Doris Clark: Hi Eunice, I had fun reading the links you posted. I'm not doing much cooking these days, just reading about it instead. Hope you are enjoying your summer days.

Eunice : thanks, Doris! glad you enjoyed reading them, i certainly did and thought it would be good to share with others. i love reading about food, too. when i discovered Ruth Reichl's books went through them in quick succession. now want to start MFK Fisher's, the mother of food writing. summer is coming to an end as the weather is cooling off. so much that i wish i had done but didn't this summer (cicadas were particularly loud this year in Chicago, btw.) oh well...

Doris Clark: This is fun. It's like looking through everyone's kitchen cabinet.

Eunice : Doris, glad you like it! now that i think of it, would be nice to see a photo of people's kitchen cabinets.

Dawn Knowlton: Hi Eunice! Just wanted to wish you a good day! Hope all is well in your world. :o)

Janice Cook: thanks for the message about this recipe. i appreciate it.

Eunice : you're welcome, Janice. didn't want anybody else to be chewing through dense, dry bread. as soon as the appropriate adjustments are made, i can contact you on the safe time to test it out, yourself. or you can try the 100% whole wheat sandwich bread while waiting. it utilizes orange juice to soften the wheaty flavor and it works!

Crystal Gregory: This sounds wonderful.

Eunice : Crystal, flavored oils are wonderful. great thing to have on hand for those rushed weekday meals when just a drizzle on simple chopped up vegetables, a drizzle of oil and a whiz in the oven or your frying pan can create some exquisite fare for your mouth to savor. and if you bake bread, a tablespoon or two on pizza dough or focaccia or just to dip freshly baked bread in is divine. noticed you like fast meals as your Ciabatta with Artichoke Hearts, Green Olives and White Beans looks mighty taste and quick! will have to try that soon.

Eunice : yes, recipes are just a repository of smells, sensations and memories. it does help to relive those moments with loved ones. i'll always remember my grandma when i make choux pastry as she was the one who taught me how to make them. she was also the person who said that i should never make it while on my period as my menstrual taint will sink any batter. still makes me giggle to think of our little battles over that. but she taught me well and my profiteroles and nun's farts always come out quite well.

Lo Chan: Glad you liked the bread! What toppings did you use?

Eunice : just the Herbes de Provence oil...it smelled so good with the lavender smell wafting through our apartment. think next time i'll add the herb oil into recipe itself i/o using the plain olive oil. i noticed in your recipe (which i love as it's full of personality from someone who actually made it as opposed to copying it from somewhere else) that you didn't add the oil into the recipe; i think you could probably cut the oil by half and it would have tasted just fine. thanks again for the recipe...my man thanks you, too! i'll have to test out your Cliff House Clam Chowder spice mix, next.

Traci Downing: Funny that you mentioned this, I just saw a show last night about this except for wanting to crisp up wimpy lettuce. You use lemon (acidic) juice and ice water to crisp it up again. Makes sense it would work on the flip-side like you are referring to.

Eunice : lemon is great! i squeezed it onto a stir fry rice dish that was rather blah and it just perked up that flavor. and yeah, that's a great way to perk up lettuce because it also adds a nice tang to it, too...never thought of that great idea, either.

Traci Downing: Eunice, you know me...I love to make cheesecake and when I saw an artichoke CC, I got very excited to see what it was all about! What an interesting title for this dish but it kind of rings true! I love artichokes! Thanks for the tips!

Eunice : woohoo! did you add the spices into step #3, then, i/o #4? that recipe does look good, though, so perhaps it wasn't just the spice trick that did it. you even deglaze with wine...sweet!!! you're fast becoming an excellent cook.

Traci Downing: Just a thought, Eunice. You could use the tortilla chips with a taco soup, nachos, or a mexi casserole. For the other leftovers, you could have your child's friends over and let them eat them...or if your kids are "older", invite them over to eat them, ha.

Eunice : no kids here, Traci...unless you're counting the overgrown ones. will have to find a taco soup recipe. soup is excellent for these winter days. hey, you changed your avatar!

Traci Downing: yea, I get bored of my profile pics. :-)

Janice Cook: Weight Watchers has a great taco soup recipe. It seems that we always have leftover salsa and shredded cheese in the fridge so nachos are a regularly requested snack around here.

Janice Cook: Weight Watchers - Classic Tortilla Soup is what it's called. Sorry, I just realized you might not be able to find it if you look for Taco Soup.

Eunice : ooh cool...thanks Janice! this should be good with even stale chips. i'll add the link here in case anybody else wants to quickly pop on over to it: Weight Watchers - Classic Taco Soup.

Dawn Knowlton: Hi Eunice! Just wanted to pop in and say howdy. I am home and recovering from my surgery. Doing well and all that jazz. I want to thank you for your kind comments and checking in on me every now and then. It is very kind of you. Best wishes, happy cooking, and see you soon! -- Dawn

Eunice : Doris, i'm so sorry...no words to express any consolation for what you are going through... i'll toast a margarita to you and your best friend.

Matriarchy: I don't like margaritas, but I will keep you in my heart, Doris.

Eunice : it was very yummy!!!! mmmmm...thanks so much Margot for the recipe! it was so easy and all ooozy with flavor! did switch out some ingredients depending on what i had on hand but it was essentially the same. you can "befriend" people by clicking on the star that's next to people's name. it's visible when you click on their Profile. here's mine: http://wegottaeat.com/blackbirdpies and here's Carolyn's http://wegottaeat.com/carolyn.beck.

Margot Moore: MMMM!!! I'm glad you liked it, Eunice! It's so foolproof and you can use different kinds of cheeses. Thanks for the info on how to befriend people! I've perused your recipes too and you have some very interesting ones I'll have to try!

Eunice : ...mmmmmmmm...it was very good. creamy smooth and very flavorful. the buttery, toasted bread crumbs added a nice crunch contrast to the rich cheesiness. very yummmmmm! and not at all difficult to put together.

TAMI ETCHEVERRY: ok i feel like an idiot i think i answered my question it seems when i posted the recipe to my profile you can go in and view it, if i need to do it another way so you can see the post, let me know.

Eunice : i'm more than glad to help so don't hesitate to ask.

Eunice : oooooh...and it all sounds very healthy. what a great combination! happy eating.

Eunice : thanks for the heads up on the correction. it truly does look yummm!

Eunice : ooohhh...soup. Chicago is strangely very warm so it hasn't quite been soup weather, yet, but this is tasty and i do love those spice combos...mmmmm...

Eunice : hi Doris! made some scalloped potatoes, which was mehhhh... should have trusted my instincts more and cooked it longer instead of following the directions on the recipe. recipe also recommended adding broth which i feel didn't add anything to it. however, when i did second-guess the recipe for apple-cheddar pie and prebaked a cheddar cheese pie shell, and then baked again with the apple filling, the shell came out very hard...oh well. still ate it and it was still good. yes, it was very sad listening to Ruth Reichl, as she was going around promoting their book, Gourmet Today, now realizing that it will be no more. seemed like everyone in Gourmet was under the impression that they would be around for another year before the publisher pulled the rug out from under their feet. and right before the holidays, too! it's sad because their subscription was pretty high so were not lacking for paying readers but because they weren't bringing in enough expensive advertising dollars, they were closed down. something so wrong when the voice of the people means nothing but the lack of corporate backing does. i'm gonna' drown my sorrow in another piece of crunchy pie...or maybe not...or maybe i will.

Eunice : yours was perfectly fine. funny how we second-guess ourselves. the moment that i posted the comment, i immediately thought, but wait...what if Doris wanted to respond and then became worried that i might have stepped on your toes. but i guess you're perfectly fine with it. yes, very glad to hear from Matriarchy. sounds like she's more settled in. not sure what's happened to Tyler. perhaps tired of people not responding to his posts? Traci Downing is no longer present here, either. hehe...do ya' suppose i'm driving people away with my incessant commenting?

Eunice : i have vacated my kitchen for my mom's in California so developing heartburn and bloated belly syndrome from eating tơo much. also been kinda' busy taking care of mind-numbing business like applying for various jobs. ick! at the moment trying to craft the perfect cover letter...it's helped along by foraging in my mom's fridge...or maybe it's just more distracting. hope all is well with you and yours.

Doris Clark: Oh dear! Sounds like serious events are involved. One thing, Moms are always glad to have a fridge raider around. Do hope all goes well. Also know you are missed, WEG is not as lively when you are away.

Eunice : thanks for your kind words, Doris! my brother is back from his Peace Corps stint staying at my mom's for 2 weeks before returning to his assignment. he dearly misses the variety of food he is used to so will be gorging for awhile as will i. if my mom had her druthers, she would prefer to have all her kids living with her under one roof. we, however, can only take so much of each other before wanting to kill each other. perhaps, that's why i moved all the way to Chicago. though i love my family, it's nice to have some space of my own so will be happy to return to my own kitchen space and to be done with the whole job hunting process. not looking forward to the interviews...but then again, it would be nice if they thought i was good enough to even get an interview, so scratch that thought. happy eating!

Marlee : Sounds yummy, love noodle recipes. Is it a spicy one?

Eunice : well if you add a lot of Sriracha or fresh peppers, like my mom would, it could be hot. it's a very simple and light dish with a lot of assorted herbs (especially Vietnamese coriander and perilla) and veggies (bean sprouts, julienned carrots and cucumber, shredded greens); it's practically a salad with noodles. recipe varies a lot depending on what veggies (i would even toss in julienned zucchini or jicama) are on hand. the main ingredient is the sauce which consists of soy sauce, lime juice, fresh garlic smashed with a little bit of sugar and dashes of water. the fried tofu slices adds a depth to it. it's very nice on hot summer days as you don't really have to cook anything, except for frying up the tofu...if you want to and i do. the original non-vegetarian recipe is bún thịt nướng and has grilled pork seasoned with lemongrass. check it out and just salivate over that tasty dish: http://ravenouscouple.blogspot.com/2009/05/bun-thit-nuong-vermicelli-with-grilled.html

Marlee : Oh wow that is yummy looking. Love the site as well, gives printable versions.

Eunice : very yummy! and here's more Vietnamese noodle food porn: http://eatdrinknbmerry.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

Eunice : that's so cool! your son did an excellent job and it was most certainly an excellent way to keep her new kitchen from getting cluttered with scraps of recipes floating about. if WGE really takes off, maybe Dave could create a data entry position for Ryan!

Adriana Contreras: That sounds so good!

Eunice : it was yummy!

Doris Clark: um...I have a vague memory of running across it somewhere. What's it used with or in?

Eunice : it was vaguely mentioned in a book that i checked out from the library so unfortunately don't have it with me to reference to. can't even recall the dishes as i was just intrigued by the idea itself. the chef stated that he really liked the broth because it had a strong corn flavor but didn't give the specific portion of ingredients or directions so i think i'm just gonna' wing making it and see what happens. any suggestions, Doris?

Doris Clark: Nothing comes to mind. I looked through some Tx-Mex resources, but didn't find anything worth passing on.

Eunice : thanks for looking. i'll just test itout and see how it goes.

Eunice : oh very cool! never would have thought of adding cornstarch. will have to check out your version. thanks for the heads up on this...though i don't think i'll be going back to making a starter or Amish Friendship Bread for awhile.

Eunice : thanks!! i tend to get quite geeked out when it comes to food and try to tone down the info as it really does become too much. so i'm glad that somebody out there appreciates it and could possibly use it.

Tam : do you just place the strawberries onto the ricotta or did you mix the cream and ricotta first?

Eunice : i mix a little bit of the whipped cream into the ricotta first, otherwise there will be chunks of ricotta floating around in the cream, and then fold the ricotta/cream into the rest of the whipped cream. fooling around with proportions as too little ricotta, you can barely taste it and too much it's too grainy, but just enough and there's this added layer of richness that i rather like. if you've discovered anything, please do tell.

Eunice : ...just more peppers

Carolyn Beck: Good luck...we live in a suburb of Chicago, and my husband and sons put giardiniera on just about every sandwich that they consume...they just love it !!!

Eunice : thanks, Carolyn. it looks pretty. just need to wait a day or two for the oil/vinegar solution to soak in. my dude is most anxious. hey, looks like you have a pretty awesome looking Hot Italian Beef Sandwich (à la crockpot mode) that's just waiting for a heavy dosage of giardiniera love: http://wegottaeat.com/carolyn.beck/recipes/hot-italian-beef-sandwiches-crockpot

Carolyn Beck: You are so right....my family piles on the giardiniera on their hot beefs. The spicy giardiniera coupled with the melted provolone and beef dipped in the extra juice is divine

Eunice : spicy + melted + extra juice = yumm!

Eunice : ooooh...tell me how that went. admit that i've let my starter go a long time ago and i don't remember what the bread was like. hope you liked it!

Traci Downing: Hmmmm, so how was it?

Eunice : mine was eh as my toppings were too mushy and i was too lazy/tired to pre-bake the pizza for a bit, so the dough came out a bit moosh in the middle. my man's pizza was just right as he just drizzled some olive oil, some fresh garlic smeared in with the oil, tomato slices and cheese...but then again he loves pizza. i think the topping that i used would have worked out better with the half WW/half AP. that said, more pizza tonight as that's the recipe at hand and that's all the energy i have...think i'll try my dude's version.

Tyler : i miss pizza... they don't have the good stuff in Japan!

Eunice : but they've got so many other goodies! craving a big bowl of ramen right now as they don't have the good stuff in Chicago! perhaps i can send you some pizza, Chicago-style, if you'll send me some wet, slurpy ramen...or not...

Traci Downing: Chicago style is my fave!!

Eunice : we sorta' did it Chicago-style. liberally poured olive oil onto the bottom of a cast-iron pan and heated the oil up a bit first so that when the dough is added, it created a buttery crunchy crust. cornmeal woulda' put it over the top.

Tyler : you should have included a link to this recipe :)

Eunice : i thought i was the only insomniac still up. it's 5am, Chicago time. where are you? http://wegottaeat.com/blackbirdpies/recipes/curried-cauliflower-flatbread

Traci Downing: I'll tell you...I don't care for cauliflower...but when you mentioned mango...that got my mouth watering!!! ha

Eunice : mango makes my mouth happy, too. i've actually thought about using potatoes with this particular recipe if you want to switch it out...sorta' like a fat pizza...spicy fat pizza! whoa, cool! links are enabled!

Tyler : I'm in Japan traveling for business. Living in a hotel. That's why I don't have a kitchen...

Eunice : ooh...lots of yummies there! do you hit any of the ramen noodle bars? my mouth is watering...there's a lot of watering mouths on this thread...

Eunice : thanks!

Tyler : Eunice. My goals is to comment as much as you. Its a competition. Ready... Set... Go!

Eunice : woohoo...me and my keyboard are ready for the challenge!

Traci Downing: Do you have your pizza dough recipe in your recipes? I'm always trying different pizza dough recipes...the gingerbread muffins sound yum right now.

Eunice : yeah, it's the no-knead flatbread recipe. have you ever used whole wheat with your pizza doughs? i've made half AP & half WW and it adds a nutty sweetness that i ruther like. and the gingerbread muffins were/are good. munching on them at work as i type this out...mmmm...

Tyler : you spend way too much time on this site. I think you've commented on everyone's status. That is impressive! My goal is to be like you one day :P

Eunice : guilty as charged! i like food. i like preparing and testing out new and interesting recipes, fussing over old ones and, especially, savoring the results. sometimes they're not all that great but there's always the next recipe so i wanna' just share the love. speaking of sharing: Traci, Tyler has a whole wheat pizza dough recipe on his recipe list that looks pretty good and that you might want to check out: http://wegottaeat.com/youngt2/recipes/whole-wheat-pizza-dough

Traci Downing: I haven't used ww with my pizza dough...but it sounds good. I will have to try it. When I do, I'll let you know how it turns out!

Tyler : Yes its delicious. I think it makes pizza good for you too :P

Joel MB: little bit of water and bake it longer! Let it evap!

Eunice : but then it oozes all this oil like a teenager's forehead (and i should know because it happened to me)...suppose i could just drain that.

Eunice : sorry, meant to say thanks for the tip and that i'll try it and then report back on results.

Eunice : heh...so i guess i don't mind it swimming in butter so much. stuck it underneath the broiler and the crispy bits are nice. thanks Joel.

Joel MB: Drain that oil and pop it back in the oven! Dairy can be gross if over cooked, but, I know you can handle it. And apparently it worked out! haha. I love scalloped potatoes. But I just love potatoes all together.

Dave Weaver: Is that your 'NO-KNEAD, SIMPLE CRUSTY BREAD' recipe I found?

Eunice : yep...it's actually a pretty easy way to learn how to bake bread. after you've made the batter enough times, you get a feel for whether it's too wet or dry or if it risen enough or fallen. and after awhile you play with proportions of the ingredients and switching in different flours...but that could just be me.

Carolyn Beck: Sounds good....I will have to try it !!

Eunice : please report back to either the recipe or here and tell me how it went. enjoy!

Carolyn Beck: It was delicious, and very easy. My family loved it !! Thanks.

Eunice : i'm glad you and your family like it. it's such a versatile recipe. and easy.