mollybloom1109

Just an FYI, In Anchorage, AK the Hogg Brothers Cafe (formerly 7 tables located in the back of a bar but now moved into a much more upscale bankrupt former Western Sizzlin' Building) serves a dish called the Trough--Hash browns, sausage, biscuits, bacon and eggs smothered in gravy---served in a metal loaf pan.

The last restaurant I worked in was an Italian Family Place, a little upscale for the area (it is Tennessee, ya'll). Every week, like clockwork we had a family that came in and let their 4 yr old eat all the shredded Parmesan cheese out of the little container on the table...eating it with the little serving fork provided...I once did a little manager visit to that table and the mother said that her daughter looked forward to visiting our restaurant just for that reason....bad behavior just starts early I guess....

Okra, cornmeal fried in bacon fat!!!!!

An aged Manchego (6-12 months) is always a sure winner. Paired with fresh figs (very winter like fruit) and a smear of honey or quince paste. Most people don't realize how good cheese is until given the opportunity to savor as a course unto its self. Good Luck. I am a Catering Director and this cheese never fails to get raves. I will now return to what we in catering know as hell on a stick but is more commonly called December...

Winter is perfect for a small cheese course...roaring 40's blue, robiola perhaps or brillat savarin and a nice English cheddar...easy to plate and transport, a lot of perceived value and sure to impress.

About a month ago I took a catering director position, the pay is great, working conditions pretty good, all things considered...here is the caveat... I have inherited a staff, my two banquet captains being mother and daughter. They seem to try and undermine even the littlest thing I do, even to the point of removing garnishes I have placed, ect. They LOVE their former boss, who was promoted and is now my boss and they run to her over EVERY LITTLE THING...it drives me crazy. I was told as captains that they write the server schedule...and they we happy to do so, giving themselves hours and overtime while letting other people eek by on 20 hrs a week. The dictate from on high came (from even higher management than their former boss) that there was to be no overtime. I emailed back asking how to curb their OT if they write their own schedule....well this was news to the powers that be and I was assigned the schedule. No problem, but when I informed one of the banquet captains, she practically threw a pencil at me. One of them is a hard worker and well organized and deserves her title. On the flip side, she is rude to me, to the point of not even replying when I say "good morning". The other is LAZY, not as rude but comes to work looking like hell, and probably smokes a pack of cigarettes during an 8 hr shift (I smoke but she is out of control). So should I sit them down and have the proverbial "Come to Jesus" and lay down the law? I am tasked with writing job descriptions for them here in the next week or so. Have I just been blessed in the past with wonderful staffs? Anyone have any ideas? HELP!

Munchos abound here in Nashville and since FG's original post and much to my thighs dismay I have lost my battle against them many a time. One of my favorites is to get a little Mo burger from Fat Mo's and stuff it full of Munchos....pure heaven, country style.

Hi, Don't know if you are still on a tight food budget. I read about this in our local paper but hear that the program is nation wide and even in Canada. There are no income restrictions. You can view the site at http://www.angelfoodministries.com From their site: Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 32 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order. Blessings by the box Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $25 per unit ($30 in California and New Mexico, due to transportation costs). Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $50. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78. Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month. The food is all the same high quality one would purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe. Also offered are specialty boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreciate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus foods an individual can purchase, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries, like most all other retail grocery stores, also participates in the U.S. Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system. How the Program works Food sales and distribution are handled by church host sites. Orders and payments are collected by the host sites during the first part of each month. These orders are then turned in to the Angel Food main office in Monroe, Georgia, on a predetermined date. Several days later, in the same month, the host site either picks up the food from Angel Food's 160,000 square feet warehouse to fill the orders on Distribution Day or, because this ministry is growing nationwide, food is delivered to the host site by a pre-arranged delivery mode. In most cases, as long as there is a truck headed in the direction of a community who wants this program and sees its ministry influence, there are no extra transportation costs.

As a FOH & BOH Person, the one thing I can recommend is Z Coil shoes but you MUST have them fitted at a store to get the right coil strength. Not exactly pretty but worth it. http://www.zcoil.com They take the impact off your heel and in turn your lower back. Cost is between $175 and $250. I have heard the enclosed heel ones (where you can't see the spring) don't work as well, but a kitchen is not a fashion show anyway. Learned about these from some nurses who work hellish shifts on hard floors. I was almost crippled after 14-16 hr shifts till I tried these. All the best... Mol

Hi, I grew up in Arkansas, left in '88 and spent a little time back in 2004. Culinarily it is between 15-20 yrs behind the west coast, IMHO. The restaurant business anywhere is not for the faint of heart. My grandparents opened the FIRST mexican restaurant in Hot Springs in 1969 and had to educate the public back then as to what Tex-Mex was. The restaurant is still open and owned by my family (37 yrs in the restaurant business is an AMAZING run I think---plus some of the original employees are even still there...Stop into Taco Pronto In Hot Springs if you get a chance). One plus...you will have some of the worlds best produce to work with. I have some land there and would love to do herbs/heirloom produce eventually. I guess my point is to educate people gently, most Arkansans are not idiots, are very friendly and receptive and like most of the human race, hate being talked down to. I wish you all the best. That being said, I toyed with the idea of opening up a catering biz there and people are really interested in expanding their horizons food wise. To the poster moving to Mountain Home...it is a ways from LR. Not much happening up there. You can (literally) hear the grass grow. Fabulous garage sales there though and don't miss the Farmers Market in the summer at city hall/town square. Amazing produce.

A friend of mine used to make some to DIE for MC...her secret was to cook the pasta in milk that had been infused with crushed garlic overnight. As for Asian/ chinese versions--well in my mind those are regions that do not have a very strong tie to a dairy in their foods. In my mind I just see this as an area where fusion cuisine could go horribly wrong, some sort of frankenmac. That being said, as a person who sells cheese for a living I have had the opportunity to run some interesting mac & cheese experiments. If I can afford it I start with the milk/garlic cooking method. NOTE: These are best recommended for adults. Watching kids stuff down M&C made with $24 lb cheese when they would have been just as happy with Kraft or a basic home made version seems like a waste. Mac & Cheese Made with: Red Leicheister--tangy with a hint of sharpness, gorgeous color! Cotswald---yummy, creamy and chive-y Regular Gruyere -- gets lost flavor wise Cave aged Gruyere---now you're talkin! Papillion Blue---interesting but strange Parm Reg--wonderful but watch salting this....easy for the salt to get out of hand Great mix ins: Drained Italian plum tomtoes, sliced tomatoes on top with extra cheese and home made bread crumbs, duck sausage, ham, black olives

I have scored all kinds of LeCreuset through the years---kept some, sold some...but the best was a rooster shaped 1928 cocktail shaker Wallace Brothers Silver. Bought for $20, sold on Ebay for $1,400. Bought it just 3 doors down from my house...

OK, I was first hired on at a hourly/salary of approx. 30K as the assistant mgr of a small cafe/bakery. A new Operations guy started for the whole company and eliminated my position in may (I started in March). In the meantime the general manager quit and I stepped into her shoes--schedules, ordering, etc. Then the Catering manager quit and I filled in there.... Friday I am called into a meeting and told that my position is now commission only--and only on cheese, gourmet groceries and bagged coffee sales. I went back to the numbers for Dec 06. (Dec. being the highest sales wise in these areas). My commission for that month would have been $1,200. Overall sales in these depts currently is approx $200 per day. That is $20 A DAY...and I drive 30 miles ONE WAY to this place. To even get close to a wage I could live on I would have to do $20,000 per month in sales. Not to mention that we have been unable to get in some product I have ordered due to non payment of past invoices. Any ideas????

Valdez Alaska, summer of 1989 (a town of 1,500 went to 12,00 people overnight, exxon and such are all on meal tickets, the restaurant is a ZOO) waiting tables, guy comes in and I inform him that the choices for starch are red potatoes or rice pilaf--he says he'll have a baked potato--and reiterate his choices and he informs me that "NO! I'll have a F-ING BAKED potato". I head to the kitchen, inform our speed addicted lead cook (chef he was not) where by he fishes a baker out of the trash and nukes it. Problem solved. When Mr. Personality was finished--and he dined alone, wonder why--I was with another table where as he snaps his fingers and whistles (PLEASE NO ONE EVER DO THIS--IT IS NOT EVEN ACCEPTABLE AT TRUCK STOP RESTAURANTS!!!!!) and holds up a $1000 bill. I walk over, snap it out of his hand, grab the bill and head to the cashier. All the sudden he is like"Wait--can you make change for that?" and I say "sure" where as he gets up and jerks it out of my hands. He proceeds to pay, leave a lousy tip and is on his way....and I still remember that b*stard to this day.......

I think Amazon has it...or just google duck fat.