I can do an excellent imitation of one during mating season.

I'm curious as to why the urge particularly comes upon you while mating.

When I returned to the US, a good portion of my culture shock manifested in the bread issue.

In the Bay Area this is not an issue. We've got multiple local boutique bakeries that distribute to stores, and they're all freakin' tasty. It's one of the nice offshoots of Chez Panisse's influence. People work there and go off and form their own business and the next thing you know: great bread, great pastries, organic herb gardens, chocolatiers.

So I've got the choice between Acme, Semifreddi, Grace, Arizmendi, Noe Valley Bakery and several others. Best sandwich bread? Ciabatta! Oh, mama, that's good with a juicy bunch of meat. It just sops up all the flavor. There's this meatloaf sandwich with mushroom gravy that just about makes me cry it's so good.

lori brined a turkey. It was sublime and really easy. And she's rocket scientist! That should convince him...

he just thinks it's more work and not worth it.

He's wrong! Brining is where it's at.

I'm curious as to why the urge particularly comes upon you while mating.

Lizards are sexy. Duh.

FYI to all, there was a no-knead bread recipe in last week's Times, which should still be free online. I made the recipe this weekend, and it yielded one good loaf, with a strong crust and good soft insides with lots of holes. Very European.

The hitch is, you don't have to knead because you leave it alone to rise for 18 hours. And it's just flour, water, salt and yeast -- I could have added in raisins or something later on I guess, but no sugar, no egg, no butter. It was a little weird, but still: good bread.

We've got multiple local boutique bakeries that distribute to stores, and they're all freakin' tasty.

Or, you can do like I do and wander down to one of the three bakeries within a block of my apartment. Mmmmm, fresh Italian bread.... I don't even bother making foccace any more, and I used to make it all the time.

I'm in charge of the turkey, so we'll brine. I think he may just be disgruntled since I'm not allowing him to deep fry. I like the taste of deep fried, but I don't want to have to buy the kit or risk the chance of my house burning down.

DH is resisting the turkey brine.

I'm picturing you stuffing him into a bucket of salty water. That's no way to treat the father of your children...

Dude, I landed in Flagstaff, AZ. While it is a good place for exploring the Grand Canyon and blessedly scenic ( and seriously, if you are looking for that, I recommend it. It is truly phenom. Happy moments involve swinging in a hammock overlooking the spectacular valley at night while nicely buzzed), it is not a culinary nirvana. Or even cosmo. I lived off of havarti, the rare good sourdough and gin. It was a bad summer.

I'm curious as to why the urge particularly comes upon you while mating.

Anybody else being curious I'd get -- to billytea I'd think it'd be obvious.