mdorothy's Profile

One of my faves for this time of year is Salade Nicoise. You can do all the prep ahead of time, or as much as you want, anyway.

Since you want to grill, you can grill fresh tuna and chicken (for the non-piscatarian) and you can grill some of the veggies, too. You can also do some clever subbing or adding -- grilled asparagus would be a good addition or substitution for the green beans.

Tyler Florence has a good recipe on the Food Network site to get you started.

Check sites like Lifehacker and Instructables for home-made scanning systems.

Scanning an entire book is VERY time consuming, but you asked! 8-)

This recipe sounds great. I've never used almond milk before. Should I soak the tapioca overnight in the fridge or at room temperature?

The hot new trend among quilters is the bed scarf or bed runner. it's a long, narrow quilt inteded to add color/design just to the foot of the bed -- sorta like a table runner. They're a good place to try an elaborate pattern that would be overwhelming in a bed-sized quilt.

I adore corn in all its forms -- including polenta.

But as a newly-transplanted to the south cook, can anyone tell me the definitive difference between grits and polenta?

Um, yes, they did have "stickers" in the 'old days'. Those are probably not self-stick stickers, but rather pieces of paper glued to the box -- to seal it at the factory, to indicate that taxes have been paid and so forth.

Branch out, fellow foodies! Barley is a tasty grain that can be used as a substitute for soft polenta or small pasta.

Serve it as a base for a tasty stew or ragu. Place a portion of cooked barley in your bowl, then add the topping -- beef stroganoff, chicken cacciatore, etc.

Add cooked barley to soups. I love, love, love making a chicken/mushroom soup with plenty of onions and celery, adding cooked barley, and finishing with a splash of seasoned rice vinegar.

Ridiculous! You'd actually go into someone else's home and sharpen their knives?? Yes, in general sharp knives are safer, but if someone is used to working with dull knives -- their OWN dull knives -- suddenly having a sharp kinfe is a recipe for disaster.

Take your own knives with you when you visit. Period.

Attention hosts/hostesses:

You are under NO obligation to serve a food or beverage gift at the event. It's a GIFT. Thank the guest and set the item aside with a cheery, "Oh, we'll enjoy this at [suitable occasion some ways off.]

Attention guests:

If you bring a dish make sure:
A) you are doing it with the host's agreement -- that he expects and welcomes it.
2) the thing is ready to go. Pick an item that doesn't need any last-minute fiddling, including heating. It should be READY TO GO.
III) you bring any serving utensils your item requires.
d) you whisk the whole enchilada -- unwashed -- away with you. Alternatively bring the thing in disposable packaging.

I am known for my cheesecakes. I cut the chilled cheesecake, then arrange it on a paper-doily covered cake cardboard. Then I put it in a pink bakery box. I buy the cardboards, doilies and boxes by the dozen and keep them on hand. The cheesecake is ready to serve, can sit out for a couple hours without refrigeration if needed, and all the packaging is disposable.

The only downside is that if someone I don't know is a fellow guest, they always insist I bought the thing since it's professionally packaged. Oh, well ...

"Pocket viewer addicts" would not be invited back to my house! How rude!

If I invite you to my home - call me self-important - but I expect you to find the food and fellow guests important enough to put aside the electronic devices for the duration.

This year I will have one physician who will be on-call as a guest; he is allowed to use his cell phone. Everyone else is expected to actually ATTEND the event!