elyse

You lost me on the third sentence. I also believe that there should be nothing or only salt and pepper (which is my choice), so please don't generalize what Americans like, please. I think salt and pepper make a big difference.

Yes, it's the taste I love, but the texture doesn't bother me at all. I get weird about texture here and there, though. Maybe I have no taste.

Am I the only person who likes the soft bottled type?

Are you interested only in sandwiches? I make casseroles and stews etc, and portion them in plastic containers to take to work. As for sandwiches, you could try a Hunter's Sandwich. It's a loaf of bread cut horizontally, and layer a steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms bla, bla, then put the top layer on and weight it with something heavy so the bread soaks up all of the juices. Tell me if you want recipes. It's pretty straight forward, though.

Yeah, invite me to be a taster! Ixnay on the assion fruitpay. Sorry, you just lost me there. It might be too peanutbutter and jelly, you know?

I'm wondering if everyone here changed their diet significantly durring pregnancy, or if it was just amplified. For instance, elfin, did you eat Slim Jims before you were pregnant, or just a bizarre craving? Nero W, this wasn't like a salad, was it? The dirt eating is actually called geophagy. Pica is the general term for eating anything non foodliike. Many people eat dirt, and especially durring pregnancy. In the U.S. eating dirt is most practiced in the South. It's even sold in stores, and there are varieties too. So, do you think your cravings were new and from left field, or just exaggerated?

Agreed.

Mmmmmm... soggy breadding sitting in brrrooooth.

Peppridge Farms Cappucino cookies. No cinnamon in them. Mmmm. Krunchers potato chips, alfredo flavored.

I'm talking about "disposable" aluminum from take out etc.. I reheat food in them, and reuse them. Is there nothing that will take off the stains?

Id also say it may have something to do with the size of the pan. Say they call for four chops in a 10x10" pan (no real relation to the recipe, as I haven't seen it) and you lessen the chops AND the liquid, there'll be more surface space for the liquid to evaporate. I think if you have more surface, you should increase the liquid, if only by using water. And two chops do cook faster than four. The fewer pieces, the more intense the heat. More pieces, more heat distribution. Did you cover the pan? Did they taste good? Hope this helps.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Sex.

ditto Aren't you supposed to leave the top knob off the lid when blending something hot? So it DOESN'T explode? Yes, the little knobby in the middle. I put a towel over it to keep the stuff from flying out the little hole. But I don't expect to need much pressure, and it often flies out the sides. I was watching some lame tvfn show when it first came out (haven't seen a rerun), and... can't remember the name of the show. It was a cross between "Calling All Cooks" and "Extreme Cuisine," but anyway, some guy was showing how he makes soup at some lodge (sorry my memory is so spotty), and he filled the blender with hot soup, covered it tightly, and let it rip. It was soooo painful to watch.

I just tried a search, but didn't really come up with anything. I've found that when I put something aluminum near something else in the dishwasher, the plate or whatever gets rubbed with aluminum, and marked. Does anyone know how to get rid of this stain? Regular scrubbing hasn't done it for me.

You know, I just get tired of turning and toasting. Plus I find it blackens the pot more quickly. And not in a good way.

Tylenol or acetaminophen mixed with alcohol is quite toxic to your liver. Don't do it. Edit: This year I did a bit of research on hangover prevention and cures. If anyone wants the articles I found most interesting, PM me, or tell me how to link it here.

I've never had it either, really, and always called it PMS for pre, present, and post. I have bizarre cravings all the time anyway. An ex used to tell me that when I became pregnant, I'd have to send out for emergency salads and fish and things at 3am. Do we have a pregnancy cravings thread? I heard a while ago, that men have similar cycles that run at six weeks, which I always suspected, so was happy to hear corroboration. I wonder if they cycle with their friends...? Cathy, men can do Kegel as well. Hard to get them to admit to it....

I was just thinking about my stew today. I used to cut chuck into chunks before browning it, but recently started browning it as a steak or two. Then I take it out and let it rest while sauteeing the vegetables. I find it easier this way. Any reason cutting it first works better?

I'd call beets purple, but cranberies, red. Usually.

Something with pomegranite? Tandoori?

Bux, don't you think your recent post is on the personal attack side? No names, but still... P.S. I'm not taking it personally, in particular. BUT, knowing how to act in a restaurant or in public goes both ways. When provoked, I WILL react. I see nothing wrong with expecting pleasant, helpful service. If it's not provided, why hang around? I'm not a masochist. And I don't throw away money on things I don't enjoy. I don't see what's wrong with that.

Here I go resurrecting old threads again, but I've been thinking about ti for a while. I went to this show, and first of all I want to tell all who participated in the demos that everything was wonderful and intrigueing. Bizarre and fabulous. Thank you. At one point, I didn't have a seat from which I could see anything,. and stood by the pillar to the left of the demo area (stage right), and I asked someone if I was in their way. He said something about meeting a group of people that he knew... kind of, they knew Steve Klc, and then muttered on, but dropped off when he realized that I was not part of the group. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I'm sure it was one of you. Wish I paid more attention.

If your request is refused, how does that influence your opinion of a restaurant? All depends on how it is presented. If I'm uncomfortable remaining in the restaurant, I may leave. I'm not a fan of waiters with attitude.

Because Steve, I worked in the kitchen of a restaurant and I saw the reaction of the chef to people doing this. Thats how I know how they react. That is why it is not pure conjecture. I also waited tables for years and had these requests made to me, so thats how I know how I reacted when I had to pass this along to the sous. I was there. That is why it is not pure conjecture. As fas as passing judgment, thats all we do on this forum. We pass judgment on food, wine, restaurants, chefs, publications, locations, cities, airlines, hotels, smells, tastes, colors, each other, and anything else that is related to food. Its what a forum is, a chance to share opinions and debate the merits of those opinions. It doesn't have to be personal, or should it be. Sometimes two people just dont think the same way about the same thing. I too have stated that I have worked in restaurants where I saw both sides of the fence. For the most part, when a request was refused, it was due to the pettiness of the server/chef/manager/owner. Outrageous, in my opinion. No one in the weeds, no lack of ingredients, no danger involved in the cooking of the dish. Just moodiness. Chef/owners can be tyrranical and may bite the hand that feeds them. Several lunatics I have worked for, several lunatics I have left. Other chef/owners are more than accomodating, but sometimes the customer has to get by that pesky server. And I've seen the chef happily go to great lengths to make this customer satisfied assuring a return visit. Emphasize HAPPILY. I personally wouldn't trust a server who told me "No" unless it came with a reason I could accept. And I don't think we're talking about asking the chef of a vegetarian restaurant to whip up a chicken kiev, are we? I'll restate, many chefs these days believe more is more rather than letting the food stand on it's own. If that's the carefully designed menu, it's designed poorly.

Why would you eat someplace you know you won't like? Sometimes you get stuck going places yu don't want to. Sometimes it's a crowd, sometimes it's to make the other person happy.