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Jaymes

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Everything posted by Jaymes

  1. So clearly I was being a smartass about Padma and Tom and the red slip. But I do think that's one of the main reasons why Padma is there. She looks good. I'm sure that when the powers-that-be envisioned the show, they elected to follow the standard competition show format: contestants, judges, host. And they began auditions for the host. They may have decided from the beginning that they wanted an attractive, well-spoken woman, or they simply may have narrowed down a wide range of potential hosts to her. I don't know. But her role clearly began as a host/hostess/"presenter" in the manner of other hosts/hostesses/presenters, like Kat Deeley, Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly, Nick Cannon, etc. She's there to say "Welcome" and "Our guest judge is" and "Your next challenge is" and "Please pack your knives and go." Most of these competition shows have this same format. Gordon Ramsey is the exception. On his shows, he's the host, judge, jury, executioner, but that doesn't seem to me to be the standard. How Padma morphed into what appears to be a full-fledged judge, I'm not so sure. But most likely she's there to stay. She's one of the producers. And with the exception of here, there doesn't seem to be a huge public outcry to get rid of her.
  2. The red slip looked terrible on Tom. Seriously, that's why she's there. Obviously.
  3. Oh, and PS Shelby, not sure if it makes any difference regarding your "watching online" capabilities, but those LCK episodes are short. They're not like the 1-hour TV shows. They're usually less than 10 minutes and you can scoot them right along to the end and the judging if you wish. Of course, it's all over for this season, and it may not have made any difference regardless, but just wanted to be sure you knew.
  4. I spend a lot of time in Mexico and a very popular breakfast there is called a "bionico." Naturally, it varies somewhat but, usually, it's yogurt topped with granola and fresh fruit. I don't often have granola around the house because the brands I particularly like seem loaded with fat and sugar and I go through them too quickly. I do, however, always have some dry cereal. Like others, I mainly eat it with milk as a late-night snack, rather than for breakfast. My current favorite brand is the Great Grains with raisins, dates and pecans. So my current fave breakfast is my version of a bionico - yogurt topped with cereal and fresh fruit.
  5. Jaymes

    Schwan's

    Did you order? How was everything? As for me, ordered chicken & wild rice soup - just okay, won't order again; tomato basil soup - thought it was very tasty and handy to have, will order again; tortilla soup - also pretty tasty, added fresh tortilla strips and cheese, will order again; shrimp scampi-style - kind of surprisingly good, will order again; mini-corn-dogs - guilty pleasure, got two boxes, took one to grandkids, entire box gone in one sitting, ordering three more boxes today; crab cakes - pretty good and I enjoyed them but not great and I can definitely do better easily enough that don't think I'm going to order again. Still haven't tried the sea scallops and the "Fire Roasted Mixed Vegetables." All in all, a success.
  6. It was I that posted the link, rather than the results. Not that I have anything against posting reviews and results of LCK here - in fact, that's pretty standard - but I didn't know that you basically can't see the episodes online, and I thought that breakfast one was particularly good. As for the current status - I'm happy that Carl made it through to the final of LCK. The "no cheese with seafood" thing kind of irks me. I get that strongly-flavored cheeses overwhelm delicate fish and you want a balance and compliment of flavors. But sometimes it seems like some sort of hard and fast "rule" gets stuck in people's brains and robs them of nuance and independent judgement. When Chef Traci said (and was she actually on a soapbox?), "That's my pet peeve!" I didn't think that was enough of a reason. Wish she had addressed the actual result of the dish rather than just basically saying, "I hate that, no matter what, and you did it, you broke the rule, and how dare you, and you're an ignorant moron, and everybody knows not to do that, and you should have known better, and you'd better never do that again, and that's all there is to it, and you're not advancing." IIRC, Tom preferred the dish...is that right? Because, if so, it couldn't have been so awful that it should have been dismissed out of hand. And I can think of a great many dishes combining fish/seafood and cheese that are pretty darn tasty. Including one of my personal favorites, Lobster Thermidor. However, if the "clues" in the episode are any indication, this is it for Carl. When Tom walked over to talk to Amar, Amar said, "Watch this" and sprinkled salt on his fish. Then, after Carl and Amar finished their dishes and tasted one another's, Carl said something to Amar about his dish being "too salty." And then Tom said the final winner came down to salt. So, unless there's a startling reversal of tradition and Amar's dish was too salty, he's got it.
  7. Much as I'm a fan of mimosas at brunch-time (and I most certainly am), these folks have another hour's worth of driving. Think I'd save the alcohol for the return trip.
  8. Thank you so much for this. Boy, do I ever love egg tarts. Those pictures remind me of joining the "egg tart scrum" that meets daily to do battle at Golden Gate Bakery in San Francisco. Thankfully, I've discovered some that are just as good, if not better, at Eck Bakery here in Houston. http://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate-egg-custard-tart-at-eck-bakery-6410615 But your excellent instructions make me wonder if perhaps I could make them myself!
  9. Jaymes

    Meatballs

    Pretty smart. Thanks.
  10. Actually, that's quite possible. There most definitely are some remote locations in Alaska from which one indeed can see Russia. And I'm pretty sure your square foot isn't in the middle of downtown Anchorage. Perhaps you should investigate. Perhaps your square foot is laden with wild blueberries upon which you can munch as you gaze across the water at Russia.
  11. Jaymes

    Meatballs

    What's the advantage of cooking them in a muffin pan over just cooking them on a sheet pan? That's always worked well enough for me that I've never seen any need to search for improvements. Also, the grease runs off. I'd think a muffin pan would hold the grease, like a loaf pan does for meatloaf. Much better to cook them on a sheet. No?
  12. I'd tell you, but I'm hopeful you'll just watch it. Great episode: http://www.bravotv.com/last-chance-kitchen/season-5/videos/lck-ep-10-breakfast-baby
  13. Instead picture a mini rolled haystack of shredded wheat that came out of a box with a photo of (for some reason) Niagara Falls. We never got sugar on it - although sometimes fresh fruit. I wasn't quite so draconian with my own kids but those revolting sugary cereals like Count Chocula were never allowed in our house.
  14. Don't you think that depends entirely on which cereal you choose? I can assure you that neither I and my siblings nor my own children ate a "handful of sugar."
  15. Totally understandable. You have the nightmare scenario of a bowl and spoon to wash. And for what? The twin poisons - dairy and gluten? Not to mention the inconvenience of having to actually sit down and eat. Of course, that is the perfect time to catch up on all the news in the morning paper. Oh wait...
  16. I don't think there's much of a chance this would work. Bottom line is that food has to taste good for the restaurant that produced it to be a success. And I don't think it's all that easy. For example, let's take one particular genre - say "Mexican." Even in a Mexican kitchen, full of experienced Mexican cooks/chefs with familiar recipes and ingredients, the quality of the dishes can vary widely enough that one restaurant will be successful while another will fail. What you are suggesting seems to me to be an "all things to all people" option. If I can't even count on every single Mexican restaurant, full of experienced, knowledgeable Mexican cooks in the kitchen, to always produce chiles rellenos that are good enough for me to love, think about, and order again, I certainly don't see how I could expect cooks less-trained and experienced in Mexican cuisine to do it.
  17. My son graduated from Wash U in St. Louis, so I've visited there often. And have had my share of St. Louis Slingers. Pretty fine eating. But it does remind me a lot of a favorite dish around our house - chili & eggs. Great combination, however you fix it.
  18. Kerry, that looks so so so good. I'll bet the aroma of that cooking spoke to a great many of your colleagues. When I was a kid, we lived in Germany. Many fond memories but one of the strongest was the aroma coming from the kitchen. We had a cook, Maria, who came in every day and, in those long, cold, dark winters, that aroma often originated from a one-pot meal bubbling and simmering in the oven. A favorite of mine then, and still today, is Rouladen, the classic rolled-meat dish. I'm sure you either know all about it, or could easily find a recipe on your own but, just in case there are others here that have never heard of it, here's a typical recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/almost-my-grandmas-rouladen-recipe.html
  19. Which makes me think of one of my favorite wintertime dinner party meals - New England Boiled Dinner. Everything is in that pot - corned beef, vegetables, etc. I have an assortment of sauces ready - horseradish, assorted mustards - and some really good breads. That's it, and you're off to the table. Here's Emeril's recipe, which is basically exactly how everybody makes it, although there's not really much to it, if you buy one of the already-corned beef products. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/new-england-boiled-dinner-recipe.html If you corn your own beef, that's done way ahead of time, so nothing last-minute to take you away from your guests. For more casual winter dinner parties, you can't go wrong with a big pot of chili, and some cornbread. My best advice for hot weather entertaining is to divide and conquer. You say you're part of a couple. Can't one of you be outside with the cooker/grill/smoker while the other is finishing up the salad, bread, sides, inside? Also, when we're entertaining in the summer, we often come up with sides that can also be grilled outdoors - veggie k-bobs with squash, peppers, onions. And, at Thanksgiving, when turkeys are a loss-leader, I always bought a couple extra and asked the butcher to cut them in half. Entertaining in the summer was a breeze with one of those turkey halves smoked out on the grill. And I served it with some of those veggie skewers and a congealed cranberry and apple salad. Fish on the grill is quick and easy. In addition to veggie skewers cooked at the same time as the main, think in terms of veggie/side casseroles. Wonderful squash casseroles, and rice and broccoli, and other dishes that can be baked ahead of time. For salads, I usually put the dressing into the big salad bowl first, then onions and sliced fresh mushrooms, or anything else that I want to marinate for a while. Stick that whole bowl into your fridge, with everything else - lettuce, etc. - waiting all prepped and ready to go in plastic bags. Last minute - pull out bowl with dressing and onions and mushrooms, add greens, toss. I've lived in several really warm climates and really hated being stuck in a hot kitchen, so I know what you're going through. Not only is it unpleasant, but a hot oven can heat up the rest of your house. I often would bake a large ham the day before, then just heat up the individual slices to serve - either on grill outside, or in frypan, or under broiler. In keeping with summertime dinner party cook-it-in-the-backyard advice, I remember my number-one, very favorite "fancy" dinner party dish. Butterflied leg of lamb.
  20. How about a traditional New England boiled dinner? Corned beef, cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes... Sandwiches the next day. Here's Emeril's recipe. Looks pretty good. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/new-england-boiled-dinner-recipe.html
  21. Jaymes

    Time in Oaxaca

    Thanks for this. I'm really enjoying the information, and the photos. Wonderful. As for Mayordomo chocolate - I sure wish it were easier to get in the US. I haven't exactly spent countless hours and sleepless nights looking, but I have made an effort, and couldn't find it through any of my usual sources - like MexGrocer online, and the many Mexican markets here in Houston. I've found it for sale from individuals on ebay, but at quite a hefty premium. For years, I've dragged back several pounds each Mexico visit. It keeps in the freezer quite well. However, more recently, I have discovered the excellent stone-ground Mexican chocolate from Rancho Gordo, and no longer miss Mayordomo quite so much. http://www.ranchogordo.com/products/chocolate-stoneground-chocolate Most norteamericanos do use milk to mix their hot chocolate drinks, but I prefer water - at least I do so long as I have some whipped cream handy. That way, I can sip the strong dark chocolate up through the cool sweet cream. For me, it's the best of both worlds.
  22. I also thought it looked sorta fishy. But hard to tell, no?
  23. I'd like to know what that is right next to the cabbage.
  24. Amuses me to think that you found us while researching poptarts.
  25. I do still use that same basic recipe. Got it so many years ago and am still pretty happy with it. I will use chuck, but it's fatty, so tend to go for a leaner cut if I'm going to be serving the stew that night. If I'm making it ahead, and it has time to sit in the fridge and let the fat congeal so that I can remove it easily, I'll go with chuck. But I made this a lot in the days when I had a big family to feed so I'd often just use whatever beef was on sale.
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