Meredith’s Comments (group member since Sep 04, 2011)

Meredith’s comments from the Meredith Mileti hosts a Q&A group.

I love anything with cumin and the cocoa sounds interesting in this. Boy, I've missed chili! Our favorite recipe for chili is from the Silver alate cookbook. Along with the regular assortment of chili ingredients, it's got red wine, black olives and dill. Sounds strange, but it's so good!

Do you have a favorite crockpot cookbook you like to use? I have a couple, but not a "go-to" one that always pull out. Any recommendations would be appreciated! Mmm, I love Beef Stroganoff and haven't made it in years. Now, you've got me thinking...

The weather in Pittsburgh is cool and rainy today. Fall is officially in the air. It's the kind of day where the lamps need to be lit in the morning and all I want to do is curl up with a good book and a bowl of something warm, long simmering and delicious. What are your favorite cool weather foods to cook and eat?

Great question, Bobbi! I'm definitely a cook. At one point Mira describes a relationship as a "slow and steady braise." She says one of the most wonderful things about a braise is that the end result is so much more than the sum of its parts. To me, that's a apt description of strong and successful relationship.

There is a chill in the air in Pittsburgh this morning. Osso bucco might just be a good idea. In fact, when is osso bucco NOT a good idea?


Kristin wrote: "Meredith wrote: "Hi Kristin! Comments like that make me want to feed you!! Come on over. Dinner's at 7....


Kristin wrote: "For me, it's pretty simple. I read and adore foodie novels because I ..."

Hi Kristin! Comments like that make me want to feed you!! Come on over. Dinner's at 7....


Kristin wrote: "For me, it's pretty simple. I read and adore foodie novels because I hate to cook and love to eat (not always an easy combination). :)"

Yes, there is something so pure and perfect about the worlds created by our culinary heros and heroines. It's what makes it such a great place to visit. Mira would never stoop to using Swanson's chicken broth. Me, on the other hand-- I'll admit to having a couple of cartons of Kitchen Basics Chicken stock in my pantry.

Darlene wrote: "I think there's a fantasy element -- I rarely have the time to make all the great things in culinary novels, plus I'd be as big as a blimp if I could! So there's a wonderful escapism to food-center..."

Thanks, Chanelle! I usually have a stack of cookbooks or food magazines by my bed that I leaf through before I go to sleep. It's soothing for me to think about what I want to make next. How I might change the recipe, where I can get my hands on some yummy looking cranberry beans...It's much more fun that thinking about quadratic equations :-)


Chanelle wrote: "Whether it's a cooking magazine, or Aftertaste, there is something so comforting in reading about food. It works my mind and adds another fun challenge to my day..what's for dinner. It's always t..."

I agree. Look at the explosion of food related non-fiction-- memoirs, magazines, not to mention movies and TV shows. It's a trend that has been growing and growing, perhaps in response to the increasing demands and stresses of our world. It is such a lovely escape. Good point, Julie about food covering the gamut of needs - from base level survival to the unabashed hedonism.


Julie wrote: "I think food covers the spectrum on the hierarchy of needs, from base nourishment and a sense of safety to self-expression and sensual pleasure. Food plays a role in all of them. As for the recent ..."

Bet those bananas were nice and caramelized!


Pete wrote: "Once I accidentally incinerated a homemade banana cake by setting the oven to broil instead of bake. So I'm definitely not a baker."

Hi Chanelle, You are right about that --baking doesn't tolerate improvisation too well... I like your point about craving change. I do, as well. Even a recipe that I like and that works well is subject to my constant tweaking. Most of my cookbooks have notations scribbled all over then in an attempt to document the changes I've made. Why mess with success? 'Cause I just like to mix it up!


Chanelle wrote: "There is a complete difference between the two..
Cooks dont like to follow rules.
I am not a baker. And I always find myself wanting to add a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and then...."

Thanks, Darlene. Great tip on the vodka! I've got some luscious peaches...might just give it a try tonight.

There have been quite a few food-centered novels published over the last few years, many of them quite popular. Aftertaste is definitely a foodie novel. Why do you think we like reading about food so much?

Julie, I love your observation about creativity! There is so much room to improvise and exert your creativity within a structure. I'm sipping my night time cup of tea and wishing I had one of those lemon cream cheese frosted cookies to go with it!


Julie wrote: "I once commented to my yoga instructor that for a creative person I didn't feel I was very good at thinking outside the box. Her comment was that there were two different ways to be creative. One w..."

Thanks for your comment, Bobbi! Of all the baking items you mentioned, I find pies the most difficult! A great pie crust eludes me--as does the very "hands on" accounting for the moisture in the fruit. Too much flour makes it pasty and not enough makes it soupy. It's all about balance. You are always welcome at my table. Let me know when you're coming and there will be dinner!!

Bobbi wrote: "I bake great pies, cakes and cupcakes but am terrible with cookies. (No patience for the precision it takes to make them look good.) I do like to cook and love to go to the pantry and refrigerator ..."

Yes, I think you need to know the rules - culinarily speaking-before you can break them. I agree about bread being easier to make. I love baking bread. There is that moment when the gluten reaches a certain level of development and you actually feel the dough come alive in your hands. It's exhilarating and thrilling and can elevate the simple act of mixing flour and water to the spiritual and sublime. It makes me feel maternal and God-like, if only for an instant.


Darlene wrote: "When starting out as a wee girl in 4H, I think baking took the mystery out of making food and gave me a real sense of accomplishment. At age 8 I think it was necessary to have everything measured o..."

I agree with you, Annette. I'm much more of a natural cook than baker. I often have trouble following directions....I get sidetracked easily, take the scenic route a little too often. Hmm. What does that say about my personality?

What drives me both as a cook and a writer is throwing things together to see what will happen, be they ingredients or characters. Baking doesn't lend itself to that level of spontaneity. I confess it - there are too many rules in baking for me.

Welcome to the first day of my Q&A. Thanks for joining the group.

Here's my first question/comment:

Mirabella Rinaldi, the professional chef protagonist in Aftertaste, espouses the theory that bakers are more rule-bound than cooks. They are the people who sat up front in cooking class, who wrote things down. They are precise and orderly. Cooks, on the other hand, seem to thrive on improvisation and are more creative. Are cooks and bakers really so different? Which are you--cook, baker or both? Can your allegiance to either camp tell us anything about your personality?

Welcome! My first novel, "Aftertaste" was just published. I'm holding a Q&A and would love to hear from you. I'll be back on Sept 12. I hope you'll have a chance to read my book by then. If you have any questions/comments on my book, food, eating, writing or even what you should make for dinner, I'd love to answer them! Thanks.