I use that recipe for cornbread too but I use melted butter in place of the shortening that goes into the batter and I just pour some canola into the skillet instead of shortening and preheat it in the oven.
I also never have buttermilk so I use milk and vinegar. Works great! Oh, and I use a little more cornmeal and a little less flour.

I made hoppin john from this recipe and it was delicious!

http://gardenandgun.com/article/hoppi...

We live in the south and eat black eyed peas often, but always on New Year's Day.

Not a fan of pickles either.

I had plain greek yogurt, granola, and an apple.

I hate corn, both from the can and from the cob. But I love things made with cornmeal. I also dislike cucumber and kale.

I've had cookie dough egg rolls and they were delicious! The egg roll was fried and the cookie dough was warm and gooey inside. It was served with vanilla ice cream on top drizzled with chocolate syrup.

These browned butter blueberry muffins are fantastic! http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/...

I peel Russets because the skin is usually too tough for mashed potatoes. Every other I leave the skin on.
I'm in Alabama.

Alessi has some cool products. I just checked out their website and they definitely have some things I like. Thank you for your help!

This is the what I'm looking for. I appreciate the response to my question!

Thanks for your reply! I love the way these look but I think I'd prefer one that isn't clear and that's all I can find in this brand.

Thanks, but I'm just looking for countertop storage for my beans since I grind them fresh every morning.

What's the best airtight coffee canister to store coffee beans?

We really enjoyed The Terminal Brewhouse for a casual meal. The bison burger was really good and we sampled all of the beer they brew there, definitely some good ones. For a nicer dinner, we went to trendy Alleia for some great upscale apps, pizza, and pasta. And for breakfast, we liked Bluegrass Grille. Clumpies for ice cream.

I usually ask for the dressing on the side because I only like a little on my salad so I figure I can add it myself but I can't take it off if there's too much. Also, I like to taste the other flavors of the salad if it contains creamy ingredients like avocado or goat cheese. Sometimes a menu doesn't include all of the salad ingredients so I agree with being able to pick out ones I don't like.

I vote Martin's for BBQ, Margot, and Arnold's. For a late night dinner, Cabana or Rumba.

My husband and I will be in Vegas for a conference at the end of Sept. and we're looking for some great food at reasonable prices. I've looked at menu's from some of the top places but most are too fancy for our tastes. (My husband wouldn't touch foie gras with a 10 foot pole.)

I know we want to find a good steak one night (Craftsteak, SW, Prime, Stripsteak?) and maybe a buffet (Bellagio, Wynn,?) just for the experience. For the other nights, we don't know yet. Any recommendations?

We're staying at Mandalay and we don't want to travel too far since we won't have a car. We are a young couple so a fun atmosphere would be great too.

Also, is it too late to make reservations for dinners or shows? How far in advance do we need to book?

We are going to Chattanooga for a night this weekend with 2 other couples and are looking for a good restaurant for dinner. Not too expensive but good food. We are all in our 20s so a fun atmosphere would be great too.
Thanks!

Cabana in Hillsboro Village would be a great spot. Fun atmosphere and good food.

I'll suggest Margot's for dinner. Smaller local restaurant with a great menu that changes quite often. Marche's is a sister restaurant and is great for brunch.

We're headed to Alys Beach in a few days and are looking for a good breakfast place. We'd like somewhere to get a good unique meal, not typical eggs and toast. We don't want to travel all the way to Destin. Thanks!

+1 for Cosmos. Check out their website for menu. They have great outdoor seating.

I've never been to Nonna's, but Bottega has a great white chocolate bread pudding. It's very smooth and not bready at all. It comes warm with toasted pecans on top and they pour on a bit of creme anglaise. Very yummy!

We ended up going to Bettola. It was delicious. Since it was my birthday, we went all out and got a ton of food. The speck was our favorite of the apps. We got the Margherita and the sausage with mushroom pizzas. Both were very good. We also had the pasta with roasted garlic, spinach, italian bacon, and parmesan. It was definitely our favorite dish. The chocolate almond torte was very good for dessert too. We really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and will be back soon!

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Bettola
2901 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233

Ok, maybe I'll give it a try another time. We're also looking at Gianmarco's for Italian or Bettola for pizza. I'm wondering about the atmosphere. Thoughts?

Great suggestions! I love the idea of Do-Di-Yo's but my husband wouldn't enjoy it. Sol Y Luna if a definite possibility.

Cafe de Paris looks good too.

We have been to the Melting Pot several times and really like it.

Has anyone been to Avo? I know they are from the same people who run Jackson's. We used to live in Nashville and went to the one there a lot.

Can anyone recommend a fun birthday dinner for my 24th this weekend in Birmingham? My husband and I want to go to a unique restaurant/bar. We've been to Bottega, Highlands, Cafe Dupont, Ocean, etc and are looking for something a little different but not too bar like. Maybe a wine bar or tapas place. Please help!

My husband and I are planning on coming to Atlanta this weekend for my 24th birthday and are looking for a great restaurant for dinner one night. We want something either romantic or with a great atmosphere, not stuffy and old. We really like all kinds of food and price isn't a problem. We'll have our car so we can drive anywhere. Please help!