A page from an old, very local church cookbook.

It's that time of year again, when families gather around a warm fire and melt Starbursts while telling ghost stories and drinking. Or is that just me?

The purported source of the $250 Neiman Marcus cookie recipe.

Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Screw the box. Use instant biscuit mix and a dry white wine, along with Sysco Butter-It for the topping. 99% exact to the restaurant, flavor-wise.

Practical tip for those dealing with wildfire smoke now: you can make a very effective air filter for a reasonable amount of money using a box fan & one of those filters meant for your furnace.

Also, I've managed to pick up 2 of the box fans for very cheap/free from yard sales. Make sure you get a filter rated for wildfire smoke, I think this one cost about $20.

These make a huge difference in the indoor air quality.

Hey, Silicon Valley billionaires, when am I going to get an AI chatbot that will converse with me like Peter Falk? 

From TV Guide, March 22, 1997.

After four years, I'm finally going back to the Phoenix area for a week of relaxation while my partner is attending a conference. Doing my Foodie Flaneur thing again; no car, just sneakers, public transit, and maybe splurging on a rideshare if there's somewhere too daunting to hike to. I've been pouring over all the local guides (h/t to Dominic Armato and all his posts/newsletters), checking out favorites from last time (I was really looking forward to Tacos Los Yaquis, RIP), and booking a spot at Undertow for another notch in my Tiki Bar headboard. Expect lots of obnoxious food pics, musings, and complaints about heat over the next week. After three years of limited travel, it will be fun to just show up in town with no agenda and just flit about as the (hot, dry) wind directs me.

P.F. Chang’s Wok Work Book

For all your home copycat needs, a user on reddit posted photos from the official P.F. Chang’s wok station manual. Also included below is an archived copy of the sauce manual from a different post some years ago.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSecretRecipes/comments/12qyb4c/pf_changs_wok_work_book_part_1/

https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSecretRecipes/comments/12qycu8/pf_changs_wok_work_book_part_2/

https://archive.org/details/salsas-pf.es.en

Chi-chi’s Chili con Queso

No gods. No masters. Triple hash browns.

Hi Neil

Why did you stop making bagels?

What did the bagels ever do to you?

XD

I stopped because I went to New Zealand, and didn't bring my sourdough starter. There's frozen sourdough starter waiting in the freezer in my house in Scotland for me to return and start bageling once again.

Working with rye flour was fun, as it was closer to using clay than to using dough. They were not beautiful but they tasted amazing.

(Photos: before and after boiling, and after coming out of the oven.)

(Official?) Jell-O Pudding Pops Recipe

I was forwarded this from an unknown source, with a note explaining that someone's grandfather asked Kraft corporate for the recipe when the popular dessert was discontinued, and this was the response. I had been researching both the Pudding and Gelatin pops for a future post; it seems odd that it would be this simple, but it's worth a try...

I definitely think the half-and-half is the right track (or, as I suspected with my own research, a similar artificial creamer product), just need to finish 3D printing/casting some molds to give it a shot.

Din Tai Fung Soup Dumplings

Found this recipe while trolling Reddit out of boredom. Looks pretty close on first blush, even if I can't vouch for it's accuracy.

Din Tai Fung Soup Dumplings

INGREDIENTS Soup Mixture   10  cups water   3  tablespoons water (may need more)   3  lbs chicken parts (wings, backs, and necks)   2 1⁄2 ounces chinese-style cured smoked ham or 2 1⁄2 ounces Smithfield Ham, cut into 4 slices   3⁄4 cup green onion, rough chopped (white parts only)   2  slices  peeled fresh ginger (1 inch diameter 1/2 inch thick)   1  dried shiitake mushroom   1  large garlic clove, flattened   1  tablespoon soy sauce   2  teaspoons shaoxing wine   1  tablespoon unflavored gelatin 

Filling   1  lb ground pork   1⁄4 lb  uncooked shrimp, peeled de-veined and finely chopped   1⁄3 cup green onion, minced (white parts only)   3  tablespoons sugar   2  tablespoons soy sauce   1  large garlic clove, minced   3⁄4 teaspoon salt   1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper   1⁄2 teaspoon peeled fresh ginger, finely grated   1⁄2 teaspoon shaoxing wine   1⁄4 teaspoon sesame oil  

Dumplings   75  dumpling wrappers (3 inch square or round)   1  large head napa cabbage, leaves separated  

Dipping Sauce   1  cup black vinegar   6  tablespoons soy sauce   2  tablespoons  very thin matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger  

DIRECTIONS   1. Three days before, combine 10 cups water and all remaining soup ingredients except gelatin in large pot. Bring to boil, spooning off any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken pieces are very soft and beginning to fall apart, adding more water by cupfuls if necessary to keep chicken submerged, about 2 hours 30 minutes. 2. Strain soup; discard solids. Return broth to same pot. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 3 tablespoons water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens. Add to hot broth; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass dish. Cover; refrigerate aspic overnight. 3. Two days before, combine all filling ingredients in large bowl and mix with fork just until blended. Cut aspic into 1/3-inch cubes. Add 1/3 of the aspic cubes to pork mixture; stir gently with wooden spoon just until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate. Return aspic to refrigerator. 4. Mix 1 cup black vinegar, 6 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons fresh ginger strips in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving. 5. One day prior, line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 dumpling wrapper on work surface. Spoon 1 very generous teaspoon filling onto center of wrapper, including at least 2 aspic cubes. 6. Lightly brush edges of dumpling wrapper with water. Bring 1 corner of wrapper up around filling, then pleat remaining edges of wrapper at regular intervals all around filling until filling is enclosed and wrapper forms bundle-like shape with small opening at top. 7. Gather top edges of wrapper together and twist at top to enclose filling. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 day, or freeze in single layer in covered containers for 2 weeks. 8. On the day of, line each layer of bamboo steamer basket with cabbage leaves; place over wok filled with enough water to reach just below bottom of bamboo steamer basket. (Or line metal steamer rack with cabbage leaves and set over water in large pot.) Place dumplings atop cabbage, spacing apart. 9. Bring water to boil. Cover; steam until cooked through, adding more water to wok if evaporating too quickly, about 12 minutes for fresh dumplings and 15 minutes for frozen. Serve dumplings immediately, passing sauce alongside for dipping.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSecretRecipes/comments/mtek14/din_tai_fung_noodles_with_sesame_sauce/gv0duzq/

There are many, many "official" TV Mai Tai recipes, and this is one of them, found randomly on the internet. Vic would tweak the Mai Tai many times over the years based on what rums were available, the venue, etc. This appears to be a particularly potent variation (a bit more rum than usual, and a bit light on the other ingredients), but I thought the letter was interesting.

Here's the official recipe straight from Ruby Tuesday for their (original) Spinach Con Queso dip, sent to me by a kind person on Reddit. After the dip was removed from the menu, she asked corporate for the recipe and they (surprisingly) agreed.

This one is slightly different than the one I had in recent years - the dip is more pale beige thanks to the inclusion of Parmesan. If I were to guess, I'd say the more modern version omits the parm entirely, and maybe adds the dry spice in with the onion/margarine mixture just before the flour goes in to enhance the color a bit. Still, very tasty.