Jump to content

Mudpuppie

participating member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    800

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Mudpuppie

    Seitan

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted · Edited by Mudpuppie (log)

    I've never tasted the devil, so I can't really answer your question.

    But, seitan I like. In fact, I had it for dinner last night. It's not a soy product -- it's wheat. It can taste like sawdust if you don't flavor it well enough, but fortunately it's pretty amenable to such things.

    I don't like the brands that come already flavored. They're usually drowned in soy sauce, which obviously makes them much less versatile. The one I buy is made buy White Wave.

    The whole point is the texture which, unlike tofu, I find really enjoyable. It's chewy and sort of meat-like (especially if, like me, it's been years since you've eaten meat). Mostly it becomes an agent for whatever sauce or flavoring you add to it.

    I like it in fajitas. I "marinate" for a while in lime, cumin, chipotle powder, and garlic. Then I pan fry with onions and peppers until it's browned. (I like it crispy.)

    I also like it with barbecue sauce.

    I'm not sure it's something meat-eaters will automatically appreciate. For the rest of us, though, it's something of a godsend.

    Edit: I've always heard it pronoucned SAY-tann (like bedpan), not SAY-tunn (like satan).

    Why is food writing in America so bad?

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    It's not just food writing, it's all writing.

    A-effing-men to that. (This from an editor....)

    I agree, but still feel food writing is held to even less journalistic integrity than other writing, or is it just me? I've even read "The Best Food Writing" and was underwhelmed by most of it.

    Cookingwithamy: I think it depends on what you care most about. If you were a rabid football fan, it's likely that the quality of sports reporting would seem to be the problem. But maybe this is simplistic.

    Writing -- or, more generically, mastery of language -- is not something we value very much in our culture. So long as we can communicate basic ideas to each other, we're pretty happy. Grunting and pointing serves that purpose just as well as does scintillating food writing.

    Knock your socks off

    in Cooking

    Posted

    The presence of horseradish among your grapevines will neither result in a new form of life nor a new victual, owing to the fact that the plants are too unrelated to cross-breed. The horseradish may, however, compete with the grapevines and cause them to have a smaller or inferior crop, and it will definitely become impossible to dig them without risking damage to the root systems of your grapevines.

    I suggest you try to confine them to a safer location, and treat the others, cruelly, as weeds.

    I don't know -- I'm looking out my window right now at my neighbor's grapevines. They have conquered her house and are trying to conquer mine. The vines run the length of her property and grow up onto a 4' trellis on her roof. They have choked the life out of the peach tree in my backyard (didn't trim them soon enough) and they have felled my neighbor's TV antenna.

    I realize it's a race between the grapevines and the horseradish to see who gets established first, but once that happens, my money's on the grapes.

    When concession food sucks

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    If you hadn't had the cool jeans that were ripped in the knees you could have had some m & ms with AgaCooker's sock beers. Then again, if you had had your jeans tucked into your socks (as if it were, say, leech season) you could have eaten the m & ms out of your shoes.

    Too true. So many fashion mistakes back then.

    The fortunate thing is that the M&Ms weren't there long enough to melt. "Melts in your mouth, not in your pants...."

    When concession food sucks

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    We couldn't stop laughing. Luckily it was an comedy so we didn't get thrown out!

    I've always had a guilty conscience. So guilty, in fact, that it extends to such things as minor as sneaking food into movies. One of the first times I ever did this was my first year in college. Don't remember the movie, but it was opening night and the theatre was packed. I'd stopped and bought a large bag of M&Ms. After eating a few in the car, I stuffed the bag in my waistband and tried to be as nonchalant about finding a seat as I could.

    My friend and I were running a little late -- got there right as the previews started. Since the theatre was so full, we had to settle for seats in the middle of the theatre. As I was crawling across and over people to get to our seats, the bag of M&Ms slipped further down into my pants and fell open. M&Ms spilled out of my pantslegs and out of the holes ripped in the knees of my very cool jeans. I could hear them tumbling all the way down to the front of the theatre.

    I was horrified. I was sure I'd be arrested. Then the giggles started....

    Each City's signature dish?

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted · Edited by Mudpuppie (log)

    The Denver (here in colorado usually called a Western Omelette) Omelette is not a Denver or Colorado specialty. I don't know the history of the name; does anyone else?

    The Denver Public Library has a chat-reference feature online. I'm currently asking a librarian. Google was no help....

    Edit: OMG, this is the coolest thing. You can chat live with a librarian. Susie the Librarian said that she knows the Western History Department has received this question before, but they're closed today. They'll email the answer within two business days....

    Each City's signature dish?

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted · Edited by Mudpuppie (log)

    Las Vegas = 99-cent shrimp cocktail  :laugh:

    Don't forget the $.99 Foot Long Chili Dog. :blink: I have a story, but I'm not going to tell it now.

    As for Austin, I'd nominate BBQ, migas, and chili from the Texas Chili Parlor. Enchiladas are certainly in the running, but that's a little vague.

    Edit:

    Was Ft. Worth on your list? If so, Joe T. Garcia's tex-mex and big ol' honking steaks.

    And for New Orleans, how about Oysters Rockefeller?

    And for SF, clam chowder in a bread bowl is very popular on Fisherman's Wharf.

    Chuck E Cheese

    in Ready to Eat

    Posted

    Heh. I was just about to post that same link.

    I love this quote:

    "Chuck E. Cheese isn't the type of place where adults go for drinks," he added. "There is a segment of customers who like to have a glass of wine with their meal, but it's not the focus of our business."

    The Kid Who Ate Paste

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    How about those wax lips, and wax bottles filled with sugar syrup some of us had as kids.  We used to chew and eat that wax!  :blink:  I just thought of that today while I was driving home.  :laugh:

    Right! And the candy dots? They made you have pica bacause you always

    got some of the paper in your mouth while trying to rip off the dots with your teeth.

    Forgot all about the wax stuff.

    And let's not forget Pixie Sticks.

    San Antonio to San Angelo and back

    in Texas: Dining

    Posted

    My flight does not land in Austin until 5:00pm on Thursday afternoon, so it is probably too late.

    There are some wonderful options for you in East Austin, maybe 15 minutes from the airport. I'll let whoever can join you fill in the details.

    East Austin for more authentic Mex, Curra's for Tex Mex. (I love Curra's.) The Oltorf location isn't too far from the airport.

×
×
  • Create New...