Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

my dog will eat anything, but it's particularly funny watching him eat watermelon while my kids hold it for him (he does not like the rind!)

I have had Ted's absinthe shipped from Europe to a friend for his birthday last year, including some spoons....driving around Las Vegas looking for sugar cubes at midnight added to the excitement....

We dripped water through the cube into the absinthe, and drank about 3 glasses....the buzz was definately different (like how tequila gives you a different buzz than say vodka).....

if you like the taste, it is a fun, ritualistic way of drinking (and rituals always make drinking more fun), if you don;t like the taste of licorice/anise/fennel/absinthe, there's no getting around it....

Great books are

United States of Arugula
Salt
Cod

OK book
the Perfectionist

Not so good (very unfortunately)
...and a bottle of Rum

15 years of beer can chicken....sparks has only been around for a year or 2

hmmm....that's not a bad thought....doesn't help with the meal though

I make most anything, but foie gras is still best at a restaurant that knows what its doing

I not only agree, I'm going to do something about it.....as I prepare to leave my current position at a food company and open a specialty grocery store, I can;t wait to be able to support the local farmers and encourage them to not only raise heritage animals, but to DO something with them....

there is no reason why we can't fatten pigs on acorns and chestrnuts in the US, and make comparable quality proscuitto's as the good stuff we can't even import from Italy.....

anyone who wants to sell me domestic, artisinal cured meats, post your em-mail and I'll get in touch!

No question:

Best Recipe

gives you the absolute best preparation method for any food, then you consult other cookbooks or yor cupboards to get the spicing/flavor you want

I bought a bottle os the 'real' absinthe from a website I learned about in New Orleans a few years back...they distill and ship directly from Switzerland or thereabouts....sent it my friend in Las Vegas, along with some real absinthe spoons...one of the things I like about this drink is the ritual, sort of like smoking crack perhaps....

it tastes like...absinthe, that is anise, licorace, take your pick....you pour your 'dosage" (this was prescribed by doctors you know), put your slotter spoon over the glass, put a sugar cube on top, and slowiy pour water through the cube into the glass...when you add enough the clear liquid turns milky white, then, sip away...

we had about 4-5 drinks before we went out, and maybe it was Vegas, maybe it was the absinthe, but it was definately a different buzz, loopy, twisted, almost hallucinogenic....maybe a few more drinks would have been best...

the ritual and educational aspect of this was at least as good, if not better than the actual drink, but you should learn the history to really enjoy the beverage

Paula Dean is right up there with Rachel Ray....annoying, artifical sweetness, just, echhhhhh

Ice cubes hitting the glass, the beginning of a cocktail

Clearly, Giadda is the best, because;
1)she's actually a classically trained chef
2) she cooks interesting and good food, and
3) as Mario says, "she's got a great rack" (he really did say that)

braised or in a stew would be good...I've had braised black bear, tasted like...well,. bear......