amylou

Yes, corn syrup is a major no-no. I never realized what all it was in until I met her. Some food which is kosher for Passover does not contain corn, so she would stock up on a lot of non-perishables around Passover. She had to be careful when eating out, as most people with allergies have stressed here.

Hubbys are the best I never say I have allergies, just am sensitive to certain foods! Back on the subject of allergies, my roommate in college was allergic to corn. I never realized how many things corn was in until I met her, even baking soda and baking powder can have corn starch!

Amen to that!! I have Crohn's disease, an inflammatory digestive disorder with occasionally unfortunate consequences. There is no "set list" of what I can and cannot eat (except broccoli and other Brassica veggies, I can't eat many of them in one dat.... too bad.... ). Sometimes, there are certain normal foods that I know will make me sick. If I pick at a item that a host serves, sometimes a barrage of questions ensues: "did you not like it?" "was it too salty?" ... "can I make you something else?".....etc. My extended family is particularly guilty of this. Sometimes I want to scream at them "If I eat this, I'll be in the little girl's room for the next 8 hours!!" Maybe next time I will

I water down shampoo. About 2/3 shampoo 1/3 water. Weird ?

I agree with the activity level argument. In addition to simple lifestyle changes (lawnmowing), any given job today is likely more sedentary than it was 50 years ago. I would add something as well, and this may be anecdotal to my family, but the link between income and obesity has been discussed here and proves to be an interesting discussion. When I go out to the mall, movies, on a drive, etc, I often purchase a drink, snack, etc. My grandparents simply could not do this, as they could not afford to spend any extra money on a "snack" while out. While I am not overweight, I could see how each of my snack purchases could add up and pack on the pounds -- this is not a problem my grandparents would have had. As a nation, as people have more disposable income, these snacks and little purchases sure add up around our collective waistline! What an intersted, complicated topic....

Red wine for Spaghetti Sauce -- such a good idea! I used water, now I never will again....

My boyfriend would suggest using it as wallpaper paste I processed some in the blender to use as a fill-in for a creme sauce, wanted to make the sauce a little lighter for my dad, who is on the South Beach diet -- it did have an odd resembelance to wallpaper paste! shelora -- I had no idea freezing would change the absorbancy of tofu. Interesting! I will have to try.

Haha! Overdosing on NPR ...that is DEFINITELY possible! They are certainly not the most "balanced" news source out there (what is!!??) I usually listen to NPR on my commute in the AM, and really can't in the evening -- it is just makes for too many monotone voices for one day. I am going to try and remember to listen to that story more closely when I get home. I had never really thought seriously about calories per dollar until right now. When I shop, I do have to consider prices carefully (I just graduated, and am *hoping* to go to law school, so I'm trying to save) - but I certainly do not worry about meeting my caloric needs. Howerver, many people need to, and if you are hungrt, you are likely to worry about calories first, then nutrition. A pound of salad

Wow, I wish I remembered more details of this story on NPR, I didn't know there would be so many responses! I've been searching NPR's website but am trouble finding anything, I know I didn't dream this story up! The mother who was interviewed mentioned that between working and raising a child on her own, both time and money were very tight. I would imagine that putting together a healthy snack with some frozen veggies, etc would be time consuming and difficult for a single mother to prepare, and would certainly not be the kind of thing any self-respecting eight year old would prepare for herself!! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3854505 Here is another NPR story discussing the link between income and obesity. I have to confess, I have not been able to listen to the whole thing yet I remember learning in a Nutrition course in college that income and obesity were positively correlated for men and inversly correllated for women. Interesting.

I stuff my plastic scraper into the jar to get every last glob out of a jar! Spaghetti sauce is particularly prone to sticking to sides, I turn the jar upside down, rinse with a bit of water, everything to get those last bits out! I can't STAND wasting food, and I can't possibly throw away a jar with perfectly good food in it -- often there are two or three servings left I think I'm compulsive

A few years ago, NPR interviewed a single mother living in New York City. Her daughter was 8 years old and was quite overweight. The mother said that at the store, she could by grapes for $3/lb which were invariably moldy and would rot within a day. Or, she could buy cookies for less than $1, which would last forever. She said it bothered her, but she always chose the cookies -- she couldn't afford the produce, and even if she could, the produce sold at inner city markets tends to be rotten. The announcer on NPR said that what ends up in inner city stores is produce that suburban grocery stores could not sell. When money is tight, families are going to be forced to buy inexpensive food and inevitably highly processed that family members will eat and not complain about. The food pyramid that everyone grew learning at school was sponsored by the meat and dairy industry. These are just a few of many industries that unfortunately might try with all their might to block healthy incentives at schools.....

Did you witness a crime being committed? Were you the victim of a crime during this walk? My wife and I are regularly in downtown after dark and I rarely feel unsafe or threatened, but I do know a lot of people who feel like you do. The closest I've gotten to figuring it out is that people read about crime in the paper and somehow translate that to downtown. I've been reading the crime briefs for a long time and don't recall ever reading about anything happening between the Carolina Theatre and Brightleaf. I welcome the influx of new restauants and I sincerely hope that there is enough daytime business to keep them going until the nighttime business catches up. Joe and Jo's seems to have enough business and I consider them in downtown. We now have a pharmacy (Gurley's on Main) and restaurants only add to the draw for more people to live in downtown. I'd love to see a grocery as well. I'll do anything to promote these places. I'd rather be mugged than see more exburb development in Durham County. I hate seeing business dragged away from exiting locations in downtown or at least "in town" because some developer thinks we need another 150 house development near Southpoint. Ugh. ← Six years ago, I was robbed at gunpoint while walking to my car on Geer street. This could have happened in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh...anywhere in the area, but it was Durham, so I am biased. Perhaps it is paranoia, but I did feel uncomfortable that night!! If you were mugged, you might recant your Southpoint statement (I hope you were speaking in jest!!). In my (very) naieve opinion, part of Durham's bad reputation is because it is being compared to such safe areas as Cary. I think a grocery store downtown would be great, and would make living downtown a more convenient place for people without access to a car. With the number of businesses and Duke extensions coming downtown, I would hope the increasing lunch business would help support downtown resturants. On a positive Durham note -- I have friends who live in a new luxury apartment complex on Erwin road near Duke, the Lofts at Lakeview. On Monday night, a chef from Verde hosted a mini-cooking class in the lobby, and taught a group to make a simple risotto dish. This complex has a preparation and demonstration area in the lobby set up for this purpose, and offers a cooking course twice a month. If I could afford the rent ($1300 for a one bedroom!!), I would love living in a place like that. How great is that, an apartment complex that offers cooking classes!!! This complex was built, in part, to attract students and the like to move from the Southpoint area closer to Duke and walk to work/school. ...i think I "hijacked" your thread by bringing up safety issues, and I sincerely apologize!!

Downtown Durham has so much potential, but until something is done about the crime, I do not always feel safe walking around after dark, and that often makes me want to spend my evening elsewhere. I saw the Shanghai Circus at the Carolina Theater a few weekends ago -- we walked the theater and and Another Thyme for dinner. The evening was lovely, except for the walk between the two. I don't know how much money Duke can throw at this district to improve the late night safety. Personally, I think if resturants wish to attract people to the area, they have to offer something beyond exciting food -- they have to offer personal safety, and the promise your hubcaps won't get stolen during your meal (happened to my parents!). George's Garage is close to Duke, predictable (for what thats worth), and parking is close and safe -- Dukies might perfer to dine there than risk it downtown! The ATHD complex across from the stadium has an impressive list of tenents, if resturants and attractions can get those people to stay Downtown for dinner and drinks after work, I think they have a chance. Unfortunately, the downtown area has a bad reputation and that will take a long time to get rid of.

I highly suggest/insist that you take a look at some of the places named by others in this thread. There's actually plenty of good Mex in the area and none of it is served at the places you mention (with the possible exception of the "roach coach" that parks near your building). I don't mean to be elitist about it, thems is just the facts. ← Geez, I'm embarassed at my poor taste I have been to many (actually, I think almost all!) of the previously mentioned resturants. In a shred of self-defense, sometimes you want a quickie lunch during work (ie, Salsa Fresh), sometimes you just want a greasy meal after a long night out with friends when every other place seems to have closed (ie, Armadillo), and well, I actually thought Wicked Burreto was kind of good before it closed, and the taco truck that comes near my building.....thats just weird, you GOTTA try that!! ...I was just adding some places I'd been that were not mentioned!! I kind of like Salsa Fresh, I don't always want a greasy meal.....guess I have poor taste ....amylou sulks off, in shame, kind of embarassed at her lack of refinement/poor taste .....

My boyfriend's fraternity "chef" would deep fry oreos before parties and whatnot......talk about sinfully good

Yum! I prefer to use use green garlic in my vinegrettes as opposed to just regular old garlic. I like the milder flavor better. I hate washing them, like leeks they are full of dirt!

Geez, its not weird at all compared to dead kittens, but I have a snowball of unknown age. It does not snow much in North Carolina, and we get VERY excited when it does. I saved a snowball.....so someday.....when you least expect it.....BAM....

For a quick lunch, I like Salsa Fresh off of Duraleigh. The food is generally lighter and I prefer that at lunch. There is a bizarre taco truck (like an ice cream truck gone horribly awry) that parks across the street from my building off of Edwards Mill. It serves the construction workers, I got a taco lunch -- honestly not bad. Very crispy shells. For a greasy, fill-ya-up meal, I like El Rodeo (gross, I know). I've only been to the one in Chapel Hill, but there are others, I believe. Everything is dripping with cheese and grease I used to LOVE Wicked Burrito, but I came back from 4 years in NY and they were closed. Health violations??? Of course, you are all to classy to have mentioned my personal (drunken) favorite, Armadillo Grill in Chapel Hill (technically be in Carrboro??)

A newbie question about salt. You can pay seemingly any amount for it. I use coarse kosher salt from Whole Foods for salting meats, etc prior to cooking and i use regular table salt for salting food to taste. Why would one use more expensive types of salt (ie, $11 "french sea salt" from Williams Sonoma) for cooking? The ions dissociate into Na+Cl-, and you "taste" the Na+. What about these more expensive salts makes them 'better' than plain old Mortons? I am assuming there are other trace elements in these pricer salt which make them attractive, or is it simply "snobbery" value (for lack of a better expression!). I agree, the "french salts" and whatnot look very appealing, but in your soup, does it matter ?? Thanks