Have you ever said, "I'm NEVER cooking that again?!!!!!!!!"

If it's so much better, she can make it next time. Yes, some recipes are difficult and special enough to only be for once a year. I would like to make a traditional French Canadian meat pie for X-mas, but I'm afraid if I do, they'll want it every year. They want my cole slaw every Thanksgiving as it is.

There are many styles of French Canadian Meat pies. I will look and provide links so you can see and decide what you would like. I cheat and use bought crust because mine never turns out. I haven't had Tourtierre or Tout Que for many years now and I will have to search for a recipe. Many things were in my Mother's head and many recipes have faded with time. So since I am searching anyway, I will put the ones that sound the most interesting here if that is agreeable to you? It is my understanding that we can't start a discussion with a recipe and that we can't start a discussion asking for recipes and that links must be only to provide information important to the discussion, but I haven't looked at the rules this month. It's also contingent on people reporting people, too. Will return shortly with some good links. Take care.

I am salivating! A French Canadian meat pie sounds so delicious but I am not good with pastry. My mother mnade wonderful pastries and she didn;t measure - just did it and I can still taste the texture of the crust. We are not allowed to give recipes are we? If so I would love to have that recipe.

I've only had tofu twice that I've liked and I've had it served many times to me. I always try it, but usually I'm very disappointed. Deep fried tofu Middle Eastern style had a crunchy outside and a creamy inside. It tasted and felt nothing like tofu, I didn't even know it was tofu because it was at a Middle Eastern Buffet and not labeled. I went back and asked what it was because I liked it so much. Another one is pre-packaged spiced tofu to slice and put in sandwiches. Not the bologna, ham, turkey, etc. look-a-likes. This has a smokey and vegetable flavor, but more salt than I and my high blood pressure are supposed to have. I was dating a guy who hated tofu and he ate my sandwich by mistake one day. He asked what it was and wanted some more. Only our Food Co-op sells it in our area. It's a brick, but it's brownish, precooked, preseasoned, pre-everything. Your best bet is to attend vegetarian pot lucks or pot lucks that include tofu eaters/bakers and not try recipes for tofu until you find one that you really, really like the taste of. Usually the best tofus are marinated and cooked a certain way. The trick, so I've been told because I don't prepare it, is in the marinades and the cooking. Most people I know don't spend much money on tofu at all, they spend time, like press the water out, add the marinade the night before and then fry, bake, or deep fry it. But I, too, have pretty much given up on preparing it myself. When I have, it really hasn't been very tasty. So you're not alone. Silken soft with a packet of Silken pudding mix was survivable. Scrambled eggs and tofu is also survivable. Two or three eggs, milk, and crumbled tofu, stir and cook like regular scrambled eggs, black pepper, paprika or garlic, something to help it is not too bad. 3 parts egg and milk to one part tofu is the most survivable. I've used it as an egg extender when running out of eggs and needed some for two or three people before. My husband can't have soy because it interfers with the obsorption of his thyroid meds, so I haven't even had it in the house much any more. So I can see how you would be discouraged by tofu. I was/am pretty much, too. Take care

Sorry, I got "on a roll," but when I know a little about something, I go on and on. That's an interesting belief, "Anything is good if it's deep fried." Never heard that one before, but it sounds cute. Before I knew my husband, didn't know anyone with thyroid problems. Since meeting him, seems like half of the world's population has it, even dogs and cats.

Wow, thanks for all the great info! I'm a firm believer that anything can be good if it's deep fried. Unfortunately I'm in the same boat as your husband. I have hypothyroidism and have to stay away from soy.

Ronaldinu, buy her a meat thermometer and a little chart that goes with it. If you can afford it. Her stuff will come out so good, she'll be proud and love your thoughtfulness! Plus you get to eat the rewards!

Oh my goodness, that sounds awful! You poor dear, I've heard of oppossum (believe it or not, the first o is silent, trust me, I had to find it in a dictionary and couldn't until I called someone who told me it starts with O), stew. I would think a first introduction to a possum would best be cut up, defatted, slightly precooked in a frying pan and then added to a stew. I took a cooking wild game and fish class, the instructor always wanted the meat to look like meat and to be prepared the best way and served the best way so that people might want it again. You must have been having night mares after that. Goodness, gracious, no wonder you said, NEVER COOK THAT AGAIN FOR ME! I'm with you.

And I should know better because I have stopped saying never much because of saying it in another situation..

You are funny, just goes to prove, never say never.

Unless you use a ton of butter, it will go rancid. I keep mine in the freezer. I keep it in the original box and with a plastic bag over it. Then I take out one stick at a time. I put that one stick in the refrigerator and try to use it in three days. Shortbread cookies are supposed to taste like butter, so maybe you should try a different cookie that tastes like something you like. Like vanilla sugar cookies or something. Take care

There is a buttered flavored shortening, not sure if that will work. Food choppers/processors are great!

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried regular shortening, but it was a miserable failure. It's the butter taste I don't like. To me, butter (or margarine) tastes rancid. I don't even keep it in my house. I make up for the missing calories with chocolate tho...lol

My Mom used to make a cranberry orange sauce that used less sugar but wasn't sour. The oranges or orange juice helped to cut the sour. I think home made, even sour, is way better than in the can. Good for you! Thanks and take care.

That's how traditions start. You're part of a tradition now, People will remember you and your food for a long time to come. Take care.

Different ovens do cook differently. I hate changing ovens. My husband loves meatloaf.

Popcorn balls are pretty messy, but they are sooo gooood! We had a huge long pan with medium high sides and did our best to keep it all in there. My husband's family made taffy. They had a taffy pull evening, we didn't have that. Thanks and take care.

Thank you very much for responding, this was very interesting. Baked spaghetti, I have never had or heard of. But we have baked macaroni here and it is way, way better than regular macaroni and I love going places where it is served. Mostly it is better because more kinds of cheeses are used and because it bakes for so long that the flavors go through it better. I bet the baked spaghetti is like that, too. Thanks and take care.

Very good points about cakes and falling. Some people pour sauce over the calzones after they bake or maybe the sausage and cheese the person used were greasier or melted better, something. I've also noticed that some recipes are written wrong. I have a few in church cookbooks that couldn't work out thanks to typos or people forgetting to write things. There are two pineapple quick bread recipes I've tried. One comes out like heaven and the other comes out like rubber. I have noted "excellent," and "Don't make this one, " on them. Then there was a recipe that only half printed so you didn't know what the other half was, etc. You do much of the same as I do with recipes I've tried. I often use less salt or sugar or change the spice ratios and write them into the recipe. Thanks and take care

Only once in awhile do I have a cake fall or not rise.