Shel_B

Meant to get back to you ... I followed Dave the Cook's suggestion to use Gary Regan's formula: 1/2 oz triple sec (use a good one, like Cointreau) 1-1/2 oz fresh orange juice 3-1/2 oz sparkling wine Garnished with orange slices. Toots felt I was making too big a deal of the process, but everyone at the brunch, including Toots, felt that these were the best mimosas they'd ever had. What a difference between these and the usual mixture of some mediocre champagne and bottled OJ. I want to thank y'all for the suggestions.

I wonder, would Soylent Green count?

Following the lead of Food Songs, how about movies about food? The movies must be a feature length film or documentary, or a short, and food or restaurants must be the subject, not just the title, although there can certainly be subplots that are not about food, cooking, or restaurants. If it's a film you've actually seen, so much the better. I'll start with a few that come quickly to mind: Tampopo, El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, Supersize Me, The Big Night, Fast Food Nation, Food, Inc., Chef, and tonight we're going to see Fed Up. What else is there?

It's a term used here in the States, and is not intended to be an allusion to a "happy" party. One may say that it's somewhat sarcastic.

The story has been around for at least a couple of years. For example, NPR did a two part story on the subject back in 2012. In March of this year CNN did a feature about the problem, as did NBCNews.com, and on 29 August 2011 IRINAsia also did a story. The Guardian is late to the party on this one, but maybe it will garner more exposure.

If you're thinking about such gloves, try an auto parts store and look for nitrile gloves. I get 'em for Toots for use as gardening gloves.

That would be the Texas Playboys ...

Yes, We Have No Bananas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Hc80NpL4M and the Peanut Butter Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPSYDxrpa_k

Bread and Butter by the Newbeats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5zWBtWnbKE

This morning, I found this page on cooking bourbons: http://www.bluekitchen.net/BourbonCooking.html

I found it to be pretty bad ... not even close to any of the sauces I had in the Carolinas, and far too sweet for my taste.

Maybe, but drinking is way down at the bottom of my priorities list. Neither Toots nor I will drink it, and I can't think of any friends who might want some, so that just leaves the occasional odd visitor who might have a craving.

have to make a special trip to pick up Wild Turkey is looking pretty good as it's gotten a few mentions in this thread, it's easy to find, unlike some which I'd have to look for and make a special trip to pick up, and the WT price is well within budget. The only thing I don't know is how much better, if at all, the other brands are for my cooking needs.

I saw both at Trader Joe's today, and both were around $22.00. Wild Turkey was $17.00, and I think it was in a bigger bottle.

A couple of weeks ago a group of us went to a nearby café for dinner, and airline chicken breast appeared on the menu in a few dishes. The server didn't know what they were, but maybe someone here does. What's an airline chicken breast? What, if anything, makes it worth special mention?

I have a couple-three recipes that call for bourbon as an ingredient. A couple use about two tablespoons per recipe (they are cakes) and the other, a bread pudding, uses about a cup total. I'd like to find a good quality "cooking" bourbon, but one that could be enjoyed in a drink should the occasion arise (although that's not very likely to happen). So, what's a decent bourbon for the described purpose? Maybe in the $15 - $20 price range, less expensive is fine, too. Thanks!

I get your point, unfortunately I don't keep ice cream at home. If I did, it would be gone in a heartbeat ...

I'll send you a PM later today. However, cash tips are reportable, though they're often "overlooked."

I asked that same question, without the sarcasm, of Porthos some months back. As a food preparer it's important for him to use NSF rated cookware and utensils, such as knives. Our discussion focused on a Victorinox knife I bought, and Porthos said it wasn't NSF rated, which I found odd because another Victorinox knife with the same blade was. It was explained that NSF rated products will clean up better than non-NSF rated products, and because of the handle material and design of my knife, it couldn't be cleaned and sanitized to the same high standards as a similar knife with a different handle material and design. In other words, an NSF product is able to be cleaned to a higher, and presumably, healthier standard. It's not made in such a way that it can harbor germs, food particles, and crud as is possible with no-NSF products. Hope this helps you better understand NSF ... I suspect Porthos and other can provide a clearer, more concise, explanation.

I will not be forced by an included service charge to tip a predetermined amount. I have gotten up from the table and left a restaurant when I have encountered the practice after telling the server/manager/owner why I was leaving.

That's a great idea. Thanks!

I would like to get both a refrigerator and a freezer thermometer. What brands and features should I look for? Where in the refrigerator and the freezer should they be placed? Thanks!

Why are cash tips considered "non-reportable?"

Well, now that I've been baking a little while, and paying attention to recipes that give measurements by weight, I'm once again stymied by inconsistencies. ATK and Cook's Illustrated seem to have a good reputation, and more than once it's been suggested that I pay attention to their recipes. Likewise, KA flour has a good reputation and (as far as I know) is considered a good resource. However, today, while looking through some recipes to decide what to bake this weekend, I discovered that using ATK's and CI's recipes, a cup of AP flour came in with widely varying weights: 5 recipes gave the weight of a cup of flour at 4.25-oz, 5.5-oz, 4.5-oz, 4.16-oz, and 5.0-oz. That's a pretty big variation of weight for a cup of flour. And KA flour came in with two weights for a cup of their AP flour: 4.16-oz and 4.25-oz. So, what's a guy to do with such widely varying measurements? Use the weight given in the recipe I'm using, even though it's different than the weights in other, similar recipes by the same source, or should I just settle on what I want a cup of flour to weigh and use that across the board? Or ....? Why would one source have as many as five different weights for a cup of AP flour? What are they doing wrong, or what am I missing? This is frustrating.

Oh, OK I know what that is and have used the system myself for years. Never heard it referred to as "pourover." Thanks. For a long time I used a gold mesh filter rather than paper.