LNorman

Thank you for your suggestions. I think I need a pan that can go from stovetop to oven -- missed that one for my wedding registry last year. Still thinking about a vacuum food saver. Even though it's two of us, I am the worst food waster.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I've bought London Broil style pieces of beef and cooked in a frying pan, under the broiler, and in a Foreman Grill (after unfreezing and marinating overnight). I always burn the outside and the middle is too red for me. I even bought an instant read thermometer. I used it with the Foreman Grill. The temperature inside was only 120 degrees (it was a thick cut of beef) but burning on the outside. I know people like rare meat but I really can't stomach it. How can I get the inside a nice pink without burning the outside? Or is the outside supposed to burn a little?

I've been using parchment paper in the shape of my stone because my electric oven burns the edges. I bake the pizza on the parchment paper. I don't have a peel and cornmeal never works for me. I read about this trick in Cook's Illustrated and it allows me to really heat up the stone. I'm still working on getting the paper out after the crust is stiff enough.

I'm interested in finding out how many people cook with either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. Also looking for best cookbooks for either of these appliances.

I live in NJ and buy frozen cilantro from the grocery store. The brand is called Gard'n Fresh and it's distributed from Fort Lauderdale, FL. The website is www.frozenherbs.com. It's supposed to be flash frozen but it gets ice in the plastic bottle. So I just rake at it with a fork. It's not overwhelmingly but I get a cilantro flavor. Since I tried growing cilantro and failed miserably and when I buy it, I always end up wasting it, I decided this was a good compromise. You don't get a big wow flavor but it's a good compromise and I don't lose money.

My favorite "gone" restaurant was Wayne Pizza on the northside of Route 23 in Wayne (Mountain View section). There are condos there now but the restaurant closed when Route 23 was widened. I remembered bugging my dad to go out to eat. With 4 kids, going out to eat in the 1970's was a real treat. Dad and I always had the "antipasto salad" plate. Iceburg lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, a scoop of the best tasting tuna that my mom never made, anchovies (my first!), black olives, and canned mushrooms. The pizza was pretty good as I remember it. Thin crust with puffy edges and a nice tomato sauce. Not a sweet sauce which is not my favorite. My siblings and I still talk about that place.

HI: I was looking for info on Ethiopian recipes myself and used the search feature. I found the following thread with lots of sources of recipes. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=36956 I had an idea for your ESL class. Maybe you could have a cooking class where the students show you how to make injera and you take good notes and measure what they are using. Then show them some quick American or British food, like french fries, grilled cheese, eggs, something easy. Then you could work on a recipe book that shows measurement. I know that most countries use the metric system but it might be a good experience for your students to see that some countries still persist in keeping their identities through old forms of measurement. Good luck.

I was wondering what cheeses are made in Wales. I am partly Welsh and interested in my heritage. I know there are some but I can't remember the names. Also what Metro NYC stores might have these cheeses?

I looked over the new Zagat's also. I don't really trust Zagat's very much. I live near the Reo Diner in Woodbridge and I can't understand why people like it. I think the service is awful and the food is not the best diner food in NJ. Then to see Outback Steakhouse in one of the top categories? It seems the great, little restaurants never make these lists. Which is probably a good thing.

When the Wegman's was built in Woodbridge, the intersection was re-designed and works much better than before. I don't know how much Wegman's influenced the decision to re-design the roads but it would be in their interest to have an accessible parking lot.

Thanks very much for the replies.

I'm disappointed to read that Wegman's par bakes its bread and ships to the individual stores. I was mad at ShopRite for doing that with the "Le Brea" brand of breads. Can anyone recommend a good bakery in Woodbridge or surrounding towns that has artisanal breads?

I've read recipes where lard seems to be the key ingredient for making the recipe taste good, like pie crust. Does anybody really use lard anymore?

I wish tea would get more appreciation in restaurants. My husband and I went to a nice Italian restaurant, Mulberry Street in Woodbridge. The entrees were great, the foccacia was right out of the oven, the desserts were wonderful. But then I get a Lipton tea bag for my tea. I've been to well-known restaurants all over and tea service is abysmal. I know it's because the US is mostly a coffee-drinking nation and tea isn't ordered that often. But come one! Can't tea drinkers get some respect?

Looking for a good seafood place in Middlesex or Monmouth Counties. One that has non-seafood for husband. I've tried some in Atlantic Highlands that were OK. HOw is Doris and Ed's in the winter?

The best guide to tea rooms I have found is: http://www.catteacorner.com/tearooms.htm

Reposted from New Jersey board: There is a new tea room in Denville called Ambrosia's Tea Room. Tea comes in teapots for $3.75. Scones are $4.00 (I think), $5.00 with Devon creme and strawberry jam. Very good scones compared to the Starbucks a block away. I had the house blend which was quite good. Black, green and herbal are available. I haven't had a change to try the tea sandwiches (cucumber, smoked salmon, egg salad). There is a soup of day, salads, and coffees for the non-tea drinkers. I posted an entry on the Restaurants forum in NJ.com and I'm not affiliated with the place in any way. I love tea rooms and this is the first for the area. (The Tea Hive in Newton is nice but a good drive away). It's in an office building (2nd floor) so it doesn't look like a tea room from the outside but the inside is comforting in a modern way. Website: www.ambrosiatea.com Address: 26 Bloomfield Ave., Denville, NJ 07834 Phone: 973-586-0700

There is a new tea room in Denville called Ambrosia's Tea Room. Tea comes in teapots for $3.75. Scones are $4.00 (I think), $5.00 with Devon creme and strawberry jam. Very good scones compared to the Starbucks a block away. I had the house blend which was quite good. Black, green and herbal are available. I haven't had a change to try the tea sandwiches (cucumber, smoked salmon, egg salad). There is a soup of day, salads, and coffees for the non-tea drinkers. I posted an entry on the Restaurants forum in NJ.com and I'm not affiliated with the place in any way. I love tea rooms and this is the first for the area. (The Tea Hive in Newton is nice but a good drive away). It's in an office building (2nd floor) so it doesn't look like a tea room from the outside but the inside is comforting in a modern way. Website: www.ambrosiatea.com Address: 26 Bloomfield Ave., Denville, NJ 07834 Phone: 973-586-0700

My feelings about Mr. Grimes. I always thought he seemed decisive and I enjoyed his descriptions of the food and the especially the a restaurant's environs; I usually enjoyed trying to picture the atmosphere and decided if what Grimes liked/didn't like would affect my desire to go to the restaurant. But I wished he would have written more about the menu instead of just parts of it. I can't speak to how accurate his reviews were because I never dined at the restaurants he reviewed. Most were too expensive for me to dine at. However, some of his three-star descriptions made me WANT to visit the restaurants. It is one of my treats each week to read the Dining section of the NYT. And I think I will miss Grimes' reviews. However, new blood isn't a bad thing and I think it is time for whoever is the new reviewer to clarify the 4-star policy and revisit some of the old 4-stars and re-review. I'm sure there are maybe one or two more restaurants in the city deserving of the 4-star status. Just my two cents worth. Unfortunately, getting married last year put a crimp in my dining adventures. So I live vicariously through newspaper dining sections and magazines dedicated to food.

I checked Nexis for NYT 4-star reviews: Grimes Alain Ducasse 12/19/01 Restaurant Daniel 11/11/01 Daniel 3/14/01 **there might be a mixup here Bouley Bakery 9/15/99 *Reichl gave it *** 12/10/97 Reichl Lespinasse 12/2/98 (under Delouvrier) LeCirque 2000 10/1/97 Jean George 6/6/97 Le Bernadin 4/14/95 Daniel 11/11/94 Lespinasse 1994 I can't say this is complete because it's difficult to search Nexis with asterisks because the search engine thinks asterisks are substitutes for letters. I read the discussion. I think that 4-star restaurants should be reviews every 2 years or after a chef or ownership change. Since so few are given out (and it makes sense that it should be a small number), the reviewers are obligated to tell diners if a restaurant should get a 4-star designation.