WHT

You're missing the joke, hon. Only 21 year olds? Precisely 21 year olds? Not 22, 23, 24, 36, 48 . . oh, unless we're talking measurements. I was asked that once! Yer right, it has been a long day.

In some states you can serve at 18.

Having done more than 400 lemonaids a day fresh I can't see the need for anything more than a fork.

It would be great to see some of the upper end places represented but face it; they would be taking a loss by being there. I think if it got back to its roots, small samples at reasonable prices with less chain involvement that would be a big step. McDonald’s? The sad thing is people will line up for that. Trotter’s, Trio and Tru are not looking to become mass eateries, even if the did come you would probably be offered something for the event rather than signature dishes. In order for Taste to be commercially successful they have had to take the path they are on. Hence the sponsorship from large corporations and mediocre food as it is no longer a food festival but more of an advertising gimmick. I wish I knew more about how the restaurants are selected to participate. Why restaurants that do have doable signature food sell things not on their menus? Some of the things that people have brought up in related threads are valid criticisms of The Taste. Also think about the environment Taste is held in, caviar staircases don’t translate well in a carnival like location. It would also be too expensive and logistically problematic to put up seats and tables for a stand. Yes some places are featured in the tent areas but again I suspect that a restaurants involvement is expensive and has other drawbacks, like how do you staff the remote unit and assure profit and quality and maintain your retail unit at the same time? I think most places don’t want to bother with the headaches since they don’t have to do this type of promotion.

In growing up I was taught that it was just good manners to pass them even if only one was requested. It also saves time since people sometimes do ask for the other soon after the first.

It also has to be something that can be made from a mix of sorts with pictorial instructions. nothing harder than adding 2-3 parts. Stovetop stuffing comes to mind.

Tn is a state that does mandate training and certification. There may be others.

Engraved on the side of my Ruger P-89, "BEFORE USING GUN- Read warnings in instruction manual available free from Sturm Ruger and Co. INC." The part that gets me is they put it on the right side of the slide. Hard place to read it if you fire with your right hand.

Lots of places in the states deliver booze to you at home.

I use a cousin of this recipe. It uses all-purpose flower and form the looks of it the equivalent amount of total leavening and milk rather than buttermilk. I belive the recipe can be found on foodnetwork.com, older boy scout handbooks and most of the Betty Crocker cookbooks. It seems that the key to good biscuits is not to overwork the dough.

Yes I want to say The Dupage Inn but am not 100%.

Two things seem to detract from this Chicago hotspot. The food is hit-or-miss and they don’t take reservations. Because of this if the place is busy the quality of the food and service suffers. Compounding the issue is when they are busy they rush you through the meal. I rather save the coin anf get take-out from Leon’s or another local joint.

The Bridgeport Seasoning along with the Greektown blend are ones I use a lot.

I can’t for the life of me remember the exact name of the place. A little joint on Ogden Av. in Downers Grove, Great burgers and some interesting choices of toppings to choose from. Hand formed and grilled over charcoal served with fries and slaw with a pickle spear. Ronnie do you remember the place as I remember we talked about it at the Bourdain book singing? It has INN in the nam.

The Taste has become at least for me a disappointing rehash with the same players. Too few new places, foods that don’t fit the venue and a few other things that others have mentioned. I only go if someone from out of town wants to or if I have some time to kill. Too bad because the concept is great but the execution has become trite.

A slightly random thought. Could it be in the method of preparation? I find that when I steam them they have a better consistency then when I cook them in sauce or in a sauté pan.

As I mentioned I do use MSG sometimes in cooking. I still find it funny how it only sometimes causes a problem for me. You are right it could be strychnine and I am blaming the onion soup mix. For selfish reasons I have never decided to experiment and see how much MSG it would take to make me get a headache.

I love when I say something supportive of a company and it seems to be taken out of context. Yes, the consumer is fickle and sometimes will work to there own detriment. Guessing what any group or person wants is an industry unto itself. Being the exception rather than the rule in most cases I can understand both sides of the dilemma, as I too have to guess what people might be looking for, having to balance off the shelf or blend it your self. Cajun Spice, Jerk Rub and Chile Powder combinations can be widely and differently compounded. In some cases they remain true to accepted set of components and in some cases it is a hotly debated situation. In most cases it boils down to opinion and personal taste and ignores culinary norm. What I want and or use may be so different than what a client thinks they need it can fry your brain if you think about it too long. You have to stock products that you feel are commercially viable and there is nothing wrong with that. My or my clients’ needs may differ for many reasons including the use of other products that may contain redundant combinations of ingredients. As I mentioned before I am glad I can get a number of the items you offer in a salt free version if I am willing to wait to have it custom blended. Also on a few occasions your people were nice enough to compound small batches of items I wanted for clients or to use as gifts this is helpful and a time saver. MSG suffers a bad rap in the public eye it is the inner city youth of the seasoning world. In some cases the avoidance of it is nothing more than ignorance of how it should be used. A prime example is I can eat a pot of Lipton’s onion soup with no ill effects but my mother in laws beef roll ups will put me to bead with a violent headache. The same amount of MSG is there but a totally different reaction for some reason. The same thing with some snack chips, I can eat a bag of Doritos’s but not more than a few pizza flavored Pringles’. In the case of clients I think they take a cautious stance. I use MSG in cooking but only as a separate ingredient. Salt because it may be a redundant item is something I prefer to do without in blends that may be used in product that have other salty components. Several of your blends have salt as a major component and I like the flavor but may use it in a recipe or process where I don’t want or need the salt. Since I would not think of asking for the formulation I am glad that I can get the same products sans salt if I call ahead. In a couple of cases I am using it as popcorn seasoning on already salted microwave popcorn, in some cases I am using it to flavor batter or flour used as a coating for a fried item and it just works out better without the salt. It’s nice to have the balance of blending your own formulas, being able to get off the shelf or to have things custom made. I never expect one place to be the provider to all my needs, thanks for being one of the few that I count on.

I have been to both the Evanston and Chicago location. While they seem to have a good selection they also do custom blending of spices. Some of the pre made seasonings they have contains salt or MSG. The level of salt is generally more than I would use and I avoid MSG. Having things made to order is convenient and sometimes saves me a step or two as I have a couple of blends that I would normally make myself. R.L. Schreiber is a company in Florida that I buy some spices and a lot of other extracts and products from. The web site is www.rlschreiber.com and they have some interesting things like almond flour, Miso paste and lot of other interesting items not normally found at retail.

Do a google search on liquor law. There are several trade groups that have it.

That is a good book. covers most of what can be created.

What type of candy? Lots of stuff on chocolate and related issues that are still published. Most of my other cookbooks for candy are rather old. I like messing with hard and soft crack because you have so much flexibility. But fondant is also interesting to work with in different contexts.

I remember some time back commenting on taking pictures of food and places. It was greeted with snide comments and arrogant platitudes. I feel vindicated, as it would seem that some of what I brought up and was sneered for has transpired. Sorry it had to happen to Holly as I enjoy your work and posts. I have noticed a trend here in Chicago to have signs warning against photos, video or audio without prior consent. Has anyone else seen this in there area?

I have never had much in the way of leftovers. Most I reheat in a high humidity process and serve.

It has been a number of years since I last had it. It seemed oily and a little strong but not unpleasant. It was breaded and pan-fried fresh from the fish.