This brings to mind someone I used to work with...our office receptionist, who had quite a bit of seniority but was really low on the totem pole.

My mother would always put a circle of wax paper on the bottom of the cake pan when baking cakes; it always came out with no problems and she just peeled the paper off. I’ve found some old cookbooks calling for this but few modern ones do. Was it judged unsafe or is it just out of fashion?

Also check out the Prelinger Archive: https://archive.org/details/prelinger

I consider Kraft M&C to be an abomination in and of itself. Heresy, I know, but that stuff does nasty things to my digestion. Everyone’s supposed to love mac&cheese and instead I associate it with explosive diarrhea.

Look for one called “The Snob,” a dark psychological portrait of a maladjusted teen who obviously has some self-esteem issues. It’s actually well-acted and still packs a punch.

The best tuna casserole recipe I ever made called for crushed Ritz crackers on top. Actually very good.

I once tried a recipe for a “Chinese casserole” that was ground beef mixed with cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups with some soy sauce mixed in, on a layer of chow mein noodles with more on top. It was edible, but it was bland and I couldn’t help but feel ashamed for cooking something so dreadfully off.

A good tuna casserole is heaven. Somewhere I have a recipe for a “traditional” Italian pasta sauce with tuna; I sometimes saute some garlic, tuna, cooked penne and spinach together for a quick meal when I’m tired or coming home from a night out hungry.

Dang. I bought one a couple of months ago. But I needed a new wallet and it was on sale. So, live and learn.

I’m just waiting for the next trainwreck from them. I’m starting to feel that they should be burned down and the ground sowed with salt....and I’m sure I’m not alone. This has been a shining example of what NOT to do.

I’ve read that the gas-producing elements are leached out into the soaking water, and if you cook the beans in a fresh batch of water, you won’t get gas. I have no clue if that’s true or not.

Very first: A Scholastic Charlie Brown cookbook from about 1970, that I tracked down as an adult. The recipe for applesauce pie is actually worthwhile.

He had just bought the place (already an established salon) but it had some lingering negative Yelp reviews from the previous owners, so he was doing what he could to boost the reputation. He even replied to the Yelp reviews, identified himself as the new owner, and offered free cuts. This helped big time. Good man…

I had a frank discussion with my barber over a cut that I wasn’t completely happy with. He was glad to trim it up and fix it (for free) and remembered how I liked it. We’re now the best of friends and I will sometimes stop by the shop to just say hi and hang out. When I was out of work and job-hunting, he insisted…

These supplements claim they “support a healthy immune system” but you know what else supports a healthy immune system? Breathing. Also eating a good diet and getting sufficient sleep.

I put freezes on with all three agencies on Monday. TransUnion was the only one who charged me up front. Equifax and Experian didn’t ask, but I have confirmations from all three that I’ve got freezes.

RECYCLED PICKLE JARS

RECYCLED PICKLE JARS

I was a kid in the days of phone books, and I found out from family members that there were a number of harassing and abusive phone calls, sometimes late at night. They never told me, and if I was in the room they simply said, “Sorry, wrong number!” and hung up. Luckily I never picked up when it happened. All the…

My parents: “Ignore it and it will go away.”

On “The French Chef,” Julia Child used chopsticks to beat eggs for omelets. I keep some around for random tasks, and especially for when I make Asian dishes, but maybe I’ll expand the usage...