Guests that inquire as to what will be served when invited for dinner.

Perhaps I am old fashioned or maybe some (seems like most) people were
not raised with manners. My parents raised me to never ask what's
being offered. Just feel good that you were liked enough to be
invited.

You are being invited. They are providing the food, working hard to
make the meal as best they can. They are taking allot of trouble. You
do NOT IMPOSE on your host by asking what is being served and then
setting conditions. I know that isn't always why ALL people ask that
question. But more often than not...I think it is.

Close friends who delite in my cooking ask me what is for dinner when
I invite them. Sometimes I suprise them, Sometimes I tell them if I
know I am preparing a fav. of theirs.

Most often I reply with......."Your good company".


People that are invited and take over the grill.

At the least, they will never be asked back. At worst, they will be
beated with sticks.



Well done steaks.


I assume no responsiblity for well done steaks. Yes, I buy the bet I
can find. Prime or the top choice my butcher can obtain. Yes it is
expensive. But you want to eat it burnt? I can do that. Your
friendship is worth more to me than the cost of the steak.

I will give you a fair amount of good natured hell for your request


Guests that can't eat this or that.

If they can't eat it, I won't serve it to them. If they can't eat pork
and I am making ribs, I provide something of the same quality just for
them. It is NOT too much trouble. I must like them enought to make a
small adjustment if I invited them in the 1st place. I make great,
slow smoked ribbs. My special rub and sauce. My best friend is on
Atkins. I make a special rub and sauce just for him when we have a
family cook out at my place. Same for my dad who has Type 2 AOSD.


Picky eaters.

My wife is the pickiest eater in the world. I cook as I do. Picky
eaters can just PICK OFF what they don't like. You will not offend me
by picking out the onions, peas, garlic, etc.. Drive me nuts? Yep.
Offend me? Nope.


That is a plate. That is a napkin. My floor is not for crumbs. My
plates are not ash trays. Crawl out of the cave, this is 2006.


Red wine/white wine.


What ever you like. Yes, you may have red wine with fish.



High heat/low heat for a roast (beef)?


Heat onion in olive oil and butter in a cast iron skillet to soft and
translucent and season it with what ever you are seasoning the roast
with. Add a head of corse chopped garlic for about 1 min. over med.
heat. Remove and place in your roasting pan.

Rinse and pat dry your roast. Season. For a chuck roast I use kosher
salt, corse black pepper, garlic and onion powder, basil, oregano, Old
Bay. Be generous. In the same cast iron skillet that you did the
onions and garlic in, brown well all sides of the roast.

Place the roast on top of the onions/garlic.

Deglaze the skillet with equal amounts of red wine and beef broth
(about 2 cups total). Reduce by half. Add wostershire sauce (1/8 cup
of so) and heat for 3-5 min. more. Pour over roast.

Add 1 cup beef broth to roasting pan and cover with foil twice. TWICE.
Crimp foil to form the best seal you can.

Set oven to desired doneness. Like 150f.

Cook till fork goes in with some resistance but will rip the meat if
twisted.

Raise temp to 400f. Cook till meat almost wants to fall apart.

Pan juices can be used to make a gravy.


The answer? Both low and high heat.

Just IMHO of course


Ethnic food.

Make it ETHNIC. No Tex/hex, Oriental fussion, German/Alaskin.

I you are gonna make it Tex/Mex, fine. Say so. Don't call it Mexican
food.


If you want fast food, go to Mickey D's. If you want my food, please
allow me the time to prepare it the way it is intended to be served.


Late guests.

Eat late. I will reheat, but don't expect me to ignore my other
guests while I do so.


Early guests.

Get the dirty jobs.


Drinks.


I owned a Resturant/Bar and can make 1M of them. No, I do not have all
the booze to do so. Don't ask for a "Purple Hooter" enless you brought
the stuff for me to make it. (Vodka, Razzmatazz, Cranberry juice)


Smoking.


I smoke. But not while people are eating. If I invited you over for
dinner, I already know if you smoke. If you invite me, you know that I
do.

I will not smoke in your house enless you let me know that is is OK. I
live just outside of Chicago. If you ask me over for a dinner party in
Jan. and it is -60 outside I will not smoke outside, and no, I can not
just "not smoke" for the next 4 hours. I have an addiction that is
legal in all states. If you can't provide indoor shelter for me while
I get my "fix", I will gracefully decline your invitation. No hard
feelings.

If you invite me and say smoking will be OK and then change it to NO
SMOKING when I get there, I will leave. I will never come back for a
dinner party again. You lied to me plain and simple. You wanted my
company enough to decieve me? I may be a nasty smoker with a filthy
habbit. But you my friend put your guest in a very uncomfortable
position when your job as host is to put your guest a ease.


BBQ sauce.

Red, Mustard, Vinagar based.

What ever you like!


The people of this group.

I been around on usenet a Looooooogggg time. I post here once in a
great while. I read most of what is posted every day.

Great bunch of people. And also some strange people too here and
there. You got some great cooks, weirdos, a guy who thinks he knows it
all, a guy who likes to post himself nude in other groups, someone who
calls Slop to task (funny and true stuff), in short, a cross section
of life.

I like it here.


All of the above is just my opinion. I do not claim to know it all,
have the answer to the meaning of life, or know the location of the
ark of the covenant.


I do know know to cook, like to eat, find humor in the small things,
love to read, and enjoy your good company.


Cheers!


Vega