Lilija

Someone gave me a huge set of sillycone bakeware. Floppy red muffin thing, loaf pan, cake pans etc. I can't bring myself to do it. I always reach for the real old, real things. My mom gave me a rolling choppy thing, haven't touched it. I sorta hate gadgetry.

Almost burnt English muffin, topped with a thick layer of mayo, and a fat slab of perfectly ripe summer tomato. Salt, pepper. Muffin has to be just this side of black, though. Dollops of tuna salad, sandwiched between pickle chips. Salami rolled around a chunk of cream cheese. Liverwurst and pickle relish, on crackers. Pickles on anything with barbecue sauce. On the same note, pickles on top of baked beans. Raw onion, too. Oatmeal cookies dunked in crummy canned chicken or onion soup. My husband likes (and used to buy the stuff, strictly to eat this glop...) Chunk of cheddar cheese, with a gob of canned chocolate frosting. I tried converting him to Nutella, but he wasn't having it. ETA: Almost forgot!!! Any salty snack with some sort of cheesedust, like Cheetos, Cheese Doodles, or cheese popcorn, served with hot cocoa. Milk will do, in a pinch, but hot cocoa is better. I picked this up when I worked midnights at 7-11. It was breakfast for me, many mornings.

I cook raisins in in the oatmeal, adding them with the oats, to the boiling water, so they get nice and plump. I also like a generous pinch of salt in there. On top, it seems like I have some oatmeal friends here. A pat of butter melted, a sprinkling of brown or turbinado sugar (or honey, depending on my mood), and a splash of half and half over the whole thing. Not stirred, just eaten as is, with the range of flavors. Sometimes other dried fruit instead of raisins, like apples, or apricots. Only steelcut oats, though, if I have a choice. "Old Fashioned" will do, in a pinch. I like them a bit undercooked, al dente, I guess.

I would love to ask someone, next time I'm in a diner with the listing, I'll definitely ask. My beloved Yellow Rose closed down under shady circumstances, last December. I've been living in NJ most of my life, but I don't predate the disco era...maybe I'll ask my dad, he was born and raised here.

My husband and I were pondering on which menus we've actually seen the reference, and we decided that our old "regular" diner actually listed them as such. This diner being the Yellow Rose, right in Keyport NJ. I've seen them listed as disco fries, literally more around here, and up north. I have, however seen fries on menus, even down on the Wildwood boardwalk offered with cheese, or gravy, or both, not calling them disco fries. I'm thinking the dish itself is throughout NJ, but the listing is more like an old fashioned term, that some diners and menus still hang on to, and the rest of us just kinda know about. I had no idea that if I ordered such a thing in Kansas, I would get stared at. I mean, I've been all over the world, and it's never occurred to me. I don't make it a habit to eat gravy, cheese, and french fries, when I travel, though. (I was also stunned, some years ago, when I found out that not everyone knows of the wonderous breakfast staple, pork roll.) "The Bridge" is what people around here call the Rt. 9 bridge, Parkway bridge, train trestle, and the really pretty new bridge that lands in Perth Amboy. They all go parallel over the eastern end of the Raritan River, connecting our localized versions of what delineates north and south Jersey. The local feeling is that the people "over the bridge" are different, and somehow considered tourists, when they visit "The Shore". When you go "over the bridge" it's understood that you're heading to north NJ. The areas south of this imaginary line are more beachy-town, and more suburbanized, and that's where the shore pretty much starts, where you can go, sit on the beach, on the NJ shore. You're still in Raritan Bay, though. You sit on the beach in my town, and you can see the NY skyline, and it's gorgeous. South of Sandy Hook, you're out of the bay, and you hit open ocean, so when you sit on the beach down there, you're getting waves. My area is the northern end of "the Shore". I know all this clarification of what north and south NJ is, has little to do with the thread, but I see the terms thrown around constantly, and I like to kind of reason through them and get clear about it. I wish I had some answers on the history of the term, though. Diner and local food history is great.

While vacationing in shore type areas, any place with a name like "The Rusty Rudder", "Old Salty Sailor", "The Diving Dolphin", "The Frozen Fishstick", "Any Port in a Storm" et. al. And, for the love of all things holy, do NOT go to the all you can eat seafood buffet, no matter how much you think you like stuffed clams...

Wildwood and Seaside Heights are two different, unique boardwalks. One north/centeral, one wwwwaaay south. I guess I live in "north" Jersey, but when I think about North Jersey, it doesn't feel like it. There's a lot more state, above me, and it gets a lot different, "over the bridge". By car, it takes roughly 2.5 hours to drive down to Cape May. Heading north, it takes roughly 2 hours to get to the northern reaches, up by the NY border, rt 17 places like Mahwah, etc. That, to me is North. If you look at the map, I live a shade south of where NJ dents in. I consider myself "the Shore" because if I threw a rock out of my bedroom window, it would land in the bay. That said, I've had gravy-cheese fries north, way north up in the hills, up by the north end of the Water Gap, around here, south "down the shore", and even way way south, vacationing in Wildwood. So, I would say it's pretty widespread across the state, you just have to frequent the right dives, or know what to ask for, to see them. I've seen them called "Disco Fries" on the menu" about 50% of the time, and I notice these things, because I'm nit-picky like that. Plus, I always wondered, myself wtf a disco fry was, and if they were national.

I live on the shore, too, and way north of LBI. I live close to Sandy Hook, if it's any point of reference. Also, we're part of the NY "Jersey Shore" Right on the NE Corridor line, in fact.

I've heard of, and partaken in Disco Fries. I live in centeral Jersey, too. They are fries covered in gravy, loaded with cheese. I've seen them all sorts of ways, though, with mozzarella, but more often with some kind of yellow cheese, like cheddar, or in really cheap places, yellow American, or the worst, gobs of cheese sauce. (I like cheese sauce as much as anyone, but cheap crappy diners stock cheap crappy cheese sauce...) I see the occasional reference to poutine, and I think to myself "Northern Disco Fries" so, it's a small world. ^.^ My most favorite version, when I was younger, and able to eat this stuff, was from the old Shamrock Diner, they used mozzarella cheese, a gravy laced with a hint of cinnamon (the chef was Greek, everything had cinnamon or nutmeg in it) over those spicy curly fries. Good stuff.

Nutrition is something I think about, a great deal. I do all the shopping/cooking, in my household, so I just don't buy junky-food. (Junk food, sometimes, but not junky food, big difference) Anything we can get, in whole wheat, or better yet, a multigrain version, we do. Pastas, bread, brown rice, when applicable. Anything that doesn't suffer from being sugar free (beverages, some desserts, hard candies, etc) I stock. Artifical sweeteners are the only evil food chemical additives that I really love I seldom use processed/convenience stuff, preferring to shop in small amounts every other day, for fresh ingredients, like veggies, fruits, meat, bakery breads. The only canned veggies in the house are beans, and tomatoes. I think skipping rich, salt/sugar/fat/chemical laden foods, as an every day occurance (fast foods, TV dinner type stuff, common American junk food), balances a really creamy, cheesy home made mac and cheese or a well marbled steak, from time to time. We're really big into moderation, and every day we try to instill that, in our son. Healthy, to me, is getting a wide variety of fresh, and well prepared foods. Balancing the occasional rich cream sauce, or fatty steak, with light meals. Sometimes, we'll have miso soup, and a huge salad, for dinner. Healthy is not eating exorbitant amounts of sugar, refined starches, or artifically flavored/colored stuff. No hydrogenated fats, and I really look at labels, for high fructose corn syrup. Natural sugars and fats are bad enough. I try to get a lot of fiber and protien in each meal, and I figure multivitamins will make up for what I miss, in a particular day, vitamin-wise. Of course, it's really easy to buy a bag of Oreos, and eat them in one afternoon, but this is definitely the exception, not the rule. How do I talk about it? When people ask me what I made, I'll gladly explain that it's whole wheat-whatever, with lower fat cheese, fresh tomatoes, etc. That usually sparks a discussion about why this, or why that, and I can go from there. I just try to make good food, well, with as many healthy aspects as I can manage, without screwing the dish up, and try not to justify myself too much. In my household, we're always talking about food, so it just comes up, naturally. I read a lot, and I love sharing what I read with my family, little tidbits of info, about this particular kind of salad, or like, how that cheese is made, etc. It's a pretty natural thing. The most important, though, as someone mentioned it, is set a good example. I can't preach to my son about not eating junk food, then turn around and devour a bag of potato chips. As far as rebellion goes, of course we do, but we make sure to establish that this IS a rebellion from the norm, and feels good, to just say screw it sometimes, and eat that plate of tortellini alfredo...But, moderation...It's all about treating yourself right, while still treating yourself occasionally. A lot of this comes from just being into food, and cooking, too. I think people who are foodie types are just naturally inclined to eat (what I think of as) healthier. Now, I just have to get us on some kind of excersise plan...

We've been eating out more than usual, but outside places, carnivals, seafood, down by the water, a lot. Boardwalk food, Vietnamese food, light dishes, or 'street food' mostly. Any excuse to go out, and better still, get some ice cream. Tonight, I'm 'cooking' dinner, which is gonna consist of some steamed bao, a pot of tom kha soup (chicken broth from the freezer, a few cans of coconut milk, and some other easily thrown together ingredients, 20 minutes to simmer...) and we grabbed a slab of awesome looking yellowfin, for some home sashimi. Pan-Asian hot weather goodness. Salads, of course. Lots of tuna, and chicken salads, over mixed greens, and homemade vinagrettes.

What flavors do you like, because I haven't cared for any of the ones I've tried? ← I can add to this, maybe. I drink a lot of Crystal Light, myself, I go through probably a half gallon a day. My favorite staple flavor is the iced tea, with the lemonade being a runner-up. Fruit punch isn't bad, when I crave something sweet, like a popsicle or something, it's very reminiscent of old red kiddy fruit punch. I also always add a squeeze of fresh lemon to my iced tea and lemonade. It really cuts that sacchrine chemical quality, of the artificial sweetener. On topic, this thread is good news, I always suspected it to be so, but now I can peacefully drink my gallons of iced tea a day, and flip my doctor the bird, who once told me "ONLY WATER".

I agree with the above comments, and I have to add this. Those hot sauces mentioned, they're already blended with other flavoring agents, such as vinegar, salt, etc. Adding stuff like that to ice cream? Yuck...

Sometimes no comment is necessary ← Sometimes.

Mmm...Han Solo. Yum. I'd be tempted to eat him too.

Honestly, I'm not very familiar with TAOS, enough to pick up any references. What I mainly meant was, the movie was well done, in the style of the Superman movie, and sequels. I wouldn't be suprised if there were little veiled references here and there, about the old George Reeves' Superman. There were plenty of references to the older movies.

Very dilute spoiler alert: Would it be a spoiler if I said it was mentioned a few times, but nothing overtly memorable? Except for one small fluffy thing... I just got back from seeing it, this afternoon, and it paid great tribute to the original movies.

We don't go to big-ticket theme parks much, but we're lucky enough to live close to some really great boardwalks (rides, games, stands, the whole works, so I guess it counts) When the Keansburg amusement park opens, on Easter, traditionally, we go on an eating tour of the place. Start at one end, with a slice of pizza from the guy by the huge slide. Eat pizza, watch kids tumble off the 100ft slide. Working our way down the "mile" going on rides, playing games, till we get to Nickerson's for a sausage and pepper sandwich (which we usually split, because it's enormous), then later in the day, on to the fry stand, for a giant bucket of fresh-cut fries, with cheese, vinegar, and salt. Carry those fries to the lovely air-conditioned bar/hot dog joint, Heidelberg, for the best hot dogs in NJ...2 please, with pepper relish. There, we sit, enjoy the dogs, fries, and ice cold beers, in the AC. Refreshed, we hit the 'walk again, for more rides, games, and now looking for something sweet. Either an ice cream cone at Kohrs, or a funnel cake. Continue riding and gaming till the money and tickets are gone, then stop for a bit of fudge, or a candy apple to take home, from the place by the carousel. The nice thing is this: It's all still as good as it was 20 years ago, when -I- was the kid tumbling off the slide. Other memorable boardwalk eats: The old Sawmill, in Seaside Heights, for the 1.50 slice of pizza, that was literally bigger than your head, with a free soda. (sadly, they renovated a few years back, the walk-up pizza counter is no longer, and they no longer offer that deal. Now they're some fancy-ass bar. *grumble*) There's a fudge shop right by the Sawmill, too, that has some of the best homemade candies I've ever had. We always get half a pound of fudge, and taffies to take home. Down in Wildwood, there's a place called Harry's Corner, that has, hands down, THE best cheesesteaks I've ever been privileged enough to consume. I can't explain it, but if I could paint a perfect cheesesteak, it would be this one. I dream of them. The meat is real thin sliced steaks, finely diced, with finely chopped peppers, hot and sweet, as well as perfectly grilled onions. He uses a sharp cheddar cheese sauce, and these huge perfect rolls, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside... They're so perfectly balanced. The other stuff is great, there, too.

My mom: Worst cook ever, and getting steadily worse by the day. She used to be a decent cook, when I was little, but she declined sharply. She doesn't much care about food, so meals were indifferently thrown together (if she bothered, even) cheapest ingredients, ever. She was a big one, for food pantries and government subsidies (even though we weren't poor...St. Joseph's food bank and the gub'mint didn't need to know that...). Typically, dinner would be boiled potatoes, a paperthin manager's special porkchop fried to death, and a can of veggies. We went thr5ough a phase of that, for about 3 years. That, for dinner, 4-5 nights a week. I still can't look at a boiled potato, without wanting to hurl it out the nearest window. When cooking for company, she makes all sorts of bizarre short cuts, and has no real sense of ingredients, basic food science, or safety. The Thanksgiving turkey is creamated the night before, carved the night before, placed in a huge tray, and refrigerated. Brought to room temp on the big day. I have no idea why...maybe to make it easier to crumble it up the next day, and mix it with our (canned) gravy... My father is a great cook, and she still has some of his recipes. His beloved stuffed mushroom recipe is a good one. I have it committed to memory, and use it frequently for appetizers and snacks. Once in awhile, she asks me to relay the recipe, and she'll try to make it for a holiday. They *never* come out resembling anything like THE mushroom recipe. Shortcuts, substitutions (no Tobasco...all I had was horseradish...what, that's hot... and, I'm not gonna go out and buy muenster cheese, when I have these Krap slices right in the fridge!). I won't give her my recipes anymore, because the results are literally painful to behold. She screws everything up. The woman cooks with no love. No soul.

Butter in coffee Lilija? Oh what the Hell, WHY NOT!? Amazing. In one post you've managed to list five of the most indespensible "gilding" foods: butter, cream cheese, whipped cream, mayo, and chocolate. Hmmm, what are some others? Truffle oil, creme fraiche, devonshire cream..................... okay everybody, what are your favorites? ← I mentioned all mine, right there, pretty much. Maybe barbecue sauce, to dip everything else in. By everything else, I mean what already isn't slathered in butter or mayo...

This morning, I had a bowl of Grape Nuts, with half and half. Took the milk out, considered it. Returned it to the fridge, in favor of the half and half. Added diced strawberries, raisins, some honey, and a handful of salted mixed nuts. It just grew and grew. Furthering the cream cheese loving, I throw about 2 oz. of cream cheese in with my standard tuna salad recipe. Mayo, chopped veggies, a can of tuna, seasonings, a goodly gob of cream cheese. Stop staring at me, and try it. I too swirl butter in anything that will take it. Butter in refried beans. Butter in gravies and sauces. Butter on veggies, steaks, burgers. Butter in soups. There's a recipe I got from a local coffee house, called Dutch coffee...it's cafe au lait, with a chunk of good quality chocolate, melted at the bottom, a chunk of butter melted floating on top, graced with whipped cream, and cinnamon. It's so far from true coffee, that they may as well move it to the dessert menu... Not every morning, but I've been known to throw a little knob of butter in my coffee. Butter, half and half, and chestnut honey, on my Scottish oatmeal... Ok, time for me to stop, I'm driving myself crazy.

I can't think of too many, offhand, but I suppose this one counts. When making a traditional boiled corned beed dinner, the pan liquid that the corned beef, and later veggies are simmered in. I dish that up, throughout the day, while the beef is simmering, and sip it out of a mug, like a fine bullion. It's so salty, it makes the backs of my eyes wither. It's soooo warming, rich and good.

When I lived on Guam, we attended fiestas and block parties, regularly. There was never a week, that some huge party wasn't going on. It was just what we did, on weekends. I would always load my plate up with red rice, and kelaguen, and some slices of the pig. At almost all of these parties, they pit roasted a whole pig. The bigger the party, the bigger the pig! We partook of a 200lb pig, once, for a wedding. It was AMAZING. My bite, though is a plastic forkful of smoky red rice, topped with a sliver of the meaty , crackly crisp fatty juicy pig, dragged through the local sauce, finadine, with a bit of onion or jalepeno, from the finadine. All shoveled into my mouth, standing under a tent, late at night, local reggae band thumping. I can smell it, taste it, and feel it, right now.

That bartender in Jamaica that showed me the joy of mingling shots of espresso, with my shots of booze was totally on to something.

When I frequented Taco Bell, in the early-mid 90's, I used to LOVE their fries. Fries. The one on Guam had fries, anyway. They had Naco Fries, Nacho Supreme Fries, and big Beef Nacho Bellgrande Fries. Batter dipped-sorta fries with a crisp crackly blistery exterior...omg. The plain nacho fries were 89 cents, and one could get two tacos or bean burritos for a buck. That, and some pilfered soda, from the fountain, and a couple of high school kids could eat like royalty. Also, around those days, I just about lived (then got a job in) 7-11, and back then, we had huge pump of canned free nacho cheese. I used to wake up in the morning, hung over, thinking of nothing but 7-11 nachos, covered in free cheese and chili. They replaced it with this hulking steel cube that dispenses little drips of melted plastic masquerating as cheese and chili.