kitchensqueen

I am totally broke, but I'm taking a twenty and going on a thrift store spree this weekend. I'm inspired to search for a good find or two!

Gulp. I shudder at the thought of all that history on the page going in a bin. I'll never get totally past the sentimentality of a paper magazine. Me too! I collect Saveur and am trying to round out what I'm missing - I cringe thinking that editions I covet ended up in the trash heap! If anyone else feels compelled to trashs theirs, pm me! Let's make a deal!

Pretty much. Trying to organize a collection of side dishes that aren't "Snickers salad" (don't ask) out of a motely group of college students is not unlike herding cats, though I think I've managed to finagle it. Incidentally, any suggestions on a brine/marinade for the roast? Maybe just put it in some red wine, salt, and honey? Snickers salad... yeah, not going to ask. If I were doing a marinade on a tenderloin, I'd use a little Chinese 5 spice power, brown sugar and either cider vinegar or a splash of soy. Tasty.

!!!! The vintage martini lamp is awesome! My in-laws have a martini-themed bar in their basement... If only I could find such a treasure to give them for Christmas.

Glad you mentioned this! I'd be lost without our spice purveyor too. A few neighborhoods away from me, but the only place I'll buy herbs and spices. And can you imagine food without good spices!?

This is an interesting point to consider actually...

It's wrong to steal. Bottom line. The bags are provided as a courtesty so you can easily transport your purchases about the store and home. They are not there so that you can just take them for whatever else you think you need them for... that's why plastic baggies/containers/whatever are sold - you can purchase the applicable type for your personal home use. This is wasteful from both an economic and environmental standpoint as well... we should all be reducing our reliance on plastic bags and containers like this anyway... but I suppose that is a seperate (yet, in my opinion, related) issue. The fact that you're even asking about the ethics of this scenario makes me think that on some level you're uneasy about it and know it's wrong. And even if others can help you justify this behavior (and perhaps their own, if they share a similar view), does that make it any more right? A mass of people all doing something wrong, is just that - a mass of people doing something wrong.

Okay, but it's killing me - why do you need to have 100+ of these produce bags at home? Please tell us... It just seems wasteful...

I'd feel pretty distraught if our favorite local butcher, Paulina Meat Market, ever went under. Sadly they're not even in my neighborhood - about a twenty minute train ride away, but worth the travel. And though not a store, I'd be completely lost if our neighborhood farmer's market went away. I already lament the fact that we don't have an "old-school"/artisan fishmonger and bakery in the immediate vicinity to my neighborhood... I'd prefer so much to do daily/every-few-days marketing at knowledgeable, specialized, local retailers than running into a one-stop-shop supermarket where they only know my name by what's printed on my check out reciept...

Hm. I've asked myself this question as well, and for me, it's always come down to time and money. Time, in that I have a full-time day job that I can't ditch in order to accomodate the class schedule and money in that I don't really have any! So I've always had to default into "no, it's not feasible". Depends on what your opportunity is specifically, I think. Are you getting a free ride or break in tuition somehow? Or is the money part not a concern in your situation? Do you have a day/full time job that you'd need to work around? If you can make it work within your life's structure/constraints (how ever you want to phrase it) then I think personal enrichment is always worth it, especially for something you enjoy. That being said, have you taken recreational cooking classes to see if you enjoy being in that teaching/learning environment when it comes to food and cooking?

My preferences are pretty boring compared to some of the others listed - I've never even heard of half these fish! Makes me want to broaden my fish and chips horizons and do a tasting of half a dozen kinds in one meal. For beer battered deep fried fish, I like plain old cod. For herbed bread crumb fish, shallow fried, I like perch. I think I'm pickier on the chips - I like them thin, but not wispy or crispy - they've got to have some steamy potato on the inside. But not so thick and "meaty" that they're flacid with no bite to them. And I always, always have to eat them with malt vinegar on both the fish and chips - no mayo or god forbid, ketchup. If malt vinegar is not available (and lack of it will make me seriously reconsider ever eating at the establishment ever again) I will settle for fresh lemon wedges. It goes without saying that the fries should be well salted as well. Dang. Now I really want some fish and chips.

I hope they're not using their fingers...

I know you specifically asked for advice on what to do with the meat dishes, but have you thought of which sides you'll serve with them? Or are you asking your guests to bring a side dish to pass?

Yeah, totally my question too. Why do you need extra flimsy, crappy produce bags at home? Those things aren't much better than tissue paper; they'll rip and split at the slightest jostling. What are you doing with them? Also, the "ethics of stealing..." - well, since stealing in general is considered by most to be unethical, isn't this question a little... I don't know, ill-defined?

I just thought of two more PBS shows I can't stand - "Christina Cooks" - she has this guy with her for half the show serenading her on guitar about her cooking. Weird. "Joanne Weir's Cooking Class" - her personality and manner of speaking just grate on my nerves. She's talking to grown adults like they're three year olds - "Okay, so now to get this bell pepper cooked- - have you ever eaten a bell pepper? - we have to cut it into strips with this knife. You've seen a knife like this before, right?". Drives me insane - it's the kindergarten teacher voice or something...

I have a Cameron and I haven't had any experiences with it leaking tons of smoke. A little whiff or two, but not even enough to trigger the smoke alarm. You can also tighten down the lid every few uses by pressing it with both hands while it's half-on the pan (kind of hard to describe the technique, but it works). I love mine. Use it all the time.

Why bother? I think curiosity is a fine thing. Learning about the history of a subject is fun and interesting, and helps us learn new things.

Glad this blog was mentioned - I can't wait to read through it. I've got the FL and Bouchon cookbooks, and while I've cooked from Bouchon, I haven't had the nerve to properly try FL. Maybe this blog will kick me into gear.

Either way, their on-camera chemistry (or lack thereof) was just so awkward it was unbearable to watch.

Ah, I see now! That is an interesting question - I'm sure there must be a book or study of ancient Chinese food that addresses this... now just a matter of finding it! The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8 Lee is a fairly recent book I've read that examines the differences in Amercianized/Westernized Chinese cuisine versus Chinese cuisine, but it doesn't discuss sauces or thickeners or such in any detail...

Wow, has it been that long since I've been up there? We used to go to Mount Horeb/Madison all the time... I think I need to leave the house more.

I've been there and it's a small but well-done museum on the main street in downtown. They've got an amazing selection and some interesting displays and literature about mustard. A little touristy, as they also function as a shop, but certainly worth a look if you're in Mount Horeb.

Yeah, I certainly wouldn't say it's traditional/suitable in all situations. But for the limited types of sauced stir fries I do at home, it's a cheat that works and doesn't detrimentally affect the dish.

I never use cornstarch. Usually the heat and amazing powers of reduction are enough to get the sauce thick enough for my taste, but when it's not - insert shocked gasps here - I use a buerre manie. Works every time.

I guess it was just their restaurants that closed then - http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2009/08/the_rise_and_fall_of_caprials.html and http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2009/08/caprials_bistro_abrupty_closes.html. I'm shocked they're still together, but... good for them?