FabulousFoodBabe
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Posts posted by FabulousFoodBabe
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Thanks, FFB. Yes, delivery a must: she's literally bed-ridden, and the whole point is to eliminate as much of the work as possible, i.e. have the food delivered to their door step. I'll look into that option you mentioned.
I'm sorry I haven't looked back here, ewindels. How did it go? I thought that if you or someone else could pick up/deliver food, there would be more places to choose from.
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A colleague at work has just had back surgery and is bed-ridden for the next 3 - 4 weeks. She lives in Bedford Hills / Croton-on-Hudson. We'd like to send her and her family dinner at home every night next week, but so far the options are pretty grim: A&P, Basco's, Shop Rite. Would locals be able to recommend a high-ish end food store, or a good local restaurant, or catering company, who could deliver dinner for two adults and two kids for five consecutive weeknights?
If you're willing to extend that to Chappaqua/Mt. Kisco, I've got lots of suggestions. Only issue is delivery. Is it absolutely necessary? If not, I have some great takeout/gourmet-to-go suggestions. If so, try Susan Lawrence in Chappaqua. They're primarily a caterer but does a brisk takeout business as well. No doubt they could set up a delivery.
Hope your colleague isn't in too much pain -- and if she is, she gets the good meds!
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I find the "no caffeine" thing so interesting. When I was pregnant the first time (20 years ago), a middle-aged co-worker told me flatly "my mother spent her entire pregnancy sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes."
I will admit - the guy was weird......
So did my mother, with my youngest sibling. I remember her sitting a shot glass of bourbon on her belly, cigarette hanging out of her mouth, and watching the baby kick it off.
Here's an anecdote: The day before my second child was born (almost 18 years ago), we went to a celebratory dinner with some friends. The waiter poured wine into my glass and I took one sip. An argument ensued at one of the other tables between a woman and her dining partner, over whether she should confront me or just call the police. For abusing the child. Of course, I had spent seven months on a measured diet and exercise program, testing my blood six times a day, seeing a nurse practitioner and my doctor weekly, but one sip of wine in public was enough to cause quite a problem -- for others.
Anyone else remember those days?
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Well, DisneyWorld seems to agree that there are some places children just don't belong. Victorial and Alberts is no longer allowing children diners.
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It. Was. Amazing.
Day one found us at the Newark airport checking in, at 6:15 a.m. Some guy at the Northwest counter couldn't get on the plane he wanted, so he said he had a bomb in his suitcase. Well, he didn't have a suitcase, just the backpack he was wearing, but still, the evacuation began. It was the sorriest excuse for an evacuation I've ever seen; we were basically shuffled around for a few hours. The flights themselves were uneventful, but we wound up arriving on the island at 10PM and at the villa at 11:30.
The rest of the week was wonderful. Here's the shot of me on Christmas Morning:
I'll post photos tomorrow, but I can say that Barbados is my favorite island, roundly beating Tortola (we used to go before the cruise ships started landing), Virgin Gorda, Bonaire and Cayman Brac (which are still in my top ten, but still).
Highlights: Roti from The Roti House, having an island burger at the Chefette "just because," all the dorado and flying fish and dolphin I could stuff into myself. Had to miss The Tides because we arrived too late -- but we did go to La Mer and The Cliff, and a little place in Holetown that was right across from Spago. Hey, should we tell Wolfgang Puck?!?
The Brits in the villa next to ours said there were lots of celebrities on the island that week, including Simon Cowell, but we didn't see him. I did see CCH Pounder at the airport coffee shop
More tomorrow!
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What is it with the nails, anyway? At a private party, the guest of honor, a groom to be, was a big-time entertainment attorney. He sat in the middle of the place, yanked off his shoes and socks, and trimmed his toenails. I am not making this up. (I also used to work for a blue-blood type in Cincinnati, who regularly trimmed his nails at the table in restaurants, as he talked.)
I know someone who was interviewing a smart, successful woman for a position at their company. A partnership share would be offered, and she had great credentials; they met for breakfast for an interview. At the breakfast table, while discussing volume and performance and ideas for expanding the business, she pulled out a sugar packet, opened it, and ate the sugar. And then did it again, and again, until all the sugar was gone. All the while talking away about projections and ways to gain market share. And then she pulled the jams, jellies and honey to her plate and started to eat that, too -- even using the little spoons that were in the jam pots.
Raised by wolves.
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Poffertjes, congratulations and wishing you a healthy, happy pregnancy and baby! When is the due date, and how are you feeling now?
I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies, and managed to stay off insulin by adhering to a strict diet and exercise; I ate at prescribed times, weighed every morsel, and tested my blood 5-6 times a day. We weren't warned off fish, just alcohol, caffeine, and Equal or Saccharine. I couldn't stand the smell of coffee and didn't miss wine, but I was distraught without the Diet Cokes!
Eh, breastfeeding. Nothing seems to make people feel more justified to criticize someone, than a bottle feeding mother. I was a bottle fed baby and have perfect teeth and developed environmental allergies in my 30s. My nieces and nephews were exclusively breast fed and correcting their teeth is making an orthodontist a rich man. They also never went to group care, but were always sick. Someone's going to find fault with what you eat during pregnancy and how you choose to feed your child after s/he's born. It's a real shame, isn't it?
I was working in a restaurant and information on the tables would be on the tickets -- nut allergy at position 2, etc. Suddenly we started seeing "pregnant" on the tickets, and wondered what in the world we were supposed to do about that. Anyway, the first time a Pregnant ticket came through, my cooking partner yelled, "it isn't mine!"
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The first time I encountered it used in this fashion was here. Since you're a Westchesterite, Fabby, I'm guessing that Italian-Americans in NYC and environs use it too?
I'm more a Westchester-ette (got here in 01 via a lot of places). I was born 'n' raised in Cincinnati,Ohio (West side). My Italian grandparents were off-the-boat,worked in Pennsylvania and WVa, and somehow wound up in Cincinnati.
So gravy it was, sometimes. Mostly, we called it "sauce." When I see an Italian restaurant with Sunday Sauce on the menu, I get very excited about it.
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Did anyone else grow up in an off-the-boat Italian family? When I said "Sunday Gravy" and "Sauce," I meant tomato sauce. They're the same thing in our family, and I make the gravy/sauce the same way I learned way back then.
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Bekki, I'm jealous (and glad that if it can't be me cooking in a new kitchen yet, it's you. And Cali.)
Beautiful stuff. Your countertop issue made me want to scream on your behalf -- it's maddening. Just maddening. But it's awfully pretty, and it sounds like a nice time was had by all at Thanksgiving.
I didn't see anything about the backsplash, so I guess the story's not completely over yet? I hope??
Oh -- we're faucet twins! I have the exact same KWC over my cleanup sink. Glad to hear you like it so much. Does your kid try to shoot his friends with it?
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so, you draw the line @ wine........
everyone has a stopping point........
burgers are an illustration......
what we're after is the truth..........
Oooh, the truth! You can't handle the truth!
Okay, you can. I don't serve to guests in my home or when I'm cooking in a restaurant, anything I wouldn't be happy to eat myself. I don't draw the line at wine. I just don't pull out expensive stuff if it's someone I know will immediately ask for it to be made into a "spritzer." That doesn't mean I buy cruddy $10/bottle pink wine. Unless I know for a fact the guest feels most comfortable drinking it.
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At the risk of being criticized for being pro-industry, pro-chain here, I suspect that there's more than meets the eye in this issue. Perhaps BK conceded something else but what is being publicized is the 1 cent issue because it sounds incredible?
I'm afraid you're probably right, mojoman. I'm not sure pro-industry/pro-chain is such a bad thing to be 100% of the time.
Your comment sounds more like pro-truth, anti-spin.
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Sunday gravy: Seven. (we also called it "Sauce.")
Beef, pan, chicken gravy: Poorly, from age 15. Better, when I started working with good chefs. Most expertly, in culinary school. At age 44.
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Okay, since I posted last I turned 50, did not have the party I wanted to because the kitchen was still not done (I had my tiara all picked out, too, boo hoo), and my kid came home from college for a few days.
We managed to move partly into the kitchen, but it's still not finished. Augh! But at least I can put stuff into my refrigerator, which I love, and the smaller kitchen/pass area is finished. We use the Speed Oven and the Coffee Center every day, and the Fisher & Paykel dish drawer takes care of the stuff I don't feel like doing by hand.
Today, we had the stainless fabricators come in to install the sinks and countertops. Lookity:
What you can't see is the two HUGE sinks that've been integrated. What I didn't photograph, was the small counter and hand-sink to the right of the range because, well, it was a couple of inches too short.
So. The remaining sink/counter will arrive next week, which in subcontractor language means, "January 3." Drama surrounded the Propane Saga, but I found a new supplier and should have the BlueStar up and running next week.
It seems to be moving more slowly now that we're almost there, but at least we aren't having to huddle in the basement any more like the Mole Family. I'll take it!
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I have done simpler food for people who I know don't care too much or wouldn't know the difference between good gruyere and Alpine Lace, but I don't serve lousy stuff, ever, even to my kids' friends. I'm remembering the friend of my oldest son who was amazed that waffles didn't come from the microwave, and thought maybe there was something wrong with the syrup because it was so thin. I think his mother never spoke to me after that
However, I recall a neighbor who took a really good bottle of wine that we'd brought to her dinner,poured herself a glass, plunked in some ice cubes and declared it "good stuff!" I cringed. So maybe I don't pull out the great wine for people whose taste in wine runs to something pink.
Anyway. The burger example you give? Eh, I just couldn't do it. I may have simpler cheeses or yellow mustard and ketchup out, but I don't think I could ever just serve stuff that I thought was not great.
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Randi, it's gorgeous. Just gorgeous. (Did you keep a wee little orangey patch for posterity, or do you think that it will be burned on your brain forever?
)I have a TV in the kitchen, always. In this kitchen, I'll have a straight view to the one on the sitting room wall not too far away, which is how it usually went in the other houses. In this house, the kitchen was boxed in. (How else could I see my boyfriend, Peter Jennings, in the evenings, if I didn't have a TV in the kitchen?
)I can't wait to see the backsplash. I love glass.
I'm also very impressed that you did this as fast as you did! I think you set a record.
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Yow! That's a lot of orange!
I can't wait to see the finished room, Randi.
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Yep, that's the one! A chicken in 20 minutes. The food itself is good, but not complex; no time for the flavors to permeate. I've only used one on proteins. There's no "something's in the oven" smell when you use it. I can think of several neurotic women who would love this.I'm curious about the speed oven. This is the kind of oven that cooks things more quickly, right?Had you ever tried items made in a speed oven before? I'm very curious to know what they're like--if there is any difference in quality between speed oven items and conventional oven (convection or not) items.
Thank you! I got hit hard with the lucky stick on this one.I'm so jealous of your appliances--and the rest of your kitchen. It looks beautiful!
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I've been getting Peet's at Fresh Market here in Atlanta for the past year. Comparing it to Peet's excellent mail-order system, the only differences have been in package size (Peet's will ship in pounds; the retail packaging is 12 or 13 ounces) and selection. I prefer the Garuda, but have often had to settle for Major Dickason. Regardless, the quality of the coffee (ground or whole bean) has been tops.
thank you SO much for this! Since posting, I had some reassurances (from a "company type" who is also a personal friend, but still ...) who assured me that they have distribution system and sales force in place than what I'd assumed, and that the product turns in something like 3 weeks, max.
So hearing that you are happy with it as well makes me feel good about it. It'll be interesting to see what kind of pricing it has up our way.
Now to find a Stop & Shop ...
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I just got an email from Peet's that says its coffee will soon be carried in Stop & Shop. I love love LOVE Peet's and have it shipped every month. I just can't see it being of good quality while being distributed through Stop & Shop. It makes me glad on one hand; if we run out I can grab some at the story. But then it makes me sad -- I feel like it's the beginning of the end for such a wonderful product.
Any thoughts, anyone?
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It's official: all my happy dancing didn't help. The kitchen won't be ready in time for Thanksgiving. The range won't have propane, the steel countertops and integrated sinks won't be ready. But we will have a coffee system, and speed oven, refrigerators, and one sink and a really cool faucet. And my kid will be home from college for a few days, so I'm feeling pretty happy.
At least the tile guy started on the backsplashes: the grouting will be done the week after Thanksgiving.
the blank spaces will soon house a reach-in refrigerator and a wine cooler.
We're really happy with the way the island turned out:
and we will have a sink and a dishwasher.
So. It's almost here!
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Bekki, I'm laughing as I'm groaning. Kitcheny goodness ... Mommy's in jail, honey, eat your turkey and we'll go visit.
AUGH about the countertops. SIGH about the range -- it's a beauty. It's all going to be worth it in the end, you're doing such a great job. Can't wait to see the mosaic when it's all done.
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And on it goes -- most of the Fireslate countertops are in, the interior wiring is finished (we're waiting for the pendant lights to arrive. Yes, we thought we wouldn't have any, but at the 11th hour found some that are perfect and won't mess with the view). Closed-circuit cameras are wired, and one of the sinks has been installed. The other two are integrated.
Anyway: Here's a shot of the countertops, with the steel supports for the raised part of the countertop. The other photo is of the light-platform over the island, lit up at night. Awwww.
Tomorrow, the undercounter refrigerators go in, the bar sink and faucet will be connected, and the dishwasher drawer will be installed. Hopefully, I'll have a good shot of the pass, the wet bar and the Big Island to show tomorrow. The countertops are a bit darker than the above photo shows. I love the way they look.
And yeah, the happy dancing continues. Woo hoo!
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FFB, it does look like most of us inquire about food preferences when inviting guests. At least in the US. Since I've been living in France I've never heard anyone either ask for special food, nor inquire whether special food is necessary. The strangest thing I've discovered recently here is that in the Basque part of France tomato skins and pepper skins are considered to be "indigestible" and so serving them to a Basque guest would definitely be rude.
Thanks, Abra. Maybe this is a topic for a different thread, but I wonder how you came to know that the tomato and pepper skins were rude?
I also wonder if any of the posters would mind saying for whom they're cooking, when they ask, "any food preferences or aversions?" I wonder if people with lists of what they will/won't eat would offer it if they weren't asked?
(In restaurants where I've worked, if you ask a diner this question, they'll come up with something they don't want. If you don't, they'll basically offer an only an allergy or dietary restriction (if someone is pregnant, for example, or severely allergic to nuts). )
eG Foodblog: FabulousFoodBabe - Brand New Kitchen, Same Old Husband
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
I am so transparent. Pierogi got it immediately! Yeppers, I'm going to be the blogger of the week, starting officially tomorrow.
Some things are the same from my first foodblog in 2006: Same kids, same dog, still haven't seen a Clinton around town. Some things have changed: Firstborn is away at school (with my car, boo hoo), Secondborn has a host of new critters in his room, and they all need feeding (sigh).
Of course, the kitchen is new. It doesn't look like this any more:
I love my new kitchen -- I am eventually going to start teaching in it, but until that starts in March, I am cooking for everyone who'll let me.
Which brings us to: Mr. Foodbabe is turning 50 this week, and as I lead you-all through my new appliances and kitchen, I'll be prepping for his party. Here's the invitation (well, it was on prettier paper):
And some things are going to change dramatically, soon. Jean-luc is getting a new brother in a couple of weeks, and we need to name him:
So, what would you like to see and know? Im going to try to accommodate special requests and not be too dull
Oh -- we're also going out to dinner on Mr. Foodbabe's actual birth-day, Thursday, at a much-lauded new place in White Plains.