FabulousFoodBabe

Well said, KitchenMom! I think the idea in the article was not that vegetables suck, but how the Mommies do tend to see their child's "cultivated palates" as making them superior to other children. And we all know that if Junior is superior, it's superior parenting that made him/her that way. I don't judge a mom for having pliable kids or low-flavor cooking methods, why should I be judged because my oldest son asked for -- and got -- Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for his birthday dinners when he was little? Yes, this is the child who never ate a jarred baby food until his grandmother -- going against my expressed instructions -- drove to the store and bought it for him. (She never was in charge of his meals again.) And believe me, if kids ate what their parents ate happily, mine would be eating a lot more, and more expensive, foods. They'd also really love pie!

Heyyyy, I had a feeling you had the Scorpion in you! (My friend Paulette-- see my signature line, my favorite blondie -- shares your birthday.) Happy Happy Birthday, and many more! to keep this OT: One of the engineers working on my house is building a place on Montauk, and he's having radiant heat under the floors in his kitchen, so he can walk on them without shoes. How great would that be? I'd love to have that, and tile, but it's too hard on my back, Danskos or not. My husband and I kind of sort of did our kitchen when we first married. We installed a new floor and countertops, replaced a range and sink, and painted the cabinets. It was about half the size of your kitchen and after we finished, we made a pact, and a business decision -- we'll never do it again! When I hear stories like yours, well, I think either you have it in you to work like that with family and loved ones, or you don't. Twenty-odd years and six houses later, we still hire contractors. I think one week on your job and we'd spontaneously combust!

I don't find the writing snobbish, I find it hilarious. It's less about food preparation than it is the parents who brag that their child's palates are already cultivated and refined to a level high above others.

Used to be Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati -- before it got all Hollywood on us. The two-hour wait was as much fun as the meal itself. A place in Mendham, NJ, called (I think) Benjamin's? It's a steakhouse. Same deal as with the Montgomery Inn. In both cases here, I'm dating myself: Haven't lived in Cincinnati since 1988 and left North Jersey in 1998.

"Mountain Grown: The Richest Kind." WTF -- mountain grown coffee is the ONLY kind!

Just in time for the post-holiday "healthy eating"! Point 'n' Click.

Terrific news, Vanessa! Can't wait to see the before/afters. My cabinet provider had to be fired, and we're going with custom. Hopefully we, too, will have someone who can start right away. *Deborah,* I love the kitchen, it's dramatic and glorious and feels happy. And if anyone out there actually has all the countertop they desire, I'd love to hear how s/he managed it! Coquus, wow. To have a talent for that, and family members to help, must be wonderful. Nice job! What is your countertop material? Is the tile hard to stand on? You know, for the hours of cooking you put in after your fun retaurant job! (Geez, not even organic Wal-Mart spices? ) I'm getting so excited for my reno to really begin! I'm also getting anxious, even though the deck will be done by Thanksgiving, so it feels like something is happening.

I'd assume so, too, but have had different experiences with wood flooring and cabinets warping. Bamboo would seem like a no-brainer to me, but so did oak and cherry ... Great advice -- and great minds thinking alike! The arch. just told me the same thing today, about the painted slabs. The upper cabinets will mostly be etched or opaque glass (I wanted no upper cabinets but that's not really practical in my space). When I get my hands on the samples, I'll have a better idea.

I don't know what cracks me up more, Jerry's thoughts or "stiffing!" LOL! Full disclosure: My ILs are churchy types, with plenty of funds, and they are the world's worst tippers. I learned years ago to leave something in the restaurant so I can beef up the tip. (It's not only servers; they also stiff porters, dive boat operators who've catered to and fed 20 family members, etc. etc.; it's also not only on Sunday dinners.) I always assumed they either felt that, since they don't drink alcohol or order desserts at the restaurant, EVER, they should leave a nominal tip. They're nice people and polite and all, but still. And no, they don't like to eat out in Europe because of the service charges!

Divina, when I first read this, I thought, "Central Market? In Austin?" What a glorious view you have; it appears much "calmer" than I'd pictured it. What fun -- I can't wait to see your life. My goal is to open a cooking school, and part of the research is visiting as many as I can here and abroad. Europe is next year and the year after, so your blog is going to be informative for me as well. Woo hoo!

"Vinegar Boy" is one of my favorite tales, ever. If someone could illuminate me on why so many churchy people don't tip, I'd appreciate it.

this is very interesting; the Vikings come with a propane conversion kit. The cooktop we had installed when we bought the house runs a lot cooler with the conversion, too. Excellent news: BlueStar has a 60" range; both ovens hold the sheet pans! Service could be an issue, yes, but maybe not. We'll see.

The issue is propane,I think; Viking told me that propane runs a little less hot in their stoves, so to expect less. But I have bigger things to worry about: we are literally ready to go to construction, once the cabinet issue is settled, and ... "someone" just figured out that the 60" range ovens won't be big enough to fit a sheet pan (18 x 26). AUGH! THIS is what happens when a right brainer tries to figure something out ... I have literally been saying to myself, "60" = 3'; 3' is two 36" ovens." I have no excuse. None. And I cannot believe I did this! (Thank God the thing hasn't been ordered yet ...) Quelle knucklehead, eh? Deborah, your range is gorgeous! Just beautiful.

Wow -- you're where I was, last year! Without the snooze-inducing background, here's what I found: I picked a 60" Viking, all-gas range; it's got more BTUs than Wolf, and while I've had Thermadors my last two kitchens, I just like the Vikings better. I really liked the BlueStar ranges -- they're flush with regular cabinet-depths, and get nice and hot -- but servicing around here is difficult. I'd asked for the Viking range to be fitted with a 22,500 BTU burner, but Viking said they couldn't do it on the range itself; it would have to be a separate unit. There's also the ventilation to think about -- if you go with a higher-BTU range, you'll probably have to have overhead ventilation, the heavy-duty kind. My setup is (from the left) four burners, one flat-top, one grill, and then two burners. The Thermadors all had four burners and a grill, which I used all the time. Oooh, have fun! I planned this kitchen with a big, purple Viking stove in mind, but I think I'll keep it to a less-flashy color.

Oh, Zoe. I hope your Mom's recovery goes well. How nice to have a sis to tag-team with! How old is your mom, and is, uh, ahem, too much fiber (or not enough) going to be an issue for her? Will she be mobile at all?

While I use bamboo primarily for flooring, I have seen it used for cabinetry. It has of course a very distinctive look, and as far as I know is only available in a "slab" door-style (i.e. no raised panel doors). Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about it? A. ← "Slab" style, full overlay, is what I want, so it should work. Architect is bringing some samples with various finishes for me on Monday, so I can see what they do. My concerns are looks and wear, equally. It's got to look nice but stand up to a LOT of use, wear, and cleaning, and not fade in the light.

Unh....hunh. I can't be arsed to go back to the article to check, but from what I recall, that isn't exactly what they said. They said that the CR guys no longer had a lively, guy-type libido, didn't check out the femmes as a fertile male is wont to do, but still functioned well in the sack. ← You're right. I guess I mistakingly assumed that better performance in the sack = EXCELLENT!!! ( ), and disregarded the parts about lowered overall interest in sex. ← Uhhh .. really skinny guy with orange hands. Talk about a lowering of desire!

Oh, great! Starve 'em and they won't stray? I prefer to cuff mine with the same lock I use on the refrigerator, so no one else will eat my food. (At first I read your ETA as, "I really should eat before I post." Maybe we all should!.)

Beautiful kitchen! Love the lacanche (jealous, jealous)... and since my new kitchen (when it happens, more on that later) is designed for teaching as well, I'm very interested in what others are doing, who also teach. Great news: My deck is being redone as we speak! The old lumber is off and the pad for the hot tub is being framed right now. Supports are being drilled into the rock outcroppings, and epe (epay?) will arrive early next week to be custom-fit into the layout. Also great: We should have cabinetry bids in by the end of next week, as well as an answer from the company we originally hired to do the cabinetry (we may need to go to court to recoup money ... it's up to them). Anyone ever seen, or used, bamboo for kitchen cabinets? I guess I really should get a web page up for showing what's happening, now that I have something to show. Doing the happy dance, here! Fabby

Oh, great! Starve 'em and they won't stray? (At first I read your ETA as, "I really should eat before I post." Maybe we all should!.)

Which one is a pain in the a**, and which one is fun and lives his monkey life to the fullest? Which one will watch me "hog" an entire scoop of ice cream and not sniff that I'm out of control? I really don't care if eating nothing makes you look slightly better or live longer. I care about the quality of the life. CRD, like anorexia, is a full-time job. I know that anorexia is not a choice. I also know that people on CRDs and those with anorexia share the "I don't have a problem" mindset, as well as the "I look/feel terrific" attitude. Maybe it works for monkeys, but of all the starvers I know, I can't think of one who actually looks good. The cover model on the magazine looked to me like she'd been Photoshopped.

Ahhhh, NECI! There was a NECI extern on my externship site. He was great, and wound up being the fish cook during his time there; he was back on site when I went in for dinner a while ago. Just a sweetheart, and very very good at his work. Chefboy has some great suggestions; I'd try those. And your expenses will be considered education expenses by the IRS, as long as you are a NECI student -- said the woman who commuted 100 miles round trip to her school. I wonder if your school knows anyone who could put you up for the weekend or a week, so you could trail and get your feet under you? Another thought -- ask around about chefs who like to mentor. Six months in a less than classic setting, for someone who will be a contact, reference and mentor forever, is well worth it. I got very, very lucky -- didn't expect to network during my internship, and am still getting advice, leads, and references from the site.

KitchenAid, here. I think I've got the same model as Phawless speaks of -- mine is a Superba. It's so quiet you have to touch it to see if it's running*, holds lots and lots of stuff, has adjustable racks for tall pots, and cleans china and scrubs pots, just beautifully. (*You can also buy this dishwasher with the controls on the front of the panel, which my husband loudly informs me each time he thinks it's not running and opens the door mid-cycle! )

Chefboy! Back of the house, eh? Let me know where you land. Lots is going on up in the county, but I know your heart is in the city. A long commitment isn't going to fly for me right now. I'd love part-time and have pursued that; we'll see how the next couple of months go. I'm teaching a lot these days, which was my goal anyway. And then there's that kitchen renovation .... About not getting paid: I took an unpaid externship, and wound up getting paid (a lot). It was a terrific experience -- and since externship is required by our school, I found it odd that the school tried to force me to take one that did pay. Anyway. the externship can be what you make it. No cook that comes in is guaranteed line work for four solid months if they can't or won't cut it, a student/intern shouldn't either. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!