tommy

goodie. perhaps i'll be able to get back into wild ginger now.

why it took heinz 85 years to figure out that a wide mouth was more practical is beyond me.

i didn't even like fuddruckers when i was 22. however, i haven't been back since. i'm also not a fan of the bland and flabby burgers at jackson hole. janice bistro, in ho-ho-kus, has a very very good char-broiled burger. it is not thick, like i generally like them, but it has really good flavor. nice and juicy as well. they also do a great steak and fries.

i returned to sub-base today for the second time. perhaps it is due to my screaming hangover, but the sandwich was very good this time around. i take back all of the bad things i said about it. i'm not sure what the difference was this time (aside from the shakes and dehydration), but this sandwich was much better than the first, even though it was the same woman who made both. so, i highly recommend this place, at least every other time.

ah, i misread your post. but i still wouldn't have figured out what you were saying.

osmososis?

[beachfan, in a coy manner, tells us just how old he really is]

isn't there a plethora of pretty good thai restaurants in chicago (arun's aside)? not that chop couldn't get good thai near home in NYC, but i generally have a thai lunch or 10 when i'm in chicago. good value and pretty damned good eats! i can't recall any names however.

wouldn't that affect the taste? this sounds susficious.

fuckin a brutha. i'm there asap.

what kind of burger are we talking about here? grilled? 8 oz or more? what kind of bun? good fries? nice a fat and juicy? cooked to order? damn i'm hungry.

you just dropped down a few pegs in my book. the french stuff was good as well, when i was there 3 yrs ago or so. however, i didn't return after 2 times as it was always too hectic with spotty service. the same with thai chef. what a shame. the kitchens do such a great job at both of these places, but the front house ruins the whole experience.

fugu, with a capital "F". (i stole that from blondie, i hope she don't mind)

realizing this, i was wondering why you are a proponent of smelling the damned thing!? unless i misunderstood, which has been known to happen with me.

HAHAHAHA!!!!! i've seen steve p. go on for paragraphs about how to make a great burger.

i'm lost here. methinks smelling the wine is a good, and probably the only, indication that the wine is off, aside from having your guest taste it first. and no, i personally don't smell the carton...i smell the milk. same principle.

ooo, um, it ain't that simple.

i'm doing babybacks. only because i think people like them better. and, i've had some success with them in the past and don't want to tinker at this point. i brined the ribs the last time, and they turned out excellent. whether or not that had anything to do with the brining is anyone's guess.

ab-so-effing-lutely.

i'm with ya kid! i suppose it all depends on your audience. fair enough. god knows i put my guests through crap they'd just as soon not have to deal with. but, it's for their own good! more importantly, when are we invited over?

something sweetish, no? and mark, i think i have the last "zima" in my fridge right now. i'm saving for a good hangover, when, i've learned, zima is most helpful.

the only thing nekid at my party will be me. but that's likely to occur long after the meat has been eaten. yes, they will be cooked nekid, but brined (which i've been told is soooo important...and i actually believe it ). slow and low for a coupla hours. when the reheat time comes, i will throw some sauce on, unless someone suggests otherwise.

i'm with beachfan on this one. it's just a pain in the ass to peel shrimp when you wnat to eat them. sure, it is suggested that grilling with the shells keeps in moisture and adds to flavor, but at the expense of good eats. peel them before you serve. don't put your guests through that! afterall, i eat the shells, but most normal humans don't. their loss, but it is what it is.

i am getting (with any luck) a meat grinder for that big white mixer thing i have in my kitchen (you know, the "kitcheaide", which no one uses unless they bake). i've been told i can make really good hamburger meat from this device. as i type this, i realize that i should probably start a new thread on what kind of meat to grind for the perfect burger. ok then. but, i'll take any comments here.

what did i just say about wood? you freakin people are so thick sometimes. so, i shall take the membrane off. it's the thing that looks like "silverskin", no? i got these suckers brining right now, because every one here, although i'm pretty sure they've done *no* qualititave analysis, insists that it makes them more tender. i'm looking foward to getting up tomorrow and putting them over indirect heat for 2.5 hours or so. then in the bag (with any sauce? i'm grillin em dry). by the by, i made "BBQ" chicken tonite. slow and low, indirect heat, sauced at the last second, and it was brilliant. after doing it quickly for years, i can see how slow and low is very much appreciated. and i'm talking about the chicken too.