jsmeeker

have no clue. I'm no nutritionist. But they do print nutrition information on the back of the tray liner and it's also obtainable via their website.

overall, no. It was a profile of the company. Sure, there were people they interviewed that talked about if the food was healthy or not and if they targeted the restaurtant at kids too much.. But other than that, it was not a real slam. As previously mentioned, not at all like Super Size Me. Some of the interestign bits was the segment about it's expansion into China. China certainly is not unfamilair with American fast food, but McDonalds is a newcomer. They opened a store with what they said was the FIRST drive thru ever in China. It was somewhat comical. They had to instruct people how to use it. People would go in the wrong way or would drive through, get their food, park, and go inside the restaurant to eat. The segment about a Mac Cafe in Montreal was also interesting. It actually looked pretty good. Not even sure if they have those here in the USA. There was a good bit about the actual food, mainly the testing and research they do to develop a new product. They showed the test kitchen at corporate HQ. real chefs doing what sure looks like real cooking in a real kitchen. As the product moves along, they have taste tastes to ensure that all the suppliers they use can all match the same target flavor profile. For example, a suace or spice mixture used on a sandwich. They get sent to tasters to see if burgers made with stuff from different supliers all taste the same. They have always been known for wanting a conistent product from store to store no matter where you get it. Anyway, the show is worth a watch. A portion of the show actually "inspired" me to actually explore the McDonalds menu a bit more. I never gave it any thought previously, but after watching the show, I realized I have NEVER had anything from the menu that wasn't a burger (and fries and drinks) (Outside breakfast). So, I have begun a "mission" to work through the menu and eat things I've never had from them before. Salads, chicken sandwiches, snack wrappers, etc. I'll also try burgers I have not had before (limited stuff there, but there are a few things). I may even take a stab at breakfast a few times. I keep hearing the reports about their new and improved coffee.

I went to L'Atelier when I was in Las Vegas back in 2006 (late June) with a large group. we did the Discovery Menu. I might be back in Las Vegas this December. I really want to go back to L'Atlier and the fact that they will allow some to go full Discovery menu and let others order a la carte is really helpful because it will make it a lot easier to convince those who may balk at the Discovery menu (either due to price or what's on it) I dined at Bouchon for dinner back in June of this year. It was a nice dinner. I don't know if it has slipped as my only previous experience was the 2006 trip, and that was brunch and a breakfast. But I will say that I felt that the service was much better during my recent dinner visits than they were on my brunch and breakfast visits. And yes, I do recommend that no matter what you do for dinner, hit Bouchon for breakfast. Service may appeart to be a bit more lax, but it's still a great atmosphere. Much better than the typical Las Vegas strip hotel choice of either the 24 hour coffee shop or the buffet. Even when staying across the street at TI like I did, it's probably faster for me to walk across to the Venitian, make my way to the Venezia tower, and get a table at Bouchon than it would be if I hit the coffee shop or buffet at TI.

There is a safety element do it. You aren't goign to accidently grate your knukcles of finger tip or finger nail with it. Also, t here is a "sanitary" issue. You don't have to touch the cheese, So, if you want to have it on the table for people to use on their own, people won't all be touching the cheese. Some people are weird like that.

Man, I'd like to go to Le Atelier on my next Vegas trip...will have to see if I can persuade my group. They'll go for something like the Pasta Tasting menu at B&B, cause that's $75pp, then drinks, if we don't go much over $100pp they're cool. I could use some pointers on how to persuade them to try Le Atelier. ← Everyone reports that the staff at L'Atelier is very good at accommodating parites where some want to order the full tasting menu while others want to just go al la carte.

Well, maybe. But it would be a dis-service to the city if he suggested it was a still a big mess. People here that and think "I'm staying away". And I don't think that's what they want people to think. If you want to promote the place, you have to give a positive spin. You are right. It's a food travel show. It's about what is there NOW.

I bought a bunch of lemons yesterday and had a little bit of Cointreau left, so I made a Sidecar.

I get that a lot too...weird ← I once had a customer at the store where I used to work ask me if we carried "the tool bartenders use to get the little pieces of ice on the top of martinis." ← I was watching a "reality" show on Bravo today. It's a show that is a "behind the scenes" look of a resort in Palm Springs (The Parker is what I think it's called).. Anyway, in the episode I saw, a high profile travel agent was there doing a tour/inspection of the property. She was having dinner at one of the restaurants and the hotel and RAVED to the bartender about how her drink had a lot of ice chips floating on top. This is an "expert" that is guiding people as to what is good service and not good service. what the hell??

for this group, I guess a lot of people would laugh at my copy of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2. I don't think it's all that bad, actually. Lots of decent recipes in there when you really take a look at them. I really need to pick it up (and some of my other cookbooks that offer simple recipes), and start cooking from them some more.. I tend to get in a rut when it comes to cooking and make the same stuff over and over.

I didn't know they sold of Chipotle either. Did they always have full ownership of it, or only a partial stake? Who did they sell it too? I actually think Chipotle is one of the better big fast food chains out there. They seem to be doing some real cooking there.

A friend of mine is loooking for a new wall oven for his homw kitchen. He wants the door (or doors) to swing out to the sides, instead of down. Are there any home ovens that have that style door like commerical ovens do??

The second day crepe batter work just fine. I did thin it a bit more. But the crepes that I cooked up were just like yesterday's when using the fresh batter. I still have some left. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

well, they are braising away.. I had to make do with what I had. I'll see how it turns out. Next time I pick some up at the store, I'll be sure to have some more ingredients on hand. The curries sounds pretty good to me.

I've got some chicken stock.. Plus the stuff for miripoix.. I should have thought this out better at the grocery store.. I don't want to go back. I DO have some apple juice, though. That might work in lieu of wine to deglaze.

I picked up a package of two "Lamb Shoulder Blade Chops". This is how it is described on the package. I was in the meat aisle thinking of what to buy and I hit the section where they kept the lamb. There were other types of cuts, but this was less expensive than the others. I can't eat pricey cuts every time I eat meat. So, how to cook. Pan sauté? Is that a good method for this cut? Or will it be too tough. Should I braise them instead? I don't have any red wine on hand (the horror, I know). Looking for some suggestions here. (grilling is not an option as I don't have a grill)

I'm going to make some dessert crepes this weekend. Never done them before, but I'll read through the threads to get some tips and ideas. How long can the batter sit around? If I whip up a batch tonight, can I make some crepes tonight, then save the batter for tomorrow? Or should I make a ton of crepes tonight to use it all up, then stick the left over crepes in the fridge? I would prefer to cook them up fresh if the batter will keep for 24 hours or so.

I was going to add my vote for poaching them. It's a great way to really enjoy the essence of the egg. Poached and served on some toasted rye for breakfast. poached and served on some frisee along with some lardons for a nice lunch salad. I am glad you are liking the poached egg. Also, give the French scrambled egg method mentioned above a try. it does take a long time, but it delivers a srambled egg with little, creamy curds. It's just fantastic. and don't forget, eggs like salt.

Thanks. I think Beefeater will go in the basket. But I'll look for Plymouth and see how that is priced here in Dallas. Maybe I'll get that instead. As much as I like the idea of buying several gins and experimenting, that would get even pricier. And I really don't have that much space to store several brands of a single spirit.

I used Tanqueray in mine, so it's all I know. Sapphire is pretty pricey as well. Is there another one I can use that isn't quite so pricey?

Or elevating someone who will be remembered for picking out of the garbage.. ← That was Jen who pulled food out of the bin. Bonnie was the one that tossed the monkfish, thinking it had gone bad. Jen should have known about messed up dishes being brought to the pass. They have done the same thing in previous seasons.

I think the producers were thinking "one more week of the cute "nanny" " Still, I'm surprised. But not all that disappointed.

I like wood spoons.. But I have been interested in those Mafter ones. Are they plastic? or are they some sort of silicone? I even have a set of ultra cheap wooden spoons I picked up at a grocery store one day when I fogot to pack something to stir drinks with. (I was playing bartender in a hotel room for some friends). But I really don't like them. the wood sucks. I wind up using them to stir coffee in my french press coffee pot. I have a lot of pots and pans for a small apartment, but I pretty much use all of them. The nice thing about having three sauce pans is the ability to have two or maybe all three going on the stove at once. Or have two going on the stove to make dinner with the third one in the sink, waiting to be washed since breakfast in the morning. I have duplicates of several other utensils, too. Sometimes I need to handle more than one thing while cooking and other times, one is dirty, so it's good to have a clean one at the ready.

Don't forget the Mac laptop in the background.. Anyway, back to the disussion of the local butcher shops. I stopped by a local butcher shop on Saturday. Bought a steak, a chicken, and some slab bacon. Pricing is comparable to the fancy grocery store. I don't think I am saving any money shopping there buy purchasing small quantities for a meal or two. The steak was good. Choice grade. I didn't check into the prime stuff they had. The chicken was good too. But neither were any noticebly better than what I can get at the fancy grocery store. haven't tried the bacon yet. But I will tonight. So, what's the advantage? It's a local place, and there is something (a lot, maybe) to be said about supporting a local, independent shop. They DID have slab bacon right out in the case. Getting them to slice off a hunk was easy. Seems like the grocery stores around here that sell bacon in the meat case get it in pre-sliced, so they can't do true slab bacon. Also, if I ever needed a special order, this would be the place to go, I think. I'm sure they would sell you pretty much anything from a pig or a cow in any form you wanted. Need a whole primal? I bet they wouldn't bat an eye. Or if I needed a large quantity of stuff for a cookout or whatnot, I could phone it in ahead of time and just go pick it up.

While my mom does use this item as a serving spoon once in awhile, it's not a Mac & Cheese server. Though you're sort of aiming at the right era/genre of food... ← tuna noodle casserole server?

not today, but last night.. picked up some Fee Bros. Orange Bitters at the liquor store Saturday afternoon. ued it to makea Pegu Club (my first ever!). Nice cocktail.