Kent Wang

I've noticed that most tearers are girls. One girl speculated that biting might mess up one's lipstick. But I also suspect that more girls (than boys) are concerned about etiquette.

New Belgium makes them too. Unfortunately, most of these glasses are cheap and have very thin glass and so are not very durable nor retain the temperature well.

Is this why it's called Per Se: when someone asks about the "haricots verts" the waiter responds with "Well, sir, they're not really haricots verts per se."

Do you tear off a piece and put in your mouth or just bite out of the cookie? This goes for brownies, some sandwiches and other similarly shaped foods. I prefer to bite directly but I asked a few tearers why they preferred their method and they explained to me it is more elegant and refined. This seems a bit strange to me as it is also more messy as a lot of crumbs fall out from tearing.

Isn't All-Clad stainless steel with an aluminum core? That seems like it should still work.

Does it add much to the flavor?

I eat Cascade Fresh fat-free. It has live cultures and is not at all acidic as it is infused with fruit juice. It does have fruit chunks on the bottom. I can't imagine why anyone would dislike fruit yogurts, maybe you've only tried Dannon? Interesting flavors include marionberry, boysenberry, key lime pie and green apple pie. I eat on average five packs a day, at 146 calories a pack, that's 733 calories a day. I'm not really a health nut as I'll eat butter and foie gras without hesitation, but when I'm not chowing down on some fat I like to eat really healthy foods.

I'd rather have the specials written down with complete description and pricing. Sometimes it's hard to remember exactly what the specials are when the waiter just tells you verbally. I've found that most higher-end restaurants that do a large amount of daily specials will print up a daily menu. This is definitely the way to go.

What we had in Austin at Pao's Mandarin House.

There are heavier dressings like ranch, but I prefer light vinaigrettes. They're very simple, just vinegar and olive oil. I like to put some shallots and sometimes a bit of Dijon mustard in there too. It is essential to have a good vinegar. Look at some of my salads in this thread. I like to use flavored vinegars like black fig and champagne. The sweetness balances out the sour/tartness.

When looking for a teapot, I think having a removable strainer is essential so that you can stop the steeping. This is why a French press is not a good idea, unless you want to transfer the tea to another pot.

I would. I'd eat tiger if they weren't endangered, and I definitely would eat dragon.

http://yoga.at.infoseek.co.jp/flash/kikkomaso_e.htm

Is it common to have the New Year's zodiac animal be a primary or featured ingredient in a New Year dinner? Certainly some exceptions would have to be made, e.g. dragon as it is mythical, dog as it is socially unacceptable and tiger as it is endangered.

All of them refer to using the fork in left hand, which I presume is assumed by the texts as the off-hand. This text explicitly states that the knife is kept in the dominant hand: http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Lifesty...ble_manners.htm So after you finish your steak are you expected to continue eating with the fork in your off-hand, or do you switch back?

I once ate a whole can of spam out of the can without any utensils.

That's what I thought until I ran this Google search. The first three hits all claim that Continental requires an initial switch.

Sadly, Chef's Toolbox has closed.

I see that this thread has digressed into the discussion of Continental style versus zig-zag. Not my original intention, but I am pleasantly surprised. Interestingly enough, after some careful reading I've discovered that I employ the reverse Continental style. Correct me if I'm wrong, in Continental style one wields the knife in the dominant hand. So this requires one to switch hands in order to use the fork to eat other foods, e.g. mashed potatoes. This is too much switching for me. I always wield the fork in my dominant hand and use the knife in my off-hand, hence reverse Continental.

Made about 300 jiaozi (dumplings) with a handful of friends. We ate about 200 of them.

Very cute! Though maybe more Chinese breeds would've been appropriate. Like the Chow Chow or the Pekingese

Chocolate chips, dried shitakes.

Ditto to all of the above. Chopsticks while prepping, cooking and serving too.

You must've read my mind when you wrote those eleven rules of authentic Chinese cuisine! I'm glad to see that one can find these kinds of food even in Kansas City.

When eating a steak, do you cut off a piece, eat it and repeat or do you cut off many pieces and then eat? The latter seems more time-efficient as you perform the same task repeatedly, especially if you do not wield your utensils in the Continental style. However, this method also allows the sliced pieces of steak to cool and leak juices. I much prefer the former method for the above reasons. I also hold my knife Continental style.