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TPO

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by TPO

  1. I have heard that you can wrap whole potatoes in foil and bake them in the Crock Pot all day but I have not tried this. I put potatoes in my stew and they come out good, but they taste like stew potatoes. I would not want to mash them and eat them alone, so I don't think cooking the potatoes in the Crock Pot all day would be a good idea. I have made mashed potatoes ahead of time and reheated them in the oven (regular, not microwave) and they turned out good.
  2. Kids will be kids, and even some who are normally well-behaved will have a bad day where they are tired and acting out. This does not bother me, as long as the parents attempt to alleviate the problem. My two biggest pet peeves when dining at nice retaurants are (1) parents who completely tune out the child and just go on with their meal as though the screaming child was not even there, and (2) parents who make idle threats such as "If you don't stop, we'll leave" and then don't. (And if the child wants to leave, that threat isn't going to work regardless.) To me, the parents -- not the other patrons -- are the ones who should be inconvenienced by taking the child out to walk around or packing their meal up and heading home. I know that walking around won't always work, and packing up a meal isn't always possible, but to me as long as the parents are making a good faith effort to be considerate to other diners, the situation is tolerable. Additionally, I think patrons have the right to expect adults to make reasonable efforts to reduce the inconvenience other other situations, such as by taking cell phone calls away from their tables and controlling drunk companions.
  3. I'm not sure when parenting changed from doing what it best for the children to doing what is easiest for the parents. I often hear parents talk about all the separate meals they make each night. Not only is it time consuming for the parents, it also takes away a child's opportunity to try new things. I'm sure some kids grow up to be adventurous eaters despite this, but the few that I know who were raised this way are just as limited in their meal choices as adults as the days of chicken nuggets and cereal dinners.
  4. I usually have one of three things: ice cream with chocolate sauce, cheese and crackers, or popcorn. I have wine or beer occasionally, but often I just have water with lemon.
  5. Boston Globe – July 27, 2005 Market research By Joe Yonan, Globe Staff For more information, check out Markets around Boston. --------------- A traditional recipe, with a few twists Recipe: * Basil pesto --------------- Garden ingredients, Vineyard style Recipe: * Zucchini and tomato casserole --------------- Fresh cranberry beans Recipe: Pasta e fagioli --------------- Farms' investors enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of their labors By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Stuffed summer squash * Swiss chard soup --------------- Grilling for friends, she riffs on Filipino fare Recipe: * Spicy ginger beef
  6. Toronto Star – July 27, 2005 Berried treasure Summer in Sudbury revolves around picking, selling, buying, cooking or celebrating wild blueberries At the 19th annual blueberry festival, enthusiasts explain their passions Recipes: : * Sudberry Delight * Blueberry Nectarine Buckle * Blueberry Bread Pudding * Blueberries and Tangerines with Basil Syrup * Chilled Blueberry Soup * Blueberry Feta Salad --------------- Barbecuers compete in Barrie This weekend Barrie is hosting the 2nd Canadian Open Barbecue Championships & Ribfest with $20,000 in prize money. --------------- Bad Dog is a real charmer Gordon Stimmell rates two other wines to pair with chicken and grilled lamb chops. --------------- Make yours a dry, cold beer --------------- Ontario launches ale trail for thirsty tourists --------------- Meet the chef of Kimbourne Farm Chef Louis-Charles Desjardins runs a bed and breakfast and restaurant in Kimberley. --------------- What would Willy Wonka say? Catalan chef Ferran Adrià of El Bulli shares his recipe for Toasted Bread with Bittersweet Chocolate.
  7. TPO

    Cooking for Grandparents

    I think casseroles are a great idea, but the type of casserole really would depend on their ages and likes/dislikes. Older people tend to think of casseroles as being creamy and might like anything held together with cream of mushroom soup such as a hamburger and rice casserole. Tuna casserole might be something that they would enjoy also. I have frozen cooked pasta right in the sauce and it was good, and spaghetti sauce is a good place to hide veggies. American chop suey might be something they would enjoy that would freeze/reheat well. I freeze leftover beef stew with good results. Other thoughts are porcupine meatballs, hamburger soup, ham and potato casserole, beef stroganoff, goulash, and baked beans. As suggested before, I would make small portions with the food as larger portions are intimidating. Unless needed for their diets, I wouldn't use low-fat ingredients either. Elderly people sometimes have small appetites, and getting some good calories into small portions can help. Stock the freezer with individual serving items too like Dixie Cups ice cream. Popsicles are good for hydration too, and there are whole fruit ones that don't have added sugar. Are you cooking bringing the food to them? That's what I used to do with my MIL because no matter how sick she was, she absolutely hated anyone going near her kitchen. If you are cooking in their kitchen, try not to look like everyone is taking over the kitchen if your wife's grandmother is possesive over it.
  8. Advertising is a big part of it. It not only tells us what tastes good, but it also goes a long way in telling us we are too busy to make things. Look at the popularity of frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- an item that may take less time to make yourself than to thaw the frozen version. And takeout food -- if you don't live in an area where restaurants deliver, it can take a lot longer to go pick up a meal than to make something quick out of pantry staples. For me, convenience foods like Supper Bakes and Rice-a-Roni are different from shortcut foods like pasta and crackers. Convenience foods are almost all made for you, you just throw in an ingredient or two and bake. And in exchange for the convenience, you get a lot of sodium and high fructose corn syrup which tastes good, but isn't necessarily good for you. Shortcut foods like pasta, crackers, frozen vegetables, and shredded cheese save time but, for the most part, don't come loaded with the stuff that isn't good for you and can be used to make a healthy meal. I look at cooking healthy meals most nights as a good investment of my time. When I eat better I feel better and I get tired and sick less often. I don't make everything from scratch, but for the most part I use shortcut foods and then eat convenience foods and restauarant meals in moderation.
  9. I think mass media spends a lot of time and money convincing people that they are too busy to cook and the food industry spends a lot of money finding out what tastes so good to us that we will be unable to consume enough of it.
  10. I think reason above is probably the main reason for offering straws to everyone. As for other reasons for giving them to adults, I think adults sometimes suffer from sensitive teeth, and straws help them avoid the pain associated with this. Arthritis and other conditions make using heavy glasses more difficult than a lighter glass of red wine. And whether the customer is a kid or an adult, servers can use one straw in a regular soda and two in a diet soda to make it easy to tell them apapt.
  11. Speaking as someone who will fight to the death over who invented the whoopie pie, I must say it would not surprise me if Maine did not invent the lobster roll. Decades ago, many Mainers still considered lobster to be "peasant food" and we may have been behind other New England states in learning how to market said peasant food to eager tourists. Now, if the question were who perfected the lobster roll, the answer would have to be Maine. As for the buns, I only know of lobster rolls (and clam rolls and shrimp rolls and scallop rolls and so on) as being served on traditional New England hot dog rolls. I can only vouch for the last 30 years or so, but I have never eaten a lobster roll on a hamburger bun. It's always been either a hot dog roll or a homemade bun.
  12. Toronto Star – July 20, 2005 Try some herbal magic You don't have to play by any rules when it comes to adding fresh herbs to meals Now's the perfect time to try new varieties and experiment For tips on buying and using herbs, check out Herbal help. --------------- Newest winery on the block Gorden Stimmell reports on Tawse Winery and their wines. --------------- From our grill to yours Jennifer Bain shares the following BBQ recipes: * Mustard-Crumbed Flank Steak * Tri-Tip Roast with Chimichurri Sauce * Balsamic-Garlic Kale --------------- Dudes, where's my catered food? --------------- Purple haze
  13. Boston Globe – July 20, 2005 Kitchens move to a Latin beat Staff from South America and beyond bring the flavors of their homelands to local restaurants By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Recipe: * Sancocho --------------- For chefs, staff meals serve as inspiration --------------- Get in the pink with refreshing roses By Stephen Meuse, Globe Correspondent --------------- Plump blues in a perfect batter Recipe: * Cakey-style blueberry muffins --------------- In the Market: Cherries What they are, how to cook them, and how to buy them. Recipe: * Cherry clafoutis --------------- Bitter melon enlists a neighborhood By Kimberly W. Moy, Globe Correspondent --------------- Good to Go: Pho? No, but filling Recipe: * Grilled beef salad with Thai basil
  14. TPO

    Picnic Foods

    My favorite picnic side dish is tabouli.
  15. I don't think you have to spend that much money, it just depends on what you are willing to settle for. Counter-height tables are mainstream now, you can get them at JC Penney's for a little over $300. But they aren't going to be exactly what you are looking for. I think the unfinished furniture shop is a terrific idea, let us know what you find.
  16. On days when it has been too hot to turn on the oven, I've been trying some slow cooker recipes from Fix It and Forget It Lightly. Very simple recipes, but tasty. I've been wanting to learn to cook more Indian things, so maybe he purchase of Indian Home Cooking is in my future.
  17. Do tell: what exactly does that mean for you? Favorite places? And ditto, detlefchef: What, praytell, is a "Skyline Coney"?? ← For me, a Chicago-style dog means neon green relish, bright yellow mustard, tomato slices, a pickle spear, onions, hot peppers, and celery salt on a poppyseed bun. I was fortunate enough to live in Chicago for a while where I had places like Gold Coast Hot Dogs & Fluky's Hot Dogs to pick from. Now I'm in Maine, home of the forbidden red hot dogs (it's amazing how good several red dyes combined can be). But when I get a little homesick for the Windy City, there's a place in Maine called Chicago Dogs which not only has the hot dogs, but lots of memorabilia of the Cubs, Bears, and more.
  18. I rarely buy hot dogs, so I don't have a favorite brand. But as for fixings, I love a good Chicago-style hot dog. I also like anything served in a ballpark topped with mustard, ketchup, and onions from the little hand-crank machine -- although I think that has more to do with ambiance than the actual hot dog.
  19. Boston Globe – July 13, 2005 Bold flavors come from a small city kitchen Former Green Street Grill chef brings Caribbean roots and French technique to his new endeavor By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent SUMMER MENU FOR SIX: * Mesclun greens with pomegranate-orange dressing * Roasted vegetable relish * Roast pork tenderloin --------------- Why is this crop forbidden fruit? By William Brantley, Globe Correspondent --------------- Raise a glass to France with its bee By Ann Cortissoz, Globe Staff --------------- On hot nights, dress to impress By Sheryl Julian & Julie Riven, Globe Staff RECIPES: * Dijon vinaigrette * Balsamic vinaigrette --------------- SHORT ORDERS: To our readers A real treat Thai Basil What it is, how to use it, and where to get it. --------------- Currants: a rare treat for a tart pie By Emily Schwab RECIPE: * Red currant pie --------------- Go to the market and cook like a chef By Lisa Zwirn RECIPE: * Olive-oil-poached vegetables with seared tuna
  20. Toronto Star – July 13, 2005 The dating game --------------- Aroma kits for crafty wine lovers Gordon Stimmell offers advice for purchasing and using wine aroma kits. --------------- River House is a fresh catch Judy Gerstel reviews River House in Severn Falls. --------------- Asian nook a sunny treat Christian Cotroneao reviews Tai O on Eglinton Avenue. --------------- He's a builder and a baker Jennifer Bain gets the inside information on Andrea Mastrandrea of Aida's Pinevalley Bakery . --------------- Four reasons to light up Recipes: * Tarragon-Vanilla Chicken * Grilled Bananas with Ginger-Lime Sauce * Paprika-Rubbed Steaks * Garlic Blue Cheese Sauce
  21. My mom's homemade spaghetti sauce is the best. She also puts leftover spaghetti in a pan and cooks it with garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Yummy! Growing up, Mom never baked but Dad did. I have some wonderful memories of making homemade chocolate chip cookies with him. When we got to the end of the dough, we'd make one giant cookie and eat it as soon as it came out of the oven. We also brewed our own root beer, which was ready every spring. To this day, I get intense cravings for root beer around April. One of these days I'm going to have to try brewing my own again.
  22. Instead of trying to buy everything locally, maybe a better experiement would be to buy local produce and meat whenever possible. It bugs me to no end that our grocery stores are filled with apples from Washington, potatoes from Idaho, and blueberries from Michigan when I live in Maine. Other states get to enjoy our products, and we all get stuck with fruit and vegetables that spent a week or more on a semi before getting to our table. Then the remaining produce, meat, and other necessary items could be purchased from locally owned stores. Money spent at locally owned stores stays in the community, instead of going out of the state and country like the money spent at my "local" chain markets. Then the local producer of orange juice doesn't suffer, nor does the local coffee roaster or the local market owner. Then you could reach the goal of supporting local entities and eating better, fresher foods without sacrificing the variety in your diet or huring local farmers and storeowners.
  23. Do the McDs lobster rolls really have real lobster in them? and in decent quantities? $3 sounds like an awesome deal, especially because I usually hear them going for quite a bit more in NE lobster shacks. ← Here in the MAritimes, They still roll out the McLobster every summer. I alos noticed tham when we were in Maine. Here they cost between 6 and 7 bucks. They do have real Lobster meat but not in huge quantaties. It is like a small sub bun NOY a new england style hot dog bun. It also seems to be hit or miss depending on the franchise. Some seem to have more lobster or more mayo, sometimes you get celery, sometimes not. I would hardley go out of my way for one but if you really had a lobster craving I guess it's better then one of those frozen cans of bits. ← I had one a couple of summers ago when I first moved back to Maine. It was decent, but it tasted like frozen lobster meat to me. Lobster rolls at a good restaurant or shack go for around $11-$15. The little cafe down the road from me is good friends with a great local seafood dealer, and offers very good (and full) lobster rolls for $7. Since I discovered that, I'll never go back to McDonald's again. Unless they bring back the McDLT.
  24. I think I could do it. Within a hundred miles of my house I have fantastic farms that produce fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood. Even in the winter, we have some farms growing lettuce and tomatoes all year in greenhouses. We have local wheat and buckwheat as well as local butter and more. But to do this I would have to give up coffee and orange juice. I could learn to love local apple juice for breakfast, but where would I get my caffeine fix??
  25. My parents are tall, and they are shopping for a new dining room set. Sets that are higher than normal -- tables and chairs -- seem to be quite popular right now and that's what they are getting. Most are 36 inches and the chairs are designed to fit with them. Since there seems to be quite a selection out there, I would think some are designed to be comfortable even for long dinner parties. Even if you end up getting a custom table to fit your other requirements, you should be able to find nice chairs instead of bar stools to fit the taller table. Here's an example of a chair designed to go with a 36-inch-high table: Some people might still have their legs dangling just a bit, but these chairs look like they could be comfortable.
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