555 contest winners announcement live on uStream at 9 pm EDT

I've even heard claims that Emeril's recipes don't always work, and he's a real chef.

Yeah, I am more likely to cook their recipes and just get techniques from certain others like Lidia. Her recipes are intimidating.

Pepin often (usually in fact) does simple things you can duplicate, but does it perfectly. I learned to make an omelet from him (which is what new chefs are asked to make before being hired).

Speaking of fat, Pepin and Lidia say the same thing about flavor. He points out that if you don't like lamb, just trim the fat because that's where the gamey flavor is.

Have you seen any episodes with Yvonne Ruperti? Beautiful, and not like any barrel I've ever seen.

I've always thought Emeril was over-rated. Lots of over-spiced, "ka-bam", and little else.

The one's that work all the time: Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Paula Dean, and Alton Brown.

Bobby Flay and Alton (of course) have lots of meat tips. ...Jim Thompson

We finally just bought a meat grinder, after seeing Jamie's discussion of "pink slime" :-(

Made some Swedish meatballs last night from ground chuck roast and a pork chop. Wow! ...Jim Thompson

There could only be losers in a 555 contest.

How do you clean one of those?

They come apart nicely.

Unscrew the big "nut" in this picture...

and the lead-screw, impeller and "die" (grinder plate) come out of the housing.

Big trick: Cube meat to ~1", "freeze" for 30 minutes.

Then grind. Very quick. No more "mystery meat" ;-) ...Jim Thompson

No more 'Hobo Stew'? ;-)

Ground meat or Hobo Stew or virtually any ethnic cooking style (aka, in modern lingo, "slow cooking"), are techniques to make tender, flavorful meals from inexpensive cuts of meat.

Chuck roasts can generally be purchased cheaper than pre-ground hamburger... and you know what's in it.

I was astonished how little time and effort was involved. We also own "hamburger presses", so we plan on buying chuck in bulk and freezing up pre-shaped patties.

Last weekend we juiced enough lemons off our tree, and froze into 3oz portions, to keep us in lemonade all summer ;-) ...Jim Thompson

Carefully. :)

Let me rephrase that from 'Hobo' to 'Roadkill Liberal' stew. ;-)

Remote-controlled camera's? Aka a mobile tele-presence unit?

My guess would be that it is - in fact - all scripted in advance with make-up trucks just out of shot. Even Rich is bright enough to know this, so presumably he's being ironic, but he posts enough really stupid misconceptions that one can't be sure.

-- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

Yeah, the poor survivors are grubbing for insects to eat, and the camera crew and directors and script-writers are hanging around the air-conditioned catering tent, trying to decide between the crab and the shrimp appetizers.

John