Tri2Cook

I'm not arguing whether it's good law, bad law, dumb law or any other kind of law. I never argued against speaking up against it being the law. The only thing I was trying to get across in my initial response is that the reporter wasn't an idiot for calling it illegal because it is illegal. Whether or not it should be illegal is an entirely different matter that I didn't want to venture into and was making no judgements on.

So what I'm being asked to agree to is that it's okay to break a law if you think it isn't a good law? I just want to be clear on that... because it would be a very slippery slope in the big picture. And yes, if pop-ups are not following whatever requirements they are supposed to, than doing it is illegal whether it's dumb or not and whether foodies agree or not. I'm not saying anything about the usefulness of any law, I'm only commenting on legal vs. illegal. If it is a law and you choose to break it, don't raise a stink over whatever punishment results. Disagree with it all you want, fight to change it if you can, but don't cry because you made the choice to ignore it and got caught. I think where the problem is coming from is I'm discussing what is with those discussing what they think should be. Both are valid discussions but they're two different things.

I'm obviously not stating this as well as I thought I was. Once again, I didn't say it wasn't stupid (although I didn't say it was either, I very specifically said I'm not sure where I stand on it), I said it's the law. Enforcement of the law doesn't (and shouldn't) have any basis in whether or not you personally agree with the law. There are laws that I think are silly but I still accept that, if I choose to break them, I may have to pay a price. I don't tell myself that breaking a law should be overlooked based on my current needs. We have a stretch of highway here that is almost rail-straight, completely unpopulated and without intersecting roads for almost 80 km (50 m) that has a speed limit of 80 kmh (50 mph). Nobody drives that stretch at or below the speed limit. It's silly. But we all know what's going to happen if we get pulled over... because what we were doing is illegal.

I know I was stretching what you said to it's limits to make my point but the point itself, that, silly or not, it is illegal, remains. I'm not gung-ho about the law enforcement, I'm just acknowledging that it's illegal instead of painting the reporter as an idiot for saying so. I was commenting on some of the responses to the article, not the law. It would be huge overkill to create a task force to track down and raid these events but It's a tough call as to where I stand on the matter in general. On the one hand, I've done it and would possibly do it again. Money aside, it's fun... but the money doesn't lower the appeal. On the other hand, I make a living working in restaurants that have to abide by rules and regulations, possess permits and licenses and be subject to inspections and laws, I'm not sure how I feel about other venues being allowed to do what a restaurant does without having to submit to the same guidelines and requirements. Restaurants don't submit to all of that because it makes things easier, they do it because it's the law and they'll be penalized if they don't. Could they also argue that it's pretty low on the scale of laws that need enforcing and gain public support?

Saying it's okay to snatch someone's purse because the law should be more concerned with bank robberies doesn't change the fact that it's illegal. I've done the private dinner thing in the past (and it's entirely possible I'll do it again someday) but I didn't tell myself it's okay because there are worse things going on in the world. I made my choice and took my chances. If I'd got caught, I'd have had nothing to cry about except my own bad decision.

Absolutely correct. Hosting meals for pay (the part that it seems is being conveniently ignored in this round of "let's denigrate the reporter") in your home/yard/etc. without some sort of license or event permit is indeed illegal in many (most?) places in the U.S. and Canada... even if it is your friends and neighbors. The level of enforcement undoubtedly varies greatly but that doesn't make the reporter incorrect for calling it "illegal".

George Giuseppe Bruno.

One of my favorites...

I do it as seldom as I can get away with. But when I can't get out if it, I'm usually with my gf. She does about 95% of it solo. It's pretty rare that I go alone. I actually don't mind grocery shopping but I pretty much hate almost everything else related to being in a grocery store. The people entirely blocking the aisles while standing there talking for 10 minutes. The constant rearranging making it take 3x as long as it should to get done because nothing is where it was before. I'm strictly business in the grocery store. Go in, get what I'm after, get out. Anything that interferes with that tends to make me grumpy. A weird thing about the rare times we do go together... for some reason, it takes us longer to get the shopping done together than it takes either of us alone.

Thanks Kerry, that sounds like a much better use than seeing if it works as drain cleaner. Dark chocolate ganache project shall be planned.

I have an almost completely full bottle of cheap (pronounced crappy) cherry "brandy" (liqueur: ingredients, in order as listed on the bottle = water, sugar, alcohol, brandy, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid) that I bought before Heering was available at the LCBO thinking it would be good enough to get by on. I was wrong. It's not good. It's reminiscent of cherry cough syrup minus the bitter. It's been in my cabinet for a long time (Could that be a problem at the listed 15% abv? It doesn't look or smell any different than it ever did.) because I hate wasting things if I can avoid it. I'm trying to get some actual organization going on in my cabinet so it's time to make the call. Is there anything worthwhile I might possibly be able to do with this stuff besides pour it down the drain or hand it off to a passing bum (actually that would be ok in theory but probably not a good idea in reality)? I know what the answer is going to be but I couldn't bring myself to dump it without at least trying for an alternative idea.

I'd probably have to go with pound cake too. Cream cheese, sour cream and buttermilk are probably my three favorites but I'm not unhappy if someone gives me a pound cake no matter what flavor it is.

With temps starting to get into the low to mid 40's (F) here, fall is definitely on it's way in. Already had two seasonal favorites (for me) this week. Beef stew and apple crisp (I didn't make either. They were waiting for me when I got home from work... which is even better in some ways.). This is the time of year I get the serious itch to make bread. I plan to scratch that itch sometime this weekend.

In all honesty, I probably chose it because I needed a job. I've always been interested cooking and, without meaning to sound immodest, pretty good at it. I even seriously considered it as a career path during college but talked myself out of it. Many years later, I moved to where I live now doing contract work for my former line of work with the intention of leaving when it was done. I decided I liked it here and didn't leave but there were no further opportunities in my line of work in this area. Someone I know worked in a small restaurant that needed a cook. I needed a job. I just assumed if I was a good cook at home, I could be a good cook in a restaurant. I found out that's not automatically true but it can become true if you want it to bad enough. I managed to pull it off well enough to keep the job and set my mind to learning as quickly as possible. Anyway, that's it. My reasons for getting into it as a career path weren't all that noble. The reason I continue to do after all these years is that it didn't take me long to become attached to it. I honestly think it's what I should have been doing all along...

Interesting from a science perspective... but, for me personally, not so much from a culinary perspective. Although, I guess it does consolidate the "dinner and a show" thing.

We got an abundance of them this year too. I ate them until I didn't want them anymore, I used them in almost everything... and I still have probably 15 lbs. in the freezer. Now I'm running into the same "problem" with the wild blueberries. I have somewhere around 10 gallons in the freezer and 4 gallons of fresh sitting on the kitchen table and there are still tons of them out there to be picked.

You might as well try it. If you're anything like me, if it's got this much hold on your mind, you won't be happy until you do. At least it's not an expensive experiment. I might even talk myself into it just for fun. Minus the egg. I don't like egg on my burger. That recipe you linked is going to be a large version though, most of the homemade versions I've read about only use one pack of the noodles for the "bun".

A guy I work with was talking about this and has decided to play with the idea at home. Supposedly, today he's going to do the same thing but use Kraft Dinner instead of ramen. He says he's going to do them up to munch on while watching football today. I'm waiting for it to show up on Facebook. I don't see me trying either one but, if I did, I'd definitely go with the ramen over the KD.

Well, that does it for my local store... but I already knew that.

Speaking of which, I'd also like to add that in a lot of cases, our choices of extra-curricular activities also lead to an above-average tolerance and stamina! Honestly, I can't remember the last time that I caught any kind of appreciable buzz from drinking a six-pack of beer, conversely, I know plenty of green cooks and culinary students who are falling down after the same amount... I think that's still related to the individual, not the profession. I'm not green or a student and I might be falling down after a six-pack. I rarely drink and when I do, never more than 1 or 2. I eat pretty healthy for the most part, exercise regularly and sleep at night instead of prowling the bars. I don't smoke (never even tried it). I don't do drugs of any kind (not even OTC or prescription when I can avoid it). I haven't drank enough to be intoxicated, or even feel an appreciable buzz, in many years. Of course that may not be valid evidence that it's not profession related, it's entirely possible that I'd just be the oddball in most restaurants.

I made a sort of coconut gomme using a 2:1 syrup of sugar and coconut water combined with an equal amount of coconut milk and thickened/stabilized with Ticaloid 210S (a blend of xanthan and arabic gums, straight arabic or locust bean gum would probably work fine but the arabic/xanthan blend helps keep the fat in suspension longer). It wasn't as sweet or as thick as Coco Lopez but it had a nice flavor with some added body compared to a regular syrup. I wish I'd thought to try it in a Pina Colada. I may have to make another batch...

There goes that excuse...

I'm close to admitting that as well... although I can't remember if the price drop happened before or after your trip. If it happened after, I'll hide behind that as my reason for not admitting it.

I drink water with dinner mainly because that's what I like best with food. It goes with everything/clashes with nothing. Actually, it's my number one beverage of choice at any time. I've quit drinking tea, soda and coffee for the most part (meaning I don't strictly avoid them for any important reasons but it's extremely rare that I drink them). I grew up usually drinking water or milk with dinner. We rarely had soda in the house. My parents (and siblings) usually drank iced tea at dinner (the sweet southern style). I was the odd one in the house because I've always preferred iced tea unsweetened, even as a child, so I wasn't interested in the iced tea that was usually in the fridge.

I take a large quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables to work with me every Monday morning. I have a container in one of the walk-ins that I keep it all in. That's my "lunch" for the week. I don't actually have a lunch break but I try to eat a piece of fruit or veggie every couple hours. Keeps me energized and never feeling hungry. Sometimes, if I make a good soup or something at home, I take a bowl of that to supplement the fruits and vegetables.