NulloModo

Wow, I missed a lot of conversation today. Busboy - You are making the argument that the gap is getting larger, and that the middle class is the most effected currently? How do we define this middle-class? Is a middle-class person someone with a $30,000 annual income, $50,000, $80,000 ? If you use any of those a dinner at ADNY, Le Bec Fin, Per Se, The French Laundry, etc, is certainly not out of the question as a special occasion, if fine dining is a priority for that person . Heck, in the $80,000 case it could be done in a much more willy-nilly fashion. If our gap is due to the rich just getting richer rather than the poor getting poorer, there is no reason to be upset, be proud of other's acievements, try to match them yourself. Sara - My point was not that someone from any economic class/background is statistically equally likely to be able to get a higher education, merely that it is possible. We pay for our choices all of our lives, and sometimes the choices that we make very early on can haunt us much later. Maybe a child's parents have no formal education and do not value it, and therefore the child dismisses the efforts of his teachers to get him on the right track from the very earliest of grades. The longer the child stays off the good path the harder it will be for him to correct his actions, and this could be seen as unfair, a child being punished for his parents' ignorance, but if you look at it closer, that child made a decision to value the lifestyle and choices modelled by his parents more than the advice given to him by his teachers, a poor choice. So it is unfortunate that a choice made when you are six years old can lead to a demise of your future, but there are plenty of public education programs in place to let kids know how important it is to be on the right track, even from that early age. It might take much more drive, much more effort, and much more sacrifice to make it into college from the depths of the ghetto, but it is just as possible. Now, an interesting spin on this related to dining will be how this person will feel about high end dining and high culture by the time he has reached college. Perhaps his drive to succeed included expanding his horizons and mind and he will embrace them, or perhaps he has sacrificed so much of his energy and focussed so hard on simply making it due to the multitude of oppositions that he won't know any culture apart from what he has been able to scrape up from the pennies not squirelled away into that college fund. I think it would be very interesting to see data on patronage of higher end restraurants and high culture activities based on socioeconomic class whilst growing up. BTW - I didn't intend to suggest that everyone should join the military who is too poor for college and can't get a scholarship, but it is a choice that is open. It is all about priorities, is having that American Dream worth risking your life? I also would respectfully disagree about your comments on public schools. In the K-12 world you can get an education just as good as at a private school at almost any public school. Sure public schools have a rougher undercurrent, and lower overall test scores due to having to deal with the dregs of society, but if you are willing to work yourself to the top, the education is just as good. With regard to higher education, I would say public schools are even more competitive with private. Other than a very few rather snobby fields anymore does the name on your diploma really matter (well, as long as we are talking about all acredited respected schools here, there are always some, both public and private, that are going to be fairly trashy and known as such). Pan - In my experiences I have never been through/taught in a school district where the teachers were not at least attempting to instill the basic values and behaviors neccessary for life. No matter what your parents allow you to do or do themselves at home, a student needs to be able to make the distinction that at school the teachers and administration are in charge, and are there to help. Perhaps I am letting personal emotions get into my opinions too much, but I have absolutely no tolerance for lack of discipline or respect towards authority. If someone is goin to bite my hand and ignore me as I try to help them, I have no problem if they never get helped. Responsibility for one's own actions is sorely lacking these days. On another spin with dining issues: is perhaps the pricing at some of these places deliberately designed so as to not allow the lowest classes in? I am by no means extremely elitist, but I know that dining at 'family' restaurants there are often other diners present who completely ruin the experience for me. I know I am making a sweeping generalization here, but upon observing them, more often than not, they appear to be of lower socio-economic status (or perhaps they have money and simply no taste, which is just as bad if not worse). If I were to go to a $100+ per plate restaurant and ended up being seated next to a party such as this, I would be most displeased, and would likely not return to that restaurant.

I think crabs definately depend on the type of crab. Huge snow-crab or king-crab legs that you get a decent amount of meat per section in, sure those are worth it to me. Maryland Blue crabs however, love 'em softshell, don't bother with 'em hardshell.

I fail to see what the inherent problem is with this income disparity. Everyone in the U.S. has the opportunity for a free public education up to the high school diploma level. Every person in the U.S. has the opportunity for higher education for free or near free through scholarships obtained through hard work during that K-12 stint, through athletic or artistic merit, or through service to the U.S. military. Anyone who wants to make something of their life has the opportunity to make something of their life. If a person is living life as a bum, it is because they have made poor choices. The teenage mother who dropped out of school to care for her children, the man addicted to heroin and thus too sick to get to work, the teens who can't get into college because they spent too much time cutting class and goofing off, all have made bad choices in life, and later in life will pay the price for those choices. If you live life like the rules do not apply to you while your peers are working hard establishing the foundation for their future, you deserve what you get when your life suddenly crumbles around you. Sure there are a very minor number of true tragedies out there and people who are put out of a life they deserve due to circumstances beyond their control, but those are so few and far between as to be statistically irrelevant. What it comes down to is that if you are able to dine at these fine establishments it s because you worked hard in life to get where you are, and you deserve every bit of it. If you can't, well, hope you had fun while you were off doing things other than what you should have been, but it's time to pay the piper.

The problem with low-carb pizza dough is that there is a battle between taste/texture and actually being low-carb. As beans said there are some low-carb doughs out there that are merely variations on a whole-wheat dough, these claim to be low-carb, but are wholely innapropriate for low-carb diets. First of all, the actual carb count is still quite high, approaching 10 grams or more per slice of dough in some cases (for reference many low-carb dieters try to stay under 20 grams of carbs for an entire day), and contain wheat flours which are high glycemic, and this innapropriate for the early stages of low-carb diets such as Atkins or as I am learning, Montignac. For a dough to be low-carb diet friendly it should ideally contain absolutely no wheat flour or corn starch of any variety, and instead focus on protein powders, protein isolates, flax meal and other low-glycemic flour substitutes, and have a high fibre to carb ratio. It is possible to make something like this at home, and I am always experimenting, and while taste is fairly easy to nail, texture is not (I can't seem to get that chewy and crispy duality thing going on). That all being said, I have a box of the mini-carb dough in my pantry right now that I plan on trying out soon (I have been very impressed by some of their other products, notably the '0 carb baking mix') and will report back once I have used it if there is any interest.

Ground lamb patties topped with fresh tomato, onion, oregano, lemon juice, and crumbled feta

What type of tuna do you buy/use for those sandwiches? Standard bumblebee, or some exotic Italian brand packed in EVOO, something else entirely?

High-End restaurants are just like any other luxury, almost anyone can afford to touch it at least once or twice in their lifetime, maybe even annually. However, people have different interests, and they will choose to prioritize their spending towards those interests. I am somewhat of a home-theatre nut as well as getting into this gourmet scene, but I'm also an avid Raiders fan, and I lust over nice cars like practically every other guy. I have a basic entry level salary at the moment, nothing worth shouting about, but enough for me to make a car payment, split rent with a roomate, and get out from time to time. I have enough extra income (besides what I am squirrelling away for grad school) that I can endulge some of my hobbies to a certain extent, but certainly not all of them all the time, and none of them all the way. I know people who have comitted to a single hobby, and they can afford immense theatres on a modest salary, or a great car that costs more than what they make in a year, or a beautiful house, or whatever else, but all of their money goes into that, a rather one dimensional life. The immensely wealthy have the luxury of endulging multple luxuries, not having to choose. So, I see absolutely nothing morally wrong with endulging at a fine restaurant if that is how you want to spend your money. After all, you worked for it, you earned it, you did something in your life up to that point to be able to make that choice to go to Per Se, so enjoy it.

It is a mexican vegetable. Not always easy to come by even in this area of the U.S. (mid-atlantic). Supposedly it is seasonal with fall being the major growing season.

I wonder how fried green tomatoes would translate into sandwich form.... Perhaps served on a piece of (a little more firm than crumbly) cornbread?

Grits swirled with Huckleberry preserves.... quite delectable.

Rare sirloin steak Aloo Gobi Mattar

When I was younger I would always turn me nose up at tomato sandwiches because they had no meat on them, so surely they were an unfit foodstuff. Thankfully, I saw the error in my ways, and now enjoy the traditional: mayo, wonder bread, thick sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Hmmm... there used to be this little mexican place around here that did a huevos rancheros burrito. That thing was heaven... huge flour tortilla cooked nice and soft, stuffed with beans, flavorful rice, a couple fried eggs, some fresh salsa they made, and who knows what else....

200,000 people isn't exactly a small town either...

Hmm, in Amish country in PA they have restaurants like that., with the exception that that is the only way they do service (And there is no wine). You go in, you are seated at a table with others, and whatever happens to be on the stove that day is brought out in big bowls, veggies, meats, sausages, sides, desserts, and you just enjoy as much of whatever you want and leave when you are through. It is a great deal, and the Amish home cooking is traditionally very good.

Those artichoke hearts look amazing. With artichokes being cheaper than water right now, I might have to try that out... On your comment about alcohol digestion, where did you get this information? In my research I have found a slight, but important, distinction. Alcohol does not metabolize in the way normal food or simple sugars would. When alcohol is present in your system your body simply puts traditional metabolism on hold until the alcohol has been processed, but it is processed directly as fuel, no transition to glucose or associated blood sugar spikes. However, due to your body no longer processing those fats and simple sugars while the alcohol is present those things tend to be stored as fat sooner. I have to say I have noticed that same increase in taste awareness as you have. I believe it has something to do with the elimination of many simple sugars from one's diet. When we stop clobbering our tastebuds with icky sweet all the time they start to really lock in and fine tune to the more subtle flavors in herbs and savory dishes. Maybe that is why Jinmyo seems to have a sixth sense about flavor combinations ;).

I simply have to share this. Upon waking this morning I felt a hunger, and decided to search recipegullet for something tasty to make. I came upon this recipe for tomatoes and feta: http://recipes.egullet.com/recipes/r564.html Well, this recipe struck a chord with me, so I dug into my pantry to see if I had what it would take to make it. I had the basics more of less, plum tomatoes instead of cherry, lots of italian cheeses, but no feta, eggs were plentiful, as was EVOO, and there was some prosciutto and garlic staring at my face that simply had to be used. Tomatoes were laced with EVOO, fresh cracked black pepper, and salt, and set under the broiler to char a bit. Upon pulling them out they were bubbly and simply marvelous in aroma. Next some fresh chopped garlic was thrown overtop, along with three or four slices of chopped prosciutto. Heat was turned down at this point, and some basil leaves thrown on top. After the edges of the prosciutto had crisped a large fresh egg was cracked over top and the lot went back under the broiler until the egg had just set, at which point some mozerella, parmesan, and asagio were grated on top, and it was set under the broiler once more until the cheese had gooey-fied. A bit more fresh cracked pepper on top and this was ready for consumption, total time, under half an hour. The flavors were pure and strong, wonderful blend, and it just brought a smile to my face after every bite, all for something so simple and so basic. Perhaps it is my hangover-riddled mind, but I believe that breakfast is a meal we too often overlook. Please share your own simple but breathtaking (even if only to you) breakfasts so that we can all begin our mornings with a smile.

Chicken leg/thigh quarter with basil and garlic slid between the skin and meat, pan-browned and then finished in oven with some parmesan and mozerrella on top. basil, spinach, and tomato salad with a black pepper and red-wine dressing.

So Nessa, is there going to be any Chili in this blog? I ask simply because you live in Texas and I am making a broad sweepering generalization ;). I tend to cook it about once a week myself, and have been experimenting a lot with Cincinnatti style (with cocoa, poached meat, lots of spices, etc) but would love to see an in depth look from a Texans POV, if that is in the plans that is ;).

Wait wait wait.... you mean a cup isn't just a cup? There are various kinds of cups? Now I am going to get really confused and have to do some research.... I've been using the same measuring cups for everything...

Grocery stores do seem to be really giving us the shaft lately, produce quality has gone down, and prices up. 2.99 for 8 oz of mushrooms? 3.79 for a head of cauliflower? This stuff is ridiculous, I do all of my veggy shopping at the weekly farmers market now, the only place prices are reasonable. What really struck me about gas prices, at least here, was that they were steadily creeping towards $2.00 a gallon, and then as soon as they breached that mark, they seemingly instantly shot up another 25 cents per gallon. I would definately do something about it if I could, but I have no idea what I could do about the gas prices. I certainly drive less now if I can help it, but my commute to work is 45 miles each way, so it hurts no matter what. I have a grocery store within walking distance to my house, but it is overpriced and the goods are craptastic. The better grocery stores are a decent drive away, but the products of higher quality, so I usually just deal with the fact I will have to buy more gas to allow myself better ingredients. Local delivery places are starting to lube themselves up for what promises to be an anal raping of penal-institution proportions. I have seen a couple without delivery charges recently up them, and others up the minimum order amounts for delivery to even be allowed. Prices have also gone up and delivery specials down, so really, ordering in doesn't look like any more an attractive option that going out. I'd like to just plant a garden and harvest my own crops so I wouldn't have to deal with a lot of this, but the apartment complex seems to think we need a playground for screaming rugrats more than community garden space. Oh well.

Two problems: temperature control above 550 (you can have hot or amazingly hot, but nothing in between); and the safety interlock, which is there for your protection and will have to be disabled. Certainly this would void the warranty, if one is in force, and probably give your insurance company whiplash. Well, I am not planning on tampering with my own oven. I just wish that the oven manufacturers would trust consumers enough to give us full range control of our ovens, a dial that goes in gradual steps from nothing to 900 degrees. I see it a lot like the speed limiter on cars, sure, there is really no reason you _need_ to be going over 120 mph, but if you car, or oven, can do it, I don't want to deal with a product that has been handicapped to prevent me from doing it, even if I never will. Then again, I have never shopped for a professional level oven.

The oven reaches about 900 F/480 C (locking and unlocking at about 600 F). I've used it for cast-iron grill grates -- cleans the gunk off and strips the seasoning -- with a light wire brushing and re-seasoning, they're good for another summer. A spyder (or spider; you see it both ways) is a term that covers frying and saute pans: a shallow, wide pan. Wow. I had no idea a regular oven could reach those temperatures. So, if our ovens can get that hot during self cleaning, why do the dials only go up to around 500 degrees for most ovens? Granted, there is not a whole lot that you would need to cook at 900 degrees, but if my oven can do it, I darn well want to be able to make it do it upon command....

Hmmm.... Buttery, rich, creamy, hints of vanilla... I'm being inspired to try out making a bourbon cheesecake this weekend.

Ketosis is the state into which your body enters when it depletes its stores of glucose (due to vast reduction in simple sugars and carbohydrates) and starts to burn its own fat stores for energy. The benefits of this are that your body starts to burn fat as its primary fuel, and thus your weight-loss is accelerated. A side benefit of this is that it naturally reduces your appetite. I would assume from seeing what you are eating that Montignac does not induce a ketogenic state in your body, as the carbohydrate intake must be very very low to do this, under 40/50 grams per day (sometimes far under, sometimes some above) depending on your activity level). I would assume that the appetite/hunger pang reductions inherent to Montignac are due to stabilized blood glucose and insulin levels, and therefore your body not signalling for more food to over-correct for sudden sugar crashes. It has also been found that upping water intake, in addition to all of the general health benefits, can help ease hunger pangs, as what many people interpret as hunger is actually thirst and dehydration.