misstenacity

Dunno about the tastiness, as the ones I purchase have a different destiny.... I learned this tip from a friend, although this might get me into the eG hall of shame: I've never cooked with quinces. I buy them from the farmer's market in season and keep the bulk of them as underripe as I can for as long as possible.... ...while each one takes its turn under the seat of my car, ripening away and turning into the World's Neatest Air Freshener. Then it rots, and I rotate to the next one... Andrea http://tenacity.net

Do you like their oil? I just discovered it after it was featured in a wild salmon pairing dinner here in Albuquerque, and the fishmonger had tons of it so we bought a few bottles. Nice taste but not as grassy or strong as I often like.... Andrea http://tenacity.net

Carrot Top - thank you! I've come a long way in my "foodabilities" in the last several years, and I'd like to continue to write about many topics, as I still feel I have a long way to go to get GOOD like of few of my idols: Jason Sheehan Bourdain Bill Buford Andrea http://foodpart.com

I'm late to this thread, but what the hey..... 1. My SO and friends who encouraged me to write more and more after they read and loved my epic stories of running and trail races. They gave me confidence that I just might have a spark of talent and enough personality to shine through. 2. I write most of restaurants, but sometimes home cooking or my own food history. 3. About 10 years ago, writing about sports. 4. National audience. Currently I publish to two separate local audiences, a newspaper and a cityblog. 5. To increase my experience and repertoire, and ideally increase my income. 6. I adore hearing about people who have tried a recipe of mine and their experience with it - good or not so good. I have always loved to give advice, so this is yet another way to do so.... Thanks for reading. Andrea http://tenacity.net

I've only made biscotti a few times, but these are the best so far: Rosemary Cashew Biscotti They are a David Rosengarten recipe and actually pretty low in fat, with amazing flavor from the rosemary. I've got some drying in the kitchen now, so I think I might just whip up a new batch.... Andrea in Albuquerque

1. Yes. I'd say I purchase from a "food store" about 3-4 times per week, whether its several in one day or spread out.... a) Big chain supermarket (Smith's, otherwise known as Kroger) for many pantry things like baking items, etc. (But these visits are actually becoming rarer....) b) big local Asian market for cheap produce, natto, "asian staples", and occasional strange canned drinks c) Costco for salad greens, boxed "egg beaters", and half & half d) Vitamin Cottage for bulk staples like oat bran, raisins, and Mori-Nu Lite tofu. e) Trader Joe's for greek yogurt, frozen veggies and other goodies. 2. Mostly no, but when one leaps out at me I'll use it. I don't go looking for them. My mom was a coupon queen, using double-day and sometimes having the store give her money to take groceries home. 3. Salad greens, red bell peppers, egg beaters (generic), coffee, half & half, yogurt, eggplant, limes/lemons, other produce, boxed tofu, frozen veggies, butter, chocolate, pudding mixes (guilty pleasure...), salsas, eggs, and on and on.... 4. More produce, certainly. In weight probably a 10-1 ratio. I eat a lot of salad. A LOT. 5. Not at all, but I usually don't find great stuff in there. Vitamin Cottage often has nearly expired yogurt & dairy for cheap, so I'll go for that.... 6. I keep a revolving list on my PDA, editing as I go. I am often getting the same staples so those are in my head. The list is usually for things I have just run out of and unusual ingredients. 7. 1 side-by-side refridgerator/freezer, which is of course not big enough, so I also have an upright freezer in the laundry room. Both are always just a bit too full.... 8. YES. I love it, adore it.... I wander in the aisles fondling things, eventually buying what I need plus just a bit more. Grocery shopping to me is relaxation and fun. Thanks for the survey! [edited because I forgot one of the questions!] Andrea http://tenacity.net

I've had the cheese plate at a "moderately priced" restaurant, and it was icky. Cheese that was just barely better than the shrink-wrapped grocery store stuff in boring varieties - cheddar, asiago, brie - accompanied by dessicated dried fruits, nuts that were almost stale, and about 2 grapes. Definitely a "coulda-shoulda" thing - it would not take a lot more effort to at least use GOOD cheese... after the incident I talked to my favorite cheesemonger in town and told her to give the restaurant a call and browbeat them into buying higher on the quality scale. Andrea in Albuquerque

You wanted to and didn't? Then it's not a juicy and gluttonous enough post for this topic. Come on back when you've made and eaten a pan of brownies.... *burp* Andrea

Wasa crispbreads, any flavor, sprayed with fake butter crap (either in the spritzer or from an aerosol can), then topped with Spike seasoning salt. *munch, munch*

Is it munchies? Is it PMS? Who knows and who cares.... After a normal morning of porridge and coffee, a small avalanche happens in my pantry: big bowl of tofu pudding (I like tofu, dammit, even in my pudding) what was left of a box of Fiber One cereal 2 cookies what was left of a box of Frosted Flakes at least a dozen rye crisps.... and on..... Andrea in Albuquerque

Pre-gastronaut days, one of my favorite uber-starchy meals was to microwave a couple of skin-on potatoes until done, then chop them into cubes and pan-sear with ungodly amounts of Spike seasoning. I really, really loved that meal. It was probably coming on the heels of a breakfast of pancakes (made from a "complete" mix - just add water!) or Malt-o-Meal and a lunch of Lipton "noodles & sauce". Starch-o-rama! Andrea in Albuquerque

In my fridge is a one-gallon jug of apple cider from the 2005 harvest. The cider is raw and the jug was not sterilized prior to filling, just FYI. Never figured out what to do with it, so its been in there all this time (wow, how a year goes by! ). I've heard stories about turning cider into hard cider by just letting it ferment and venting it now and then. So I did that for a few months, after which it stopped bubbling, so I figured I had vinegar at that point. But I've also heard that after it has fully transformed and has become vinegar, no more gassiness will ensue. After a few months of no activity, the tan liquid started getting fizzy AGAIN! I am still venting it every week or two, and wondering what in the heck I've got growing in my fridge..... Not even sure I should try this stuff. Ideas? Just dive in and give it a sip? Andrea in Albuquerque

Pontormo, thank you so much for your help. I searched the archives for "+batali +fish +cheese" and just couldn't come up with anything. Perhaps the 'batali' part tripped up the results. Then I searched google for the same thing and also turned up not much. Finally, I thought I'd just start a thread and see what kind of hits I got.... and of course ya'll came through for me. The Italian restaurant's cioppino was the special of the day, and it was definitely the San Fran style - rich & thick broth with red wine, many kinds of fish but no lobster, unfortunately. It was a good soup, regardless the pedigree. Andrea http://tenacity.net

The "traditional" cake here is tres leches, but I'd say that the popular cakes in restaurants are the usual: anything involving chocolate and layers, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Los Equipales has a lovely tres leches, not at all dry like I've had in some other local establishments. Andrea in Albuquerque

I've seen enough Molto Mario to actually raise an eyebrow when I was offered fresh grated parmesan on my cioppino just yesterday at a local Italian restaurant - and a decent one at that. Aside from the fact that the "no cheese near my fish" thing has been drilled into my brain, is there an actual precedent for it, culinary or historical? I'd nitpick with the restaurant for the practice, but if I am just being silly and it's an example of Mario's inventiveness with cooking, I'd like to know.... Thank you! Andrea in Albuquerque

An unphotographed dessert tonight, slowly served up in tiny bites with my diminutive favorite spoon: Fage Total 2% yogurt with homemade fig preserves.

For the noodle/pasta lovers, don't forget about shirataki (konjac) noodles. The kind with tofu in them have far better flavor and just a few calories (as opposed to zero in the "plain" kind). Recipes abound online, especially on the Hungry Girl website and Livin La Vida Lo Carb. However, they ALL recommend that you par-boil the noodles before cooking them or saucing them to remove some of the weird taste. The weird texture does not change, so they can take some getting used to. A bit rubbery is a good way to start, but I wouldn't say they are like "rubber bands", as some do. I like them quite a bit for adding to soups or making a cold soy-sesame noodle salad. Andrea http://foodpart.com

The Pietown Cafe in... (where else?) Pie Town, NM has a Green Chile Apple Pinon pie that is quite amazing.... Here's a mouth-watering photo, despite the Costco paper plate (note the pine nuts on the bottom and flecks of green chile throughout): Andrea http://tenacity.net

Let's say that the products contaminated span several brands, as it's likely they are all packaged in the same facility. So it is affecting one major farm of spinach. How about "bagged" (really boxed) Organic spinach? Seems that would have to come from a completely different farm and would therefore not be affected....? Hmm. On the washing thing, NOT washing fresh spinach is exactly the reason I get the packaged stuff. You have no idea how much time and water are used up to get the fresh stuff really clean. Ick. Andrea http://tenacity.net

Easy. The day I was at the thrift store scanning the glassware shelf looking for interesting vessels, I spotted the ONLY mug that was personalized with a name - and it was my name. I had to buy it, of course. Photos from my egullet blog: Andrea in Albuquerque http://foodpart.com

I seem to recall a food blogger ranting about the use of the word "off" - "searing off", "firing off", et cetera. I, too, like the noun-to-verb translation practice but the "off" thing grates on me for some reason. Andrea in Albuquerque http://foodpart.com

ludja, I went last year (and will probably go again this year - we have a very late fair, in the last week(s) of September...), and tried the infamous fried Oreos. Disgusting! I had optimistic visions of a light batter barely covering a hot and melty Oreo filling, but rather it was a tennis-ball sized lump of tasteless dough fried around the poor affected cookie. Hmph. However, we do have PIES TO DIE FOR, made by real church ladies! Make way for me, sour cream & raisin.... Pies with the light ON are still available.... Cherry-peach pie. Plus, this year there is a grilled cheese eating contest.... hmm. Andrea http://foodpart.com

Oh, gawd.... I looooove Bahn Xeo! I don't think that I've been served it with lettuce as of yet, so that looks new to me. Also, yours looks positively dry on the outside - a welcome change from some that I've had which were very greasy. Vietnamese just rocks - it has even displaced much of the place that Thai had in my dining 'schedule'. Thank you for showing such a place on your blog! Finding a great Bahn Xeo is just one of my culinary tasks here in the Duke City (as well as the best menudo, best pancakes, and a few other things). Andrea in Albuquerque http://foodpart.com

I'm hoping for some fantastic Chimayo stuff (from Northern NM). It can be hotter than the Hatch varieties, anyway. But right about now some really hot weather would help "hotten up" the chiles just before they are harvested. Hope for blistering sun! Andrea http://foodpart.com

We are looking for a new drip coffee machine with a thermal carafe. Here's the problem - it looks like the best of the easily-available models is the Capresso MT500. However, nearly every review I've read says that if you do not line things up exactly between the filter and the carafe, you'll have coffee all over the counter. Being caffeine junkies, I don't know that that kind of precision is possible before actually getting a cup or two in the system..... So is the problem really that bad? The others we were considering was the newer Capresso ST600, and the Bunn 10-cup thermal model. The Technivorm is actually my choice, but just a bit too expensive at this point in time. Thanks! Andrea http://foodpart.com