winodj

I am unfamiliar with the term "plonk." Sorry, my French is rusty. :-) I had a couple OK bottles last year, nothing hugely special. But I also had a bottle of Cherry Kool-Aid masking as Nouveau Beaujolais.

I always thought that the true quality of food was how well it tasted cold on the next day. Or is that just pizza?

When does the first of the 2002s start finding its way to the stores in the US? And will it be worth buying this year?

What, Mad Dog 20/20 isn't good enough for you? Seriously though, I've found this awesome Tuscan, Villa Puccini 1998 I think... runs about 10-12 bucks a bottle. Very versatile as I recall.

Things I learned about cooking in boy scouts. You can't make toast by holding wonder bread over a coleman stove with a fork. Well you can, but it tastes like cooking gas. Spam is a malleable substance. Dutch Ovens are easy to forget about when you are cooking, and a pain in the rear to clean. Chili is an easy answer... but there's the clean up issue. I remember, occasionally, my mom and I would preprepare a cookout on a campout... and had some kick ass spaghetti dinners. My question to you and your troop: Where are you camping? Is it a backwoods trek or at a site where water is available, like a boy scout camp? Wino Dj, who somehow got eagle scout.

I'm making Stirfry tonight. Beef, onion, garlic, nothing special. But I wonder, why is vegetable oil preferable to olive oil in this case? What makes vegetable oil or peanut oil preferable?

McDonald's Triple Cheeseburger. or 2 Salt Bagels and a large sprite. :-) Always works for me... sorta.

Got any ideas? Work has been very nice to me lately, giving me a shot at going to parts of the country I've not known before. Problem is, I don't know where to go to do the pleasantly weird/cheap things to make me happy. So... where do I go?

I did the deed and made the Bibimbap. It was really good... granted I'm sure I did it all wrong, and I made sure the rice was sticky and not fluffy.... but I really liked it... and I will probably make it again soon! Thanks for the tip!

I'm going to try to make Bibimbap this week... but do i actually cook all the food in the bowl or do i cook it elsewhere and then mix it in the bowl? I am a little bit confused.

Here's the other caveat. Some of these dishes sound great, but I dont have an oven, just a stovetop and microwave.

So the budget for the rest of the month is real tight... and I have ground beef for cheap. But oddly enough, my copy of How To Cook Everything doesnt give me any good Ground Beef ideas. So you got any? Roger

I am not yet at the point where I can regularly spend upwards of 15 dollars a bottle for wine. I try to find the cheapest, best wine I can. To be honest - the one bottle I bought above the 20 dollar price point in the last 6 months was one of my least favorite. The best I have had in a while is Villa Puccini 1999... runs about 10 dollars a bottle... one of the better Super Tuscans I have enjoyed in a while.

This weekend, I had another shot at breaking my new kitchen in. I fixed for me and the bf panfried chicken in lemon/wine sauce, and a risotto style orzo. yum. sometimes im actually proud of myself for being able to cook!

If only I had a cellar. I love wine and would buy a lot more if my budget allows. Unfortunately, I have very limited space and I am limited to about 25 bottles.... If I had the budget to have a quality cellar and collection, I would buy by the case or half case... for the same reason mentioned above.... it would be a good investment, 5 years down the line. When I was 13, I convinced my father to buy me with my money five bottles of Bordeaux 1989.... I still have 3 or 4. I saw one of the bottles for sale last year in a wine store for over 150 bux. I paid 10. I doubt price accumulation would be that stunning with the vast majority of wines but I think with good selection... Within five years, I think the wine would start paying for itself.

Comfort food isnt comfort food unless its just the plain awful food you loved growing up. For example: Mustard and Peanut Butter Sandwiches "Slop" (When all my mom had was tomato sauce and egg noodles) "Noodle Soup" (When all my mom had was beef broth and egg noodles... we ate a lot of egg noodles!) Hushpuppies from Long John Silvers Mashed Potatoes straight from the Hungry Jack (might as well be called Foam Potatoes) Jeno's pizza Spaghettios (in my grosser teenage days, enjoying it cold from the can... giving me the iron i need to make it through the day) Spam sandwiches on boy scout sandwiches. From college: White Castle.... (this had to do with a bizzare fraternity hazing ritual that I shouldnt get into for fear of embarrassment.)

I got How To Cook Everything. Really like the book. My friend has the Joy of Cooking and everything in it takes forever. I like this one because it has simpler recipes for the bachelor with a really limited kitchen. Thanks again for all the help, I'll be sure to ask again soon!

So I cooked and I conquered. The results are in and it was good twice over. My boyfriend loved it too. I used a touch too much olive oil, but the homemade risotto was real good and the steak soaked in wine was excellent! Thanks for all your tips. Now if I can remember to do the dishes, I'll be cooking again tomorrow Thanks!

So I'm cooking tonight. A rare occasion that I hope to become not so rare. No saffron... too pricey. I am going to try it with Chicken broth... I dont have the time to make stock. :-) But otherwise, I am following the recipe in the cookbook I picked up today. Which by the way, was almost exactly like the awesome recipe in the thread. Also going to marinate steak in red wine sauce and sear it. I'll let you know how it all turns out. Thanks so much for the help!

This may not be the case with dated vintages but my understanding has always been... if you buy undated champagne, it is not bottled to age. Its kind of a drink in the next few weeks to months thing.

How long are you keeping your champagne before you drink it? After the bottle has been shipped you really only have about 6 months before the champagne goes bad. Also make sure its being stored on its side. Was there cork in the champagne?

I grill my steak in the George... it cooks real fast and keeps it rare but cooked in the middle... The only thing I don't like about it is that it dries out the outside of the steak. Yes I have a microwave, and I usually eat Risotto out of the box because I haven't seen it not in the box where I shop.

OK. A little bit about my life. This may help me be a little less broad in my question. I work second shift, usually get home from work between 10 and midnite, I have a gas stove/oven. The oven doesn't work very well however. I also have a George Foreman grill which I love because it cooks things fast and is very easy to clean up. I'm guessing that this would make great Panini sandwiches. Hmmm idea there. :-) Things I already cook: Cheap steak, usually on its own, although I do play with seasonings and sauces with it. I love chicken breasts. When I get fancy with cooking, I will often fix things on a bed of risotto, preferably with Saffron in it, I think. This help at all? Roger

When it comes to German Beer: I have two words War Steiner. :-) Michigan Brewing Company, a local brewer in Lansing Michigan area makes a nice Ale... can't recall the name of it though. But I don't usually drink exotic beers. Of course, I'm sure that will change eventually. I usually drink Labatts. Its a big beer but a decent one. Definitely a step up from Red Dog, Schlitz or whatever else was on sale at the Supermarket in college.

I don't know how to cook very much either. Can someone give me some tips on how to make the most out of ordinary dinner food? Here are my caveats, it needs to be cheap to make, easy to make - and not require too many utencils. Thanks :confused: