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chemprof

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  1. I've volunteered to do a cooking class/demo for some students in one of our dorms next week (one of my students is the RA). I'm focusing on food you can do quicklly and easily in a George Foreman, rice cooker, hot pot or microwave (no open coil appliances such as toasters or toaster ovens are allowed in the dorms). They do have a "kitchen" with an stove, etc. but I'm trying to focus on food you could turn out in your room if the caf was closed or you didn't feel like going. (also apparently the oven door will only stay closed if you prop a chair against it! ). I'm going to bring my knife and show them how to chop an onion, etc. and I thought it would be good to suggest that they might want to acquire a decent knife, but I know they don't have much money, or even the need to invest in an expensive knife. After a trip to Target and Bed Bath and Beyond today...I wonder if any of those $10-20 chefs knives are worth buying, just as a starter knife for a dorm room? Thanks- Anne ps in case you're wondering, here's my current planned menu George Foreman+heavy textbook= panini press, so: Cheddar and ham panini Brie and jam panini Chocolate and banana panini (poundcake + nutella) Rice cooker Hoppin' John Soba with spicy peanut sauce and veggies (rice cooker/hotpot) Microwave breakfast sandwich
  2. Kent- I can't belive that you were able to go to College Station for a fine meal. Yay Veritas! When i was a grad student at A&M in the late '80's, I heard tell that it was hard to find places to take seminar speakers, but given my income level (chemistry grad student notwithstanding) that sort of concern really wasn't on my plate. While living in Texas from 1984-89 I did eat a lot of good milkshakes (go Ag Schools), Texas barbecue, and cheeseburgers (yay Cow Hop). I also learned what good (I think) Chinese was like (Houston),as well asl kolaches, sausage and real Mexican food (friend in El Paso, with mom from Mexico). What an amazing state. Looking forward to your blog! -Anne
  3. Indeed! (Turns out that Philadelphia Inquirer food editor Rick Nichols had the same reaction to this product when he spied a box of it on the shelf of a Japanese grocery/eatery in the Main Line suburb of Narberth.) ← This may have already been mentioned elsewhere, but the "Vermont" of that curry refers to the apples used in the roux. Having lived in VT, I know it's definitely known for apples (I lived/studied right near the orchard where much of The Cider House Rules was filmed). ← Thanks for the clarification Rona, now, can you solve the mystery of "Georgia" coffee? When I was in Japan and commented on how strange I thought that name was, my friend (native Japanese who's been living in the US for a few years) asked me if Georgia was famous for its coffee! Maybe if it was peach flavored... Bruce Willis was also in the advertisement, but that's another discussion! Anne
  4. I like to coat them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and put them on the grill until they are done and have a little browned or charred spots. They're good just as a side dish. I have friend who will let these cool to room temp, and serve them with a chipotle mayo dip as an appetizer. Anne
  5. Ah, well, move along, nothing to see here... From todays News and Record I wonder what is going to go in there. It'll be quite a hole in Quaker Village. Anne
  6. Melissa- Thanks so much for all the great info! I'm now drooling for my 6-burner Monogram (it would be natural gas, not propane). I'm off the the appliance store (with my roasting pan and cookie sheet in tow!). Oh and CONGRATULATIONS to you and your husband on the holy grail, tenure! Believe me, I know how good that feels! Take care, Anne
  7. Melissa, I'm in the middle of planning my own kitchen reno, and like so many I'm having trouble deciding on appliances. Other than knowing I want a gas cooktop and an electric oven, I've been going back and forth between an cooktop and wall ovens (GE Profile) and a range. I've just recently started looking at the Monogram ranges, specifically the 36" six burner one like you have. I'm so glad to go through this thread and see how much you like it. I was a little worried about the oven, it seemed really low and I didn't know about the size. The price is a little scary too (but hey, once you were looking at a cooktop and wall ovens it's just a "little" bit more! One question, what kind of sink did you get? I'm sorry I've been through most of the pages of your post and I couldn't find it, except that you said you really liked it for cleanup! Any other comments that you (or anyone) might want to make about the Monogram would be really helpful! Take care, Anne
  8. If it makes you feel any better, David, the Cream of Tartar is good forever! That and your baking soda! Now the baking powder on the other hand....keep it dry!. Great blog so far! I can't wait to see what's up in the PNW. I used to live in Eugene, OR and I remember one day a friend was asking me what food items I missed most about NC (where I'm from, and it was barbecue, thanks!) and then what I thought was the best food item in Oregon, and all I could say was "the produce"! I still miss the strawberries! Anne ps I would really like to know what airline you work for...free wine and beer? And good wine and beer at that!?
  9. No worries, phlawless, to each his own. I like the dried fruits, nuts (especially pine nuts), snacks, wines, and I'd like to have a chance to play around with some of the prepared frozen stuff (hard to do when you live 100+ miles away from the closest one). I haven't had too much of a chance to try the produce or prepared foods for the same reason, though in the Trader Joe's I've been in (SoCal and DC) they looked pretty good. There always seems to be something fun and different in there to try, and I don't have to commit to a 55-gallon drum of it like I might have to at Costco! I'd also like to have them move into the space I discussed in my original post because it's walking distance from the place I work, and it's been nice to be able to go to the Fresh Market and pick up a quick, relatively healthy lunch or dinner. I'm not sure about the new trend in mega-Fresh Markets....I've grown up with the ones in this area (Piedmont Triad), and I think of them as tiny little stores, and I kind of liked that! Anne
  10. The Fresh Market in Quaker Village is moving to new fancy (huge!) digs in Jefferson Village a few miles away on 6/27/07 (for those of you familar with Greensboro, it's the old JP Park property on New Garden Rd). It's leaving a hole, I think, a perfectly Trader Joe's sized hole in Quaker Village. Today's News and Record has a story hinting about what might be headed into that space: Keeping my fingers crossed....!!! Anne
  11. I tried the tofu shirataki for the first time yesterday, and I thought they were pretty good. I was a little worried b/c I had tried konnyaku products when I visited Japan and found the texture a little off-putting. I agree with what folks have said above about them seeming better suited for Asian-style dishes. I rinsed and parboiled them, and didn't notice any fishy taste or smell at that point. I think if I was using fish sauce in the recipe, I could skip the parboil step. I made a little peanut sauce, and tossed them with that and some cucumber, red bell pepper, thai basil and mint (shoot, I just remembered that I did have cilantro in the fridge! ) Anyhow, pretty tasty and 0 WW points according to the online points calculuator! Anne
  12. It has become a tradition on the UNC sports message boards for someone to start a BBQ thread every now and again. You would be surprised how many partisans from one side of the state refuse to eat the BBQ from the other. If I can make a generalization, I find that those on the Eastern side of the state tend to be a bit more parochial than those on the Western side but I think there may be more to that than just the method of cooking a pig. ← That's what you get for paying attention to sports fans. These are people who get leap up and down in their own living rooms based on something that happened with an inflated ball. We're not dealing with "rational" from the get-go. ← Heh- Go Wolfpack! Yes, I am completely irrational in my living room from Dec-March (hopefully April again someday soon). I am not as irrational about barbeque, however. (I hope!). I like both styles, but tend to favor the eastern style, which I was introduced to in college. I agree that Wilber's is a great place (it's been a while since I've been there). A good place to get try eastern NC and Lexington NC bbq side-by-side is a place called Prissy Polly's in Kernersville (it's just off business-40 http://www.prissypollys.com/ ). Great sides, too. I really like the collards! Hmmm...come to think of it, I haven't been there in awhile either! Anne
  13. ← Interesting! Why is Greensboro (or even Winston) last? We've got colleges...we've got fancy restaurants...we've got...well, I don't know...folks who can cook? I had a discussion with a checker at Whole Foods in Winston the other night, and he said that Charlotte was due to get two WF before they even came to Greensboro. ← Not to rub it in, but Charlotte has had two Trader Joe's announced with a third still rumored. And yeah, still two Whole Foods on the way. Sorry. But, hey, Greensboro still has Tobacco USA, right? ← I wish! Tobacco USA moved last year and the new location, well, to put it bluntly, sucks. It's much smaller and now just a botique food and wine store w/ limited selection. The coffee's still good though. I heard a rumor that a Trader Joes might go into the Fresh Market space across from Guilford College, but it's totally a rumor with no substantiation. It would a a good space for them (Fresh Market is building a new, bigger store off of New Garden Road). Oh, well, even if that rumor pans out, Charlotte is still closer to Greensboro than DC! Maybe I'll run into you there, Kathleen. I'll be the one with the full cart and the cooler in the car! Anne
  14. My husband and I were at a lake house this weekend, and at SuperTarget buying supplies. Half price plus not having all my usual stuff plus late night plus Ming Tsai made the frozen entrees attractive. We tried Wonton Noodles w/ shrimp (mostly bok choy as the veggie) and Shrimp Pad Thai (carrots, red peppers and edamame as veggies). The sauce for the Wonton Noodles was not too exciting, but tasty enough, and the sauce for the Pad Thai was a nice peanut sauce, not anything I couldn't have figured out myself, but given the situation, just fine, thanks. Nothing I'd buy on a regular basis, but just fine for the the time and place. Very Trader Joesesque. I would like a little more meat and veggie myself, but all in all it got dinner done. Target is evil in it's addictivness! BryanZ, the crack comment is too accurate! Anne
  15. YES!!!!!! Cary is much closer to Greensboro than DC (or Atlanta!). Hey, and I read the story, they said they like to use existing retail space, they don't build. Given the fact the the Greensboro City Council likes to let folks build shopping centers and leave old ones empty, I can think of lots of nice places for them to go as they open more TJ's in NC! YAAAAY!!!!!!! (can you tell I'm excited?) Anne
  16. I take it your cats are past the stage of "let's see if I can fit in here"? Mine know how to open cabinets, even. The glassware sits in a tall closed hutch, out of feline reach. I just lost my favorite butter dish today because somebody decided to see how big the tablecloth is, and whether it could be pulled off the table. Husband came in just before the vase went to the floor, but it was too late for my beloved butter dish. ← I was wondering about earthquakes ...I hadn't even thought about "catquakes"! Great blog! Anne
  17. I will have to give you my frequent flyer miles since I will have to go to California far fewer times now! Damn! I had totally forgotten about that promise ... As for those cities getting the next TJ's? Those are precisely what I had discussed yesterday with a friend of mine ... and in that order, too! (we missed Winston-Salem though) ← Interesting! Why is Greensboro (or even Winston) last? We've got colleges...we've got fancy restaurants...we've got...well, I don't know...folks who can cook? I had a discussion with a checker at Whole Foods in Winston the other night, and he said that Charlotte was due to get two WF before they even came to Greensboro. Did I mention we have colleges? Good ones too..Like 7 of them. Damn. We don't have a good theatre either.. Anne
  18. and I shall sit in a tent in the empty parking lots whose addresses are here and await the Grand Openings! Seems like only yesterday when I started this thread: What does a city have to do to get some respect?Trader Joe's,Dean & DeLuca: nouveau whine ← And I think you owe me a plane ticket!! If this is true, Anne, then I will personally give you a free gift card to the nearest TJ's and an airplane ticket ... When I visit my daughter on the central coast of California, I purposely pack lightly going out and leave room for my TJ's "stash" coming home .. this time, my bag was weighed and was tagged "HEAVY BAG" .. sure I was embarrassed trying to drag it off the carrousel, but, hey, it is Trader Joe's! How much could my full ripe Turkish apricots and orange scented dried cranberries weigh? So what if I bought 6 big bags of each? plus the candy and cookies, and miniature bell peppers and lemon curd and jams and jellies and ... ← Congratulations! Today Atlanta, tomorrow.... Charlotte? It's the most I can hope for, I know that Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Asheville and probably even Chapel Hill will get TJ's before Greensboro does! But I have family in Charlotte, and it's closer than California or DC! Anne
  19. Chemistry eGulleteers...represent! Heh....saw the title of this thread and immediatly thought...hey! Maybe they're going to the ACS meeting! Thanks for starting the thread! I'll be back to check it out in more detail when I get done grading! See you in atlanta! Take care, Anne
  20. Tobacco USA is moving to a location on Market Street (just off Holden) so it won't be near the coliseum when you come, but i may still be worth the trip. I think they are going to focus on gourmet/coffee stuff in their new location, but it will be interesting to see! Giacomo's is FANTASTIC and not only are the folks there great, they have a new "branch" on the corner of New Garden and Battleground Ave. I'm not sure which is closer to the coliseum but the Battleground branch may have less of a crowd around ACC tournament time. Bistro Sofia is yummy and one of my favorite places. I was there for dinner this past Sat and asked for a nice wine to go with my steak and my dinner companion's duck. I was reccommended an absolutly fantastic wine in the price range I had requested. They have an awesome wine list. (an aside, I think one of my students may have been responsible for burning down Madison Park but I'll never be sure ). Saigon is very, very good but there is some good Vietnamese (basic everyday) at Pho Hien Vong (on Spring Garden near Market St) and also in that area is a fantastic Mexican taqueria called Taqueria al Azteca. The shrimp cocktail (coctele de camerones) is incredible and a deal at I think still $9-10. I like Revival near Guilford College as well. Stay away from Red Oak. The beer is great (and you can get it at many other restaurants) but the restaurant, sadly, sucks. And if you're near the coliseum and craving barbecue, Stamey's is a classic and pretty darn good. More as I think of it...how many meals do you have? Anne edited to add: oops I missed you wanted no barbecue! I agree with folks regarding Liberty Oak, Southern Lights and Bert's Seafood as well. Both excellent and interesting. Check out downtown, there are a lot of cool restaurants there now (including Liberty Oak!).
  21. I still have eight dinner plates with stickers on the bottom of them that I got a year ago that still haven't come off! Oh, wait... I think one of them has come off! I've scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed, and used all kinds of products to no avail! VERY FRUSTRATING INDEED!!! ← My suggestion (as a chemist) is that you need that thing that all organic chemists adore for cleaning glassware: a base bath! There are two ways to approach this at home: 1. Use Easy-Off. Spray on offending glass or ceramic object with stuff stuck to it (do this in the sink!), let sit (the same amount of time you'd leave it in a oven) and then rinse and scrub. I'm betting things will slide right off. Easy off is basically spray-on Drano. 2. Make up a bath with Everclear and Drano (this is similar to what you might use in lab, which is an ethanol/NaOH bath). This is very caustic stuff (so be careful, gloves and eye protection). I don't have the proportions on me, but I promise that nearly anything (that is glass or glazed ceramic) you soak in this bath will come out SPARKLY! If you want know the exact proportions for this bath reply and I'll get them at school. Only for professionals... Use a chromic acid bath, but then you can't eat anything off it, and I doubt you have the chemicals/safety equipment at home. Anne
  22. chemprof

    GREENS!

    MizDucky, don't throw away that hamhock broth! That's the best thing to cook the greens in! Of course I love country ham and can't imagine much that is too salty. I learned to cook collards at the farmer's market from a lady who was trying to sell me some. It was much less intimidating once tried it! It's much like yours except that I saute onion or two w/ garlic and olive oil to add to the collards in the last step. Anne
  23. A few years ago I took a group of students to Japan. We gave them money and told them to find their own food in the evenings. While my Japanese colleague and I sought "japanese food" (really, I do love EVERYTHING nihongo) my students were not so adventurous. They repeately urged me to join them at this "great Mexican place" they had found in Ikebukuro. I said "no" mainly b/c I had NOT traveled to Japan to eat Mexican, but I was especially disappointed to find out that it was an "El Torito".
  24. Hi folks- Thanks for all the help! I'm sitting here staring at the giant Waring Pro box from Amazon trying to figure out how to wrap. My husband has suggested a gallon of peanut oil and a 5 lb sack of potatoes as accessories. It'll be interesting to see which one my brother opens first! Happy Holidays to everyone on Egullet! You Rule! Anne
  25. We have some good Christmas traditions in my family, but it's been hard since we lost my mom... However I thought I'd talk about a holiday tradition I do for my students (especially since I'm in the middle of it right now!). Every year right before finals we have a holiday party. I make a giant (to me) batch of chicken gumbo and black beans. When I say giant, I mean about 4 gallons of gumbo and 3 gallons of black beans. That's a lot for me, and I feed about 70-100 students and faculty. The funny thing is, I'm not quite sure why it's gumbo and beans, except that those are the two dishes, meat and veggie based respectively, that I know how to make in massive quantaties. So, I just finished the last batch of roux (a use a microwave recipe that's not too bad, from a community cookbook my mom gave me called "Tout de Suit al la Microwave"...a little scary b/c EVERYTHING in there is by micro!) and tomorrow I'll make the chicken stock and black beans. It's funny to me that I can by 20 lbs of chicken and 3 lbs of black beans and feed the same amount with each! I also put up my Christmas tree this weekend, and students (and in some cases their kids) are very happy to help decorate (yes, occasionally I end up with a large group of ornaments clustered in a corner of the tree by a friend or students' 2 year old, but that's ok!). Anyhow, 48 hours from now I'll have a house full, and I'll know that the Christmas season has started, and that the semester is almost over! Anne
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