Jaymes

Brennan's in NOLA offers baked oysters three ways: Bienville, Rockefeller and Fonseca. Hard to get more southern, or more upscale,

I totally agree with this. If you can't get a large side-by-side, don't get one. "Frustrating" is the correct word. But if you have space for at least a 36-incher, for my money, that's the way to go.

But Brooks, I just don't get why you mentioned the turkey thing only in connection with side-by-sides. I mean, doesn't an "oddly-shaped" food" make for a "messy freezer" when you are "trying to cram the frozen leftovers in on top of whatever else" you have in a top- or bottom-freezer fridge as well? Unless, of course, the top-freezer fridge comes with some sort of attachment that squeezes the frozen turkey or other "oddly-shaped food" into a form more convenient for storage. Frankly (having owned many different types of fridges) if anything, I think the side-by-side is MORE suitable for storing oddly-shaped food, because you have so many shelves.

I'm not at home, but I just measured my parents' fridge. We all have side-by-sides, although theirs is not quite so large as mine. My parents' fridge is 36" across the front. The inside of the freezer is 13" across, so most dishes will lay flat. True, you couldn't get a large deli platter to lay flat in it, but since it's also 19" deep and 5' high, I'll bet I could get fifteen turkeys in there. And I don't ever have need to freeze deli platters anyway. The interior of the refrigerator portion is 19" wide, which is a pretty big deli platter. I can and do store deli platters in mine all the time. So I can keep platters chilled AND hang beef.

I'll say it again. I am totally bumfuzzled at these remarks. Not only is my side-by-size large enough to hold a turkey, but one of my favorite cost-saving tricks is to buy THREE turkeys at Thanksgiving when they're a loss leader. We eat the one, of course, and then I save the other two to smoke during the summer. Three turkeys. And I still have enough space to store a dead astronaut if I had to.

Hard for me to understand all these folks talking about how the side-by-side has so little space. People, you DO know they come in various sizes, don't you? My first side-by-side did fit that description. For one thing, I couldn't get that big glass baking dish/sheet cake dish (that we all have) in it. So, no frozen desserts for that year. But then I got a big side-by-side. I simply would not ever again have any other type. My 'co-madre' (a wonderful Spanish word that means the mother-in-law of one of my children) has a bottom freezer. She gripes all the time about bending down and digging back into that cold box to find stuff. With a side-by-side, you have shelves conveniently located at eye level for both your fridge and your freezer. You say there's not enough space for you? Duh. Get a bigger one. I can get half a side of beef in the freezer in mine.

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. Unfortunately, newspapers all over the US are struggling. Even in large cities like KC, readership is down. Many newspapers have gone out of business, and many others are just barely holding on. Younger folks tend to get their news from other sources, like the Internet, and it's no longer 'a given' that everybody on your block subscribes to the paper, like it was in the olden days. Now, local newspapers are competing for advertiser dollars in a marketplace that includes USA Today, national editions of WSJ and NYT and other newspapers, cable TV, the Internet and myriad other sources. Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in: "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'" So I was paid to write something complementary. Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity. In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on. If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all. And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean. I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect. Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were. And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace. My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities. Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited. And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants). They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer. That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever. It's just a completely different thing.

Here's another vote for Rancho Gordo. I first found out about that company here on eG. Steve (the owner) used to be a very frequent poster on eG and even though the company now keeps him busy, he still posts here from time to time. I know that anyone that has special questions about varieties of beans can PM him here, and I'm sure he'll be happy to answer. I'm a regular customer of his and every single thing I've ordered from Rancho Gordo has been wonderful -- fresh and flavorful. He's got a little video primer on youtube: He's a wonderful resource and also is trying to do his bit for the environment, so in addition to the fact that his product is terrific, he's one of the 'good guys' and deserves our support. Not to mention that if his beans are good enough for the French Laundry, they're good enough for me.

Was this the one we stayed at? If so, Hotel Santa Prisca.Yes, the hotel with the blue doors (in the photo on your website) is the hotel where we stayed in Taxco. Don't you remember? I think perhaps I worked there.

Yes, after having visited Mexico often, I prefer strong, dark hot chocolate made with water as well. With a nice dollop of whipped cream on top. Hot chocolate made with water instead of milk tastes like a dark chocolate candy bar. As opposed to a milk chocolate one.

Here are some photos from the trip: Mexico City & Taxco I'll have to think a bit on the name of the hotel in Taxco (it's the one with the blue doors in the photo), but the best meal we had there was at a pozole shop just off of what I think was the main square. Utterly sublime. If you think you might actually go, I'll ask Rancho. That boy keeps such good notes!

Breakfasts in el DF. Some of my favorite memories of dining in the DF are breakfasts. I really, really loved El Cardenal (the original one), another place where one should order the hot chocolate to make the morning meal perfect. And Liz, I'd suggest that just for tradition's sake, you also have a breakfast at the Sanborn's (the one with all the tile outside) in El Centro. I love the atmosphere of that place. Rancho and I, along with a few others, had a magical trip to the DF and Taxco a while back. Admittedly, my dining companions probably added to the ambience, but I'd still recommend that you stop in there for breakfast one of your mornings.

Last time I was in the DF, made a point to go to El Moro. After having had chocolate and churros in Spain, I was really looking forward to the chocolate and churros in the DF because I assumed they'd be the same. At first, I was disappointed at El Moro because the chocolate, though delicious, was not the thick gooey delight that one gets in Spain. So I studied the menu more closely and discovered that they had chocolate "Spanish style." Of course, had to order it to see if that was what I was looking for. And it was. So I'd recommend it to anyone that is looking for curros & chocolate a la Espana.

I'm going to repeat a suggestion above - go to a restaurant supply house. They do have great prices on many things, including dishes and glassware. I've bought a lot of things from them and never have been disappointed in the quality. Even if you choose not to fill this current quest for dishes via a local restaurant supply house, you still should familiarize yourself with them. Any average-sized town probably will have at least two restaurant supply stores, perhaps even three. Every serious cook should know what these stores offer and be familiar with their product lines. For example, I don't like using paper plates when I entertain, so I bought 48 small glass plates to use on the appetizer table. Because they're glass, they go with everything. They're neatly stacked into two small boxes and stored away between parties. I think I paid 49 cents per plate for them. And regarding Corelle - Add me to the list of folks that are not crazy about Corelle in most circumstances. I just don't care for the feel of it. But that said, I have to add that it definitely does have a place in our lives. We own an RV and when it came time to stock its kitchen, we never considered anything but Corelle. It's extremely lightweight and durable, so it works in the RV. We also take it with us when we go camping and that kind of thing. But in my home, my 'everyday' dishes must do double-duty for informal entertaining, and I personally just don't care for Corelle under those circumstances.

Interesting that one guy said the show was a "yawner." I suspect that the quality he didn't like is the exact same quality I liked so much. And that is that it was easy and comfortable and friendly. I found myself smiling often. I, too, liked the 'shirt' thing, and also hope you really play up the 'cops' aspect. I can't tell you how enjoyable it was seeing our boys in blue on an informal, 'human' basis. I'd even like to see you open each episode with a visit to a local police department. There you are...and there they are...and where do you guys eat? It's a great angle. On so many levels. For one thing, there's lots of opportunities, I'd think, for humor and inside jokes, and the cops kidding each other. Like, "Ask Pete over there...you can tell by looking at him that he knows where the good food is."

I'm not saying I disagree with your main point, but in this statement, you're simply incorrect. I don't follow celebrity news, much less the spate of celebrity adoptions, but even I know from which African countries they come, and that's only because of incessant media attention.

Generally speaking, instead of 'dulce de leche,' Mexicans use cajeta and they usually just buy it rather than making it from scratch. I see you're in Nebraska, but don't know where, so don't know if you can find authentic Mexican cajeta where you are. It's a VERY popular Mexican item, so if you have any Mexican markets at all, they should carry it. It even comes in squeeze bottles, handy for drizzling over pound cake, or ice cream, or sliced apples, or bananas, or spread on toast, or served in a chafing dish for caramel fondue, or heated and ladled over dessert crepes. Look for 'Coronado' brand. It's the most readily available in the US. And here's a recipe I got from a Mexican friend. It's for a very spectacular and delicious 'special occasion' cake. You can either use your favorite chocolate cake recipe, or a packaged cake mix, depending upon how much time you have, personal preference, etc. Chocolate Flan Cake 1 box chocolate cake mix, or 1 batch of your favorite chocolate cake recipe 1 10.9-oz jar cajeta (pref Coronado brand, or other good, authentic, goat's milk brand) Flan: 1 can sweetened condensed milk ½ C whole fresh milk 1 large can evap milk 8-oz cream cheese, room temp 1 tsp good-quality vanilla 5 eggs ¼ cup sugar Preheat oven 350. Prepare chocolate cake batter, either from favorite recipe, or from a boxed chocolate cake mix. Soften cajeta in microwave and pour into large greased bundt pan. Pour prepared cake batter into pan. Prepare flan: Pour flan ingredients into blender or food processor. Mix well. Pour flan very slowly and evenly over cake batter. Flan will sink through batter. Cover pan tightly with foil. Set bundt pan into larger pan, set on oven rack and slide in. Carefully pour hot water into larger pan to depth of 2". Bake about 2 hours. Remove cake from water and cool 15 minutes. Invert cake quickly onto LARGE platter, and slowly and carefully remove pan. Cajeta will drip down sides of cake.

Lordy. If we think the French are grumpy now...

You know, some of the disagreement in this thread might be semantical. To me, if it's edible, it IS "just fine." I don't consider that a lie. I consider that a more polite way of saying, "It's acceptable, but that's about it."All I know is that if GF says she's feeling, "Just fine", I'm in big trouble! My point exactly.

You know, some of the disagreement in this thread might be semantical. To me, if it's edible, it IS "just fine." I don't consider that a lie. I consider that a more polite way of saying, "It's acceptable, but that's about it."

If the food really is 'just fine' - not fabulous, not wonderful, not great - but acceptable (i.e., edible), in answer to "How is everything?", I say, "Just fine." If they ask "Is everything good?", I say, "It's just fine." That doesn't mean I will or will not go back to that particular restaurant. If I'm really hungry, and it's convenient, I'll probably go back. Although I'll probably never seek it out. And if I do happen to go back, I'll order something else. If the food continues to be mediocre (and therefore, "Just fine."), I'll eventually make an effort to find an equally convenient place to try. But if the food is not even up to my personal minimum standard of "Just fine," I look directly at the waiter, establish firm eye contact, and say in a pleasant but unwavering voice, "I'm sorry, but I don't care for this at all. I'd prefer something else." If there's an obvious reason, like the fish is bad, I'll say, "...don't care for this at all because I think the fish is bad." But if I just think the dish doesn't go together well, like the sharp sauce mentioned above, or if it's simply not what I expected, or not to my personal taste, I don't usually go into it with the waiter. I don't want to argue with him or her. I just want something else. Which I believe is my right. And after I've said that, I lean back into my chair, away from the table, giving them an obvious signal that I expect that dish to be removed. And that's usually that. They bring me the menu, and I select something else. Sometimes the chef will come out and ask why I didn't care for it and I'll tell him/her. But I've never had anything that I could even remotely call "trouble" over this approach. There's never a scene, and nobody ever tries to talk me into eating it. But I am not at all wishy washy about this procedure, and I'm certain that I give off the vibe that trying to talk me into keeping it would be futile. May I add that this doesn't happen often...I'd say maybe only two or three times a year, and I eat out a lot.

Good, real buttermilk.

Actually, since Canada is also in America (as most Canadians will be happy to point out ), you didn't do so badly as you think. Although perhaps you could have said "What I Love Most About North American Food," which would have covered it, too.

Actually, I wouldn't mind so much the government spending my tax money if they'd REALLY go after the major air and water polluters with some teeth, instead of trying to regulate what we choose to 'pollute' ourselves with....As you suggest, those are things which we, as individuals, are pretty much powerless to control and are instances where we require governments to act on our behalf. As opposed to the amount of salt we ingest. The government already mandates that food producers list the ingredients on the labels. Anyone that cares about monitoring their salt intake currently has the information they need to facilitate that. Even if, through some misguided effort, the government places arbitrary limits on the amount of salt that can be added to various processed foods, consumers that like salt will add it themselves (as an earlier poster pointed out). Unless, of course, the next step that the do-gooders take to protect us from ourselves is to ration the sale of salt, each according to his or her....what? Age? Height? Weight? Blood pressure?