bjones9942

Ok, the chopped liver was beef, and I'm used to chicken. Very different flavor, and the frozen stuff didn't appear to contain any cream - which made it very coarse and mealy. I think I'll stick to making my own, especially now that I've restocked my supply of schmaltz!

Thanks folks for the U. Village QFC tip! Yes, they had it (yes, in the freezer section) ... and they also had chopped liver (also in the freezer section)! I'll report back when it's thawed and I have a chance to sample it

Yet another, 'Thank You'! Simply wonderful.

Tsquare, If you're willing to part with it then you're missing out! Irwin - I render mine by boiling, so I don't get the grivens One of these days I'll have the patience to stand over the skillet to make sure it doesn't flame and set my house afire ... but until then it's boil, boil, boil ... strain, strain, separate, freeze And thanks for the Albertsons recommendation - I'll give them a shout and see what they say! Brett

The stuff lasts forever in the freezer! It's like bacon fat never going bad in that old soup can on the stove

I'm tired of rendering my own chicken fat and my reserves will probably run out later this year (when I render, I do about a 5 year batch). So, to make my life much easier, does anyone know where I can BUY schmaltz? Surely there are others out there that make their own chopped liver, matzoh ball soup and enjoy an occasional piece of toast with schmaltz instead of butter! Please speak up! I'll even consider mail-order! Thanks in advance!!! Brett

Ok, I braved the traffic tonight and schlepped from Shoreline down to the ID. I'm happy to report it was well worth the effort! Tried the banh xeo, the vegetarian spring rolls and the fried duck noodle soup. I purposely didn't add anything other than the supplied dipping sauces so I could get a better idea of the base flavors of each item. I will say that my favorite was probably the duck noodle soup as the banh xeo was a tad greasy. Not saying that it was anything less than excellent taste wise, but if I had to pick ... it'd be the soup And I enjoyed the spring rolls, but the wrappers were a tad thicker than I'm used to (so much so that my dog unrolled the one I brought to him [no, he's not spoiled at all] and just ate the filling!). It did make them easier to pick up and eat though I made sure I got a take-home copy of the menu, but the result after scanning it was too much to post here. If anyone wants a copy I have it up at Greenleaf menu <-- this link. Next time I'm going to bring someone with me! No, there was WAY too much food for me so my dog got 1 spring roll and 1 (ok, 1/2 - I ate more after I got home) banh xeo. I did finish the soup - barely

Those are great! You put my christmas cookies to shame!!!

I"m wondering just how one can have both 'no fragrances' and 'no stinky sweat' at the same time? I believe the key is to make sure that your deoderant/fragrances are at a level as to allow masking the inevitable sweat, but not so strong as to insinuate you've been frequenting the local brothel. Now if the customers could just be held to the same standard

Chopped liver is a wonderous thing

You can't compare the mom & pop places to the larger operations. They're totally different birds and require different methods of operation. In the little place down the street, the owner can (and almost always does) keep an eye on every table from the time the guest is sat to the time the bill is paid. There isn't the need for the little games to assure the guest is being taken care of because the owner is taking that responsibility. They don't need a computer to track their sales because they take their own inventory daily and know what's selling (or being stolen by the crew!) by what products they're low on. And yes, sometimes things are a little overthought - but you might be surprised at the little 'tricks' that your mom & pop place does without your ever knowing to ensure your good service and good food.

I think rosemary is one of those strange plants that grows for people it likes! Seattle is far from having hot summers / cold winters - but my tuscan blue grows like a weed. Eastern exposure with only morning sun. Perhaps it was the 3 inches of steer manure I tilled into the soil before I planted them? I get a kick out of the little $2 bags of rosemary the store sells. Anyway, back to topic ... I don't have the fungus problem, but I do occasionally see the spittle bug evidence. And spiders. Generally a fungus problem is due to too much water and poor circulation. After the bleach treatment, I'd see about putting it somewhere with a little more breeze.

Here's another vote for the Joy of Cooking, with a couple of exceptions. I use my mother's copy of Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook whenever I'm making comfort food, and Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking for any foray into Indian recipes. I've got a ton of cookbooks / cooking magazines that have been read for techniques and pleasure - but those three books are the ones that I stain on a consistant basis.

Annecros - I agree with your assessment 100%, even if you have forgotten hush puppies and eggs cooked in 3 inches of bacon fat! Now, who in their right mind would want a lifetime of so-called 'healthy' foods when a fatty flavor extravaganza will only cost one a few years? Personally, I opt for enjoying each and every day - including the food I eat. If I leave this world at the age of 80 instead of 85 I know I'll do so with chicken fat smeared over the smile on my face. My vision of heaven has always included a big never-empty vat of chopped liver.

Andie - I had to look at where you live ... my rosemary was supposed to get to 4 feet. Six to eight feet later, both in height and width, I find I can no longer make my way down the side of my house (I was thinking small hedge along the house when I planted all 14 of them). I also no longer have the desire to use rosemary when cooking, although I still love the smell.

I've been in the biz for almost 30 years, and almost every restaurant has recognized pivot points at the tables, and all have had set times for each action - whether enforced or not. Outback Steakhouse (my last gig) wants a 30 second greet time, 2 minute drink arrival and max of 14 minutes for entrees. App's vary as it takes significantly longer to cook the chicken wings than the other items. All this while running everyone elses food, leading each and every guest on a 'walkabout' of the menu (ok, now they call it a 'menu conversation') and inevitably bussing your own tables because they are watching labor and are understaffed. Oh, and I forgot ... refilling everyone's soda before they have a chance to suck it up. Outback also uses a fairly easy trick to let everyone know if a table has been greeted or not - when greeted, the coasters are placed in front of each guest. Of course, when the guests start building houses of cards out of the coasters all bets are off And before I go down in flames for working for Outback ... I like a job where I can joke with my guests, not have to worry if I have enough white shirts starched and pressed, and can get away with occasionally having bizarre words flow from my mouth (early onset turrets?). Actually, I recently left Outback and start a new job (accounting for a theatre organization) on Monday. Scary stuff maynard! My pet peeve? For the moment it's people who think they 'know' how things should be because they've written restaurant reviews.

I can't believe everyone going to the Medford area and missing 'The House Of Mystery'!

akafun - I drove down the Oregon coast a year ago October. Lincoln City was my favorite stay on the trip (I was going from Seattle to Phoenix). There's a new Best Western (south end of town) that actually has working wifi Had dinner in a little non-descript, fish-n-chips kind of place a block off the main drag - decent food, and I believe they have a view when it's not pitch black outside! Lincoln City is now on my 'Gotta go there during the summer' list!

My one shining faux paux was during a nice dinner at 'One If By Land' in NYC. Before I get to my indiscretion, the restaurant occupies the space originally built as a carriage house. The upper 'loft' has a wrought iron railing, and the diners in that area can gaze contentedly upon the heads of the diners below. After being seated in the loft area the waiter approached to take our drink order. I'm quite certain I said I wasn't having wine - and instead of removing my wine glass, the waiter moved it off to the side of the table. I failed to notice this action, and the next time I turned, my elbow grazed the glass. Yes. Tip. Fall. Shatter. Raining shards of glass upon the table and diners directly below. In the slow motion that time had become I could hear the staff converging on the table below and asking 'Dr. Bernard' (yes, the famous Dr. Bernard [rip]) if he was unscathed (he was, as was the rest of his party). Dinner could not come quickly enough for me that evening - I bolted through the meal and made a hasty (and appreciated, surely) retreat.

Diva - Will do! And other than simmering two rather fatty chickens for 9 hours to make my stock (and not de-fatting afterwards), my chicken & dumplings are purpously bland. Since I expect to dine on it for a while, I generally add spices, flavourings, vegetable tidbits, etc. to each bowl - thus providing a parade of variation. Today's selection was chipotle tabasco sauce.

Washington state used to have the 70/30 rule for food/alcohol - I can remember cooking the books to make it work when filling out the reports to the state It's still illegal for liquor distributors to give trinkets away to their customers. I've always been told this is due to our liquor control board accepting bribes back in the 1950/1960's. Idaho - now that's a strange one. I believe alcohol is governed by each county, as when I was in Twin Falls we could not serve anything over 19% alcohol on Sundays, Holidays or Election days. Not only could we not serve it, the bottles could not even be visible to the patrons! One horrible week we experienced Sunday, a holiday on Monday and elections on Tuesday. A short trip across the bridge and anything went. When I attended college (briefly) in Decatur, IL we could drink beer & wine at 19. Down the road a ways the limit was 19 for hard alcohol too. Most of us drove.

301/302 is by far, a must see. The teaser I saw for it touted it as a comedy, which if viewed 3+ times it does become. Very dark, very fun.

Fat and Starch. Preferably together. Double cheese pizza with a side of breadsticks. A loaf of sourdough slathered with butter, or better yet, chicken fat. A hot tub of bubbly noodles with heavy cream and parmesan cheese waiting. And diva - I just made chicken & dumplings! Somehow I've never figured out how to adjust to serve 1 (ok, 2 counting the dog), so I (we) will be eating it for the next few days

DeltaDoc - I can only speak to the laws in Washington State. Here you must be 21 to purchase an alcoholic beverage, or to even sit in a cocktail lounge. Looking 36 or not, you MUST have proof of your age upon your person, and should present it when asked. The waiter, waitress or bartender who serves you without asking for your identification is tempting fate. In addition to the fine, we can loose our 'liquor card' (it's a permit that servers/bartenders must have) - effectively barring us from working in the restaurant/bar industry. And yes, all it would take is a liquor inspector having a bad day. So you were a bit petulant with the server, who was evidently not in a forgiving mood. And to those that say, 'write a letter' - what would you have deltadoc say? "I was being childish and your employee wouldn't chance a fine for himself and the restaurant, potential loss of the establishments liquor license and his having to find a new line of work"? Somehow I doubt it. Certainly, the waiter COULD have made this a more pleasant incident, however it's not his job to pamper uncooperative guests (and I'm sure his tip reflected his choice not to pamper deltadoc in this instance). And believe me, telling someone that you're sure they're OLD isn't going to get you anywhere either!

And yet more proof that everything is available on eBay. I eat asian food with chopsticks, and most everything else with a sole fork. Rarely do I use a knife or spoon, other than to measure or spread. I'm also one of those strange people who use their good china daily. What's the point of having it if you don't use it? (and ok, I will admit to having 'really good' china that I use only on holidays or special occasions).