Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I agree with Joyy & think MBE's question is more than fair. As for Simon, it's people like you that are dragging the quality of this forum way down. You'd be better off starting your own elite discussion forum, subscription of course, for those like yourself who can not only psychically judge others by a few words on an internet forum, but are fond of using others as fuel for your ego trips. At least submit an entrance exam to SE so you can weed out those who aren't in "your league. Disgusting.

Thanks to you all for your suggestions. I haven't found mountains of anything at the few used book stores by me outside of Civil War retrospectives & Appalachian Cooking (which I love, but not the point).

I was hoping that experienced SE'ers had specific books they used & valued & could recommend. The condition of the book is as important to me as the author since it's to be a gift.

From the info you've provided me, Yan-kit So's books look fabulous but not necessarily "retro". I hate it when people ask for help & then "critique" the help they get, so please understand that I'm grateful!

@MissBrownEyes: Thanks for putting me on to half.com. I buy & sell on Amazon & a few others, but was unfamiliar with this site!

@AnnieNT: Thank you for the title! I will definitely look for this one.

@dana r: you may be right. I meant authentic for Kylie & her restaurant & her family cooking:)

I also use my KA grinder & form the sausage into patties. I love it because I can adjust the spices, meat to fat ratio, combination of meats or whatever. I haven't tried rolling the sausage in cheesecloth yet (a la Julia) but I may. I freeze scraps from pork shoulder etc. & make the sausage when I have enough. For a small family like mine, the KA is terrific, although the other advice here for grinders & stuffers is undoubtedly better for larger quantities. Have fun:)

@Casseandra, thanks. I thought your post was hysterical - especially "beating a dead horse", which will probably be the next trend. LOL.

I'm glad there's a growing trend encouraging gardening for those who are interested. It's especially helpful for kids that don't know where their food comes from or latchkey kids with too much empty time on their hands.

Locavorism may have been beaten to death in the media, but I'm glad it's being taken seriously.

Not much in the way of "trends" in my rural area either although the trend toward food snobbery seems more evident these days; probably not a 2010 trend though.

Forgive me for repeating what I know I've posted elsewhere, but my best friend for years was an older vegan animal-rights activist that I love & miss to this day:) She introduced me to Wasabi chips - initially the purchased kind, but later spinach & kale chips & also Noris, which I think she roasted before coating with Wasabi oil. We used to lunch sometimes on "snacks". When I had a great crop of cherry or grape tomatoes, we'd dip them in homemade hummus or quality hummus from the wonderful ethnic stores we had access to in our area. She also made a type of flat bread, similar to pita that she flavored occasionally with onions or chives or such. I would bring homemade salsa with lots of jalapenos. She also made a type of aioli - a garlic mayonnaise she made, but since she only used soy mayonnaise I'm not sure of the ingredients. Inevitably we ended with fruit, always grapes & whatever else was seasonal.

Sorry for the "Edith Bunker" type story, but I have fond memories of that lady & our lunches. Mangia!

Enjoying peanut butter is great, but IMO if you're eating over 2000 calories a day of it & you're not an Olympic Athlete you may want to consult a nutritionist or doctor. The only thing I can relate to was during my pregnancy. For a few months I did have massive cravings for grilled cheese sandwiches & meatball sandwiches. My husband swore if I didn't add more variety our son would be tying a knot in the pipe when he saw the next sandwich coming. My doctor suggested the cheese craving might be in place of a higher need for milk. I think the meatballs were to make sure mi bambino looked Italian:)

Anyway, it passed rather quickly & I haven't experienced anything like it since. I agree peanut butter is healthier than a lot of other things, but a jar a day startles me. Don't worry, just consult an expert & keep smiling.

Well, I agree with many of the sentiments here. I didn't own an electric can opener for decades until someone noticed & bought me a gift. Ditto a digital thermometer you can clip to the outside of the oven & I still don't own a blender. Yet there are other gadgets I wouldn't give up, starting with my Kitchen Aid & including my immersion blender. There's something immensely satisfying on all levels when you can work with your hands & use old-fashioned methods, provided you have the time. Pass along your legacy gadgets - your family & friends will be grateful & your counters & cabinets will be free. LOL.

How about struffoli? I make it every year 'cuz it wouldn't be Christmas in my house without it. Little fried balls of dough, covered with honey/lemon syrup & sprinkled with those little colored confetti balls. You can form it into a pyramid shape or a wreath shape, make it in advance & it travels well.

If you direct ship them they look awfully expensive to me. I'd contact your local grocer/farmer's market & see what they can do for you. Here's a link to direct ship: http://store.redcooper.com/pomegranates-p318.aspx

and another for info: http://www.pomegranates.org/contact.html

Well, I also think it's an interesting article, but there are aspects of "new syndromes" that drive me nutz as well as some other posters. I was considered a "picky eater" as a kid; loved hamburgers (no cheese) wouldn't eat meatloaf or meatballs for example. I certainly outgrew it! My parents didn't "force", neither did they coddle. I could usually find something on the plate...

Lydia Bastianich says in several places that she holds different herbs under the kids & grandkids noses as they grow to familiarize them with the different fragrances etc. Later, they're more amenable to eating foods with those fragrances. I never knew that was a technique, but it's what I did to my self as I grew to love herb gardening & now I'm truly a foodie. I still walk around the garden with leaves of Basil or Lavender in different pockets...Curious.

I just read somewhere (and heaven knows I can't remember - Ina?) that covering turkey leftovers with broth & then freezing them helps them last & taste fresher a little longer. Sorry for the geezer moment:)

As far as oil temperature, if the coating has egg in it my Mom taught me to drop a bit of egg in the oil. If it puffs & floats the oil is right; if it sinks a while before it puffs & floats the oil isn't hot enough. Lydia Bastianich recommends dipping a corner of the item to be fried in the oil. If it sizzles gently (without violent bubbling or burning) it's correct.