

I'm so glad you posted this for so many reasons (Izzy's Mama, I should have known I'd see you here ;-)). My daughter just turned one and loves to "play" with me in the kitchen, and the whole spatula-bowl routine is getting a little old. I wondered about those Melissa and Doug sets you talk about (and have even bought them as gifts before), but wasn't sure if they'd really appeal to kids. So it sounds like we've got a gift to add to the Christmas list!

Also great to read where you all weigh in on kids and knives in general. srhcb, I'd love to know where you got the little plastic serrated knife--is it just like a take-out knife?

By the way . . . if you haven't already, please stop by www.generouspour.com to help me raise money for Share Our Strength towards ending hunger in America. You don't have to buy anything, pay anything or even do anything -- other than download a cool song by Corinne Bailey Rae and pick up some new holiday recipes (and a nifty widget for your blogs if you're so inclined). Thanks for your support!