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Thanks Jason, Tess. I guess a follow-up question for a new guy like me would be: What is the season for shrimp? Thanks.

Hmmm. I'm not being sarcastic here: what about the stuff you buy off the dock? Do they always freeze on the boat? And the middle-ground question is: what about the little independants selling off the back of a pickup truck, straight from their boyfriend's boat (we have one of these in our neighborhood)? The texture on these puppies is wonderful, and the taste is so sweet..... Thanks again.

Hey eGullet, As my boss at the wine shop constantly reminds me, even the most reputable wine critics (Parker, Tanzer, Robinson) have their predjudices. This really comes home when, say, the Wine Spectator give the Geyser Peak Reserve Cab an 84 and Parker gives it a 91. No kidding. He was commenting the other day, I forget within which context, that Parker doesn't especially like "the big California style," and that you always need to keep their individual palates and preferences in mind. So I ask you, which wine critics and publications do you trust? And to what extent do you trust them across the board, and when not, how do you edit for individual predelictions? Can you roughly stereotype the major critics and their enthusiasms/not-so-much-categories for me? I am new to all this, and would appreciate a few pointers. Thanks a bunch!

Oh yeah. This is, of course, going way off-topic, but I have found their bakery makes the only grocery-store-bakery bread I can eat. Especially their raisin-pumpernickel. And they stock Plugra & Irish butters, Chimay ale, Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt, etc. Just don't eat their sushit. I mean sushi. Tried it twice. The fish is fine, it's the abominable rice.

Hey eGullet, I have heard many, many times that freezing really messes up the texture of shellfish. I was wondering if there is ever a time and a place for previously frozen shrimp. What about lobster tails, soft-shell crabs, etc.? Should I always plunk down the extra money for the fresh stuff? Are there certain dishes where a budget-minded soul would truly do okay with frozen shellfish? What do you think? I imaging frozen bivalves are out of the question, but what about for clam chowder, etc.? After learning that some fish for sushi is always frozen before use, I am starting to think there may be viable exceptions to the rule. Thanks so much.

Well Publix basically rocks, so I am not surprised.... Thanks!

Hey eGullet, On a recent grocery store trip to stock a new apartment, I got a 3+ qt. bottle of olive oil. I have since read that one should use olive oil within months or it will go stale, or maybe even rancid. What do you think? What, in your opinion or experience, is the shelf life of olive oil for somebody who cares about freshness in their ingredients? By the way, this is "mild" olive oil. Don't ask me why I bought it. I was actually not the one doing the buying. It was one of those "You're an adult now, but I'm still your Mom, and by God I can still stock your cupboards when I want to," so I think I was a bit conscious at the time of how much I was spending on individual ingredients. A smaller bottle of extra-virgin may have been a better idea, but I think I was thinking I would mostly fry with this stuff. Does this make a difference in terms of shelf life? Thanks.....

Hey eGullet, I have read/heard from many sources that claim that one should use less-expensive non-virgin olive oil for sauteeing, etc., and save the extra-virgin stuff for salad dressings, finishing sauces, etc. What do you think? I have always believed that one should use the best ingredients to get the best results; some say that the delicate nature/rich body of the extra-virgin stuff is lost/broken down? under high heat. I was under the impression that as well as having more complexity on the nose and palate, extra-virgin olive oil has less acidity (>.8%), to what flavor effect I am not sure, but this might come through in the final product, no matter what cooking technique you use. Going in one direction, would you deep fry with extra-virgin olive oil? In the other, would you sautee with, say, olive pomace oil? Curious for your thoughts.

Hey eGullet, The average grocery store is chock-full of olive oil. Brands I have seen include Bertolli, Berio, Carapelli, Colavita, Da Vinci, Goya, and Pompeian. Out of all these, I like Pompeian the best by far, and somebody recently recommended Goya, which is quite reasonable price-wise. Are any of these worth any amount of money, or should I only buy better brands online? Can you recommend one such brand that won't break the bank, and a source? Thanks lots!

Hey eGullet, Are there real coffeeshops in your city? To start things off, I humbly submit Coffee Exchange, in Providence. They roast their own beans. They have ibriks (Turkish coffeepots) for sale, hanging hanging from the rafters. They are hard-core. What news? By the way, a few guidelines; ignore them happily. Please no "Starbucks; I love their Frappucinos." What I'm talking about is a totally different animal. A serious, independant coffeeshop run by artisan-level roasters and baristas, or those who aspire to be on that level. Purists. It really helps if they roast their own beans, but this is not necessary. They also might pull a single-origin shot once in a while, grind their espresso by the shot, to order, and maybe keep some French presses around. And they will never, never, say the word "expresso." Two nominees that I have never been to are Peet's in California, and Intellegensia Coffee Roasters in Chicago. Thanks, much.

Hey eGullet, Can one braise in seasoned cast-iron? I assume that prolonged contact with water would break down the seasoning. Am I right about this? I suspect many make chili in cast-iron dutch ovens, which is doubly confusing to me, as chili often included acidic tomatoes. I have heard that it is not a good idea to cook acidic foods in cast-iron/black steel. Can somebody confirm/deny this, and tell me why? I am, of course, also assuming one can not steam from a cast-iron/black steel wok either, as confirmed somewhat in another thread. Can somebody break this whole subject down for me? Thanks a bunch.

Hey eGullet. I have always been curious as to whether the magnetic strips for holding kitchen knives are the best options for storage. What do you think? What are their advantages/disadvantages vs. block, other than taking up less valuable counter space? Also: How would you install one into, say, a drywall wall? Screws? What about plastic sheaths in the drawer? Any good sources pricewise? What should the length be for the average battery of about 8 - 12 knives? Thanks much.

Hey. This may be a little off-topic, but John at Knife Merchant will beat anybody's prices, and their catalog is pretty comprehensive and informative.

Hmm. When I was younger and even stupider, I attempted a seduction meal. I made my unlikely "carbonara" with egg noodles, sauteed ground beef, chopped black olives, lots of black pepper, and the requisite raw eggs tossed in with and cooked onto the hot pasta/sauce. You can stop laughing now. The real story is when I went to set her plate down on her living room coffee table from which she had removed the glass. Carbonara on the carpet, yes ma'am. What did I get for my troubles? One very reluctant kiss. Never saw her again.

Er, I could be wrong about this, but as far as I know alfredo sauce = butter, parmiggiano reggiano (sp?), and cream. My gripe is "chefs" who make it from bechamel. (Yes, I have seen this). BTW, as far as taste being totally subjective (from another post on this thread), I couldn't disagree more. Of course, this issue keeps popping up in various threads, and somebody needs to start the definative thread on this, with arguments that are both reasoned and concise, not so much "yes it is/no it isn't" type posts.......

How horrible! I'm so sorry. It sounds like you are shopping at the wrong wine shop, too--if the owner can't taste the wine........? I don't know much, but I work at a wine shop, and my boss would have gone quite a bit further to put your mind at rest. Maybe it was a bad vintage, but I think they at least owed you the reassurance of tasting it in front of you and either confirming that it was bad, or candidly telling you that while not flawed, it is not spectacular. Ideally they ought to know a bit about a wine they're selling for $88, or at least look it up for you on the spot. Mold on the cork? I'm dubious. Just my disorganized two cents.

Well tonight's the big night. My boss is getting some Roquefort..... Tasting notes to follow. Chris

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover. Has anybody mentioned this one yet?

I could be wrong but: A food that has the quality of umami is savory. Maybe this doesn't help.....

Well, this is an old thread, but I thought I'd pick it up by recommending Anthony's, in Birmingham, AL. I used to wait tables there, and the food very good, but not great, but Billy at the bar is a pure-A genius and his partner Kevin, the manager, is a good guy. It was definately nice being in a place where I felt not just accepted, but part of a larger community..... edit: Oops, just called Anthony's and Kevin and Billy are long gone. It is now "The Jazz Club", and I assume no longer a "gay restaurant".

NPR, especially Fresh Air. Though if it is Prairie Home Companion, I gotta sit down and take it in. For a related thread, click here.

Thanks for the informative posts. Just so you all know Culinary Parts Unlimited has boucoups (sp?) parts for KA and Cuisinart, old and new. Best, Chris

Eh, I'm in the South. Florida, to be exact. That could be it..... What are your proportions of bones/beans/water in lbs./qts.? What exactly do you strain out? Do you take out the bones? Most of the water? I don't understand... Why don't you add the vegetables at the beginning? Texture? What about the meat? Thanks much, Chris

FatGuy, Could I be so bold as to suggest some sort of rating/general impression of quality be added to each listing, or are people in fact only encouraged to submit restaurants that have merit? Thanks, Chris

Hey all, I am going to make 15-bean soup this week, and instead of my usual sausage I decided to explore a bit and try a classic ingredient: smoked neckbones. My question, posted above is: should I blanch them first? If so, why, and for how long? I assume one might blanch them to get out some salt, but I don't want to lose too much flavor. Additionally, what meats do you use in your bean soups? Other smoked choices included ham hocks, turkey wings, and ham, both on the bone and off. I would imagine using bones would give extra flavor, and the hocks might give extra body from the marrow, etc. One could also use unsmoked ham, different kinds of sausage, etc. This packet of beans (Hambeans brand) came with a "cajun" spice packet. I am dubious but will use it anyway. What are your thoughts? Thanks, Chris