Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[grisgris]

@Lura, yes, our family's Lura was of Irish ancestry. I'm not sure how far back, though.

 

I made a black-eyed pea dip that also included sour cream, bacon, cheese and sriracha. That is about the only way I can stomach black-eyed peas.

[Bastet]

I had to call my dad and ask him something while reading this, so I also asked him if he knew the black-eyed peas on New Year's Day thing was a superstition about good luck (because I'd never heard the original basis of the tradition, just that it was tradition in some parts of the country).  He said no, that's just what they ate.  Then he said, "I guess you and your mom are screwed."  Ha!

[Lura]

I am totally upset!  I have spent two entire days trying to figure out what to do, and I can't solve the problem!  At first, I sluffed it off like it was nothing, but as time wore on, it seemed to become more and more important.  Now, I don't know what to do.

 

I did not have black-eyed peas for New Year's.  I could use some prosperity, too!  Does it count if you eat them three days later?  The other thing is that the market is closed, and I have no black-eyed peas.  What I DO have is a can of my very favorite Campbell's Bean Soup.  If I added a can of sauerkraut to it, would that count?  I also have some leftover spiral-cut ham that needs to be eaten before it gets moldy.  If you -- especially you southerners -- have any ideas for how I could convert these things into a makeshift black-eyed pea dinner, I'd sure appreciate it.  Otherwise, 2015 looks grim, with nary a penny in my pocket.

[vera charles]

As far as I know, the origins of the pork, sauerkraut, black eyed peas, etc. all have to do with prosperity. Cabbage = money. Pork is rich and fatty, so it is associated with abundance. I have heard that you are supposed to eat as many black eyed peas as you want days/weeks/months of good luck and/or prosperity. Having sauerkraut to eat in the dead of winter means that you have plenty of food put away to sustain the family through the winter. Most of these traditions seem to be rooted in cultures where poverty and hunger where very real concerns. Nowadays, most of us have the opposite problem, but the traditions live on.

 

stewedsquash, it sounds like you fill your take-out container with the same dishes that I do. We have a Chinese buffet nearby that is owned by the family of one of my son's high school friends. They have the most delicious peanut butter chicken and sautéed green beans.Those and the lo mein make up the majority of my carry out dinner.

 

I also meant to respond to Lura - most of the times I have made the satay, it has just been for my son and me, so it wasn't really an official serve-to-company meal. I tried once to serve the sauce with pasta and it was way too heavy. I think if you made a lighter pasta dish, maybe with angel hair, or some kind of rice, it would all pair nicely. The peanut sauce is really lick-the-spoon delicious, but a little goes a long way, if that makes sense.

Edited January 3, 2015 by vera charles

[Westiepeach]

I am totally upset!  I have spent two entire days trying to figure out what to do, and I can't solve the problem!  At first, I sluffed it off like it was nothing, but as time wore on, it seemed to become more and more important.  Now, I don't know what to do.

 

I did not have black-eyed peas for New Year's.  I could use some prosperity, too!  Does it count if you eat them three days later?  The other thing is that the market is closed, and I have no black-eyed peas.  What I DO have is a can of my very favorite Campbell's Bean Soup.  If I added a can of sauerkraut to it, would that count?  I also have some leftover spiral-cut ham that needs to be eaten before it gets moldy.  If you -- especially you southerners -- have any ideas for how I could convert these things into a makeshift black-eyed pea dinner, I'd sure appreciate it.  Otherwise, 2015 looks grim, with nary a penny in my pocket.

Lura, you are just fine. I have never eaten a black-eyed pea in my life and all is well in my world. HOWEVER ... I was raised believing you had to have some type of pork on New Year's Day. As long as we eat a piece of ham we are good to go. One year we had none in the house, and I made Husband drive to a CVS or Discount Drug Mart and buy a Lunchable so we could have our ham! I also use salad for prosperity, too (lettuce = money) because I can't stand sauerkraut. Hey, if I believe it will work, it will! :)

[MissMel]

We got stuck eating lentils this year. I usually make hambeans, (great northern beans) but I somehow ran out. So it was ham, lentils, mixed greens, and cornbread. Black eyed peas taste like dirt. I asked my mom one year why we ate white beans and that was her response. "I'd rather lick dirt than eat one of those.". So that's that.

[BooksRule]

Black eyed peas taste like dirt.

 

Hee!  I guess they do have an 'earthy' flavor. I always thought that beets tasted a little like dirt, but I like them anyway (yes, I'm weird).  I like reading about everyone's different traditions and different tastes.   I read a story once where one character didn't want to eat black-eyed peas, because he didn't want them looking at him while in his stomach.

 

It's really dark and gloomy around here today (it rained most of yesterday and last night), so I made a big pot of chicken gumbo.  The house smells wonderful--like roux and file ('fee-lay'--I don't know how to make the accent mark), and there's enough for dinner tonight and a serving or two tomorrow.  I've always had chicken gumbo at Christmas (first my grandmother made it, then my mother, and then me).  However, I'm pretty sure I don't make it as well as my mom did (I'm always scared I'll put in too much roux mixture and it will get too thick, so I usually end up not adding enough and it's 'weak'), because my family isn't as enthusiastic as they used to be over hers.  So, I asked for suggestions this year and we all decided on having my dad's North Carolina-style BBQ sandwiches.   It just didn't feel right not having gumbo for the holidays, though, and since I had a hen in the freezer, I made some for myself.  It tastes pretty good too, if I say so myself as I shouldn't. 

Edited January 3, 2015 by BooksRule

[Lura]

And about the black eye pea, you are screwed. Ha but not with bad luck, just not much good luck.

 

LOLOL!  Gee, thanks, stewedsquash!  Remember: When you see that lady on the street corner with her tin cup, you just might know her!

[LazyToaster]

I have a friend that doesn't care for mushrooms, she thinks they taste like dirt. It surprises me how foods can taste one way to one person and different to another.

I admit I'm a somewhat picky eater, but love mushrooms, all kinds of beans, and beets. Hmmm, maybe I like dirt? ...hope not!

ETA - fixed typo.

Edited January 4, 2015 by LazyToaster

[vera charles]

I love beets and all kinds of beans. I am kind of "meh" on mushrooms. I don't avoid them, but I don't seek them out, either. There are two things that taste like dirt to me - roast lamb and shiraz wine. Interesting how tastes differ.

 

BooksRule said:

....we all decided on having my dad's North Carolina-style BBQ sandwiches.

Is that Eastern North Carolina or Western North Carolina barbecue? My mother-in-law grew up along the Pamlico Sound, so they are Eastern all the way. Western is totally different, as in my husband's family doesn't even consider it barbecue. I love any kind of pork, so I would have enjoyed whatever you served. : )

[Quof]

Mushrooms DO taste like dirt. And have the texture of an eraser.

 

But roast lamb is divine, and will be part of my last meal when I am on death row.  Cuz I'm not going to get through this life without killing somebody :)

 

[BooksRule]

Is that Eastern North Carolina or Western North Carolina barbecue? My mother-in-law grew up along the Pamlico Sound, so they are Eastern all the way. Western is totally different, as in my husband's family doesn't even consider it barbecue. I love any kind of pork, so I would have enjoyed whatever you served. : )

 

I don't know what kind (he grew up in the High Point/Thomasville area).  It's pulled pork with a vinegary sauce and you put vinegary slaw on top of the sandwich.  I love BBQ any way, but that's what my dad was raised on, so that's his favorite. (ETA:  After looking it up, I guess his style is Western--AKA Lexington--style.)  Mine would be ribs slow-baked in the oven (until they are falling apart) with smoky BBQ sauce on top. 

 

All this talk about Chinese food makes me want to visit my local buffet (conveniently located less than a mile from my house).  When I get take-out from their buffet, I get a big spoonful of their General Tso Chicken, one of their Hibachi Chicken and a huge spoonful of their Black Pepper Chicken (they make great BP Chicken).  I sometimes round this off with a few crunchy green beans.

 

I'm hungry.

Edited January 4, 2015 by BooksRule

[vera charles]

Eastern North Carolina barbecue is the vinegar sauce that doesn't have any tomato in it. Western is also called Lexington style and it has tomatoes in the sauce. The smoky and sugary kinds of sauce are usually St. Louis or Texas.

 

Yes, between talk of barbecue and Chinese takeout, I am getting hungry, too!

[BooksRule]

I'm having leftover chicken gumbo over rice for lunch.  Dessert will be the one recipe that I never got around to making for the holidays:  Praline Crackers (sometimes called Sugar Crackers).  If you've never had those, they are pretty tasty (but rich).  You take a cup of dark brown sugar, a cup of butter, 1/4 t. of cream of tartar and a cup of chopped/broken pecans.  You place 35 (or whatever will fit) graham crackers in a single layer in a baking pan (jellyroll pan).  Bring the butter, sugar and cream of tartar to a boil in a heavy saucepan and add the pecans.  Pour over the crackers and bake in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Let cool (and hopefully harden).  Break into pieces to serve.  I definitely don't need the extra calories after holiday eating, but I'll take most of them to work tomorrow.

[3pwood]

BooksRule, I make a version of that with 2 cups of chocolate chips melted over the caramel & topped with walnuts.  I use graham crackers, but the recipe I got from a co-worker called for soda crackers & that's good too.

[Bastet]

file ('fee-lay'--I don't know how to make the accent mark)

 

I think the easiest way is to use the ASCII code: Alt 130 (just hold down the Alt key, type 130, and you'll get é)

[chessiegal]

One thing I wish I liked are olives. They taste like soap to me.

 

Last night we were watching Rev Run Renovations on DIY. I'm not familiar with him but my husband told me he's one of the original. rappers. He also said he's probably worth more than any celebrity I see on Scripps Network. I found that hard to believe, so I started googling net worth of various people. If what I found is correct, he is not the richest by far. I looked for Ina Garten and it came up with 44 million for her and 100 million for Jeffrey. It listed the net worth of Martha Stewart at 970 million. How ironic that she went to jail over a $60,000 fraud when she's worth so much.

 

ETA: It appears it was $230,000. Still a small some considering what she's worth.

Edited January 4, 2015 by chessiegal

[vera charles]

Rev Run was part of Run DMC - they were huge in the 80's and are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I was pretty sure they were but I looked it up to verify. They were introduced at their induction ceremony by Eminem. Yeah, they were huge.

 

Those numbers sound pretty realistic for Ina, Jeffrey and Martha. Anyone who is publishing books and putting their name on merchandise is raking it in.

[Mondrianyone]

Dessert will be the one recipe that I never got around to making for the holidays:  Praline Crackers (sometimes called Sugar Crackers).

I make a version of that to bring to my friend's annual Easter/Passover potluck.  It's called Matzo Crack, and eating it really is like being on crack.

 

Hello, by the way.  I posted under the same name back at TWoP.  Nice to see you all. 

[vera charles]

http://sagetrifle.blogspot.com/2014/12/saltine-cracker-toffee-bark.html

Here is a recipe for something similar to the Praline Crackers you guys have been discussing. I love this lady's food blog. I think she used to post on TWOP way back in the good old days, when we were all snarking on Sandra Lee.

 

Welcome, Mondrianyone! Good to hear from you again.

[Motor City]

I am not sure if this question has been asked before but is the Barefoot Contessa out of production?  

[vera charles]

I don't think Ina has been on a regular production schedule for several years. She does batches of six or eight episodes, they air, then there are tons of reruns in between. I think the last ones were the California shows and the ones before that were the "Cooking With Friends" shows. She seems to love a theme like that, rather than just cooking in her kitchen by herself.

[Motor City]

Vera Charles,

Thanks for the information.  For awhile Food Network was showing new episodes Sunday morning but they seemed to have disappeared.

[zoeysmom]

Barefoot Contessa will be back with new episodes from her latest book.  Production tends to follow the release of her books.   

[annzeepark914]

Eastern North Carolina barbecue is the vinegar sauce that doesn't have any tomato in it. Western is also called Lexington style and it has tomatoes in the sauce. 

They're both delicious but my favorite is eastern NC bbq...especially the bbq at Bill's BBQ in Wilson, NC (and especially when they'd cater a pig-pickin').  And some Brunswick Stew, please.

[Lura]

Vera, I've known for a long time that there was a difference in the two sauces in NC, but I've never been able to remember which sauce goes with which side of the state.  I'm so glad you brought this up.  I've never tasted BBQ sauce without tomatoes in it.  I'm going to have to find a good recipe for it and make some here at home.  It sounds good.

[larapu2000]

I don't understand why barbecue enthusiasts get so worked up about the damn sauce.  They are ALL delicious, why split hairs?  That being said, I really do like the mustard based sauce you find in the Carolinas, it's very different from the smoky sweet sauces that are more prevalent in the midwest where I live.  My favorite barbecue place ever is an awesome little joint in St. Louis on Olive Blvd called Sugarfire BBQ.  Their sides are dynamite-baked beans, sweet potato salad, green beans, mac and cheese, and they have the greatest sandwich I've ever had, a PBLT.  What's the P?  PIMENTO CHEESE.  It's like they took 2 of my favorite things and made them 500 times better.  Whenever I'm in the Lou, I make it a point to eat there.

 

I missed a lot of the holiday talk, but I just have to share with everyone here the best dessert I've ever made, and definitely in the top 5 of desserts I've ever had.  For Christmas, we do an ethnic dinner based on our German and Ukrainian roots, and after years of unsuccessfully attempting to perfectly recreate the apricot kuchen my sister and I had in Dresden, I tried out a traditional Ukrainian/Russian dessert called "Gorka."  It is a sour cherry pastry dessert with sour cream frosting, and it is absolutely DIVINE.  I used the recipe here:  http://www.russianbites.com/gorka-little-hill-cake.  It's a great recipe, and the step by step instructions are wonderful.  The best part is cutting the gorka and seeing the hive like pastry filled with the cherries!  It takes a little bit of work with the pastry, but the dough is very nice, rolls out easily, and is a very buttery, flaky pastry.  The sour cherries were easy to find, at least in my neck of the woods-you have to look in the canned fruit section, NOT the baking aisle.  This dessert had everyone all a-flutter, and my dad told me to make sure I reserved the leftovers in a hidden container so no one could take any home!  

[Bastet]

Thanks to discussion here, when there was a Jeopardy! clue about Epiphany last night, I got it.  It didn't mention sheets - it was about some cake with a baby Jesus inside it (the category was religion and food) - but it included January 6th, so I got it. 

 

(In this same game, none of the three contestants could identify star anise, even though there was a picture of it up on the screen in addition to the written clue!)

[3pwood]

Here's an interesting account of how the Epiphany is celebrated in France (with food, of course).

[annzeepark914]

Thanks to discussion here, when there was a Jeopardy! clue about Epiphany last night, I got it.  It didn't mention sheets - it was about some cake with a baby Jesus inside it (the category was religion and food) - but it included January 6th, so I got it. 

 

(In this same game, none of the three contestants could identify star anise, even though there was a picture of it up on the screen in addition to the written clue!)

Yes!  I watched this one and felt like a genius when I yelled out "star anise".  Of course, if I were standing there with the buzzer in my hand, I just know my brain would have been frozen.  It's so much fun to yell out the answer and be right (as opposed to the times I yell out the WRONG answer and am so embarrassed that I shake my head and shrug, even tho' no one's in the room ;>)

[BooksRule]

Was the Jeopardy! answer about the cake with the baby Jesus inside King Cake?  Here in my neck of the woods, carnival season has begun and Mardi Gras food and decorations are everywhere (I started to see King Cakes in the grocery stores on New Year's Eve). 

 

larapu2000, that dessert sounds great!  I may have to give it a try.  I also love pimento cheese.  I year or so ago, I was in Greenville, South Carolina and stopped by the Northport Soda Shop.  One of their 'specials' is a pimento cheeseburger.  It was pretty tasty.

[Bastet]

Was the Jeopardy! answer about the cake with the baby Jesus inside King Cake?

 

Apparently, yes.  I was just coming back in the room when the clue was being read, so I didn't hear the beginning; I heard something about the baby Jesus figure inside it and then "this [something] observed on January 6th."  In looking at the archive, you are right.  The clue read:  The king in king cake refers to the three magi who visited baby Jesus, himself represented by the baby hidden inside a slice, all in homage to this Christian festival observed on January 6th.

 

So, I guess one bites into king cake carefully.

[chessiegal]

Ah, pimento cheese. The 4 years I lived outside Atlanta it was everywhere. My husband is from Alabama, and was lamenting not having pimento cheese. Now that we've moved to "southern Maryland", I'm able to find it in the grocery store. Along with being able to find scrapple in the grocery store and in some breakfast places, something I grew up with in Pennsylvania. I know scrapple is everything in the pig but the oink, but I love it - a real indulgence.

[BooksRule]

So, I guess one bites into king cake carefully.

 

Most of the king cakes I've had (or bought) come with the plastic baby in a separate little plastic baggie.  You have the option of adding it (which means lifting up the cake and pushing it into the pastry.  The person who gets the slice with the baby is supposed to bring the next cake, but I've seen co-workers slice thin slices of cake so they can avoid the baby.  Others just don't tell when they get it.  (Some are good about bringing the next cake, but most aren't.) I like king cake as long as the pastry isn't too tough and it has good filling (my favorite is plain strawberry or strawberry/cream cheese).  I want to compare the pastry to kind of struedel pastry, but native New Orleans people could probably describe it better.  Around here we can buy Bluebell ice cream brand, and they have a seasonal flavor called Mardi Gras King Cake.  I used to like it, but I'm pretty sure they changed the recipe.  When it first came out, I swear that it was almond-flavored ice cream (strong flavored) with little bits of pastry, a ribbon of cinnamon and little soft purple, green and gold candy bits.  It was delicious, but the last time I bought some it was cinnamon-flavored ice cream.  I didn't like it as much (oh well.  If I want almond-flavored ice cream, they have an almond pistachio that's good).

 

stewedsquash, that sounds like gumbo, unless it's an etouffee (ay-too-fey).  Both have a broth, but are usually served over rice (but you don't have to have rice if you don't want).  Jambalaya is definitely a rice-based dish.  (Hmmm, I might have to make some.  I haven't made that in a long, long time.)

Edited January 8, 2015 by BooksRule

[grisgris]

Who can forget Aunt Sandy making a "King Cake" out of whack-a-dough and canned frosting?

 

That ice cream sounds delicious. I wish we could get it around here.

[annzeepark914]

I just bought a bag of shrimp and some frozen okra so I'm getting ready to make gumbo pretty soon (whenever the mood strikes me, I guess).

 

Back to Carolina BBQ.  I remember when first living in NC being amazed at the arguments between the eastern side of the state and western side re: which bbq was the best.  And both sides had no use for the mustard sauced bbq that was preferred by South Carolinians.  These folks can really get into it over their favorite bbq! 

 

Another thing I'd never had before living in NC was chili & slaw on a hot dog.  Never heard of such a thing but it's truly delicious! (being a native New Yorker, I grew up eating hot dogs w/ either mustard & relish, or, mustard & saurkraut).  Was never a big fan of hot dogs until I discovered Sabrett's hot dogs (made in The Bronx) and then, I discovered grilled brats while visiting in-laws up in Michigan (love skinless brats!)  We sure have some great food in the USA :>)

[larapu2000]

Stewedsquash, I stand corrected! Yes, South Carolina! On the cole slaw side of things, I prefer a non mayo one, more German style, with a pickled vinegar sauce that is slightly sweet.

I never like store pimento cheese, it is always a little too on the cheesy side for me, but my coworker from Columbia, SC,tells me I should use Velveeta. Hmm. Not sure about that.

I could talk about NOLA food all day. Why New York thinks they're the best food city in the US is beyond me. For anyone with a palate, it's the Big Easy, hands down.

Isn't scrapple the pig plus bread to extend the meat? That was how it was explained to me.

[larapu2000]

I think I've actually tried the Palmetto brand, and I didn't like the shredded cheese factor, it wasn't as "spread" like.  The first time I had it was at an SC football game and the way the woman there had made gave me her recipe-it has more cream cheese in it, I think than perhaps the norm?  I use a medium cheddar when I make it, too, not the sharp cheddar.

 

 

[BooksRule]

The chef who runs our campus food services makes the best homemade pimento cheese.  It's very cheesy and sharp-tasting.  Any time I go to an event that has food, I look for those sandwiches.  I hadn't bought Palmetto Farms brand in a long time (I can only get it around here at Winn-Dixie and I don't shop there much).  However, the last time I bought some they had changed the packaging and it didn't taste as good as before (kind of bland to me--now it tastes just all other store bought), so I think they changed the recipe too (unless my tastes have changed--I hadn't bought any in a year or so).

 

Blue Bell ice cream is really good.  I usually buy one of their seasonal flavors every season.  I was disappointed that last year and this year that they didn't have Gingerbread House (cinnamon ice cream, gingerbread pieces, red/green sprinkles, vanilla frosting ribbon and tiny marshmallows) for the holidays.  That was a good one.  I think my favorites are the orange swirl (available all year round) and the lemon bliss, which is tart lemon ice cream with bits of pie crust and the key lime pie (with bits of crust as well). Those two are only available in the summer.   Italian Cream Cake is tasty too.

Edited January 8, 2015 by BooksRule

[3pwood]

If anyone wants to share a good recipe for pimento cheese, I'd be interested.  The Palmetto brand isn't available on the west coast & all I've ever seen in the stores are the little glass jars by Kraft, which I haven't bothered to try.

[larapu2000]

This is what I use, it's more cream cheese texture.

 

3/4 brick medium cheddar cheese, shredded (Use the whole brick if you want a more stiff, cheesier mix)

1 brick cream cheese

1/2-3/4 cup mayo, as needed

1 small jar pimentoes, drained

6-8 pickled jalapeno slices

Salt to taste (you do NOT need much, barely a pinch)

 

I let it all rip in the food processor, adding the pimentoes last when it's almost done so they don't get as processed, but you can mix them in by hand if you prefer them in larger pieces.  I like mine with Triscuits.  Or on a BLT.  Or with celery/carrot sticks.  Or on any surface I can justify.

[Bastet]

I'd find it pathetic for someone to purposely give me a not-quite-right recipe in order to feel superior because my version didn't come out as good as theirs.  To my knowledge, no, I have never had that happen.  What an odd thing to do, especially to do to one's own offspring - and I join you in shaking my head at that being published as a heart-warming tale.

[Quof]

Shades of Everybody Loves Raymond and the meatballs.

[chessiegal]

I belong to a large club that only has women members, even though men can join. We have 31 Interest Groups that include 4 book groups, bridge groups, golf groups, wine tasting and so on. I'm currently on the Board of Directors as Secretary. At our last Board meeting, the President brought up an incident where one woman at a book group was extremely rude to another woman. Discussion of the proper way to handle such incidents followed, including someone reporting a similar incident at her Canasta group. Why do women do this to one another? It baffles me. We need to support one another. When I was in my 20's I was working for GE in a mainly male environment, me being one of the few female professionals. The managers would say "Have my girl call your girl" referring to their secretaries. It was so demeaning to hear a grown woman referred to that way. Catty behavior does nothing to dispel the stereotype. {Sigh}

[grisgris]

I can't stand that. Women really know how to turn on each other which is sad. Unfortunately, that stereotype is the foundation for most of the popular reality shows that people eat up (Real Housewives, Kardashians, etc.) It just feeds the fire.

 

That's one thing I like about Ina. You never hear (or read about) her being snide, bitchy, pretentious, etc. She doesn't make snarky remarks on TV shows either. Just an all-around class act!

Edited January 9, 2015 by grisgris

[BooksRule]

Santa brought me a food processor for Christmas.  I'm making homemade pimento cheese soon!  Yum!

 

I never understood not sharing recipes.  I can see maybe keeping them secret within a family, because that would be tradition.  But, I think that mothers, daughters, aunts, assorted male relatives, etc. should be happy to pass recipes back and forth.  Whenever I make something from a recipe I got from my mom or even just one that I found online or from a book that I tweaked a little, I'm always happy to share the recipe with whoever wants it.  To me, that's part of the fun.  You can't take it with you!

[Lura]

We had the most delicious sauce with our pulled pork at a place in Hawaii.  Since the chef wasn't there when we were, I wrote him when we got home and promised never to give the recipe to anyone.  He sent it, and we've been thrilled by that sauce for years now.  Still, I would never give that recipe to a living soul because I promised not to.  To me, a recipe is a personal gift, one that this chef took a long time to develop.  For that matter, if anyone asks me not to share their recipe, I won't.

 

Otherwise, I'll share gladly any recipe I have -- and it will be the whole recipe with nothing omitted or changed.  Having the recipe makes me happy, so why deny someone else the same happiness?  Life is short -- and way too short to withhold a recipe from someone.  Fooling with the ingredients is even worse, I think.  It's mean-spirited and wasteful.  When people ask for a recipe, they are paying you a compliment.  When you give a recipe, it's another compliment.  Why give something flawed?

[3pwood]

Thank you, larapu2000 -- that sounds good (& easy).  I know that a "brick" of cream cheese is 8 oz, but the bricks of cheddar that I've seen come in various sizes from 8 oz to 32 oz or more -- what size are you referring to for the cheddar?  

[larapu2000]

The regular sized one? Lol. I think probably the 8 oz one.

And you could even experiment with it your first time, I shred it and then add it to taste after the initial "dump," lol. Or start out with less cream cheese in case you want a more shredded texture.

[vera charles]

I am at work now, but when I get home, I will post my pimiento cheese recipe. I pm'ed it to several people on TWOP when we had a similar discussion there. I don't use cream cheese but I do use two kinds of cheddar.

 

I also do not get that thing about giving out recipes that are wrong. Why bother? I have given my younger co-workers so many recipes for macaroni and cheese, roast chicken, pot pie, enchiladas, all kind of good things I make from memory. They always thank me and tell me later what a hit the dish was with whoever they made it for. One of my proudest moments was having my recipe for  Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas published in a newspaper. My fondest hope is that somebody cut it out, made them, thought they were amazing and kept the recipe on file for future use. Why would I want a recipe floating around with my name attached that did not produce amazing food? I also read that Southern Living story and thought, "That's not heartwarming, that's horrible!"

 

The Joy Of Cooking contains recipes for and explanations of the different kinds of barbecue sauce. I have made the Eastern NC vinegar sauce and it is very good. It also has a good recipe for cole slaw dressing that I use all the time. 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp. sugar. That's it, stir and pour over chopped cabbage.