Yates

Silly attempt to catch you in case you forgot. Long shot but meh... worth it. You never said why, though.

Roma tomatoes actually do extremely well in large [like 5 gallon?] pots. Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Sage, and Rosemary all do very well as window box herbs. Just saying...

I'm really using this as a base sauce. If I want a meat sauce I can always add some browned meat and maybe a little tomato paste. If I want a fra diavolo I just add some crushed red pepper. If I want to turn this into a vodka sauce I add some Sobieski and a dash of crushed red pepper. You can even add heavy cream if you want something zippy for your gnocchi. OR, the other sauce I make is a really excellent alfredo using a high quality parmigiano. My wife loves to mix my vodka sauce and alfredo sauce 50/50 for a spicy vodka alfredo. It's REALLY nice on linguini or larger rope pastas - especially with a bit of ground sausage and maybe a splash of sambuca. Also I agree. Those croquettes look fantastic!

BTW? This is good info I just realized was out there:

My Italian grandmother would be rolling in her grave seeing a "spaghetti sauce" made out of CANNED tomato product. That would be if I had an Italian grandmother. And she was dead. Red sauce is one of the basic sauces you need to know how to make, man. And the best time to make it is right after picking your tomatoes - that have been touched by nothing but sunshine and rain - ripe off the vine in your back yard. It's no coincidence that onion harvest season is also right around this time and that you have access to fresh oregano, parsley, garlic, and basil as well. I make a couple of huge batches each year using stuff from my "tomato sauce garden" and jar about 4 gallons of it. My family and friends go NUTS when they find out Yates is making sauce. I throw my tomatoes in my chest freezer overnight. Pull them out the next morning and let them thaw. The skins fall right off. From there the ratios go like this: 4T Olive Oil 2 Cloves Garlic 1/4 C Onion [hot pepper of your choosing diced - if you like a little kick] 4T chopped parsley 2T chopped basil 2T chopped oregano 2T sugar 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 2lbs Tomato [peeled and chopped] Saute your garlic and onion [and pepper if desired] until the onion is translucent. [low heat] Add your spices [everything but the tomato] and stir until combined. Add your tomatoes, cover pot with lid, raise the heat to medium, and bring to a strong simmer. Lower the heat again and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Bring the heat back up to medium-low and let simmer another 10 minutes uncovered [to thicken]. Mash with a potato masher or pulse with a blender in small batches. *If your sauce is too watery after blending, you can simmer longer [uncovered] until it thickens to the right consistency. It can take up to 6 hours. Seriously! *Add seasoning and other diced and fried veggies to taste [bell pepper, sun dried tomato, chunks of tomato, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms...] *Consider adding 1/2 C of quality red wine [something you would drink] for some extra depth of flavor.

Oh also, what do you think of iSoc's slot? Ask only because he wants to look like he wants you dead.

You too. Any idea why your predecessor was so defensive here? It seems odd considering how little I've had to say about your slot. Heck, I was even called out for NOT paying attention to your slot here: CoD hasn't been posting. Robert strikes me as a noobish follower. Lyner hasn't done anything scummy. Yet. So what's your point? Have you acused anyone of being scum and been right? No? Okay, then. If anything, I could be accused of DEFENDING your slot: It's going to be tough to get traction on a lurker with 7 posts - only two of which have any actual content. ... He claims to be busy at work and makes a self-deprecating joke about activity - which is often a flag for me. I expect him to come roaring back with an awesome post today or a lot of pressure tomorrow. I suspect you'll have more support on a CoD lynch on Day 3. Isn't he being replaced? So what gives?

I would never force alcohol on someone. That said; if someone is looking for a "beer" to drink because they want to drink but don't have a "taste" for it yet? I'm happy to help. I'm passionate about food and spirits in general but I'm a certified beer judge so I really REALLY know a lot about beer.

I just know a lot about beer. And when a girl says "I don't like beer" it jus means they haven't tried the right one yet. The "right one" is usually something sweet and/or chocolatey. The other go-to is a Framboise, which tastes like a sweet and tart raspberry seltzer drink.

@Mod - Would you mind granting us an extension considering the replacement issues with this day phase? Thanks!

This morning. Now it's snowing so I hope tomorrow's "walk" is in my snowshoes! When's the last time you blew a bubble with bubblegum?

Ha! I am! However, most of those smaller bottles are different types of balsamic. http://www.saratogaoliveoil.com/balsamic-vinegar I've got Fig Balsamic [one of my all time favorites], Chocolate Balsamic [awesome on strawberries and french bread], Tangarine Balsamic [stupid good on fish or in salad dressings], and the 18 Year Old Traditional. Our olive oils include a butter flavored olive oil that is great on roasted veggies and this wild mushroom and sage olive oil that I use in my eggs or on my steaks that's just ridiculous.

There was chocolate in my beer last night. When's the last time you thought about the person that taught you how to tie your shoes?

Dayum. That looks awesome! Not quite in the same league but I was challenged by my friends [while drinking around a camp fire - a place many great ideas are born] to come up with a homemade pop tart. Behold the fruits [or cinnamon and brown sugar] of my labor! http://imageshack.us/a/img30/4620/vcve.JPG http://imageshack.us/a/img837/719/7zoq.jpg 8 out of 8 taste testers agreed that the homemade was leaps and bounds better than the control group pop tart.

It's very simple, Robert. If *you* aren't scum? Then iSoc is. Not a difficult concept. Even less difficult to understand than the fact "The Saint" was the most obvious fake claim I've seen in mafia in probably 3 or 4 years. To be honest I'd rather be lynching you. Unfortunately I've lost this battle and I'm willing to compromise on iSoc so that if he flips Town the SK kills you tonight - because the SK needs scum dead with Town down 3 and likely 4 by day break.

Actually? Screw it. Unvote Vote: Isoc Isoc and/or Robert is scum.

Vote: Imran Because... sheep.

2 days and 17 hours before deadline Montosh is prodded We have 2 days, people. If we don't reach a consensus in the next 24 hours, just sheep Helix.

Isn't he being replaced?

4 Xmasses ago. 1/2 the family went down. Thanks, mom. When is the last time you ate some type of candied popcorn [cracker jacks, crunch and munch, etc]?

This is my nightmare.

That's creepy. He almost got pissed on. Literally.

Not much I can do about that. It's easier to sell something you believe in.

Why are grad students so weird? I want you to think really hard about what just happened to me and realize that this is the SECOND time this has happened to me!! I get free seltzer at work. I probably refill my 24 oz tumbler 3 times a day. Sometimes I get caught up in work related stuff that forces me to hold the end result of that for a little longer than I had planned. When I am finally free to attend to the business of relieving myself, I can sometimes be in a bit of a hurry. Today, for the second time in 3 or 4 weeks, I rushed into the bathroom. A bathroom that was dark. The lights turn on automatically due to motion sensors. I am rapidly unzipping my fly and reaching for my man hood as I walk around the corner to step up to the urinal. Keep in mind this is all happening within about a pace and a half. Just as I turn the corner - with everything prepared to spring into action - I realize there is ALREADY A GRAD STUDENT STANDING AT THE URINAL!! Now think about this for a second. I walked into a DARK bathroom. How long was that guy standing there that the motion detector no longer DETECTED him?? And WTF was he doing at a URINAL for that amount of time?? And why has this happened to me TWICE now?? Sure. I accept a small portion of the responsibility for ALMOST peeing on a grad student. But come on. I was in a hurry and what man in his right mind would expect to see someone standing at a urinal in a dark room with a motion detector? Freaking nuts.

Girls are sooo easy.