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rosebud

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Everything posted by rosebud

  1. In this day and age, I think it has to do with space. The most formal of dinners in the "Gilded Age" used what was called the "French" service; i.e., platters of food were set down on the table in front of the diners and the longer the table, the more platters were set out. I believe (and I am glad to be corrected on this) the White House used what was called "Russian" service for State dinners; i.e., waiters came around with a platter from which the diner helped him/herself. The Clintons changed this because "Russian" service required that nobody take the last serving. Therefore, a lot of food was wasted. (For those interested in minutiae, the State Dining Room holds 120 people. PERIOD. That's 120 servings of everything gone to waste). The Clintons instituted "American" service, which was highly resented by the staff at the time, which resulted in plating in the kitchen and individuals plates placed in front of each diner. Personally, I grew up with food being put in serving dishes and passed around the table. However, my MIL plated in the kitchen and brought stuff out. If you wanted seconds, you could go to the kitchen and help yourself. This works well for me because my apartment is so small, as is the dining table, that there is simply no room to place any serving dishes, nor do I have the space to set up a buffet. I instituted the policy of telling my guests that, since I fixed the plates, they should eat what they wanted and I wouldn't notice what they left on their plates. And, I let everybody know that more was available, if it indeed was. Having read Miss Manners columns since she first started writing them, I use her dictums of making your guests comfortable first and foremost, and using what you have/can. I don't have anybody turn down invitations to dinner in my place. They all know the food will be (mostly) good and I won't try and force anybody to eat more than they want. If you put the well-being of your guests in the forefront, you can't go wrong. And, if you have inadvertently invited some twit who announces that you've done everything wrong, then you know who not to invite again. I don't know if this answers all your questions, but I hope it helps.
  2. If you have a Whole Foods, you really don't need Dean and DeLuca. When D&D first opened a shop in Georgetown, it was a REALLY big deal. Until I bought some frozen squab for a dinner party which, when they thawed, turned out to be ROTTEN. I got really tired of paying their prices, too. I usually make chocolate truffles at Christmas to give away and use Callebaut chocolate for this purpose. D&D was charging $15 a pound for it and Whole Foods (which I can actually walk to) was charging $6.99 for the exact same stuff. I haven't been to D&D in a couple of years. There is a Trader Joe's in Bethesda I can get to by subway and a little bit of a hike, but other than getting real maple syrup cheaper than any place else around here, I don't usually have a need to go there. A knowledgeable foodie entrepreneur is all you need in Atlanta (or anywhere else).
  3. Thanks, Babka. I bow to those whose pockets of ignorance aren't as deep as mine. It all comes down to the eating. What happens if it's a tie?
  4. Funny you should ask. This site has a bit on the science of brining, complete with diagram. It's just below the piece on the Maillard Reaction, which is what happens when meat is browned. I have a deep distrust of scientific explanations for why food tastes good -- as with art, if it has to be explained before you enjoy, it's probably failing on a fundamental level. Nonetheless, I've got enough of the wonk in me to enjoy scooting through sites like this, and it seems to be well worth clicking through. ← Well, thanks for the link. The problem is . . . I simply don't believe this (about the brining, that is). I looked for some citations and didn't find any. I'm just going on my own observations. As an example, in Ruth Reichl's book, "Tender at the Bone," she prints a recipe for fried chicken that says to "cover the chicken pieces with salt for two hours." I did as she said, but found the texture of the chicken to be rather odd. It certainly didn't have as much "moisture" as chicken not salted. Frankly, the explanation on the site you linked doesn't make any sense. To ME, that is. Bear in mind that to make your own corned beef (or pork or whatever), or to cook a Virginia ham, you need to soak the previously salted meat in several changes of fresh water for a couple of days before simmering the thing in water all day. The upshot is that I will be an extremely interested guinea pig in this cook-off and, needless to say, will show up with an open mind (along with the required wine and unrequired side dish). Want some cookies to go with the ice cream?
  5. I wish someone could explain the science of brining to me. I mean salting meat draws the juices out of them, which is what you want if preservation is the goal (see corned beef and Virginia ham for starters). I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea that brining a chicken makes it "moister." Barbara
  6. Them's fightin' words. I demand satisfaction. Oh, wait... ← Good Lord, I can't wait for this! Would either, or both, of you please let me know what wine you would like to see walking in the door? Barbara
  7. I make a mango sauce for fish (nut encrusted halibut, tilapia, etc., or just on grilled tuna or salmon). 2 mangoes, peeled and cut off the seed in chunks white wine to cover cream Salt to taste lime juice to taste put mango pieces in a saucepan and add just enough white wine to barely cover them. Cook a few minutes and then add some cream. When the mango is cooked through, pour everything into a blender and blend thoroughly. Add a dash or two of salt and then lime juice to taste. This takes almost no time and it can be reheated, as well.
  8. Well, not being a guy, I don't know if Heather is a "hot chick" or not; I just like her a lot. 'course her husband is pretty swell, too. As is mine. Question: Does the husband thing determine one's "hotness?" Michael: Do you have an opinion about husbands? Mrs. Busboy and I want to know.
  9. Well, what an interesting thread to read. The next time somebody refers to you as a "food snob" just link this thread to them What an eye-opener!
  10. No kidding. I make my living selling spinach and artichoke dip. I don't see anything wrong with that. And I like tater tots. Ha! ← Thanks to a thread on this site, my DH and I have re-discovered the joys of tater tots, to the point that we have bought different brands and held side-by-side comparisons.
  11. I can't tell you how many years ago it was that I had to ask my neighbor to stop getting me a subscription to that rag for Xmas. There was just so much that offended me. It will be interesting to see how those THREE (!?) new mags shake out; especially since someone we all know and love is working for one of 'em.
  12. My vote goes to airplanes. Yes, refrigeration; however, to transport all kinds of food around the world in a relatively short amount of time takes an airplane. Think about all those who are eating Maine lobsters tonight who couldn't have DREAMED of such a thing before flight. This from someone who just flew half way across the country and back and had to endure the mostly USELESS "food" offered on the way and back. At least I was able to get some bottled water to drink.
  13. You're very welcome and I apologize to Heather for highjacking her thread.
  14. Um, OK: There aren't any measurements, per se. Add Dijon mustard, capers, chopped red onion, Worstershire sauce, salt, lots of pepper, all "to taste." (Yeah, I know--how helpful is that?). And, an egg. I just use ground beef. Depending on how lean it is, adding some fresh bread crumbs can also help with the texture . I maybe leaving something out, but I don't know what it is at the moment. I make these in the summer to grill for the gang at the Promenade, so I don't buy expensive cuts of meat or grind it myself. Those folks wouldn't appreciate the extra effort (we are talking under-developed palates here) and I wouldn't care for the extra expense of doing it that way. There's no doubt that one or more of you will take this and run with it. Have at it! Barbara
  15. Well Heather, this will probably bring this thread to a screetching halt, but nevertheless: One of my favorite neighbors worked for decades at the Washington Hilton as a room-service and then banquet waiter (oh, the stories he can tell). He developed a recipe for beef (or steak, no matter) tartare which was used for years at the Hilton, until they dropped it because of concerns about serving raw meat. This same recipe was used in his own home and COOKED, which became known as "Fernando Burgers." I got the recipe from him. There is a thread here (or on DR.com) about the best burgers in DC. Well, I MAKE THEM. Not "tartare" of course, but there you are.
  16. Why would anybody, at anytime, throw a marshmallow on something as perfectly wonderful as a sweet potato?
  17. How, if at all, would this trend affect the movement of local chefs to use "artisanal" products and arrangements with local farmers for specialty produce and organic growers?
  18. DCMark: Have you written to Sietsema about this yet? It would only be fair to Gillian Clark (not Flynn!!!). I'll bet he would be interested in your observations. I don't know why people are such A$$holes. They just are. They are the bane of existence for all us nice folk.
  19. When my DH was studying to be a Real Estate Agent, he was told to go buy the uncooked cookies in the roll, slice them and stick them in the oven. You aren't trying to impress your foody friends with your culinary expertise--you are trying to sell your house. This is easy and it works. Besides, the only clean-up involves the sheet you bake the cookies on. Save your cooking efforts for people who will appreciate it.
  20. I don't have a lot of patience to read stuff about the lives of people who have full-time domestic help. This woman's mother also had a cook. It kind of reminded me of the reporting when the Queen Mum, the daughter of an Earl, died. She lived to be over 100 and in that time never made a bed or washed a dish. What has that got to do with the rest of humanity? This woman doesn't have a clue what to do if the money runs out and she has to rely on herself to provide nutritious food. Hey, it happens. Knowing how to cook, whether you enjoy the process or not, is essential for everybody. I don't like cleaning the bathroom, either, but it has to be done. My FIL was in a world of hurt, in more ways than one, when my MIL died. She had always done all the cooking and he could hardly boil water. He couldn't eat most of the stuff Meals-on-Wheels delivered, because of dietary reasons; so , he wound up hiring a professional to come in once a week to make up a bunch a meals he could nuke in the microwave. I don't know what he would have done if he couldn't have afforded that. It's just that this article didn't offer anything for the people who have to juggle work and child-raising without all that outside help.
  21. I haven't contributed to this thread until now, because I don't remember any memorably bad meals; however, racheld's comments were so on the mark that I had to give her a "HUZZAH" Her reference to "tacky" DID remind of one Thanksgiving when we were living on a Army base. We were invited to T-day dinner at another family's house. My Mother thought she was off the cooking hook, for once. When we got there at the appointed time, we noticed that no table was set and no food smells were forthcoming. Instead, our "hosts" announced that they were taking us to the MESS HALL to eat dinner with "host's" men. My Father was more than miffed. He told my Mother afterwards, ''If I had wanted to eat Thanksgiving dinner with soldiers, I would have eaten with my OWN men." This was a man who was away from home at least 6 months of the year, so his time with us was precious.
  22. mnebergall may be "balding", which is a genetic thing which we won't hold against him, but he would NEVER be described as "dumpy". Besides, he dresses too well for criticism. Maybe it's my age, but I do love a man who looks good in a suit. BTW, my DH had a dream about roller blading on an Interstate. After this long description of his dream, he mentioned that BUSBOY was also roller blading in this scenario. What's up with THAT? I would like an update on Mrs. Busboy and her recent collar-bone problem.
  23. Desserts: especially cheesecakes and I make a really good tiramisu, if I don't say so myself. The problem (?) is that, with just my DH and myself, we don't usually eat desserts, so I only make them for a crowd. I cannot roll out dough to save my life. I don't know what the problem is, but I don't make pies very often and NEVER make cookies which have to be rolled out to an even thickness and cut. The thing is, my mother was able to do this easily and made dozens of Christmas cookies which were perfectly rolled out and cut and then we decorated them. And, ahem, I am a much better cook, overall, than she ever was. Also, I can't make dumplings, either, except for matzo balls and I'm not Jewish. What's up with that?
  24. I ALWAYS turn to MAFC first. I have made chocolate mousse many times in my life, but it wasn't until recently that I turned to Julia for her take on this. (The Busboys have sampled CM in several popular restaurants and declared them inferior.) I made the best chocolate mousse EVER from her instructions. I made the mistake of mentioning this to the Busboys, so I think I may be required to show up at their house with some. That will be OK with me if, in return, I get to have some of Busboy's homemade sausage. I used her instructions for making French onion soup and made some for a neighbor who had a acquired a French boyfriend (at the time). He had to get on the phone to THANK ME for the most "authentic" soup he had had in America. I will bow to NO ONE for my adoration of this woman.
  25. FYI: Rocks is neither dumpy nor balding.
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