Alex

This turned into an interesting forum, but Claire, as the OP, it would be even better if you participated, too (and answered the question I asked you a week ago). (OP = original poster)

The Associated Press discovers sous vide poached eggs The writer's source uses 63°C for 45-60 minutes. Please don't shoot the messenger.

It's a hypothetical, so I'd go with the first one. Either way, I agree. It's unlikely, but perhaps s/he is concentrating so intently on something else that the fly wouldn't even get noticed unless you make a fuss over it. If the inspector does notice it, you certainly can point out all of the measures you mentioned above. Or you can say that a regular customer loves the "Waiter, what's that fly doing in my soup?" joke and you wanted to do your best to accommodate him.

We could offer better answers if you tell us what you already have, what you like to cook (or would like to learn to cook in the near future), how much storage and counter space you have available, and, of course, how much money you can comfortably spend.

Yes, that's how experimental research works. The results are analyzed for the entire group of subjects as a whole. If a result is deemed to be very unlikely to have occurred by chance, the effect is said to be true -- on average -- for the population. It doesn't necessarily have to be true for any one particular individual. It's basically a probability statement. As I mentioned, obviously there are many variables that can enter into play, but for the parameters of this experiment (e.g., average-quality, simple, main course) the effect was significant. The best analogy I can make is with cigarette smoking and lung cancer. We know that there's a significant causal relationship between the amount and length of time someone has smoked, and the likelihood of their developing lung cancer. That finding doesn't mean that everyone who smokes three packs a day is going to develop it, nor does it mean that a non-smoker won't. There are other variables that can enter into the picture, e.g., genetic makeup, but all else being equal, there's a significant relationship.

"Perceptual set" is a predisposition to interpret one's current perceptions in a particular way, based on experience, expectations, or context. Perhaps the best-know example in the food and beverage world are the studies showing how expectation (based on price, red vs. white, etc.) can affect one's judgment of a wine's quality. One example of perceptual set is "perceptual contrast." This is our tendency to interpret a current experience in comparison to a similar recent experience rather than independently. For example, a $75 tie might seem expensive if that's what you looked at first, but after buying a $1200 suit, it doesn't seem quite so pricy. Or if I'm trying to get you to volunteer for some committee work, I might first ask you for a huge commitment, then scale back my request. Or perhaps this is one reason why people get involved in unwise rebound relationships -- if the previous one ended badly, a new person might seem more appealing than s/he would have otherwise. A recent study demonstrated that the tastiness of an appetizer may well influence how tasty we perceive the next dish to be. This was a two-group study, with the independent variable a highly rated bruschetta app vs. a mediocre one; the dependent variable was the rating of the "main course," a middling-rated pasta aglio e olio. The one weakness in this study was that the researchers didn't investigate whether a main course that in the initial stage of research was rated very high or very low would minimize or eliminate the influence of the app.

Yes, what is your budget, and when you say "kitchen," what method(s) of making your coffee do you use? Based just on your question, though, I also would recommend a Baratza grinder (I have two). You can get the basic Encore model for $129 from Seattle Coffee Gear; prices go up from there. As cdh mentioned, I also see a used one on eBay (from a brand new seller), currently at US$60 plus shipping. (FYI, in this context, the word is "break," not "brake.")

And one "t" in "Lou Malnati's." (Those darn consonants, always undergoing mitosis when we're not looking.)

Mitch, please read my question again.

I see that some folks are posting "bread plus" -- baked dough with significant other ingredients -- e.g., pizza and pasties. Are those considered part of the information you're seeking, or are you going after breads that are commonly consumed as bread per se?

The WaPo visits Chicago

As a side note, if you're driving all the way from CT, an EZ-Pass or equivalent is highly recommended; tolls are significantly higher if you pay by cash. Using an EZ-Pass means you'll have more money available for food. (There -- now my post is food-related.) Sorry -- that's Clybourn (w/o the "e").

There are a number of interesting articles hanging out in the tubes about texture issues and food; just Google "food texture issues tomatoes" (without the quotation marks). Some are about picky eating in general, which obviously is not the OP's situation. There's this one from, coincidentally enough, summertomato.com: "It's a Texture Thing: How to Get Over Slimy, Spongy, and Other Unfamiliar Food Textures" Ms. Alex also has some texture issues -- primarily with olives, raw oysters, and, sometimes, rice (aka "slimy") noodles -- but not with tomatoes, though.

The Chicago French Market might be an interesting place to take a food-coma-producing lunchtime stroll. Included among many worthwhile vendors are Saigon Sisters, Black Dog Gelato, Delightful Pastries, and the superb Vanille Patisserie. Another coma stroll would be to start with a pizza at Pequod's (on Clybourne near Webster), then walk east on Webster to Floriole Bakery & Café, my favorite bakery in the city. Or you could skip Pequod's and also eat lunch at Floriole, too. After that, if you're into such things, you could walk to Armitage near Halsted for McShane's Exchange, a high-end women's resale shop (with a funny URL, if you read it the right way). That stretch of Armitage also has other interesting shops.

I made a batch of his Fig Ancho Beer Barbeque Sauce the other day, to put on burgers at a party. It was a hit.

Yes, I was going to mention North Pond, but I wasn't sure if entrees of $36-40 qualified as "30ish" and if the place itself qualified as "not too fancy."

And there it is -- your next forum!

Be bold; don't fear making mistakes (but be sure to have a backup plan if you're cooking for company!).

I just discovered The Awkward Yeti: Pumpkins take over the world Corn eulogy Let's call the whole thing off Comfort food

Careful, definitely, although they offer a three-course, no-choices "Spring Menu" for $26 -- with which I suspect I'll have a close relationship when I'm in Chicago very soon. You also can get an enormous burger, with fries and crispy onions, for $18, or $21 with any of their cheeses. Me, if I didn't do the Spring Menu, I'd probably just get the starter of "Organic Carnaroli Risotto with Braised Fennel and Spinach, 'Early Spring' Green Garlic, Preserved Black Truffle, and Parmesan Reggiano," for $17. Add a glass of wine, and I'm out the door for well under $50, including t/t (or very nearly so if I opted for the Spring Menu).

Ah, yes. I remember those days well, too, and with fondness. Coffee not far where you're staying (there are others around the city, of course): Julius Meinl, 211 E Ontario; Intelligentsia, 53 E Randolph (across the street from the don't-miss Chicago Cultural Center); Toni Patisserie, 65 E Washington (also great for lunch and, well, pastries) Cocktails: In addition to those already mentioned: The Drifter (inside The Green Door Tavern) (live music, so best to call and see if the performer matches your taste); Three Dots and a Dash (tiki bar -- OpenTable reservation highly recommended); Ms. Alex likes to take an afternoon break from shopping at Pops for Champagne; Brewpub: I live in Beer City USA (really!), so I don't avail myself of the ones in Chicago. However, 3 Floyds, a few miles south of I-80 in Munster, IN, has a cult following and might be worth a diversion if you're so motivated. "Local specialties": Lots of info and debate (which are not always the same thing) about the best places. Chicago dogs (I suspect that's why you mentioned The Wiener Circle) -- I'm not a fan, so sorry, no further info here; Italian beef (Portillo's and Al's Beef are near you -- however, SeriousEats ranked Bari #1 (W Grand bet. I-94 and Ogden, good subs there, too -- might be a good place to stop on your way to Oak Park; it's easy to get onto 290 from there) Lunch depends on where you'll be. There are so many, many good choices. Some excellent places that are over your price range for dinner would meet that criterion for lunch, e.g., Naha. What do you have planned for that time of day? Dinner Re the rest of your list, we've eaten at Avec several times, which says something right there. I was disappointed with Acacia's pricey prix fixe dinner, but had a good hamburger in their lounge. I've never eaten at The Publican (horrors!). Hmm, what would be different and unexpected? How about Tanta (Peruvian, with Japanese/Chinese influences)? Vera (wine bar + tapas in the West Loop)? Ms. Alex is a big fan of Bistronomic. Finally, I know it's Italian, but if the weather is nice, Piccolo Sogno, where Grand, Milwaukee, and Halsted meet, has a wonderful patio on which to enjoy their excellent food and service. They also run Piccolo Sogno Due, in River North. Here are some of Grant Achatz's favorite places. It would be hard to go wrong with any of them (except Hot Doug's, which is no longer). We've eaten at GT Fish several times, but as you mentioned, you have no shortage of good places in CT.

Like this one? Could you send your next loaf over here? There are some squirrels by our house that I'd like to send to an alternate universe.

I have a Zo, but haven't used it since forever, so I'm afraid I have no useful information about current machines. However, I spotted the first edition of this interesting-looking book in a used bookstore yesterday: http://www.amazon.com/Rustic-European-Breads-Bread-Machine/dp/1626540659/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=http://www.amazon.com/Rustic-European-Breads-Bread-Machine/dp/1626540659&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20">Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine, 2nd ed.

Fern, I'd like to echo huiray's questions and comments, and add a few more: 1) Any price considerations? 2) You have only three nights, so could you prioritize your desires beyond Mexican/Southwestern? 3) Topo is excellent, of course, and there's the Frontera option. I've never eaten at Mexique, but we like Salpicon as an alternative to Frontera. 4) You'd have to check on which of these are still open, but here's a 2008 article about Rick Bayless's favorite Mexican places in Pilsen. I can vouch for the tres leches cake at Kristoffer's Cafe, which I know is still open. 5) Sable: I like the food better than h. does, although there are places around there I'd choose first. Agree re the cocktails. 6) If you're motivated to eat Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, just to say you did it, well, go for it -- but I wouldn't, at least not on such a brief trip. 6) As h. also said, there are so many wonderful options. Where are you staying? Do you plan to rely on walking/cab/driving/public transportation to get to where you want to go? 7) Would you like more cocktail bar recommendations? Gelato? Doughnuts? Coffee? 8) Would you like some lunch recommendations, too? Breakfast?

Ha! You should teach for a living. I can't tell you how many college students don't read instructions carefully enough to follow them as they should -- if they bother reading them at all. That said, eGers have always had a habit of posting anything that might somehow be peripherally related to a forum's topic; you'd need to sift through them to get to what you were actually looking for. That used to drive me bonkers, but now that I'm more or less permanently bonkers, I don't care anymore. In fact, sometimes there's useful information contained within. To answer your question, I agree with the other on-topic posters: For ease of clean-up in your situation, I'd go with non-stick. Between hard-anodized and stainless steel, the h-a has better release properties, but it's nowhere near actual non-stick.