Katie Meadow

I use three tools for stir fry in the wok. First I make a spicy oil with garlic, ginger and dry red chiles, so I need a slotted spoon strainer similar to the one @liuzhou shows above to remove and toss the sizzling crispies before the garlic colors. Then I use a large utility spoon to put some of the oil into a small bowl to be added as needed. The real work is done by the long handled scoop/shovel. I don't have a ladle for the wok. It seems like that would be most useful for large quantities that are portioned out. Since we are only two people it's easy enough to pour/ slide/push the finished dish into a serving bowl.

You mean a bushel of mint is a bit much for you?

I'm not a fan of mint juleps, but it's not because of the mint. I just don't like bourbon. I'm very happy with mint in my G&T with lime juice and I'm also fond of Israeli lemonade and mint chocolate brownies. So if you make a mojito, cheers! I won't tell, and the horses won't either.

@Shelby let's hope Soup and Sandwich finishes well. Otherwise I fear for his future.

Why not? What's wrong with your dining room?

Yes. Whatever cows do, they produce way more methane than pigs, and that's the problem. The second worst meat as far as climate goes is lamb. We don't eat that much lamb here in the US, but other countries do.

I don't know where you got that idea about toasting bagels. I grew up toasting them, and I always do it still. Untoasted bagels are good for teething kids, or kids who need distraction. Lightly toasted, open face everything or onion bagel with good cream cheese and lox is my comfort food.

From an article in the NYT: "What about the environmental argument? Almost 30 percent of the world’s ice-free land is used to raise livestock. We grow a lot of crops to feed animals, and we cut down a lot of forests to do that. But beef, far more than pork or chicken, contributes to environmental harm, in part because it requires much more land. The greenhouse gas production per serving of chicken or pork is about 20 percent that of a serving of beef. Cows also put out an enormous amount of methane, causing almost 10 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate change." Really, there's plenty of evidence about the impact of beef production on the environment, it isn't news. Although the move by Epicurious is kind of amazing.

And you have actually seen this in SF? I can't imagine a restaurant in the Bay Area giving out different menus.

A. Assorted organ meats with accompanying pictures of the animals B. Tilapia on a bed of sand C. Vegetarian Meatloaf D. Savory King Cake E. Six live jumbo crawfish and a candle F. Foam

The first time we were in the south I learned that a side of cooked apples was common. Mostly they were bland and too soft, but once in a while they were cut in proper wedges and sautéed in butter until....well, until they were cooked right. Awfully good with ham. Also probably nice alongside green beans, perfectly cooked of course, or long-cooked southern style with bacon and simmered in ham broth. It's clearly time to get out of bed and go down for breakfast. Waiting for me is press-pot coffee with chicory. Not waiting for me is warm apple pie, which is really sad.

Perfectly cooked is only half the trick. Note that Jacques tosses off the words "fresh from the garden" as if we all have our plot just outside the kitchen screen door. Getting fresh tender and tasty beans is at least half the battle. Mediocre beans do better the long-cooked southern way with something porky and ripe tomatoes. One thing I didn't know: beans no longer have strings. No wonder my husband is so fast at string bean prep.

Sorry, but after seeing Alex the therapy bunny who went to the Giants game a few days ago I've sworn off rabbit. If you haven't seen pix yet I'm sure it's all over the place by now.

It is quite possible that some of us smell the fish while others do not, just a genetic thing like asparagus pee or cilantro tasting like soap.

Okay, the whole thing about the menus without prices is pretty silly. I would not have guessed that still happens when there isn't a clear host, but what do I know? I don't dine in clubs or anywhere that might still be a thing. If you want to talk sexism in dining and restaurant life there are far more egregious crimes.

Lobster is usually a safe bet, no?

I guess I like the taste of peanut oil, so I use it for high heat stir-fry. But I don't consider Peanut oil a neutral oil, it definitely has flavor. For high heat cooking minus the peanut oil flavor I think Rice Bran Oil is a good choice. You could read about the pros and cons of the multitude of oils until your eyes cross. I suspect that there are many people who use canola oil because it is very high in omega 3's. But it does have other negative qualities, even aside from the fishy taste that only some of us detect. If you want a good source of omega3's snack on walnuts.

If I was to go out and actually purchase Velveeta, which I haven't done for forty or so years, I would feel guilty. But if someone served me tortilla chips with melted Velveeta hot from the oven topped with a pickled jalapeño I would eat it without guilt. After all, I didn't do it. Eating beef makes me feel guilty. I do it a couple times a year.

Canola oil is a mystery to me. Just a quick search on Google confirms that I am by no means the only person to whom canola oil smells fishy. Some say they only detect the fishy smell when it is heated, but I can smell it in the bottle. I never have it in the house. If I want a neutral oil I use Sunflower. I also keep grapeseed oil on hand, but use it mainly in sweet baked things that call for oil instead of butter. So maybe Eric Ripert himself smells like fish and the scent of the canola oil is too subtle for him.

I adore a good yellow watermelon. Don't you think it has a slightly vegetal quality? Hard to describe. I'm convinced the ones with seeds are better than seedless. But I think that's true of all watermelon. Looking forward to the season here in northern CA. I will be in Atlanta in June and I wonder if yellow watermelon is popular there. I'm looking forward to everything but the flight, that dreadful airport and the weather.

I went through a Duralex phase. It seemed romantic. French picnic! But my husband never took to it. He prefers to take his chances with stemmed wine glasses; one particularly weird event involving two stemmed wineglasses included a trip to the ER. I discovered the best solution was simply Ikea generic stemmed glasses. If one breaks it isn't sad, and every so often you can go back to Ikea for another six-pack. The decline of dinner parties at our house has resulted in a pretty stable collection of wine glasses.

Ooh, lovely. Happy Birthday (not).

Okay, so now I have to know: what does SE do? What do you mean by animate objects? Is she a veterinarian? A therapist? A cat wrangler? Only after I left NY for less insular territory did I learn that cutting bagels in half horizontally is considered a dangerous operation I hope my confidence doesn't get shaken now that I've learned there's such a thing as a left-handed bread knife, because I'm pretty sure I don't have one.

If it was the second mai tai I get it. If it was the first, you have my sympathy. Doesn't Baccarat make a sippy cup?

I say you're good as long as SE can cut a bagel in half.