peppyre

I'd simply say something along the lines of "Unfortunately, due to high volumes there is no way that 4 tables can be placed together, you sneaky bit....OK, that last bit may be a bit harsh, but I think that would work.

Last week, cheese!! Cheese, cheese and more cheese. I came home from work on Wednesday and had to have macaroni and cheese, but I didn't have any cheddar. After a phone call to Moosh failed to produce cheddar, I had to resort to cracker barrel from the little neighborhood market. While purchasing this, I saw cheesies....oh god, I must have cheesies. It was ugly. Macaroni and cheese made with cheap cheddar, beautiful stilton, and a swiss hard cheese. Oh so good. Plus half a bag of cheesies and then some chocolate. Now post-period, killer migraines and all I want is a pain killer.....and wine.

In years to come, this will be remembered as "The day Iron Chef Jumped The Shark". Oooohhhh, maybe shark will be the secret ingredient.

I just stumbled upon this thread today and it made me realize, I haven't baked anything out of that book for a very long time. I was lucky enough to a copy from the company that supplied the paper for it before it was actually available and i started baking right away. I attempted the white bread first, then bagels, bialys, potato bread, cinnamon rolls, and my absolute favorite recipe was for the Bocca Negro. There were other things that I made too, but I think it's been about 7 years since I've used it that I can't remember everything. Now that I have a Kitchenaid (I did all of this baking by hand, I didn't even have a hand mixer at the time ) I must get baking and I will definitely contribute to this thread. Much to my upstairs neighbors delight.

I would just love for someone to do that! I know "evil"....Just to see the look on Neil's face...then storming into the dining room with a smoking hot pan, and that phsychotic "Dine Out" smile on his face.... Ah yes, another season of madness. I'd like to know if any of the restaurants have made any drastic changes in staffing levels, etc., especially after everything was posted here last year?

Did anyone else follow the links in that article? I followed along, like the good little sheep that I am, and landed at the iVillage Fitness Tracker page.............Sponsored by McDonald's WTF!!!!!! Seriously, a weight loss page sponsored by McDonald's??! WTF is wrong with this world.

I've already PM'd you, but congrats Brian! I expect to see your pastrami somewhere on the menu...

(honestly, I think Joie even heard the laugh I had from this) I will be looking for a post birthday hangover thingy.....

Yek O Yek on Main Street (Main and 14th) has a wonderful fresh Turkish delight. In fact, the first time I ever had the real thing was a sample from the owner. He didn't tell me what it was, just said try this, and after I told him that I loved it, he said that it was turkish delight. For all things Persian, I reccomend Yek'O'Yek! (when I was younger, my mom's best friend was Persian and we would always be at her house with her cook, I love all Persian foods to this day)

Those prices are fantastic, but it's really on a deal if you buy a bottle. The by the glass price is fair. Smart! Very smart.

Holy crap Lee! That is some impressive food. Looking forward to more. Since I'm fairly certain that Hong Kong is a city I will never travel too, this is quite an inside peak into the dining scene. I have to ask, were you eating 3 dinners a night?

I spent the evening playing poker with my dad and family and knew that he would want to pull some spectacular bottles out of the cellar, and I was right. The evening started with a magnum of Columbia Crest Cab 1992, which was pretty tasty. (Thanks to some antibiotics for an infection, I only had a taste) The highlight for me was the glass of 1984 Clos Du Val that I rang in the New Year with. It was great way to start 2006.

Wow, I'd probably cry if that was me. I actually made a chocolate fondue yesterday for the first time. I have to admit that it was pretty damn tasty and for all my lucky friends today, there's enough for another round. I found a cookbook a couple months ago that is from 1970 and is dedicated to all things fondue. I'll get a picture and post it.

I can now add my own atrocities that will sit in storage for god-knows how long until I finally decide to throw them out or take them to a consignment store. I have to start this by saying that the first gift came from my Grandmother, who is normally very very good at gift giving. So good, in fact, my mom asked me "What do you think your real present is?". I'll give you the rundown of the last few years; Kitchenaid stand mixer, Cuisinart blender in chrome, Cuisinart Coffeepot in chrome, really expensive lever pull corkscrew etc. So when I opened this box, you can understand why I had a WTF!!!!! moment. Tadaaaa! A very cheap twirly thingy full of miscellaneous crap that I already have several of, or I found them to be such useless crap, I threw them out. WTF was she thinking. (I'll let you know after my birthday next week to find out if there was some hidden cheque from both her and my dad and this was just to throw me off gaurd....I really hope that's it.) And then there was this: Also picked out by Grandmother and given to me by her best friends. Crystal......serving....pieces....WHY! I must ask Why?! Sure, I have a few crystal glasses that I quite like, but....but....Why? Anyhow, They now go into storage. Maybe some critter will move into their boxes and break them

Never place a plastic colander on top of a hot element! This one has to be said again, never grab the handle of a pan sitting on the stove, especially if it's just been in a 500 degree oven.

Fantastic article! It is so poingnant for those of us still single. And those of us that have had those encounters... I think all of my girlfriends need to read this too.

Gee, it said that I am a wine merchant. Well, there goes my chance at retiring as a vintner..

I have a couple of my own that will be added to this thread in due time. I have to say though, after actually handling said glasses, they are truly horrific. Suprisingly heavy and I think even the little one would have a hard time breaking them. The Moosh family needs to start the wonderful tradition of having a Foister game on Christmas Day, that way, all the crap that you received the year before gets handed off to someone else in your family. We've had this really tacky and cheap Menorah plate running through for 3 years now. It's back in my hands and next year it's getting placed in a lovely shadow box. This year I was lucky enough to receive a nice purse size flask, with shot glasses. Only downside, it will only hold a single glass of wine.

I got some fantastic food related gifts this year. 5 pieces of Emile Henri in red, well the bowl is a beautiful cream A Messermeister torch (it will do double duty, it's primary function will be for my silver work with a few food items thrown in occasionally) Charcuterie, which I just love My mom went nuts at a local store Gourmet Warehouse. I got a bag that contained 1 box of MarieBelle sipping chocolate in Dark, a tin of Bellagia white chocolate cocao, a box of Clodhoppers, and a jar of white truffles!! C sesame salt I can't wait to see what my birthday brings next week.

Sinus infection for Christmas, realizing after the fact that the penicillan that you've been given is the kind that will make you puke after one drink. Imagine what it did to me after a couple bottles of wine on Christmas Eve. No champagne for me on Christmas morning. The lack of a good neighborhood butcher in my new area. How hard is it to sell good meat. (Arne, I may have a new lead on a good butcher, but it's in Caulfied. We may be able to talk them into hanger though.) Merry Festivus to all!!

With Christmas Eve snacks at my dad's we had a lovely 1990 L'Ecole No. 41 Cabernet. It was brilliant. I can't wait to see what he brings out for my birthday.

Wow!! The images just make me want this book more. It is on my Christmas wish list and I hope someone pays attention to it. Growing up in a family of butchers, (long since passed or out of the business) I have always wanted to make sausages, salami's, cured meats. My grandma made so much salami during her time at the butcher shop that she can't touch the stuff now. Great stuff, I can't wait for more.

After brining our olives for 2 almost 3 months, they are still a little bitter. What should we do now? Change the brine solution and just keep going, or should they just be chucked? Help!! They have such great potential.

Hanger you won't find. Except from our local pusher-man....believe me, I've tried. Skirt is easy as long as you have a good butcher. Everyone knows that my favorite is Windsor on Main Street and 25th. Those boys will order in anything you want (except hanger...dammit!) and they even have sides dry aging in the walk-in.

I would also keep both of them. Then, depending on your mood, you can use the blue one or the beige one. Just think of them like you do shoes.