cakewalk

Actually the expression is, "hits the nail on the head." But I guess that's for another website altogether. (By the way, I think he misses. The nail, that is.)

Another interesting possible point of confusion, as I'd have assumed that somebody asking for black tea was specifying that she wanted neither green nor herbal tea, not that she wanted it without milk. ← I guess everything depends on where you're from (and when you're from it!) Most Americans wouldn't even consider "black tea" as being parallel to "black coffee," because we generally don't put milk in tea. In fact, since the Boston Tea Party, tea has sort of steadily lost favor (not to mention flavor) in these here parts altogether. The whole thing is interesting. Green tea and herbal tea refer to types of teas. Black tea refers basically to the style in which it is consumed, not the type of tea it is (which is a given -- "regular" tea.) Me, I'd rather have coffee.

What about black coffee? Something people can never figure out in Nebraska. ← A long time ago, I had a roommate from London. Her mother was visiting, and I was making coffee ("putting the kettle on") and asked if she'd like something to drink. She said she would love a cup of black tea. I had no idea what she was talking about. I thought it was a particular kind of tea, and said -I'm sorry, I don't think we have that, can I get you something else? She gave me this quizzical look, and then she understood the problem. -It's just regular tea without milk, she explained.

I drink it "strong and dry" if I can get it. I like sweet, but I prefer not. They haven't kicked me out yet. And depending on the part of the country you are in, you can usually (but not always) get both. ← Okay, I give up. What on earth is "dry" tea? Great blog, thanks so much. Beautiful, lovely children (kinna hurra).

I think it will come as no surprise to most of us to say that the same word can mean something entirely different in different cultures. (Even the U.S. and England.) I mean, this is not a revelatory statement. Words evolve. Language evolves. And it evolves differently in different locales. That's why language is said to be "alive." Not only is it alive, it is kicking and screaming. And I happen to like it that way, thank you very much. (Even though I can't stand the current craze of using nouns as verbs. No, I do not want to dialogue with you.) Ten years ago if you walked into a restaurant in the States and asked for a cup of chai, no one would have known what the hell you were talking about altogether. So now English has added a new word to its vernacular. Its meaning in English is less specific than its original meaning. That's because English is a different language than Hindi (assuming Hindi as the original language, I'm not sure about that so please correct me if I'm wrong.) It would be wrong in India. It is correct in the U.S. So we've created something new. Language lives. Long live language. Now say that ten times fast. Edit: misplaced apostrophe. Wrong thread for that.

www.straightdope.com/columns/021101.html Everything you ever wanted to know about vomitoria (and then some ...)

That has to be one of the funniest things I've ever heard.

So what's the difference between a cafe au lait and a caffe latte and a plain old coffee with milk (hold the sugar)? I know that there's gonna be some steaming in here somewhere, but I'm not sure where. I squirm when people say 'pita bread.' It's just pita, folks. The 'bread' part is a given, pita ain't gonna be anything else. Same with 'challa bread.' Oy.

We used them when we were kids, but now that I'm a big girl I don't bother. I figure if it's not too hot to take a bite out of, then it's not too hot to pick up in my hands. (I guess my hands have toughened somewhat since my childhood days.)

What does the restaurant in DC sell? To me, the whole concept of Native American food sounds, well, contrived. Native Americans lived all over the Americas. They can't possibly have had one type of food, one cuisine. They were dependent on the geography of their home location and whatever it offered. Many of the tribes were nomadic, so their foodstuff would necessarily have varied all the time. I can't imagine that the food of the eastern tribes was anything like the food of, say, the southwestern tribes. If a restaurant were to dedicate itself to Native American cuisine, I guess it would have to specify from which area, which tribe(s) each particular dish arose. It is an interesting idea, and I can see how the Smithsonian might be able to do it justice, but I just don't see how something as huge as a generic "Native American" restaurant can be.

What is 10x? I take it it's some sort of flour -- what is particular about it? Would you ever use a regular AP flour? I'm basically from the "I could never" school -- but I'm gonna. (Well I'm gonna try!) Thanks. This is an amazing thread to read.

I'd be interested to know how they would have responded if you'd answered, "no, we intend to be about a half hour late." But really, they're obviously asking the question because of their experience with customers showing up late for reservations. This can really mess things up, especially for a small restaurant. It is a blunt question (I don't see anything "veiled" about it), and one they have the right to ask -- as long as they are prepared to accept the possible consequences (e.g., dealing with insulted customers.)

Not at all!! I was literally waiting for you to weigh in on this thread. I knew you'd have good stuff to add. Thanks.

Now, now, good sir. No one is scoffing.

Interesting. I use the microplane in your first link (the long thin one) and don't have any difficulty with it. Sometimes things do work their way into the curved sides of the grater, but they don't get stuck there. I just run the tip of my knife over whatever is there and it comes right out. I've been meaning to buy the coarse grater, so now I'll make a point of getting it. I want to see how differently it behaves.

Dude - I'm with you an cotton candy also - candied apples. They are absolutely wretched. Teeth sticking sweetness meets sour mealy apples - what for?!. The combo brings out the worst in eachother. Worse are those 'gourmet' candied apples with sprinkles, m&m's, and icing. Sickening. That being said - I like just about everything else at the fair. Put a stick in it and deep fry it and I'm there! ← I forgot about how much I hate cotton candy. Even as a kid, I hated it because I always felt cheated when I ate cotton candy. I loved to watch them make it, twirling those sticks around that machine and building up the lovely fluffy cotton candy. But then when I ate it, it was so ... nothing! Just nothing. It disintegrated in your mouth and left you with nothing, just a sickly sweet nothing on your tongue. Cotton candy. One of the biggest disappointments of my childhood.

You should know that my posting abilities are much, much better than my cooking abilities. Although my cooking abilities really have improved in the past couple of years, along with my knowledge of food, thanks to EG. My abilities with a knife, however, are something else altogether. I prefer to keep my hands attached to my wrists, my fingers attached to my hands, thank you very much. So I use my microplane. But okay, okay maybe you can do it in 20 seconds!

That's a good one. I would love to have knife skills like that, and such skill truly is remarkable. But I don't have such skill. And, to be honest, I probably never will. That's why I love my microplane. It's also why I love my food processor. And my dishwasher. And my washing machine. ...

Another vote for the microplane, for ginger and for anything and everything else. Greatest invention since the wheel. winesonoma: I don't understand what you mean about putting plastic wrap on the microplane. Can you explain a bit? Thanks.

"Babette's Feast" was one of the loveliest movies I have ever seen. Thanks for that wonderful post, Daniel. I'd like to add just one overall comment about the movie. In its essence, I think the movie is about generosity. Not just financial generosity (although that certainly figures in it as well), but mostly about a generosity of spirit and desire that, in the end, makes all of us gasp because of its utter completeness on Babette's part. Whether cooking for people, or doing just about anything else for others, that level of complete generosity is jaw dropping, and it is not easy to remember or to emulate. It was not only about her abilities as a chef. It was about her complete desire to do what she did best for other people -- as she had been doing all along anyway, even before cooking that incredible meal. (If you won the lottery, would you spend every last penny on someone else? I don't think I'm capable of such generosity.) There are probably many who are not capable of attaining Babette's level of culinary expertise (I'm certainly one of the incapables), but attaining her level of generosity -- now that is something I can strive for, and do strive for, when I have guests at my table.

What lovely photos! I can't imagine living in such splendor. Thanks for sharing it.

Oy, I'm plotzing! It's a great story -- with a great punchline!

Oh of course not. Basicly, Shabbat is from Sundown on Friday to Sundown on Saturday. One is supposed to eat three meals on Shabbat, all of which include bread so the proper blessings can be said. This is usually dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday, and a third meal late Saturday afternoon, towards the end of Shabbat. (It has to start before sunset, but can continue until after sunset.) When the summer months roll around, many people (especially those with little kids) will start Shabbat early on Friday nights. So, for example, they'll light the candles and have the Shabbat dinner at, say, 5 pm instead of after sunset, which might be 9 pm. But the point is that you are "increasing" the sanctity of Shabbat by starting earlier, and you are doing this deliberately so that you can have the Friday night meal on Shabbat, because that is one of the things that defines Shabbat (so to speak.) Food is a biggie on Shabbat.

That is interesting. But then what are the bloodspots? Are they just lesions of some sort? It's interesting to hear that the eggs are candled. I always thought this was a defunct Jewish occupation. In Yiddish, the person who does this is called a "kindler," and it was actually done with a candle in bygone days. Eggs with bloodspots were destroyed. I always thought of this as a particularly Jewish thing, and that the "profession" ended with modernization.

What are the explanations for this ruling? I'd think an egg with a spot of blood in it would be fleishig (meat), rather than pareve. Is it treyf in order to avoid confusion of pareve and fleishigs? ← No, it's treyf because we don't eat blood! Although it must also have something to do with what Pam said re: it is an embryo forming. I remember learning that in Israel, all the eggs sold are unfertilized eggs. Therefore, it is permitted to remove the blood spot from the egg and still use the egg. (Provided the blood spot is removed entirely.) But in other countries, where it is uncertain whether or not the eggs are fertilized, the egg must be thrown away if there is a blood spot in it. So the embryo stuff must be a part of the reasoning.