DCP

Another decent beginner's introduction to Chartreuse, IMHO: 1.5 oz in ~8 oz ginger beer (something spicy, like Reed's Extra Ginger Brew), 3-4 dashes Angostura bitters on top. Quite sweet, but somehow complementary - adjust the amount of ginger beer to your taste. To the uninitiated we've foisted this on, yellow goes over very well as an introduction - but a good idea to try before green.

How fortunate! I was just looking at this thread with interest, thinking about how to explore local eats on our trip to Europe this summer. May I inquire what you charge for this service? (Feel free to PM if preferred.) I am also on the hunt for similar services near Paris/Versailles, Brussels, Milan/Rome, and perhaps others. So much of what I've found to date seems to be packaged tours from the US - not the personal guide for a day or two that we seek.

Coming a little late to the party, but had to throw in one of our favorites. First seen at Devil's Alley Bar & Grill in Philadelphia, recreated at home many times since. Half melted cambozola, half fig jam (split down the middle of the slice, lengthwise) and topped with a caramelized walnut half. Sublime.

Aah, cashew butter. I hadn't commented since the topic referenced peanut butter, but now that the ice has been broken, may I also weigh in on this divine condiment? It's perhaps a once-a-year purchase for me since it is used so quickly. Trader Joe's sells a blend of cashew and macadamia butter that lends itself to eating straight, much more so than standard PB. I keep wanting to use it in recipes, but it doesn't last that long. As far as the topic goes: creamy peanut butter only, and sadly, the all-natural kinds don't please my palate. (OJ, as pulpy as possible.) Edited to correct spelling

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Salad Greens kit. It's quite fast-growing. As far as growing your own seeds, you can disassemble the pods from an existing seed kit - not sure if that is more in your desired price range, but it's an option. There are some photos from a seed pod take-apart here. There's some commentary on that site about using liquid plant food/epsom salt as well, which I know nothing about personally. Finally, AeroGarden Reviews may help give you an idea of what works and what doesn't when using your own seeds. Best of luck, and please report back with your findings!

I am in the midst of overcoming a longtime blue cheese aversion (smell/taste), and must point out that this approach was unsuccessful for me over multiple attempts. In fact, just the opposite was what worked: First, a spread of butter with blue cheese - a nice salty tang, nothing objectionable. From there, a creamy champagne/pear salad dressing with Roquefort - wonderful complements of sweet, tangy, and rich/bitter. Finally, crumbled Gorgonzola in salads with fruits and nuts. So, to anyone else who has such a 'blue cheese problem' and is working on it, consider the alternative method.

I've seen this story confirmed as well as allegations that the scope of the reduction is even broader. Frankly, I think it panders to non-thinking consumers who associate 'China' with 'poison' and would boycott the chain over such items. With some additional quality control, there should be no risk for these products. Looks like I'll be having to find alternate sources for some of my staples (Edamame!) soon. Edited to correct spelling and wording.

They used to be a staple for me (when in season), but I've since weaned myself off - the temptation was too great. My SO, on the other hand, finds them flawless (save the mint flavor). She'd rather have them than much pricier and fancy chocolates, and IS a chocolate snob. Go figure.

Reporting in some weeks after the fact with a limoncello success - using, of course, the famed Loebcello recipe. (Mostly.) Started in early November, just before Meyer lemons were available at the grocery stores, and so contented myself with plain vanilla lemons. After a boiling water bath to de-wax and a bout under the microplane, they sat in 100-proof Stolichnaya to steep. They went just under a month before having 80-proof Stoli and simple syrup added. I did not age it before sweetening and bottling, which likely explains why we found the flavor harsh next to two varieties of commercial limoncello (Limoncé and Gioia Luisa). To get the flavor comparable to those without the bite, I had to dilute it down to 54.9 proof. Next time (and that next batch is already in-progress), we'll see about aging more properly. We went straight from mixing to bottling, at which point I realized the lemon juice (for cloudiness) should have been added before straining. The recipients didn't mind (all reported it was fantastic, as did our in-house taste test post-Christmas), but I would have liked it to be more 'pure' in appearance. Current experiments all in steeping phase: 1/3 batch of Meyer limoncello (seems about ready to strain after 2 weeks); 1 full batch of normal limoncello; and 2/3 batch of clementines - which, strangely enough, yield an identically-colored potion to the Meyers (which have been in perhaps 10 days longer). Thanks to all, particularly KatieLoeb, for suggestions and results. This will be a household and gift staple from here on out.

When in New York in August of 2007 for a brief vacation, we were at Todaro Bros. for their expensive-and-worth it deli sandwiches, piled high with gourmet salumi. However, they were also advertising Jamón Iberico - at the time, I wasn't aware it had come to the states. We picked up 1/4 lb. (at $40.00/lb.) and found it lacking. I'm assuming in retrospect, having read some of the useful tidbits above, that this was a lower grade.

Yep, cold pizza (as long as it's good), Chinese food, and chicken are frequently consumed cold here. However, fried rice just doesn't cut the mustard - it's too hard! (That is, if it lasts more than a day or so - before then, it's still soft enough to snarf cold.) And here I put up with accusations of being abnormal when such behavior was discovered. Leftover roasted vegetables also rarely survive refrigeration, and are great cold. On the rare, rare occasion I have macaroni and cheese (boxed only - forget homemade), I let it cool as long as I can stand before digging in. Leftovers, chilled, are even better. It's a creamy texture thing, as others have pointed out.

I haven't had the cookies, but the same distinctive styling is used on the tin containing Lazzaroni Amaretto - an infusion of said cookies in alcohol. It's one of the sweeter amarettos on the market, and while not as complex as Luxardo, still every bit as worthwhile over Disaronno Originale and the like.

An unequivocally outstanding blog on all accounts. Merci beaucoup!

Short-sleeve all the way - and by that, I mean a t-shirt. Two layers is far too much for the kitchen. Since it gets warm, I prefer to wear as little as possible. No more elaboration on this point, lest anyone become frightened/disturbed. Yes, spatters are painful on bare skin. Hasn't stopped me yet.

Please report back with your findings and opinion. They sometimes change suppliers, so it may not be the same delectable product from years past.

Stephanie, many thanks (do I detect an echo in here?) for the blog. I'm particularly appreciative of the numerous photos, and will admit to salivating occasionally at your well-documented efforts. As a former resident of California for nearly two decades, your home town is quite familiar to me - and yet, I saw little familiar in your view. Thank you for the new sights, new recipes, and nostalgia.

I tend to think of Honeycrisp and Pink Lady (to a lesser extend, Fuji and Gala) as apples for eating out of hand. Honeycrisp has amazing sweetness and crispness - I might substitute it for a McIntosh/Golden Delicious combination, but would otherwise think it too sweet/pricey/subtle for baking. Same for Pink Lady with that delightful subtle cinnamon flavor. Of course, I may be wrong - has anyone found that apples with subtle nuances bake well and retain their qualities?

When reading this thread, I was certain I'd quite recently seen a similar size/taste comparison. Sure enough! The Great Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Size/Taste Differential Experiment This quasi-scientific test illustrated that small versions of candy (at least the aforementioned peanut butter cups) had different coasting to filling ratios. Those testers found closer ratios to be preferable, but it's all a matter of taste and candy bar - as the original poster pointed out.

I can assure you that Tako Seafood is not closed. I ate there in mid-July and mid-September of this year (time to return soon, methinks). Say hello to James for me if you go.

Trader Joe's tends to carry Stollen seasonally. I've seen both a 'regular' and a marzipan-filled version, from different bakers. The 'marzipanstollen' is excellent. Not so fond of the Panettone...

Having a secure server (HTTPS / SSL) is really more of a case of perceived security than real security. It makes customers more comfortable, but the fact remains that data theft is extremely unlikely in-transit. It's far more likely that a server would be compromised, or that your card might be double-swiped in retail. I would not let lack of a secure connection impede making such a purchase except in rare circumstances. (i.e., public, unencrypted wi-fi in a coffee shop). Please, do go ahead and purchase! And after typing all that, I went to look at the site - the checkout process is secure, but in a frame, so you don't see "https://" in the URL. Yahoo!'s small business 'stores' service handles the information-collection process. That said, PB & Co.'s products are exceptional. I found them on the shelves of my local Giant and snapped them up. I thought them expensive at the time, but having checked the site, they weren't charging more than direct - just no shipping!

As with many of the others here, I, too, prefer my bananas underripe. I'll often buy them as green as possible, but they ripen so quickly! Once a speck of brown appears, they taste terrible - good only for banana bread and the like. I've also periodically suffered a fate that must be unique to us - premature peeling. I like them with multiple green streaks, where they're just a tad difficult to peel and 'snap' at the top. Sometimes that means a sticky, starchy, astringent banana. Oops.

Like the rest of you, I have periodically planned pilgrimages to Upper Darby for fine and exotic foodstuffs. However, I'm having a hell of a time figuring out when they're open. Take Pojangmacha (the little shack across from the H-Mart), for example. Victor Fiorillo found it shuttered most times, but ended up getting in on an unspecified weeknight. The City Paper says it's open Saturday and Sunday nights - not that I've seen. We went several months ago on a Sunday evening around 7:30 PM, and found it dark. Likewise, last weekend at 6:00 PM on a Saturday, nobody was home - but it looked like they had been. I tried calling one Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday multiple times, only actually reaching someone on Monday - and finding the language barrier a bit difficult. The clear statement "closed forever" did not seem to match the background noise and recent occupancy. Especially with the indication it may be closing at the end of the month, we'd really like to go - if it's not too late! So, in short, does anyone have a clue about Pojangmacha's real hours? Oh, and both times we've gone looking to eat at Pojangmacha, we've gone to Jung Sung as a backup - it has had 'closed' signs in the windows. Help!

I checked my pantry this evening, and clearly my recollection is not what it used to be: alongside the Reed's are a few bottles of Saranac Ginger Beer. It's not quite as spicy if my memory serves me (which it doesn't of late).

We are also big fans of Reed's Ginger Brew. It's the only drink of its kind I ever see for sale on a regular basis - in my case, at the local Trader Joe's. There was another ginger drink we spied recently at a beverage outlet in West Philly (think it was Brewers' Outlet at 46th and Spruce), but don't recall the name - just astonishment at the time that a random hole-in-the-wall would have such an interesting/unusual drink. Perhaps off-topic, but our favorite way to enjoy Reed's Ginger Brew is with a shot of yellow (or if you like things stronger, green) Chartreuse and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Pour over a tall glass of ice and enjoy the herbal party in your mouth.