Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Wonton wrappers are an acceptable substitute. Save the uncooked ones by freezing them on a cookie sheet and then plastic bagging them.

frozen corn (and shameful to admit, frozen french fries)

I, too, was a latch-key kid. In kindergarten, we made a class "recipe book": the kids dictated the recipes to the teacher, who wrote them down and photocopied them into a little booklet (great idea, too!). My entry was (no joke), "making Spaghetti-ohs." (Get out the pan, open the can...) My mother was mortified, but that was my reality.

Now, though, I cook at least 4 times a week. Soups, Chili, teriyaki chicken (boning my own chicken!) I don't know where it comes from, as my mother still absolutely never cooks, but I adore it.

One of my favorite things? Looking down at an oddly chopped vegetable in my food and thinking, "Oh, I remember chopping you!" Yes, I was an odd child, and I am a strange adult. But cooking makes me feel relaxed like almost nothing else.

I have made my own, and plan to again. Honestly, I cannot remember if I put cheese in them before I froze them, but I would suspect I did. They were bean and rice and came out great from the freezer. I wouldn't make them just to freeze, necessarily, but whenever I am making some for dinner, I think it's a great idea to make lots of extras. Put 'em in the microwave for two-three minutes, and eat up.

Turnip greens. I'm a Southerner, born and raised, but I can't take 'em. Strangely, I do like cooked spinach.

^ Oh dear. I guess that should be Martha Stewart Living.

i love pickle juice, probably because I have hypothyroidism and addison's disease. But I love salty things. The pickle juice martini is like a really good dirty martini (which is usually just olive juice and either gin or vodka). I've seen little cans of pickle juice in the supermarket but have yet to try it.

"Yummy" - it should be prohibited for use by anyone older than 12. When grown men and women say "it's so yummy!" (especially about something they just made themselves) - ewwwwww!

Also, "reduce down" as in "we'll add some wine and reduce this sauce DOWN for 5 minutes". As opposed to what, reducing it UP?

Oops, make that, "reduced to 'so and so gets it.'"

I can't explain it, but I really hate the word "unctuous."

As for "foodie," it would be nice to come up with another simple word we could use to describe ourselves. I don't love it, don't hate it. When someone says, "she's a real foodie," about me, it has a very specific meaning. Sometimes I say "food is my hobby," but it may not be clear that I mean I like thinking about food, shopping for it, preparing it, eating it, serving it to friends and family, etc. I'd love a simple word that could convey all that.