The J

Recently, I've been making chana masala a lot, or chicken and potato vindaloo.

The edX classes are free and online. There's a registration link if you click on the link in the first post.

For me it's situational. The time when it really gets to me is lunch on a weekday. There are a few restaurants I'll go to with coworkers where it takes a while to get the check. It's not really understandable either, considering these places are in the middle of a business district and it's pretty clear we're in the middle of the work day. While sometimes we take slightly longer lunches, once we get to the check phase of the meal, it should be done quickly. I also agree with gfweb -- once we ask for the check, that's all we want. It bugs me when I spot the waiter, make the whole "bring the check" gesture, and then a couple minutes later the waiter shows up, without the check, asking if we want anything else.

Another vote for the OXO straight peeler. I peel toward myself and don't peel in massive quantities (except for holidays). I have not tried a Y peeler, but I don't have any discomfort from the straight one.

I have the IRK (which is $59 open box, though mine came with a probe). I like it, and find have the ability to attach a probe makes it incredibly versatile.

I pretty much have one of those jars in my fridge at all times, right next to the Costco jar of marinated artichoke hearts. They're great for a quick pasta dinner -- cook the tomatoes on low heat to get the oil liquid (since it will congeal in the fridge), then add garlic, onions, black olives and red pepper. Toss with pasta, finish with some fresh basil and grated parm. I second the sun-dried tomato pesto -- it's great for potato salad too. Chop them up and add them to sausage and peppers, or roasted chicken and potatoes. Add to risotto. I will also take a few, heat them just enough to render the oil off, and use the oil in bread or pizza dough. In order to ensure the tomatoes don't go to waste, I put them on a piece of crusty bread with a little goat cheese and snack away.

Tonight's dinner: Jicama and Tofu Chili. I topped it with some avocado and had a chunk of sourdough to wipe up the sauce.

Those Bailey's ones look AMAZING. How do you get them so shiny?

Food does come with warning labels. It's called "nutritional information". The fact that some people apparently can't read and comprehend the warning label is not the fault of the company. I'm sure there are people who smoke who are illiterate. That doesn't mean that cigarette manufacturers should be required to put up display stands with auditory warnings for those people.

How much sodium, sugar and fat are in a typical ham and cheese sandwich?

I mixed plain yogurt with garam masala, turmeric, ground ginger, cumin, garlic powder, salt and a little bit of lemon juice. I cubed the tofu (extra firm) and mixed it in the yogurt, and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. I cooked it in a non-stick pan for ~15 minutes on medium high, with a little canola oil and the extra yogurt.

Yogurt marinated tofu over jasmine rice, served with a warm tomato and chickpea salad over spinach with garlic chili sauce.

With BBQing, you want the smoke to cook the food. With grilling, flame can touch the meat.

And then Tom sits there and tells them that they should cook what they know, and by what they know, he means whatever he thinks their grandmother cooked as opposed to whatever they've been doing for their careers.

Jason -- can I move in with your manager? That spread looks amazing!