divalasvegas

Since starting this thread I've been thinking about trying to make my own homemade version of MW. I found several recipes online and also took a look at Kraft's official ingredient list. 1) These two are essentially the same, with the only variation being amounts of ingredients used. Recipe Goldmine MW Has cornstarch, yields approx. 1 quart Recipezaar MW Another one that also has cornstarch, yields approx. 1 pint. 2) This variation contains no cornstarch (more of what I had in mind actually). Recipegal MW 3) Kraft Foods ingredient list. Also includes starch, "spice," paprika, both corn syrup and sugar as well as ingredients the home cook won't be using such as preservatives, "natural" flavors, and even artificial color. I have absolutely no clue about how the artificial color factors in its making. I was thinking quite the opposite, that an ingredient would be used to keep the color whitish. Kraft's Ingredient List Can anyone enlighten me as to what role the cornstarch plays? Being a commercial product I'm guessing that it would have to do with the keeping mixture stable and emulsified to guarantee a long shelf life. I'm thinking of whipping up a small batch along the lines of the above recipe that does not use cornstarch. I'll be starting off as if making a mayo and then add vinegar, sugar, etc. to see if I can duplicate the taste, probably tomorrow. Gotta finish up dinner for now.

Thank you for sharing jgm. Um I think we're still waiting on Busboy to develop the proper series of punishments for our collective crimes against food. His silence so far is starting to make me a bit nervous.

As GourmetLights$ said, when I make Waldorf salad, I only think of using that delectable stuff in very small quantities to lightly dress and bind it (since I have all the ingredients, I'll be making this soon). At least for me, when I think about the traditional ingredients in Waldorf salad--apples, raisins, walnuts, and celery--MW just makes sense and tastes great. Of course, I tend to be a purist with those ingredients but can understand how there can be tasty variations on this theme. However, I remember being horrified at Alton Brown's reinterpretation that added sliced onions, curry powder, and mint and NO MIRACLE WHIP! AB's "Reinvented" Waldorf Salad And as for you BigboyDan am I to infer that you don't like Miracle Whip?

I do the same thing for one of my potato salads too Marlene. Also had it today on a good old fashioned tamater (read that tomato) sammich. Hmmm, the silence from Busboy is rather ominous but I'm sure he'll surface at some point. Press on........................

Thanks for the support FabulousFoodBabe. I think that Miracle Whip is definitely one of those products that takes us back to our childhoods, for better or worse. And srhcb and MGLloyd I think you've got it: it's not that folks don't like MW, they just don't understand how to properly use it! The educational possibilities of this thread are staggering.

Inspired by the wisdom and good taste of Fresser's recent topic on how to make a sandwich, How To Make A Sandwich I noticed an abundance of Miracle Whip haters out there in eGullet-land. So I began to search through eG to see if there was a thread of admiration on Miracle Whip and once again amazingly there wasn't one. So I'm outing myself and say that, while I do use mayo (preferably Hellmanns but will also use Kraft) I also use Miracle Whip. I'd like you MW lovers to come out of the shadows and take a public stand for this miraculous condiment. Come on, be brave even though Busboy has promised that he is compiling a list of people who admit to using this product for future blackmail purposes. Please don't leave me hangin'. I want all two or three of you out there to step out and give the great MW its props. As for the haters, please hold off, at least for a little while and let a few MW lovers express their affection this tangy and delicious spread.

At least you can get a buzz from the mouthwash if you drink enough of it ← If you make it, they will come. Listerine has already addressed this with the introduction of their latest product: Vanilla Mint Listerine Cheers!

Hey Daniel how about a bananas/bacon foster? It already has many of the elements you want--bananas, liquor, caramel sauce and pecans. If anyone can figure out how to pull that off, I'll bet you can.

I agree with all of the above. Pretty substantial and appropriate list of restaurant peeves. Definitely want to reiterate how much service affects/costs restaurants business. Absolutely cannot tolerate inattentive/non-existent or rude service. Eons ago while out with co-workers had a waitress who, while we were looking at menu, admonished us to hurry up and order since she was really busy! Amazingly, I have a couple to add that I didn't see: - I am not an overbearing or overly demanding customer, but when I say that something is not to my liking, PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO TALK ME OUT OF IT! Thank goodness this does not happen to me very often but the one case that really stood out was at a restaurant where the steak I ordered smelled, well, off. This was/is a very popular spot for breakfast and lunch for people who work nearby including myself at the time. After telling the waitress about the steak the manager came over to convince me that the steak was fresh, when they received it, etc. He even went on to say that it was the waitress' fault for letting the steak hang out too long before she served it to me. No dice pal, the steak went back. - Allowing loud, obnoxious, out of control children and their clueless parents to ruin dinner for everyone else. No, I'm not talking about McDonald's or Chuckie Cheez. Sorry, but this is unforgiveable and I will not be back. - Trying to pass off something substandard and hoping that it won't be noticed: fake crab, fake scallops, lasagna that was actually dried out and burnt. - Split personality waitstaff. While out with a couple of friends at a Greek restaurant that used to be wonderful until a change in management, the waiter was beyond rude, dismissive, and inattentive. But then miraculously at the next table he was congenial, helpful, smiling and friendly. The only thing we could figure was that we weren't regulars since he seemed to be familiar with the people at the next table. BTW, it's the same restaurant that served the burnt lasagna. - At restaurants where all the other dishes are good, still being served naked, flavorless boiled vegetables. The worst example of this was plain, boiled brussel sprouts left whole served next to perfectly cooked pork chops and delicious mashed potatoes. When I tried to slice into them they were hard and being round hard objects on a flat surface, I managed to send one sailing across the dining room.

Cobb salad Several strips placed lengthwise on meatloaf--bacon basted meatloaf, mmmm. Fry up some extra slices for those meatloaf sandwiches Hangtown Fry, my way. Original recipes calls for the bacon and fried oysters to be folded into the eggs for an omelette but I prefer the fried oysters and crumbled bacon on top: buttery scrambled eggs, crumbled crispy bacon, fried oysters with a couple of slices of buttered sourdough toast, yum Bacon/Horseradish/Browned Onion dip -- Equal parts mayo/sour cream/buttermilk, lemon juice, tabasco, bit of worcestershire (optional--just a few drops or to taste), prepared non-creamy horseradish, carmelized diced onions, finely crumbled bacon, salt and pepper to taste. Mix the first three ingredients thoroughly, then add the rest. Let mellow in the refrigerator a couple of hours or overnight. You could dip your flip flops in this and they would taste good! Of course if you were to accidentally spill a handful or two of crumbled blue cheese into this, it sure wouldn't hurt. Edited to add more calories.

I just watch a little of the rebroadcast of the final show and caught the judges' comments on the wine pairing with the artichoke dishes. Overall, the concensus was that the pairing worked. Also, that lovely artichoke risotto came with a gorgeous piece of pork belly on top. Could that have facilitated the wine pairing? Actually, who cares, it was pork belly. Edited for additional comments.

First off, congrats to Harold. As most here have said, he does seem to have the right personality/talent to be a top chef and inspire others. Some other observations: - I have to chime in on Tiffani's comment about Harold's knife finding her back! I cringed when I heard that one. To his credit, Harold ever the gentlemen softly said sorry. I wanted to jump through the tv and say "sorry for what!?" - That said, I thought it pretty cruel of the judges to tell her during the final judging that all of the four--Miguel, Lee Anne, Stephen, and Dave--voted for Harold as top chef. How low class and cheesy Tom Colicchio and to what end? - I'd thought Dave's desserts looked quite luscious and that while he and Stephen were hungover they both swallowed hard and gave it their all. If not then why all the kudos for the desserts and the wine pairings, especially with artichokes? Also I seem to recall Dave mentioning that there were a lot of tasks that Tiffani insisted on doing herself such as plating each dish and did not accept their offers to help. - Unfortunately for people like Tiffani they tend to suffer from dual character flaws which entail a complete lack of regard for the feelings and dignity of others while simultaneously being ever so sensitive (read that thin skinned) when confronted with their behavior. The fact that she can't even bring herself to acknowledge this flaw speaks volumes. I'm sure the producers/editors did everything to highlight her as THE BITCH but I don't think they would have been able to orchestrate the level of disdain the others felt for her if it wasn't genuine. - I did admire her gutsiness in planning her tasting menu, especially that diver scallop with the squid ink sauce and the artichoke dishes, and wondered if her choices might blow away Harold's more conservative approach. - About Harold's decision to serve the fig tart with the cheese and the appropriate wine, well I thought that looked amazing and all the judges loved it. I know that these are normally separate courses but can any of you fine diners out there tell me if this is a new trend and your opinions of this type of presentation?

Yes, it's the fear of the unknown! You never know what's behind that cloak of a tortilla!! ← Now that I've had a chance to ponder this aversion Katie it's more a revulsion against the known. The worst (best?) example is that abomination, the breakfast burrito. A perfectly good meal like a cheese omelette, home fries, and sausage--to be eaten on a plate as God intended of course --chopped and wrapped in layers and layers of a low quality flour tortilla (now a fresh tortilla is a thing of beauty). Exactly how does one add pepper to only the potatoes but not the sausage or tabasco to the eggs but not the potatoes? You can't. Maybe you'd like to savor a bite of the omelette alone? Fuggedaboutit. Spanakopita or one of those Hubig fried pies OTOH makes perfect sense. But maybe I'm on to something. Since this way of eating is so is wildly popular in the US I could start a franchise and offer any meal you desire minced and neatly tucked away in a burrito. You thought your salad, perfectly cooked steak, creamed spinach and baked potato was good? Well it would taste so much better chopped, mixed and rolled in a wrap. How about sushi or bouillabaisse or linguini with clam sauce?.................. the possibilities are endless.

Iced coffee. Blech! Coffee ice cream yes, but when drinking it, it's got to be hot as in MacDonald's lawsuit hot! Wrapped Sandwiches as in any food wrapped up and sealed--burritos for instance--I think this may be more of a food phobia. Just the thought of biting into a huge wrapped log of concealed food is a complete turn off for me. I like my sandwiches on bread or "open" like delicious warm tortillas that I fold around the fillings of my choice. Undercooked/Med. Rare Pork. I know, I know: pork doesn't have all the nasty bugs it used to and is raised leaner and needs to be undercooked to keep it juicy. Well not for me. That's why I avoid purchasing ultra-lean cuts of pork like tenderloin. There's just something so delicious to about perfectly cooked--not dried out--pork. Green Tea Desserts. Really enjoy hot green tea, but green tea in desserts are a no-no. And Shannon we are definitely kindred spirits when it comes to cilantro although I find that the only cuisine which uses it in a way that it is somewhat palatable to me is Mexican--pico de gallo and salsa for example--though in just about everything else like you I prefer it to be left out if possible. BTW next time you don't want cilantro added, just say: sin cilantro por favor. Muy facil (very easy).

Dragon claw vegetable. Spectacularly gorgeous photos Kent. Thanks for your descriptions as well. BTW, what exactly is "dragon claw vegetable" and can you describe the taste? It kind of looks like the stalks from a rainbow swiss chard.

Hi GG. That sounds delicious, but how about making strawberry or raspberry sauce and swirling it in the ice cream? Or, totally go overboard and make your own decadent version of a Dove Bar? Mmm, cream cheese ice cream on a stick (not a wooden one!) dipped in melted milk or dark chocolate.

according to their awful and embarrassing website, both women have degrees, one in creative writing and one in english and journalism. oh, the humanity....! ← Educational backgrounds that they have obviously put to good use in their reinterpretation/deconstruction of what most of us would call a "poached" egg. Morning Hash with "Dropped" Egg Actually, the hash part sounds pretty good, but as for the instructions for a dropped egg, again I say WTF???

I so want an "I'm not your bitch, Bitch!" T-shirt! Do they sell merchandise for Top Chef like they did for Project Runway? If they do I'll be first on line for one of these. Edit: I checked and they do have Top Chef merchandise, but no "Bitch" T-shirts. Just aprons and oven mitts and other tame stuff. Very boring. We need to start a write in campaign for the Bitch shirts! ← you could do one pretty easily on cafe press. while you're at it, make a t-shirt telling katie to pack her knives and go home. what a complete waste of space (and this opinion was recently reinforced after reading her and her partner's bio on their lame website). ← Actually I think you were being overly kind with your description of their website as lame carpetbagger. They even have the nerve to raid the tomb of poor long dead Epicurus as somehow orchestrating their reunion from the great beyond. I think the line they chose to sum up their "philosophy" says it all: WTF??? Katie and Partner's Website

This is really interesting information. I had figured that various editing tricks were being used to obfuscate and mislead, but I had never thought about the contestants being manipulated by the producers. I'm not surprised, though. ← I've heard of stuff like that before from other reality shows. I honestly think there's one clip of Dave crying and rubbing his eyes that they show over and over, but I could be wrong... it's hard to tell. ← I think you're absolutely right Katie; I've noticed that as well. One of the reasons that I never got into reality shows until now is that they are so heavily edited to reinforce the stereotype of each contestant: The Bitch, The Wimp, The Sensitive One, The Peacemaker, etc. I don't believe for one minute that Dave spends most of the day weeping and rubbing his eyes. And even though I can't stand Tiffani (does she spell her name with an "i" at the end?) I don't believe that she spends every waking moment with that "please stop making me swallow the piss and vinegar I gargle with every morning" expression either. I too was disappointed to see her stay for the perfectly logical and understandable reason that she has all the mannerisms of someone I know and despise. Of course now I'm rooting for Harold though I suspect Tiffani will win (ugh) especially since he came so close to winning the most recent challenge but for a bit of grit on the mushrooms he used. Harold, I'd gladly scrub the grit from your mushrooms anytime, anywhere.

Not that I'm all that into this show but: HOLY CRAP, THEY SENT MY GIRL LEE ANNE HOME!!! OH, THE HUMANITY! I'm really sorry to see her go, but I have a feeling she'll do well for herself. I think she has a lot of talent and integrity which will serve her well in the future. Am I the only one here who felt pretty riveted by this episode? It was by far the most intense one I've seen so far. I mean this one had so much going on: Napa Valley, actually giving the chefs enough time to think/work on their dishes, top notch ingredients, etc. I especially enjoyed the chef judges' comments on the contestants' dishes. Compared to the critiques of the food last week, it was a breath of fresh air to hear useful and professional reviews. BTW, as I am a wine novice, could someone hear fill me in on what exactly was so special about the wine chosen? Speaking of wine, my poor dear Stephen.................... I wonder if he watched this episode at the time and flipped out when he realized that he was booted off and missed an opportunity to show off his sommelier/food and wine pairing skills with an expensive and much sought after wine in Napa? Ouch, that had to hurt. I have to say that I grew even fonder of Dave. I think he's a really hardworking, sweet guy who just needs a shot of confidence. Edited for additional comments.

Well, upon reflection and especially in light of the most recent comments posted here, I've lost any and all sympathy for the Scotts. To be duped by a self-serving, opportunistic friend is one thing; to be a willing participant on your "special" day is quite another. If indeed, as has already been suggested, they agreed to this chirade for socio-political reasons--maybe to promote acceptance of same sex unions--then they may have created the opposite affect since by accepting Colicchio's offer they have trivialized and cheapened what should have been the sincere and joyful union of two people in love and rendered the whole ceremony anything but special. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Scotts on Bravo in the near future with their own crappy reality show cashing in on their new-found and undeserved fame. I still feel sorry for how the contestants were treated/abused in the making of this episode including Napoleon, er, I mean Stephen.

After reading the comments posted by StephMac and jgm upthread about the wedding challenge--great recaps from both of you BTW--and also because I managed to miss this episode (I'll have to catch the rerun at some point), I decided to check out Colicchio's blog on this episode. I cannot emphasize enough how thoroughly disgusted and appalled I am by his comments which included: If they were indeed given only one hour to purchase the ingredients, how the Hell were they supposed to "source" the salmon? Does anyone have any idea on how much time they had between creating the menu and making the trip to the supermarket? Okay someone has already asked the question which begs to be asked again: WHAT THE HELL WAS COLICCHIO SMOKING? Dude, put the pipe down for goodness' sake and check into the nearest rehab! What professional caterers that he knows of actually prepare for a reception for 100 people in this manner? And as for the wedding cake, which from the photo I saw on the Top Chef website, I thought it looked pretty damned good given that none of these people are pastry chefs. Also, isn't the wedding cake usually prepared by a professional bakery and not the caterers? Well for me the moment of truth would be that anyone would do this to a "friend" on his special day. For someone of the supposed experience of Mr. Colicchio to promise a great meal given the absurd limitations HE imposed on the chefs is beyond ludicrous. When I first heard about this particular challenge, I really couldn't fathom that he and his cohorts meant that this was going to be a real reception, for a friend no less. I wonder if Scott had any idea that he and his guests were going to the butts of a truly bad reality tv joke? Mr. Colicchio, how tacky, low class and sad. Colicchio's Wedding Reception Comments

I hope I'm posting this request in the right place. I quickly scanned all eight pages of this cook-off which is most impressive. Tonight I would like to attempt to make Cincinnati-style chili for which I'm having a major craving. This style of chili was discussed here and there was a recipe for Skyline Chili posted by mizducky. But between this recipe and the tons of those I saw on the internet there's a great deal of variation. The only consistent ingredients to all of these recipes is ground beef and salt. Depending on the recipe, the other ingredients mentioned are as follows: Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, beef stock, beef bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, garlic, onions, green pepper, celery, chiles of various kinds or none at all, chili powder, cinnamon, allspice, coriander seed, cloves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, chopped unsweetened chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder, and on and on. I've got approximately 2 lbs. of 80/20 ground beef that I'm willing to experiment with but I just need some guidance on which ingredients/proportions should be used for 2 lbs. of ground beef. For instance for that amount of meat, I've read through several recipes calling for both one bay leaf and five bay leaves, for there to be anywhere from 1/4 tsp. to a tbs. of cinnamon, for a tbs. of chili powder to 1/3 cup. I know that this isn't supposed to be a very spicy chili and should be rather loose in consistency. Any insight on reproducing this style of chili made by early Greek immigrants to Ohio? I've had this in restaurants a few times and would appreciate a homestyle recipe or even a knock off restaurant recipe. Many thanks.

Thanks jgm for saying this. Exactly, this is tv, so called reality tv which I can't believe that I'm watching, but I am nonetheless. It's amazing that the Stephen-haters here (some of whom are probably the same people who worship Gordon Ramsey who I personally cannot stand) don't get that. Stephen's the guy you love to hate, but I also think that he-- this may be really shocking to some of you, so hold on to something sturdy--is possibly playing to the cameras. Gee do you kinda, sorta think it's possible that's he's going all out in the overbearing obnoxious sommelier department so that he will be kept on week after week and perhaps parlay his onscreen persona into bigger and more lucrative things? Duh. And before the Gordon Ramsey lovers fire up their keyboards about how accomplished and brilliant and talented he is and therefore has the right to treat people like shit because of those attributes let me be very clear that I don't approve of the Stephen's condecending attitude but I do believe he will go far and that he should and probably will learn to tone down his need to educate people and talk down to them. I mean, he has no chance whatsoever of winning this so-called competition and I think he knows it. He's only 24 years old people and has a lot of learning and living to do. Gordon Ramsey on the other hand is 50 plus years old and is still a gigantic tool IMHO and a very rich, famous, and successful one at that. Oh, and before I forget: my name is divalasvegas and I STILL like Stephen.