Raynickben

My favorite question! appetizer: steamed clams in white wine and garlic entree: cheeseburger w/raw onion, NY pepperoni pizza dessert: cheese-blue and cheddar drink: Opus One (hey, I didn't say it would make sense or go well together but heck, it's my last meal!!)

David: It seems to me that a majority of food articles and restaurant critiques that appear nationally are written in a positive vain. Sometimes the author goes over-the-top in enthusiasm for the subject and while my initial reaction would be to hop on a plane and find that farm to indulge in the best peach ever (for example) my lasting impression is that all of the accolades couldn't possibly be sincere. I appreciate reading an article more that has some criticism and some realism which I don't find in most food writing. Do you feel a pressure to be positive in your writing? What do you feel the ramifications are if someone were to submit a negative review or piece to a publication? On a side note: Thanks for an enjoyable and enlightening discussion!

That was the right thing to do! Glad to hear you are considering the hotel jobs. Good luck.

How about when she "adds a little e.v.o.o" ? I think she's only saving herself 3 syllables there. talking about Rachel Ray here

What would you suggest I do when certain family members will only eat nonfat or at best lowfat cheese which we all know is crap when it comes to cooking? I have actually made my world famous lasagna, by request, only to be questioned as I pull it out of the oven: "Did you use the lowfat cheese?" If you want to eat my lasagna you must eat the whole milk cheese!!!! End of story.

Fig paste and Goat cheese

I gotta know...what book were you reading that took you away for over two hours?!!!

I think it was a good time slot given the fact that MANY restaurants are closed on Sundays or close early on Sundays thereby capturing a surething audience.

I too have the Salter 1002. Love it. (Oh and I had a friend borrow it for her son's science experiment and he got an A)

Speaking of Buffoons... Mr. Food Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Why has CBS given him a job for so long?

Emeril is a shoemaker. My husband and I watch the show when we're in the mood for a comedy. He starts out with what sounds like a good dish and sure enough by the time he is finished it looks worse than cafeteria food. It's gotten to be fun for us to guess at what point the dish is going to turn disasterous. Maybe we should make a drinking game out of it.....

Maybe you are pregnant.

I feel the same way about Lamb. I despise Lamb! I can avoid it very easily when dining in a restaurant but god help me if I'm invited to a friends house and the entree is moussakka or grilled lamb. And I don't think I am in the minority not liking lamb so why do people make things for guests that has a high potential for being disliked? Anyway, for each food there is a lover and a hater. I recommend you cook your absolute favorite foods and ingest them all in one sitting. The food god will see how happy you are and never rain beets on you again!

According to the latest post on Uzay Tumer's site, Ripert has been back to Rocco's, this time with Alain Ducasse! Could it be that the food is more acceptable than we are led to believe. I can't imagine these two guys need the publicity or waste their time eating garbage food. It's like a train wreck. They can't stop looking at it!

When I was 12, my best friend was over and we decided to raid the liquour cabinet. We found a bottle of banana liquer and decided that was going to be a real tasty drink. Problem was we had to hide it from my mom so we added the banana liquer to some milk. It was so foul I can't even describe it. The bigger problem began when my mom found out what we had done and to teach us a lesson made us finish all of it. We couldn't drink it so we decided to add some cereal to the banana milk and try and eat it that way. That was worse. So we poured the banana milk and cereal into a blender and added some icecream and made banana cereal milkshakes. Somehow we were able to drink it all that way but believe me when I tell you I cannot even smell banana liquour without gagging (not that I come across it much!)

..never substitute lighter fluid for a sterno because you stupidly forgot to buy sterno and it's Christmas day and all the stores are closed but you have guests and they are expecting fondue....

Goldberg's Peanut Chews (Philly in the hizzouse!)

Anyone remember Charles Chips? The ones that came in a tin and were delivered to your door? They're still alive and kicking! http://www.charleschips.com/home.htm

I cannot believe all of these Jello concoctions! Really, really horrid. Don't you just want to ask "why?"

The Westin would be a good place to work. You would be able to experience everything from breakfast to fine dining to catered meals for 500. You can't beat variety on the job!

Just experienced my first summer in Oregon and I must tell you the Oregon Strawberries are un-freakin-believable! You would think a strawberry from California and a strawberry from Oregon would taste the same but NO...Oregon Strawberries RULE!! (and they are already gone ) Oh, and to answer the original question: Soft Shell Crabs.

KateW: I graduated from the CIA a decade ago and reading your posts bring back so many memories of the beginning years. Based on my experience I learned THE MOST from working in a hotel kitchen. I traveled from station to station so I got to work in Baking/Pastry, Garde Manger, Catering/Banquets, Grill, Fish, Sauces/Stocks, and I did a heck of a lot of prepping for all stations so my knife skills really improved. I highly recommend a busy hotel kitchen for your education. Good luck!

Unless by Carol Shields: had a lot of "a-ha!" moments for me, you know...light bulb going off. Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer: Can't put it down (except to read egullet), Fascinating!!

I was once at a dinner party that was catered so the meal itself was good. The hostess, however, made the dessert. It was a beautiful fluffy pink cake made with champagne icing. When she brought it to the table I immediately sensed something was wrong. It smelled like Fingernail polish remover (acetone). I excused myself to go to the restroom and when I returned the acetone smell was overpowering. At that very moment most of the guests were taking their first bite of the cake and almost simultaneously those first bites were spit back out on their plates. Since I used to be a chef all eyes turned to me, including the hostess who begged me to taste it and tell me what was wrong. I took the tiniest of bites and it was god-awful. I asked her how she made the icing and it was your typical confectioners suger dreck but with champagne as the liquid. I knew then that that awful smell and taste was champagne that had turned. Who knew that bad champagne smells like acetone? Well, it does! And for the life of me I don't know why the hostess preceded to make the icing with what amounts to poison! But it sure was a beautiful cake!