twiggles

freaky! When I was reading these posts I thought *maybe* it could have been a technical error, since they key in a McD logo over one of the instant replays (sad and nauseating that they are using sponsorship now). But when I watched the clip and realized the logo was full frame, well, that does seem like a subliminal message.

nice thread! when i was in college a friend and i decided to backpack through spain for a couple of weeks, the summer of our sophomore year. We were on a very low budget but decided to dine in a fairly upscale restaurant for dinner one night. we wanted to try paella, since we'd never had it before, and heard that it was a special thing to have in spain. We are not huge seafood fans, but thought we'd be adventurous, thinking we could handle a few chunks of seafood. my friend also happens to be particularly finicky with food, and gets squeamish easily. The paella arrived, with the head on shrimp, along with mussels, and other seafood. we were horrified to look down at the bowls and see the shrimp staring at us. we didn't know what to do, and sat staring at each other. eventually i picked at everything and ended up enjoying it, but my friend picked out all of the seafood, putting it on her bread plate, then covering it with her napkin. she couldn't stand to look at it. she was making a few noises over it as well (particularly when she picked up a shrimp), so we got some very strange looks from the other patrons and the staff.

my parents had a rusting problem with their Chantal kettle, and wrote to the company. they recieved a new kettle, and also a little pot holder in the shape of the handle. you should contact them and see if you can get a replacement! couldn't hurt.

This also eliminates much of the caffiene in the tea, which may or may not be a useful tidbit of information ← It does? I didn't know that. I've never felt caffeine deprived after drinking tea that's been rinsed. I always thought it was to wash the leaves and make a smoother tasting brew. Here's a picture of a kind of tea that I don't rinse - a friend brought me from Shanghai. You drop the ball into the water and it opens up into a flower form. It is actually different kinds of teas tied into a bundle. I had some others and they opened up much better and looked a lot prettier once they opened up because they were symmetrical. But this one was pretty nice, because it looked like a certain kind of wild flower. ← so pretty! in case you are interested, this is what Upton tea's website says about decaffinating your own tea: Decaffeinating Your Own Tea Caffeine is highly water soluble, and nearly 80% of the total caffeine content of the tea leaves will be extracted within the first 30 seconds of steeping. If you wish to "decaffeinate" your own tea, the process is simple. Pour boiling water over the tea leaves, and allow a maximum of a 30 second rinse. Empty this water off, and pour fresh boiling water over the rinsed leaves to brew for the prescribed time.

This also eliminates much of the caffiene in the tea, which may or may not be a useful tidbit of information

loose tea is a must! i agree with an above poster that mentions either straining the tea before serving, offering two pots, or perhaps a removable strainer in the tea pot. i have been to a few wonderful afternoon tea spots, but almost every one had the tea straight in the pot, and the whole thing gets too bitter. having a wide variety of pretty tea cups and saucers (all different patters) and tea pots would add a nice, fun touch. a random suggestion would be to make sure your tables are large enough for everyone to sit with a tea pot, trays, and plates. i've been to more than one place where the tables are too small and we hardly had room for all of our tea accessories. not very comfortable!

When I hear that, I think of the elephant with the giant ears. My brain works in very strange ways. No, it doesn't. I'm sure that's what the people who coined that acronym wanted you to conjure up. ← But DUMBO's cool and edgy and hip. Or is that Williamsburg (no acronymns). Doesn't invoke thoughts of Disney. Speaking of which, I wonder if Disney has any lawsuits filed about using that acronym. ← i live past the manhattan bridge (not really DUMBO but the real estate agents like to call it that), and i was reading a magazine (i forget which) where someone called our area RAMBO- "right after the manhattan bridge"

i loved those dark chocolate ones!! but i hardly ever found them in the store. have you seen them anywhere? i haven't seen them in months...

Hi everyone, I'm getting married in a few months, and I was thinking of baking a couple different types of cookies and adding them to the 'hospitality bags' that I will be giving to our guests that are staying in a hotel overnight. I will probably need to bake these at least two days in advance. Does anyone have ideas for cookie recipes that are easy to bake, and will stay fresh and tasty for a few days? or perhaps i'm trying to be too ambitious before the big day? thanks very much!

well if we're talking Family Guy, there is the episode where Chris is trying to lose weight by running after a twinkie tied to a stick on his forehead. when he catches it he says 'I'm going to turn you into poo!'

if i understand your question, i think it's because when you are making the Chai you are boiling the leaves/spices directly in the water to incorporate the flavors. When you are making loose leaf tea, you boil the water first, then pour it into the warmed teapot with the leaves. this steeps the leaves. You do not boil the leaves in the water. depending on the kind of tea, you also do not always want to add boiling water to the leaves, but need to use water below the boiling point. The recipe i have for making chai includes adding the milk to the boiling water/tea/spice mixture, in order to cook off some of the milk and concentrate the flavors. But i know there are many different chai recipes out there...

yes! this is a big issue of mine, too! This has happened to me at a few high end NY restaurants.

ps- What about a place like Town? I haven't been, would it not work for a larger group? thanks!!

help! I need to find a place that has a nice brunch, and is special enough for a 30th birthday. I was thinking of somehwere that perhaps had a set menu for around $25, or basically anywhere that the entrees plus coffee could be in that price range. I looked at the menu for 11 Madison Park, but the set menu is very limited (i've got a few picky eaters and would need at least one basic omelette option). I was also thinking of Landmarc or Balthazar. Location can be anywhere, I would like it to be obviously good food, and somehwere that is a step up from your average NY brunch place. hope this makes sense. we'll be a party of around 10 people. I appreciate the help!

A few months ago I took an audio tour called 'soundwalk chinatown', which was fun, and a little informative (although I was expecting more, but it is meant to be an adventure, not a learning experience). If I remember correctly, they said that Nom Wah was the oldest existing restaurant in Chinatown http://www.soundwalk.com/ It was fun, the recording said to enter Nom Wah, and to ask for 'almond cookie and tea'. My finacee and I walked in, there was no one there except for an older man reading the newspaper in the corner (the recording told us he would be there), and the waitress. We ordered, it was served right away. the cookie and tea were not bad. It was more interesting to just be in the place itself. The place looks like it has never been renovated, with old booths and dusty decor. at 5:00 (i think it was 5), as the recording said, a bunch of older men walked in, sat down, and got ready to play cards. it was a fun experience.

where in manhattan did you end up? :)

Hi all, I'm recently engaged ( ), and my fiancee and i are looking for an interesting place for our wedding in westchester county. We'd love to have a place with a beautiful outdoor space, possibly a mansion setting. water views would also work well :). But, very importantly, we want a place with good food! I have looked into Tappan Hill (abigail kirsch) and it is the perfect setting, but i heard mixed things about the food. can anyone comment? any other suggestions? our price range is probably about $200 pp, with just about 100 people. On a whim I looked into Stone Barns, and it's a little bit above our price range. darn! thank you!!

Are you looking for fancy or casual? I've had tea at a few casual places... For Casual, Wild Lily Tea room is very nice, it has an Asian bent to it. Good food and nice presentation. The room is also quite peaceful. Tea and Sympathy mentioned above is also very good (British style), but again cramped and very crowded. Podunk on E 5th street has separate sweet as well as savory selections, and everything has a homemade style (it is American, not British). The room is a bit cramped there as well. Alice's tea cup is OK, I have been there a few times, and thought the food was mediocre (the tea selection is not bad though). I hear that Lady Mendl's is also quite good, as well as Fauchon, but I haven't tried either one yet. For a fancier occasion, tea at The Pierre is a great experience.

There's not much in the area, but I've been to Silk Road Palace, Amsterdam between 81st and 82nd. It's not great, but probably better than Ollies. Haven't tried Cottage.

i do enjoy golden nepal. where do you get yours? thanks for the first/second flush descriptions.

I've recently been trying different brands of Darjeeling tea, and noticed a big difference in taste. Can anyone recommend any particular brands (or web stores) to try? Thanks!

I was just thinking about New Green Bo as well. i love their XLB, but i'll sadly admit i haven't had them in awhile.

I go there every so often as well. I am partial to their gobdol bibimbap, and i also like their rice cake soup (i forget the actual name of the soup) that also has beef and beef dumplings. i seem to get cravings for it every so often, although most people i go with do not have any interest in rice cake soup!

I've seen it at the Fairway on 74th and bway.

Yes, I have actually seen it at Fairway.