divalasvegas

I tend to agree the "hard core" responses here. No matter why she is doing this: to alienate the OP, as a power trip, control freak, etc., it's very negative and off-putting behavior and should not be indulged. I know from personal experience--not limited to food matters of course--that when I indulged rude/bad behavior from someone that I was going to be interacting with on a regular basis or even occasional basis, I've ALWAYS regretted it. I won't regurgitate all of the excellent reasons given already for not putting up with this type of behavior, but would like to add that if the OP is really serious about a longterm relationship with this woman and bends to her daughter's rudeness just imagine what holidays and special occasions will be like. There's no avoiding it: deal firmly with it now or, after a whole lotta unnecessary stress and drama at future meals, deal with it later.

Hi Carrot Top and Dignan. I guess your comments are partly aimed at me. If you re-read what I've said, then the answer is absolutely not do I expect owners of a losing business to shovel good money after bad nor feel obligated or guilty for life for poor management of their businesses. But unless I'm wrong, people open businesses to try to make money and be successful. As an employee I think this would be a reasonable assumption. There's no guarantee of course. What an employee or an investor at least deserves is that the person(s) running the operation don't DELIBERATELY run the business in the ground by doing shady/illegal things (remember ENRON?) or like DiSpirito just decide to blow off his responsibilities to look out for number one. Likewise, an employer deserves employees that don't have their hands in the till or show up to work drunk or deal drugs on the premises. Actually Dignan there was a time in this country when, yes, there were employers who actually felt obligated to their employees and vice versa. But I'm sure your version of employer/employee relations in today's business climate is sadly far more common today. Every man for himself, it's all about me, right? Too bad. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

I don't personally hate the man and I really don't care if he's fabulously successful or a dismal failure or the biggest media whore there ever was. He most certainly doesn't need my forgiveness. I'm sure he'll be just fine. But the reality is he did more than just hurt himself. It seems to me that probably quite a few people lost their jobs--you know, the "little people"--busboys, waiters, waitresses, bartenders, sous chefs, etc. and they probably didn't have a radio show or a cookbook or Top Chef to fall back on, mostly because of his "I really don't care if this place sinks or swims" attitude. Of course restaurants fail all the time with even the most hardworking, dedicated owners/chefs and staffs. But that's not what happened in this case. Like I said, I don't hate him, I just have very little respect for him.

Hi Magus, nice to see/hear from you. Echoing Kbear919 please don't be a stranger and let us know how things are going on a more regular basis. You got us involved in this wonderful drama and we all want to know how it turns out. Just my two cents, but I wouldn't bother with delivery. For my tastes, certain foods just don't hold up to delivery and styrofoam containers with burgers and fries being the absolute last thing I'd ever order for delivery. I think this is especially so since you are paying so much time and attention to the menu, quality of ingredients, best preparation methods, etc., and rightfully so. To have all that effort ruined by 20-30 minutes in a take out container and then--shudder--have the customer nuke the goodies at home would not IMHO have your product be perceived as above the rest or superior to any other mass market burger. I agree with lcdm's idea of a window just for call ahead orders, unless you find, like delivery, the product suffers. BTW, I'm still casting my vote for the addition of sweet potato fries with some kind of sweet/salty/spicy sprinkle. And may the angels be with you in your dealings with the local health department.

Thanks for the link oli. These cakes are indeed breathtaking (that old fashioned sewing machine is especially amazing). However, many of the comments accompanying them are some of the most tacky, juvenile and vulgar I've seen in a while. Too bad.

Jeez. it's still amazing how people can leave out the biggest part of this chefs career ( the good part) and only remember the serious screwed misstep this guy took that could have probably happened to anyone. Well, maybe not anyone but, DiSpirito and Union Pacific aren't figments of peoples imaginations, this was some of the best, inventive, impressive and tasteful food in NYC at the time, fondly remembered 6,7 years later. ← It may not be fair, but I think that this is the case for several reasons: 1) As I said before, the man just didn't seem to give a damn. Now, he's probably a wealthy man, so what the Hell. But he had the livelihoods of an entire staff that he was responsible for and he really seemed to just blow it off. That's not a misstep and this did not just "happen" to him. As my mama would've said "he done shit and stepped in it." 2) He did this on national television. 3) Unfortunately, the vast majority of the time he seemed to be interested in anything but putting out "inventive, impressive, and tasteful food." I'm sure there are others here who can come up with even more reasons. Please do not feel sorry for him.

Oh geez, how could I forget our neighbor and her "breakfasts." I would spend the night some times and in the morning her mom would fix breakfast. She was nice and I hated to be critical (like someone said upthread, kids kept their mouths shut then and DID NOT openly criticize adults, the good old days) but my mom was a grand cook, country girl/farm girl type cooking from South Carolina so nothing fancy, but really delicious home cooking and this woman absolutely could not cook. And she was cheap too; pleasant, but so very cheap. Lunches/dinners would be ONE piece of chicken or ONE hotdog and some awful canned vegetables which was a blessing since she wasn't a great cook and home was right next door. Now when it came to breakfast there would be maybe one slice of bacon, one scrambled egg, a glass of Kool Aid (I actually liked Kool Aid, but I'll betcha she served that "bargain brand" Kool Aid, just to save a couple of pennies). Anyway it wasn't the bacon or eggs or Kool Aid that was skeevy, it was what she did with the jelly. Like I said, the woman was cheap so that after she had buttered her toast and then put on some grape jelly--Oh Hell No, it wasn't Welch's, too expensive --in order not to "waste" anything she would scrape away any excess jelly along with the solidified margerine and bread crumbs BACK INTO THE JAR OF JELLY. Just imagine the sight: different little piles of used jelly, toast crumbs, and congealed margerine. I distinctly remember trying to maneuver my knife towards a "clean" patch of jelly. I'm pretty sure I only did this once. I was only a little girl then, but I'm sure I ate my toast dry after that experience.

I watched "The Restaurant" faithfully and the one episode where the vibe was actually palpable was when Rocco stepped into the kitchen. It was the one truly great episode. Rocco was a jerk otherwise. But his partner Geoffery Shoudrow was a bit of a prick as well. ← Oh yeah HIM. I couldn't think of his name but you are so right about his Royal Prickness. I mean the man gave new meaning to the word "oily." Still doesn't explain what the Hell happened to de Spirito; almost as if he lost all of his professional pride in one fell swoop.

So does anyone here have the answer to chappie's question? Why, why, WHY do these people do it? Are their tastebuds so off that they can't taste how gagtastic their "cooking" is? Reading some of the concoctions on this thread have actually caused me to have waves of nausea just thinking about the taste, smell and texture of some of these dishes. Surely these folks have had a decent food in restaurants and the homes of others, so again I must ask why? I just don't get it.

Well maybe, but my guess is that people came to see him as someone who quickly became a spoiled, self-centered, unprofessional, gigantic tool.............. at least IMHO. Edited to add: My "Well maybe" was directed to dockhl's question re: all the animosity Rocco seems to have engendered, not your observations daisy17.

Gee dockhl, it's been awhile since it was on tv and I only half-watched a few episodes, but one of the main problems was that he seemed to lack focus and leadership when it came to dealing with the day-to-day challenges of getting a restaurant off the ground. When there was a problem/crisis at the restaurant, he was often seen schmoozing with "the lay-deez" or doing a talk show or a book signing or something, anything else but taking care of business. In other words, it appeared to many, myself included, that he pissed away a wonderful opportunity--prime location, national exposure, full financial backing, etc.--that a lot of young chefs would give their right arms to have. Writing cookbooks or hawking good cookware is fine, but to not handle his business obligations in a mature and responsible way (and the fact that there were REAL people with REAL jobs at stake) was so unbelievably unprofessional. He just didn't seem to take it seriously which I still find so odd given his background. Like docsconz said, the man has talent in the kitchen.

Here's a down and dirty summary for you; I'm sure there are better writers here who can give you a blow-by-blow of the truly gory details. After starring in his own "reality" tv show called The Restaurant IIRC, he became almost universally seen as a no good, shillin' skanky ho' for the letting all of the celebrity crap go to his head. The purpose of the show was to open and make a stunning success out of an Italian-American themed I guess restaurant, relying heavily on his mom's recipes. We were also supposed to wait breathlessly to see which of the waiters/waitresses could cut it or get kicked to the curb. Just picture your usual cast of reality tv show stereotypes--the bimbo/himbo, the go-getter, the slackers, etc. and you've got it. Short story is that restaurant tanked, the investors fired him and closed the restaurant--believe me, he deserved it--and Rocco went on to be a radio talk show personality. I have no idea what he's doing now.

Chicken skin porn AND pork belly porn, together at last! Uh what? No mayo? You are my hero nonblonde007! I am now hungrily craving a big ol' pile of fried chicken backs and all I have for lunch is a sandwich and homemade vegetarian vegetable soup.

She certainly is quite the little lightening rod, isn't she? Actually, I've defended her 30 Minute Meals show right here since I think her approach can at least get folks who never do so to make their own salad dressings, pasta sauces, etc. which she always does. And she almost looks like Jacques Pepin compared to Sandra/Snadra/Shamdra Lee. My gripe is the whole premise of her being EVERYWHERE DOING EVERYTHING which irks me, especially her talk show which makes my ears bleed. Edited for additional comments.

I love sweet tea joiei aka "Baptist Table Wine" and the "religion" must be growing when even McDonald's is getting into the act with their rendition of sweet tea. I don't care for it as achingly sweet as I used to but I do still enjoy it and it makes much more sense than trying to sweeten cold, unsweetened tea where your sugar just ends up in a little pile at the bottom of your glass. I especially like it when combined with homemade lemonade (lemonade MUST be equal parts tart and sweet) by pouring the sweet tea over ice first and then gently pouring the lemonade over that to make an Arnold Palmer. I like to leave the drink unstirred or maybe softly stirred once or twice so I get to enjoy the sweet tea, then the Arnold Palmer, and finally the lemonade.

So a couple of good friends of mine, a married couple, treated me to one of their favorite restaurants a couple of weeks ago, for bbq spareribs no less. Now, the wife is no slouch and has great taste as well as great kitchen skills and is no fan of sucky food. But.................... The "bbq" spareribs SUCKED BIG TIME, which was a shame since I could tell it was a nice, porky-tasting slab of ribs but left in the hands of a bbq-impaired cook/chef. The ribs had obviously been boiled, then baked in an oven, and THEN turned a few times over a wood-smoked grilled and brushed with bbq sauce. No sweet smokey flavor, no pink smoke ring, no proper pull of the meat from the bone, no crusty goodness on the outside--absolutely NOTHING that makes a good sparerib, just a whole lotta taste of baked/boiled pork with bbq sauce and slight smokiness from a few nanoseconds on the grill. Oh I almost forgot, about the gobs of unmelted fat we had to pull from our mouths every few bites. The coleslaw was served warm and smelled like it had soured. We were also served underwhelming garlic "smashed" potatoes (not a big fan of garlic smashed potatoes actually) that were about as flavor-free and ungarlicky as an item could get. The baked beans and corn bread were okay. Both of my friends btw said that this was the second worst meal they had ever had at this establishment and were shocked at just how bad it was. The wife said unfortunately that this meal seems to have sparked a downward trend in their dining out in that they haven't had a good meal since that evening. I told her I must be the jinx and offered to remove the curse, but she laughed and said it could just as easily be them. I really don't know what to say since it was my first meal there. They told me that this was not characteristic of this restaurant and we did show up only a little over an hour before closing. But................. no matter what time of day or night, those ribs would have sucked just as bad from being so mishandled, and there's no good explanation for soured, funky cole slaw. It really tasted like a meal made by someone or several someones who didn't have the most basic understanding of what would make any one of those elements--ribs, potatoes, slaw--delicious. Oh well.

Wow, that sounds great rooftop1000/tracey. I guess that would keep the pieces of cinnamon bun slightly crispy/chewy throughout the ice cream. But how about "kickin' it up a naaatch" and folding those chunks of cinnamon bun into homemade (or not) rum raisin ice cream. Yeah, I could really go for that.

I don't have a clue about the supermarket bbq Sandy but as far as the Minnesota-based chain goes, are you referring to Famous Dave's? I don't think the Minnesota bbq connection is that far off, especially since several years ago I had the best ribs I've ever had at a restaurant in St. Paul called the St. Clair Broiler, kind of a restaurant/diner combo. IMHO, those ribs (and the homemade sauce) could stand toe-to-toe with the best of them at any bbq contest

Welcome annabelle. I've never been to Oklahoma, but any state famous for its huckleberries has got to be good! Funny, but I've been thinking of huckleberries lately too. I had my first taste of them as a topper to a wonderful lemon curd tart several years ago. I was blown away by how delicious they were--like blueberries on steriods--and I'd like to get my hands on some soon. And BTW, I happen to LIKE Miracle Whip, saltines, and white gravy, just not all together.

Sorry annacros, but I'm with hubby.............. that thing is way cool. I saw a similar product on one of those home and garden shows and it was hella expensive, something like $5,000, so this unit seems like a real bargain in comparison. I only have two caveats: first, for me the Portayaky is only as cool as the one using it so if hubby is a rather klutzy cook--flipping food into people's laps, splashing them with hot oil, overcooking the shrimp and undercooking the chicken--then I say pass. Gotta have all the right moves to impress your guests. My other caveat is the name since it just reminds me too much of the "Port-A-Potty" so maybe you might want to consider giving it a cool nickname when he gets it. And believe me, he's gonna get it. Gee, I guess we're not really helping, huh?

That Cool Whip woman was beyond rude, I mean what exactly was she trying to prove anyway? And how the Hell can real whipped cream "look weird?" However, since I can also be pretty rude--unlike you shelly59 who is obviously a generous AND very tolerant person--I would've probably made a big show of reading off the list of ingredients from the back of the Cool Whip tub and then recited the ingredients in my homemade whip cream, as in cream, sugar, vanilla and then let her know that I now understand why she would prefer that gack over my homemade stuff. Truth be told, I've had Cool Whip before, many times years ago growing up, but definitely prefer the real thing and even if I didn't I would never go the drama queen route of this obnoxious woman. And Carrot Top I'd really like to know what those egglike things were. I've never seen them personally, but I remember seeing perfectly and uniformly round hard boiled egg slices on salad bars many years ago. They looked creepy to me and had a strange texture. I tried them once. Later I found out that this was some sort of FrankenEgg invention where the whites were separated from the yolks and then recombined using some kind of tubing so that they turned out long ropes of "perfect" hard boiled egg rounds. BTW, per the Kraft Foods website, the ingredients of Cool Whip are: regular flavor--WATER, CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR). Believe me, the list of ingredients on their Lite and Sugar Free versions were even scarier.

OMG, Oh My God, OH MY GAWD! All of your observations about the contestants are dead on kalypso, but especially this one! I was thinking along the same lines. Actually I find myself oddly uncomfortable everytime she flashes those megawatt piano keys. And you're absolutely right about the ridiculous demands of the judges, in particular the celebrity chefs' critiques. Anyone who remembers watching the old FN show "Chef Du Jour" where many of the FN stars of today cut their teeth--Mario, Florence, Flay, etc.--should also remember that their performances were often less than polished to say the least. Yeah JAG needs to truly get over his urge to actually be creative in the kitchen and just concentrate on trying to "kick it up a nahtch" with his onscreen personality.

ITA about JAG Reignking and his cheese sauce looked quite luscious. Another point of completely unintentional hilarity is the ongoing insistence of the judges that when people tune into the FN, they always expect to see show hosts demonstrate that they are food/culinary experts. Really? They're kidding, right?

Well, like a stubborn mold, this show also continues to grow on me I guess. I have to keep watching just to remind myself of how inane the judges are and how, contrary to what they want folks to believe, this show has absolutely nothing to do with being an expert in anything culinary. For instance, in the last episode one of the challenges was for each contestant to prepare food for their own food cart for the fans at a New Jersey Nets game. One of the two that got the boot was who I'll call the "Yoga Lady"--nice, real mellow and laid back--unfortunately too laid back for her own good since she used jarred cheese sauce (aka Cheez Whiz) for her nachos so that she could "concentrate on the pineapple salsa." Anyway, she got the boot for that and for messing up another challenge which was to create a dish using chocolate, make an on-camera presentation, and give one tip about chocolate. One judge, Susie Fogelson, FN marketing VP, shaking her head and looking disgusted, criticized her for getting "really loud" and yelling when she gave her tip about chocolate, specifically saying that "being loud does not convey confidence." Now, that would make sense except for one thing: exactly how does the Food "Nitwork" explain...... !!!!!RACHAEL RAY!!!!! I mean you just can't make stupid stuff like that up! I know I'll hate myself in the morning, but I gotta keep watching.

Thanks FatGuy, I agree and feel your pain. I hate wraps and I see that I'm not alone. I hate them for many of the reasons already mentioned, but probably the number one reason I detest them is the dreaded "breakfast burrito." Ick. I want my scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon and sausage on a plate like God intended, not smushed within a nasty, pasty, unbaked tasting breadlike product where you can't even properly season each component of your breakfast. Also, for any wrap type foods like fajitas, shawarma, Vietnamese summer rolls, etc. I prefer to be presented with the individual ingredients and roll my own; tastier and more fun. Besides, you just can't beat the flavor of making your own wrap using a freshly cooked corn tortilla and slow cooked green chile pork. Yum.