loserfriends.org

This section is here to promote the lively arts of food, drink and travel. Enjoy.
test test - Saturday, December 04, 1999 at 01:30:03 (CST) Chocolate liquor cake Ingredients: 1 devils food chocolate cake mix 1 small box chocolate instant pudding 1/2 c. oil 1/2 c. coffee 1/2 c. rum or amaretto 4 eggs 1 c. sour cream 1 package chocolate chips (regular size bag) Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cake mix, pudding, oil, coffee, liquor, eggs, and sour cream. Mix with electric mixer for 2 minutes or by hand until you get tired. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into a greased and floured bundt cake pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow the cake to cool for 10 mintues before cutting. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Tastes great with Blue Bell coffee ice cream! (Should be a bit "undone" in the center.) Elaine Willerton - Friday, January 28, 2000 at 08:59:04 (CST) That sounds wonderful! i'll make it for our next book club meeting. but i have one question: is that brewed coffee or ground coffee? sounds like it should probably be brewed, not grounds, but still.... i'll add some of my fave recipes once i get home, just for loser enjoyment. :) julie - Monday, January 31, 2000 at 18:39:22 (CST) okay here's one. made them again last night. YUMMY: plain ol' chocolate chip cookies: preheat oven to 375 degrees. mix: 2.25-2.5 c all-purpose flour (do you want your cookies to spread out, or do you want them to stay chunky. your call. add less flour for spreaders, more for clumpy. and i mean clumpy in a GOOD way...) 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt set this aside. in another bowl, mix until creamy: 0.5c softened butter (that's 2 sticks, btw) 0.75c regular sugar 0.75c packed brown sugar add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. mix again until creamy and no lumps exist. gradually add in flour mixture, mix until smooth. fold in about 2 cups (1 regular package) of chocolate chips. drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and then bake for 8-10 minutes in 375 degree oven. (check them at 8 minutes, coz if these burn, they'll burn fast!) makes different numbers of cookies depending on how big you make each cookie. personally, i like to put about a Tbs of dough per cookie, which means you only end up with 3-4 doz, but that's okay. julie - Wednesday, February 16, 2000 at 12:44:41 (CST) I had a wonderful experience buying beer today, and I want to share it with y'all. Up here in Pennsylvania, beer can either be bought at a bar(which usually are expensive and lacking in selection when take-out does exist) or at beer distributors or "beverage stores". I like to go to the beverage stores because they usually have a good selection of micro brews from around the country. One note, in PA, any beer bought at the distributors must be bought by the case....not such a bad thing. So I went to a local "beverage store" today, it was my first visit to this particular store, and I was looking for Shiner Bock. I wanted to share the love with my friends up here at a soire tomorrow night. When I asked the store clerk/owner about it, he said that shiner quit selling to PA about 4 years ago because of lack of interest. So we were talking about what kind of beer I like, when I noticed that he carried Rogue Dead Guy Ale in a 12 oz. bottle, where I had only seen it and bought it in the 22oz luv jug(that is both good and bad). Come to find out it is cheaper in the small bottle as well. But I didn't buy it since I already have a case of large bottles at home, and that is not the point of the story. So the beer man asked me if I had tried another type, pointing to a somewhat plain liiking box. My reply was "no" and he scurried off to offer me a sample. He proceeded to open three diferent beers from this somewhat local microbrewery and gave me samples. I pretty much drank about a third of each and was very pleased with two of the three. I decided to purchase a case of the ESB. When I told him what I wanted, he tossed in a free pint glass from the brewery along with it. Wow, what a day. He certainly earned my fuure business. The brewery, by the way, is called Weyerbacher, and the beer is surprisingly smooth for a microbrew. Maybe I will give a more thorough review once I drink a couple more, but don't count on it. The brewery is in Easton, PA, north of Philly. Hoppy drinking! Troy - Friday, February 18, 2000 at 19:59:52 (CST) Cooking With Alcohol Presents Nathan's Hot Butter Rum Cake (as featured Loserfests I-IV) 1 yellow or white cake mix 1 instant vanilla pudding mix (3 oz) 4 eggs ½ cup oil ½ cup water ½ cup rum (light or dark rum is fine, I've never tried it with a sweetened rum (like Malibu)) english walnuts (black walnuts or even dried fruit would be good as well) Beat all remaining ingredients for two minutes. Rub inside of bundt pan generously with softened margarine. Sprinkle evenly and heavy with crushed walnuts. Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour at 325 degrees. As the baking time is nearing completion combine the following in a small sauce pan 1 cup of sugar 1 stick of margarine or butter 1/4 cup water Bring this mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for 1 minute. The sugar should completely dissolve in the water and butter. Remove this from the heat and add 1/4 cup of rum to the liquid and stir. It should still be hot when you remove the cake from the oven. You can always add more liquor later. After removing cake from oven immediately pour the mixture over it. The pouring must be done slowly and carefully so it will soak in around the cake. The cake will shrink. Let cake cool in the pan for 2 hours. Then remove by turning cake over. It should slide right out. If it does not pound gently on the outside of the pan until you hear a thump. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and strong coffee followed by a breath mint. I like substituting other liquors for the rum - I've used Irish whisky, bourbon, and amaretto all with success. Experiment and Enjoy. Nathan - Friday, March 10, 2000 at 14:19:42 (CST) Last Friday Cecily and I went to the "Queen of Sheba" restaurant in Dallas, which serves Ethiopian cuisine. (Yes, they do have food in Ethiopia.) They have regular tables, but they also have little "huts" set up on the sides of the dining room, complete with with tables, beaded curtains and bamboo facades. They give you sheets of this flat bread called "injera"; it's thin, but sort of spongy, like a crepe. You tear off pieces of the bread and use them to pick up the food. The food is all pureed or in tiny chunks. It's sort of like making tiny soft tacos with fixins on the plate. (Forgive my analogy, oh gourmet gods.) We had some lamb with ginger and garlic that was quite tasty. We also had some chicken which was labelled "mildy spicy" but still managed to pack quite a punch. I must confess that my palate is not very broad, and that spicy foods that make me sweat would probably leave many others unfazed. But the highlight of the meal for me was the honey wine that they recommended. It is served chilled, and it is tasty. I found it similar to sparkling white wine/champagne, but not as bubbly and with a richer, more enjoyable taste. If you have a chance to try some honey wine, I say go for it. Russ - Monday, March 13, 2000 at 11:55:41 (CST) i will be opening my bottle of Colorado Honey Mead at my party this weekend, in case anyone wanted to know. 'twas a gift from Hilary. julie - Wednesday, March 22, 2000 at 15:18:29 (CST) In my latest search for odd things on the web, I "discovered" the American Pie Council's web site. "The American Pie Council is dedicated to preserving America's love affair with pies. Designed to raise awareness, enjoyment and consumption of pies, the APC offers consumer and commercial memberships to this fun and exciting association." They've got some great recipes on the site that sound pretty good. So Check out www.piecouncil.org. Nathan - Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 08:43:09 (CST) Nathan, You are a wonderul and gifted human being. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the tip about the pie website. I, for one, would eat most anything in pie form. MOST anything. I like 'em all. Fruit, custard, cream, pot (talkin' 'bout ckicken), chocolate, nut, meat, mince meat, rhubarb, pizza... It's all so good. That and irish cream in coffee. Though not always with pie. Gaining weight in my head, Russell B. - Wednesday, March 29, 2000 at 00:15:18 (CST) I'm glad I could be of service, Russ. I too am fond of the pie making and eating arts. Nathan - Wednesday, March 29, 2000 at 08:29:25 (CST) It's what you've been waiting for. It's made LoserFriend gatherings famous for the food. It's LISA'S TORTILLA SOUP 3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped 1 medium onion chopped 2 cans cream of chicken soup 2 cans chicken broth (or broth from cooking chicken) 1 can Rotel tomatoes 1 can beef broth (or two bullion cubes) 1 can cream style corn 1 tbsp steak sauce (or to taste) 1 tbsp chili powder (or to taste) 1 tbsp garlic salt Tortilla chips, grated cheese Saute chopped onion in small amount of oil in soup pot. Add Rotel tomatoes and simmer for about 5 mins. Add soup and mix well. Simmer 5 minutes more. Add chicken broth, beef broth, and then other ingredients. Cook over low heat until hot. Put chips into soup bowls. Pour soup over chips and garnish with cheese. That's the recipe in its original form. It's quick and easy since most of the ingredients can be kept in the pantry awhile. It's also a great one try variations with, especially if you know your Mexican food. Add peppers of your choice to the saute to kick it up a notch. The best thing about this recipe is the "build your own" servings, as hot or as mild as you like it. To dress it up, serve it with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream (the best ways to tone down a spice-exhuberant chelf), your favorite cheeses, freshly chopped tomatoes, hot peppers (Nathan's choice), verde or habanero salsa, pico de gallo, and, my personal favorite, lots and lots of fresh cilantro. My next project will be to work on a less-fat vegetarian version. I think it would make the transition nicely. Until then, happy eating, Lisa - Sunday, April 09, 2000 at 01:03:08 (CDT) Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream 2 eggs 1 3/4 c sugar 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can evaporated milk 2 tsp. vanilla few drops red food coloring (totally optional) 1 lb. fresh strawberries 1.38 lb bananas (3 lg. bananas) whole milk to fill freezer Mix first five ingredients and blend well. Puree bananas and strawberries with small amount of milk in blender (or chop to size preference). Add fruity goodness to milky sweet stuff and blend. Drop in coloring if desired. Transfer to full-size freezer and fill to capacity with whole milk. Then follow your usual ice-cream making ritual (ice & rock salt in ice cream freezer 'til it stops, then transfer to freezer). Some notes...Jef and I modified this from a family recipe. The consistency is just perfect. Not too frozen, and not too runny, and consistent throughout. I credit Jef the Great Idea Man, the freezer being at the right temperature, and the pureed fruit (thus avoiding the chunk-o-strawberry ice cream headache phenomenon). What a great thing is ice cream. Lisa - Sunday, April 23, 2000 at 21:27:51 (CDT) Now, I'm not much of a food connoisseur... I couldn't even spell the word "connoisseur" just now with out the dictionary sitting next to the computer. My philosophy on eating during my college days went something like..."Give my stomach just enough food so that it will quit annoying me", so I could get back to whatever it was I was doing. Perhaps you could compare it to a screaming brat (my stomach) and it's parent (my brain): "OK! Here's your Big Mac! Now SHUT UP". I never got around to taking eating too seriously...yet. However, I have been traveling back and forth to Ft. Worth quite a bit to study with a musician friend of mine. About a month ago he took me to a fast food place by his house for lunch called "Qdoba". They are NOT the typical fast food mexican place like Taco Bell/Taco Bueno (super greasy - yich). Qdoba serves very healthy black beans, white rice, steamed vegetables in a totilla (or without the tortilla, called "naked"). Also, you get your choice of meat (Chicken Pordillosomethingorother is my recomendation) or 2 types of vegetarian dishes in your tortilla (naked or clothed). Side dishes are your basic chips & salsa...very, very good salsa. Healthy lunch for under $5...you can't beat it. According to their web site, www.qdoba.com (yes, I know I'm a nerd for looking up a restaurant's web site) they have close to 100 restaurants around the US. The Fort Worth location is on Camp Bowie, 2 blocks south of I-30. Qdoba, recipients of the first ever Baggett 5 star *** restaurant award for price, service, health content, and cool atmosphere. B Baggett - Saturday, May 13, 2000 at 13:05:13 (CDT) Now, I'm not much of a food connoisseur... I couldn't even spell the word "connoisseur" just now with out the dictionary sitting next to the computer. My philosophy on eating during my college days went something like..."Give my stomach just enough food so that it will quit annoying me", so I could get back to whatever it was I was doing. Perhaps you could compare it to a screaming brat (my stomach) and it's parent (my brain): "OK! Here's your Big Mac! Now SHUT UP". I never got around to taking eating too seriously...yet. However, I have been traveling back and forth to Ft. Worth quite a bit to study with a musician friend of mine. About a month ago he took me to a fast food place by his house for lunch called "Qdoba". They are NOT the typical fast food mexican place like Taco Bell/Taco Bueno (super greasy - yich). Qdoba serves very healthy black beans, white rice, steamed vegetables in a totilla (or without the tortilla, called "naked"). Also, you get your choice of meat (Chicken Pordillosomethingorother is my recomendation) or 2 types of vegetarian dishes in your tortilla (naked or clothed). Side dishes are your basic chips & salsa...very, very good salsa. Healthy lunch for under $5...you can't beat it. According to their web site, www.qdoba.com (yes, I know I'm a nerd for looking up a restaurant's web site) they have close to 100 restaurants around the US. The Fort Worth location is on Camp Bowie, 2 blocks south of I-30. Qdoba, recipients of the first ever Baggett 5 star * restaurant award for price, service, health content, and cool atmosphere. B Baggett - Saturday, May 13, 2000 at 13:05:15 (CDT) I second Brian's motion to praise Qdoba restaurants. There's one in Richardson that I sometimes go to. Qdoba used to be "Z-teca". I guess they have a thing about promoting the underappreciated letters of the alphabet. If you can't get to a Qdoba but still want a healthy burrito, Taco Cabana has a black bean burrito that's pretty good. But I don't know if the Cabana is moving to Abilene any time soon. Speaking of Abilene food, there's some rumor about my brother working in the restaurant of a new kitchen store in downtown Abilene called "Kitchens." Sounds like the cuisine will be kind of upscale--$9 for lunch in Abilene--but the chef must know what he's doing. Any info, Evan? Russ - Monday, May 15, 2000 at 09:22:42 (CDT) Word travels fast. I do work at Kitchen's downtown. It's a kitchen ware store with a bistro in the back. The guy running the show is Robbie Wilson, a 3-star chef. The menu changes from day to day but all well prepared. Today was a seared chicken served on a bed of mashed potatoes with mushrooms that would rock your world. Soon, they will add other choices at a cheaper rate, but if you have the time, and certainly the cash, it would be worth your while. And don't forget to tip your waiter, hehe. Evan - Monday, May 15, 2000 at 15:38:19 (CDT) Let's face it, chickens have got it bad. If it weren't bad enough that they're some of God's less intelligent creatures, well, consider the smell of an egg farm. I guess being cooped up in a cage the size of an old 78 album cover just doesn't do much for one's own chicken hygiene. If you haven't experienced that, take a moment to congratulate yourself in avoiding at least one unpleasant experience in life. I don't know for sure, but I would just bet the chickens don't like that smell either. And if I am wrong, and they happen to not mind such a stench, then their nature is so far beyond my own comprehension that they are indeed a mystery to be contemplated. So in my own Nick Park tribute, and as an affirmation to squash growers everywhere, here's my variation on a theme: VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP Instructions: Following the Standard Lisa's Tortilla Soup recipe, saute your onions and Rotel as per norm, but instead of cream of chicken soup, use Amy's Organic Cream of Mushroom. (2 cans). The brand is important - Amy's is the best mushroom soup I've ever had - It's a very flavorful, brown, not-too-thick brew that looks nothing like the Campbell's mucky white version. Just smelling it makes you want to sit down with it alone. But don't do that. Throw it in the soup pot instead. If you can't find Amy's soups at your local health food store or large grocery, call me & I'll mail you some - trust me, it's worth it. Omit the chicken and beef broths, and when you've got all your other ingredients simmering well, add some cubed-up large chunks (about 1-inch squares) of zucchini and yellow squash (I used 3 small squash - 2 zukes & one yellow; or try buying 1 lb. of squash and omitting what you don't have room for in the pot). Keep your spices as before, and serve after the squash is al dente - not falling apart, but definitely not raw. You may need to add some water, depending on how stew-ish you want your soup, and this is a good way to rinse out your mushroom soup cans if you haven't already licked the insides of them with your bare, if now bloodied, tongue. The squash will absorb whatever flavor you give it, so feel free to simmer away on low while you prepare your fixins or call all your friends to come over. I highly recommend the chopped fresh tomatoes as a topping to your soup. You'll wonder why you don't cook vegetarian more often. This variation is different enough in taste to deserve fair warning for anyone expecting the original, but still familiar unless you greatly vary your spicing technique from the original. Something I learned during this experiment: A.1. Sauce is mostly tomato puree, vinegar, corn syrup, salt, and raisin paste. It's a great way to add depth and character to the soup without disturbing the spices. Lisa - Thursday, July 06, 2000 at 21:48:53 (CDT) mmmmm..... chips, queso, and sauvignon blanc peter - Friday, August 18, 2000 at 22:36:15 (CDT) Well, the loser home page says that travel stuff goes here, so here goes some travel stuff. My better half is in Cincinnati for several weeks of training, so I paid her a visit there this weekend. I really didn't know what to expect. Most of us will remember "WKRP in Cincinnati", but other than that old show, all I knew about Cincinnati was that it is in Ohio, that a slumping Ken Griffey Jr. now plays for the slumping Reds, and that their football team is about up there with this year's Dallas Cowboys. Cincinnati is a pretty cool place. There are about 400,000 people in Cincy, plus more in the suburbs. The city is right on the Ohio River. The part of Kentucky across the river is basically part of suburban Cincy. The international airport is in Kentucky, and it's very nice. Just be prepared to do a lot of walking to get to the terminals. Cincy was named in 1790 for Cincinnatus, the Roman statesman and dictator. I didn't know this, but George Washington and other Revolutionary War officers were in the order of "the Cincinnati", named in his honor. Anyway, it very green over there, with lots of rolling hills. There are some really cool negihborhoods in the city; it's not all Mega-lo Marts and strip malls like DFW. The houses have a lot of character, like many of the houses built in the Midwest. The cost of real estate seems higher than in DFW; maybe you get what you pay for. The city has lots of scenic overlooks near the river, and it has some wonderful city parks. There's a large park by the river downtown. Every year they have a festival on the Sunday before Labor Day, and 500,000 come to the downtown parks in Cincy and in Kentucky. One of the radio stations puts on a 30 minute fireworks show. We went downtown, and it was the biggest, baddest, loudest fireworks show I've ever seen. It was amazing. Saw all kind of fireworks I'd never seen before. Also down on the river is the new football stadium, Paul Brown Stadium. It, too, is really cool. They were having an open house, so we went in. It's got a modern design, with lots of concrete, steel, and glass in the construction. Its got a huge video screen on the south end, and long, narrow graphics screens along the balconies. The field is grass, and has a heating system to prevent freezing in the winter. Anyway, downtown is very vibrant, even in the evenings. Cincy also has museums and a zoo. One of the great finds is to the north in Fairfield. It's Jungle Jim's International Farmers Market. It's a four-acre indoor grocery store. It's incredible. The first part when you walk in is the wine and beer section, which has 8,500 wines and 850+ beers (according to Jim). It also has a huge produce market, with some fruits and vegetables I'd never seen or heard of. It also has a large section of international foods. Add in a few singing animatronic cereal commerical characters, and you've got a real shoping experience. Anyway, I'll be back there the next two weekends. Maybe I'll get up the nerve to try Cincinnati-style chili (which they see in hundreds of restaurants in town), which is served over spaghetti. Yeah, I wonder who thought that one up. Russ - Tuesday, September 05, 2000 at 15:50:12 (CDT) Well, I've found there's more to like about Cincinnati. This weekend we went to the Cincinnati Museum Center, which is in the restored Union Terminal (for trains). This building is an art deco masterpiece. The building dates from the 1930s. It's the largest half-domed structure in the world. There are two huge mosaic murals along the high walls. It's really a huge building. They have kept all of the old signage and fixtures, and new signs are made in the old style. I really like art deco stuff, so I REALLY enjoyed this building. It has a natural history museum, an historical museum, an OMNIMAX theater, and a children's museum. We didn't pay to go into the museums, but we did get a good free look at the children's museum. It's very big and way cool. Lots of stuff to climb on. Cincy also has a modern art museum downtown. The architect Zaha Hadid (whoever that is) has designed a new building for them with lots of crazy shapes and segments that jut out above the street; hasn't been built yet. There's also the Carew Tower downtown, part of which is the Omni hotel. It's a 20's era building with lots of art deco touches, too. And, Cincinnati has a sense of humor. They have this public art project called the "Big Pig Gig". Cincy was once a center for "hog processing", for lack of a better term. In the mid 1800s, Proctor and Gamble were two guys who started making soap and other things with hog by-products. Anyway, all over the town and in Kentucky, they have these huge fiberglass pigs sitting on the sidewalks. Companies sponsor local artists who decorate the pigs. These pigs are EVERYWHERE, and many of them are quite funny. In front of the museum center was a pig covered with the "periodic table" of pork elements--stuff like "Spamium", "Shankium", and "Baconus" that they don't tell you about in high school. There's one at the airport with bi-plane wings, a propeller, and an aircraft tail. Next weekend I should have a report on Cincinnati-style chili. Russ - Monday, September 11, 2000 at 12:37:18 (CDT) Last weekend in Cincinnati, we went to a Hungarian restaurant that served up a good sauerbraten and several schnitzels. I'll definitely be ready for some high quality German food in Fredericksburg at LF2001. Never did make it over to a Cincinnati-style chili stand, although the place is littered with them. Cincinnati is also littered with "Bob Evans" restaurants (same as Owens familiy rest.) and Frisch's "Big Boy" rest., which are similar to Denny's. People are crazy about the Big Boy up there. Cincy also has 24-hour White Castle restaurants. White Castle is popular in the Midwest, among other places. They serve these burgers that are about the size of a dinner roll. They encourage you to buy them in sacks of 10 or 20. White Castle also serves fried "chicken rings", which we were afraid to try. White Castle burgers are strangely addictive. Several weeks ago, we had dinner in Covington, Kentucky across the river from Cincinnati. Went to an Irish pub in a very cool restored building. I tried a Caffrey's "milk stout", which had a light color and a light taste. Pretty good, I thought. Anyway, just some thought for food. Russ - Friday, September 22, 2000 at 09:49:29 (CDT) Spent the weekend in Fredericksburg with my parents, and ate one of the best meals I have ever had in my entire life. The restaurant is called "Marie Cuisine", and is just off of Main Street (as is everything else in town). The chef is a Belgian woman, and her menu changes daily, consisting of about 4 or 5 entrees, and an appetizer and dessert or two. I had a chicken salad, which sounds boring. But it was chicken marinated in lime juice on a bed of greens with a vinaigrette and fresh peaches on the side. None of that should work together, but it was amazing. Other choices included a feta and goat cheese tart (yes, I know feta is goat cheese, but it's not the only kind), and a fantastic Gazpacho. I ended the meal with a decadent chocolate mousse and three demitasse cups of the best coffee I have ever tasted in my life. The coffee itself was very smooth and brewed strongly, but the thing that I think made the most difference was that the coffee was prepared in a French press. I had read about French press coffee, but this was my first tasting, and it really is better. In fact, it was so much better than regular coffee that I went to a kitchen store and bought a French press of my own. This morning, I was very glad I did. The portions were smaller than most Americans are used to (typical of French cuisine), but they were not small. There was just enough food to feel completely satisfied, but not gorged. The rich flavor of the food lingered in our mouths and memories for hours. It was exquisite. All of this for what you would expect to pay in any regular non-gourmet restaurant (my meal came to about $12). Just wanted to whet your appetites for LF2001 (unless you can get to Fredericksburg before then.) Russell Bartholomee - Monday, September 25, 2000 at 16:15:08 (CDT) Russ Glad you got to try some Caffrey's Beer, that was one of my favorites while I was abroad this summer. I found myself drinking more "bitters" than lagers over in England, but I found that they had a better taste to them. Also, Ale just never became my bag, thought I did find a few good ones. Ah, to be in a country where the legal drinking age is 18, and enjoy a beer in the heat of the day. Pining for good brew, Evan - Saturday, September 30, 2000 at 15:43:59 (CDT) We went to Carrabba's Italian restaurant last night. Really liked it. Their buildings have all kinds of trees and stuff growing on top of the roof and on the outside walls. They have a lot of grilled chicken options, and their chicken is wonderful. I got a stuffed pasta dish that was also very good. The atmosphere is more intimate and less chaotic than Macaroni Grill. Plus, several entrees come with salad, unlike what I remember of Mac. Grill. Prices are comparable to Mac. Grill; perhaps slightly lower. Two thumbs up (or would that be four?) from the Willertons. Carrabba's has locations on the Tollway in N. Dallas (where we went) and at 114/Tate in Grapevine, among other places. Russ - Friday, November 03, 2000 at 14:31:08 (CST) Here's a puzzler for you foodies out there. A couple of nights ago, my sweet wife made a chicken enchilada casserole. It's a tasty dish. She usually uses Campbell's cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup in there, along with some sour cream. Based on Lisa's recommendation (posted somewhere above), I picked up some of Amy's organic cream of mushroom soup. Cecily thought she'd use that instead of the Campbell's. Lisa's right--when you open the can of this soup, the aroma will entice you. (It enticed me, and I don't like mushrooms.) Anyway, Cecily mixed everything up and rolled up the enchiladas (using white corn tortillas). When it came out of the oven, it smelled heavenly. Trouble was, when we started to eat it, we found that the tortillas had been virtually disintegrated, aside from the parts on top. Never had this happen before. So, I suspect either the tortillas for being too flimsy, or the soup for being too...something. I noticed on the label that it is "semicondensed" soup. I don't know if that would change anything. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks. Russ - Monday, November 13, 2000 at 16:12:15 (CST) hmmm. i think campbells is also semicondensed, is it not? perhaps the richness of the Amy's as opposed to the campbells was just enough to eat away at those tortillas, to partially digest them, as it were. on that appetizing note (but i bet the enchiladas were heavenly!), let me share this recipe i found yesterday on the internet. v. simple and v. easy and v. delicious-- STEAM: a head of kale or a bunch of spinach until bright green. ADD: a can of black-eyed peas. WARM UNTIL SIMMERING: a whole lot of crushed garlic, 1/2 c. lemon juice, 1/2 c. olive oil. add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp tarragon, a hefty pinch of curry powder. pepper to taste. pour sauce over black-eyed peas. wonderful warm. the recipe called for this to be served cold, haven't tried that yet. am going to add about a cup of cooked rice to the leftovers, then chill to see if it's as good cold as it was warm. i'm also considering trying lentils instead of rice. wanna get that complete protein in there somewhere! yum. julie - Tuesday, November 14, 2000 at 08:55:22 (CST) I am not sure if this posting should go under "intake" or "words", so I will post it under intake, as the genre tab. On Friday night's edition of Nightline, they interviewed Chef Anthony Bourdain, who is some fancy pants chef at a three star place in New York. In listening to this show, I was pleasantly surprised at the "tell all" showing of this chef who has written a book entitled, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly". Although I have not read the book, just from the interview, I would recommed anyone who feels they are a food snob (or rather a food preparation snob) should read this book. The author is authentic in his presentation of himself and his environment, and I could honestly say his accounts of life behind the doors is real, let alone out right shocking for some. Just a recommendation, sorry no recipe. Arthur - Wednesday, December 27, 2000 at 17:23:59 (CST) For anyone interested... http://wtxstickseminar.myevisionlink.com your host...of the West Texas Stick Seminar - Tuesday, January 09, 2001 at 13:37:40 (CST) I guess this is the "travel" section. Let me take this opportunity to make a plug for everyone's favorite "Key City," Abilene. Not only has Abilene become a hub of Chapman Stick activity. It also hosts the brand-spankin-new "National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature." They converted an old parking garage into a really cool space for art and meetings. The Grace Museum is also going strong. They continue to cycle a lot of exhibits through. One of the current exhibits is "Termespheres." This guy named Mr. Termes paints scenes on these white spheres; the spheres are then suspended from supports that slowly rotate them. But he paints them in "six-point" perspective, which means that the objects in the picture get "bigger" as they approach and "smaller" and they turn away, maintaining the perspective all the time. It's really cool. He's a fan of M.C. Escher, and some of those influences are in the exhibit. Plus, my Mom told me about a new place for Italian food called Joe's; they have 3 locations. We didn't eat there, but Mom says their food is "pure cholesterol" (and thus very tasty). And what visit to Abilene would be complete without a visit to the Paramount Theatre, complete with the twinkling stars in the ceiling and the clouds passing overhead (projected onto the ceiling by "cloud machines" from the 1920s-30s. We saw "Rebel Without a Cause" this weekend. The building is an architectural gem, and Robert Holladay, who introduces the movies, is irreplaceable as well. The young people of Abilene have no excuse for not finding dates; the Paramount is the way to go. Russ - Monday, March 05, 2001 at 12:35:54 (CST) The group I work for started these "staff developement days" in order to grow closer together, therefore work well together. We each get a turn at hosting/organizing a SDD. Our boss was on for this month and yesterday we loaded up in a van and drove to Dallas to eat at some wacky place called "Medival Times". Now, I don't know if I'd classify this as a restaurant...more like a dinner theater/WWF wrestling while you eat in barbaric style (no forks). The food was good, but at $30 a head PLUS gratuity, I was expecting ATLEAST some kind of all-you-can-eat. It was kind of fun watching guys pretend to kill each other while everyone (especially me) was cheering and booing with food in their mouth. Definately, an experience you would want to share with a large goup of inebriated friends. Our knight (the blue one) lost. He was a 120 pound baby-faced wus. The yellow knight looked just like Brian Davis from 10 years ago. Brian Baggett - Sunday, April 15, 2001 at 20:26:31 (CDT) Cecily and I went to Broken Bow Lake in SE Oklahoma this weekend. It's a beautiful area. The Ozark mountains reach into that part of Oklahoma. There are tons of trees and forest land. There are several state parks in the area, including Beavers Bend and Hochatown. Lots of cabins to be rented at Beavers Bend or through private rental agencies. We took a scenic drive north and then back south; very nice. It's defnitely not what most of us think of when we think of Oklahoma. Russ - Monday, April 16, 2001 at 18:05:15 (CDT) This past weekend as I was in the Metroplex, I made several stops of culinary worth. First was O'Dowd's, an authentic Irish Pub located right across from the Hard Rock Cafe. My bandmates and I stopped there for lunch and a pint before heading on our way. The food there was quite good, featuring fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and Gaelic whiskey steak. It is also worth noting that they have lots of good Irish beers on tap, such as Harp, Murphy's Stout, and of course, Guiness. Stop by if you get a chance. I also made my first venture into the Flying Saucer in Ft. Worth after wolfing down some Cajun Food at Razzoo's. I also noticed they have live music there, so if I was ever to get a gig there, I would never leave. Evan - Monday, April 30, 2001 at 22:56:44 (CDT) Evan, I'm very proud of you. I love the flying saucer. I mean that - I love the flying saucer. Nathan - Tuesday, May 01, 2001 at 08:43:24 (CDT) Evan, i must also commend you on your choice of Razzoo's. a finer cajun restaurant there never was...at least not in Fort Worth!** julie - Tuesday, May 01, 2001 at 09:01:45 (CDT) I spent this weekend with Cecily in the city of Querétaro in the state of Querétaro in Mexico. She was down there on business. We had a great time. Querétaro is an UNESCO-designated "world heritage site", whatever that means. The Spanish first started attacking the locals there in 1513. The city is over 450 years old. We stayed in a 5star hotel downtown on a plaza that was 300 years old; simply fabulous -- great courtyards, 12-foot ceilings in the rooms. ($1395 pesos is not bad for a place so nice, especially since her company was paying the bill for her to be in Mexico). Anyway, it reminds me some of Santa Fe, with the narrow streets and the old construction techniques (no adobe, though). Querétaro was a hotbed of the Mexican Revolution in the 1850s and 60s. The Mexican Constitution was signed there in 1917. They built an aquaduct to take water eastward; it still stands and is impressive. Querétaro has lots of churches and museums. There are some neat smaller towns in the area (and we have a story for the 'Fest about how we went to see one town and ended up in a different one). The Mexican culture is very laid back; no such thing as "fast food". The people down there were very helpful and friendly, although they don't speak much English. I struggled to get by with the remnants of my 2 years of Spanish at ACU. I was OK as long as I was in the present tense. To get there, you can fly AA or Delta or AeroMexico into Léon and take the bus east to Querétaro. Querétaro is about 200 km N of Mexico City. I'd love to go back if I got the chance. Russ - Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:23:08 (CDT) I've gotten the e-mail about the Neiman Marcus cookies a dozen times, but I finally tried the recipe. WOW - these are yummy cookies! Definately half the recipe - I even froze half of the dough - makes lots of cookies. NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved) 2 cups butter 4 cups flour 2 tsp. soda 2 cups sugar 5 cups blended oatmeal 24 oz. chocolate chips 2 cups brown sugar 1 tsp. salt 1- 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated) 4 eggs 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice) * Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender toa fine powder. * Cream the butter and both sugars. * Add eggs and vanilla, mix together withflour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. * Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. * Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. * Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes112 cookies. Elaine - Thursday, June 07, 2001 at 07:46:14 (CDT) That recipe looks really good. I'll have to give it a try. The Neiman-Marcus cookie recipe email hoax is a classic. And it's really old, as urban legends go. My grandmother used to make "Neiman-Marcus" cookies from a recipe she got from some lady in her home town. That was in the 70's. But any urban legend that results in tasty cookies is to be commended. By the way, the Neiman-Marcus website (neimanmarcus.com, I think, though there may be a hyphen in there as well) has a whole page dedicated to dispelling the myth, and it proudly displays the recipe. That recipe is a little different from the one Elaine gave us, as it also contains a smidgen of ground coffee. But the cookies are great. Maybe we should all make both recipes and do a taste-test comparrison. That can be my excuse anyway. Russell Bartholomee - Friday, June 08, 2001 at 11:50:57 (CDT) And if you don't cut the recipe in half or fourths, you'll be up to your ears in cookies! Been there. RussW - Friday, June 08, 2001 at 13:11:40 (CDT) Okay Russell, I've been looking for some statement from neiman marcus to dispel this most enduring of urban legends for some time. I can't find it on their web-site. If you could track down the exact url you reference in your post I'd be much obliged. I do remember hearing about this story in the early eighties. nathan - Wednesday, June 13, 2001 at 08:53:56 (CDT) yay! i get to reference one of my favorite sites of all time! Snopes.com has a page talking about this cookie recipe, the story about which, by the way, is untrue (although they did come up with a cookie AFTER the rumor was started). The snopes page concerning this can be found at http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.htm. there's also a link there pointing to the NM site where they discuss this AND give the recipe that's found at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/about/cookie_recipe.jhtml. happy rumor baking! :) ps. snopes.com is a wonderful resource for information on ANY sort of urban legend/email hoax/virus hoax out there. if you ever get a panicked email about "we need 500,000,000 signatures to free the Afgan women!" or " mckayla renee has been kidnapped! help us find her!" or "don't open the email called HOAX.pge3, it will crash your hard drive AND destroy your sex drive!" this is a wonderful place to go look it up and see if there's truth to the matter. they're updated QUITE often, and do seem to know all. they also provide links to their sources, in case you don't quite trust their info. AND you can waste quite a few hours just perusing the plethora of internet hoaxes that exist, Jerianne, in case you're bored at work... julie - Wednesday, June 13, 2001 at 09:23:01 (CDT) What she said. Russell Bartholomee - Wednesday, June 13, 2001 at 16:22:14 (CDT) There are several webpages out there dedicated to urban legends. I've gone to several looking for my all time favorite urban legend and have found nothing. Raise your hand if you heard this one before: "Playboy magazine came to ___________ (ACU, Harding, East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons, etc.) during the 80s while doing a special issue on the sexiest co-eds in America, and determined, ironically enough, that they are at my small, rural, private church-affiliated college." I think every school meeting the description above lays claim to this, and therefor must be an urban legend. Any thoughts? Jay - Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 07:44:58 (CDT) Jay... i don't know about the sexiest co-eds (I had tomove to KC to find the sexiest one I know), but Playboy in 96 or 97 did list the Fieldhouse at Wichita State University as one of the top 100 college bars in the country. I did see the issue, for the article, of course, and it was there in black and white. Just FYI... Bianco - Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 07:54:23 (CDT) Jay, Why don't you write Playboy and ask them. I'm sure Hugh would answer back. He might give you credit in his new Girls of the Southern Baptist Convention issue. just a thought... Nathan - Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 08:18:44 (CDT) From the Neiman Marcus Cookie site (recipe sounds good) The NM Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Alongside unbelievable urban myths resides the Neiman Marcus $250 cookie fabrication. NM has never charged anyone anything for a recipe, but the story still persists. Help stamp out untrue gossip by forwarding our free chocolate chip cookie recipe to any naysayers out there! 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-3/4 cups flour 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, slightly crushed 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips Directions: Cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Combine the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Makes 12 to 15 large cookies. Nathan - Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 10:40:15 (CDT) That's the recipe I was talking about. I have made those cookies, and they are incredible. Whatever you do, don't cut out the espresso powder. That's what sets them apart. Russell Bartholomee - Thursday, June 14, 2001 at 17:06:48 (CDT) And speaking of things which should not be omitted from a cookie recipe, don't cut out the pint and a half of kentucky bourbon. That's essential. In any recipe. Or with any meal. R. Matt Chicagoboy - Tuesday, June 26, 2001 at 22:00:33 (CDT) As the official beer of th Losers, I thought it was only right to post this here: After the Great American Beer Festival, in Chicago, all the brewery presidents decided to go out for a beer. The guy from Corona sits down and says "Hey Sen~or, I would like the world's best beer, a Corona." The bartender dusts off a bottle from the shelf and gives it to him. The guy from Budweiser says "I'd like the best beer in the world, give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser." The bartender gives him one. The guy from Coors says "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it. The guy from Shiner sits down and says "Give me a Coke." The bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered. The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask "Why aren't you drinking a Bock?" The Shiner beer president replies "Well, if you guys aren't drinking beer, neither will I." Jerianne - Thursday, July 12, 2001 at 16:24:57 (CDT) Speaking of beer: I recommend Fosters Special Bitter. It comes in a pint can, just like the regular Fosters, but this can is green. I have no idea if this "Bitter" qualifies as real English bitter, since I've never had the latter. (Nate?) But I would describe this as a very hoppy ale, with a nice flavorful finish. Incidentally, Lucy and I will be in London for 2 days at the end of July. When we go, what beers should I try (besides Guiness, Newcastle Brown Ale, or Bass Ale)? Russell Bartholomee - Thursday, July 12, 2001 at 22:56:34 (CDT) stick to the bitters, and I try to drink the stuff I've never heard of, but that's just me. You may get looked at a bit askew if you order a cider (It's considered "a bit camp"), but I'd do it anyway. (K is my favorite, but Strongbow is also nice) Nathan - Friday, July 13, 2001 at 09:11:23 (CDT) I saw K at the liquor store yesterday and almost bought some! I went instead for a couple of pints of Young's in the bottle: Double Chocolate Stout 7 Oatmeal Stout. That's when I picked up the pint can of Fosters (and a six pack of Abita Tubo Dog). This should last me until I go to London. I agree that tyring things you've never had is a good idea. But since I've never had English bitters, are there any that you really liked? Russell B. - Friday, July 13, 2001 at 12:39:42 (CDT) Russell, I really can't remember by label. Wink at the barmaid (or barman)... Seriously I generally would try for a pint of each of the 2 or 3 they had on tap. In Europe I never buy by the bottle unless I have to. Nathan - Friday, July 13, 2001 at 12:54:24 (CDT) All, Lucy and I are putting together a trip to Europe, especially Italy and Greece, for the summer of 2002. We will be travelling for 15 days, beginning on July 16, 2002. The trips starts in Paris, with great included visits to the Louvre and the Pallace of Versailles; then we take a high-speed train through the heart of France into the Swiss Alps. After 2 nights in Lucerne, we will spend a few days in Venice and Florence before heading to Rome. We'll see many places that were standing when Paul was in prison there, as well as other sites important to our Christian heritage. (We'll even go to the Vatican, aleven if the pope IS the ANTICHRIST [666]). (Please disregard that last sentence, which was written by Jerry Fallwell. I don't know how he keeps getting in). Included on the tour is a visit to Pompeii, where they've recently unearthed new buildings and gardens preserved since 79 AD. After Italy, we take an overnight ferry to Greece and visit Corinth, Epadaurus, Patris, Athens, and other Greek sites (like a bucnh of gay fishermen drinking port and reeking of baklava). (Jerry Fallwell again. Geez, that guy). The purpose of the trip is to travel with Christian friends and family, to see the diversity of God's creation, to learn about the history of our faith around the world, and, plus, it's a trip to Europe. So I got that going for me, which is nice. (Bill Murray, Caddyshack). Now for the fun part: cost. Cost is right at $3,000 per adult (over 22), which includes roundtrip airfare, 12 nights hotel, overnight shipboard passage, breakfast and dinner daily, train and motorcoach transport througout, entrance to most attractions, and full-time travel guide. It's a very reasonable price for what you get. And the good news is, you have until April 15, 2002 to complete paying for it! A registration fee of $95 is due by October 1, 2001, and a $400 payment is due by October 31, 2001. The rest is not due intil April 15, 2001. Also, if you're a teacher or have any kind of small business (or if you're just really creative), the trip is tax deductable. It's not cheap, but we think it will be well worth it. And we would love to travel with as many of you as want to come. (The company we're traveling with allows children to travel as well. Most travel companies don't allow for children under 6. And, if we get enough travelers, we get a private bus). You can email us at noiseradio@hotmail.com with your address if you want us to send you a packet of information. If you want to call us, or have us call you, indicate that in your email as well. Let us know if you're interested. Italy and Greece await... Russell Bartholomee - Friday, July 13, 2001 at 14:12:38 (CDT) If the cost of the above trip seems way too high, but you are otherwise really interested in going, please let us send you a packet of information, with the trip itinerary, breakdown of the cost, etc. When you see how really fabulous this trip is going to be, I think you'll be motivated (as I am) to find the money. And we would really just absolutely adore getting to travel with some losers. Russell Bartholomee - Saturday, July 14, 2001 at 23:07:41 (CDT) I am not a beer drinker in any way shape or form. But I tried something the other day that I enjoyed. I know it's not really a beer but it tasted like it a bit...Strongbow cider was quite nice! I'm not sure if you'd classify it as a beer or a cider but it was enjoyable. Maybe I have to start with the light stuff to work my way up to the dark and heavy stuff! Mia - Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at 14:46:55 (CDT) Strongbow is a bonafide cider served in pubs all over England. Its better than the American ciders (Hornsby's, Ace, Woodchuck) and as Evan will testify, it slides easily down my throat. I'm not a beer drinker either. A certain loser told me to try a "Preachers Collar" which is half cider and half Bass Ale. It wasn't great, but it was a step in the direction of learning to drink beer. Consider yourself lucky, the only English cider I can find in Lubbock is K and its $9 for a 6-pack. Try some Scrumpy Jack if you can find it! Some of my working class chums from England affectionately refer to cider as drinking "Winnona Rider" and to beer as "Brittany Spears". Elaine - Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at 15:43:33 (CDT) On the subject of beer... I have recently renounced my all time favorite Heineken and replaced it with Rolling Rock. It is official: Baggett's beer of chose is Rolling Rock, from the great town of LaTrobe, Pennsylvania. Baggett - Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at 16:05:52 (CDT) Nathan was in the Metroplex last weekend, and we had the chance to go to Bentley's for a couple of beers. Bentley's is a British pub not far from UTA campus, where they serve Guiness at the proper temperature. Anyway, our waiter, Chuckie, took good care of us, recommending Chimay Ale, and a drink called a black velvet. Chimay is a very nice ale, served in a very large bottle, and has a few wine-like qualities that greatly appealed to me. And a black velvet is a drink that I highly recommend to anyone who likes beer or cider. Similar to the aforementioned preacher's collar, a black velvet mixes pear cider with Guiness. If that sounds nasty to you, give it a try anyway. I was quite pleasently surprised. It was a nice evening, with good conversation, good drink, and fine cigars. And then I had to teach sixth graders the next day. :-) Russell Bartholomee - Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at 22:32:16 (CDT) BB- glad someone else likes Rolling Rock, it's hard to find around these parts sometimes. Evan - Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 00:03:52 (CDT) Hey Russ, If you enjoyed the Chimay Abbey ales, give Saison Dupont a go. I'm a big fan of Belgian ales, and the Dupont Brewery makes the best. And it's always so much fun to UNCORK a beer! matt c. - Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 08:40:16 (CDT) Baggett... Great call on the Rock. I have some fond early college memories with Art and Jay over a couple of Rocks. Anyone out there know what the "33" on the bottle stands for? Bianco - Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 09:01:27 (CDT) Evan, HEB: $4.50 Rolling Rock Baggett - Wednesday, August 15, 2001 at 10:19:08 (CDT) Mike Miller introduced me to Rolling Rock in 1991 and it has remained a favorite ever since. I'd probably rather have a Rolling Rock or a Heineken than any other beer. Mike also introduced me to Killian's, another great beer. Isn't the "33" on RR the year the beer was first brewed? Jay - Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 07:42:27 (CDT) All, I don't know when RR was first brewed, but I have always understood that the 33 refered to the year of the 21st amendment. (Made drinking legal again for those non amendment types out there) Rob Eby - Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 08:41:12 (CDT) I read that the "33" on the bottle referred to the number of words on the bottle. It was put on by the people proofing the writing, and the labellers liked the look of it enough that they decided to leave it on there. As a diehard Celtics fan, however, I prefer to believe it is a living tribute to Larry Legend. Bianco - Thursday, August 16, 2001 at 09:32:17 (CDT) chimay is great. try afligem(?) if you can find it. another trappist beer that is really good. if you have to drink cider, scrumpy jack is definitely good. if you want something light and refreshing, try a shandy(?). it's lemonade and beer. lemonade as in the UK variety which is sorta like 7 up or the like. this is usually combined with a lager so it's fairly light and very nice on a hot day. peter - Friday, August 17, 2001 at 15:04:30 (CDT) "Prohibition was repealed in 1933" Submitted by Greg from Boston, MA "A 1988 contest to tell the story of the mysterious "33" fielded entries from 33 states. The winning submission was a limerick containing 33 words: What can it mean, that famed thirty-three? An age, a date, or a pedigree? Let me tell you my friends, That it all just depends, Can you find me two tales that agree?" Submitted by Mike from Chicago, IL "33 letters spell the ingredients; malt, rice, corn, hops, brewers yeast, water." Submitted by Mark from Hartford, CT "33 degrees is the coldest temperature at which water remains liquid. A nice, cold Rolling Rock. Mmmmm" Submitted by Brendan from Seattle, WA "The 33-cent stamp: Homage or Copyright infringment?" Submitted by Cara from Rochester, NY "Every spring in Pennsylvania has a number to identify it. The spring where water is taken to brew Rolling Rock beer is number "33"" Submitted by Beth from Hollsopple, PA "A horse race in which a Track local with his last $1,000 wagered on a horse named Latrobe #33. He won and the brewery got it"s start from those humble beginnings !!! Whada ya think?" Submitted by Nick from Dewart Lake, IN "...... 33 bottles of beer on the wall......" Submitted by clark from Pittsburgh, pennsylvania "There are 33 letters & punctuation marks. The proofreader wrote 33 on the paper & it was mistakenly added to the label." Submitted by Davin from Watertown, South Dakota "instead of 4 beers the six pack was invented. Thus making the 3 by 3 a handy pack to carry." Submitted by "grub" from warwick, Rhode Island "It took 33 minutes to think up the name "Rolling Rock"" Submitted by Laurette from Derby, Connecticut "the "BIG 33" was the high school football conferance in that area." Submitted by jim shuey from clute, texas "33 the number of letters in Rolling Rock Please Drink Responsibly" Submitted by Pluck from Wildwood , NJ "legendary nba superstar larry bird of the boston celtics is a partner in the company" Submitted by josh from lincoln, ne "I think the fermentation process takes 33 days !" Submitted by Randy Grimes from Sykesville, MD "The 33rd batch was the one that went to market...right jesse?" Submitted by garv from dalton, ma "stands for the amount of times looking at the damn number drunk untill you go to this web site to see if it will tell you anything and it doesnt" Submitted by nick from downingtown, pa "in a taste test administered prior to distributing rolling rock to america, it was prefered 33 to 1 over pabst blue ribbon by local pennsylvania steel workers." Submitted by kdogg from chapel hill, nc ""Why don"t you tell us?....You do know, don"t you?"" Submitted by Rob from NYC, NY ""33 is the number of dollars it took to start up the company back in the day."" Submitted by Dan from Cohen, Duncan, BC "there are three 33"s on evey bottle. its hard to find them all." Submitted by charlie from san marino, california "There was a beer drinking contest in Latrobe, and the winner of the contest drank "33" delicious Rolling rocks..." Submitted by Jason Simon from Muskego, wisconsin "the racing horse called "ROLLING ROCK" wore the number 33 with colors of green and white" Submitted by Joe from Centerville , MA "There are "33" mountain springs from which the rock is made" Submitted by Rich Hunker from Tiltonsville , Ohio "There are 3 beers on either side of a six pack" Submitted by Yard Dog from San Jose, CA "You see, the idea of the "33" on the back label of the bottle was actually a drunken idea of the brewmaster to start a conspiracy that would relate the existence of The Illuminati to Rolling Rock, which, as many scholars know, is the source of all "33" original subcultures that began the whole "Illuminati" phenomenon in the first place. At least, that what the voices keep telling me." Submitted by Scottie from CR, IA "" Its the same deal as that 57 thing on Heinz mustard and stuff." "Hit the 33 and beer comes out!"" Submitted by Bev from State College, Pa "I don"t care. I love Rolling Rock and I live in Oregon, the 33 state admitted to the Union." Submitted by Scott from Portland, Oregon "3 is half of Six and a third of Nine ! Yeah Baby ! We all know about six and nine." Submitted by Jay from Morristown, NJ "If you read the back label it says, "it comes from the mountain springs to you" "33" The first time that Good old Rolling Rock was presented was to a panel of 33 beer judges. Mystery solved!" Submitted by Steven from Cleveland, Ohio ""33" is the magical number that protects the secret to the glass lined tanks" Submitted by erika from monroe, mi ""Frank,Joseph,Robert,Ralph,Anthony Tito" Equals "33" letters and bajis are nice shawn n george" Submitted by shawn n george from newark, de "Honus Wagner wore no. 33" Submitted by Tom from Harbor Creek, PA "33... 3 beers on the left, 3 beers on the right. This makes for the traditional six-pack." Submitted by Aaron from Whitehall, PA "I don"t know. that is why I came to this site. I always wanted to know and would like your answer. Your the ones who put it on the bottle so what dose it mean?" Submitted by Mark from pembroke, ma "The "33" is sort of a typographical error. Back then, when the author came up with the now famous pledge "From the glass lined tanks of OLD LATROBE" it was standard to put the number of words at the bottom of the peoem. When the pledge was put on the bottom, so was the great "33" And nothing remains unchanged today, same as it ever was, even back in 1939." Submitted by Scott from Washington, Pa "The "33" on the bottle really doesn"t stand for anything. The marketing geniuses for Rolling Rock just wanted to drive us all nuts." Submitted by Jamie from Chicago, IL "33 springs feed the brewry" Submitted by Joe from Xenia, Ohio "There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania you idiots! Not 33!" Submitted by Ryan from Harrisburg, PA "In honor of Frenchy Fuqua, the Pittsburgh Steeler running back who had Terry Bradshaw"s pass bounce off him into the hands of Franco Harris, advancing the Steelers towards NFL prominence in the "60s." Submitted by Frenchy from Pittsburgh, PA "Pennsylvania likes numbers, Heinz has 57, Three-Rivers Stadium but Rolling Rock set the trend with 33 which was par for the first nine-holes on the golf course when Arnold Palmer got his start." Submitted by George from Ligonier, PA "Why not "33"?" Submitted by Vince from Monroeville, Pa "If you hold a Rolling Rock up to a mirror and look at the "33" a magic window opens and you can see the little people who make such a great beer.." Submitted by Dale from Weirton, West Virginia "There are "33" Steps from the Brewing Floor to the Brew Master"s office... Cheers! " Submitted by Mike from PITTSBURGH, PA "If you begin counting the full words printed on the front of a long neck bottle and continue to the rear when you reach the famous "33" you have counted 32 words and you finish with "33", realizing you have just sat and counted the words on the bottle - as 33 millions others probably have...." Submitted by Gregg from Alamo, California ""33" original employees of the Rolling Rock brewery.." Submitted by Don from Washington, Pa courtesy of http://www.beer.com/brands/us/rollingrock - Friday, August 17, 2001 at 17:04:15 (CDT) You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Frank Zappa - Monday, August 20, 2001 at 09:13:11 (CDT) more thoughts on Rolling Rock... One of the minor reasons I like RR is because its packaging is very untypical for a beer. It almost looks like an old time soda or something. All other beers have the takiest/gawdiest logos laces in gold & silver outlines (just think of "budweiser" or "natural lite") My wife thinks RR is funny. She doesn't like beer and often refers to its taste as horse urine. RR has a horse pic on the bottle. Baggett - Wednesday, August 22, 2001 at 10:20:35 (CDT) I ate at a little dive in Sanson Park/North Ft. Worth (near the stock yards) today called Dos Molinas Mexican restaurant. Excellent. I grew up on quality (non fancy) mexican food in Houston and have since disliked this food style due to the poor mexican restaurants in Abilene. Check out Dos Molinas. Baggett - Thursday, November 08, 2001 at 23:31:01 (CST) A little over a week ago, we visited Ruidoso, NM for the first time. You might not expect to find trees and mountains in the middle of the state, but they are there. Ruidoso seems to have two main drawing points: people vacation and/or retire there, and people go there to ski. Ski Apache is the local resort. It's quite a windy drive up the mountain to get there. The have a gondola you can ride up and down the mountain, but it was closed when we went. The highlight of our trip was visiting the Spencer Theater, north and east of Ruidoso in Alto. This wealthy and generous lady named Mrs. Spencer wanted the people of the area to have access to the performing arts. So, she had this fabulous theater built. She spared absolutely no expense; it's phenomenal. The stage is absolutely huge; big enough for "Les Miserables" and a touring ice show. However, the house only seats 514. I'm not sure why they didn't put in more seats, but as it is, there is no "bad" seat in the house. The theater also showcases a bunch of work by glass artist Dale Chihuly; almost all of it is out in the open where people can touch it and admire it. The theater is also architecturally attractive. See it on the web at www.spencertheater.com. The local high schools get to perform there, and a few times a year, local kids are involved in productions there. I don't think the theater will ever be fully profitable, but Mrs. Spencer has committed to underwrite it. She also helps keep tickets for the touring shows under $50. They get touring acts who are going to places like Denver, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. Broadway, ballet, chamber music and symphonies are part of the shows they bring in. They always sell out their touring shows. Our tour guide said people come in from neighboring states to see their shows. We definitely want to go back and see a show sometime. Russ W - Thursday, December 27, 2001 at 13:40:02 (CST) Having been a big fan of the beer called "Fat Tire", thanks to Troy who introduced me to it a year ago, I recently learned the company that brews it - New Belgium Brewery - http"//www.newbelgium.com - has _12_ different brews. Fat Tire is just one of them. Has anyone tried any of these? Comments?? Baggett - Monday, January 07, 2002 at 16:53:06 (CST) I like Fat Tire a lot. Especially on tap. I've never tried any of their other beers, though. I'd like to. Russell B. - Monday, January 07, 2002 at 17:22:48 (CST) Fat Tire is good and widely available. I've tried the trippel and the abbey both of which I liked (but then I like Belgian style beer). If anybody has any contacts in Ft. Collins who could score us a bottle or 5 of the La Folie I'd be interested in trying it, but the say you can only purchase it at the brewery. Nathan - Tuesday, January 08, 2002 at 09:25:05 (CST) Last night I bought a 6 pack of the "Trippel" from NBB. It's great. I still prefer Fat Tire, though. The guy behind the counter said that their other store (across town) carried the "1557" and "Blue Paddle" brew. I may try them next. Baggett - Tuesday, January 08, 2002 at 11:25:50 (CST) If you like sweet, dessert-y wines, check out wines from Bonny Doon Vineyard near Santa Cruz, CA. They tend to use distinctive, artsy labels on their bottles. We had a raspberry wine of theirs that was delicious, but super-sweet. (Tastes good over ice cream too, I admit.) For this past New Year's, we got some of their "Moscato del Solo" sparkling wine, a blend of three types of muscat. Again, sweet, but tasty. I prefer it to drier sparkling wine or champagne (sham-pon-yah, a la SNL). Speaking of muscat wines, the local Cap Rock vineyard has a tasty orange muscat, but it's $18 a bottle, a bit much for a starving student. However, Cap Rock has a "wine of the month" that they sell for half price each month. We scored five bottles of Cabernet Royale last month for half price; not bad. Russ W - Tuesday, January 08, 2002 at 11:26:28 (CST) ...I mean "1554". BB - Tuesday, January 08, 2002 at 14:47:15 (CST) Russ, I'd agree with you on the Bonny Doon label. i've loved anything and everything i've had by them. two favorites: the Pacific Rim Reisling, a nice, light, crisp, dry reisling, and the (named something close to) Big House Red, also quite tasty. oh yeah, Fat Tire's a favorite here in Austin. never had any of the other brews, though. julie - Tuesday, January 08, 2002 at 21:26:13 (CST) After being in the metroplex this weekend, I have two recommendations: The first recommendation is just an affirmation of what most losers already know: THE FLYING SAUCER IS AWESOME!!! We made a post-gig journey that way, it was very nice. The second was a big strech for me. A friend took me to lunch at the Cosmic Cafe in Dallas. Totally vegetarian, nothing from cows, quite interesting. They don't even have coffee creamer. The food was good, and their attempt at Chocolate cake was admirable, considering they used no cheese or eggs. Also, for a little escape, they have a meditation room upstairs. I'm serious, it's a trip. Evan - Sunday, March 03, 2002 at 18:06:33 (CST) We went to a "Texas Land and Cattle" restaurant for the first time last night. They're all over Dallas, but we never made it over there. It was pretty good. I like the atmosphere, certain country songs not withstanding. The food was tasty and cooked to order. The prices are comparable to Outback, perhaps slightly higher. However, it was much less noisy than the typical Outback, and the service was better. But if you want wine with your meal, prepare to break the bank. Their per glass prices start at $5.50 just for white zinfandel. I realize they have to make money somewhere, but that's ridiculous. Anyway, if you recently got one of their coupons in the Sunday paper (we did, I admit), give TXLC a try. Russ W - Friday, March 08, 2002 at 14:59:27 (CST) We discovered TX L&C when we moved to Austin. The garlic mashed potatoes are really great, and it's a decent place to go really hungry and wait for a table, since the peanuts (trail nuts in "regular" and "fire" if I remember correctly) are free-flowing. For the full-on meal experience, the desserts are awfully good too. My only negative is that often they stick a knife standing straight up in the bread. I don't know why, but that always disturbs me. Last time I was there was in San Antonio for a work lunch thing and I didn’t really want a big meal. I think I was the only person among a table of thirty without a big side of cow on their plate. I ended up with a salmon filet that tasted like a steak place made it. Go figure. Still, as seldom as I ever crave (or even desire to tolerate) a steak, the cowgirl's ribeye and the black pepper steak are worth remembering. lisa - Tuesday, March 12, 2002 at 13:52:15 (CST) Two of my favorite things at TX L&C are the baked sweet potatoes and the rather stiff house margaritas. I also like the fact that you can eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. Now is that classy or what? Elaine W - Tuesday, March 12, 2002 at 16:37:23 (CST) Poland's getting expensive. I just spent 9 dollars on a five course meal with a nice glass of wine. I remember when I could do that for $3. Oh well my loss is Polands gain and not having the seven course meal is my keep from having to lose... :) Nathan - Tuesday, May 07, 2002 at 14:37:34 (CDT) I spent June 14th-16th in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. It's really pretty country, though driving through Atlanta traffic is enough to drive anyone insane. Still, I got to partake in lots of good Southern style eating and drinking, so here is my review. Thursday night, the wedding party I was in went to an Irish Pub called the Olde Peculiar Pub in Norcross, outside of Atlanta. It's a very authentic pub, with lots of English and Irish beers, and a good atmosphere. Friday morning, we had breakfast at a place called Some Like It Hot, hidden away in a shopping mall. The owner/cook/waiter is very renouned for his talents, and this was his attempt at a Cajun joint. The breakfast menu was loaded with the usual breakfast fare, as well as lots of omlettes, some with crawfish even. I really enjoyed the pancakes, very nice. Georgia B-B-Q is nothing to write home about, but in Athens, you can go to practically any bar downtown(where UGA is) and find Guinness, Bass, or Newcastle Brown Ale on tap. I found one on Friday night that had Caffrey's, one of my favorites, and enjoyed a pint while listening to live Bluegrass music outdoors. Sunday night I had a great steak sandwich at an Athens haunt called The Grill. It's a very electic place, lots of old things to look at while being served by very modern looking servers (piercings and whatnot). The apple pie with ice cream was awesome for dessert. Upon my return to Dallas, a friend and I tracked down Cocina Caliente in Addison on Rosemeade by the GWB turnpike. For lunch, we stuffed ourselves for $6.95 on some of the best Mexican food I've had in ages. They also have a great beer selection on tap. That night, we ventured to The Tipperary Inn. Another authentic looking Irish pub, apparently the owner imported lots of pub fixtures. This makes it very expensive to dine and drink, so bring lots of cash or plastic. Anyway, I give my recommendation to any of these places. God Bless those who bring real beer into this country. Evan - Sunday, June 23, 2002 at 13:46:03 (CDT) And Gawd Bless us'evry one! Hic-cup! Tiny Tim - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 00:14:45 (CDT) Hey Lisa, would you be willing to post your recipe for the tortilla soup everybody was talking about prior to the loserfest? It sounds good, and I'd like to give it a spin.... matt c. - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 13:21:03 (CDT) It's here already, posted on April 9, 2001. In fact it's the one I use now, since I don't know my original copy went. There's a vegetarian variation I posted in July too. BTW, I'm pretty sure I, like, quadruple the chili powder. (that would be the meaning of "or to taste"). lemme know how it turns out. lisa - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 13:57:36 (CDT) Thanks, Lisa! I'll be going to the grocery store soon, so I'll keep you posted. matt c. - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 14:53:24 (CDT) Matt, Been back to the great Spanish Rest. or the Irish Pub since we were there in April? That was good food and great beverage! Scott - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 16:18:25 (CDT) No tapas for me lately, but I have had plenty of good Irish beers and whiskeys. But since it's been so dang hot and sweaty here in Chicago, I've been all about the gin 'n tonic, the perfect beverage for hot summer weather. I did have a wonderful sushi dinner last night, though. And it's always cajun cookin' over at my house. mmm mmm. BTW, has Abilene come up with some better cuisine options than it had when I was there? I keep hearing about this beer and leaf establishment, but never anything about food. matt c. - Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 21:57:55 (CDT) Matt, Not much difference in Abilene. More chains and more of the same (BBQ, mexican, etc.) but not much in way of true cultural cuisine. We do have more mexican places now other than just tex-mex -- some authentic mexican and some southwest mexican. And one little Thai dive in one of the cheap motels. Other than that, pretty general fare. We just don't have the ethnic people to support it and a lot of West Texas Rednecks who would be afraid to try anything too "out there." Scott - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 11:13:59 (CDT) Abilene local food - if you like 'local' as in BBQ, you can't beat Joe Allens (white man BBQ) or Turnerhill's (black man BBQ). I'm not big on our regional cuisine, but Szchechuan is by far the best chinese food anywhere. The head cheaf/owner (Byron Trong or something) actually studied in 5 different culinary regions of China. His tiny restauant in very popular. If you want a table for lunch you better get there by 11:30a. Spano's is home-made Italian from scratch. It's own by my friend Pete Spano's brother Joe. Joe's son (23 year old Joe Jr.) just opened his own place downtown at the Mclemore-Bass building - Spano's Trattoria. I haven't been there yet, but I hear it's better than his dad's place. Full bar & everything. He sunk his life savings into it and plans to be a full time restauranteer for much of his life (you got to love that kind of dedication). Baggett - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 13:41:06 (CDT) Baggett, Those are some of my local favorites. I personally think Joe Allen's has the best steak I've ever had other than at Del Friscos. But who can afford Del Friscos more than one in a lifetime! Spanos is our favorite Itallian place and Szchechuan is our favorite Chinese place. I didn't know about the chef's experience but that would explain why we all love it so much! I met Pete on a Walk to Emmaus last August. Nice guy. Brian, we will have to get together for lunch some day at Szchechuan -- by 11:30 of course! Scott - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 14:20:47 (CDT) I will agree with Brian and Scott that Joe Allen's and Spano's are worthy eateries. However, for the sake of argument, Joe's Italian Grill is also pretty freakin' good. Evan - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 14:43:51 (CDT) Evan, I must diagree but for a more personal reason. Joe hit on my wife, she turned him down and said she was married. He kept hitting on her and saying he didn't care that she was married. I just can't stomach giving him a penny ever again! Prior to this, though, I did like the food and the cheap prices. Scott - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 15:57:18 (CDT) Scott, sorry that Joe let his hormones overtake his sense of good business. I personally think that Joe is slowly turning Abilene into a mafia hideout, using the restaurants as a coverup for a massive money laundering scandal. But, it's still good food. Evan - Wednesday, June 26, 2002 at 16:51:02 (CDT) For Bar B Q, until I taste otherwise, I refuse to belive that anything could be better than Harold's in Abilene. That's the best on the planet until further notice, and I've eaten at all the other recommended spots. Personal note, Joe Spano's stepson, Jason Stelzer, was the guitar player in the first of two bands I was in while at ACU. We were called The Last Stand, and we played a number of times at The Vortex. One time, we got to play with Recurrence. (The other much better band was The Monkey House. If no one remembers either of those, you're in good company). Anyway, I ate at Spano's a lot those days because it was free for me, as a bandmate of his son. It was always great food. RB - Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 00:45:46 (CDT) RB, I agree on Harold's. I think they are the best BBQ as well! And just to make sure I don't confuse anyone I want to clarify that the Joe I was referring to was NOT Joe Spano. Joe Spano and his family are fine people and I would not want to lead anyone to think differently. You probably weren't confused about who I mentioned, but just in case, I wanted to clarify for the man's reputation. Scott - Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 10:35:16 (CDT) Scott, ANY DAY you want to meet for lunch at Szchechuan is a good day. Give me a call. Thanks for clearing up the Joe thing. I trully believe Evan is right about some sort of illeagal coverup with the "Joe's Italian Grill" chain. I'm not joking. I've known people who worked for him. Sorry RB - I cannot join you in agreement on Harold's. But then again, I'm not a big BBQ fan. Baggett - Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 11:45:40 (CDT) Baggett, We've got Joe's Itallian Grill, Joe Allen's, Joe Spanos place, Joe's son (Joe Spano, Jr.) and his place.....Are you sure the owner and chef of Szchechuan isn't named Joe? I'll give you a call or you call me and we'll meet for lunch at Joe's Szchechuan. Scott - Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 14:47:47 (CDT) We finally dined at Spano's Trattoria (216 Pine) for lunch this afternoon. If you like 'real' Italian this place is definately worth checking out when you're in town. I had a lunch special consisting of a home-made pasta salad and a hot 'half' sandwich - chicken parmagian (SP?) priced at $5.50. Although we didn't sample anything from the bar today, they had a full bar and a HUGE selection of wine - more than anyplace in town. Of course, Joe Jr.'s dad owns H&H beverage so I'm sure he gives his son a good price & selection. Maybe we'll come again one evening. Baggett - Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 17:33:02 (CDT) The Onion's wine appreciation tips are well worth a read - http://www.theonion.com/onion3830/wine-appreciation_tips.html Nathan - Friday, August 23, 2002 at 16:59:04 (CDT) Great cheap wine recommendation: Vina Alaraba Old Vines Grenache. $5.99. This is a very satisfying Spanish Grenache, somewhat softer than your average Shiraz (Rosemont for instance) but drier than your average Merlot (Rodney Strong for instance). Fruitier than most French Grenache wines. Compares very gracefully to Bonny Doon Grenache @ $35-40 / bottle. Jef - Monday, September 09, 2002 at 19:44:53 (CDT) Had the pleasure of eating at Up N Smoke BBQ in Keller last night with BBB and the rest of the DTB. They've got a great beer selection and killer food. I sampled the wings, chicken fried steak, and pulled pork with various sides. You can't go wrong at this joint, get there if you ever get the chance. Hopefully we'll be playing there soon and you can catch the party. Evan - Sunday, September 29, 2002 at 18:53:23 (CDT) I just returned from a conference at Utah State University in Logan. Logan is in the beautiful Cache Valley about an hour and a half north of Salt Lake City. We got to go hiking in the mountains east of the city; there are many hiking and camping opportunities around there. I think the snow is on the ground from about November through April. However, I'm told that Logan still gets sun in the winter. Utah really does have a lot of arid territory. We also went to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. The lake is absolutely enormous (as you can see on the maps). We saw some bison on the island. To my surprise, it was not too hard to get a good beer in Logan. SLC has some brewpubs downtown, too. If wine is your thing, come to Lubbock this Saturday (the 12th). Llano Estacado Winery is having the annual Grape Day. $2 gets you tastings and a couple of glasses of the wines of your choice. Classic car show, too. (If I had a classic car, I wouldn't put it next to a bunch of tipsy wine tasters, but oh well.) Russ W - Monday, October 07, 2002 at 17:22:55 (CDT) Nate took me to the "Flying Saucer" in San Antonio last Saturday afternoon for a pint. I can't for the life of me remember what I had - but it was a Belgian amber with a funky name that begins with "m". Cool place, and thanks again Nate for rescuing me. Baggett - Tuesday, October 22, 2002 at 10:01:03 (CDT) In Montreal, QC: Angela researched the internet for French Crepe restaurants (Crepery) in the city. She settled on Le Creperie Bretonne, Le Triskell on 1420 Saint Denis St. (that's Rue saw duNEE). It was fairly priced and they don't expect you to be formally dressed. For you who don't know (like me before I married Angela) crepes are basically 2 extremely thin pancakes put together and stuffed with whatever you like - or whatever the place serves. Both dinner and dessert. I stuck with a basic ham & cheese. Then I ordered a second one along with a salad. Angela had some kid of creme mushroom stuffed crepe for dinner and a flembee (flomBAY) for dessert. The flembee is sweet and the waitress pours some kind of alcohol all over it and lights it on fire. It was cool. Today's lunch...for 4 years I've been wanting to try poutine, one of the few foods native to Canada, more specifically Quebec. Poutine is just a glorified side dish of french fries smothered in a semi-spicy brown gravy with huge chunks of white cheese. We found a quaint run-of-the-mill diner that serves it. Poutine wasn't on there written menu so we had to ask for it. It went well with a BLT. Like the huge tourisy nerd that I am, I took photos of all these foods. I'll try and coax Nate into posting them. Baggett - Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 23:00:04 (CST) Brian, Thanks for the updates from Montreal. Sounds fun. Cecily and I were in the Katy (TX) area (near where Brian went to high school) before Christmas. We made a pilgrimage to the IKEA furniture store. Cool furniture at low prices, although you must assemble a lot of it for yourself. They also sell posters, rugs, and other cool accessory items. (IKEA is a Swedish company.) We ate one night at the "59" diner on I-10. It's a big place with a cool diner atmosphere. There menu was more than just "greasy spoon" fare. We also stumbled onto a cool Mexican food joint called "Casa Imperial"; it was north of I-10, I think on Gessner street. In Abilene for Christmas, we ate at Joe's Italian Grill on S. 1st. It was pretty good. The pizza looked good, too. Russ W - Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 18:10:14 (CST) Good to hear about the infamous 59 Diner. I first heard about it via song lyrics from Sprawl - a popular Houston area band of Rice Univ students in the late 80s. Ironically, I think it's called 59 Diner because it was on Hwy 59. Didn't know they moved out to I-10. Baggett - Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 22:54:45 (CST) Russ, Sandy and I have been to the IKEA store in Houston as well. GREAT store at good prices. There are only 2 in the United States right now, the one in Houston and one in California. But they are huge in Europe, and recently had a terrorist threat against them over in Europe. I read that in the paper or on the web or something. Who can ever get mad at Sweden? Here's some IKEA trivia for you -- that is where a lot of the cheap stuff is bought for that show, Trading Spaces on TLC. Scott F. - Friday, December 27, 2002 at 14:49:17 (CST) Scott F: There are more than just 2 IKEA stores in the USA - more like 6 in California alone! Check their store locator: http://www.ikea-usa.com/ikea_near_you/near.asp Great store! IKEA Fan - Friday, January 03, 2003 at 10:09:34 (CST) Ah yes, where would Trading Spaces be without IKEA? (We watch a lot of Trading Spaces.) We brought back a few bottles of wine from Spain, and one of them was from the Enate vineyard. The bottle just says "CABERNET SAUVIGNON" on one line and "MERLOT" on the line below it; the blend doesn't seem to have its own name from the vineyard. Anyway, it's good. The merlot takes a little of the edge off of the cab sav. I don't know if they sell it over here, but it's worth a try if you see it. That Enate wine reminds me of the "Proprietor's Reserve" red from Pheasant Ridge, a small winery north of Lubbock. The Proprietor's Reserve is a blend of cab sav with 2 other grapes (it lists the percentages on the label), and we like the balance. It goes for about $13 a bottle, but it's worth it. Russ W - Sunday, January 05, 2003 at 16:32:41 (CST) like, i just got from amazon, the most Amazing-Looking cookbook called "the cake mix doctor." it looks Amazing! all about cake mixes and how to tweak them to attain perfection. well, tweak not being the right word, really, more like "perform quadruple bypass surgery upon." if the recipes turn out as well as they sound like they do, i may never ever buy another cookbook again! tonight i am making either macadamia fudge torte or the chocolate pistachio cake. or maybe the deeply chocolate almond cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. will report tomorrow. with reprint of successful recipe. martha "aka julie" stewart - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 at 14:44:10 (CST) Martha, may I suggest your participation in the growing Loser Marathon Club to accompany these new cake endeavors. We've got the Motorola Austin Marathon '04 on our to do list. Jay - Friday, February 14, 2003 at 07:56:37 (CST) motorola marathon '04! that's ambitious. i'll think about it... anyhow, didn't bake last week. am planning to spend a long evening baking tonight. will belatedly report once complete. (i've got a great excuse here, a good friend is getting married, and to save money as well as make the reception more intimate, is asking friends to bake their favorite cakes, rather than having the traditional $$$ (and generally not that tasty) wedding cake. i need to experiment, see which cake is my favorite! heh.) julie - Monday, February 24, 2003 at 10:16:00 (CST) Julie, it'd be incredible. There's a yet-to-be-named Loser who is considering it, as well. If she/he were to join you and me, and we could lasso Bianco down from KC...think of the possibilities. And you've got the coolest place in the state, Town Lake, to train. Not to mention all the Austin area running clubs. I can only dream. And as for cake, Colin's birthday is tomorrow, if you wanna send one our way. Jay - Monday, February 24, 2003 at 13:22:50 (CST) To Jay an anyone else interested, here are some of the available "extended stay" motels in Lubbock. Hawthorn Suites, 19th and University, right by Tech. 806-765-8900; www.hawthorn.com Ashmore Inn and Suites (they also have 'extended stay'); on the South Loop by Quaker, next to Walmart and restaurants. 800-785-0061. Barcelona Court, http://www.barcelonacourt.com; at Slide and the Loop, south of the mall. All the rooms are suites; our conference guests stayed there in Feb. and liked it. Homewood Suites -- West Loop, brand new, but not the most convenient; 806-785-7600; www.homewood-suites.com Residence Inn; South Loop at University, close to Target and our house; 745-1963. Extended Stay America; South Loop between Quaker and Slide; not far from the mall, etc.; $55/night; http://www.extendedstay.com/locations.html; Telephone: (806) 785-9881; For reservations, rates, locations and information, you may also call 1-800-EXT-STAY. Russ W - Tuesday, April 01, 2003 at 14:12:22 (CST) In my travels this past week, I was introduced to the little town of Wharton, TX, just southwest of Houston. We played a club in the town square called "The Innkeeper Ale House and Martini Bar". They have an impressive list of import and domestic beers, including some microbrews out of Houston (St. Arnold's). I don't have a pallatte for martini's, but they do have a good menu of them to choose from. Across the street and up the block, lies the Pat-A-Cake restaraunt where I was treated to one of the best meals I've ever had. Standouts of the appetizer menu include spinach-artichoke dip with toasted bread and gigantic coconut shrimp served with a mango dipping sauce. Just awesome. The house bread is amazing with their cinnamon butter. Our salad's were quartered heads of iceberg lettuce with Creamy Italian dressing. Never had a salad that you had to eat like a meal. My main course was Chicken Oscar, two breaded chicken breasts served on top of crab meat on a bed of angel hair pasta. Those who ordered steaks, (filet, T-bone, or ribeye) said that they were the best they'd ever eaten. Mine was just incredible. I should've stopped there, but I didn't. Then, dessert came. The band and I swapped plates containing apple/walnut cobbler w/ice cream, Mexican Chocolate Cake with Mexican Vanilla, and Italian Creme Cake. I can't comapare it with any other food, so fill in your favorite sinful pleasure here. It was amazing. If you ever get down to Wharton, go to this bar and restaraunt. It might be a bit much on the wallet, but it will be worth every penny you spend. If not, I'll give you your money back myself. :) Evan - Sunday, April 27, 2003 at 23:48:21 (CDT) We were at our neighbors' house the other night and I had some Hogue Cabernet-Merlot from 2000. Not bad. It's from Washington state, I think. Tasty. Russ W - Monday, June 23, 2003 at 08:23:04 (CDT) We were in Abilene this weekend, and my parents took us to this Mexican-style ice cream shop. It's called Mary's, and it's right across Treadaway from Mary's Mexican Restaurant (owned by a different Mary). They serve a lot of frozen-fruit bars, cups of fresh fruit, and some really good ice cream. Lots cheaper than Baskin Robbins (or Kaleidoscoops, as they're now known in Abilene and Lubbock) and more fun. On S. Treadaway in about the 500 block, just north of a CITGO gas station. Russ W - Sunday, July 06, 2003 at 16:16:35 (CDT) We went to see Cecily's parents last week, and we got to spend 2 nights in Toronto. I'd never been, and I'd love to go back. Toronto is very diverse. It has a large Chinatown (not as huge as Vancouver's, though), a Little Italy, and a Greektown (that's what they call it). We had lunch in Greektown on Danforth St., at a place called Kalysia's. We didn't get far into the menu for lunch, but those were the best gyros we'd ever had (and hummus, and tzatziki). Toronto has a subway, busses, and streetcars. With a day pass, you can ride them all. We got our money's worth from our passes. Toronto does have a stage production of The Lion King. They also have Mamma Mia (filled with music from ABBA), but it was closed through the summer due to SARS. The CN Tower is very cool. But beware--it's a much bigger tourist trap than the Sears Tower. You could easily spend half a day there. They have the main observation deck and then the 'sky pod' 300 feet higher. Alas, you have to get in another line to get to the sky pod, and we didn't have time even though we'd paid for it. The CN Tower is right next to the SkyDome, and it's cool to peer into the SkyDome from above. The Toronto Islands are in the harbor across from the Harbour Front. There's an amusement park there, and other park space. We took an hour-long boat trip through the harbour that was pretty good. We ate at Pier 4 on the harbour, a large seafood restaurant. It was pretty good. And to top it all off, Toronto has 3 IKEA stores in the area. The one we went to was at least twice the size of the one in Houston. We scored rooms at the Sheraton downtown, using hotwire.com. I would definitely recommend that. I wish we'd had more time there, but I'd gladly go back to Toronto. Russ W - Saturday, August 02, 2003 at 16:38:56 (CDT) Blue Bell has a new flavor: Cinnamon Caramel Crunch. Mmmmm-good! the happy cows in Brenham - Wednesday, August 13, 2003 at 15:10:26 (CDT) "Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." Jack Handy - Wednesday, August 13, 2003 at 22:11:02 (CDT) Last night Angela & I treated ourselves to a fine Chinese meal at Szechuan in Abilene (which has been written about here before). I have not had a bad meal there yet. But last night's plate raised the bar to 'above excellent': Crispy Chengdu Fish. It's on the menu under their regional specialties descibed as, "Bite sized pieces of battered white fish crisply sauteed with scallions and glazed with hot garlic sauce." Spice level to your taste. Ehhhx-cellent. Also, crab angels appetizers (AA++) Baggett - Tuesday, August 19, 2003 at 16:51:05 (CDT) came across this odd but good tip: when a recipe calls for sherry and you have none (or dont wish to use it) sub flat dr pepper. oh who am i kidding? losers use sherry. oh, lisa, if it would be too difficult dont bother, but if you ever have the time, could you post that raspberry tort recipe? best stuff ive ever eaten. jlc - Friday, October 10, 2003 at 17:32:12 (CDT) in the under $9 shiraz category, tonight casey and i shared a bottle of heritage road 2001 (noble road vinyard) from the southeastern australian murray river area. casey is a white wine drinker, i a straight up cabbie. this particular shiraz has a long, spicy flavor and pleasant dry bite (to my liking) but with virtually no body (to hers). it opens to be less tannic (sp?) but really compliments both white and red lovers. hurray for aussies. jlc - Wednesday, October 15, 2003 at 22:00:54 (CDT) Hi all, Tonight was the Isaiah 58 staff Christmas party in which we enjoyed a meal at Szechuan. Several dishes were served to the 6 of us but the grand poobah of all dinners was a first for all: Peking Duck. First, Chef Huang brought the duck out for our inspection (as if I'd know what a bad one looked like). The duck was fully cooked (an 18 hour process). Then the chef brought it back to the kitchen to prepare it for 2 plates. The first of which was the skin only - sliced into bite sized pieces layed out into the ducks form (along with the head & legs. I brought the head home). This 'skin plate' was served with tortilla-like "mandarin pancakes", hoi-sin sauce, sliced cucumbers and scallions. All are meant to be wrapped in the pancakes (like a burrito!) and eaten. Very unique and tasty. The second duck plate was the meat cooked with chopped snow-peas in a mild brown sauce. Not as tasty as the first (skin) dish, but good in its own right. This is my first Peking Duck so I'm interested to know if anyone else has eaten this and if it's commonly served in 2 dishes. The preparation process sounds like a real art: 12 hours to hang dry for the skin & meat to separate. Then 6+ hours in the 'specialty' oven. Baggett - Saturday, December 06, 2003 at 23:44:06 (CST) Baggett, I've never had Peking Duck, but I've watched enough of the Food Network to vouch for its impressive cooking process. The example I saw included sticking a vaccum type hose under the skin and blowing air into the duck to get more separation. Then they dip in dark sauce and hang it out to dry. After the duck is roasted, some places with serve eggs scrambled in the drippings of the duck, supposedly the best in the world. That's all I know, but I'm glad to know it can be found in Abilene. Evan - Monday, December 08, 2003 at 01:14:12 (CST) toasted head makes an EXP sirah that is out of this world. dont know if you can get it anywhere, but our (world market) distributor had a limited supply and after one bottle we bought as much as possible. every employee stocked up. usually a $25-35 bottle elsewhere, we were selling it at 13.99. very berry but not sweet. nice. oh so nice. jlc - Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 19:11:50 (CST) This past weekend in Lubbock, the band and I wandered down and around the corner from the Blue Light in the Depot district, to a new wine bar called La Diosa. It was packed with all ages of wine drinkers. It's got a nice atmosphere, very dark with good jazz in the background. There are couches, chairs, and regular tables for every taste. They sell only Texas wines, so we split a good bottle of red between the 4 of us. Don't know how much it cost, but it's a pretty cool place. Evan - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 14:12:40 (CST) Looks like Evan beat me to La Diosa. Sounds like a nice place. They are supposed to have their own wines to sell along with others from the area and the state. Incidentally, if you ever find yourself stranded up here, there are 3 wineries to visit, 2 of which have free tastings. The third one, Cap Rock, has a very nice facility, but they were charging for tastings last time I checked. When we first moved here, Cap Rock had different owners, and the wne was cheaper. You could get the 'wine of the month' for 1/2 price at the winery. Those were the days. RW - Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 19:48:02 (CST) friends, losers and countrymen: a quick wine rec. Il Bastardo ($5.99 at world market) is an amazing buy. it is a sangiovese and perfect for a daily table red. dry, bold, and with an explosive, startling dance toward the back of the tongue, il bastardo is thin bodied and extrememly drinkable. i stayed away from it for six months because it was so cheap and always a "best value" selection and i just couldnt believe it was such a good value. at $5.99, buy a case. jlc - Monday, March 08, 2004 at 20:01:15 (CST) Lubbock is getting a Taco Bueno, and not too far from our house. Things are looking up. (pretty sad when a grown man gets excited about fast food, I know) Russ W - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 17:45:02 (CDT) austin USED to have a Taco Bueno (actually, it was in pflugerville), but it's long-gone. our one redeeming fast-food mexican place is chipotle, although near the end of each month the only thing i can afford, really, is taco bell. sigh julie - Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 13:31:09 (CDT) Won a 20 chipotle burrito feast by having my bus card pulled out of the fishbowl. 6 of us ordered 3 each on Fri night, ad after 3 days and 30 lbs of burritos, I may never set foot in there again...anyone know if you can freeze a chipotle burrito? or can I mail a couple to you, Julie? Bianco - Monday, May 10, 2004 at 16:28:22 (CDT) Lubbock has a couple of Chipotle imitators, but sadly, no Chipotle. Congrats on the win, Jeff. Russ W - Tuesday, May 11, 2004 at 11:59:49 (CDT) First the recipe, as request jlc, and then later my comments. Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce TORTE 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter 20 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract or coffee liqueur 6 large eggs, at room temperature GLAZE 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips RASPBERRY SAUCE Two 12-oz packages unsweetened frozen raspberries 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 Tablespoons orange juice Whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and Chocolate Leaves, for garnish YIELD: One 8 1/2 inch torte A. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 1/2 inch springform pan. Wrap the pan tightly in 2 layers of aluminum foil to keep the pan dry in the water bath. Place the springform in a large roasting pan and set aside. B. Make the torte: In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla or coffee liqueur. C. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk the eggs until they are warm, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat the eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until light and tripled in volume, 4 to 5 minutes. D. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and add one-fourth of the eggs. Mix thoroughly to lighten the chocolate. Gently fold the remaining eggs into the chocolate mixture. Transfer immediately to the prepared springform. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform. E. Bake for 18 minutes; the center will still be jiggly when removed from oven. Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil. F. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Cover for 15 minutes, then stir the mixture until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Pour the glaze over the torte, then chill the torte in the refrigerator until firm, 6 to 8 hours. G. Prepare the sauce: Drain the berries in a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl; press gently on the berries to remove as much juice as possible. Transfer the juice to a small saucepan and reduce to about 1/3 cup. Return the reduced juice to the bowl and stir in the sugar and orange juice. With a wooden spoon, press the raspberries through the strainer into the bowl. Stir to combine the purée with the juice. H. Run a knife around the edge of the torte to loosen it, then remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the chilled torte with the raspberry sauce. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and Chocolate Leaves. more soon, Lisa - Monday, August 09, 2004 at 19:32:46 (CDT) Here's to Julia Child, a woman who taught us to take time to prepare and enjoy the little things in life. 1913 - 2004 Nathan - Friday, August 13, 2004 at 11:02:15 (CDT) http://www.unibroue.com/products/ephemere-pomme.cfm I was at the Flying Saucer and I tried a wonderful Quebecois Beer. This beer makes me want to support their Independence from their English speaking oppressors. It was that good... "Organoleptic Profile: Apple-Éphémère possesses a fresh apple aroma with reminiscent notes of "Granny Smith" and "McIntosh" a subtle flavour of green apple is complemented by delicate notes of fruit and spice topped by a rich white head." This beer was more like a mix of a rich cider with a belgian white ale and would be wonderful served with fruit, cheese, dessert or with spicy asian foods. It gets a big Nathan thumbs up. Nathan - Friday, September 10, 2004 at 15:45:10 (CDT) rob eby here, Saturday while wife and i were at the texas ren-fest, we stopped by the a bar that advertised 'little' beers from all over. Wife saw a description and title for a beer, and said i absolutly __HAD__ to try. http://www.arrogantbastard.com/ A real strong hops taste, but very nice. rob eby - Tuesday, October 12, 2004 at 09:55:33 (CDT) oh no!!! the end of the world is upon us... http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/23/WIGO6D97QU1.DTL julie - Friday, June 24, 2005 at 22:53:51 (CDT) Hey all, Been away for a long time. Burning many candles at various ends. But Lucy and I were in New Orleans last week, and I had a lovely cocktail that I'd never had before, which evidently may be the first cocktail to ever be called a "cocktail." It's a Sazerac, and it goes a little something like this: 1. Chill a highball glass (or martini glass if you prefer). 2. Put a few drops (no more than a 1/4 tablespoon) of Pernod or another absinthe-like anissette) in the glass, and coat the sides with it. You can either pour out the excess or leave it if you like the taste of Pernod (which I do). But at LEAST coat the inside of the glass. It's important. 3. In a cocktail shaker, combine the following: a. 2 oz. rye whiskey (tastes better in this drink than bourbon) b. 4-7 dashes of bitters, preferably Peychaud;s Bitters. c. 1/4 tablespoon of simple sugar syrup (or a packet of sugar in a pinch) d. a few ice cubes. 4. Don't shake the above (you don't want a frothy Sazerac). Rather, gently stir or swirl the mixture in the shaker. Then pour the mixture into the Pernod-coated, chilled glass. 5. Add a twist of lemon peel; the lemon oil on the surface of the drink both looks nice and adds a refreshing touch. Enjoy neat or on the rocks. But enjoy. Russell B - Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 23:46:46 (CDT) at darwin's theory, a local dive bar of the coolest sort, they serve a "red hot" for the cold. the bar is actually owned by a man named darwin, but his theory as expressed on the match books is "dont mess with another monkey's monkey." anyhow, a shot of cinnamon schnopps, add a hefty dose of tobasco on top. sounds disgusting, i know, but damn, as long as you dont sip it, it goes down great. jlc - Thursday, October 20, 2005 at 22:35:35 (CDT) test test - Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 23:19:27 (PDT) In events of intake note. After 10 years of imbibing various brews at the Flying Saucers in Ft. Worth, Addison, Arlington, Memphis, and San Antonio, I have finally had my 200th logged unique beer and earned my plate on the wall. I should be number 245 for San Antonio where I finally settled. Nathan - Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 17:48:13 (PDT) In keeping with the season, does anyone hae any good summertime food or drink recipies? We're starting to feel stale out here in the heartland. I have an eye on you, Waltmans.... Bianco - Thursday, June 15, 2006 at 05:03:17 (PDT) Refreshing Summer Beer Drinks - 1) Michelada Salt the rim of a large beer glass (20 oz +) and then fill it halfway with ice. Squeeze the juice of one large lime or 2-3 key limes over the ice. Add a dash of tabasco and Worcestishire sauce to the liquid. Then fill it with your favorite light to amber Mexican beer. Dos Equis amber is about as dark as I'd go. It's spicy, cool and quite refreshing. 2) Shandy Fill a pint half way with Sprite / 7-up and then top it with your favorite lager. It's not too sweet, and it's a good summer drink that's lighter on the alcohol. Nathan - Friday, June 16, 2006 at 09:46:54 (PDT) Bianco, may I suggest I refreshing Mojito. Nate can tell you how to make one. Jay - Wednesday, July 05, 2006 at 14:28:21 (PDT) I was in the HEB over the weekend and they had a person giving out free samples of Bacardi Mojito mix (minus the alcohol). It is in the frozen cans like Limeade and then you add the rum and the fresh mint leaves (not required but nice touch) yourself. Scott F - Wednesday, July 05, 2006 at 14:44:16 (PDT) Nate-- Let's have it. Sounds like something that Jen would like, as well. Could always use another one of those. Bianco - Sunday, July 09, 2006 at 16:03:54 (PDT) somehow I missed this. Bianco, now that it is January, I'll tell you how to make one of my favorite summer drinks.... To make a Mojito crush a small bunch of mint with back of a spoon into a small glass. Mix in a couple of table spoons of sugar. Grind the sugar into the crushed mint. Pull out any large leafy chunks that are left. Add a double shot of good rum (dark or light) and the juice of one large lime to the mixture of the sugar and mint. Stir thoroughly - the sugar will dissolve some. You can then strain the mixture through a tea strainer if you don't want little pieces of mint floating in your drink. I don't mind it myself. Get a tall glass, fill with ice, pour the above mixture over the ice. Fill glass with Club Soda (Sprite in a pinch). Garnish with a lime slice and sprig of mint. I'm told by some that this is a girly drink. I don't think so, but they are quite refreshing on a hot day. I like them They're sweet but not overly so, and they are fairly stout on the alcohol content. Nathan - Friday, January 19, 2007 at 16:05:24 (PST) Here's a piece on travel in the Hill Country. It includes a 5-minute video about the search for the 'weirdest' thing in Austin. Not a bad way to spend 5 minutes. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/travel/11frugaltraveler.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Russ W - Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 18:01:00 (CDT) http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/ I'm not a blog oriented person generally, but I have to admit I've started exploring this one - good ideas and the photos are fantastic. Nathan - Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 15:05:14 (CDT) Saw a story on this place on Food Network. 'Mac and Ernie's' in Tarpley, TX, about an hour from San Antonio, I think. http://www.macandernies.com/ The cooking occurs in a little shack; eating occurs on picnic tables. Looks like fun. Russ W - Saturday, December 29, 2007 at 14:10:02 (CST) Pasta in Mushroom Madeira sauce 1 tsp olive oil 1 large portobello mushroom 10 shiitake mushrooms 20 domestic mushrooms 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tbsp minced scallions 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley dash sea salt & pepper 1/4 cup Madeira wine In a skillet, heat oil to the smoking point. Saute the mushrooms, garlic and scallions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. When browned, add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Add the Madeira and cook for 2 minutes. Serves 2 to 4. Adapted from "A Simple Celebration : A Vegetarian Cookbook for Body, Mind and Spirit", Ginna Bell Bragg and David Simon, M.D., Harmony. Jef's notes: This makes a great side, or you can serve it with pasta (as originally written). If you can't find scallions, green onions make an acceptable substitute. We've used a number of combinations of wild and domestic mushrooms, Criminys work particularly well. Jef & Lisa - Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 14:52:17 (CDT) Update

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