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Smarmotron

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Posts posted by Smarmotron

  1. I usually get my spices at an Indian grocery. They are a ton cheaper than at the Safeway. I have jam jars that are about 15 years old that I keep the spices in.

    I guess I could also buy seeds and grind them.

    Where do you go for your cheap, fresh, spices?

  2. I am, in many senses, a food storage dunce. Part of the reason is that my family growing up was fairly large (well, there were 5 of us total, but 4 were males) and there were no leftovers, or food got consumed so quickly it could be sitting out on the counter and not spoil before it got eaten. Part of the reason is that I lived with roommates for many years; similar situation.

    The past few years have been more difficult. Allow me to pose my food storage conundrums.

    * a brick of cheese - I put in a ziplock bag, but if I don't take a bit for 2 days, it starts getting hard.

    * sausages - if I buy 4 or 6, do I cook and refrigerate, or just refrigerate? How long will they keep?

    * bread - I've long ago learned to keep refrigerated, and it seems okay.

    In general, I seek your advice!

  3. I had the opportunity to attend a dinner at Art Of The Table, a new supper club that opened up a few months ago in Wallingford. I was there for Cajun and Jazz night. I'm not going to write a full review, but here are my observations...

    - the chef and the manager, Dustin and Laurie, spend a lot of time with the guests, talking about the food, the wine, Dustin's crazy life as a chef, etc. They're very interesting.

    - the food was fantastic. I'm probably not as much of a foodie type as a lot of you guys, but the four course meal with amuse bouche was really tasty. The andouille sausage and chicken gumbo, and the blackened ling cod with vegetables, were my favorites.

    - dessert was incredible too. Homemde bourbon ice cream and chocolate pecan pie.

    A great meal, a decent price, and interesting conversation with a bunch of strangers...everyone in the area should try it once. Dustin is just getting the place off the ground, and he's really relying on word of mouth for now. So give it a try and if you like it, get the word out.

    Some links:

    http://blog.nwsource.com/entertainment/arc...082107_art.html

    http://www.artofthetable.net/

  4. This is an old favorite that my grandmother used to make. I recently got the recipe from my mom (who does not make the rolls) and I am going to try it for Thanksgiving this year. I am transcribing the recipe exactly as it is on the card.

    ICEBOX ROLLS

    2 cups hot water

    1 heaping Tablesp salt

    1/2 cup shortening

    1/2 cup sugar

    Mix and cool to lukewarm. Soften 1 cake compressed yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp sugar, and add to above mixture. Add two well-beaten eggs. Add 4 cups flour and beat well. Then stir in 3 more cups of flour. Do NOT knead. Set in icebox until ready to make out. Let dough rise about 3 hours before baking. 400 degrees 10 min.

    Now, this is written in kind of confusing language for a highly logical engineer such as myself. I assume I mix it up as described, then refrigerate for 3 hours before baking? Or do I let it sit in the open (covered by a cheesecloth, maybe) for 3 hours, then refrigerate until ready to bake?

    Also, some of the ingredients are smudged - do the quantities look correct?

    Lastly, would you assume this recipe makes 12 rolls worth?

    Thanks...I am a baking novice!

  5. EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

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    EXERCISE

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    EXERCISE

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    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

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    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    EXERCISE

    Sorry. It's just that your entire post was about food. Healthy eating and exercise are BOTH important for a healthy lifestyle. Plus, the more you exercise, the more you can eat.

  6. What annoys you about the wait?

    Honestly, the fact that I'm hypoglycemic. If I wait thirty or forty unplanned minutes for a table, then another thirty minutes (at least) for my order to be taken, and to return from the kitchen, then I am usually no longer in a state to enjoy the food; I'm bitchy, headachey, so hungry I can't taste it, and generally no

    Ever heard of a small snack?

  7. I'm curious how frequently folks use the dining room. I have many friends and acquaintances who use it perhaps 10 times per year, only on special occasions. We use our dining room for nearly every meal. We figure, it's a nice room, why not use it? Sure, our table and carpet gets a little more worn, but we get such great use out of that room.

    How about you?

  8. I know lots of people bring food to work but how do others view it? In my dad's work place, it is not recommended for men(with higher position) to bring lunch from home since it is "unmanly". Most of the women in my mom's office bring their own lunch, they even have their own rice cooker. :hmmm: What is the office/workplace politics about home made lunch?

    Is there any food that you would not like your colleague to see you eating? I know that heating up Chinese preserved fishes can bring a very distant smell in the whole room. Do you usually eat by yourself or in a common room? Let's open the room for discussions now!

    I usually take a lunch 3x per week. Wednesdays we walk down to an Indian place and get a box to go. And Fridays I walk to a nearby Teriyaki place to get something. I feel no shame in bringing my lunch, it tastes great and saves money, too.

  9. It's time someone said something. It's time someone did something! The infusion of sugar into everything from barbeque sauce to curry to coleslaw must end! It eradicates subtle and traditional flavours, and enslaves all the savouries with which it makes contact. I fail to grasp why so many people (evidently) like everything so sweet? Is it because it's a cheap and easy way to make a bland dish flavorful, even if that flavor is wholly out of place?

  10. Okay, I don't know the marketing regions of Tim's Cascade Chips, but I assume it's limited to the NW or maybe the West.

    These things are great! I can't imagine ever eating another brand of chip. They're thick, flavorful, salty, and come in a great range. In fact, I even spotted Wasabi on the shelf today - and it didn't disappoint. My favorite has to be the sea salt and vinegar brand, though.

    Anyone else adore these?

  11. You guys are too funny. Did your parents really not catch on when you came home eyes all strabic and smelling like you swallowed a perfumery?

    My strategy was to come home chewing grape gum, poke my head into the family room to greet the 'rents, then head straight upstairs. Only got caught once, and it's because I was stumbling drunk.

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