Tommy x

i *always* cook with cold water. the simple reason you ask? because hot water sits in that nasty tank in your closet or basement for hours or days before it comes out of your faucet and into your pot. cold water is much cleaner in general. also, my understanding is that if you start with cold water and add salt, it will take longer to reach boiling. this is because the salt doesn't slow down or speed up the heating process (only a change of heat would do that), but merely raises the boiling point, which the water will take longer to reach. of course, for those who live at high altitudes, you're not cooking with very hot water!

remember the good ole days rosie, when that was *my* job! :)

i was hoping someone would start this thread. i've been getting into NY state wines recently, and have found some great values and interesting wines. overall, i'd put them up against CA wines in the same price range. however, my experience with NJ wines has been minimal, and unpleasant as i recall. any good values out there from NJ? i'd love to give some a shot, but the stores i buy wine from don't carry any. one wine writer was quoted in the article as saying "these days, if you go into a wine shop and blindly grab a California wine, your chances of getting something mildly unpleasant are greater than if you pick a wine from NJ." interesting, i thought.

it's just a plain ole reisling. :)

very good, if not a tad bit overpriced. i guess i'll throw in my 2 cents here: i've been enjoying a Reisling from the Finger Lakes this summer. it's called Salmon Run, and it's a bargain at 9.99 a bottle. made by a winemaker called "Dr. Frank", who does some other nice work up in the Finger Lakes with pinot noir (a bit pricier at 22-25 a bottle). it's light, crisp, a bit fruity, and quite refreshing. great with citrus-y salads, lightly spiced dishes, and certainly great on its own. cheers.

this is what i do as well, after seeing someone do it. much easier, imho. additionally, there can sometimes be a bit of mold around the top of the cork or under the foil. i've found that if you cut the foil, it makes for more difficult clean-up of this sediment, whereas if you remove the foil in its entirety, you can clean it up easily. and before you ask, no, these wines aren't corked. i'd imagine that for presentation and aestetic purposes, people choose to leave the foil on.

i saw a corkscrew on TV today that i've never seen before, and ironically enough, i went to a friend's house this afternoon, and they had the same one. it has a "needle" that you put through the cork, and then squeeze the pumping mechanism (with your fingers), which forces air into the bottle, which of course forces the cork out. it was quite easy to use, and required very little work. i'm curious to know how it works on synethic corks, or screw tops does anyone know where to get one of these?

Johnny and Hanges in Fairlawn also deep fries hot dogs. for my dollar though, Rutt's Hut in clifton is still king. and they have beer. (Edited by Tommy x at 6:12 am on Aug. 5, 2001)