What I'm seeing is a Bisquick "Impossibler Pie" variation, using the flour and eggs instead of filo to make a crust. You could google it or try Bisquick's site.

No, you aren't getting that honor. I'm 74, going on 40.

That is absolutely correct, and I thought everybody knew to freeze the bread. I freeze my loaves whole, in their paper bags enclosed in plastic (a shopping bag or garbage bag will do, it's only for a couple days) and slace when I'm ready. It only takes a few minutes to thaw, and it is perfect and fresh. Putting bread in the refrigerator is a very bad idea.

Years ago, I prepped in a restaurant that had a delicious salad of sliced blackened chicken thighs over a bed of greens with a dressing of oil, rice vinegar, cilantro, garlic, green onion, salt. jalapeño and cumin (made in the blender). I don't have the recipe but you can wing it. Definitely worth a try, Also,an old favoite of mine: Mix equal parts of mayo, plain yogurt and mango chutney with a little Madras curry powder. Add to cubed chicken. celery, red pepper. ,

No advice? I think all these ribs become part of other cuts in the US. Here, they separate them from the carcass. I guess I will just try to brown and braise with red wine and see what happens, but I sure would like an opinion or 2!

Black bean & sweet potato chile. Made it in the crock pot after sauteeing the veggies and a little bit of hamburger. It tastes good, but I think I like traditional chile better.

I just bought 3 kilos of beef ribs at our central market here in Mazatlán. I wanted short ribs but my language ability was such that I couldn't make myself understood. He sawed the back ribs crosswise, then chopped between each one to make 1 1/2 or 2 inch chunks. Can I braise these and get the same kind of flavor I expect from short ribs? I don't know what local cooks do with them, probably put them in the soup pot. I am planing to serve them with mashed or boiled potatoes and their (hopefully) delicious gravy to a Mexican family who will never have tasted this prepartation. Advice Welcome!

Drain a can of sardines in oil, mix with a good amount of finely diced cekery and onion, stir in a bit of mayo and some lemon or lime juice, and pile into the cavity of a Haas avocado. Lettuce and sliced tomato on the side, Yum

If you want to serve a pasta course, you can cook it the day ahead (just barely al dente) then refrigerate it. Have a pot of hot water on the stove and when time to serve, drop the pasta in to warm up. That way you don't have to worry about the timing at the last minute with other stuff going on. That's how many restaurants do it.
I think a fish stew of some type would be a great idea. I think I'll do that!

Lots of new places in the past 5 years, and a few of them are very good. My favorite is Molika Bakery. The chef owner is a Mazatleco who returned from Europe, where he had been working as a chef and baker for several years, to open this place. No Mexican food on the menu, but everything is prepared beautifully. Mostly sandwiches, salads, pasta, along with a few specials, which might be anything from a rib roast to swordfish steaks. My favorite sandwich is an assortment of roasted veggies and goat cheese, open face on his foccacia with a beautifully dressed green salad on the side. And I love his country pate, served with multi grain bread, mustard, etc. Another very good chef is in charge at the Water's Edge. Some very original dishes. I love the crabcakes, and his steak with skinny pomme frites (straw potatoes?) is wonderful. We've got a new potato place in centro that uses russet potatoes, a rare treat indeed! And the toppings are just great. (You probably know the papas locas sold at the street places, and there are more of those than 5 years ago, too. The Fish Market is an excellent seafood place, with a variety of fish. One gets soooo tired of dorado here, and it's just about the only fish many restaurants serve. Boring. I can think of lots more newish places that I like, but this is a start for you!

You didn't tell us the recipe!

I have a crockpot that doesn't get too hot, so timing and constant temperature are great reasons to use it for a stew or braise. It can cook until I'm ready to serve. More important: I choose to use the crockpot over the oven because the heat is more controlled and lower than in my oven, the meat doesn't get stringy or tough or dry out...it comes out soft and tender and moist every time. When I make boeuf bourgignon or coq au vin or Diana Kennedy's cochinita pibil, I do the 1st part on the stove, then I put it in the crock pot instead of the oven. Same amount of work. More control of results.

I would make up a batch "en escabeche" (pickled) and keep in the fridge for quick snacks. I make what I call gringa jalapeños, because they aren't hot: I remove the seeds and membrane, cook them briefly with vinegar and spices, cool and store in a glass jar. I stuff these with smoked tuna pate, tuna salad, or my ersatz crab (surimi) salad and serve with cocktails. Easy and cheap, and my friends love them. If you want the escabeche recipe, I can post it.

Will, You can't give up everything! I think you need another doctor, one who understands that your gout is from something else. It could be! Look into it, please.

I just looked through the "swing state" thread, but I don't think we want to be limited that way. Snacky foods, easy to eat, and of course All American. This party will be held in México for some expats who vote absentee. This is not the night for tacos! Ideas appreciated.

Forgot to add: I don't know about shipping to the US. Some of my friends up there have asked mthe same question. I will take a book to the PO when it is printed and see how much shipping would cost.

(The recipe is written for people living in Mazatlán, México)

3 lbs Kerby type cukes (pepino criollo in the supermarket)
7 or 8 cloves garlic
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp peppercorns
3 bay leaves
12-14 sprigs dill if available (Mega sometimes has it)
3 qts water
¾ c kosher salt or ½ c uniodized table salt.

• Wash crock or large, wide mouthed glass or plastic jar.
• Wash cukes and cut a very thin piece from the blossom end of each.
• Stand on end in jar to hold each other up. Make 2 layers if the container is tall enough. Fit tightly.
• Add garlic, herbs, spices.
• Mix water and salt until dissolved. Pour in crock to cover cukes, let it overflow to get out air bubbles.
• Cover with weighted dish that is slightly smaller than the opening so that cukes (and dish) are completely submerged. Cukes must be submerged at all times!
• Check daily for about 10 days. Remove scum off top. Add more brine if necessary to keep them covered,
• Cut a cuke in half to see if it is uniform in color all the way through. If not, return it to crock and continue to check every day or 2. Refrigerate and enjoy!

I would like to give you an old California recipe for enchiladas that I got from an elderly friend whose mom had grown up on a rancho around Los Angeles, probably 150 years ago. I got the recipe handwritten and very difficult to understand, but when I made it, yum good! Here's my translation.
You have to start 2 or 3 days before:
1 ¼ lb ground beef
1 tsp each: oregano, cumin, garlic salt, salt
2 Tbsp chili powder, like Gebhardts
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 large chopped onion
12 oz black olives, chopped
4 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp mild ground red chile
1 tsp each ground cumin & oregano
2 cups water
Flour tortillas
Dry grated cheese such as parmesan
The recipe called for chopped sour pickles, no amount given, added at the end. If you know what sour pickles are (as opposed to dills) you could try adding some. I left them out.
Mix meat thoroughly with spices, add vinegar and mix again. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Fry (preferably in an iron skillet) until practically all juice is absorbed. Add onion and cook until clear.Turn off heat, add olives and set aside.
Make chili gravy: Heat oil on medium-low. Mix flour, ground chile, cumin & oregano and add to oil. Cook, stirring, until blended. Add about ½ cup warm water, cook and stir to thicken, then add remaining water, stir and simmer 15 minutes.
Dip tortillas in gravy, fill with the meat mixture and grated cheese, roll. Put in oiled pan and bake 20 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
Serve just as they are. No need for sour cream or anything else!

I'm glad you introduced this topic. Right now I'm considering putting my recipe for brined pickles in a community cookbook I'm editing. People will be surprised that there is no vinegar in these pickles, and may be concerned about safety. I have been making them on the kitchen counter for 20 years or so with no problems, but is there anything I should warn about?

In my memory (it's been a long time), there shouldn't be any icky cabbage, only scum. The cabbage must be completely submerged. We made it in a 5g crock, and a weighted dinner plate sat on top, submerged at all times. Most of the scum could be removed before taking off the plate to get the rest. Don't give up! I remember that being the best saurkraut I ever had. We never did can it. We used it out of the crock until we got it down to where we could refrigerate it in smaller containers.

Thanks, Mamachef, you are one of my favorite hounds!. A friend just gave me an old fashioned recipe for "clabber cake". She says that when milk goes bad, she puts it in the back of the fridge until she wants to make the cake. I made a face at that, since my sour milk has always gone down the drain, and she was surprised! I am definitely going to try it. (My friend and I both live where buttermilk, even the powder, is not available.)

I think room temp baked beans are fine. On the other hand, cold corn on the cob is not. I would go with the baked or BBQ beans and a really good potato salad. Have a huge platter of sliced tomatoes and onions and lettuce so their is something healthy (for the burgers or on the side). You could even have a vinaigrette next to the tomatoes for those who want a green salad. My friend always brings sliced cukes in mayo with a little vinegar & sugar to picnics and they go fast!

It's for charity. The people attending know they are not getting a $50 dinner! In fact, I think they want to know that most of their $50 will go for the cause, not into their stomach. Use some elegant ingredients, but also lots of "fillers" so a little goes a long way. Escondido has a good idea.

That's almost like my favorite, but I spread the crusty roll with goat cheese (the kind with fine herbes) and put a few halved black olives on the cheese, pile on the eggplant, roasted red bell, a slice or 2 of tomato, some fresh basil leaves and then whatever I feel like. Onions (preferably cooked), a couple of strips of anchovy (if I didn't have to open a new can) or a few capers. If fresh tomatoes are used, they need a sprinkle of salt and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Mash it down good. The bread I use for this sandwhich is called a "miche" at the bakery I patronize here in Mazatlan. I think Miche normally is a big loaf, but here they sell a round about 5 or 6" in diameter, maybe 1" thick, very crusty. It is perfect for this sandwich!

I think 10 lbs of potatoes would be about right with about 1 doz hard cooked eggs. Maybe 1 big onion, minced (I don't like too much onion, use your judgment.) I always cook my potatoes in the skins and leave the skins on. Then, when just cool enough to handle, I cut them up and sprinkle them generously with cider vinegar. I have made huge amounts of salad in a 5 gal bucket, but If you don't have arms like a wrestler, you might want to mix your salad in 2 or 3 separate bowls, so much easier! I would also add about 6 or more sticks of celery, but that is optional. No idea how much mayo, buy a lot. Now, mix the potatoes, onions, celery and chopped eggs. On top, put a big dollop of mayo and on top of the mayo put a small dollop of yellow mustard. Mix the 2 together a little before stirring into the potatoes. Keep adding mayo and mustard until the consistency you like.

Personally, I can't think of anything better than what you do! I never even used the Old Bay, just a bay leaf or 2 and some peppercorns. Instead of messing with the basic concept, maybe you can try some different dipping sauces, like an aioli, maybe some chimichurri, at least for the legs and claws. For the inside meat, you could do crab cakes. I envy you. Growing up in Oregon, one does develop a taste for Dungeness and no other crab will do. And then if you move to México, you really are out of luck!

I find teleras a rather boring roll, soft and white like a hamburger bun with an interesting shape. I can buy teleras whenever I want, but would rather use a good Kaiser roll from the US for a sandwich if I could get one! I don't see the point in making them from scratch, sorry.

Is it too late to get a bunch of those little pumpkins that they sell at Halloween? You could make cute little bowls with them. I think you could cook and mix the innards into the soup, A shot glass is NOT enough soup!

That's very helpful, thanks! I am going to pick up another piece of tuna, then make up a batch with the 1st piece and see how much volume I have. I can make a second batch if necessary to get 4 cups.

Not sure if you can help me, but it's worth asking! I am taking smoked marlin (or smoked tuna) paté to an event that probably will have close to 90 guests. I have made this many times, but never for such a large crowd. (This is a celebration of life of a certain lady who died, and she loved my marlin pate. End of explanation.) There will be lots of food and beverages, but I don't think much other stuff in the dips-and-spreads-department, mostly tacos and stuff. Now my question is, how much should I take? I bought a chunk of smoked tuna today that's a bit less than a pound. I probably will add 8 oz cream cheese, so I will have over a pound of paté. Do you think that's enough? It doesn't sound like much, but remember that each serving is less than a teaspoon full! I could do twice as much, no problem, but I don't want to have a lot left over. What's your advice? He is having carne asada, roast chicken, shrimp. There will be lots of tortillas. Someone is bringing salad. He has 60 bottles of wine (!!) plus spirits. That's all I know.