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flabby fries fake onion rings uber-thick hamburgers and deli sandwiches made w/ 5 lbs of meat anything served with Miracle Whip seafood pasta served with cheese toast served cold and unbuttered (also generally untoasted!) pizza with barely cooked toppings, or sugar-sauces (I'm looking at you and your "bbq" sauce, CPK) the overall state of the once-delicious eggroll the dreaded medley: steamed carrots-yellow squash-zucchini low- or no-fat yogurt, sour cream sky-high "pies" built with generic ice cream, cookie crumb crust and Redi-Whip fowl digits, aka chicken fingers (Number One Most Wanted on Crimes Against Children list) food served in too-small a dish (esp salads you have to dress yourself and plates that include meat needing to be cut up) A comment on the vegan dessert thing from a way back: I've eaten several times at our city's best known and respected vegan restaurant. The desserts have been...eh. Not all that great. Flavors okay but tough, grainy crusts and odd textures throughout. Basically, I give the pastry chef an A for effort, and for having reasonable success within a limited form.

You know, some of these posts are just hurtful. Thank god we don't have smell-o-vision or I'd be crying. That said, I made a pasta thing that came out great. Simple really does work, esp now that I'm getting such great quality organic produce/groceries delivered every week. It was a bacon-cherry tomato-fresh oregano concoction that I tossed angel hair pasta into. I would have preferred a sturdier pasta but that was what I had. Lots of black pepper at the end, parm optional. Heavily salting the pasta water does wonders for a dish that has such a minimal sauce. The bacon was Niman Ranch, cut into bite size pieces and fried until quite crisp, then set aside intil very end. Removed all but a couple spoonfuls of fat from pan, added olive oil and whole garlic cloves to brown. Then cooked cherry tomatoes until beginning to burst, along with a handful of oregano sprigs which wilted nicely. Readded the bacon, put the pasta in with a half cup or so of cooking water, and "dressed" it with a bit o' bacon fat. It wasn't around long enough to get a picture of it.

Random comments: Regarding Fish & Fruit: Mrs. Paul, the Gorton's Fisherman, and the entire kitchen staff at Long John Silvers would like to respond to the assertion that fish and fruit are an uncommon pairing. Their response is one word: "LEMON." Regarding Gender: Ming's comments have twice linked the women's abilities to their gender. I get that he thinks it's okay to do this because he's being complimentary. But -- ew. Invoking stereotypes in service of performance evaluation is a bad practice, period. You know, Katie doesn't strike me as the stereotypical woman who "can ask for directions." I'm sure she can but, on the show, it would be because she's a serious competitor who's looking for information to use to her advantage. In other words, she uses her noggin. But if Ming wants to make a point about sexism in the restaurant industry, hey, I want him go for it. By all means, tell Katsuji of the snotty-ass comments about "the girls" to zip it. No doubt his raging insecurity will provide many opportunities to do so. Regarding What Makes a Good Employee: Can you tell I don't like Katsuji? The more I think about it, the more he seems like the worst possible candidate for a job. Any job. He tried to sabotage two other cooks by distracting them and psyching them out. Way to show your ability to work with others. Not to mention not prioritizing his own cooking. And trying to ruin two plates of food as a strategy to make his own appear better. Granted, getting the food out hot, prepared as directed, presented beautifully -- the skills the job demands are numerous. But most skills can be improved. Character flaws are harder to correct. Katsuji was deliberately and openly messing with the other cooks instead of cooking to the best of his ability. Yeah, that's a guy I'd trust with my investment. One tiff with a coworker and he'd screw with their plates. I've got an artichoke and a nice glass of Chianti ("F-f-f-f--f-f-up") waiting so I'll end my rant. Ingrid

Got to raise my voice for Cha Cha Cha's small plates in the upper Haight. Been going there for 14 years. Not a perfect place but I've had some fabulous lunches there for very little money. I only go there for lunch -- it gets really dark, crowded and loud at night. During the day it's festive and bright. The small plates list isn't long but I love: shrimp in Cajun sauce platanos in black bean sauce with crema fried new potatoes (yeah, Thirsty Bear's are good but these are better) chicken paillard in mustard sauce crispy calamari sauteed mushrooms with garlic and sherry mussels Oh my god I just made myself hungry.

I just got my first Planet Organics delivery this week and it's FANTASTIC! Saw Besos' Farm Fresh Meal Kits on the website and they looked really tempting. PO has Costarella fish/seafood, Niman Ranch, Dakota meats, Rosie chicken, rtc., besides produce. Not cheap but very excited to get it brought to my kitchen.

Hi, folks, Liza Featherstone's book, Selling Women Short: The Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart, provides the kind of data people have asked for on this thread. An adapted excerpt is available at: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050103&s=featherstone Liza's a well-respected investigative journalist. I also suggest Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. You can also check out www.walmartwatch.org. I also point out several things: -Employees at Wal-Mart do not receive discounts on grocery items. -Full-time at Wal-Mart means 28 or 29 (I apologize, I forget which) hours per week. Such few hours combined with such low hourly wages are why so many full-time Wal-Mart employees qualify for emergency food boxes, among other forms of public assistance. -In regard to future food choices for consumers, please keep in mind this is the same company that refuses to sell uncensored CDs and DVDs. And refuses to fill certain 100% legal prescriptions for women, such as the morning-after pill. It's regrettable their low prices are so necessary for so many people. I feel fortunate to have the resources, and options, to shop elsewhere. Too many people don't. Ingrid

I was watching another Fox show, "House," about a cranky, antisocial -- but brilliant, BRILLIANT! I tell you -- doctor played by Hugh Laurie. Thought, "My, he would make a most excellent Bourdain if they ever produce KC." Dang.

Smackdown! Got to say Ming's response to Yannick's salt comment startled me. I don't have any way to see it again but it seemed to me he said the dish tasted too salty to him. Getting all peeved about it made the judges look insecure. Tell the lowly cook the recipe's the way it is and -- that's it. If you really want him/her to be a better cook, "suggest" they go figure out why. It's been said before -- working in a kitchen is like the military. Shut up and take orders. As a customer though who has eaten in "name" restaurants, a little less genuflecting and a little more check-and-balance might have prevented some disappointing dishes. Just saying. All in all, I really like this show. It's a refreshing change from the psychotic narcissism of other competitive cooking shows, and the cloying sweetness of many how-to programs. Heh -- like to see Ming talk to the cameras that way on his own show. Better yet, Sara Moulton.

Others may be right about the superiority of milder cheeses but I've never had any problem devouring figs with Castello blue. Castello's very buttery and if the figs are ripe Missions, they hold their own just fine.

That is, like, so Season 1.

I checked your comments on root beer and wholeheartedly agree with you, Mongo. One sip of this ghastly beverage sends me back to a simpler place and time populated by apple-cheeked tykes and clean-cut teens. And, strangely, hardy frontier settlers celebrating the 4th of July and an occasional cowboy who promised his mother wouldn't touch the Devil's brew. Funny place, Americana.

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is. Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer. Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn. :::moves over to make space::: I'm in. No root beer, ever. [snip] *snuggles up to the root beer haters* :::checks the membership log and updates accordingly::: zilla, you're in. And you too mongo. Everyone's laminated membership cards will be in the mail shortly. Given root beer's sassafrass content, and the cloying vanilla flavor of DP, I suggest we call ourselves the Anti-VanSassafrassians. Wouldn't you like to be an Anti-VanSassafrassian, too? I will sneeringly refer to pro-root beerians as the Numb Tongues. Is it too late to get this on the membership cards?

Trix, my friend, are for kids. Silly rabbit. Ah, but BooBerry, now...where are the blue foods of yesteryear?

Will you marry me?? If you're a man, that is. Well, given that I'm a woman, I'll at least sit in a soft comfy chair and have a cuddle with you! Really though, it's nice to have found a kindred spirit... I always get the weirdest looks from people when I tell them that I don't like root beer. Care to make your union polygamous? Or just let me squish into the chair with y'all? Cause I don't like root beer, never have. Makes my tongue numb. Dr. Pepper is just a big vanilla-y yawn.

Does anybody love over-cooked green peppers? I dunno - if not, why do they put them on pizza?? ewwwww They shouldn't put them on pizza. They shouldn't put anything on pizza. As a matter of fact, they shouldn't make pizza at all. It should be outlawed! Yuck! I LOVE green peppers on pizza. When they use Italian frying peppers and cook the hell out of them. A sausage (90% garlic) and pepper pizza from Anthony's on the road to Guilford, CT is my personal grail. The peppers ROCK.

Aside from the pasta itself, make sure the water is liberally salted. Salt, I believe, inhibits starches from being released. Might help.

How did you DO that? Love it!

Where have you been all of my life? Together, we can create the most magnificent fowl the world has ever seen -- the chicktopus. I've only needed a partner to test the multi-leginator that's in my garage right now. You can hold the chickens while I clamp them together and flip the switch. We'll sell the breast meat to aspirin companies to put in their bottles. My dream, my dream is coming true!!!!!

Hot mayonnaise. Dessert wines. Vegetables in cheese sauce. Kidney beans. Truffle oil. Meat loaf ('My most hated of all the loaves." -Bart Simpson). Cottage cheese. Tuna casserole. Sanka. Turkey dogs. Frozen yogurt. Collards, kale, mustard greens. Marmite. Natto. Injera. Corned beef. No-salt chips. Dolmas. Manzanilla and Libby black olives. God, in the right mood, I can think that a lot of things suck.

This is such a perfect example of what I find stressful sometimes -- the sense that solutions sometimes beget their own complications. Gain the space for the scooter but lose the ready help reaching stuff. Oh my god, I just realized my real problem -- I think I'm supposed to be able to figure everything out. Eek! I have an imperfect solution. Keep a piece of paper with you and as you find something out of reach, add it to the list. When finished with all your other shopping, get the store manager to find someone to get those items for you. Don't be bashful about it. They have an obligation to help. Catch 22 gets everyone, so try not to stress out if your solutions beget yet more problems. Brilliant! I want you available to me 24/7 as other questions arise -- not a problem, I hope? :)

You are so funny! Harriet the Spy was my favorite book growing up and I used to pretend I was her, prowling around the neighborhood and spying on the neighbors. I think that's probably when I learned to love tomato and mayo sandwiches too! Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who loved Harriet the Spy. My parents thought I was nut. tomato sandwich = Harriet M. Welsh Geez, I reread that book and I still get hungry, what with the tomato sandwiches, and the cake and milk, and Little Joe Curry eating a pound of Gorgonzola and an entire cream pie, and...I particularly love the food obsessions. Everyday, it's a tomato sandwich, the way I made myself a BLT every day after school for months when I was twelve. Food ruts, you gotta love 'em. As for own tomato sandwich: Acme sweet baguette, fontina, whatever tomato with a discernable scent, and black pepper, toasted in a hot oven. Biggest challenges: cheese slides, and risk of mouth burns.

Oh, Buzz, it's not about me or you getting to the punch line first. It's about mocking these chuckleheads together. [insert earnest smiley face here]

This is such a perfect example of what I find stressful sometimes -- the sense that solutions sometimes beget their own complications. Gain the space for the scooter but lose the ready help reaching stuff. Oh my god, I just realized my real problem -- I think I'm supposed to be able to figure everything out. Eek!

The chef Rocco allegedly assaulted is Ed Rosenthal. Thank god. JC didn't have to get new plates!

Thanks, mags, trish, and ronnie. I think I've spent every bit of Restaurant-snark in me. And we know how painful unspent snark can be. Jon, I'm relieved to know Mama was not in fact living in that hideously drab apartment they showed her in. It still begs the question though of why Rocco didn't have his pajama party THERE. Uh oh, that sounded like more snark. I'm not going to give into the temptation to speculate on challah-baker's question regarding Gavin dazed and confusedness. Ingrid