hjshorter

Next time I'm in Tokyo I will be sure to get a recommendation, cchen. But I ain't flying the kids there on a Friday when one of them wants their unagi maki and flying fish roe. What's to like on the Pike? I have eaten at China Canteen twice in the last three days. It's not a destination place, but if you're in the area it's a worthy option. An ordinary Chinese-American place has somehow morphed into a decent Sichuan option in the 6 years since I last tried it. The menu is not as extensive as Joe's Noodle House, but that's a good thing in my opinion as I find Joe's menu to be a little bit intimidating. Get the Cumin Lamb ChongQing style. China Canteen 808 Hungerford Drive, Rockville. 301-424-1606. It's in a strip mall on the West side of the Pike, across the street from Caribbean Feast and Cuban Corner and just north of the Giant Food.

Thanks Dinwiddie. I am extremely picky about fish and reluctant to try new places. My kids love sushi so we will give it a go and report back.

I live right around the corner from this place and have never tried it - we order from Momo Taro farther up the Pike. What did you order, and how does it compare to Momo Taro (if you've been there)?

Oh yeah, baby.I am an indiscriminate MW whore, slathering it on turkey, chicken, roast beef (mixed w/a little horseradish), and burgers. I lavish it in tuna with a generous amount of red onion. It absolutely kicks ass in deviled eggs, along with (the horror) yellow mustard. I cannot envision American-style potato salad without that tangy zip. We never had anything else while I was growing up. My dad's family is from Oklahoma, and apparently "salad dressing" was always the choice. Edit to say I have tried making my own and the results always sucked in a big way.

Pie. Any kind. Chess, blueberry, lemon meringue, apple, buttermilk, peach, banana cream... One crust, two crust, graham cracker crust, lattice top. It's all good. Oh and someone has probably posted this link, but it's worth seeing again. Pie.

That's part of learning sauces.

Hollandaise is surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. I do the cold butter (actually, more like room temp) method right on the stovetop. The standard is 6-7 yolks per pound of butter. I like a lemony, less eggy tasting sauce so I use 6 yolks and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Jacques Pepin recommends unclarified butter, as it makes a thinner, creamier tasting sauce that can withstand higher heat than regular hollandaise.

I've wondered this myself.I don't think having a showroom quality kitchen would make me happy - I'd settle for clean and functional. We've got inadequate cabinetry installed in 1961 with 45 years of grease caked on. Half of the floor cabinets aren't even attached to the walls, so we can push them around the kitchen. The floor is a hideous Pergo faux tile that matches nothing else and seems to be made to look grungy all the time. The area you cook in is galley shaped and the dishwasher can't be opened at the same time as the oven. Our "ventilation system" is an incredibly disgusting fan set in the wall behind the stove, operated by reaching behind the stove and yanking a greasy chain. My favorite feature though is the ugly wood paneling complete with fake beams in a different shade than the cabinets. I want cabinets that go up to the ceiling, a sink big enough to wash a stockpot in, a floor than doesn't look dirty all the time, and a vent hood. Easy to please.

No one we know with kids has formal dinner parties, including us. If we invite friends to our house their kids are invited and vice versa. Getting a sitter is very expensive ($12/hour for our two kids), so we save that for occasions where children aren't welcome, like weddings or more formal restaurants.

I don't like biting into whole fruit. Apples, peaches, plums, strawberries... all have to be cut. Even whole grapes bother me. Bananas don't bother me somehow, maybe because you remove the outside before biting into it.

Yes, fatty pork rules at Kam Sam and Maxim.

"All the way" up to Rockville? Sorry to hear about An Binh. Didn't someone upthread mention another bahn mi place in Wheaton?

Then I would still recommend the Old Ebbitt Grill. Maybe a trip to the Hotel Washington for a drink and dessert?

Better yet, the suprisingly good Mitsitam Cafe at the Museum of the American Indian:

There's a very nice article about Mr Feder in today's Washington Post Food section.

Old Ebbitt Grill is a DC institution, close to the action downtown, and guaranteed to have something they will like on the menu.

Until a short time ago, it would have been coffee for me as well. I am currently on a low-iodine diet that forbids dairy, soy, egg yolks, fish & seafood, and rice. The one thing that's making me crazy is milk. I always have at least one glass every day. I could (and did when I was pregnant) give up coffee much more easily.

It's no great surprise that the vocabulary is being lost along with the skills.

I wanted to add that our county has a system like this and it's very popular. It eliminates bullies stealing other kid's lunch money, and no one knows which children are getting a free lunch.

JohnL, do you have children? Both of my children are very very slim, fairly active, and eat six times a day, three meals and three small snacks. They have done this since they were able to eat solid food. Making them do without meals in order to exercise most assuredly does not mean they think less about eating. Eliminating mealtime is not going to reduce the problem of childhood obesity. As I said upthread, I wish my daughter had more time to eat her lunch, rather than less. Eating to quickly and overeating often go hand in hand.

Actually, I wish my 6-year-old had more time to finish her food, instead of having to wolf it down so that the whole table can go out for recess.

This is making me question my orientation. Because it all sounds good to me.

Mine gets a hankering for what we call (thanks to eGullet) a big F*** off steak. Even better if he can grill it himself. Chili.

We frequently order one adult entree and split it between the kids. Of course that only works if they will agree on the same thing.

Definitely D.