Has anybody else been looking at THE PIGLET
TOURNAMENT OF COOKBOOKS here?
http://food52.com/the-piglet/2013
They match them up and have different reviewers. Good fun, entertaining and informative reviews.

Thanks - I never heard of this one.

I'm pretty sure I'd HATE to go to a chocolate candy store and HAVE to eat a hot fudge sundae, too !!

[Appropriate smiley here]

ps; Got a great shake at Burgatory

Thanks for that, but I don't think they actually make anything there. Not like a local product.

Looking for fine chocolate made in the Pittsburgh area. All I know is that I like all of it. Which is not very discerning. Of course, the first place I think of is Sarris. But a little Google trip found A Taste Of Chocolate, Edward Marc Chocolatier, Sinful Sweets, and Betsy Ann Chocolates. And there may be others that you could mention. A little help here would be appreciated. So where’s good/great chocolate made in the Pittsburgh area? Thanks.

To get nice, rich gravy, use dark beer and add a couple of spoons of tapioca pearls before you start cooking. I nice seasoning is Montreal Steak Seasoning.

I'm a little late to this party, but I have two suggestions, one for now and one for the next time. For this time, if you find the roast is too tender to cut, you can chunk it and put the chunks in a 425 oven for 10-15 minutes. This will give them a nice crust and the interior should be nice and moist. The suggestion for next time is that you get a copy of "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens. About 20 bucks at Amazon and probably available for less used.

If anyone wants to correct me on any of this, jump in. Don't let corbmonster hangin'.

Another point in favor of a slo cooker is that you can make a lot of delicious soups with little or no meat.

As has been mentioned, look for a recipe for what you want to cook on the internet. Save the recipes you like and that work for you and in a little while you'll have a cookbook - your own.

The blog previously mentioned is probably this one.
http://stephanieodea.com/
She also has a couple of cookbooks out.

Be a CHOWHOUND !!

I was going to say all this, only I couldn't have said it as well.

Take a look at this gadget.
http://www.amazon.com/ABID-CO-LTD-C-7...
No silt in the bottom of the cup.

"They are very convenient, not messy, but the cost is highway robbery."

I liked that previous post by ferret that said the patents have run out. Maybe things will get competitive.

I think the new Vue Keurig is designed for larger and stronger cups of coffee, including travel mugs.

If you cook with a slo cooker or a pressure cooker, you aren't using grease. That would eliminate the smell of all that day old grease. And electric cookers can easily be moved around. Right, you won't be frying a steak, but you can make a lot of casseroles, roasts, soups, and desserts in those two tools.

From Monroeville, just go over the hill to Oakmont and explore. And don't miss the Oakmont Bakery.

Wadeaminutehere. If you're going to mix some pre-cooked pasta and aromatics and the sauce in a casserole before you put it into the oven, I'm thinkin' you don't need to heat the sauce first. Somethin' not clear here.

You might look at the Work Sharp site.
http://www.worksharptools.com/sportsm...

They have a demo and these seem to be available at Amazon, Northern Tool and Cabelas etc. Most of the reviews are pretty good.

I used it and like it. Which doesn't mean much.

That "Dirt Candy" looks interesting. I might want to investigate that a little further or hear from a few more folks who know about it.

Just dumpt a zip lock bag full of change into a Coin Star machine and was rewarded with an Amazon credit slip, soooo ... I ordered "Little Flower" and "Smitten Kitchen." I think the push for these came from David Lebovitz's blog. I don't always know where the urge to buy comes from. Unless that Gio person had something to do with it! In September I bot "Seductions of Rice." I can't remember why. It's a sad thing, but cheaper and healthier than most other addictions.

Never thought about that. What's wrong with "sweet"? It's good in carrot soup and squash soup, by the way. Good in ginger bread, too.

Try this recipe for Onion and Fennel Soup from Ina Garten. It's great and has alcohol.

http://smells-like-home.com/2010/11/b...

Another way to add ginger is to use crystalized ginger. You have good control of how much you're adding. You can get it at Penzey's or other spice places.

I think these generous folks are on to something, but I did have a thought about how to make smaller. Make stock and freeze it in smaller containers. If you start with a pint container of stock in stead of a quart container, you're already limiting the amount you'll make.

Some people have mentioned using tapioca for desserts, but I use it in slo cooked stews. Makes a nice gravy.

Go to Red Robin for a root beer float; they treat you right! I don't know anything about Texas except we got great steaks there when passin' through Abilene.

As much as I love cheeseburgers, ya gotta move beyond just burgers and go to Fathead's on the South Side for Headwiches ... and burgers, too.

http://fatheadspittsburgh.com/index.php

Would you think to salt them and put them in a colander to drain and then blot them - sorta what you would do with egg plant?

Oh! Dat's wut U said!

Thank's for that. I'll bet that mustard adds some zing.

That's one of the reasons we hang out here.

(suitable emoticon HERE)

Here's another entry with a nice discussion:
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/0...

Even if it's not a DOTM, it's worth making about now.

Is September too late for TOMATO PIE?