IrishCream

Sad news to report. I tried to pull up the menus last night to help my husband decide but as you noted they were not working. But I gave him a print-out of which rest. were participating. He went for dinner tonight to Andaluca which was very near his hotel. He didn't enjoy it! I don't know whether it was the restaurant or him (he is not a foodie)? But he said that the Tuscan Tomato Soup was served barely tepid. The pheasant was tough as old shoe leather (though he did like the taste). The lemon poundcake dessert was miserly and stale. Kind of infuriates me that he went there when I had printed out menus from the various restaurants you had kindly recommended (he would have loved the pig!). Oh well. To make matters worse, his cases all settled today so he is flying home tomorrow...without visiting Salumi (where he was supposed to buy me lots of cured meat). Sigh.....next time!

I just have a no frills Brinkman water smoker and it works great. My only complaint is the lack of a built-in thermometer. But I do have a question for the smoking pros. When I smoke a whole turkey, the skin ends up pitch black and inedible. But when I have purchased smoked turkeys the skin is NOT black. How do they manage that or what am I doing wrong?

Awesome. We are waiting for a final report. And pics if possible. Did that pork butt get cooked through?

Thanks for all your advice! He is gonna try to get in on some of the 25 for 25 specials, etc. Wish I was going too! Maybe next time.

Well..I just got out the container which is clear. And yes, they are variable in size. A few are as small as 1.5 inches but most are 3 to 4. But now that I read the fine print, they are a product of Korea. Oh my.

loufood...I am so sorry for not responding to your question. I just never saw it until now. I think I got confused by the thread change. Anyway, the container of Shiitakes I purchased at Costco was 1 pound and cost $9.00. It is a very large container! I have no idea if that is a good price or not. I purchased it over a year ago.

Will this method work with a stainless steel wok as well?

My mother used to make those in giant crocks in our garage. According to her, the longer they cured, the more sour they got....nothing else. Since we liked half-sours, we would remove most of them from the brine at a certain point and refrigerate them. The ones that stayed in the brine got really sour which is how my grandmother liked them. But I am not an expert! Edit to say that the texture also changed dramatically the longer they cured.

JAZ...I made refridgerator pickles for the first time last summer when I had a bumper cucumber crop. They turned out great and so much easier (and IMO tastier) than water-bath processed pickles. I'd be glad to share some recipes with you. Just PM if you are interested.

Ummmmm...just out of curiousity...how many days in a row do you wear the same clothes?

So you totally despise smoking but you admit to bumming cigs. Is NY banning cigs in just restaurants, or bars too?

Thanks! He eats everything except for seafood and cheese. Is Salumi within walking distance? He is probably looking for moderately priced places (at least compared to San Francisco prices).

Hello. My husband will be in Seattle next week. He will be working at the Federal Courthouse downtown and staying at the Westin nearby. He won't have a car. Can anyone recommend some good eats for lunch/dinner within walking distance? Really appreciate it!

I read it in one of James Villas books. But after reading this thread I am thinking of throwing them out...specially since I prefer anchovies.

Am I the only one who has 5+ year old cans of sardines in my pantry? I turn them periodically, but never thought to chill them. I don't chill any canned food except maybe V-8 juice. Should I?

Yikes! 341 plus a couple boxes in the garage....make it 391. I used to read the classics. What happened to me?

What I would like to know...am I the only person here who thinks her sharp tongue is, on rare occasions, funny? In the Nantucket article on her website...her description of the guy at the table next to her and his reaction to the winelist made me laugh.

Welcome, Retired Chef. I have been seriously reading eGullet since November and I have never found SteveKlc to be the way you describe him. This particular article may not be the best example of his strengths, which are many. But if you have really perused this website, you should have seen how much he has given to it. Why do you feel so negatively about him based on one article? Where are you coming from?

The Judge is my husband. And I wonder, given your wheat affliction, how you are able to share dinners with the whole table? I only ask because the Judge has similiar afflictions. And I am wondering how I can ever eat at the French Laundry with him...

Steve...I hope you don't mind a few more questions. Can you order the tasting menu just for you? How will the restaurant feel if there are others eating the regular menu? ( I ask cuz the Judge has a bunch of food fetishes...sigh).

Thanks Steve! I think maybe I am finally getting it....but skip the baby beef!

In terms of baby beef....it is often available in supermarkets in Texas at a price well below regular beef and far below veal. Baby beef is horrible...no longer tender like veal...but not enough marbling to be tender like full grown beef. I would be insulted if a restaurant offered me baby beef. I am learning a lot from this thread.

This represents one of the items that has confused me about this thread. Several posters have said that one can receive "VIP" treatment for "no money". Do they mean no extra money beyond what an average customer would spend? Am I to believe that by being respectful and interested I am going to receive free fois gras? Or any other off or on the menu items for free? Or does one pay for them, in which case, what is meant by "no money" ? I really am curious. edit: crossed posts with Fatguy...did he answer me?

Thank you, Adam..for the great website. But I am still kinda confused! I guess a globe onion is just the usual brown (yellow) onion that I typically use? But Bermuda vs red? The red onions in the grocery stores here now look more like the Bermuda onions...but it is mid-winter not spring. And what about Spanish onions? The site seems to say they are just brown onions that are bigger.....but how do I determine which is which? edit: And yes, Cathy, I agree red onions are no longer sweet...what happened to them?

I am hoping for advice on when and why to use the different types of onions. I use brown onions for all cooking with the exception of a few recipes that specify red. When available, I sometimes use so-called sweet onions raw. But I never use white onions. Am I missing the boat? I am also rather confused about some of the onion terminology...particularly what is meant by Spanish onions and globe onions. The supposedly reliable sources seem to be in conflict. Please forgive me if this subject has already been discussed...I searched and could not find it.