lala

So is it reasonable to excoriate the guy for a show that sucked...that he probably was talked into by his paymasters...that might not have sounded too bad initially? Give him a break. If he does it again and it sucks, then take the swords out. Don't expect him to stand for everything rebel either. 50 year olds who don't want to go back in the kitchen have to make concessions. ←

I'll just note that all of those glowing reports of good english food were meals made in private homes. 20 years ago, if you want out for a meal, particularly in a pub, it was very likely "boil in a bag" food. To my mind, the bad reputation for English food was well deserved, but they're busy correcting it now.

The questions were lame, and it really seemed stilted. Everyone was too self concious about the camera. And the answers were off - Why is food tv gaining more male viewers? - well, Rachel Ray and Giada Delaurentis falling out of their shirts, perhaps? Claiming that people are cooking more - well, up until this financial crisis, no, they weren't. The glamour was in having the nice kitchen, not using it. Food tv is entertainment, not education. Last meal - Tony obviously expected more interesting answers than Mom's spaghetti and fried chicken. It didn't really get rolling until the last 15 minutes, then it was cut off. They should have started filming midway through the meal, when everyone was more relaxed and had a few glasses of wine. It also seemed disrespectful to the food. Their attention was split. If I were eating at WD50, I'd want to pay more attention to the food than talk.

I was under the impression that this saying referred to wine and food, not food and food. Peter, in what way (in your experience) does this not hold true for food?

I agree about the first episode, and tried to watch the second one the other night. Mindless blathering... I turned it off after 15 minutes. My sleep is more important (and entertaing!) than this show.

The article says that he was itching all over when he went to bed, to the point where his girlfriend scratched his back to help alleviate it. Clearly, this was a massive allergic reaction, but they didn't recognize that the itching was a symptom. Maybe the chilis, maybe something else. I'm allergic to roasting chilis and peppers, to the point where my throat closes up. I almost went to New Mexico on vacation until I saw that they roast peppers all over the area in the Fall, when I was able to go. No point in dying on vacation...

I'm pretty lucky in that most of my friends and relatives have pretty decent kitchens. Except for the friend who has tiny, fancy cutting boards that you can't chop more than one clove of garlic on. I helped my Mom design her kitchen when my parents remodeled, and she has always had pretty good equipment. I kept her supplied with good quality spices and herbs and then just sharpened her knives whenever I visited. Unfortunately, my Dad doesn't cook, so it all just sits there unused since she died. It helped me that the kitchen was decent when I cooked while my Mom was sick. Looking back at this thread, how many of us have cooked our way through a parent's last illness? There's a connection there, and I was glad to have a chance to nourish my Mom as she had nourished me for so many years. Besides, the food in the hospice sucked. When my Grandfather died (last grandparent to go), I didn't want any of the fancy stuff, I got the silly wood napkin holder that was on their table for 60 years, the inexpensive but pretty frosted glass pitcher and glasses that my Grandma and I made lemonade in when I was little, and my Grandpa's coffee can. I will say that that man had the wierdest collection of pots and pans, so casseroles had to be divided up into loaf and cake pans.

With the economic downturn and high interest in the presidential debates, my friends and I are making simple dinners and watching the debates together. It started with us emailing each other what ingredients we were willing to bring to the table (so to speak!). First debate yielded chicken quesadillas, last night was the Turkish pasta from the NYT served with a cucumber salad: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/0...html?ref=dining Our only restrictions are that the meal must be inexpensive (we allow $10 per person with entree, sides and dessert) and that it can be eaten from plates on our laps (not enough table space for us all to see the tv, so we're sprawled around the living room). What dinners are you making for the debates?

Her writing is a bit chirpy, but I did enjoy the "deconstructed turkish dumpling" recipe - made it for the debate last night and everyone enjoyed it: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/0...html?ref=dining I admit, I did add mint and cumin to the yogurt sauce...

I always have a corkscrew in my bag. I panicked one time as we were pulling up to the airport and lunged over the backseat to put it in my checked luggage!

Have you searched this board? People probably aren't answering because specific threads already exist for each city. And if you follow LEdlund's link, you'll find a terrific thread on eateries in the Pike Place Market. If you want more information, you may want to be more specific in your request. Are you looking for specific types of meals (Pac NW inspired, Asian, Vegetarian)? What is your price range for each meal? Where are you staying? How far are you willing to drive?

If the non-glass glasses don't feel and behave like glass, don't do it. The only time plastic glasses should be used is on the patio. Otherwise, I'd be pretty pissed if I was served wine in a plastic glass.

You can see clips on the Oprah website.

I agree with Karen! Make it a potluck, and each one can bring a dish to suit their own needs.

I love brown rice! Here in Seattle, many Asian restaurants offer it as an alternative to white rice.

Personally, I'm wondering if the prices on the Posh and Becks blog are fairly compared - she checked the Safeway online delivery service - I know in my area, the delivery service is more expensive than shopping in the store, naturally, it'd be more expensive than shopping at the farmers market. Seems an unfair comparison to me.

Outdoor dining is the best. I agree with others that the setting counts - waterside, in a garden - but not roadside, please! We often take picnics for dinner just to enjoy the fresh air. I'm also lucky enough to have a patio with a great view, so when I'm home I eat outside whenever possible. Because soon enough it'll be raining here in Seattle....

oggi, I hope you did a search in the PNW board - there are lots of great suggestions: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=80851&hl= I must add my voice to the non-Mo's crowd. While the chowder is ok, if it's the only place open, I once had the worst oysters in the world there. Baked oysters.... arrived 6 HUGE plain oysters on one side of their shells, no seasoning, no nuthin' but those palm sized bivalves, in a glass pan straight from the oven. Just nasty.

Get thee to Anjou Bakery just outside of Cashmere. Fantastic baked goods, quiches, etc. The best bakery outside of Seattle, a real treasure. Be sure to stop at the fruit stands in Peshatin, too. It's prime time for great fruit. http://www.anjoubakery.com/index.html

Been catching reruns... I wish he had gone deeper in the Southwest show - WHY are there labor problems in harvesting the peppers in that town? He mentioned Ted Nugent's right wing views, but didn't really explore them. Loved the Spain Show. I want to go right now!

Wow, this makes me long for the good 'ol days. I graduated from the CIA in *mumbledy mumbledy* - quite a few years ago. Metz was President, and he walked the halls every day. Everyone was able to talk with him, and he listened. Perhaps I was lucky in my group - we all helped each other (unlike other groups who sabotoged each other), practiced knife cuts and any other skills that we could in our dorm rooms, and had a great time. We tutored each other in our strenghts, and did remarkably well as a group. I, for one, loved my experience there. I (and my employers) have always valued my experience and degree from the CIA. I've run into some hiring managers who go through the whole "Oh, CIA degree - you must have an attitude!" b.s. Well, if you have a good attitude, it'll show and you'll get the job even if they're anti-CIA.

They make good lemon tarts at Boat Street Cafe ( the menu changes, check to see if they're on). They're not traditional in that they're not baked with the curd in it, they bake the shells then pile on lemon curd. Makes it a little difficult to eat since the filling doesn't adhere to the crust, but other than that, they're darn tasty.

It was very interesting, and not at all gory. There were about 80 people attending, including many kids. They allowed time for people to meet the pig, and people actually thanked him for his life and future as dinner. Gabriel Claycamp (Culinary Communion owner) killed him with a gunshot, then the pig (named Hector) was strung up and bled. Apparently it's hard to cut correctly so that the blood doesn't go everywhere, and it was caught in a bucket. Then they seared the hair off the pig (which took quite a while), and cut him in half end to end. It was actually really interesting to see the anatomy - like a meat fabrication book come to life. All the while Gabe and others talked us through the process, explaining clearly what they were doing and why. The kids loved seeing the cut through version (don't kids love seeing how things are put together?). Then the two halves were laid out and butchered - Gabe did one half, and a bunch of us who had brought knives did the other. The texture of the meat was very soft, and it was explained that it's rare to butcher a pig so soon after killing, that the meat usually goes through rigor before it's fabricated. Gabe explained what all the parts were and how they would be used. They grilled the tenderloin and a few other parts of the pig, served a meal to the guests and had a bluegrass band playing. All in all it was very respectful and incredibly educational. It was actually fun! The kids seemed to really enjoy the process, and I bet none of them will look at packaged meat on a styrofoam tray the same again. I think they're going to do another Sacrificio this summer. I hope so, the only way this one could be better is if it was warmer!

Did anyone read the article in the NY Times on Chefs who have animals raised for slaughter? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/dining/1...ing&oref=slogin I attended a "Sacrificio" last Sunday, where the folks at Culinary Communion did the same with a pig they had raised. It was an amazing experience, very respectful and not sensationalized. I wish they'd been in this piece. Did anyone else go on Sunday?

On street parking is difficult, but there is plenty of parking at the hospitals themselves, so maybe you'll get people combining visits to the Doc and lunch at your place. Have you thought about doing delivery in the neighborhood? With all those hospitals and offices so close, maybe that's an option? Are you going to deliver samples to the bigger medical offices to drum up business? The potential is huge, I'm sure you'll do great!