nocturnalsunshine

I havent been to this site in a WHILE but I will say for Mexican Place I cant reccomend this one enough Urban Taco Urban Taco 5331 E Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75206 Phone: 214-823-4723 It is next to the Mockingbird Train station and DART takes you right to it. Tacos are more expensive than Taco bell, but are 110% worth it. Meat is flavored all the way through and super delicious. The head chef knows his stuff and makes a simple plate of three tacos a tour of taste through the streets of Mexico. And freshly made Churros cannot be beat. The location is great and lots of shops and people watching make it fantastic too.

so I have a off type of living arrangement I work monday through friday and my girlfriend lives with me thursday, friday, saturday, sunday and monday. So those nights I really cook and make it pretty nice. but on nights when im alone and its just me and the dog and the computer, im all about bachelor chow most nights. my current bad addictions are Frozen Little Debbie nutty butty bars those Archer Farms Kettle chips, Zapps Spicy Crawtators. I used to be terminally hooked on Long John Silvers fish and chicken, then I got sick and im done with them now. My cholesterol thanks me. Insanely expensive, to me at least, Organic Cheetos. Eckrdige Farm Smoked sausage, any way, any way at all. Walnuts pan toasted then hit wth butter and salt, eaten from the almost too hot pan while in boxer shorts and playing video games. bologna sammiches (when you have soggy white bread and mustard only it becomes a sammich) and sunny delight. Chick-Fil-A gravy and biscuits Totinos frozen pizzas, in the red box that they give away damn near at the mega mart canned spray cheese and keebler crackers, I forget english as I eat that and "embrace the ape" armour potted "meat" I forget the name of these things but they come in a yellow can and are little sausages really dark and oily with a little fat boy's head on the front. I never buy them myself, but my mom always had them when i was little and now when I visit I "borrow" a few and get home and call her and tell her that I "borrowed" them. Oh man, Ill have to get the name of these oily little gems. After Reading this <i> Pancho's mexican buffet (all u can eat) Popeys chicken n biscuits wit red beans Sonic foot long dogs extra onions </i> I had to check to see if 007bond-jb didn't live down the street from me.

I was just gonna have a get together and a few of the guys coming love hot stuff, so now its official ill have to do the habeneros stuffed with cheese. there is this nice smoked goat cheese at my local grocer. THANKS!

the last time i had seared scallops i served it with mashed sweet potatoes with a bit of wasabi and heavy cream mixed in. i tried to keep mine "dry" so that i could mound it up high, scallop on top two around the bottom and the sauce around those.

I love that commercial, i saw it the day i was having bacon and donuts for breakfast and then went to old navy and got some underwear, i laughed all the way there and back.

Man Ive been by that place tons of times and once or twice when my girlfriend said she wanted to learn more about wines, we thought about it. Things kept coming up and we had to put it off, man, I am glad I read this before trying that. And soon, this month, we are moving to Preston really close to the Premier, good heads up. Damn I love Egullet.

Im curious about Arkansas as well. I was born there in Stuttgart. It was actually mentioned in The Man Who Ate Everything, by Jeffery Stiengarten for a little barbecue place. It has since burned down, but was really good according to my parents. They grow lots of rice and do tons of duck hunting there but I dont recall any hands down Arkansas dishes. I remember when I was younger eating thinly cut fried venison steaks for breakfast.

I didnt see the Dallas Texas one... But since the corn dog was introduced at the State Fair of Texas which is in Dallas, I would have to say the Corn Dog is our dish. Then a close second has to be Chicken Fried steak. To totally make it Texan, I know a place that serves it as "Texas Chicken Fried steak" instead of gravy its covered with Chilli and Jalapeños.... *looks both ways* Best. Breakfasst.Ever.

I cant believe it, oh the Taco Thing i believe, but wasting much of my lunch hour reading about it, that is what i cant believe. I am trying to see where the taste can be improved lol. I would SO make that and eat it and maybe die a happy man.

This is close to the topic but I had an interview some years back and got the job but was shocked at the interview process. After two interviews the employer wanted to meet for lunch to do the official offer. He reccomended a place and he also suggested I order this certain dish. Some pasta dish. I agreed we ate, nothing to it. He offers me the job and tells me that he offered it to me becuase of how I seasoned the food. Meaning I tried it first then adjusted rather than just dumping salt on it. Which to him said that I was willing to try things another way before just making my own changes and doing it my way. I found out that lots of employers have done this in the past and it was a shock to me. I guess you can tell alot about a person based on food choices and habits, more than I normally would have thought. I've often been disgusted and stopped dating a person after they treated a server bad or made a ridiculous scene at a restaurant.

My kind of topic. I just got fed up with my fridge the other day and starting plotting a way to keep things better in that box referred to as the AEOF, arch enemy of food. Its kept good the last few weeks and its making life easier. I keep my fresh meats on the bottom and try to buy them the same day or a maybe a day ahead of using them. I put a few large plastic container, like a shoe box one with holes in it lined with one of those lunch kit ice things and a hand towel that drains the water or other liquid to the second container. I have to clean it out right after I use the meat but its much easier to move those containers rather than wipe down the whole fridge in case meat dripped and cross contaminated. And I dont have meat just sitting there leaking for more than a day so I think its safer and cleaner. Stole from Rachel Ray and wrapped my vegetables and fruits in a slightly moistened paper towel in a big ziplock bags and also in a plastic shoe container on the other side of the bottom shelf. Mainly herbs, some fruits and random vegetables I think will dry out or need some extra loving. This also helps me not forget about that dang onion I bought last week. Those that dont need to be bagged also stay in the vegetable box. I use my crisper drawers for beer and beverages. The other drawer for my own sauces or mixes or any other spice/seasoning the needs to be refrigerated. The side shelves have baking soda, eggs,medicine, blah blah blah, they seem to be ok there. I keep my cheeses and milk and cream on the topshelf. Packaged meats on the second shelf along with leftovers and cooked foods. I cant keep that thing regulated with the dials so with my ice packs and organization Ive got it under control finally. I think it just takes some serious messing with it to do what you can with what you got where you are. I figure this suffering is worth it so when I get that house with a fridge I pick out, Ill love that thing to death.

I almost forgot about this thread. But im glad its still here. Lots of interesting information. I agree with a lot of ideas here, specially that the people who falsify allergies make it bad for those with real allergies. Weirdly enough ive never heard of people growing out of allergies till now. Now I've heard getting over them by building immunity. I read the Soul of a Chef a while back and there is a part about Michael Symon. He talked about being allergic to rabbit and how he got over it. He ate a little everyday even though his head would get swollen. My girlfriend is even allergic to most treenuts, they make her mouth and gums itch. But she eats them anyway and puts up with it. Since we have been together she has gotten pretty much over it and only walnuts bother her slightly now. After reading these posts im almost nuts about that 5% chance of my kids being allergic to foods.

That bothered me as well,I wished it were a bit more crowded becuase I want them to do well. I plan on going back soon and get, oh, say, the right side of the menu.

I have one from the Calphalon Katan Series and I use it cut everything. It has become my "goto blade" I have others but if im on auto pilot I just grab it ouf of instinct and go at it. I used it a while back for a terrine where I minced some chicken. I use it for mincing garlic Quick chopping of veggies for stir fry then right to the wok with it, makes a great scooper for transporting from board to wok.

I made some a few weeks back and started with some Onion Confit, got a bag on sale and was itching to use them. Cooked the onions, 6 small ones frenched 1 cup of olive oil and 1 stick of butter on high for 4 hours then on low for 12 hours in the crockpot. The next day i added some to some beef stock and had the most amazing onion soup. A little cheese on top and crusty bread. I thnk the Confit was the key.

Im right there with you. I dont want to injure anyone at the dinner table but it does upset me when those without allergies use that and make it harder for those with serioius allergies. I guess im learning from this little discussion is that there really are all kinds. And ones perception is ones reality so its a tough spot for the caring food preparer to be put in.

Well i know what im eating all next week. its going to be food on a stick week for me.

Woudl that include high fructose corn syrup as well? I mean that stuff is in everything, I think theres some in my keyboard right now.

Does it belittle an actual food allergy when someone says they have an allergy but are really just sensetive to a food?

I live in Texas and no matter what time of year, weather, or season, if I smell smoke I immediately jump to the conclusion of barbecue. Recently im loving the smell of sesame oil in a hot skillet/wok. It lets me know good stuff is coming. Then the standard sausage, bacon, grilled steak and peanut butter. I hate the smell of chitterlings and neckbones. Ive tried to eat them a few times that ive gotten older and the smell does me in everytime even if i can get a mouth full the smell wins.

Wow, this has sparked some serious discussion, I'm glad. So what I have learned from all of this is that its seems more socially acceptable these days to have a food allergy. Saying you dont like it may get weird stares or questions so to avoid it some, not all, but some people create an allergy. Actual allergies are like people and vary in ways we cant imagine. Attitude is a factor, if someone is truly allergic to something they will go to great lengths to make sure that item isnt present, checking lables asking questions, and with good freaking reason. Those who simply dont like a food may go through greater lenghts to avoid that food and this may be the key to determining who really just wants the attention. Throwing a big scene isnt the best way to get your point across. If you are allergic in a life threatening way then you do your research on food and thats the smartest thing. After all you may not be eating pine nuts directly but that salmon was cooked on a cedar plank, research and questions are your friend. Some people assume they dont like it after one or two tries but it seems to take several tries of an unfamiliar food to determine like or dislike. Tastes change, I've known this because i hated coconut as a child and love it now, so trying food you didnt like before every so often can be a good thing. Ive read the Jeffrey Steingarten book too and was amazed at how many people i knew that werent truly allergic to anything. I am still wary when people say they dont like it. And will still make sure if you say youre allergic im going to make sure I dont kill you in my kitchen. But if youre chowing down on pesto and telling me youre allergic to pine nuts and basil then something aint right. Heck I even got a lesson in human nature from this post.

I completely agree with this. I don't understand the downright fiery lengths some people will go to to get people to eat foods they claim not to like. If someone has tried something and didn't like it, that's it - they tried, end of story. I never force my food on someone else, and I don't like it when it's done back. If my friend who dislikes beef is coming for dinner, I'm not going to make it just to spite her. Why would I? I'm her hostess, and I want her to feel welcome. ← I wouldnt just go and throw Lamb in it if they dont like it. I probe and find out why they dont like it, Cooked the wrong way, got sick once while eating it, the best one Ive heard is "I ate oatmeal every day I was pregnant and heard this song on the radio every morning and got morning sickness, so if I hear that song or see oatmeal i get sick right there" After i know why they dont like said item that lets me know if i can get away with trying to get them to retry it. You dont like fish why? Because we always had fried catfish. So along with dinner I have a bit of grilled salmon or make some tuna burgers. An outright ambush I agree is wrong, but a calculated attempt to broaden someones taste horizons with the multitude of food available has got to be worth it. I hope...

My biggest coup, and it was unintentional. But A while back I had a vegetarian among my roomates. So I always made a vegetarian option with dinner, or more sides for them to choose from. One night I made a little casserole nothing fancy with biscuits and ground chuck and the like. 3 am, I hear pots rattling and banging, I goto investigate and there in pajama bottoms and a spoon is the house vegetarian face covered in sauce.

Thats what really gets me. I'll take it seriously and want to know what to do about these allergies and I think I go through tons of trouble checking lables and ingredients making substitutions to make sure that item isnt there. Then as Im in the middle of this I stop and think, man this a lot of attention for this one person, I wonder if this was the goal, to get the extra attention.

Havent posted in a while but ive still been cooking up a storm and learning. for the last few years I have been cooking for a wide range of people. Friends family and coworkers. I have noticed an alarming trend when dealing with strangers. Does everybody now have a food allergy? And also I continue to bump into people saying I don't like ________. And when you asked them how they have had it, they say My mom made it when I was little and boiled it or worse, microwaved it and it was nasty. Part 1 I am not an evil or vindicitve person but I am very curious and when I hear a food allergy that doesn't make sense to me I want to know more. Example, I know of a person who states the are allergic to pepper. I ask what kind of pepper? All peppers. I am pretty sure that Black Pepper and say Jalepeno peppers are different. I seem to even recall hearing that most black pepper in the store is made from ground papaya seeds, so no capsacin(???) at all. I digress, I have really found that said person just doesn't like pepper or spicy foods. Yet rather than saying I don't like the way pepper tastes, they invent an allergy. How do you deal with this. Do you just take everybody at their word that they are allergic to something? I have heard a large amount of allergies that I either find hard to believe or simply can't fathom. Peas, bananas, Red food dye, liquid smoke, portabella mushrooms - no others just portabella, marshamallow, coconut, and unsweetened peanut butter. I recently heard about pork allergies and actually researched and found that a small amount have an issue with pork. But the amount of food allergies seems to be on the rise in America. My head scratching and pondering is at an all time high now. The other day a friend says he is allergic to coconut, fine, but he then eats some girl scout cookies with coconut in them. I tell him to read the ingredients and show him there is coconut and he spits it out and thanks me. Basically I think that if I was allergic to something, and will have adverse or life threatening reactions to it I would read every label for everything and be making my own food from then on rather than take the chance a of eating sandwich with deadly cows milk cheese in it. Part 2 So My girlfriend tells me she doesn't like yellow squash. I blink and do a nice Tom and Jerry double take. "You don't like it!, sounds like a challenge to me" And so several meals later with squash cooked in several ways, she takes it back and now likes squash. I don't stop there and she now eats squash, olives, spinach, bonito flakes on various japanese items, and grits,etc of the long list of things that and I hate to say, mama commited food murder upon long ago. I've often used items people tell me they don't like in dishes and let them eat and enjoy it only to tell them later that atrichoke hearts or goat cheese or kalamata olives were in it. I think that most food dislikes or phobias in adulthood come from it being prepared badly when we are younger so I just love getting people to try it again years later prepared in a way other than mama used to make it. So finally, Does this happen with others? Do you hear that people don't like a food and try to get them to try it a different way or prove to them that its good. And Do you just take everybody at their word that they are allergic to something? How do you deal with food alergies, real and imagined?