I've always done mine in my dutch oven on the stove, but I'm trying the crockpot this year. I hope I eat before nine. (I have a crockpot that actually uses different temperatures for high and low, according to America's Test Kitchen. Many do not.)

Note: On the stove, I bring it to a boil and then skim off a lot of scum before turning it down to a simmer. I put in the spice packet after I skim, because the spices were always caught in the scum and went to the garbage.

In the crockpot, after two hours, it is not yet simmering, and the scum was much thiinner. I skimmed and dumped the spices in. I'll see what I have when it simmers.

I'll be doing the cabbage and red potatoes in the microwave.

From a bottle, see how you like Mojo Criollo.

http://www.mexgrocer.com/goya-3060.ht...

Mexican groceries or maybe in the Mexican section of your supermarket.

Well, the ones in the stores have to be bred so that they will still be edible when they get to the market. So many of the fine garden tomatoes are too fragile to ship.

You can get chicken leg quarters for $.49 a pound on sale sometimes.

I like to take about a half boston butt, marinate it overnight in Mojo Criollo (Goya brand is good) and roast it.

(Why is pork from the fore shoulder called butt? It was packed in Boston into barrels called butts.)

The korean short ribs are flanken-style ribs cut about a quarter of an inch thick. I've seen them at Sam's Club in the US.

San Francisco? Hangtown Fry. Joe's Special. Dry Salami. Sourdough French Bread. Dungeness Crab.

When I was a kid we used to have tongue boiled as most of the recipes show and served with mayonnaise flavored with ballpark mustard and snipped chives.

Basque tongue stew is delicious! Here's a recipe from on-line.

http://www.grasslandbeef.com/recipe_t...

I went to Woolgrowers in Los Banos in 2010 and found it very much up to Basque standards. I've gone to Noriega since I was a kid in the 50's. I'm so happy with them that I've never gone to the other supposedly excellent ones in Bakersfield since my folks took me to the Pyrenees way back then.

You probably should have got the cheeks, too. They are fatty, but very flavorful in a braise.

basque pickled tongue: simmer with aromatic vegies and a bay leaf or two until tender. let cool an hour and skin. slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. put it in a bag with red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, olive oil, and maybe parsley or chives and marinate overnight. Very yummy.

Only one trip to NOLA (on an expense account 20 years ago). Three memorable dishes: Crawfish Étoufée at Galatoire's; Chicken Bonne Femme at Tujagues; best fried oysters of my life at Molly's Irish Pub on Toulouse in the French quarter.

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Tujague's
823 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116

Molly's Irish Pub & Restaurant
732 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130

I don't know what the technicalities are for naming the doneness of organ meats. My wife hated the liver she got as a child until i made it for her. A week ago I ordered it in a restaurant, and it was horrible ... tough as shoe leather and razor-thin slices. It should be thick, cut out the tough veins and skin before cooking, use a pretty high heat and cook it fast just to the point where it is not raw in the middle. Cook some bacon, fry the liver in about half the bacon grease and fry onions in the rest of it. One of my favorites.

We've been in Rochester for about 15 years. I see nobody has posted about our two fine local Barbecue joints.

Roscoes original stand is open except winter just across the River on 4th St S. They win national ribfests, and have a grand national winner of a sauce. Their restaurant in Maplewood is open year-round. They also have fish fries some nights that are really good.

John Hardy's is also well-regarded. Their medium sauce is as hot as I can take.

We also have the Famous Dave's chain, which ain't bad at all.

Mexican: Las Carambas is a hole-in-the-wall with good and authentic food, good prices, large portions and a drive-through.

Chinese: China Star with three sites keeps winning the best take-out in town award in Rochester magazine. I like it.

Chinese Buffets: Sky Dragon at Miracle Mile is very good; two new ones, International Buffet and Kingdom Buffet are both excellent.

My Copco 5 and 7 qt dutch ovens and Le Creuset Lasagna pan and 2 qt dutch oven are some of my favorite pots for over 30 years for stove and oven braises. (Along with my Magnalite oval and baking/lasagna pan and cast iron skillets; Corningware for the microwave, Farber for boiling stuff, heavy non-stick aluminum like Club for small skillets). I'm a big man and don't mind the weight. When I sold housewares at Macy's back in the 60's,. the top we carried were leCreuset, Copco, Magnalite, and Farberware. Farber for ease of care and saucepans, enameled cast iron if you didn't mind the weight.

I have a basic magnalite oval roaster I got for a wedding present in 1972. (Also have a wonderful baking/lasagna/roasting pan from the same time. I've been wondering if there is any problem cooking with red wine or tomato as there would be with standard aluminum pots.

The recipes I've looked at want about four hours for the braise.

I just got them at Wal-Mart in
Rochester, Minnesota.