gotcha' beat.. toddler at home(terrible 2's), leave the house @ 6:00 a.m., and dont get home until 6:00 p.m. on work nights :-)

I go to the local cajun spot(a good ol' boy from Louisiana runs it, and makes weekly trips down to Louisiana for product) for dinner on those nights if I need a cajun fix. Otherwise its leftovers from the weekend. No way I'm cooking dinner until 8:00 p.m. on a work night.

interesting take.

I never have thought of cooking as work, even when it was my job. :-)

The dishes you mention are not special in my house, but weekly menu items. In the past month I have made pork and sausage jambalaya, shrimp creole, crawfish etouffe, and a gumbo. All on the weeekends when I have time to get the proper ingredients, and time to invest in the cooking process.

I will always prefer something I make at home vs something in a jar. Especailly something as important in cajun/creole cooking as the roux.

different strokes I guess.

I went to over 50 new restaurants in 2008. Plus the spots I am a regular. I was making the point that going out to eat isnt a rare occurance, so I dont feel the need to gameplan it as such. There will be another meal out soon to follow, so I dont feel the pressure to need to sample everything

In December I ate Vietnamese, Czech, Cajun, Mexican a few times, Chinese a few times(rabbit, beef maw, etc.) Japanese a couple times, no bbq, and only steak I cooked at home. Not a rut if you ask me. :-)

I post most of my reports and pics on my blog, and a Chicago food site nowdays vs here on CH, CH is not as good as it used to be, & I do not spend as much time on CH anymore because of that, So I pretty much stopped posting my reviews of new places here.

roux in a jar? Now I have heard it all. :-)

What fun is making gumbo if you are not making a roux from scratch stirring it for 45 minutes to an hour to get it dark brown?

I think anything with carbonation gets the digestion going, and gets me to feel less full pretty quickly.

I try not to dwell on it, although I do consider it a waste of a meal for the year. And seeing as I get only 730 meals a year(I only eat lunch and dinner), it is sometimes hard to move on quickly, and not feel cheated out of one of my meals for the year.

What I avoid? : all chains whenever humanly possible, I many times will skip a "meal" at a chain rather than eat.

How do I regain my appetite? : a few cold beers, and I am typically hungry again.

I use whole milk in all cooking applications when milk is called for. I have not been happy with items I have tried made with the low fat alternatives.

Interesting concept.

I have never tried it, but I would fear whatever you "breaded" would turn out way too salty. Those canned onion things are pretty salty, although good to munch on.

I may try this someday.

I have plenty of fun eating. I just do not see the need for a whole game plan when going out to eat with others. Concerning myself with what I want to order based on what others are ordering seems odd, and not fun at all. We go out to eat enough, and are regulars at enough places that we do not feel the need to try everything on a menu on the first visit.

When I go out to eat with my wife, or mom, I will offer some of what I have, and maybe sample what they have if what they odered appeals to me. However with some groups I dine with I do not want to try what certain people are eating(vegetarian entrees, etc).

I use medium or long grain white rice. I wouldnt consider any other variety.

its all good,

I dont hunt or gather myself, but prefer to make as much as I possibly can.

"trashy" is such a strong word being used in this thread, so I will calirify my answer, buying store bought items, and incorprationg them into a recipe is just something I wouldnt do. I feel I can make a superior product at home vs a store bought item. One with less chemicals, and preservatives as well. I dont condemn others for this practice, but they should come clean that they have "cheated".

funny, :-)

yes a wood deck with a fresh coat of stain this summer.. I just make sure I am there to supervise those long smoking times(a good excuse for getting some sun, and drinking a few cold ones on a lazy summer afternoon)

Id say trying to pass off any store bought prepared food, frozen foods, or processed food as homemade is "trashy". aka "pulling a Sandra Lee"...

eg. using velveeta, bisquick, canned soup , etc as part of a recipe.

Other foods I think fall into this category: Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, box cake mixes, frozen dinners.

mine is a pic of my smoker on my deck overlooking the woods on my property. I dont know if it sums up who I am, but it shows one of my favorite hobbies & places to hang out, as well as my devotion to a meatatarian diet.

- also I think I owed all the bake-b-q, and boil-b-q enthusiasts on CH a look at the only type of equipment real bbq can be made on. . : - p

Perhaps check out Chucks menu a little closer. They tout their ribs to be the "best in Chicagoland" nowhere near the best.

I did try the Chuck red, and it was pretty good, nothing mind blowing.

As for the steak(I wasnt expecting steakhouse quality, or prime beef, but a decent attempt at a steak) , it is on the menu, a "cajun blackened" ribeye paired with etouffe(allegedly cajun is a Chucks strongpoint), the steak was ordered medium rare, it came out past well done, the etouffe sauce was average, and not served with rice..but a baked potato...?

I wont be back for a third visit. & I only work 20 mins away.

As a restaurant veteran, I think he is trying to pull off too much.. Cajun, BBQ, & Mexican..? No focus imho.

Nothing personal, just a place I dont like.. Chucks certainly has its fans, but I am not one, different strokes.

I dont expect a taste of anything any of my dining companions have ordered, nor do I have issues if others order the same items as I do, or others have ordered, that is kind of an odd demand, or expectation in my humble opinion. eating isnt a team sport. ;-)

You are probably right, I guess I am naive in thinking good restaurants only need good word of mouth to thrive.

I will add S&S to my short list for the New Year.

interesting, on another theread you mention thta Lao Sze Chuan was one of your "10 worst meals of 2008". I am curious as to why would you recommend it?

I do think Lao Sze Chaun is very good, and always good. We had a X-mas Eve dinner there with 30 or so others, and each table of 10 ordered for themselves, we had probably 10 different dishes from rabbit, to a whole, carp to Tony's 3 chili chicken, a stir fried lobster, pork candy, etc., and each dish was better than the next.

I forgot one... Velveeta...

yes, gallon jugs of bottled water for all cooking(pasta, stock, rice, etc.). Unitl the new water facility under construction is finished where I live I wont use the tap water for cooking, or drinking(it tests high for radium occasionally)

Im out in Marseilles myself,

Sweets and Savories interests me, but I kind of have a problem with the fact that they use a food publicist to get alot of the word out on them.

I loved Cemita's, I think about that sandwich almost daily.

I enjoyed Amanacer Tapatio alot. I need to make a return visit soon myself.

have an enjoyable New Years Eve, and good New Year as well.

good list,

On my "to try in 2009 list" is: Hae Woon Dae(Korean BBQ), Publican, Calumet Fisheries, Captain Porky's(Zion), & Paramount Room.

Streator eh? Cajun Connection would be right in the neighborhood.

The following play into my decision to watch, or not watch a cooking show(not all are based on a host ability to cook obviously)

- easy on the eyes
- heavy focus on cooking meat, either grilling, or smoking
- a host that is having a good time
- a host that is not health food obcessed, and isnt afraid to cook with butter, bacon, pork, liquor, etc.
- a host that does not try to push some politcal or "green" agenda, I watch tv for entertainment, not to be hit over the head.

Hosts I like or will watch: Bobby Flay, Rob Rainford, Alton Brown, Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Yan, Rachael Ray, Giada, Ellie Krieger

The following are the 10 best places I ate at in Chicagoland this year, some old favorites & some new places for me:

1) Tank Noodle - best meal of the year, love the Pho, and other Vietnamese dishes
2) Sun Wah BBQ - I loved the Chinese BBQ meats(pork, duck, etc.)
3) Cemita's Puebla - found my favorite sandwich in Chicago here - Cemitas Atomica
4) Lao Sze Chuan - many meals, and never a bad dish at either location
5) Renga-Tei(Lincolnwood) - a new favorite as well,
6) Saloon Steakhouse - I had my best steak of the year here, a Dry Aged K.C. Strip
7) Amanacer Tapatio(Joliet) - had the best Mexican food of the year here on a few visits
8) Cajun Connection(Utica) - they knock it out of the park on every visit, the best cajun food around
9) Coalfire - I really enjoy this coal fired New Haven style pizza
10) Fabulous Noodles(Lisle) - never a bad meal at this regualr stop.

The 3 worst meals:

1) Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe(Burbank) - gave this place 2 tries, I wont give them a 3rd. Bad bbq ribs, & the worst steak I had all year. However the Chucks red was good.
2) Giordano's - had another bad round of pizza from this chain.
3) Adobo Grill - the worst Mexican food of the year, however they do have a good tequila selection at this chain.

margerine - vile
butter beans
lima beans
Accent - MSG

I had read somewhere that you should use cold water to start with for pasta, something about sediment etc.

I dont use either nowdays. I use bottled water which is typically near room temperature.

With a 2 year old daughter we have stayed home the last few years, and will be staying home for New Years for the next few years.

Before we had a child we did the restaurant, bar, hotel party, Key West, & the Sarasota New Years Eve things in past years. The best were the hotel parties, decent food, but the best part was drinking as much as you wanted, and only having to navigate yourself to the elevator and to your room. Key West was a blast, as was Sarasota, as much for the warm weather, and being away from cold Chicago, as the revelry.

This year will be surf and turf of some sort(big surprise for me the meatatarian I know). I will hit my local butcher for some prime steaks(depends what looks the best), as well as maybe a trip before I head home down to Chinatown for some live lobsters, or live Dungeness Crab.

Of course lots of beer, alot of tequila, and enterainment provided by the X-Box, and Rock Band 2.