FabulousFoodBabe

I've never gone to color-coding, myself, but I do something like this for anything more than 12 people (old catering habit). I have a binder with the schedule, backed up by a copy of the recipe/method, and then the master grocery list, by vendor. I can't imagine not working with it, even for the things I've done many times. Equipment lists for when you're cooking out of your own house are critical. It amazes me how many people don't have some stuff, like whisks (can't you just use a fork?) and spatulas (I've got a pancake turner right here ...).

It's made everyone an expert.

Steve, will you ever tire of hearing how gorgeous your child is? Those eyes, that hair ... I love the photo of him in the backpack on the beach with his big brother and Mom. Brings back some memories, I'll tell ya. Firstborn did his first tasting tour of Napa at 4 months, in a backpack, and slept through most of it. Man, it goes fast. Your blog goes fast, too. Love it.

Now I'm sure you're channeling Chef Andreini*-- one of his pet peeves is exactly what you describe. Coulis can be a fruit or a vegetable, pureed, and strained. And I'd also thicken with agar-agar. (*) one of our teachers who swears he'll write a book on the subject ...

Exactly. Of all my refrigerators (and yeah, I've had a few), only the SZ didn't freeze where it shouldn't, pop open at 3 a.m., go into some bizarre cycle where all the ice cubes would wind up stuck together, etc. etc. I'm getting the big one for the new remodel. I think the reason SZ pisses people off so much, is that they don't deal much on their prices.

I still have no idea how that happened. I still have no idea what we had. I don't think it was shots of something with foam, because my memory would be of you with said foam clinging to your upper lip. Salmon I had their interpretation of "surf 'n' turf" -- the monkfish with chorizo. Loved it, but honestly wonder why people go so berserk over it. I went much more berserk over the desserts: Chocolate for me as well, and those were little cones of strawberry ice cream. And, of course, the little tray of chocolates and the little tray of jellies and cakes ...We still recall fondly the bread man, tongs in hand, silently but intently stalking the tables, head swaying as his laser-sharp vision spotted a small round dish to the left of a diner, with nothing on it. He was the Terminator of empty bread plates, without the cool sunglasses. Did he really say at one point, "I'll be back?" Probably the best 10 and tonic I've ever had, by the way, and the tea loaf was a nice breakfast chez FB, as well. (Yes, yes, some people still mess up a gin & tonic. Not here! ) In all, a wonderful night. The room was gorgeous, the company scintillating (and snappily dressed), and the wine nice (though expensive). That bar was hoppin' when we left! Too bad Mr. FB is an early to bed, early to rise sort ...

Was it from the water in Springfield? Yanno, home of the three-eyed fish.

Yanno, back when I was writing about food regularly, a chef told me the best way to kill a menu item was to call it "heart healthy." Anyway, I just watched the piece and thought it was okay and, as Sandy said, NBC could do another full hour on it. A few points and more when I think of them: -Nothing about full-sugar soft drinks. Interesting. I've no doubt most of those obese teenagers suck down a liter of the stuff on a regular basis. -Asking a three year old if they want a banana or a decorated rock for breakfast? For these kids, breakfast will be there no matter what they choose in front of the camera. that seemed a little contrived to me. -At some point, these activists are going to have to stop saying that parents are not responsible for their kids' eating habits. They are. If you don't want the kids to get all that advertising, for heavens' sake, turn off the television. As this woman is applauded by 'exhausted parents everywhere,' who just can't do with the nag factor, think for a second if she was advocating formula feeding for infants, because the alternative is too hard for exhausted parents. -At some point, too, people have to be responsible for their own bodies. If you go to sleep weighing 120 pounds and wake up at 190, something is very wrong. No one who declared McDonald's as making them fat seemed to be clueless or ignorant. Quite the contrary -- very articulate, sharp people! -The Kraft dude needs to shave his beard; he'll seem more trustworthy. The Kraft nutritionist needs to be prepped for the camera better, or at least try harder to believe what she's saying. I didn't buy 90% of what she was saying, because she didn't look like she bought it. I used to do consulting work for a premium ice cream maker. I told the owner the job was making me fat and he said, correctly, in his Carolina drawl, "naw, Fabby. It's all y'alls othah bayud habits!" I think he's right.

I wonder what Farmers' Market hagglers also haggle over, that has a fixed price -- clothing, restaurant meals, subway fare, cocktails? I keep getting the impression from many of these posts, that a farmer's work and service isn't seen as having real value.

Condolences, jgm. Fred will be a comfort to all of you. Love it! The late, great Josie made many long trips with us by car. She was a Lab, and a ridiculously energetic one, so we did lots of rest-stop/picnic area dining so we could walk/run her. Some of the best food we got was when stopping for gasoline somewhere -- not a 'travel plaza,' just off the highway. We'd find a smallish diner or deli and get the food to go; usually someone could tell us where the closest picnic area was.

too funny! I wish I had pictures of the big chicken on top of Ron's Roost in Cheviot (western Cincinnati, Ohio). Also wish I had a photo of me and my friends on top of it one wild night in the 70s ... As a matter of fact, all the creative architecture I can recall has to do with chickens.

Sounds like one for the TiVo. I have no doubt this will really be disturbing. How can they fit it all into one hour? I'll reserve comment until I see it. Exactly. It'll be interesting to see if Pollan is interviewed or his book referenced.

One place she ended up, with her Movie Star husband, is at The Modern (Dining Room) with the Foodbabes. therese can tell you the details, but I will say that the room was gorgeous, especially in the heavy rainstorms that came through. The food was terrific, though a bit salty. Last, The Modern has revived my joie de desserts.

rich, I've been doing this for as long as I can remember! I, too, have never been brought a meal of the most expensive items, and have honestly not been disappointed. I always tell the server, "this is not a trick!" and they seem to appreciate that, too.

I'd be very interested in hearing from people who think it's perfectly fine to yak loudly on their cell phones in restaurants, and from managers who don't think it's their job to do anything about it. Yeah, it happened to me once: New spouse of a friend, fancy restaurant, he pulls out the cell phone and starts a conversation. I think that if he'd stood up at the table and dropped trou, he'd have gotten the same horrified response from everyone in the room. Thank God he put it away before the manager could get to the table.

Maybe the question should be, "Cuss Words in Food Writing: Do They Have A Place?"

I am not trying to hijack this thread, but as I read it, I'm thinking of the very true examples of the people haggling over five cents a pound for beets, and chuckling as they drive away in their BMW. These people would never dream of telling the golf club that they'll give them $175K for a membership, instead of the going rate of $200K, and that they'll take a 75% equity instead of 25%. Grocery stores have more room to negotiate; I wonder if hagglers have tried it there? To me, people who argue about a farmer's prices don't respect how hard the job is, what they are up against, and that makes me very sad. It's the same in a lot of businesses where everyone is an expert. Again: Quantity discounts are different. Reduced price for really bad stuff is different. I personally don't want to wait until the end of the day to buy something in case I get a deal.

Me too. But not at the farmers' market. I don't even like to pay a reduced price for what we used to call "salsa tomatoes." I guess haggling would be acceptable if you were buying in quantities -- and then it would be a qty. discount, not a haggle. It just seems disrespectful to me. Negotiating for a new car? Yeah. For an ear of corn? No.

2 3/4 cups = one pound, after cleaning and pitting. Be sure to add a bit of acid to your cherries; it keeps them from 'graying,' or otherwise discoloring. Such riches -- and such a gorgeous pie.

Look, Ohba. My point was not to upset or insult anyone. It was to say that we could and can do it -- if we choose to. I stand by that belief. But the thread is titled "Does Service Matter," and this is one way I present my side. I believe most anyone can replicate the skills of a professional one time, if you really want to. But not 300 times a night for years, with a team of people who may or may not care about what they do, and make money at it. Back to the thread: Yeah, it matters. The putting-the-napkin-on-the-lap trick always seemed a little weird to me, but I also don't like having my chair held for me, either. Makes me remember that kid in my third grade class who would hold girls' chairs and then pull them out as they sat, in a ploy to see their skirts fly up as they fell.

Laurie, any stats on how many "I'm offended! Cancel my subscription" people actually follow through on it? That one word in the quote gives me a way fuller picture of the person speaking, than it would have been without it. Yeesh, I wonder what this person has been reading, if that quote offended him/her so?

Really? Is that a comment on the type of restaurants you eat at, or your cooking skills? Much as I love to cook, and to eat at home, I would emphatically disagree. ← Unless you eat at only the highest-end places, or those that specialize in molecular, you can do it, with a little time, patience and the right tools.

Most of us can replicate 85% of the restaurant meals we eat, at home. For the most part, we go out to be served, and saved the cooking and cleaning up. Personally, I don't go out to be fawned over or educated. I wish there was a way to start a meal by saying, "please don't ask me if I like it or it tastes good or, god forbid, "does that taste as good as it looks?"; I'll let you know if there's a problem. Please don't top off my water every five minutes or try to take plates when we're still eating. Please don't interrupt conversations or ask me if I'm still working on something, and I'd rather not know what audition you have or what your real job is. to me, annoying is almost as bad as slow. And dammit, why do some servers hover until it's time to get the check and go? Why?

Apologies in advance if any of this has already been addressed; I can see that the thread quickly turned to a back and forth discussion of "potty mouth," etc. **** Profanity in food-writing, for the sake of adding profanity? No. But to quote someone when a well-placed f-bomb conveys more than a paragraph of "doggoneits," yes. But that's all writing, not just food writing. Yanno, if you don't offend someone, you're boring. And some people will be offended no matter what you do; no attempt to 'warn' them will be enough. If you start out by publishing warnings, you can conceivably be asked to start publishing "cleaned up" versions of your magazine in case, you know, "children get their hands on it" (gasp!) And then it's a short leap to the Penthouse section of the newsstands, and Wal-Mart will refuse to carry the magazine ... Oh, dear. This is just awful!

Ahem. Ummm .. Megan. I know you're an enthusiastic, energetic young woman, but do you really have time to learn a new musical instrument? It'll just wind up on eBay ...