Shel_B

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.

I believe I understand what a "drop biscuit" is, and they seem to be perfect for my temperament and baking abilities. However, never having made any, I am completely ignorant as to what ingredients or techniques makes a good, or even great, drop biscuit. What suggestions do you have for this biscuit newbie to make some good biscuits?

What is "pourover coffee?" I never heard that term.

Why is it more difficult to dissolve cocoa powder in cold liquids than hot? What's the science behind that? Thanks!

You're presuming that just because I asked about Singapore noodles, I've not made or enjoyed other styles.

When I want perfect rice, I bake it, and have found an excellent technique that works consistently. When I read about the technique and got the recipe, it was suggested that baking in some ways emulates a rice cooker. I don't know about that as I've never used a rice cooker, but baking means I don't need extra equipment taking up my limited counter and storage space. Have you considered baking your rice?

And what if he wasn't a "regular" and didn't tip? Would you suggest not serving him, and asking him to leave?

Bad idea ... I'd be concerned about the server's attitude.

Your post caught my attention as I'm starting to look for a scoop, although not primarily for ice cream but for portion control when making cookies, dumplings, etc. Are you using your scoop for ice cream or portion control? Why do you like the scoops(s) you've mentioned? I've never heard of the brands you mentioned, but that's to be expected since I've not looked at scoops before.

That's not been my experience. Large eggs that I have purchased have shown a substantial and measureable difference in size and weight. The last dozen large eggs I bought looked more like medium, and a carton that I bought last month looked closer to another brand's XL.

Indeed ... have two different packages of rice noodles in the pantry and am planning on picking up a third today or Thursday. Of course, finding the right soaking time for the noodles is important to the texture of the noodles and the overall cohesiveness of the dish.

As noted in my original post, I'm not necessarily interested in duplicating a restaurant or other recipe, rather, trying to develop my own with ideas from others as well as looking at various complete recipes. I like the idea of curry paste instead of powder, and that's given rise to another idea, which is to play around with some prepared curry sauces. One that comes to mind is a prepared yellow curry sauce that I like with the addition of some fresh ground peanut butter to make sort of a curry-flavored peanut sauce, or maybe a peanut-flavored curry sauce. Got the idea for the sauce from someone here on eGullet, tried it, liked it, and perhaps it'll work with this noodle dish. Thanks!

I have a brand that I use frequently because it suits Toots (it's mild) and, coincidentally, it works well in a variety of dishes. If I want something a little different, I can up the heat with some Aleppo pepper or use one of my own curry powder recipes. But you're right, at least IMHO, the curry powder is a big consideration, not only the composition but the amount as well.