Shel_B

The air around Oscar's smells great, however their meat burgers are, at best, of medium quality. There are far better places, IMO, in the East Bay.

Another vote for Val's ....

Just curious - what did you think of Bill's? I was very disappointed when I ate there recently. They used pre-formed burgers that were of mediocre quality meat. Nothing like I remembered their burgers to be when I lived in SF many years back.

I like the Hippy Gourmet as well.

Just curious - do you have a rheumatologist handling your case? Robyn ← I've got some good doctors on the case, and apart from a flare-up in May, I've been free of any serious gout problems. One of the problems I had resulted from the number of medications I'm taking for other issues, and it took a while to find the right balance so that all the meds would work together. It was, for example, determined that one of my blood pressure meds was a contributor to episodes of gout.

My bouts with gout have been horrendous. I've been hospitalized once, been to the emergency room several times ... I get it throughout my body - no joint seems to be immune. There have been times that I not only couldn't get out of bed, but couldn't move while in bed. Turning over was impossible - and on good day I could turn over in bed but it might take as uch as 30 minutes to do so. I'm now on Allopurinol daily and take an anti-inflamatory should there be the slightest sign of a flareup. I just read today that aspirin can contribute to or exacerbate gout

I suspected that might be the case. I am not 100% sure that maltitol has that laxative effect (but I'm pretty sure - I don't have some of my reference material handy right now), but I know that sorbitol does. Generally, I stay away from such products and prefer to use other sugar substitutes or, as mentioned earlier, real sugar (in moderation). Edit: OK, I took a moment to look up the subject: "All authorities recommend using caution and definitely moderation is key. Because they are not completely absorbed in the bowel, they have a nasty reputation of holding onto water, and promoting diarrhea, gas and bloating. This is politely termed the "laxative effect". Sorbitol and mannitol are the worst offenders, maltitol and lactitol less so. The label should indicate the serving size. This is the amount considered safe to eat before the laxative effect takes over. So beware that overeating these foods can have serious effects. Especially for children, who of course will experience the effect from an even smaller amount. Many low carbers enjoy an occasional chocolate bar or candy sweetened with one of the sugar alcohols, and find there is no effect on their weight loss or ketosis. Some do find it will put them in a stall. Others find they definitely experience a blood sugar "rush" from eating even a small amount. For a few, the laxative effect is pronounced, and even a small amount will trigger unpleasant symptoms. This is definitely a case of YMMV (your mileage may vary). For some low carbers, planning for one of these treats now and then helps to stave off cravings for serious carb binges. Indeed, even at full count, a 40 gram chocolate bar sweetened with maltitol has an average of 12 carb grams, as opposed to regular plain chocolate with 25 carbs in a similar sized bar. Just beware that they can also trigger the sweet cravings you hope to avoid. "

I am a diabetic, and while I can understand your friend's reluctance to eat lots of sugar-laden foods, there is - for most type 2 diabetics - I cannot speak directly to type 1 diabetics - no reason to avoid sugar of any sort. Sugar is nothing more than another carbohydrate, and if eaten with that in mind, usually in moderation and in the context of other foods (i.e., as part of a properly planned diet and medication plan) there is no reason to avoid sugar, although it's a good idea to limit sugar and carbohydrate intake in many situations. Strangely enough, many diabetic diets suggest a fair amount of carbohydrates - more than may be necessary or wise in some cases. Before preparing these bon-bons for your friend, it might be wise to get more detailed information about her condition and the medication she's taking. Why do you want to avoid maltitol? What about sorbitol and the other similar sugar substitutes? FWIW, my condition allows me to eat sugar, which I do in moderation and in conjunction with other foods. OTOH, brown rice and many breads will shoot my blood sugar level up considerably. When planning to eat a meal with a fair amount of carbs, I adjust my medication accordingly.

Recently we had a family-type dinner with friends and family. A young lady (24 yo), who was the caretaker for the old, infirm matriarch of the family, spent most of dinner time on her cell phone using very "rough" language and speaking very loudly. It was not my place to say anything, but I was very angry, as were some of the other guests. This woman made seven phone calls during dinner, and her conversation was liberally peppered with some of the foulest language I've ever heard - and I've heard some pretty foul language in my 60+ years.

Lidia Bastianich has a recipe in which she separates the leaves and then cooks them with oilve oil, garlic, sea or kosher salt, some red chile flakes and a little red wine vinegar. The results were quite good.

Why is the eGullet roasted cailiflower infamous? Or did you mean famous?

There are some Krups grinders Here. I mention the Krups because I have two Krups models (one like the F203), both about 25 years old (maybe a little more) and both have given me great service. These grinders are in the price range you've asked about.

What about popping with a mixture of butter and oil? Has anyone tried it?

But does that make it "better?" And better in what way? How much exercise do the fish get? Nowhere near as much as wild, I'd guess. Exercise contributes to the development of muscle meat, which influences taste and texture. I'm not suggesting that the Kindai tuna is of inferior quality, and I like the idea from what I've read about it thus far (four articles), but wild fish, while not having all aspects of their life controlled, can develop differently, and in some respects "better" than farmed fish, just as farmed fish may have some better aspects than wild fish.

I have a cxouple of Krups grinders, and have tried using one for coffee and spice grinding, cleaning the grinder with rice as you mentioned. It didn't work too well as, even with cleaning, there was a slight "mingling" of flavors. If you want to try it, be sure to clean the grinder VERY well, running fresh rice through the machine at least three times until powdered. Maybe you'll have better luck than I - the types of spice may play a role here. However, using two grinders is probably a better, long trm choice.

Thanks for the link. I really have no desire to own a food mill, and probably wouldn't buy the one you linked to. It looks to be made of plastic - I don't care to use any plastic-made products. Were I to get a food mill, I'd go for a good quality stainless steel mill. Hand operated would be fine. I didn't know there were food mills that were other than hand operated.

That's a great idea. I'll try that this weekend.

I don't have a food mill, nor will I be getting one for quite soe time. However, including some of the skin sounds like a good idea, but I'd only used organic, unwaxed apples for that.

The nutmeg sounds like a nice addition. Thanks for the idea.

Might be nice for a "holiday" version .... thks!

Hi, Every now and then I make a batch of apple sauce, most often using Gravenstein apples from the trees that grow in my yard and the neighbor's yard. Usually I just peel and chop the apples, add some fresh apple juice to the mixture, and the apples down, covered, on low heat, until they reach the consistancy I like. I then mash the mixture with a potato masher, leaving some chunks for texture. Well, it's apple season here, and the local markets have about fifty varieties of apples to choose from. What type of apples might you suggest? I want to try some honey crisp, some winesap, and Arkansas black. Good choices? Also, any techniques or additions to the recipe that you might want to share? Sometimes I add a scosh of cinnamon, never use sugar, and not tried salt. Don't care for sugar .... Thanks!

The box of Diamond Crystal salt in my kitchen is at least two years old, maybe even three or more. Will salt last indefinitely before losing any of its qualities? Might it absorb moisture, for example, and be less "potent?" Is there a preferred way to store it? Mine's just in the box it came in, set near the stove. Do different types of salt require different handling and storage techniques? Thanks!

I've been making a couple of chicken dishes - one steeped, one steamed - for years - browning just wouldn't work for them. Is roasting a chicken the same as browning the bird? Or are they two different processes?

This afternoon I spent a few hours in the back yard, and on my way in grabbed a green (unripe) orange from the tree. Upon tasting the fruit, it tasted remarkably lemon-like, with a nice hint of orange to it. I may try using some green oranges in place of lemons in a few dishes. Has anyone used green oranges in their cooking? How did you use them?

A couple of weeks ago I went out to dinner with a few friends - it had been a long time since I ate out and I wanted this to be special. I ordered the Osso Buco. I never had it before, so wasn't sure what to expect. After the meal I felt that I didn't get my full money's worth, and started researching Osso Buco. Here's what I found: The veal shanks, in all the pictures I saw, were lighter in color than beef shanks, and lighter in color than what I had for dinner. I cannot help but wonder if this Berkeley restaurant was being "politically correct" and providing beef instead of veal. Could the restaurant have used "old" veal? The menu said "Veal Osso Buco." For future information, is there a way to determine if the meat is veal or beef? The Osso Buco came to the table pretty quickly, and tasted somewhat dry. I suspect the meat was prepared earlier and then just warmed over for table service. I also suspect that this happens frequently in many restaurants, and that in and of itself is not a bad thing, and that the execution is the main consideration. Comments? In reading about the dish, some articles suggested that the rear shanks contain more marrow, which, in my novice opinion, is part of what Osso Buco is about. I had three pieces of meat on the bone, and only one bone had marrow, and it did not go all the way through the bone. I feel as though I got shortchanged on the marrow. In fact, one of the bones didn't have meat all around it, just a couple of small pieces stuck to the bone. Now I am determined to find a restaurant that serves good Osso Buco. What questions should I ask? What should I look for? I also want to make some at home - any tips or suggestions? What to look for in good, high quality veal? Thanks for any and all help.