jhlurie

Never mind. I posted something inaccurate here. I'll leave you all wondering, since I can't delete the thread. (Edited by jhlurie at 5:33 pm on Sep. 26, 2001)

And hey... have they gone and changed actresses playing the role again? :)

The idea of this fascinates me. Is this the only place you've ever seen this, Holly? Can it be duplicated with any deep fryer? Do you know what was in the batter? I'm not a travelin' man like you, Holly, and I'm not sure I'd go as far as Bloomburg PA for this... but it sounds neat. Jason... are you reading this? This is right up your alley too. :)

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) Hey man... where's the Frankenberry? Man, who messed with my Frankenberry. Where the @ is the Frankenberry? Oh, never mind. It's right here. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Shredded Wheat? Rosie... how can you call that a kiddie cereal? :) Corn Pops--which were once more accurately called "Sugar Corn Pops"--were my favorite. As an older kid I changed over to Corn Chex, but again that's out of kiddie land. Sugar Smacks (gee... they had sugar in the name too... hmmm) were a favorite as well. Rice Crispies--which might as well have been called "Sugar Rice Crispies" were number 3 in my household, and SUGAR Frosted Flakes were about 4th (later replaced by non-sugared Corn Flakes when we were older). My grandmother always bought us Fruit Loops. It seems that she was obsessed with us eating healthy, but this was before the days that it was common knowledge that most kiddie cereals were horrible for you. In her mind, "Fruit" meant it was healthy. (Edited by jhlurie at 5:21 pm on Sep. 24, 2001)

Because of the public backlash against Afghans, I'm thinking that Afghan restaurants aren't seeing good business now. Never mind that its just as possible that they are supporters of the "other" regime in Afghanistan, it's still probably happening. Then again, since the U.S. has supported BOTH sides at different points in history for very different reasons, American-Afghans are probably trying hard to decide what to feel now. I know that's true enough of those of us who aren't Afghan. My head hurts just thinking about it.

Okay... I'll admit to having trouble sleeping normal hours since... you know what last Tuesday. For some folks, daily alcohol is a bad idea. But assuming this is not the case with you, can we discuss some favorite potions to help open the gates to a nice peaceful visit to Dreamland? I don't like Sleeping Pills... maybe a nightcap is still a chemical aid to sleeping, but I think its a more chemically stable one for those without an addictive personality.

suggests another possible topic: "Food weaknesses" - what food can't you resist ordering if you see it on a menu?

We can debate the beer another time. But the objection to sawdust is a bit odd. Admittedly it's just an "old bar" affection, but unless its also sitting on the burger grill, who cares?

Gotta call you out slightly on this one, Jay. Last time you, Rachel and I went to Seabra's Rodizio restaurant you most definitely did NOT leave room for dessert! I know you had one at home much later, but that's not the same thing! ;)

Filtering out the old methanol contamination is good. :) Too much methanol does this: <IMG SRC=http://www.egullet.com/non-cgi/avatars/ned.gif> Just kidding! :)

I agree with Bux's estimation of 100 proof as the barrier. My original question was actually a loaded one, since there are several 100 Proof schnapps and Rums that I've had that I've enjoyed. I was originally fishing for more, although the discusion which evolved instead about ultra-high proof alcohols has been very interesting.

As long as Shatner doesn't try and sing I'd at least watch it. I wonder if he took the gig because he expects to be able to taste all the food.

Didn't think a careless misspelling would be so confusing. :) Negimaki might seem to be a pretty conservative choice, but I've seen it done badly so often, and enjoyed it so much when done well, that I had to go with it. I'm speaking specifically of the kind using ONLY scallions--green onions, since that might well be the distinction between it and other types of beef roll. About five or six times in my life I've had it done exactly right: with the scallions still crunchy, not limp, the beef towards the middle of the roll still tender, but the beef on the outside done well just to the point of almost, but not quite, being burnt. Then again, this may just be the way I like it and not the universal acknowledgement of perfection.

It's in NY, so technically this might not meet our conditions--but since it is very close to the NJ border you might travel to El Bandito in Spring Valley. It might be counted as true Mex because it is owned and operated by Mexicans, on the other hand they do seem to use cheese in many of their dishes (although not in many others...) Pork Chops and Steaks are more typical of their menu, however, than Tacos or Fajitas--although they've got those too.

Negamaki, if well made.

Jason has not yet revealed if upcoming eGullets will feature a spell checker! On the other hand, I've never seen anyone here lectured for a misspelking. Or even a typoo.

Well there are pills to help with that. My cousin has been taking lactose digestion pills for years and never has a problem.

in other words, "the heart attack special"

A garlic allergy? Oh man, I couldn't even imagine trying to eat sans garlic. Not just hot dogs but almost ANYTHING. Well, on second thought, in recent years I've grown to love Thai, Indian and Vietnamese--which don't really use it, but so much of the Spanish, Italian and Chinese food I love utilize Garlic like crazy.

I went to the site for their distributor (mainly a distributor of "Jewish" movies, whatever the heck they mean by that) and don't see "Footlong". Maybe we should contact the filmmakers and ask them where the heck it is and "where" 7thArt distributors distributes to. The dates on the "whats going on with the film now" part of the website are all in "2000", although the main webpage was updated last month, so maybe the deal was just inked. Overall I have to think that the amount of material for a hot dog documentary would be pretty slim, unless they either make it a convincing travelogue or a deeper historical view. If its just a bunch of visits to hot dog stands and interviews with customers/owners it will... pardon the phrase... bite.

Wow. Look at this: http://www.foot-long.com (edit) also: http://www.njo.com/munchmobile/eliz5.html http://www.salon.com/people/col/pagl/2000/12/06/year_end/index4.html http://www.bergen.com/news/hotdogdy2199905028.htm (Edited by jhlurie at 4:08 pm on Sep. 3, 2001)

Well "Dog House Grille" seems pretty new--months at the most. Callahan's has been around since the 1950's at least, and Hiram's for quite a long time as well. Cubby's is a few years old, I think, but might not always be on a hot-dog list because they are primarily a BBQ joint. Callahan's is actually famous in a local historical sense because it became quite well known because it was a pit stop on the way from the GW Bridge to the Palisades Park Amusement Park. The way my Dad tells the story, Callahan's became popular enough that several branches opened, and as the franchise phenomenon began to show its ugly head in America, the owner decided to allow franchises. But after a few years the franchises did badly--and the quality varied so much--that the Callahan's name was damaged beyond repair. The owner suppossedly bought back the franchise licenses, closed all but three of the restaurants (only two are open now), and ran the place the way he wanted to. But I think he has since passed on, and the remaining two Callahan's are (I think) owned by someone else again.

I must be lucky, because on the rare occasions when I have had to buy a cake I've never had a problem finding a good one affordably. Then again, I'm not sure what standards Fat Guy is using to define "a whole lot of money" at a bakery. I don't think I've ever had to buy a cake that served more than 8 people--and I also rarely buy single slices--so one way or the other perhaps my standards of pricing don't apply. The pleasingly simple Boston Cream Pie--if that counts as Cake--is my favorite. Another Pie, Key Lime, is a close second. A good Cinnamon Crumb Cake also ranks high in my estimation, and if Pies are disallowed would rank highest. When I buy I don't usually cater to my own preferences though. Simple chocolate cake, and sometimes a good white cake with cream and strawberries are frequent purchases--usually from the consistently excellent Miller's Bakery in Cliffside Park, NJ.

I've always found that chains--even fast food chains--can do SIMPLE things correctly and consistently. This would never recommend them above a real restaurant, but if the point of the exercise is to assemble a "safe" dinner in a circumstance where you either don't have the time or inclination to experiment, then its possible to eat "safely" even in one place. Use McDonald's as an example. An oasis of consistency and never of excellence, nevertheless they still have some items that are better than others. Their so-called "Mighty Wings" for example, are hardly mighty, but because all the employee has to do is pop it into the fryer and take it out when the little timer goes 'ding' they are consistently decent. Compare it to any food they prepare which requires adding ANYTHING by hand. This is the same reason people like their fries... the ingredients are consistent and preparations consists of taking it out of the freezer, making sure the oil is fresh and waiting for that 'ding'. Now I know we don't aim for mere decency here, but even the most hard core anti-chain person should be able to admit that some chains prepare certain items that are excellent merely because they've been cleverly engineered. Take the simple Cinnabon. No doubt many of us have had better Cinnamon Buns. But with the combination of ingredients being used, and the relatively simple methods of preparation, is it at all surprising that a Cinnabon bun is still good enough to make your mouth water even though it was prepared by a pimply faced 15 year old in a mall? The same is true for many fast food items, and while we would rarely choose them if a good alternative is available, circumstance can force you into it. And a late night snack assembled from Supermarket items, as Holly suggested, is really the same process--a series of compromises made because of the consistency of the items chosen.