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BekkiM

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Everything posted by BekkiM

  1. The more I read this thread, the more I discover how incredibly neurotic I apparently am! It gives me the absolute heebie-jeebies to cut waffles "against the grain"--you HAVE to cut along the lines. And french toast has to be cut in lines parallel/perpendicular to the sides of the bread; no willy-nilly chopping off pieces here and there as you go. That's just plain wrong. And then there's the eating things in odd numbers--candy tastes better eaten in 3's (1 is too few, 5 is too many, 2 is too balanced, 4 is overkill). I do microwave ice cream cartons because ice cream tastes better slightly melty. Really good ice cream I'll deliberately spoon around the edges in my bowl to get a combination of the still-frozen stuff and the cream that's melted off. (You can't, by the way, just wait until it all melts; that's just crazy talk.) And I've passed on this genenic mess as well: My son won't eat any foods that have a "skin" on them, for example, cream of chicken soup that's cooled just slightly. And no crusts, no skin on apples--pretty much he hates chewy things. That does drive me nuts, since the edges of a tortilla are pretty much the same as the centers of a tortilla, but he insists they're a "crust" and won't eat them. I eat a lot of pickings off his plate...
  2. I got something similar in Hanoi a few years ago when, due to scheduling complications, I arrived a day earlier than my husband and son. Said husband arranged for a private guide who took me shopping (in one "official" market where various vendors had permanent stands and at one "unofficial" farmers' market where people just showed up in an alley), then took me to her home for a private cooking lesson. It was an amazing experience and one I'd love to repeat if the opportunity ever presented itself. In fact, I still carry her card around in my wallet "just in case" This was through the Indochina Travel Company (www.indochinatravel.com) and the guide's name as Diep Le To.
  3. But in the commercials, the pillows expand right back up again--how come the scones won't? Besides, think how much valuable freeze space you're saving! I'm still giggling at the mental picture of those compressed scones...
  4. After crinkling open the packet and taking out the black ones. And tossing the two on each side that might have touched. There's just something transferrable about that dusty powder that conveys the licorice taste to its neighbors. And I LOVE fennel and basil and anise stars in stuff---just no black lickrish. ← I'll eat your black Necco wafers! (You can have the brown ones) ETA: I'm game for an Easter candy exchange!
  5. OMG!! I about fell on the flour laughing when I read this. Apparently there are two of us in the world who do this! I don't know what it is either. And only with the plain M&M's, not the peanut. I don't know where along the way I decided that eating a single M&M was too small a serving and that two at a time was much better, but I've been doing it for years. My solution to the errant extra colors that don't fit in the 2x2 category ... lump them together at the end and just throw them in all at once. Perhaps we should form a 12 step group to overcome this. ← Good Lord, I didn't know this was classified as nuts But, I just realized I do the same thing with Skittles....except it has to be two different colors UNLESS it's the purple ones. The purple ones go in two at a time I'm not going to sleep tonight worrying about this....... ← And Good-n-Plenties... Must eat them two at a time, never mixing the pink and the white... And Smarties (the American kind--I think the Brits have a completely different idea of what these are)... I open a package, arrange them in groups by color, then in a "pyramid" from most to least, throw away the orange ones (which taste like baby aspirin), and eat the color with the largest quantity first, working my way through to the color with only one representative... Unlike May, I'm pretty sure I need help. On the other hand, Necco wafers can only be eaten one at a time.
  6. My father-in-law refused to eat anything even remotely associated with spinach--including green tortelini, which, on one memorable occasion, he methodically picked out of a pasta salad I had painstakingly prepared in a sailboat galley and he chucked each and every one overboard, claiming he could "taste the spinach"... And I was going to say that I didn't have any food neuroses (other than the waffle/butter thing, but that's not really a neurosis, that's just common sense ), but then I remembered that I refuse to eat duck sauce in any form as I once opened a jar, dipped a bunch of fried wantons in the sauce, ate them, and THEN found the large, dead spider that had been cooked into the sauce. I am convinced that that spider contaminated all duck sauce, for all time, anywhere in the world and cannot bring myself to eat it.
  7. BekkiM

    All things Pork/Ham

    For the ribs, slather them with a dry rub, wrap in aluminum foil, and cook SLOWLY in the oven for a long, long time. Mmmmmm... Pooooorrrrrrkkkkk... (Where's that drooling smilie when you need it?)
  8. You raise a great point... When we had to replace our dishwasher a couple of years before we were able to launch our ambitious kitchen remodel, we selected a model that accepts a custom panel and used a temporary one made out of a piece of plain old mdf that we had spray-painted glossy white at a body shop. Looked great and when we were ready to remodel, we just threw away the mdf and inserted the custom panel. Unfortunately, I can't speak to specific brands except to say that our original kitchen had GE Profile appliances (wall ovens, 4-burner gas cooktop, and dishwasher) and I hated all of them. The wall ovens were a disaster--the latch broke under warranty and STILL couldn't be fixed, so I never was able to use the self-cleaning options and the ovens never heated evenly. Only 2 burners on the cooktop ever worked reliably; the others had to be manually lit and the indoor grill feature never got above lukewarm because the automatic down-draft vent sucked all the flame and heat away from the food. The dishwasher was the best of a bad lot until it started leaking black greasy goo onto the dishes at about 6 years old. Good luck, though!
  9. Nope, not me. I did have coffee, which was excellent. What makes one cup of coffee that much better than another, I wonder? Obviously not allowing it to boil away to burnt goo helps and starting with good, fresh beans, but after that? Guess I'll go look in the "Drinks" forum and see if anyone there knows...
  10. Unfortunately, no, I did not get to taste this one. Reports were that it was excellent, but that's all I know. (And clearly, given the recent photo shoot just posted, I need to work on my camera skills!)
  11. BekkiM

    Faucets

    I'm considering this one by Danze. Danze Anu It's inexpensive but doesn that mean it is cheap? I've found it at another web site for $183. ← If you have a Great Indoors anywhere in your area, that's one place I know that carries the Danze line. It may just have been that I was looking at the floor models, but they hadn't held up all that well and I ended up not being that impressed with them. I like the look of the pulldown sprayers better than the counter-mounted ones, plus I think the counter-mounted ones don't have enough oomph. To satisfy my husbands need for pure dishwashing power, we ended up with the lowest-end KWC model, which has a separate sprayer that functions a lot like a pulldown. Of course, having a 3-foot-tall faucet in your kitchen definitely makes a statement about the importance of dishwashing in your life, but it was a statement we were willing to make.
  12. If I see something pictured where the recipe isn't referenced, I usually start a recipe search (in epicurious, other online recipe sources, my own cookbooks, etc.) for the ingredient and the cooking method (if I can guess at it from the picture), e.g. roasted brussel sprouts, sauteed spinach, etc. One thing I'd add to the eCGI course is that if I'm planning a big menu (like for a dinner party), I also take into account the cooking method, especially looking for items that don't need to be cooked a la minute so that I'm not tied to the stove mid-dinner party. So roasted vegetables are great, sauteed spinach, not so much. Every time I've ignored that personal rule, I've regretted it, as I'm usually so busy that, as the evening wears on, I start to skip things I'd planned to serve so as not to have to leave my guests. You also need to figure out your plating plan (and personal style), again working out how you're going to be able to plate course #3 when you've already been drinking with your friends through apps and courses #1 and #2. Some people are capable of fabulous plating under these circumstances, but I'm not one of them. This kind of coordination is less of an issue for everyday things, but you still want to make sure you can bring all three items (in the traditional American meal: meat, starch, veg) together at relatively the same time. So I tend to leave fussy preparations out of my repetoire altogether.
  13. This might not be the most glamorous or gourmet advice, but I often limit my search for recipes on epicurious (and other sites) to ones with pictures, since there is often a side or two included in the picture even if there aren't suggestions in the actual recipe text. Many cooking magazines also include a page near the front that offer suggestions for combining recipes in the current issue in addition to suggestions they might make in the intro notes to the recipe itself. Fine Cooking is one, I know, and Cooking Light (which is, to be honest, not one of my favorites) almost always has (had?) a section on everyday meals that includes sides. I also read restaurant menus (lots of places post theirs online these days), particularly if I'm cooking something I've never cooked before, to see what a professional would pair with a particular meat or fish. Some combinations are "classic" (meat and potatoes, for example), so if I'm preparing a main dish that has an obvious accompanyment, I might look for recipes to play with the traditional side. Instead of baked potatoes, I might roast fingerlings or make gnocchi (like with something braised, especially in tomato). Might give some people hives, to mix metaphors like that, but it keeps me thinking about my food. ETA: These comments are geared primarily toward everyday menu planning for the home cook since they're very high-level (and since it's what I'm most familiar with)
  14. Add me to the list of people who only ordered the Filet-o-Fish when we were "treated" to McDonalds when I was a child (I think it was because of my very un-American dislike of ground beef). I never scrape off the tartar sauce, but you definitely have to lift the bun and spread the glob around to get even coverage. When I was pregnant with my son, the Micky-D's fish sandwich was my one big craving--I probably ate 2-3 a week (and, consequently, gained more weight than my doctor thought was good for me). I haven't had one in years, mostly because we very rarely eat fast food, but I still consider it my "go-to" item if I'm stuck in an airport or on a long freeway drive. I tried Burger King's version once (once!) and it was nasty--you have to do the real thing or have nothing at all, imho. Thanks for the history!
  15. Um, if there was Jamon Iberico appearing on a vegetarian dish, then we've got a problem here. To be sure, are we talking about the cured ham from Spain? If so, how does this compute? ← I actually asked about this and the response was that the second menu is not "vegetarian" (nor is it billed as such), rather that it is a tasting menu that features vegetables. The "jamon iberico" is, indeed, a lovely, acorn-fed ham.
  16. As let downs go, this wasn't nearly as traumatic as breaking up with my first boy friend, so I think I'll survive. According to our waiter, one of the chefs had a Korean grandmother who used to make "4-day flan" for him which is what gave him the inspiration. Reports from our table were that it was quite tasty. And I realized I forgot to mention the butter tasting--we also had a choice of two, one from Petaluma (which we dubbed "happy butter" as it comes, according to the commercials, from "happy cows") and one from Vermont (which, just to contrast, we dubbed "bitter butter"), both with fleur de sel. I think I preferred the Vermont butter, but maybe just to be true to my roots (I was raised there).
  17. My husband took me to the French Laundry for lunch last Friday (dinner reservations being a bit too difficult to get, we settled for the riff-raff hour ) as a combination Christmas and Valentines Day present (this year, next year, and the one following given the amount we spent!). I almost (almost) wish I hadn't read this thread before we went as I'm trying to figure out if it predjudiced me against my meal or if I would have felt the same vague sense of "letdown" no matter what intro I had (in much the same way that I felt sort of sad Christmas afternoon when I my dreams of the morning were supplanted with the reality of my gifts--great gifts, but how could they possibly compare to the hyper-imagained joys of the night before?). Don't get me wrong, I loved the meal and am glad that I was able to experience it, but for the amount we spent, I could have gone to Frasca in Boulder, CO three times over and probably therefore enjoyed myself three times as much. Hard to say... Anyway, one of our dining companions brought her iPhone (note to self: when we have budget for presents again, ask for an iPhone) and we got pictures of quite a few of the courses that I thought I'd share. We didn't take pictures from the very beginning, so I missed the caviar with with cauliflower panna cotta, but as soon as the salt was presented with my fois gras, I knew I needed pictures: Fois gras with persimmon cake (the darker blob on the right), a persimmon "salsa", and a black truffle sauce. Seared kahala with passion fruit. Acorn flan with mushrooms and a mushroom broth (part of the vegetables tasting menu) Vanilla-butter poached lobster tail with spinach "croquette" (basically a fantastically flavored ball of spinach and sesame). Seared duck breast (and I can't for the life of me remember what it was served with except that I know it was excellent) The cubes in this picture are a 4-day Korean flan, something my dining companion, Korean herself, had never heard of. It was servced with jamon iberico. I didn't get to taste this--it was part of the vegetables menu. The lamb--again I can't remember what it was served with (there had been a lot of wine and I forgot to ask for a menu), but it was excellent. My cheese course, a chevre of some kind that was very, very tasty. My desert, a chocolate something with chestnut something to the left and an ice cream with wheat bread crumbs to the right. In the spirit of disclosure, I should say that I don't care much for desserts in the first place and, by the time this came, I was definitely too full to appreciate it. But this was not the most successful dish of the evening. I gave the chocolate to my husband (who has never met a dessert he didn't like), but the texture of the crumbs in the ice cream was not appealing to any of us. I should have thought ahead and asked for an extra savory course instead. The camera-owner's dessert: Chocolate with mandarine orage sorbet and slices. My husband's dessert: Crepes with buttermilk ice cream. More to my liking, as it wasn't as cloyingly sweet as my dessert. After all this, they came around with mini-creme brulees, some sort of almond paste cookie, chocolate truffles, marzipan sweets, and Turkish delight (the last three served in a pretty silver container), and an offering of various filled chocolates, all lovely to look at. And then they sent each of us home with a bag of shortbread cookies, just in case we were still hungry. Oh, and I forgot the three different "bread courses" that accompanied the meal. We found the service attentive and unremarkable (that is, there was certainly nothing bad about it and the pacing of the meal was steady, but not pushy), except I found it amusing to watch them coordinate lowering and raising pairs of plates--two staff would look at each other over our heads, nod almost imperceptably, and lift a plate simultaneously. If only one staff was available, he/she would wait to remove an empty plate until someone else was freed up. Honestly, it seemed a bit twee to me, but maybe I'm just not used to the finer things in life... The sommalier's wine choices (we started with a sparkling rose, moved on to a French white, then finished with an Italian red) were lovely--in fact, while I can't remember the name of the white, it might have been the best bottle of wine I've ever had. It was definitely a meal to remember and I'm very, very glad I was lucky enough to be able to do it, but the experience may have been enough to last me for a lifetime.
  18. A few years ago, I was one of the adults sitting at that table, only it was only one child, aged 2 1/2, who abandoned the movie after about 15 minutes to go running through the restaraunt, watched happily by his doting parents who thought his antics were "charming" (I'm sure the other patrons didn't think so, nor did the waitstaff who were endangered while caring large trays of hot food). Meanwhile, the DVD was allowed to continue blaring at full volume even though noone was watching it (a nasty habit I don't allow in my home, much less in public) until I reached over and pointedly turned it off. Much as I love the friends we were with, I don't go out to dinner with them any more.
  19. I am definitely scared to use it, plus it seems sacreligous to sully its pristine beauty by slicing up a frozen pizza on it. Right now the plan is to buy some great cheese and salame and have an inaugural wine party with a few close friends. Coming to Denver any time soon?
  20. I decided to try out my husband's new deep fryer (I very helpfully bought him one for Christmas) AND my mandolin (two new kitchen toys at the same time, what fun) and made spicy sweet potato chips with honey-blue cheese dip. I had seen something like it on Tyler's Ultimate (which I was only watching b/c I was at the gym, I swear) and wanted to try it for myself. The sweet potatoes were sliced ~1/16-inch thick and fried at about 340-360 for 5 minutes, then dusted with sea salt and a mixture of hot pimenton and Penzey's hot chili powder blend. They were awesome--and I can't wait for another excuse to make them! Here's a picture: PS: That cake looks excellent--and I don't even really like chocolate.
  21. Ask and ye shall receive... Here's a detail shot of the end grain pattern I was talking about: And here's the full board, in all its glory:
  22. My 14x18 walnut cutting board arrived yesterday from Dave (TheBoardSmith)--it is phenomenal. I can't even put it away it the cupboard, because I have an irresitable compulsion to fondle it every time I walk by. The way he matched/pattered the end grain of the walnut is stunning and the heft of the board is something to behold. (Not only that, but he's truly "good people" as my in-laws from Kansas say.) I am in love with my walnut cutting board and can't thank eGullet enough for bringing us together...
  23. Denver (the B terminal, where anyone who flies United with any regularity must become especially familiar with) has a Wolfgang Pucks up on the 2nd floor, which anywhere else would be ho-hum, but, other than an outstandingly bad layout, serves pretty decent pizzas when you're stuck in the airport. There's also a Ben & Jerry's up there to satisfy your sweet tooth. Also, in the main terminal, Por La France (or whatever it's called) is unremarkable in food, but a fairly nice place to sit, with its view of the fountain and people looking for security (okay, hard to describe, but actually relatively scenic in its own way). Strangely enough, since United is a Starbucks customer, it's virtually impossible to find a Starbucks in the B concourse, but saavy fliers know that there is one hidden away at the far end of the terminal where the regional flights take off. If you're addicted and can't stand airport coffee, it's worth seeking out.
  24. Braising... How can cooking in a 300F oven cook something "gently" if water boils at 212F? If I put my roast on the stove-top and boiled the hell out of it for 3-4 hours, I don't think I'd have a tender pot roast, but I'm told to put my seared meat with it's braising liquid in the oven at 300 for 3-4 hours. When I sneak a peak under the lid, it certainly looks like it's boiling away, so what gives? (Now that I have my new stove, this isn't such a huge deal, since I can simmer it on the stovetop just as easily, but still, enquiring minds want to know.)
  25. We just redid our kitchen and chose the Blanco Precision 1-3/4 bowl; one side is 17x18 and the other is 13x18, both are 10 inches deep. I'm really, really enjoying it. Since we didn't have space (well, we did, but I didn't want to) for a second prep sink in the island, I wanted the double sink so that one side could hold dirty dishes as I was cooking and the other side would be free for washing veggies, hands, etc. For me, a single bowl would never work. But I think single vs. double is a matter of preference. The nice thing about the single sink is you can be sure that even your largest pans will fit down into it; my half-sheet pans don't quite fit in the larger bowl. However, with the 10" depth (plus the 1 1/4" for the counter), almost everything nestles below your line of site, so dirty dishes aren't as visible when people show up. The other consideration with a sink that deep, though, is that with the Evolution Excel InSinkErator garbage disposal mounted on the bottom, a large beast in its own right, there isn't much under the sink space. I definitely don't have much clearance under there for storing cleaning supplies; everything is stored in a separate utility closet, except for the dishwasher soap, which is wedged into the one clear area in the front.
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