astrayacorazon

I am going to a conference in Seattle next week and will be taking people out to meals quite a bit for business meetings. Any advice on the top places to go within walking distance of the convention center in downtown Seattle? Any good hotel restaurants? Any advice would be terrific!

When I went to France a few summers ago, I became obsessed with fromage blanc. When I came back to NYC, I couldn't find it anywhere. I tried the one made by Vermont Cheese Company (or something similarly named) and it didn't come close. Anyone know where in the city to get the good stuff that will taste like what I had in france? It was very light- very similar in texture to yogurt, just a tiny bit firmer. Packaged the way yogurt is packaged here. Any advice?

Has anyone ever done this study for New York City? A quick search of advocacy articles turned up a figure for an average food stamp allowance of $80 a month per person and $240 per family. That's one third less than the Oklahoma allotment in a city with a higher cost of living. It underscores the difficulty of slow food on a tight budget - which may not be a universal possibility.

Such a relief to see that a few of the people condemning Rocco actually took the time to listen to his show and that a few others are even defending the guy. I'm throwing my chips in with the latter. I listen to the show regularly and I've learned so much from it in the short time that Rocco has been permanent host. I'm sure he has been humbled after his reality tv debacle (he's human, after all- who wouldn't be humbled after so public a fall from grace.) As for those who criticize that he's condescending to viewers, I would respectfully disagree. Before Thanksgiving, he very patiently answered turkey day questions from a ton of viewers and he was on the air live on Thanksgiving Day to tackle calls about Thanksgiving emergencies. With his mom (who within the last month had a heart attack, by the way) by his side. Here's what I see in Rocco- I see a guy who adores his mom and his Italian heritage, who took a gamble on a sentimental restaurant idea that didn't pay off (tanked, more like it), and who was repeatedly dragged through the mud in the press for his hubristic maneuvering. And he paid the price: he lost not one but two restaurants and he became a culinary joke. I think the radio show is redeeming. He's incredibly personable and charismatic about food. He's generous and straightforward with his cooking advice. He's funny and he's easy on the ears. I really dig the guy. I like how much he loves food and loves talking to people about it. How does it go? To err is human, to forgive, divine? I forget. All of us mess up dramatically at some point but not all of us are in the public eye when we do. Yes, he did put himself in the public eye in the first place, but he's still human and he's still a talented cook. I think he deserves a little more credit than he's getting on this thread.

I've got to agree with bpearis on that one. I just saw Spanglish and was also amazed by the fact his character spoke no Spanish. According to Bourdain, it's SOP for a chef to have a little spanish in his repertoire. Without giving anything away, I thought it was terrific and the food parts very believable and enticing- aside from Sandler's lack of Spanish. Very charming movie.

I just saw it at the grocery store (NYC- Murray Hill) and picked up a bottle of the diet. It's so odd. I can taste the cherry and Dr. Pepper flavor but not the vanilla- it's almost too ambitious. There's too much going on to appreciate it, so in the end the aftertaste is more that of black cherry Dr. Brown's than Dr. Pepper. Not that that's a bad thing. I'd be tickled with either cherry or vanilla but both at once with Dr. Pepper all sort of cancel each other out. I will concur, though, with the comment that the diet has no fake sweetener aftertaste or anything. Tastes normal sweet. Anyone know what other soda fountain classics are on their way?

I'm curious to hear whether anyone out there wants to share certain recipes that are unfailingly good but which don't cost too much to make. I'm always looking for such recipes, because while food should always be tasty, it's always fun to find a bargain, too. (All these savings can add up to an extra trip to a nice restaurant!) Old, discounted or marked-down meats not allowed. Not trying to poison ourselves here to save a buck, just trying to beat the system! I'm currently relishing a recipe I modified that made a hearty 4 servings for less than $5 in ingredients. It turns out FreshDirect doesn't charge too much for turkey drumsticks, which worked out well for me! I made a nice turkey osso buco with a recipe I found on epicurious. Only needed about 6 ingredients. The meat just fell off the bone, which contributed its own broth to the dish. I used no spices yet it was incredibly flavorful. I was very pleased with the results, and temporarily forgot the whole thing cost only $5 to make. Anyone have their own gourmet bargains?