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prasantrin

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Everything posted by prasantrin

  1. I would go to Annie's for doughnuts. I still dream of their apple fritters, and I wish I had tried the lemon filled doughnuts.
  2. You haven't mentioned if you're prepared to work throughout most of the wedding/reception. I assume because she's a good friend, you would want to enjoy the day along with her. If you do fried food (and you want it to be of a high standard), or any kind of food that requires a la minute preparation, you're going to be spending a lot more time working than you would think. I also would skip fried fish, and do something like smoked salmon rosettes on little squares of bread or similar with cream cheese. And the fried polenta triangles--again, unless you're making them a la minute, they're going to become oil-laden as they cool. Not so tasty, imo. I'd skip anything that requires a dip, primarily since there's a good chance people will be double-dipping if there are no plates on which to spoon some dip. Shrimp crackers get soggy fast. Then get messy to pick up and eat. Unless you're doing these at the last minute, I'd look for an alternative. I do like the idea of putting stuff on endive leaves or hollowed-out cucumbers. Not as much worry about things getting soggy, plus the cucumbers are very sturdy. If you're thinking of crostini, why not get some melba toast? More convenient, they stay crisp for a decent period of time, and using them will give you more free time to spend with your friend on her special day. If you're doing crusts, anyway, I'd consider mini quiche. I know, very ordinary, but this is a casual wedding. If paper towels are acceptable, then mini quiche should be, too. (and mini quiche are almost always popular)
  3. Just today, someone on another board posted a link to the Food Assholes Dilemma. Some related excerpts:
  4. Little meringues. You could do flavoured ones--like lemon, strawberry, etc. You could pipe them in different shapes if you wanted. I love meringues. And they'd hold up well in heat, though not so much in humidity. If you're doing cookies, Gesine Bullock-Prado has a cookie recipe called Starry Starry Nights or something like that. They're a gluten-free cookie made with almond flour. Very simple to put together, and delicious. I think they'd hold up well in heat.
  5. Let me say this...And Im sure people will think Im acting like a moral snob but...Whatevs' ya know? I never use any racial slurs, I dont say gay slurs, and I most certainly never utter the R word either. I didnt when I was a kid, didnt when I was a teen, didnt as a young woman or as an adult. Someone once told me, "People either WANT to do things or they dont want to do them"! I say its the same with racism, bigotry, sexism, classism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination. You either do or ya dont... If you arent a racist those words simply do not enter your mind or vocabulary. Simple Untrue. You cannot control the thoughts that pop into your head at any given time. And if you are raised hearing words that promote racism, sexism, etc. etc. there's a good chance those words will pop into your mind whether you want them to or not. And everyone has prejudices. Everyone, whether you (general "you") admit to them or not. That being said, you can control your actions. Just because the word n***** comes to mind doesn't mean you have to say it, nor does it mean you have to treat someone with the indignity that the word implies. And just because you have prejudices doesn't mean you are, or have to be, prejudiced. However, when you are raised a certain way with certain ideas, it can be very difficult overcome those ideas and the behaviours that accompany them. It is only if you are self-aware that you can do so (if you choose). It's very possible (and likely) that PD does not have that self awareness, and it is also very likely that the people around her ignored or even condoned the kind of language to which she has admitted using. She still has to take responsibility for using those words, but I, personally, don't think her actions are quite as reprehensible as many others do. (and I probably have more direct experience with such matters than most if not all posters here, not just because I'm brown (so I have directly experienced racism), but also because both my parents grew up privileged in very socioeconomically stratified societies. I know very well the attitudes of people like Paula Deen because I have seen / heard family members display those attitudes, not towards people of different "races", but towards those of the same "race", but of lower socioeconomic classes.)
  6. You know, if the NYT were writing up one of its hagiographic pieces about Soul Food in Harlem, the patrons would be sporting the same robust physiques and the food would be the same. But that's different. What a bunch of hypocrites at the NYT. I have to wonder if you even read the article. I thought it presented the "other side" of the argument fairly. It gave direct quotations from her supporters and did not, in my opinion, skew things to favour those who are appalled by Deen's words / behaviour. They even made a point of interviewing an African American who espoused support for Deen. (which to me, speaks of an "I'm not prejudiced; some of my best friends are [fill-in-minority-group-here] denial) The picture is merely a picture of a line up in front of Paula Deen's restaurant the day (or thereabouts) after the crap hit the fan. I really don't believe the photographer requested all the obese people to line up at front (it appears to be the front of the line). Those just happened to the be people who were there. How does that make the NYTimes writers / photographers hypocrites?
  7. I believe the plaintiff is Paula Deen because she's the owner of the restaurant. In grievances, even if the accused is an individual (could even just be a customer), it's the employer who is held at least partially responsible for not providing a safe working environment.
  8. The sausage rolls will be fine at room temp. I would make them up the night before (or several days before--just slice them into sections and freeze them, then bake from frozen adding a few minutes to the baking time), but bake the morning of, though. I find unless you can refresh them in the oven the morning of, refrigerating them does not benefit them. The last pot luck I attended, I made more than 50 sausage rolls for fewer than 20 people. They were still warm when I got to work at 7:00 am (so I lost a few to people right off the bat), and they were still delicious at 11:30 when the pot luck actually started. I did not put them in the fridge, but kept them at room temperature the entire time. I think there were about 6 or 8 left by the end.
  9. sausage rolls. who doesn't love a good homemade sausage roll (other than a vegetarian, maybe). I use penzey's breakfast sausage seasoning and commercially made puff pastry. Best eaten the day it's made, but it's OK the day after, too.
  10. baba au rhum is one of the desserts I remember most from childhood (they were, interestingly, purchased in a can at Eaton's Department Store, imported all the way from France). As I've grown older, I much prefer savarin. It seems oh so much more healthful (crème pâtissière is dairy, and there's fruit, too!) (the best part is drinking the syrup that has leaked out from the savarin or baba)
  11. Stephanie Hering / Hering Berlin
  12. It could be something similar to tenkasu. Or if it's really rice, I might try getting some fried rice crackers (like the ones used in khao tang na tang--Thai, but I know the Chinese make them, too), breaking them up, and using those.
  13. O'Ryan's sour cream and onion made by Hostess (which was later swallowed up by Frito-Lay). In a green bag. True story--I was so upset by the death of O'Ryan's sour cream and onion chips (the sour cream and cheddar were supposed to be good, too, but I could never eat anything but the S&O) that several years after they disappeared, I sent an email to Hostess imploring them to bring back my favourite chips. I got a very kind (but confused) reply stating that I must have had the wrong company, because Hostess makes Twinkies, not potato chips. Oops. Who knew there was more than one Hostess in the world? (I hear they have an O'Ryan's sour cream and onion chip in New Zealand which may be similar. I must only get to New Zealand to try them)
  14. Interesting about the LKK. I've tried it and disliked it a great deal compared to the recipe I had been using (c. sapidus kindly sent me Andrea Nguyen's recipe, but rather than using dark soy, I use Thai sweet soy just because that's what had handy, and I ended up liking it better).
  15. We also have Uchi/ko which is getting a ton of national attention now Surprisingly, I had heard of Uchi/ko before Paul Qui appeared on Top Chef and I've never even been to Austin. It was on my list of places to eat (if I ever made it to Austin). In fact, Paul Qui and Uchi/ko were the only reasons I watched that season of the show (haven't watched any since, nor had I watched any more than one or two of the earlier seasons). Which makes me wonder if the general audience of Top Chef gets their food/travel/culture/dining information primarily from Food Network and its ilk. I've been thinking about conversations between my co-workers who profess to be "foodies" and who watch Top Chef. They day after a Top Chef episode, their conversations usually go like this: 1: I can't believe x got kicked off. 2: I know. But if you think about it, x didn't follow the spirit of the challenge, and y did, so of course x would get kicked off. 1: Yeah, but y is such a jerk. Y won't last much longer, anyway. No mention of cooking at all--not off the techniques, not of the likely taste of the food, nothing. Again, these are people who provide my frame of reference. ymmv.
  16. Where did I say that? I said "They watch it for the drama and for what they perceive to be "cutting edge" or "top notch" cooking." I'm sorry. I was going by memory. s'okay. I'd like to add the following cities to my list: Minneapolis Albuquerque / Santa Fe maybe Phoenix (I don't know it as a food-oriented city, but I hear a lot of things about it as a tourist city. Well, Canadian tourists, anyway) Of the above, I think only Albuquerque / Santa Fe has real potential based on my criteria (plenty of exposure on Food Network, different enough to be exotic, yet familiar enough not to freak people out)
  17. Where did I say that? I said "They watch it for the drama and for what they perceive to be "cutting edge" or "top notch" cooking."
  18. I was thinking of cities in the US that might be chosen to host Top Chef. The list I came up with was: Seattle Portland San Francisco Los Angeles Chicago Memphis Nashville New Orleans Austin somewhere in Florida New York Cleveland Washington, DC maybe Boston Then I looked up cities that have hosted Top Chef and crossed those off my list. The only one I missed was Las Vegas (which brought an "Of course! I can't believe I missed that one!" head smack). After this season, I bet Cleveland or Portland.
  19. Seriously? Honestly, I don't think the "drama" is high enough to drag the drama crowd away from the Real Housewives or whatever or whomever of wherever... Lord knows there are more than enough drama shows that I wouldn't think Top Chef would be a threat to any of them. I do think it appeals primarily to people interested in food, cooking, cuisine, travel. And the fact that there are a great many copycats out there (speaking of AB) tells me that the food competition and the locales are the main draw. It's been my personal experience, anyway, with my friends and family, that as the babyboomers age and retire, the kind of leisure interests and hobbies that have always appealed to a more affluent crowd with more time on their hands are becoming more and more popular. Yes, seriously. The type of drama in Top Chef is different from the type of drama in [fill in Bravo reality show here], but it's drama nonetheless. Who's going to tank? Who's going to get the win who shouldn't? Who should have gotten voted off who didn't? Or shouldn't have who did? Who's a dick/bitch/psycho/incompetent/star? People still get wrapped up in that stuff--look at the discussion that has taken place on eG regarding Top Chef for examples. People who go to all-inclusive resorts are also interested in food, cooking, and travel. I won't argue that those who watch Top Chef or Food Network are or aren't more affluent than those who might watch (for example) Duck Dynasty, but there are many types and sources of affluence. In my experience, people I know who watch these shows are those who are relatively new to food, travel, etc. They did not necessarily grow up being exposed to different kinds of food or even being exposed to different countries (I mentioned travelling to Angkor Wat to one of my Top Chef-watching, Food Network-loving "affluent" co-workers and he said, "Where's that?" He's about 10 years older than I, and makes almost 3 times as much, and he does travel--Europe, Mexico, Caribbean cruises ...). Again, this is based on my experience, my frame of reference. I live in a city that's probably very different in socio-economic make up than where you live, so this would, of course, colour my experiences and my opinions. @annabelle--I don't doubt Savannah has all that and more, but Savannah has not yet reached the trendiness that NO has. Amongst the general audience that probably watches Top Chef, even Austin is more well-known than Savannah because of barbecue and food trucks (both of which have probably received attention on the Food Network). What kind of food-related publicity has Savannah received that would entice people to want to go there? NO has received loads of food-related publicity (as others have mentioned), so people are probably more familiar with the food available there, even the more "unusual" items. Therefore, it seems it would be a more natural choice over Savannah. I would guess of cities in the south, Memphis or Nashville might be in line for a show if neither has already hosted one. (FWIW, Savannah is on my list of cities in the US I most want to visit--I'm speaking of the general public, not personally). re: Tony Bourdain (staying on topic), he's providing what people want so he can still make a living. He's kind of like the Starbucks of food-celebrities. Don't fault the product. Fault the society that demands/encourages the product.
  20. I think most people who watch Top Chef don't give a crap about learning about Gullah or Low Country cuisine. They watch it for the drama and for what they perceive to be "cutting edge" or "top notch" cooking. Much of the cooking on Top Chef is neither, but most of those who watch the show wouldn't know the difference. It sure as heck is fancier than Olive Garden or Chili's stuff, that's for sure. So of course the show will be set in places that are different enough to be "exotic", yet familiar enough not to turn off most of the general audience. Think of the general audience as the types who travel to far-off exotic countries like Mexico, Dominican Republic, or Cuba yet stay in all-inclusive resorts. Or those who travel to Asia or Europe on group tours that follow pre-determined itineraries that include all meals.
  21. I love the idea of serving cool whip with a more "healthful" cake. The contradiction tickles me pink!
  22. The ingredients are: Sugar, Palm Oil, Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Skim Milk, Wheat Feel, Cocoa Powder, Cacao Mass, Salt, Hazlenut Paste Dextrin, rehalose, Cellulose, Lecithin (soy), Flavor, Tocopherol, Catechin they're basically a filled cracker. Look for some kind of chocolate cracker recipe and fill with nutella or similar. (don't know what "wheat feel" is, but I'm guessing it's a direct translation rather than an accurate one).
  23. You've probably already seen this http://radmegan.blogspot.ca/2011/03/homemade-ginger-chews.html which makes a hard candy. But you could give it a try and just cook it the caramel to a soft ball stage or slightly harder. In this recipe, the starch isn't mixed into the mixture, it's just used to coat the candies. In the comments, there are a couple of other recipes people have played with. One includes temps for the caramel--very helpful as a reference point when you're playing around. The second recipe (second last comment) sounds like the texture might be closer to what you're looking for (but no temps!).
  24. Have you considered playing around with a recipe for Turkish Delight? Not as chewy as bontan ame (the "real" japanese candy is bontan ame--bontan being the citrus which gives the candy its flavour), but more similar, I think, than a caramel.
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