annecros

no questions asked? is the diner supposed to disclose his/her immune status, or how is it determined why the request is being made? i would opine that the diner's immune status is his or her own business, and not to be determined by the server. ← Well, yeah. I took it to mean that "no questions asked" means "no questions asked". Maybe I am missing something in this exchange? I mean, if a customer says up front that they want something well done, the worst you should do is a very gentle offering that you normally serve the item MR, because of "this, that or the other" reason. I have born and raised a young man who wants his beef well done, under any circumstance. I make accomadations in my home for his taste, and yes he has had the opportunity to sample beef in rarer states, and a requirement in my home is that you must at least "try it" before you condemn anything. In a paying circumstance, would I put a plate in front of a customer that would make them sick from the visual? No. That is just rude. The customer is a guest. If a customer requests something that is detrimental to the item they are ordering, then a bit of education after consultation with the chef, is in order. If the customer is a flake, then they are a flake. A flake is easily identified. If it is physically impossible to fullfill the request, then the customer must suck it up. Otherwise, the hot - tired - grumpy - chef should do the best they can with what they have on hand. Great chef's can please anybody. All reasonable requests should be accomodated, 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 star whatever the rating is. Reasonable includes doneness of protein, omission of sauces, or substitution of sides. After all, it is a free country, and if you like your tuna well done and are willing to pay for it, then you should be able to get your tuna well done as long as there is a heat source available to cook it to that temp. Just my opinion. I always pay for those...

I got a "rollpat" silicone pastry mat, dish towels (sorely needed, I am murder on kitchen towels), two silicone pastry brushes that I really like - these were a surprise stocking stuffer, and they work very well so far, of course I have only egg washed with them - a 10 inch Caphalon "Everyday" Pan that I have so far used every day since Christmas. My favorite, about 10 lbs. of dungeness crab, trapped by my sister and her family, boiled, frozen and FedExed two days before Christmas! Great stuff. I wanted a couple of cook books, but no dice.

Beautiful sausages, Doc! Raised in the Southeastern United States, I have always wondered if we owe a larger debt to our heritage from the British Isle's than we do the German concerning the sausages we know and love. I know that sausage making was widespread among those various ethnicities who settled the Southern US, but in my particular neck of the woods, we seem to share more in common with the banger than the brat. A haggis wouldn't be looked at too askance by my grandparents. Mutts that we are, though, there is a great deal of cross pollination. I have great grandmothers whose surnames were Mayo, Preston, Moore, Griner, Wilson etc., but Grandaddy Moore simply made the best sausage, hands down, known regionally in his time and sought out. His mother, to whom he credited his skill, was a Faircloth. Personally, I prefer the natural casings, in both fresh and smoked sausage.

Ah, here it is: http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/prod_tunahelper.asp Cheesy Pasta Tuna Helper. Wow. My Tuna Noodle Casserole now seems very high end. From the FAQ (yes, there are frequently asked questions about Tuna Helper): Why did the product spill over onto the floor of the microwave? The product will spill over if you added more tuna than specified in the package directions. Or you may have added too much liquid. To measure the liquid, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the liquid, bend down and check the amount at eye level. The liquid is water. I will not snicker, I will not snicker, I will not snicker...

Mebbe. Online it's easy to pass. ← Too funny! By the way, isn't there a tuna "Helper" out there that is cheddar flavored and comes with noodles? I think my Mom attempted to feed this to my father, exactly ONE time. Dad was a patient man, but he did have his limits. I think there might have been a row.

Thank you. I feel much better now. I was not the epitome of trash in thinking that a can of tuna, a can of cream of mushroom, some egg noodles, and however much cheddar cheese you can scratch out on top is a bad thing. In fact it is a good thing. According to the ranchers in Sonoma. I will be sure to cite their endorsement in the future. Ah, a bit of white pride... ETA: Typo correction

Great news! Hope you guys get back to normal in the next day or two!

Hmm, I don't know. Are the arms and legs stuck to the pan, or is the texture of the cookie arm and legs crumbly and just falling off the gingerbread torso? The unfortunate gingerbread amputees that are the victims of my spatula are rapidly dispatched and put out of their misery quickly, in my belly. It is a mercy nibbling. There are always one or two in a batch. Yes, I am a closet mangler, I suppose.

Here is my Aunt Roberta's recipe. Her mother was German, my husband is German, and I am making my third batch of the season today. My husband and I discovered, quite by accident, that these are very good with a glass of cold beer! My Hessan MIL loves these as well, and is no longer baking her own Leibkuchen. Who would have figured? I like the honey rather than the molasses. It kind of gives it something special. I don't know what recipe you are using, so I can't compare them to what you have. 4 1/3 cups AP flour 1 1/2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa 4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground cloves 2 tsp ground mace 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup honey (I use the local orange blossom honey, but I think any light honey will do with all the spice!) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 whole egg 1 TBS of orange liquer (I use triple sec to great success, but Grand Marnier wouldn't be unwelcome if you have some laying around) Sift together flour, cocoa, spices and leavening and set aside. Beat butter, honey and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and triple sec. By hand with a spatula, beat in sifted dry ingredients by hand a third at a time, until all are thouroughly combined. Divide dough into thirds, and roll out 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick between sheets of wax paper. Smooth out any creases in the wax paper. Stack on a cookie sheet and refrigerate at least an hour and a half until the sheet of dough is stiff. I have kept these chilled for up to a week, with no detrimental effect on the cookie, and actually it might not be bad to let the dough mellow. Preheat the oven to 350. Remove dough from fridge one sheet at a time, peel off the bottom sheet of wax paper and replace it loosely, then flip over and peel off the other sheet of wax paper and discard. Cut out cookies, placing about an inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Try to bake like sized cookies together. Bake on center rack, 10 to 13 minutes. The cookies will just be light brown on the edges when done. Allow to cool on sheets for 1 or 2 minutes, and transfer to racks. Gather scraps and reroll between sheets of wax paper, return to fridge, and repeat the process until you use the dough up. I've never iced these cookies, just served them straight up. Also, these are great fresh from the oven, but BETTER the next morning with a cup of coffee! You wouldn't believe how wonderful the dough and cookies smell, and all that spice gets mellowed out by the honey. Let me know what you think, if you decide to give it a spin.

As I said, that restaurant was no more or less crowded than on most other Tuesdays I've eaten there. I know that's still anecdotal -- only one restaurant -- but at least it's based on firsthand experience rather than guesswork about what might happen. Of course, now that I've said that, Jovia will probably be empty tonight. As I promised, I'll give you a report. (PS -- I know we're not supposed to be arguing about this, but I think you disprove your own point when you talk about people being without power and water. THAT'S a disaster. This inconvenience is simply incomparable to that, and I think it does the victims of real disasters a disservice to suggest it is comparable. Nobody's going without any essentials here. Nobody's supermarket is unstocked, for example -- nor will they be. That just isn't what this experience is like. Did NYC request disaster relief from the federal government after either of the last two transit strikes? Wouldn't it have been considered laughable if it did?) ← We are not supposed to be arguing about this. You are right. Love and kisses. Have a lovely dinner.

It is, officially, "Tuna Noodle Casserole" and those are "Rolly Peas" to you bub! Awright, awright, awright. This was a staple in my home, and yes my children were fed this dish when pay day's were tight. They actually request it! I think this is probably more of a great white secret than the green bean thing.

Wow. I hope that was not directed at anyone personally, or contained any political overtones? One restaurant had one customer. I too, have little patience with those who 24 hours into a mess are in a panic. After all, if you have fair warning as hurricane victims and the people in New York have had, you at least put a bottle of water and a can of tuna in the cupboard. In fact, the biggest BBQ's I have ever been to have been post storm. Fun to be had by all the first day or two or even three for those who plan ahead. After all, it will go bad if it is not eaten, right? Those that cannot or do not plan ahead are a separate issue. They exist, they will always exist, and deserve a bit of compassion. A city without electricity for 24 or 48 is sad. I understand. I have been without electricity for time measured in days, and in one case weeks. It is hard, and as each day passes, it gets worse. No need to get hysterical, but no need to like it either. I just feel sorry for those who cannot prepare, or will not prepare for some reason. I hope this all works out soon, and is no longer a topic. I really feel for you guys up there, even you Sneakeater. Hope you find good grub.

Oh wow, I have made those too! Kind of a fudge cookie sort of candy effect, right? Went over pretty well at the time. Though it has been a while.

Ah, I see. A neighbor of mine from upstate New York beats me about the head and shoulders concerning the "real" toms and corn she grew up with, and how nothing here tastes the same. Of course, I throw the produce from the neck of the woods I grew up in right back in her face, sometimes hauling it back and preparing it for her just to SHOW HER! Silliness. Well, hunt and gather while thy may. I would feel homesick for the city as well in your position. In fact, I feel homesick for it now. Haven't been there in about 18 months. Glad you have found some good things to eat and appreciate. Want to talk about "slow" food? Ask the UPS guy with your order!

Nestle Toll House Cookies. Only one that comes to mind.

Heheheheheheh I come from a lily white family, those are just the facts. WASPs are they all, as am I. Not that there is anything wrong with that... Never, ever, ever, ever, ever have I seen a green bean casserole on the holiday table, heard anyone in my circle of family and friends lament its abscense, or had a request to prepare it. So no, they are probably not hiding a green bean casserole from you. Although, never having been in the same building with one, I wouldn't know how to behave. That is just me. I think you are falling for a smooth marketing campaign... Edited to add: You might find some collards and corn bread on my table - if you are lucky!

I read the comments and I have to ask are you all kidding ? Restaurants are laying off staff, closing for the night and business is decimated. As a supplier to the city's busiest restaurants, I can estimate that business is off by 75%. The busiest time of the year, and there is no customer. Yeah, Per Se diners dont take the subway, but will they get into a cab with two other people they dont know in a group ride to travel for an hour through 9 blocks of gridlock ? Will they find a cab after dinner ? Hotels will keep guests in their dining rooms, but will anyone else venture out ? So far, NO !!! ← Thank you. What you said.

It really shouldn't "alarm" you if there is nothing to it, or if you think the comment foolish. No need for you to "go there". Some people might want to, though. You do want to be inclusive, I am sure. ← Well, if someone wants to go there, I have heard my share of "Thank you, Jesus" - "Hellelujah" - and "God, this is good" around the dinner tables I ate at as a child, and those my children ate at as children, and even today. As far as food generosity is concerned, I have a bagful of cookies from neighbors, and have sent mine around. Nobody steps foot on my doorstoop without the offer of sustenance, and if you are here when food is cooking you WILL eat. Yes, good, nutritious food feeds the body and soul. A sense of humor about it is like dessert.

Is "Tongue in cheek" in Henderson's cookbook? I bet it would be good. ← "Tongue 'n' Cheek" YUM - Sounds like a sausage to me, or perhaps a cold cut. I'd take one home. My son would be particularly interested in trying this one...

Austin, I think you need to spend more time in California. Go to a place like Chow in San Francisco. Good, healthy, creative food available at a price that normal people can afford? Yep, I think they've got that covered. High end and ritsy, it ain't. Good and a bargain, it sure is. ← Pan, with all due respect (truly!!!), I believe what Austin is talking about is eating outside of the urban centers. I've eaten like a queen in New York and San Francisco, at ethnic restaurants that cost very little as well as at the high end of the spectrum. Where I'm currently staying, I have to drive 40-50 miles to either of two cities if I want to eat at a place that isn't a chain or a greasy spoon - with the exception of the local prime rib house. One has to be truly motivated and flush with gasoline money to do that kind of thing on a regular basis, and forget about having wine with the meal if you have to drive that distance home. I can leave my apartment in New York and be within a 5 minute walk of any regional cuisine at a decent price and quality. The same cannot be said for the rest of the country, alas. Ellen (who is jonesing for sushi like a depraved junkie) ← I am curious--where are you "staying?" You may not be able to get sushi (good or bad). There are rural areas and some small towns in the US do not have a wide selection of good restaurants but often this is a result of the fact that people do not dine out a lot. Hard to believe there are many places that have no or little good healthy food available in markets etc. People may not be dining out a lot where you are but that does not mean they are not eating well at home. By the way--some of the "chain" restaurants are not quite as bad as we make em out to be. ← I'm wondering too. Maybe, there is some interesting local cuisine in those "greasy spoons" that get bypassed on the way to the 40 mile away place? I don't know, I'm just saying that I have had some incredibly good food in some very unprententious, and yes, even unpromising locations. Talking to the locals about where to eat, and keeping an open mind, can generally net you some great experiences. Of course, coming out of New York, where there is good food at every other door, I could see where one would get spoiled. Just spending a long weekend there spoils me. Just the nature of the beast.

In our home, it is done with a good quality fresh sausage, "loose" as in out of the casing, browned with onion, sometimes bell pepper, seasoned with salt and pepper and worchestershire. Then a light roux with the pan drippings and flour, finished with milk. The sausage and onions are then reintroduces into the gravy, with a couple of dashes of tobasco to taste. Any good buttermilk biscuit is fine. If you must cheat, then those frozen Pillsbury biscuits will do. Pretty simple, really, and very satisfying.

Don't think I can be of much help, because I do not personally "do" oysters, but my hubby could live off of them. Myabe I could get some help, as well, on your coattails? His preference is for the "Lousiana Selects". He likes plump, juicy and sweet. At least that is how he characterizes them! However, due to the recent disaster in that area, he has not enjoyed raw oysters in some time. I have access to a very good purveyer here, and any recomendations that anyone has would be greatly appreciated here as well! Would love to gift him with a bucket of oysters for Christmas Eve! I know there must be some oyster experts here...

Wow! This is a very interesting thread. Objectively, I would have to disagree that good food at a reasonable price is not available to the masses in the United States. Less than a mile from my home, there is a shopping center called Pinewood Square, I think. Located at this shopping center, you will find an Outback, a McDonalds, an Italian place called "Paisano's" that is family run and serves good pasta, pizza, and great hoagies, a Greek place that is also family operated that serves the gamut of Greek home cooking in a diner type atmosphere, a Quizno's, a Coldstone Creamery, a locally owned sports bar that serves up greasy fried food at all hours, and a new Mexican place that is owned and operated by a chef formerly employed by the Four Seasons that is my current place to pick up tacos when I have a taste for them and don't feel like cooking them myself. Anchoring the shopping plaza is a Publix, that accepts food stamps of course, and is very well stocked with nearly all of the provisions needed to make nearly any of the dishes prepared in the rest of the shopping plaza. Even in the 7-11's in the area, you can not only by the roller grilled hotdog, but you can pick up tuna salad on a pita, a cobb salad, a chef salad, a fruit salad, a cuban sandwich, etc. It is amazing the number of hardworking people who eat out of a 7-11. About a mile and a half from here, there is another strip mall with chinese, a sushi/hibachi place, another Italian place, a pretty decent Thai place and a Baskin Robbins. This is pretty typical of my experience in the area in which I live, and where else but America? And, considering the economy in the United States, these places wouldn't make it, much less get the financing to get off the ground, if they weren't serving good food at a reasonable price that people can afford to purchase living in the economy. Now, I can also drive fifteen or twenty minutes and go to the Breakers, the Governor's Club, the Four Season's, or hit some of those trendy places on Worth Avenue in West Palm Beach - I could do it on a regular basis if I wished to mortgage my first born! I think that perhaps the perception that American's don't eat well is a matter of some choices made by individuals. No, you don't see food carts on every corner, except in population areas that are dense enough to support this sort of industry. New York has been brought up as an example, and it is a very good one. I think climate and culture can have an affect here as well. Comparing Thailand to the entire United States really is comparing apples to pineapples. There are so many subclimates in the US, cultural influences from all over the world, availability of raw materials is so varied, you can and will have a very different eating experience anywhere you hang your hat. I have been told by a family running a bakery here in Florida, who are from New York, that the difference in water hardness has to be compensated for in their baking in order to serve "New York Style" breads and pastry's. I guess if I had a better idea of what your definition of good food is, then perhaps I would find more common ground with your theory. For me, good food is nutritious and tastes good. Now, my idea of tastes good may not be another's. I'll be warming up a pot of turnips and mustard, and baking cheddar/garlic biscuits served with country ham slices for lunch today. MMMMM - good stuff. A lot of nutrition and calories there as well, but another person may not be able to tolerate the salt and fat. Oh well.

The kids have all moved out now, so I am in a situation where I am cooking for two most of the time. Difficult. I've got a dutch oven that size, that gets pulled out two or three times a year these days. I guess it depends upon your situation and lifestyle, but yes I agree it is a deal.

Here's the "everyday" pan I put on my Christmas list. http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=10073 Looks like a deal to me, but it is OOS for the time being. Here's another pan: http://www.cutleryandmore.com/details.asp?SKU=7233 I like the everyday pan better, I think, of the two. Hopefully Santa was on the ball.