Porthos

I shop, here in Southern California, at Ralphs as owned by Kroger. Where would I find Lavash? I know where to find pita (but try to get to Trader Joe's for that).

I have a thrift store "circuit" that I run once a week and another that I run every other Friday. Hitting garage sales is based upon having time. My main goal is finding interesting wooden bowls and platters to use for serving the mid-day feast to the Rennaisance Faire guild that I cook for. Everything else I find is just 'cause I got lucky. I found a Pampered Chef apple peeler/corer for $1.50. I've even found hotel pans at Salvation Army thrift stores. I added a Corning French White lazagna pan to our French White collection for $6.00. I found a practically new 1 1/2 gallon (yup - 1 1/2 gallon) oversize stainless steel tea kettle for $3.00. I boil a lot of water when doing my Faire cooking so I also spent $6.00 for an enameled steel 2 gallon coffee pot that looked new. Pewter mugs or pewter-looking aluminum mugs are something else I look for - again for Faire. While not quite the same I also am an ebay "addict." Last year when I decided (thanks to an excelent article here) to learn to sharpen my own knives, I bought 5 old knives to practice on. Using these old knives meant that if I didn't get it right I wasn't really out much. I put a new edge on the F.Dick 10" chef's knife and feel pretty good about that. I don't use it a lot though since it feels blade-heavy in my hand and I have a 10" chef's knife that I've had for 20 odd years and still love. My ebay purchases are not really for my home kitchen so much as they are for my Faire cooking, but then I end up using some of my Faire stuff at home, mostly my stock pots that range from 8 to 20 quarts. I am, however, still a "thrift store" bargain hunter on ebay. I figure what I think something is worth to me and place my maximum bid. If someone else thinks it's worth more, they get it. I got really carried away when I first discovered ebay, so I made a commitment to my wife to limit my ebay kitchen purchases to $25.00/mo. She then got into looking for hammered aluminum on ebay and found out herself how quickly you could spend the $$$. I just thought of something minor that was on my list for the last couple of weeks. The housekeeping cabin that we rent for a week early each summer has a lousy selection (like almost none) of serving bowls. Last year I acquired 2 melamine bowls (cheap, light, easy to pack) and when we got back this year my wife and I decided that we needed more. My best find was a teal green bowl that was all of 75 cents or so I thought. This particular thrift store was having a 1/2 off sale and it applied to the bowl. 37 cents! That's so much fun for me.

I experienced this same specific problem at a nicer Chinese restaurant near Disneyland several years ago. The comparative level of service, coupled with an unmistakable "not glad your here" attitude from my server when at my table made for a poor dining experience. This is the only restaurant that this has ever happened to me at. With so many choices around here I simply never went back. It is very possible that I ended up with a rogue staff member who didn't embrace the hospitality that the management wanted to extend. I don't remember the name anymore - sorry - but it wasn't Ma's. I myself am partail to Sam Woo's in Irvine. As well as being a long-time annual pass holder to Disneyland I work in Anaheim about 1 1/2 miles down the road from the Park and my father-in-law has lived in Anaheim for almost 50 years. All of this means that I have dined at a considerable number of local restaurants over the years and can only point to the one experience above for what I percieved as not being made welcome in any restaurant because I am western European. This covers German, Italian, Greek, Russian, Hungarian, Indian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.. My guess, Henry, is that what mcohen experienced was atypical, a sad dining experience to be sure, but not at all representive of the true core values of the restaurant but I for one know that it can happen. As to never having gone back, maybe I should reconsider some time. First thing I would have to do, though, is see if they are even still in business. A lot of restaurants have come and gone in the last 25 years.

Personal Update: My wife, daughter and I went to one of our "go to" choices in Disneyland this last Saturday, the Carnation Cafe. I decided to have the "seasonal" Beef Stroganoff Pot Pie. I will probably never order it again. It was under-salted and a bowl covered by pastry makes it hard to salt the contents. The sauce was also thinner than the description "a sour cream demi glace" would have led me to believe. Once I got some salt into it it was ok but nothing close to what I was expecting. Oh well... I think this kind of goes to the same uneven quality issue I raised for The French Market. Oh for the chance to eat at Club 33 just once. Still, Our Napa Rose dinner in September is coming.

Did you and Ling have any good meals while at Disneyland? If so, where did you eat and what did you have.

The only wrap I buy is from KFC. I buy the roasted chicken variety when I buy it and I actually do like it. The tort or whatever is not great but the fillings are tasty. But I buy the wrap for one specific reason. I spend way to much of my life behind the wheel getting from point a to point b and still need to get to point c before getting to point h (home). I prefer burritos when I can get them, but sometimes want a break, and I choose both of these food options because they allow me to eat while driving (and yes I am VERY careful about not being a distracted driver). I created a life for myself that I can't seem to extricate myself from at the moment and so when I am not able to be home to eat with my family I go for food that won't add to the time I am already away. The flip side: I tried the wraps from Costco a couple of times and they are for me the definition of why Fat Guy probably started this thread. My guess, however, for the poor quality of American wraps in general is our national obsession, in day -to-day eating, with what something costs over what it tastes like. The advertising media do an incredible job of convincing us that the "Super-Mega-Burger with our special sauce" is gastonomic heaven for only $4.99 and since it's in print on on TV it must be true, hence this taste must be a good taste. Just my perspective...

I SO agree. I have to jump in here without reading the cited articles because I've heard of other such studies in years past. I'm in twelve-step recovery. I have a brother still on drugs in his late 50s. I have another brother who is addicted to food. My wife comes from a family with substance abuse issues. My father never got into recovery for his addictive issues. Why am I talking about the addictive history my children have been brought up around? Because the balance is that we raised them with a moral compass, we did eat dinner together, and we talked with them about the substance abuse problems in our families when they were old enough to comprehend. That way they had some clue that we weren't Ozzie and Harriet and the kids. We ate dinner together as a family unless there was a real reason not to be there until my older daughter moved out (she's almost 26) and my younger daughter (20) decided not to be home for dinner at all most days. My older daughter comes over for dinner and to do laundry on Tuesdays and when she does we still eat our meal together. Even her sister. My and my wife's concern for them developing addictions of their own is very real. But that concern in not based upon family bonding at meal-time or the lack therof, but the very real effects of having multiple addictions in the family tree. What I'm sounding off about here is that I think there are far too many factors and dynamics of family life to let whether or not a family eats together or not be a major source of worry for parents. My opinion - strongly held - but still just my opinion. edited to add this comment: When she was about 16 myounger daughter told me we were a weird family because we ate dinner together.

I don't know how far outside of Southern California Del Taco extends but right how they have me hooked on a new offering. A breafast burrito with eggs, cheese, and in place of bacon/sausage/ham they're filling it with savory shredded beef. Not that I like it or something but it's been my breakfast all 4 mornings this week and I usually avoid repetition big-time. In the McD camp I prefer the bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. Funny but nobody seems to have mentioned their burrito-like offering stuffed with sausage pellets...this is a guilty pleasure for me once in a while. The Wienerschnizel near my home has taken "fast" out of fast food breakfasts. They keep nothing ready. You want a breakfast burrito with bacon (you might notice a trend here towards wrapped foods ) they have to fry up bacon fresh, then scramble the eggs, etc. Since they are habitually uderstaffed there in the morning it can sometimes take upwards of 15 minutes (yes - I'm serious) to get my "fast"-food breakfast. While fresh has it's advantages in the morning I'm trying to save every minute I can and so I no longer get breakfast there. By way of perspective I spend an hour and a half each way commuting and don't need anything to add to the time I'm behind the wheel. Someone mentioned the Breakfast Jack. There is something about the ham product they use that turns me off. Jack in the Box's new biscuit sandwiches are pretty tasty, though. A bit messy to try and eat while you're driving, though. Hence that leaning toward wrapped food I admitted to.

A few months ago, Carl's Jr. featured a keilbasa breakfast sandwich that was surprisingly quite good. It was almost like homemade. It was about a fourth of a sausage, split in half and then grilled/fried. I was sorry to see it dropped off the menu. They also seem to be the only ones still offering a "breakfast bowl" (deconstructed breakfast sandwich...without the bread) for the pro-Atkins crowd. ← I got hooked on the keilbasa sandwich and was VERY displeased that it was only temporary. I drive through somewhere every morning on my commute and that sandwich had me favoring Carl's Jr instead of my usual "let's break up the routine".

Yes, I am going after the Irish take on it. The feel of the Faire is supposed to be Elizabethen England circa 1590 more or less. We actually have a separate guild that represents the Irish. A side note on Jewish-style delis. When I married my sweet wife some 29 years ago there was a truly great deli in Anaheim, CA called Lindel's on Lincoln. They had garlic-cured pickles that were to die for. They've been out of business for over 20 years and my wife and I still mourn it's passing.

Within the cooking I do for my Rennaisance Faire guild I have a loyal following for my corned beef. I don't do anything extra special. I buy up pre-packaged corned beef when it is on sale and put in in the ol' deep freezer. When I make a batch I cook 3 packages of meat the following way: the thawed meat is put on a rack so that is is barely in contact with the 3 cans of Guiness Stout and a bit of water I use for the cooking liquid. I put in the spice packets that comes with the meat, put the lid on and then slow-cook it (just enough heat to generate steam) overnight. I transport it to the faire site and then cut it up into approx 1 1/2 inch chunks, put it in a foil-covered pan and reheat it and then it is served by a server carrying around a bowl of it and offering it to the already-dining guild members (we serve several things this way each day). I have had a few of my friends there tell me that they don't like corned beef but they like mine. Since I'm not doing anything that special I've wondered what is different. Here is the potentail ah-ha moment. I was trimming fat and gristle off of the BBQ tri-tip meat that was part of my lunch and I realized that when I cut up the corned beef I trim off the fat. I just don't handle the texture of cooked animal fat and trim it off my ham, beef, whatever and so after cooking I trim it off. Do any of you think removing the fat is the difference? Or should I continure to ponder (but not too seriously) what makes this method agreeable to my friends (some of whom jokingly bow to me for making the corned beef)? - - - - - - My apologies to the Texas section of this forum for starting this thread in the wrong area. Porthos.

Perspective: I am just a home cook that also does some volunteer large group cooking (50-60 people) connected with Rennaisance Pleasure Faires. But I have been doing the home cooking and entertaining things for about 40 years. Santoku knives, of which I own 1 for my home kitchen and 2 that travel with me, are NOT general-purpose knives. I was rudely reminded of this last year when I mistakenly grabbed my Santoku instead of my Chef's knife and proceeded to damage the blade on some chicken bone. Good thing I was in the process of learning how to sharpen and re-sharpen knives at the time. They do a nice job on veggie prep but that is all I use them for. You have listed several reputable brands of knives you willing to look at. My advise is always the same. You have to go to the store and handle the knives. Picking among quality brands lets you focus on how the knife feels in your hand which, IMHO, is the most important factor given that you are comparing comparable quality knives. I have been told (but have no personal experience) that this is how new culinary students pick their knives when starting culinary school. In my home I still reach for my 10" Chicago Cutlery (yes I know it's not a top brand) chef's knife ahead of my Henckels or F.Dick knives simply because the balance and feel of the knife is better than these others that I have added along the way. I've had this particular knife for over 2 decades and it's still going strong. Side note: Since my wife, daughter and I sometimes are all in the kitchen cooking at once we have many similar knives available. edited to fix silly typos. Porthos

Wine by the glass is something I rarely order. I've been spoiled over the last 3 decades by a father-in-law who serves good wines. He brought late 80s and early 90s Cabs and Zins to the lake on our vacation. Who can quible with that when spending a week in a housekeeping cabin in the eastern Sierras. By the way, I finally figured out I might be more of a food snob than I realized. I bring my own knives, pots and pans with me. The kitchen is stocked with Wal-Mart clearance-level junk. I actually don't order wine by the bottle too often at the mid-level local places I enjoy since they generally seem to think that around 500 whites and 5 reds make a good selection. I am more than partial to Zinfandel and find that less than 50% of the places I do eat even have real Zinfandel. It's surprizing how many servers don't know that back in the day Zinfandel only meant red wine. I'd rather pay corkage and drink something I know I will like.

Civilian comment: I have good friends who split entrees as a matter of course. They do order individual salads and such and have no problem when there is a second-plate fee. Why do they split entrees? She had gastric bypass surgery and can't begin to finish even a "normal" portion and her husband is rather diminutive (he says he's 5' 2" on a bad hair day). So they are not trying to be cheap. Taking home left-overs isn't an option many times because they are traveling and have no way to re-heat the excess food. As far as I know they tip well, and they generally order drinks. So they are not being cheap, they are ordering what they can reasonably eat. I have a grown daughter who orders off the appeitizer or kid's menu sometimes because there isn't an item on the regular menu small enough for how she eats. Me, I will probably never be splitting a plate 'cause I love food way to much...

If my mother were internet savvy I couldn't post this... My mother continues to cook with the depression-era mantra that if you cook it to death the germs will die. What she does to Brocoli is shameful. I eat a couple of stalks out of courtesy and wash the taste out of my mouth with some beer. The worst however is what I refer to as Green Slime. Green jello mixed with cool whip with canned fruit cocktail stirred in. I just got another cavity typing this in. My wife and I rarely let her cook for us anymore. We mostly take her out to eat or bring a meal with us. Since she is all but housebound taking her out solves 2 things at once. We don't have to eat her thrice-overcooked veggies and she get to see some part of the world other than the block she lives on. So far as the scale of skill that started this thread I too think pastry should be a separate category. My baking skills are comparable to my mother's veggie cooking skills but I can handle entrees and side dishes from experience without the need for recipes. I do use some recipes for things that are not in my week-in/week-out cooking style. I am going to be making some French Onion soup on vacation using home-made beef stock. For this soup I always go back to Julia Child's recipe in (can't remember if it's the first or second) Julia Child and Company. I can't keep the preportions straight in my head so even though I have made it several times I will use the book. We're doing a Santa Maria-style Barbercue on vacation also. I will use a recipe for the beans that is a generations-old recipe from a family that lives near Santa Maria ( I lived there in the mid-70s and fell in love with that local favorite.)

Chef Carey, Thanks so much for continuing to write about your culinary journey. I continue to enjoy your style, your story and your insights. I can't imagine doing a "command performance" for a drug dealer. Glad you were on his good side. I look forward to your next installment. I should be able to read it and respond in a more timely fashion next time out. A combination of OT at my real job and cooking at the So Cal Renaissance Pleasure Faire for seven weekends running barely left me with time to sleep. Probably nothing compared to starting up your first restaurant, though.

How about: You'd already sogged up a whole plate of potato chips, but the management didn't mind, because you were a regular customer.

I found an listing for The New Christy Minstrels but no date.

I think #2 is "Today" perfromed by John Denver. I'm shaky on the title but it was on his live album from the universal ampitheater in the mid-70s.

You're close. The song may have picked up that as a second title but was not the original title. (Hint: this song was released back in '67 by a female singer) ← Ode to Billie Joe, Bobbie Gentry ← Bingo!

You're close. The song may have picked up that as a second title but was not the original title. (Hint: this song was released back in '67 by a female singer)

Yes, it's Nancy Sinatra but Strawberry Wine is not the title (but you're close)

Getting close with strawberry wine but not quite there.

Ray Stevens "The Streak"