moosnsqrl

I know that Lionel Hardcastle in the TV series "As Time Goes By" has a special affinity for custard tarts but I can't place the chili reference. ← #40. Yes, ma Petite Chou, you are right. While they definitely take a back seat to the beloved custard tarts, Lionel often fancies the sausages from nearby shop (commenting that they are made in-house) and brags about his "incendiary" chili con carne which proved nearly fatal to Jean the first time he made it for her. I was wishing I had some of it !

I'll toss in an interesting migration of the tradition. In the far southwestern corner of our state is the town of Liberal, Kansas (yes, it is considered an oxymoron by many ). Here is a history of how the ladies of Liberal compete with those of Olney each Shrove Tuesday. It's a small world.

I have visited Costcos in Kansas City, the Bay Area, and Long Beach and never seen a bag in any of them. I take some canvas bags with me and box the rest. I'm intrigued by the varying offerings, since all of the ones in those areas seem to offer pretty much the same products. Until we started comparing notes on these forums, I was under the mistaken impression that they were pretty uniform, based on my experiences in KS, MO and CA. Now I feel cheated (by the sushi, chantarelles etc that some have, that is, not the bags or lack thereof). One thing I feel fortunate about is the lack of long lines. I've never been to a store here in the KC area where a line was allowed to grow beyond 2 or 3 customers. If it reaches that point, more registers are opened, and very quickly. We're pretty spoiled with our wide-open spaces and lack of crowded conditions and I think the local management figured out pretty early-on that people here simply won't tolerate long queues. Whenever friends from CA visit and we find ourselves at Costco, they are amazed at how uncrowded ours are.

I seem to be determined to undermine this "big screen" topic with small screen triviality, but not sure it merits a second thread and, as I rely on netflix for movies almost exclusively these days, the size of the screen has been rendered largely irrelevant . . . Custard tarts, sausages and incendiary chili con carne

Apparently those 'trends' passed us by completely. I associate all of those with old-time foodways and forager types (hence my confusion at your reference to them as trends) but don't believe I have ever seen them on a menu in the KC area. I gather the trendier NYC area restaurants over-utilized them? How long did the 'trend' last? In the old days, before food was FedEx'd routinely, I would think it just hadn't found its way to us here in The Heartland yet but we're generally only a few steps behind the coasts now, so if it's over for you, I guess we missed it entirely. I am curious, now, if Chicago experienced this. If someone there could weigh-in I would be interested to know.

KC Media Digest for week of February 15 - February 21, 2007 The Kansas City Star Food Section In Dark Seduction Jill Silva helps the chocoholics rationalize their behavior in the interest of heart health and offers a new twist (more of a sprain, really) on cassoulet in Eating for Life. Janet Majure introduces us to a Croatian cook who shares her recipe for the crepe-like palacinka. Anne Brockhoff raises her glass to dessert drinks. Lauren Chapin reviews The Two of Us . . . and Friends, a cookbook for couples (and more). This week's Food Calendar is here. Wine guy Doug Frost's new use for Pedro Ximenez sherry may make you blush. In Business No roux required to thicken the plot in the ongoing saga as ownership of OP favorite 40 Sardines is sorted out in domestic court. I wish a civil, speedy resolution to all parties involved. Continue scrolling for other restaurant/retail comings and goings. Elsewhere Hearne Christopher bids farewell to the venerable Stephenson's Old Apple Farm and adds his two cents to the tale of Cafe des Amis restaurateur, Didier Combe. In this installment we learn why lingering 'blue laws' have small tavern owners singing the blues and two of TFN's leading ladies, Giada De Laurentis and Paula Deen will be visiting our fair city in April, courtesy of local bookseller Vivien Jennings (for more info go to Rainy Day Books website). Preview Section The charm of Waldo-area pub The Gaf was not lost on Lauren Chapin, who understands how it has captured the hearts of old Romanelli fans. LC ventures out into the cold to give us her take on Rob Dalzell's Souperman; and recommends wine as an antidote to winter. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza finds he must leave town to try a Local Burger. And, in My Big Fat Mouth, opines that it's a good idea not to over-think things when enjoying your meat and poultry. University Daily Kansan Finding no local (i.e. non-wire) content in the Lawrence Journal World this week, I checked out that 'other' Lawrence daily and was rewarded with this nostalgic case of indigestion: Joe's Bakery pulls an all-nighter once again. Columbia Tribune Living on a contested border and having cited the UDK, I thought I would give equal time to the Columbia (MO) paper (although as a rule I consider it too far to be in the metro area). I enjoyed this article on local foodways and hope you will too. Present Magazine Pete Dulin visits the relatively new Brookside sushi spot Domo. KCUR FM89.3 The Food Critics return to The Walt Bodine Show Friday morning at 10am. Click here to listen online. On 710 KCMO (AM) From Jasper's Kitchen, with Jasper Mirabile, 11am-noon Saturday. Go here and click Listen Live. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

Basil Fawlty in "Fawlty Towers" ← Bingo. Child's play, I guess. Or, as Basil would say, 'master of the bloody obvious'

I can vouch for it through late May. Between two of us we had 6 dishes and not a miss among them.

OK, not a movie, but who said he couldn't serve a Waldorf salad to a diner because 'the waldorfs are a bit off'?

"Isn't this the height of nonchalance furnishing a bed in restaurants A little bit of dinner never hurt - but guess who is gonna be dessert . . ." "How many girls become a sinner while waiting for a roast beef dinner While most girls slip in ordinary ways I've got style I do it Bordelaise Well, at least he thinks I'm special - he ordered a la carte . . ." Ah, you've gotta love Babs and Omar!

cumin (in/on anything - it's my favorite popcorn topping)

And I always thought it was a comedic device invented by Garrison Keillor (perhaps involving Powder Milk biscuits and ketchup).

You need to ditch Karl and get around more on your next visit Edited to fix quote and add a word.

I'm afraid that's always been my reaction to the concept, too, Allen. but I feel that way about all-you-can-eat/buffets of all kinds - regardless of whether the servers are armed and dangerous or wearing puffy shirts. I suppose if Antonio Banderas worked there I would make an exception. UE, did they appear to have any offerings other than meat and salad (e.g. other Brazilian specialities)? ETA: I know Banderas is not Brazilian - I was just reminded of his Zorro role by the shirt/sword combo.

For a very non-threatening beginner's primer, try The Best of Lord Krishna's Cuisine. It's an approachable, inexpensive paperback (and available used from many online sources for under $4USD) and a great way to get started. You can probably find it at your library as well.

I've long since lost the cookbook this came from but I do something similar to what markk said, and add either Canadian (Back) Bacon, or speck or even something spicier (capicollo?) to make it a little more interesting. While my recipe also called for Fontina, I find it cloying when melted along with so many other cheeses, so after the first pass with it, I started omitting. Entirely a personal preference, though, [obviously].

One of our favorites is Cadieux Cafe. It's family-owned, been around forever, reminiscent of an old Belgian beer hall and the menu and beer/ale list do nothing to shake that feeling. I wouldn't recommend trying it on the first visit but at least watch others participate in feather bowling. Then, if it intrigues you, reserve an alley to play the next time. The staff could tell you how far ahead you'll need to look, what nights are tournament, etc. It doesn't take a lot of imagineation to figure out how this somewhat-obscure game came to be .

Yes, welcome, but it's a bit cruel of you to post all of those pictures on a day when the high here is going to be about 20. I'm a pretty hard-core bbqer but I'm not completely insane yet, so any 'cue I get today is going to be from Bryant's, I'm afraid.

Where is that "groan" emoticon when you need it? (Actually I'm just jealous that you got to it first.)

Love the fresh ones, you can have my share of the tinned. If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by 40 Sardines, where they are always on the menu in some form and always delicious.

KC Media Digest for week of February 8 - February 14, 2007 The Kansas City Star Food Section Jill Silva suggests lean, green lentils as a healthy antidote to winter's chill in Eating For Life. Janet Majure and Neil Salkind offer some sweet suggestions for Valentines Day treats in Online Epicure. If your idea of edible art is hollowing out a watermelon "basket" and filling it with fruit, you might not want to read Jill Silva's piece about kae-sa-luk, the Thai art of carving fruits and vegetables. Lauren Chapin reviews Gail Gand's latest dessert tome, Between Chocolate & Vanilla. Janet Majure visits with salad savante Andy Hickerson in Come Into My Kitchen. The Food Calendar for this week can be found here. In Business Joyce Smith says farewell to 39th Street stalwart Macaluso's. Owner Tommy's sharp wit and tongue will be missed by his regulars. In another blow to that corridor, Cafe Rumi is no longer; owners are pursuing other options. On a brighter note, long-awaited En Chamas Churrascaria is open in Northland's Tuileries, Liberty gets a Red Robin, and an English Pub opens in the former Double Dragon space on Main. Read all about it here. Elsewhere Hearne Christopher has some good news for those who have been nervously pondering the brown paper covering the windows of Mario's in Westport. Preview Section The third time is the charm for inexpensive and approachable Mi Ranchito. And, just down the street, Mr. Gyros gets some ink in Good & Cheap. The Pitch The unpretentious upstairs Parkville restaurant Cafe des Amis is still delivering their quality French fare, says Charles "Frog Leg" Ferruzza. My Big Fat Mouth may get you in the mood for Valentine's Day but puh-leeez, get a room. Lawrence Journal-World Terry Rombeck reports on two businesses catering to the "meal assembly services" fad in Lawrence. Gwen Mellinger tells us about a clever, anonymous reader who is harvesting homegrown grape tomatoes even as we speak. Kansas City Magazine G.E. Fellrath goes to Starker's Reserve on The Plaza. Present Magazine Pete Dulin introduces Piano Man Haiku at The Bulldog. This I've gotta see, er, hear. On 710 KCMO (AM) From Jasper's Kitchen, with Jasper Mirabile, 11am-noon Saturday. Go here and click Listen Live. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

A couple of thoughts: In Brookside, Bella Napoli has good Italian sandwiches. They have a restaurant next door (Cucina di Mama) but as you're clearly after a sandwich, just go to the deli counter and order either one of their existing combos or have them make exactly what you want from their imported charcuterie and cheeses. At the other end of the spectrum, but a long-standing local tradition, go to La Sala (east of the City Market, on 5th. Rich Boys, Poor Boys and everything in between, and the lunch crowd is as eclectic as they come. In the City Market, Al Habashi/Habashi House has great felafels and gyros and several of the Asian stores and restaurants around there have sandwiches. One last thought, Mario's Deli in Westport has meatball grinders that are practically an institution. Mind you, none of these are anything like D&D, rather local boites.

That was in Charles Ferruzza's random notes in My Big Fat Mouth (see last week's digest for the link; I seem to have rendered my computer incapable of cutting/pasting, somehow ).

I made it to The Cafe for lunch yesterday and enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor - the carryout counter has its own door and is off to the west of the actual dining room, so it's much nicer than I had anticipated. The colors, styles and layout were aesthetically pleasing (IMHO, naturally). We shared some lump crab cakes to start. They're served with some dressed greens and a bright dijon sauce. Good texture, not stringy and just crumbly enough you know they're not glued together with filler. There was some citrus going on somewhere - we had trouble figuring out if it was in the cakes themselves or the greens, having all inhaled a few bites of the combined flavors before slowing down to analyze. I went really cutting edge and ordered The Cafe Burger (lame, I know). I had mine with gruyere (also available bleu or colby) and it was very tasty, served on an egg bun with fries that are hand cut and better than any non-frites that I can think of in town. I ordered it medium rare and it was a little past that but I was OK with it. It was still nice and juicy and benefitted more from the wood grill than it suffered from the difficulty in controlling it precisely. I tried a couple of bites of the cassoulet and it was good - herbaceous and so rich I would have to make several meals of it. Just the thing for the weather we're experiencing. The Salade Nicoise was visually appealing but I did not try it. I had a French chardonnay and it was startlingly good and a great value. Their list is interesting - not vast and mostly inexpensive except for maybe 10 premium bottles. They also had some interesting vodka infusions going, including one savory (celery, carrot, red pepper, garlic - that I could see from a distance - maybe other things) that merits Sunday brunch visit to try in a bloody mary. The last bite I was able to manage was a white chocolate truffle with Gran Marnier before slipping silently into a midday food coma. Edited for coherence

Since you mention D&D, I imagine you are in the southern part of the KC area? If you could advise us on how mobile you are (willing to X minutes or preferring to stay south?) we can tailor our suggestions and not innundate you with info that's of no use to you. I will start with one that's close to D&D, though, and that's Spin! Pizza which (as you may have gathered from the name ) features Neopolitan-style pizzas but also has house-made soups and salads.