Page Scrawler

I've had that same problem with ingredients. I look at a block of cheese, and say "What was I going to cook with this?" I guess I need to write a list of recipes, including components.

I'm reading Prime, by Poppy Z. Brite. The sequel to Liquor. Two years after the opening of Liquor, New Orleans chefs Rickey and G-man are immersed in the life of their restaurant, enjoying a loyal cast of diners, and cooking great booze-laced food. All’s well until a bad review in a local paper not-so-subtly hints that their “silent” backer, celebrity chef Lenny Duveteaux, has ulterior motives. When Lenny is accused of serious criminal activity by eccentric D.A. Placide Treat, Rickey and G-man realize it may be time to end their dependence on him. When Rickey is offered a plum consulting job at a Dallas restaurant, it seems the perfect way to beef up their bank account. But taking the gig will mean a reunion with Cooper Stark, the older chef with whom Rickey shared an unsettling cocaine-fueled encounter back in culinary school, as well as dealing with gung-ho Texas businessman/restaurateur Frank Firestone. At G-man’s urging, Rickey finally accepts the offer and revamps Firestone’s menu to rave reviews. Home in New Orleans, Rickey has just settled back into his daily kitchen routine when he receives disturbing information that forces his return to Dallas. As Placide Treat’s machinations grow ever more bizarre, G-man learns that there’s more to the story—and that Rickey is in Texas-size danger.

This chapter went about as well as I expected, Comsie! I can already see the wheels turning for Scotty and Artie. Tristan has to tread carefully now, though, or poor Scotty will be heartbroken. I wouldn't change a thing about this chapter! I look forward to the next one!

Hey, Tea Bat.

We're all doing well, thanks. Morgan got a raise at work, and Mickey and Remy are doing well in school. Rory is struggling a bit, academically, so he's had to attend tutoring sessions. Which means he can't hang out with his buddies as much as he'd like.

I love NCIS! Have you guys kept up with the new season? Hey, Xander, Dennis, Jordan, and Ash! *waves to the foster kids*

Hey, Dugh, Mum, and Thistle. *scratches for Thistle*

Fried pickles are delicious, Albert and I both agree.

He was directing that comment to me, actually.

Grilled cheese sandwiches and fried pickles, here.

@Drew Espinosa 's glitter nukes have disrupted the barometric patterns in the U.S.

Hey, Marty! Sounds like a productive day. I only did some laundry and a bit of writing. The rest of the day was spent bingeing NCIS on Netflix.

OMG! It really is a Magic Kingdom!

Hey, Gary. Hey, Clo.

Hey, Albert.

I've always been a "go-getter" when it comes to romance. If I see an opportunity, I take it, more often than not. The only opportunity I can think of that I "missed" was a little fellow named Colton who worked at a tiny cafe called Morsels. In my junior year of high school, I used to enjoy going into the shop on rainy weekends and reading a book in one of the armchairs. Curly brown hair, dark brown eyes, freckles on his nose, with dimples on his cheeks when he smiled, which was often....Colton was a good kid. Really friendly, easy to talk to. He was good at taking orders for food and drinks. I remember, on Valentine's Day, he came to see me on his lunch break with a present he'd baked himself. I wasn't dating anyone at the time. As I recall, the chocolate lava cake molded like a heart was sweet, but the little kiss he gave me was sweeter. I only saw him there for about two years, and then he moved on. I haven't been to Morsels in years, nor thought about Colton again, until now. Now, I wonder what might have happened if we had carried our relationship beyond that little kiss on a cold, rainy Valentine's Day.

Hey, Buckie. Hey, Gary. How's Falkor? And Cookie?

We made Salisbury steak with mashed redskin potatoes and roasted broccoli.

Hey, Bertie.

@Comicality Apparently, Ruel is good at using his fingers. He killed it on that guitar!

Hey, Marty.

And the boys can go sans swimsuits? 😀 Hey, Xander, Dennis, Jordan, and Ash! *waves to the foster kids* Nope, the alcohol is denatured as it cooks. 3/4 of a cup of Guinness isn't enough to get drunk on, anyway. Nor is 2 tablespoons of Irish Cream in the frosting. I believe that's an Ocelot, not a leopard.

Hey, Albert.

Liquor, by Poppy Z. Brite. New Orleans natives Rickey and G-man are lifetime friends and down-and-out line cooks desperate to make a quick buck. When Rickey concocts the idea of opening a restaurant in their alcohol-loving hometown where every dish packs a spirited punch, they know they're on their way to the bank. With some wheeling and dealing, a slew of great recipes, and a few lucky breaks, Rickey and G-man are soon on their way to opening Liquor, their very own restaurant. But first they need to pacify a local crank who doesn't want to see his neighborhood disturbed, sidestep Rickey's deranged ex-boss, rein in their big-mouth silent partner before he runs amok, and stay afloat in a stew of corruption in a town well known for its bottom feeders. A manic, spicy romp through the kitchens, back alleys, dive bars, and drug deals of the country's most sublimely ridiculous city, author Poppy Z. Brite masterfully shakes equal parts ambition, scandal, filé powder, cocaine, and murder, and serves Liquor straight up, with a twist. It's actually #2 in a series, which I didn't realize until I went on Goodreads, because it reads as a stand-alone.