joey madison

I've heard of some people using it to thicken sauces and whatnot. I don't know what I think about it... the starch left over in the water would probably work, but I would think the salt would make seasoning the sauce properly very difficult.

Isn't the perception of urban vs. suburban dining really the perceived difference between real and fake? Right or wrong, when people think of suburban, the think of the bleary sameness of subdivisions and shopping malls, whose parking moats are dotted with Outbacks, Chilli's, Applebee's and the like. Sure, there are great restaurants to be found in the burb's... there are several excellent thai and vietnamese joints in Madison's burbs that I visit frequently. But at the same time, the structure of American suburban development in undeniably similar across the country. You can find the same sprawl outside of Chicago as you can Seattle or Boston or (presumably) Austin. In it's popular usage, when people say suburban in terms of food, they really mean fake... formula... somehow surreal, not real. When people say urban dining, they mean real dining. Sure, you can find TGI Fridays in a lot of urban centers. But when people say urban, they mean a dining establishment that has an owner they could meet. A guy who came up with his own idea. A cook or waiter who might live down the street from you or might even be a friend or acquaintence. They mean unique, individual, different, something not formulated in a corporate office a thousand miles away and replicated a thousand times. Ironically, I think a lot of rural places have many of the same qualities as urban, in its popular usage, especially in small resort towns.

Marsala's always a good bet, my recipe is similar to rachel's above, but I use shallots instead of onions and crimini mushrooms instead of button. Here's another quick one that's good: 2 chicken breasts 1 14oz can of good diced tomatoes 1 c sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio 3-6 cloves of garlic 1 tblspn capers 1 tbslpn unsalted butter dash of EVOO small bunch of fresh basil Heat a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the oil. Sautee the breasts. Remove the breats serving plates. Add tomatoes, gralic and capers to same pan and cook for a few minutes. Add wine to pan and reduce until it reaches a chunky sauce consistency. Top the breats with the sauce, chiffonade the basil, and use as garnish. Goes really well with rice.

I use a three cheese combination: a bit of 3 year Shelbourne Farms unpasteurized white cheddar, a milder canadian cheddar, and some parm regg. The Shelbourne Farms give the cheese an extra depth of flavor that's really fantastic. I also tend to use rigatoni instead of elbow macaroni, because I think it holds the sauce and cheese better.

Thanks. The crucial question: What class were you in? ← I was in coach in all cases... except Midwest Airlines, which only has once class, which I suppose is closer to business than coach.

I'd like to echo the commentary of those suggesting Belgians as good beginner beers. I have several friends who are not big beer fans whom I occasionally draft into service as drinking buddies. I've had them try Maudite by Unibroue in Quebec and New Glarus Beglian Red from Wisconsin, and they always love it. Sometimes weiss beers can be a good suggestion. I know Sprecher and Great Dane here in Wisconsin make some excellent wheats that would be a treat even for those who aren't accustomed to beer.

Having spent an ungodly amount of time on planes lately, I thought I'd chip in my two cents. By far, the best and most consistent airline food I've had is on Midwest Airlines. Maybe it's the exceptionally roomy seats, maybe it's the wine that actually is served in a glass, maybe it's that they use real flatware... but they have the best food, IMHO. I recently flew on Lufthansa from DC to Frankfurt, and was pleasantly surprised by the food. Nothing extraordinary, but the staff kept the cocktails coming, and the food was more than edible. On a seperate trip from London to DC, I had the misfortune of sampling United's fare. Ugh. I wanted to die it was SO bad. I haven't flown Continential much lately, but I did twice last month, and they seem to be a close runner up to Midwest. AA and USAir don't even warrant mention. BA is supposed to be really exceptional...

My contributions: #1 Never drink cocktails that come out of machines other than blenders (and then only rarely). #2 Red Bull is toxic.

I've cooked many times before using bacon fat or duck fat and have really enjoyed the results. In the past, I've always tossed the chicken fat that's rendered from various dishes I've cooked (or it ended up in a pan sauce or something). Last night, I decided to save it. So, now I need suggestions as to what would be the best way to use it. Any ideas? Thanks!

I was amazed (but still happy) to see Bell's Two-Hearted Ale out already too. The next day I discovered the Xmas section at a local department store was already in full swing.... that I was less enthusiastic about.

J.T. Whitney's (Madison, WI) popcorn lager. Ew!

Don't forget the duck liver! A nice terrine with toast... mmmm....

I recently returned from a trip to the Netherlands. While there, I of course had to order my favorite vodka, Kettle One. I was surprised to find that the three bartenders I talked to didn't seem to consider it a vodka... and not a single bar had it on the shelf next to the other vodkas. One even tried to convince me that it was a traditional spirit more akin to old-fashioned dutch gins. For my part, it tasted very similar, though slightly more herby. Does anyone know if there is an actual difference between the Kettle One sold in the US and the Kettle 1 sold in Holland?

This seems rather silly. What's the advantage over glass? Aluminum is a much better conductor than glass, so the beer would likely cool down much quicker in the fridge or an ice box. Unfortunately, I think it would warm up much faster in your hand or standing at room temperature. And regardless of what the "experts" in the article say about taste difference in aluminum being pyschological, I know I can taste the difference.

Les Freres de la Cote is always a favorite. Crepes Breton is a great brecky/lunch spot, though it's microscopic seating area makes getting in a challege. The chateau frontenac has a decent sunday brunch. I, too, will be visiting Quebec in a few weeks, so I'm interested to hear if anyone else has some suggestions.

I recently tried this in Vermont. After picking up a guide to VT cheese, my aunt and I set out to stop by a number of farmhouse producers and a couple of larger establishments. Even though many were too small to bother with tours, everyone was increadibly friendly. The women who run Orb Weaver were espeically nice, taking us on a tour of their farm and cave, even introducing the cows by name.

1/2 Bottle of Veuve Shaved Asparagus and Parmesan Salad Frogs Leap Sauignon Blanc Parmesan Encrusted Chicken Basil Roulades with a Mustard Yogurt Sauce Green Beans with Almonds Rice Creme Brulee with fresh strawberries Inniskillin Ice Wine I had a date, so I spent a little extra time in the kitchen.

Here's my jambalaya recipe: 2 Chicken Breasts 2 Links of Andouille Sausage 1 Red Bell Pepper 2-3 Stalks of Celery 1 Cup of White Long-grain Rice 1-2 Cloves of Garlic 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter Thyme Crushed Red Pepper Flakes Flat Leaf Parsley Salt Pepper Tabasco 1 Cup of Dry White Wine 1 Cup of Homemade Chicken Stock 1 Cup of Water Cut the chicken into bite sized chunks and season with salt and pepper. Sautee in melted butter in a large dutch oven until just barely brown. Meanwhile, heat wine, stock, and water in a sauce pan until just barely boiling. Add rice, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, minced garlic, crushed red pepper to the dutch oven and stir to cover rice w/ chicken drippings. Add stock mixture and reduce heat to medium low. Add Thyme liberally and parsely and tabasco to taste. Top with chopped Andouille. Cooked covered until liquid is absorbed about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and peper to taste. Sometimes for variation, I add fresh shrimp at the end, or I'll add a few hot peppers (I like spicy) or use a cut up whole chicken. I know, no onions, a sin. Not your traditional New Orleans recipe, but I love it.

Some of my favorites from Madison Wisconsin: Jolly Bob's Jerky Joint Dotty's Dumpling Dowry (a burger place that has neither dumplings, nor any association with someone named Dotty) Wah Kee Noodle In Quebec, QC, Canada I've always liked: Le Couchon Dinge