MetsFan5

@liuzhou that’s unlike any mozzarella I’ve ever seen. Can you tell us more about it? It looks like Brie or provolone in various stages.

Brandeating.com will surely review them soon.

Have you tried the honey BBQ twists? They can be addictive. Fritos in small amounts and not frequently are great. Too many of them make me ill.

I’m waiting until school is in session to go to my local TJs. It’s small compared to most and the amount of cranky children in there is enough to keep me away. Gosh I sound old. I’m still in my 30s!

I’d kill for those steamers right now!

Are you serious?! I sincerely doubt you are a “generous” tipper. “See you in court”?! Over what— at most $100-200? Petty. Any club I have gone to or been a member at automatically includes a gratuity charge. This has been the case at a slew of country clubs (including ones that host the PGA Championship), dining clubs and Yatch Clubs. I was at the Hamilton Princess Yacht Club this week and there was a mandatory 17% gratuity. I never tip less than 20%. The server is not always the issue. People have bad days. If I can afford to dine out then I can afford to tip. How does your refusal to accept an automatic gratuity on a check even make sense? 100% of the time I have encountered it, it was listed on the website and if not the menu of the establishment. If you didn’t read the fine print that’s your problem. Not the servers. How entitled you must be to think you can “speak to the owner” and have them adjust their business practices to suit your needs. I’m glad people like me can make up for people like you. I sincerely hope you do not fine out frequently.

I spent some time on Amazon looking at this tonight. I’ve never SV in my life. But the product looks easy to use and it’s a good price especially if you bundle the Rubbermaid plastic container with the lid for $128. That seems like a moderate investment if not a cheap one to test the water, so to speak, of SV. That said— I’m confused. It seems like I can use gallon sized ziplocks but some videos I’ve seen have them clipped on the side of the vessel with a binder clip. Is that actually necessary? Is using ziplocks risky in terms of bacteria versus buying a food saver and food saver bags? My interest in this is piqued in the same way I was interested in my slow cooker. I don’t have to deal with the heat of cooking, I can leave it alone for long periods of time and it’s kind of idiot proof. Do you use the recipes the app provides? I lack intuition in the kitchen so I appreciate clear steps. I’m thinking this could help me cook proteins like chicken and pork and seafood? Things I’m always worried about either under or over cooking. Thanks in advance!

@Kim Shook those veggies are two of my three favorite (the other being fresh corn) and I am seriously jealous. My husband isn’t a radish or cuke fan ☹️

I didn’t know she was a vegan. That’s going to clash with traditional Italian recipes.

@liamsaunt thanks for sharing. I have been curious about The Frig and the Onion. We don’t land today (omg I need to go to bed) until 8:30pm and I’m worried we won’t be able to get dinner. Seems like the Lobster Pot May be open late. Also, the shopping is super appealing. I’ll add to this thread soon enough.

I’m a bit young to have fully appreciated the show when it aired but I do like the reruns. I’m curious as to who will be writing the Golden Girls cookbook: https://people.com/food/golden-girls-cookbook-release-date-cheesecake/

We ate at The Prime Rib. The food was good and they have a 2004 Duckhorn Merlot on sale for $75. Sold. Unfortunately the ‘gentleman’ next to me paid for his date as well as their meal and I was close enough to them to lose my appetite. Last time we went down a year ago we ate at Scarpetta at 9pm on a Sunday. The food was excellent. The table next to us all wore sunglasses (it was dark out and the restaurant is dimly lit), cursed in ways I’ve only done in a blind rage while one of the couples feral child ran around taking down chairs, glassware and anything else within reach while the parents did nothing. I don’t think Philly is my scene.

I have never seen an aspic salad in my life. Same with any type of jello salad. Neither of my grandmothers made things like that and a result, my mother never did. The only “staple” salad in my home growing up was a caprese. I’m not a big fan over heavy, mayo based salads. I will occasionally mix cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a bit of onion with some sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, a bit of sugar and a bit of fish sauce. Most of my “salads” just like cold noodle dishes are made by taste and I veer off the measurements.

Mea culpa but is this even a real situation? It makes zero sense from all aspects aside of the obvious food safety one. The OP hasn’t responded. This smells of rotten meat in more than one way.

@liamsaunt thanks for the advice. My husband has works dinner 2 of the 5 nights we will be there so I’ll be solo. Is there a grocery store in Hamilton? Do you have any recommendations for a solo female diner?

@weedy is all the cooking for a lobster tail (it’s the part I cook the most) done cia SV? Or do you broil it a bit? I’ve never boiled lobster. Big surprise since I am a crappy cook.

@Kim Shook are those the Barber Foods frozen chicken Kiev? My husband and I like their chicken cordon bleu. 😌

Burgers, steak and whole chickens are things my husband likes to cook on the BGE. So I’d probably not test them out SV. I’m ‘nervous’ about cooking seafood such as shrimp and scallops, although scallops do need a sear. I’ve even gotten frustrated with vegetables— I was stupid and had pre- cut zucchini sticks delivered and when I roasted them they turned into a mushy liquid. That really pissed me off. What other proteins can benefit from sv? Ham? Pork chops/ loin, I assume are a given. Proteins are the biggest challenge for me in terms of not over cooking and maintaining tenderness. Thanks for all the advice. I think I’d probably benefit from a vacuum sealer anyway and I don’t have any appropriate sized container to sv in so if amazon has a deal I’ll look into that.

I have a feeling I may not eat all that well. Being in the Hamilton Princess. That’s okay anything is better than this rainforest like climate in the NYC Tristan’s area right now. I’ll be on my own for a few days and maybe nights. Is it safe for me to explore the area around the hotel on foot? If not I’ll just stick to Marcus’s and the pool bar. Is there a decent Uber presence there? I’m thinking we should hit up duty free on the flight out.

I think I may need to throw myself into to Sous vide world. I’ve been Servesafe certified for ages. I’ve worked mostly in the FOH. I need to actually have a cooked protein for my husband when he gets home (anywhere from 7:15-9pm) during the week. It seems that sous vide could permit me to hold the protein until he comes home and maybe sear it If needed. Keep in mind I am lacking basic cooking skills. I can’t cut anything to save my life. My mom is a really good Home chef and I went from living with my parents to eating on the go and spending the bulk of my income on rent. Mathematics is the devil as far as I’m concerned and forget trying to convert weights or temps. Can I do this? I am a borderline millennial. Maybe an app can help? I’m tired of ordering out and I don’t trust myself to cook chicken in any way that would be appealing at all, or any other lean protein for a weeknight dinner. I sinply cant eat red meat more than 2x a week. My husband loves it and will eat it at work. So I feel like sous vide could be more forgiving with poultry, pork and even shellfish like shrimp and scallops. Any advice on a starting job point is appreciated. I don’t want to spend thousands but I also need someone advice about something that will be easy to use and can use imperial temps. Also what accessories would I need?

I bought a 2lb bag of “Charleston’s Best” at the airport in Charleston in March. No doubt they were overpriced. But they are white grits which to me, who knows only knows polenta due to my Italian heritage, were a bit different. As I’ve said previously I did increase the liquid to solid ratio and it was easy to make delicious grits. The recipe on the bag had me rinse them. I likely won’t do that again— it just left a mess. The end result was great and the easiest thing I made.

Zip. I found the sale disappointing on all levels.

I made @Kim Shook ‘s sherry shrimp and grits recipe tonight. Despite having 15 years experience in the restaurant industry and a bachelors in hospitality management, I am a crappy home cook. My knife skills are likely those of a 3 year old. I’ve been taught again and again and I can’t master a technique and don’t trust myself. So the prep took me a while. I do have a food processor but it’s an 8 cup one and gadgets aren’t my forte either. The end result was delicious. Both my husband and I were groaning because we kept going back for more. I have white grits purchased from Charleston. I did their suggested addition of heavy cream and club soda towards the end and it was a success. I did think the cooking time to ratio of liquids was low but read that that is common. I literally have no proper cooking skills or experiences because my mom is a very solid home chef that I never needed to learn how to cook and enjoyed the college diet of ramen, take out and grilled cheese. I also worked I’m fine dining restaurants so my post shift meals often included prime rib, shrimp de jounge, oysters, ahi tuna, etc. do many thanks to @Kim Shook for giving me a bit of confidence. Perhaps I should start a thread; Meredith Learns to Cook at Age 38! 🤗

A hotel in Rittenhouse Square. We figured we’d stay for the weekend as Philly is about a 2 hour drive for us.

I really love broccoli salad and have only ever bought it. My local Italian deli makes it with sunflower seeds which, while I like them, they can be an irritant. Hate to be a pita but would anyone mind putting their recipe into the recipe thread? It helps me to know exactly what to buy when grocery shopping. Thanks in advance.