marcus perry's Profile

Must we choose between the two? Why does there have to be an either/or? The better product should embody both. Think Apple products, as in iPad and iPhone.

I mop. At home. Dining out. It's food, people. And it's a delicious and lovely nonverbal compliment to the cook/chef. Let's not turn a well-meaning, seemingly ubiquitous American gesture into a "crime." Or liken it to wiping one's ass at the dinner table! ...I imagine quickly retrieving that dropped meatball or French fry from the kitchen floor might be considered "heresy" to the anti-moppers, too. (Yes, I've done it! :-) ...Having worked in "high" and "low" restaurant kitchens for a number of years, you'd be surprised--make that shell-shocked!--at what sometimes happens with your food before it arrives beautifully plated at your table. For example, it occurs with regularity that the cook will utilize his naked index finger (as a thermometer) to take the temperature of your mashed potatoes or vegetable puree, then cover it with quick flourish of a spoon. Or the naked finger (again!) used as a "tasting spoon" (over and over) to taste/test your sauce--in the name of "quality assurance," of course. And these "finger crimes" are fairly standard and widespread as I've witnessed them. ..."And some of you are up in arms about the etiquette of dabbing bread in sauce?" Clearly, your worries and judgments are misplaced.

What a lovely dish! With so many of my favorite things: lemons, herbs, beans, and lean protein. I bet this one-pot wonder would taste great spooned over a few ounces of quinoa or couscous. Mmm!

As mentioned by most, the tub is aesthetically pleasing and sexy (something out of a James Bond movie for sure!), but it doesn't seem practical on several levels at the end of the day. In my opinion, the best designed objects account equally for "function" as well as form.

...Still, I'd love to see Brad Pitt or Javier Bardem or Will Smith photographed naked in it.

@JamiePMac: "Hating?" How did you come to that conclusion? I don't "hate" anything about this blog. I simply offered my opinion based on my experiences and skills with tools (drilling) and the nature of project.

"Scare other people away?" I have no motivation or desire to do such. Why would I want to do that? (If only...You're still here, aren't you?) It appears that most visitors to this site are smart and sophisticated and quite capable of making up their minds about what recipes or projects to attempt, irrespective of a particular comment.

Don't assume or project, please.

It's okay to "love" or "hate" GP. It's the comes with the (celebrity) territory. (I doubt that she is affected by blog comments, pro or con. "If you lived on her perch, would you be?" ...I probably would not--though I'm NOT proud to admit that.) The same goes for any celebrity-turned-cookbook author: Suzanne Somers, Patti Labelle, etc.

This post did cause me to slow down, pause, and (cautiously) consider GP's cookbook, I'll admit. Yet, my instincts tell me to wait six months and buy it for $4.99 from the Border's or Barnes & Noble bargain rack. (In the interim, I'll peruse the copy at my local library.)

Oh my! I looove sweet potatoes and cannot wait until the weekend to make these.

P.S. Thanks for the sweet potato cobbler recipe, "The Runaway Spoon." And, "Sally 599," where can I find the recipe for cream biscuits that you mentioned?