chappie

I used to make kombucha but ended up with more of it than I could use back then. I drink GTs probably 3-4 times a week and usually notice an uplifting effect. But whereas a lot of people hate the stuff, I really like the taste. It's effervescent and only faintly sweet, kind of champagney. I'd rather have it than a can of fizzy corn syrup any day. Pricier than soda by a lot, though.

From the results of the "Summer Sips" contest on Salon.com: http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/20...cktail_results/ I found this one intriguing and made it Saturday night. "Iced Tea Classic Submitted by: Emily Whetstone, New York Emily writes: "The inspiration for this cocktail is traditional iced tea with lemon. The prep is a bit complicated, but so worth it: 1 to 2 parts Earl Grey-infused vodka 2 parts lemon soda (Editor's note: We used Limonata) a sprig of mint a thinly sliced lemon a splash of simple syrup (optional) To make Earl Grey-infused vodka: For a 750 ml bottle, steep 4 tea bags for four to five hours (or until it's brewed-tea color; don't let it sit too long, or it will get bitter and tannic). To construct cocktail: Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour one to two parts vodka (depending on how strong you like it [Editor's note: Uh ... we used two]) over ice. Add two parts lemon soda as a mixer. (Folks who like their iced tea sweet may want to add a splash of simple syrup [Editor's note: We didn't]). Add a sprig of crushed mint and one or two thinly sliced rounds of lemon as a garnish. It looks lovely." I used more teabags than the recipe called for, and tried both an Italian lemon soda and plain-old Squirt (like non-diet Fresca). The sprig of mint, squeezed to release oils, was essential, and I really liked the complex spice of the Earl Gray. I've since infused a big bottle of it to keep in the freezer, and I just picked up several different lemon sodas (and one organic peach one) to try with it. We drank entirely too many of these that night, but I still liked the taste of it on Sunday, so that says something. One of the other winning drinks doesn't seem original at all. Dark rum, orange juice, a slash of Grenadine and Galliano? Hunh? I can't believe that made the cut.

This is really a great thread. The story of the Radaranged turkey and its accompaniments almost makes me outraged. I am still stupefied by the sheer number of people who have lost that once almost innate, handed down art of preparing a decent meal. Doesn't have to be gourment, but people should know how to make nourishing, tasteful food. It's not difficult; really, it's not. I had a friend in high school whose mom's idea of cooking -- every single night -- was throwing frozen onion rings, chicken tenders, fish sticks, etc. (usually two randomly chosen items) -- into the microwave. And serving it on paper plates with ketchup. I couldn't believe it when I was served rubbery, chemically onion rings as dinner. Nothing green, nothing real. This same friend, when he stopped by our house for the first time on a Monday night -- when Mom was making her simple, weekly baked chicken -- ate like a rescued shipwreck victim, his eyes bulging at the idea of true sustenance. From then on he tried to find his way over to our house in the evenings as often as possible.

Did you ever get any recommendations? I was in Puerto Rico years ago, heard how nice Culebra was, but I thought (at least back then) there were only some quaint cabanas to stay in. Didn't know there were even places to eat... How was it? Did you find any phosphorescent bays? We took a night boat on one in Luquillo (I think) that was really great; heard there was an even better one on Vieques. This was probably 1997, but I went to place on Isla Verde part of San Juan called Charcoal Charlie's that had the best authentic Puerto Rican food around. It was owned by a Puerto Rican man and his New Yorker wife; amazing sangria, mofongo, etc.

The blog "Amuse Biatch" says it was. Really funny, obsessive tracking of the show there.

"If this is a vegetable medley than I'm a monkey." Monkeyboy is his name. What a pretentious f#*k. Someone like him would make me lose my patience quickly in a restaurant, to the degree I'd probably drive him off, screw whatever friends he tells. They'd probably know he's an ass anyway. And who cares that a blogger was there? They really did trump that up like it was a big, big deal. Yay.

Any updates on Dennis' Hideaway? My wife and I are renting a small studio near Hamilton for our anniversary, renting some mopeds and would love to venture there. I've been to Bermuda a few times but it's been years. I need recommendations, too. I like off-the-beaten path places and definitely don't need extensive wine lists and foie gras. We would like to have a nicer meal for our anniversary night itself, but again, doesn't need to be five-star, just memorable. Good food with an even better sunset, perhaps. Anyone reviving this threat out there?

It's either Brian or Sara M. I think tonight. Decision coming soon. (Edited at 10:51) No, wait it's ...... nobody? (10:58) Ah, puppies and kittens and scented candles and smoked potatoes, oh my. It's a mulligan.

Not a big fan of her myself, but I don't think you're correct here; I read recently she brought in $12 million last year. They don't pay their talent based on professional skills, they pay them based on ratings. That's it.

Stephen the most talented in the show? Damn, I found him nearly unwatchable except for the comedic value of his overt vanity. Re-watching the last episode, it seems Sweaty Bear Howie should have gone. People seemed to like the burgers better than his rock-hard Cubans, and his outbursts are ridiculous. Again, I go back to something I posted long ago: you have to compose yourself a little bit knowing that your utterances will be broadcast on TV. And speaking of which, today they re-ran some Season II and I had forgotten how god-awful it was. I think I'd have to add Ilan to Paula Abdul and that house-flipper guy in the battle between worst humans on television. And in every rewatching, I think Sam comes off horribly, too, just entirely frattish and cooool, brah. People loved him, but I think he intended this and was very calculated in his persona. Betty was also unwatchable. For the third or fourth time I watched that series of episodes (culminating in the unfortunate hazing debacle) in which people ganged up on Marcel in a very herd mentality, and it comes off (no matter how awkward the kid was or annoying to work with) as totally middle-school BS. I think he came out of it looking better than the rest. Unfortunate for Cliff, too, because I think he could've been a finalist. Let's hope this season doesn't devolve in a similar fashion. Maybe Howie should go now.

The more I watch, the more I can see (unless the show as some have alluded, is quite rigged, but even then ...) Trey as the only possible winner. He's confident without being arrogant, produces quality stuff and seems to avoid massive screw-ups. Hung and Howie ... no way. Liked them both at various points, but Howie acts like a child, and whoever compared Hung to Marcell was insulting Marcell. He was better. Season One had a final I respected. Season Two did not. Let's hope this one gets it right. Of everyone eliminated thus far, I think Lia belongs here more than some of the remaining contestants. Maybe Brian against Trey. I could see that. If it's rigged, shame on Bravo. Someone should expose it. Even if it were, it's beating the hell out of the rest of the swill they're showing these days. Ever been searching for Top Chef and landed upon Flipping Out? Worst person on television showdown between he and Paula Abdul. Horrible, horrible programming, those two.

Ah ... understood. It's a nice factory edge, then, and I'd love to learn how to hone it even finer. I'd take a class on knife maintenance if I could find one around here.

It undoubtedly isn't that sharp. Just learn to use some water stones and you'll be all set. The Korin knife sharpening video is a good place to start. ← I will, but I don't know what you mean: "It undoubtedly isn't that sharp." It's quite sharp.

I received a Shun santoku from a good friend for our wedding, and I must say I'm almost afraid to use it, because it's so sharp I don't want to dull it. I need to take a class on honing and maintaining knife edges. A chef friend who had a Shun told me once he wasn't skilled at keeping it razor-sharp. But what a knife. I did break it out of its case for tomatoes last night.

Wow. All these posts have made me realize the childhood experience of snorting beverage out your nose cackling at the Flaming Pu-Pu Platter in a perpetually darkened Chinese restaurant is totally universal. It's making me want to go order one now. Better yet, how much fun would a flaming pu-pu platter themed dinner party be? Complete with mai-tais and scorpion bowls, of course, with those little umbrellas.

My question, in lieu of a better forum and in trying to piggyback the current discussion here, is how does one use all of the the dozens and dozens of garden tomatoes lovingly given them this time of year by friends and relatives?

People are capitalizing on this story and selling packets of 50 seeds for ridiculous sums on eBay. Couldn't find that curry powder though... Anyone have a reasonable source for the seeds?

Farfalle? ← I meant someone wasn't going to say it was umeboshi plums.

Maybe you're right about Joey, though I could have just as easily seen Hung getting hung for not being "chef" enough to prevent a disaster he claimed to see coming. But as for the quickfire, you've got to be kidding me. There were maybe three ingredients that deserved to be there. You're having chefs identify kidney beans, tomato paste, tahini, roasted red pepper, celery seed (though that was hilarious when Hung was too cocky to taste it and failed) and oatmeal (!!! and Rocco praised Hung for getting it)?! In one of the previous season's similar tests, contestants were blindfolded and the ingredients were way more esoteric. Bowtie pasta. What else was someone going to call it? Dumb. This season has seemed so far like Top Chef Lite. I thought Sara would go, but then again she's made some nice dishes. Her chile relleno drew raves from the Telemundo people, yet she somehow wasn't picked as a finalist. Lia should still be around, but some people feel like Casey would've been the other cut that episode, and she is growing on me. Joey should've stayed just for making that priceless comment about Rocco, whose dialog about Bertolli frozen products, by the way, came off really awkwardly. He sucks.

Quite to the contrary, I find her grating, annoying and a waste of space on their panel. I think she also has a crush on Tre.

I'm surprised Joey was eliminated. They either don't judge solely based on an individual episode as they claim, instead keeping certain people who make for "good TV", or more likely the editing could be a lot better. In their dissection of the four possible casualties, it didn't seem like he was one of the ones most likely to go.

First off, that quickfire where they had to identify an ingredient by taste or sight was a lot easier than the blindfolded contest they did in one of the previous seasons. Kidney beans? Bowtie pasta? Roasted red pepper? Celery salt? A third-grader could identify those. Wasn't really a fan of this episode's elimination, either.

Just as people often use vanilla pods to flavor sugar, couldn't you also place a couple of them, split, in a sealed jar of good coffee beans? That might be worth trying...

Please tell me the dried squid you speak of tastes a lot better than a snack product in a metal Pringles-like can I purchased at a Vietnamese/Thai grocery called "Mr. Squid." If cephalopods could cross highways, this is what the resulting roadkill would taste like. It seemed someone left old bait squid out to rot on a hot dock, then tossed it with some sugar and chile pepper. I am not a xenophobic eater, either, and will try another variety of dried squid provided it doesn't conjure Mr. memories.

Jamie Lee, I wish you all the best, and your sound advice applies to all of us. Have you ever read or heard about kombucha? The book "Nourishing Traditions," by Sally Fallon and the Weston Price Foundation, extols its virtues, and some people swear it has helped during their treatment and recovery from cancer. I used to make it, but there is a widely distributed commercial variety called GT's, the label of which claims the maker's mother drank it with positive results during her bout with breast cancer. Obviously, read all you can about it first, but it's worth a try. I love the stuff, personally. It's slightly fizzy and sour, with just a touch of sweetness from the added fruit. Like a grown-up soda or non-alcoholic champagne. Most of my friends hate it, but I think they've prejudged it on the basis it's cultured with a colony of beneficial bacteria. So is yogurt ...