mamster

Oh, I love the frappuccino. I just had one this morning. Nothing to be ashamed of. I always get the mocha; every summer I'm seduced into trying one of the new flavors, and it's always lousy. I think if newspapers don't want to print profanity, they should use the word "swirkle." Example: "Go swirkle yourself," said Mr. Cheney.

All good things must come to an end. Part 11: Employee X Takes His Leave

Not that long. Most advice I've heard says freeze salmon up to three months. That's conservative, and you can go longer than that in deep-freeze, but still, not 3-4 years. Toss it.

I admit it--I'm a thin shake guy. When people go gaga over super-thick shakes, I wonder why they don't just stick a straw into a Ben & Jerry's pint and get it over with. That's why I was pleased when Tully's introduced shakes. They have three important characteristics: 1. Thin. Well-mixed and easily slurpable through a straw. 2. Stunningly expensive. The small is about five bucks, and it goes up from there. 3. Delicious. I always get the mocha, and it's brimming with real coffee and chocolate flavor. If you're a thin-shaker like me, get thee to Tully's. If you're a thick-shaker, sorry about your impending cheek implosion.

Okay, I tried the mocha flavor, and it was pretty tragic. I'm fond of the Frappuccino and the Tully's milkshake, and I felt this drink was in a dangerous no-man's-land between the two. It's got the ice crystals of the Frappucino, but the richness of ice cream. I wasn't impressed, plus I had to say the word "MooLatte" into the drive-thru menu. I still drank most of it, of course.

As far as I know, the answer is no. There used to be one (James Cook), but it closed under nasty circumstances. The cheese counter at Delaurenti is very nice, except that last time I was in I noticed that their prices have gotten completely out of hand -- Parmigiano-Reggiano for $18/lb and so on from there. La Tienda Cadiz used to have a nice selection of Spanish cheese. I don't know where the hell to buy cheese these days, although when I was having lunch at Vios today I noticed they were cutting a nice chunk of Parmigiano to order for $11.50/lb or so.

Dammit, I've been trying to come up with a joke along these lines for like three days. Also, I haven't tried the drink yet, but I will probably grab one tomorrow. Quick, before they get smart.

I think Whistling Train is the one I've bought pork from at the University Farmer's Market. I bought a pack of thick-cut rib chops and they were quite tasty. I wouldn't say they were a whole different category from supermarket pork, though. Maybe my expectations were too high.

FG, I've been freezing wine in ice cube trays, and it works fine, but the idea of being able to dispense whenever I want, as if my fridge had a built-in wine dispensing spigot, is just too alluring to pass up. Also, there is too much crap in bags in my freezer already. If someone would invent really good chicken stock in a box, I'd be all set. Also a bacon dispenser.

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Thanks, folks. That should get me started. It also occurred to me to check the state liquor store inventory, but they seem to have only Vella and Franzia. I'll call a few wine shops in town tomorrow.

Update: I think Delicato was the maker mentioned.

The last issue of Gourmet, I think, had a blurb about better wines in a box, something I also remember Frank Prial writing about a few months ago. I looked at my local QFC, but they only had the usual Franzia and Almaden. Anyone know where I can buy such a thing in Seattle? This seems like the ultimate solution for cooking wine: good enough to cook with, cheap, and stays good for months in the fridge because the wine has no access to light or air. I am not too proud to walk into a wine shop and ask for wine in a box, but I don't know where to start. Larry's, maybe? Anyone have a brand they can recommend? I don't remember the name of the one featured in Gourmet.

I find that sometimes I'm in the mood for it and sometimes not. Probably it's related to how virtuous I feel I've been that day. Then again, red-cooked pork belly over rice is something I can almost always go for.

My impression is that the U District market is generally considered the best. It's not huge (not as big as the Portland market, for example), but it takes over a whole large parking lot, about half a city block. Anyone want to tussle over this conclusion?

I'm a Nasai guy, although I usually get the Hot Chicken, which is more stir-fry than teriyaki. Their gyoza are horrible, and you never know whether your lunch is going to be any good (sometimes you get nastily overcooked chicken), which is probably why I always go back. It's that Skinnerian reinforcement thing.

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It seems like they could have served Pagliacci pizza without calling it that. Post Alley Pizza is still quite decent. Not fantastic, but certainly the best downtown slice I can think of.

You're right--Delaurenti has lousy pizza, but their panini are great. Next time, look into those (they're in the deli case).

Last time at the Box, the special was Vietnamese beef stew. I had to try it, and it was a good move. It was spicy, salty, and loaded with beef, carrots, and flavor. The broth was red, probably from achiote oil. My only complaint was that some of the beef had silverskin on, which was unpleasant to look at, though not to eat. Definitely give this a try. I think it was $7.

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vengroff, is Vita's stuff any good for drip coffee or only espresso? I think my dad tried one of their blends in his drip coffeemaker and was disappointed.

And at the Market, many of us (including me) like Pure Food Fish.

Back to the Box today, where the menu has expanded to include: grilled pork loin baguette ($5.90) (this looked really good) grilled yellow squash + eggplant baguette ($5.50) sides: grilled WA asparagus ($3.50) toasted green onion baguette ($1) Salad coming thursday I had the meatball today, and it is a marvelous meatball sandwich. You get a couple of strips of marinated red pepper along with the meatballs and sauce and grilled onions. The key to a great meatball sub is meatballs that start to fall apart as you eat the sandwich, and bread that holds together even as it starts to sog up. lmf is right: this was even messier than the drunken chicken, but boy was it good.

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