Sherry B

This week's New Yorker has a great article about Grant Achatz, by D.T. Max. (May 12 Issue). If you don't read the New Yorker....this would be a good week to start, methinks.

I briefly worked for a contract catering company in Canada called Beaver Foods. (It's now just one appendage of the Cara Foods critter). Innyhoo. In one of their cafeterias, they sold a breakfast sanny; (english muffin, back bacon, cheese, petrified egg). Guess what they called it? I kid you not.....it was the "Egg McBeaver". This still, lo these many years hence, can bring me to tears of mirth. Just create your own mental picture....you'll see.

It's a staple in my pantry. Sorry.

Agreed. Embarrasing, almost.

The McRib is the only item that I've ever taken a bite out of, and returned to the counter. Could. Not. Eat. It. And man....that's saying a lot.

Um, just have to ask....."flour gelatanizes"? And captures the fat into "an emulsion"? All new information for me....grossly incompetent cook that I am.

To my shame....I went to T & T, and came home with a Dungeness. I had picked out (the smallest) King, but it was almost $60.00, and I couldn't justify paying that much, since the hubster doesn't do crab. I thought of buying it and freezing the legs, etc. but I need to do a bit more research. The Dungeness was wildly yummy, though, with garlicky butter and nothing else but some white wine. I so appreciate the help, hummingbird, maybe someday we can get together for a King!

I just got "Best Food Writing 2007", so I'm pretty happy. Recently finished "Heat" by Bill Buford. Liked it a lot.

Ahhh, thank you! I came close to buying one yesterday, but it was Saturday, and very crowded around the tanks, which were very full of these massive creatures. I'll go back this week when it's quieter, and ask them to kill it for me. One more quick question, is it just the legs that are eaten? And if so, if I were to take them home raw, would they last for the hour or so that it would take me to get them home without going off? I could have a cooler with ice, etc. I'm just thinking I'd rather transport them raw than hot and cooked. The live King Crabs at the market (T & T Supermarket) were $8.99 a pound.

I was in an Asian market today buying shiritaki noodles, and I realized that it's King Crab season! They have them live in tanks, and they're enormous, and fairly feisty looking. I'm cool with Dungeness crab, I've cooked lots of them, but I can't fathom dealing with one of these monsters, and I was too shy to ask for help. Does anyone know if they sell them live? Or do they kill them at the store? If live, how on earth would you get them home? Any advice would be hugely appreciated, I love crab, but I've never seen Kings live before today. Except on "The Deadliest Catch", of course

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? A lot of French Canadian influences, Tortiere and so forth. Both my parents loved to cook and experiment though, so we had Italian, Chinese etc. Mostly though, it was "meat and two veg". Was meal time important? Yes. Always eaten together as a family, although not necessarily a happy family. Was cooking important? Yes What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? None that I recall Who cooked in the family? Mostly Mom, until I was 12 or so, then I started to cook dinners a few times a week. My Dad and Mom would cook things like Lasagna together on weekends. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? Not common. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Only if there wasn't room at the big table. Same food was served. When did you get that first sip of wine? I was stealing my Dad's scotch by the time I was 15, I didn't really appreciate wine for many years. I've retained my fondness for scotch, though. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Yep. They didn't work. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? No How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? I still cook some of the food that I grew up with, to me it's comfort food. When my Mom, now in her 70s comes to visit, I always ask her to cook me some of my favorite things....her meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, salmon loaf with egg sauce, etc. etc.

I can't order Egg Salad on toast. I'm too scared that the crunch might be eggshells instead of crunchy toast, and that I might bite down on eggshell; one of my pet nightmares.

Fruit Fool, or Summer Pudding?

I have another thing to add: Mussels I would love to love them, so to speak, but I can't bring myself to try one. I've cleaned and cooked bushels of them (in my days as a catering minion), and I wasn't grossed out by the aroma or anything. I just can't put one in my mouth. Maybe I need counseling or something.

A bit of gratuitous information....if you have birds, you should be very careful with non-stick cookware. The fumes from overheating it (particularly when dry) can be fatal to birds. Just Google "Teflon" and "Birds".

What's not healthy? They've got meat, salt, fat, dairy, starch....a little alcohol and/or chocolate, and they'd be a perfect food.

Those look just wildly delicious....nice job!

How about cheese fondue, with a big, interesting salad? I envy you the cheese choices in the Netherlands....yum.

My point wasn't about my being "obsessive" about food safety; I'm not. It was more about the hypocrisy of a store providing tongs to protect the safety of the food from handling, but not bothering to provide clean tongs. It's about the false perception of cleanliness.

The "Double Dipping" thread got me thinking of this. Occasionally I'll buy buns or bagels from the bulk section of supermarkets. One store in particular has aggressive signs everywhere..."Use the Tongs". But here's the thing. If I use the tongs, I'm not going to be contaminating the buns, but I'm damned if I'm going to use tongs that someone else has been handling, therebye contaminating my own hands....particularly when the tongs usually look really filthy. This to me is similar to the mania for foodservice staff wearing gloves. It gives a false perception of cleanliness, even if they keep the gloves on for hours. I just reach in and grab my own damned buns. I don't fondle every bun in the bin....I just snatch the ones I want with my hands, thinking it's the lesser of two evils. No doubt I'll be marched out of the store one day, but I've been ever so tempted to take a swab from those tongs, and write me a little expose......

That reminds me: the Reuben! I am definitely a Reuben purist. Corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and either Russian or Thousand Island, on rye, grilled. Many other good sandwiches exit: this is the only that may be called a Reuben. And I love it. So very much. ← Ah yes. I pretty much only make my own Reubens now, after being served so many toasted corned beef sandwiches with coleslaw (and mustard!) called "Reubens". It's not as though they're so tricky to do right, either.

I have one of these about once a year or so. I have to scrape off a lot of the tartar sauce, though....the proportion of sauce to sandwich is way too high, methinks. To me they're kind of comfort foodish in terms of fast food; always fresh and hot, non-threatening and yummy. In related news; I had one of the new Wendy's "premium" fish sandwiches the other day, and I did not like it at all. Far too crunchy, with a strong chemical-ish taste to the breading, (the fish itself had no flavor whatsoever), and the bun and cheese were stone cold. Thanks for the insider McDonalds info.....I find it fascinating.

I'm not picking on this one person, but I think this post illustrates why I disagree with much of this thread. I would much prefer my pasta to be fresh. I think there is always room for improvement in any food, and if you limit yourself to one way of enjoying it you will be missing out on a lot.French fries smothered in gravy is kind of nasty, but dipped in gravy is great. What's so controversial about potatoes and gravy? ← No, pick away by all means! First of all, I didn't mention fresh pasta, but only the horror of those "oven-bake" pastas, specifically when used in lasagna. Fresh pasta can be wonderful, but I'd rather use good dried pasta from Italy in many applications, (as would many Italians). Totally not getting the "potates and gravy" reference, sorry. I was talking about poutine; which is, after all, a snack food. And "limiting myself to one way of enjoying it"???? Huh?

In all seriousness.....I would not linger anywhere near that area after dark. Or before dark, for that matter.

Poutine. It's made with fresh, never frozen french fries. The cheese is real cheese curds, the squeaky kind; NOT mozzarella. The gravy is authentic gravy, (could be roast beef, could be turkey, both are nice), slightly thickened with flour. This gravy has never been in a can, nor has it started as a powder. As for foie on poutine, well..... Lasagna. It needs to be made with noodles that have been boiled. NOT those pasty abominations that 'cook' in the oven. *shudder*. Chicken and/or Turkey. Not pink, not rare. Not happening.