KateW

Sushi, cranberry spritzers (I usually have one a day), swordfish steaks... On the flip side, what about those foods you get wild cravings for, but then after you've had them, don't want them again for like a month? As for me, steak and hamburgers top the list.

I don't have any questions, I just wanted to say I love your books on cooking. The French Laundry cookbook is on my wish list but I think I'll have to break down and buy it myself! I just couldn't let you come and go here without saying something. I love your writing voice and how you write dialogue so the reader can tell exactly how someone said something. I just finished my first year at JWU and I learned so much about techniques and styles through your books. Thank you!

I have no idea, but did it taste the same? Have any shrimpy undertones?

I never buy or use cilantro because of it's smell. It usually doesn't make it to my mouth if I can smell it, so I can't comment on the taste. Almost everything I make tends to smell good, but doesn't necessarily taste good. I think because some smells are stronger than the taste. There are also things I like the smell of but don't eat often--grilled food, sauteed onions and garlic, and roasts in particular. My boyfriend thinks everything I make smells good It's a real ego booster. And he usually likes the taste, too.

Just wondering where you found the true definition of chowder. I did a search just now, and found many definitions, some saying it must have milk or cream, some saying it can be anything from tomato base to cream base, some have seafood, some don't... I sense a new thread, and many differing views.

Hey, even the most open minded culinarian has their dislikes...

My mom tried to make a casserole type thing with corn and zucchini, spiced with paprika I think, and covered with melted Jack cheese...but I just picked off all the cheese and ate that. It was probably good if you like zucchini, but I just can't stand the flavor...

Things I don't get: cilantro creamed corn (if I still wanted to eat baby food, I'd eat baby food) zucchini (unless it's so disguised by being fried, cover in cheese or sauce, or meat) summer squash (ditto) miracle whip chunk lite tuna flavored water (ie Fruit2O) I'm sure there's more but that's all for now...

I don't really do desserts. Once in a while, growing up, Mom would make a cobbler or a tart or something but I wasn't the type who expected dessert every night. Now, I make cookies or pudding or something but we never eat it right after dinner. It's usually a snack, either later on in the evening or in the middle of the day.

Yup...it amazes me the things we'll make that *aren't* on the menu too! One person wanted the chicken in their quesadilla replaced with buffalo shrimp: fried shrimp tossed in buffalo wing sauce. Not that big a deal I guess, since we do offer buffalo shrimp...I had just never considered it before. We'll also sub any sauce or topping for anything else...and to think I've been ordering things exactly how they are on the menu for all these years.

They don't say it because it's obvious. The 1/3 rack, quesadilla and the salad bar are there on the menu; do you need us to give you permission to order it for your kids? As for the costs, I'm not familiar with the prices so I don't know if they're reasonable or not. I agree most kids menus are insulting.

I don't think I ever ate off a kid's menu either. I too was eating sushi at an early age. I also enjoyed most Chinese food, Mexican food and usual American fare. And Shirley Temples! The bartender at the Chinese restaurant we frequented used to put up to 7 cherries in one Shirley Temple for me. I never think to order a Shirley Temple anymore, but I make them at home. when I was a kid, my parents hardly ever took me out to dinner anyway, because my mom used to love to cook (and she's really good at it too, but she doesn't do it often anymore). I remember having a babysitter in the evening on occasion though, so I imagine my parents used to go out to eat without me. (or did they? ) Edit to add, now that I've read the article: At Ruby Tuesday which as some of you know is where I'm a cook this summer, we have grilled cheese, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, a kid sized burger and nuggets on the kids menu. These are the things that specifically come though as kid orders but there are other things that could pass for kid sized. How about a 1/3 rack of ribs and salad bar? A quesadilla, with or without chicken? (Be sure to ask for no tomatoes and/or no jalapenos if that's how your kid likes them.) Maybe grilled chicken, instead of fried? Just because it's not on the little section for kids meals doesn't mean you can't make it a kids meal. I've seen so many weird substitutions, and there's practically nothing we won't do for you.

Chicken Helper

I never put anything but mayo in my canned-white-albacore-in-oil tuna, but the only thing I use tuna for is occasionally in pasta, or a tuna melt. I'd like to be more adventurous with tuna, but I'd never put chunks of anything in it. I'd just like to play around with sauces and spices and such.

Life sucks, then you eat bacon. When life hands you pigs, make bacon.

Broccoli tempura is wonderful

Yeah, I knew he wouldn't want to bruise his ego by apologizing out in the kitchen

Write a "gourmet" menu for a poor starving college student (tongue in cheek or serious)

Just an update--I worked the last couple days, and did some cooking by myself. I just get very overwhelmed easily and it's a character trait, not just a problem I have at this particular job. All I need is a gentle push in the right direction--ie "Now drop this and that and that and don't worry about this for a few minutes because it's an entree and you have to do the apps first"--something like that, but I know it can be hard to have to hold someone's hand in this fast paced environment. I was by myself on pantry except for another new guy last night, and he seems to um, have a problem with authority (especially when I'm the authority I suppose)...at one point, I was supposed to be calling in the tickets and he was supposed to be dropping the food, but he was looking at the tickets and dropping stuff before I had called it and it screwed us up a couple times. He said "She's being rude and bossing me around"--said this to the manager!--and was told that yes that was my job, to boss him around, and that he should do what I say. I wasn't being rude for the record--I think what I said was "Start the FOS"--maybe I didn't say please or something, but everyone there tells me I have to quit being so nice... Later on we were in the walk in and he apologized. Whatever. I didn't like him the first time I met him and I still don't. He acts like he's too good for this job, or something. Like I said, the manager heard the whole thing. They switched some things around which screwed me up more than it helped but I think I'll like it. They put some things in a better order where someone in the corner can reach everything they need without having to walk to the other end of the line. It makes sense but threw me off a little at first! I don't work again until Saturday--I'm cooking, and then Sunday and Tuesday I'm doing salad bar. Shouldn't be too bad, unless Saturday is hell, which is usually is...(sigh) When I'm there all I want to do is quit but when I come home I remember the good times and the funny stuff that happens (There's ALWAYS something). I suppose I can make it through another month. Do you guys think I should work there on weekends when school starts again, or look for a job that is more what I want to be doing? I don't have a job history yet, so I'm wondering if longevity is important at this point or if I should try to find a job more well suited for my interests.

Jason, your kitchen setup is almost exactly like my mom's, from the windows to the placement of the stove, dishwasher, countertop stuff, and drawers and cupboards. That's really eerie.

I live in Massachusetts. I'm talking about the kind you get at McDonald's for instance. At restaurants that aren't drive through, you can usually get a reasonably thick and juicy burger. When I cook them at home they're about a half to 3/4 inch thick and that's how I like them the best.

Fast food burgers, the ones that are thin as a dime, are junk food to me. Good burgers, thick, made to order, juicy...aren't. But I don't know why.

For me it brings to mind cheap, low quality food, mass produced with a lot of "fake" ingredients or chemicals. Then you start getting into "gourmet" junk food and it gets blurry. Empty calories are a must for junk food. No matter how poor quality vegetables and fruit are, they won't be junk food, even when they're deep fried, or rolled in chocolate, because they're still fruit and vegetables underneath French fries are the exception.

I liked the idea of the one I saw at the Ground Round. It was bite sized pieces of cheesecake, individually coated and fried. And served with ice cream, hot fudge and I think strawberry sauce. Hmmm, there's a Ground Round right across from Ruby Tuesday...

Fast food isn't worth making trips to many restaurants at one time. And when it takes 20 minutes to get all the pieces of your meal, is it still fast food? LOL I think Wendy's fries are pretty good, and I don't do the ice cream drinks, so a Wendy's #7 with a coke is good enough for me.