Cusina

I second sweetening the cranberries before using them. You don't want a too tart tart, well, you know what I mean. However if you cook them too long in syrup cranberries will pop and you end up with cranberry sauce rather than something you could arrange prettily in a tart shell. Just an idea, but I like using a pecan pie filling (make 1/2 a normal pie recipe) poured over the arranged fruit. You could even add pecans into the cranberry, apple slice arrangement if that appealed. Makes for a yummy caramel taste. I also make homemade vanilla, but that is a whole other thread... edit: stupid typo corrected

Yeah, yeah, I didn't figure I'd get through this without any snarking. It's like a rite of passage for a novice. But I'm thick skinned and it's worth it for good shrimp!

Thanks too 8track and dano, I think our posts crossed. I did chop (mince) the garlic and I think you are so right, it makes all the difference. The simplicity of this dish is exactly what I love about it! I'll have to try the flour too. I finish my pan fried zucchini in that way (basically the same dish, just with zucchini and tomatoes instead of shrimp) and it's great. Thanks again! I'll let you know how it works out.

Thanks for the response Dave. I think what you described as a Pop is what I'm after. A bit of difference between the texture of the outside of the shrimp as opposed to the inside, like a good pan fried piece of fish (not breaded) that has little seared crust on the outside and a tender interior. I will try brining. I've been marinating the shrimp in the sauce, minus the butter, for about 30 minutes before cooking. Should I soak them in brine prior to that or instead of that? Then they only need to be cooked in butter for a minute or two, till just pink, right? I think I've been overcooking them somewhat hoping for that sear.

Living in the Midwest it's difficult to find good shrimp dishes. Red Lobster's version of hot garlicsalt-on-shrimp just doesn't cut it. Thus my quest. After a few less than perfect trials, I found this recipe. I made a few changes. I prefer lime zest and juice to the lemon, chopped garlic (3 large cloves) instead of the pressed garlic, and used hot pepper sauce instead of cayenne powder. I think I also glugged in about twice as much sherry as was called for. The flavor was wonderful (my husband about licked the frying pan), but I can't seem to get the texture right. The shrimp was just a bit rubbery and I would like there to be a bit of crispness to it. I didn't want to broil the dish in fear of losing the flavor of the shrimp and burning the garlic. (My stove is a combo model with gas burners and electric oven and broiler). Any suggestions as to how to achieve scampi perfection? They would be greatly appreciated.

I believe this has been posted before but it's worthy of a second go around. Starbucks Psychoanalysis I know for those of you in Manhattan and LA Starbucks is very passe, but I live in a smaller city and was thrilled to have a starbucks move in. Reasonably good coffee, consistent, nice staff, friendly atmosphere and they take beautiful care of the historic building they are in. And they haven't put the local coffee shops out of business.

So, I'm 33, not 24, but I can empathize with your post (which I enjoyed very much, thank you). My husband and I had a similar dinner a while back (at Tru rather than CT), including the strangely amusing escort to the bathroom. I think alot of what you described made me feel out of my element too, especially at first, but then the wine steward, who was also youngish, very graciously made us laugh a bit and we felt much more comfortable. His selections for us were incredible too. AND we started asking questions about the food and it's presentation as was suggested above. That did seem to break the ice even more and very shortly we were not only enjoying our meal tremendously but learning alot in the process. So, don't give up. Since that meal, we have been to a few other wonderful fine cuisine restraunts and enjoyed them tremendously. It is a lot of fun for us now. I have yet to get to Charlie's, though. Definitely on my list of places to go before I expire.

I just knew you all would appreciate this... BACON - A Los Angeles librarian reports she finally found it necessary to revoke a gentleman's library card. Because her repeated letters to him, telephone calls, and face-to-face pleas still failed to break him of the peculiar habit of using strips of raw bacon as bookmarks. -Boyd's Book of Odd Facts

Great pictures... like the bathrobe. So how does it clean up? Did you have to turn it inside out? And how is PB, banana and bacon anyways?

Anyone see Urinetown? This thread is reminding me of it. Pay to pee, people, pay to pee.

Our last trip to Chicago we went to Carmine's on Rush for a family Italian dinner. They have attendants. It's a fairly small restroom in a giant restaurant, extremely busy. The poor woman hardly had a place to stand and her "tip thank you" selection of gum, candy, kleenex packs, band-aids and the like took up most of the spot that I would have liked to set my purse down in while I washed my hands. I hate to sound ungrateful, she was a pleasant person, but it just didn't seem to enhance my dining experience. My brother cracked me up though when he returned from the men's room with a flourish and a tootsie pop for me. Somehow a lollipop from the men's room lacked appeal.

You're in awe because you're in the dominatrix business and aren't making much money? Wha?? I'm in awe of her non girly mouse stomping. Well, as the old joke goes, I beat the eggs, whip the cream and sweat the onions but beyond that you are on your own.

I sprinkled mine with tarragon and a little dollop of cream this weekend. Works well if the soup is on the sweeter side.

HA, fat guy... I was just thinking of all the beautifully robust and vibrant cancer patients I know too. Especially those who are a few years out from treatment, many look much better than carnivore me. Can't tell me Lance Armstrong is whimpy looking. Social crusades that include food are very interesting. Food choices are so much at the core of being human. Having the ability to make your own choices is cool. Having a philosophy and sticking to it is good too. It's even better if it makes some sense. What I can't deal with is the woman I occasionally see (and try to avoid) who feels it is her duty to convert EVERYONE to a veggie state. She assumes all meat eaters are just ignorant of the gory details. Enjoy your beliefs, I can respect them, just respect mine too. mmmmm Bacon.

This is pretty entertaining reading, have to say. Bourdain, that hostess sounds like she would make serious cash in the dominatrix business... I'm a bit in awe. Ollie and Rosie, my lovely young female (and feline) mousers, agreed with the chase em and shake em method, then eviceration if you are looking presentation oos and ahhs. If you are going to go the cat route I'd look for a svelt female less than 5 years old with a healthy ego. I'd offer up Ollie, but I don't think she would make the trip well. Last week I found a dead little mousie on the brick hearth in the living room. Ollie, my older cat and celebrated neighborhood mouser (one of my neighbors planted catnip for her in thanks for relieving his chipmunk problem) was outside so Rosie, my 5 month old baby, must have done the job. I have never seen a prouder animal. I now know first hand what the cat that ate the "canary" looks like. Made sure to reward her well. So, babka, what has happened? We need to hear the rest of the saga! Have you negotiated or gone in for the kill?

shucks, posted before I was done, sorry. Trigger happy. Wanted to say congratulations on the new kitchen too. It sounds just beautiful! Hope you enjoy many, many great meals from it.

I'll add in my 2 cents for solid surface materials. I like my corian a lot. Even did the backsplash in it. It cleans up beautifully. I'm especially fond of my seamless sink. Scratches and stains just buff out with a scotch brite pad. It's only enemy is heat. Can't take a pan immediately off the stove and put it in the sink or on the counter. I would suggest light colored counter tops too. I had dark ones in another house and they never seemed to look really clean for me. Always some sort of wipe mark or spilled salt or little fingerprints that made the surface look dirty.

Ahh, fall. Tis the season for mice. Whatever you do to get the little darling dead, do it fast. There is NEVER one mouse in a house for long. Before you know it there will be a zillion of the little things throughout the place. If you are a renter, call your landlord. If you are lucky enough to have full responisibility for the place call an exterminator. The benefit of an experienced exterminator is that he will be very likely to find the mouses' entry point and close it up for you as well as get rid of the little bugger, thus preventing these kinds of games in the future. Have fun!

ahh, dark, dark chocolate, red wine and salty chips. Those chili lime ones are awesome (the chips that is).

Tourist! Hey, I'm just concerned for the saftey of my dinnermates! *hitching up dark socks in white shoes under baggy shorts and pushing up overly large sunglasses while repositioning camera around neck* Pass the cheetos will you?

So, kind of tangential... but if you put marshmallows in the microwave they puff up really big and look cool. I've always wanted to light kirch on top of fondue as I'm serving it, but I'm too chicken. Fondue is one of those foods that I just can't seem to make while entirely sober and I've never felt that tipsy and flaming was a good combo. bwok bwok

I had my purportedly first traumatic dining experience here many moons ago. I picked up an uncapped bottle of Tabasco and inserted it into my ever-curious mouth. Now, I love the stuff. The seed was planted deeply. I'm so glad to hear you aren't permanently scarred! My son did the same darn thing at about 18 months old. I felt SO bad for him at the time. Those cute little bottles don't look like they would be painful.

I puree the leftover sweet potatoes (candied farily simply in butter and brown sugar) for soup. Mix them with butternut squash and tarragon. Yum.

jat... yes, yes, post them pretty please. They both sound delicious to me. I love soft center chocolate cakes served warm, black forest is wonderful, and there is nothing like a good carrot cake with not too sweet cream cheese frosting. And anything drenched in liquor so it drips while emerging from the pan is almost orgasmic. And then there is the endless variety of berry shortcakes... a whole passion unto itself. And a humble homemade apple cake says fall like nothing else and makes your house smell so good. I was supposed to pick a favorite wasn't I? Hmmm... impossible I think. But I promise to keep up the search.