We're having one this week. We've actually discussed what we're bringing, so it will be a bit balanced. I'm bringing a spinach and orange salad.

I do primal rather than paleo but don't think there is such a thing. Non-grain bread will never taste like real bread. It's not about making things that taste like what we used to eat, but rather about totally changing our way of eating. Instead of a sandwich, wrap the filling in lettuce or another green, or just eat the filling on a plate. I will confess to occasionally eating a slice of homemade bread as a splurge, but otherwise stay away from grains.

In my neck of the woods, cold brew concentrate is available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, you might want to check there.

I agree the powdered stevia in the packets has an aftertaste that I find very unpleasant. However, I recently tried the liquid stevia extract and like it. It's a bit expensive, but I only need to put a couple of drops in my coffee to sweeten it.

I would take a look at some game recipes, like antelope or even venison for ideas.

Husband's grandmother's suet pudding.

I do this too, except I use a big plastic Rubbermaid container. I find salad will keep several days this way but needs to be dried in a salad spinner first.
I don't buy the bagged salads as I find they have an off taste and don't last more than a day in the fridge after opening.

The closest I've come to rotissere chicken at home without a rotissere is roasted in the oven on a vertical roaster which I've found gives a better skin than laying it down in a roasting pan. I also like crockpot chicken, especially if time to cook is a factor, but it is a bit different, especially the skin. I have friends that use a countertop rotisserie oven, but I can't speak from personal experience since I don't have one.

Definitely patties for me.

I had one for years, until it finally cracked last year, and I have yet to replace it. :(
I think it made the best roasted chicken. Some citrus in the cavity, sprinkle with herbs, bake an hour or so, defat and thicken the pan juices for gravy.

I find BarKeep's Friend and a green scrubbie works well.

I concur! Cornbread, saltine crackers, and the cold beverage of your choice. Good chili requires no toppings.

Hey ya'll-

I just attended a baking demo put on by the King Arthur Flour company - got some great tips on pie crust. Also got a $10 off a $20 purchase from their catalog/website.

Anybody have a favorite gadget that I should get? I have yeast measuring spoon from them that measures the equivalent of single envelope, which I find really handy. They have some dough whisks that look really neat, along with bunches of other stuff - I feel like the kid in the candy store just looking. I do all kinds of baking - breads, pies, cookies, etc.

Thanks for your input!

Aw, man, Hurricanes are in no way, shape, or form cajun. They are only for tourists in the Quarter to drink and get obnoxious.

Why not try a take on bananas foster or cherries jubilee if you want a fruit-based dessert with alcohol?

I've had that happen, twice, by the same friends. First time we got about 3 tablespoons of soup and some bread - the excuse was "I didn't know it would cook down like that!" Second time was the world's smallest chicken portioned to feed 10 people. Had to hit a drive through on the way home both times.
I tend to over cook for company, and send people home with leftovers.

Seconding the rice pudding with leftover rice and raisins. I recently found a recipe for one similar to mom's- "Rice Custard Pudding" in The James Beard Cookbook from 1959. It was sweeter than I remember, so next time I'll cut down on the sugar, but otherwise good and nostalgic.

I agree, the skin is not great, but I discard it. If it's dry, it's overcooked, not the crockpot's fault. I've never had that problem.

I think you are comparing apples and oranges. Zuni chicken is roasted, which will make it different than crockpot chicken, where there is no browning. If you insist on browned chicken skin, then yeah, you won't like it cooked in the crockpot. Roasted chicken is great if you are home to cook and have the time to make it, but life is busy sometimes. It is also nice in the summer not to have to heat up the kitchen by using the oven.

Take a large oval crockpot. Put in a whole chicken. Season with lemon, olive oil and oregano ( or whatever your herb/spice/seasoning preference is). Put on lid, cook on low 8 hours or more.
Result - tender, juicy chicken that is much better, cheaper, and way less salty than the storebought rotisserie.
Everyone I have made this for has loved it. Pretty much just a dump it in and let it cook.

I agree, there is an awful lot of bad food out there. What I've found is that alot of people think cooking is hard, so throwing some prepared stuff together the easy way to cook. I've seen people look amazed when I've explained a simple recipe to them, something I've made that they liked, as if something good can't possibly be easy. I've taught people how to make bread, which is alot of fun, because at the end the reaction is always "that's all there is to it?"
There's also the legacy of the '50's and '60's with such horrors as cream of mushroom soup based casseroles. Mom/grandma cooked that way, so that must be how it's done. They just don't know any different.
My crockpot allows me to come home at the end of the day to a dinner that would otherwise be reserved for a day I'm home, since I'm not comfortable leaving my stove or oven on when I'm away. No dry soup mix or mushy pastas, just things like pot roasts, chicken or beans.

That's pretty much it. If you are using a hambone, I wouldn't use stock, water should be fine. Split peas tend to break down on their own. What kind of peas are you using?

I make this one, too, but the recipe I have doesn't call for italian dressing, just the roast and the entire jar of peppers and liquid - it's called "Amazing Beef," which it is!

I still occasionally do chicken this way (minus the margarine, and with some herbs) - chicken with 40 cloves of garlic does well in the crock, too.

"Wiccan Warlock" is an oxymoron, and actual Wiccans don't curse people. Dancing naked is optional. Sounds like a yo-yo who just wanted a day off and watched alot of Buffy.

Not a wiccan, but have friends who are.

I use a tip I picked up from Cook's Illustrated to deal with the goopiness factor - make a sling of parchment or nonstick foil to transfer the dough from the bowl to the dutch oven, which I had found to be the tricky part. Good luck with your bread!

I use Mark Bittman's recipe, and the dough so wet that I think it would just spread out over the cookie sheet and make a foccacia instead of a loaf! I've also used a corningware casserole to bake the bread, but I think the crust comes out better in the cast iron for some reason, but yeah, it is heavy.

I bake, from scratch, various regular yeast breads as well as quick breads like banana bread in the loaf pans. I like that with the pyrex you can see if the bottom crust is brown. For no-knead, I use my Lodge cast iron dutch oven. No knead-requires a closed baking vessel, loaf pans won't work.

Stainless steel is fine, of course! Cast iron is traditional, though.

I've never had it garnished with anything, though some chopped parsley might be nice.

It can be a complete meal, but is also served as a side dish - meat with the rice & gravy on the side.

I got the dish as a gift. It is cream-colored and has an green apple pattern decoration on it, don't recall the maker offhand. It would look nice filled with apples, if I had the counter space! If I ever get around to baking more than one pie at a time, I'll have to get more pie dishes and would consider pyrex, based on its popularity. I have pyrex loaf pans that I bake bread in weekly that work fabulously.
I love the idea of "bonding" with your pan! I've definitely bonded with several items in my kitchen.

Sounds good! Like any other home-cooking recipe, rice & gravy varies by the cook. It should definitely not be super spicy - one of the misconceptions about cajun food is that it has to blow the top of your head off with spiciness. It can be made with any kind of meat, but I've most often had it with beef, like round steak. A black iron pot that belonged to your grandmother is preferred, but not required, as the cooking vessel.

Rice should be long grain.