Chris Cognac

I think the vibe is just a little different on chowhound. I check it daily, but find e gullet to have a much broader base of general knowledge and people are pretty friendly over here too. it might also depend on where you are located and the chowhound user base in that city. E gullet seams to be pretty global in its user base.

You coming out here to L.A. or saving money to spend at the Apple Pan. Let me know, i can take you to some great dives!

I am so there!

I used a Sauvingion Blanc (spelling) to deglaze the pans after I had braised the chicken pieces and sausage chunks. I also made a cilantro chicken stock that I used to add to the pan and it soaked up really well, flavoring the arborio rice nicely. There is not too much that can compare to that feeling you get when it all comes together. I try to explain it to my non cooking friends, but they ust dont get it..oh well, as long as they coome over to eat! By the way, I like 2 buck chuck, its great to cook with and is only...well, 2 bucks.

Dont you just love it when everything comes together "better" than planned. I had one of those nights tonight. I made my first attempt at a paella for dinner tonight. I did 2 versions, spicy and not spicy. man everythint came out so well. I just love that feeling you get when it all comes together so perfectly, and when we have company (like tonight) its all the better...Plus, i cooked with 2 buck chuck and am on bottle #2.5..but I didnt drink it all, just most of it....man what a great night...and to top it off, I am going to the Iron Chef taping on weds (sorry Tony B)...man what a week...now I only have to wait for something to come and crush my good feelings! So what was you latest dish that gave you that great feeling of success? Man: bad spelling, to much "2 buck chuck" to care...oh well

I actually saw Thomas Dolby in concert , pretty good too...San Francisco 1987....yea, the 80's ruled! i will be posting a full report and hope some pics this weds night when I get back from the show.

It's gonna be great..I hope I don't get any blood on me from all the action!

Well...I had to get out of a court case this Weds..and I wont be at home

I guess I will know before any of you guys what happens on the show...The tattoo on my right arm of Homer J Simpson is now going "woo hoo"

I never crossed either,although some of the union actions as of late made it hard to support them. I will be glad when they can go back to work and I can shop at Albertsons again!

Hokay. What iz dis? PM me the answer in case the answer is a bit "rough" if you know what I mean. Soba Its a term for refering to anyone Non Infantry or Non Combat arms...Rear Echelon Mother Fucker R.E.M.F. Its an insult when said directly to a REMF, but most were not man enough to speak up for themselves....They would just mumble some comment about "stupid grunts" blah blah blah....REMF's are usually clean from the frequent showers and baths they take and often suffer from weight gain from the good chow...REMF's are often clad in the latest gear like desert boots with no eyelets in them....Grunts are often in ripped, rotten old dirty smelly gear from not being able to bath for 4-6 weeks....and have (had) worn out, jungle boots with eyelets in them (which pop out and let sand in) that are black in color, so you feet can get that much hotter while you are carrying 120 plus lbs of gear 10-20 klicks at a time inthe sand.... REMF's are the ones that tell the grunt (who has managed to make it all the way back to the rear on a day with no mission so he can get much needed equipment) that he can not have any because they are not alloted enough, allowed to have it or they dont want to give it to them. REMF's are the ones who compound and area the grunts have to pull guard duty around when the grunts are rotated back to the rear for 14 days to "rest". But I must admit, I took my liberty of taking whatever I could from them while I was patroling the compounds!...They always had plenty of pepsi, candy bars, king fahd (pastries the king would send the troops but never would make it out to the grunts)...oh yea, I would start guard duty with empty pockets, and leave with full ones....hell what were they gonna do, they were REMF's and I was an Airborne Infantryman with a full combat load pulling security for them on my"off days" OK time to watch survivor! Former Spc 4 United States Army! Edit: stupid ex grunt no spell

Keystone is what I lived on during my Army days 1.25 a six pack at the PX!..good times!

OK so they are filming in L.A...I need to get an interview with someone..Dude if I could only take the Iron Chefs from Japan to Lennox (bad area, but great mexican food) for burritos and eat while dodging bullets, that would be a story..Does anyone know where abouts they are filming?

One thing I used to like to get during the first gulf war,was cheeze whiz...the kind in the spray can. I would keep it in my rucksack, and it greatly improved the MRE's we were given. I also enjoyed Bacon Bits as they could add some crunch and flavor to the chicken with rice MRE....oh yea, a little cheeze whiz, bacon bits and some tapatio hot sauce (from the mexican guy that every platoon has)..good stuff and they had just come out with MRE bread towards the end...now all that combined made a good sadwich... Oh yeah,remember "weight". I was an Infantryman and we had to walk everywhere so weight is crucial...so stuff like Ramen is great...also spices like Ms Dash are good and do not weight much... Throw a can or 2 of Skoal or some Cigs in the package as well...that stuff is like gold and even if the person does not use it,they can trade it...It pretty much has the "second highest" trading value....right behind a good nudie mag!

Tony, but you could be like that "pissed off ro-sonjin scholar " that hates everything...My wife loves that guy! Just think how cool it would be if you could make Bobby, Wolfgang and Mario squirm with your comments...man that would rock!

I for one am stoked that they are trying it...I just hope they get it right..Hell, I would kill to be a judge on an episode....well it depends on how slimy the ingrediant is!

Hey this thread gave me some good laughs today, My wife martha and I are sitting here cracking up reading it!..sometimes you just gotta be silly to have fun!

Crazy Mo'Pho. Even better! If they could serve some Menudo as well they could call it Loco Mo Pho!

Pho-Sure, Pho-Ton, Pho better or Pho worse, Pho-cus Pocus, I could go on and on

People rag in Benihana but I dont think I have had a bad meal there. Its a great place to take people for a special night out

Great report...Was the Chicken Pho in a Chicken broth I presume? My friend went to Morimoto in Philly las week and said it was amazing!

Yea, that was a pretty lame answer....I was not impressed..too bad the place is out of my papers circulation area...But I still get to rate it for the Caifornia Restaurant Writers Assc....

My wife Martha and I went to Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Seal Beach last night for my birthday dinner. I was excited to try another Tepanyaki place besides Benihana or Hamada of Japan. Inside was pretty nice with a good size sushi bar as well as a "normal" dining area along with two Tepenyaki rooms. I was suprised as the decor was just kinda "stone" with no Japanese influence. It looked like it could have served anything from pasta to fried chicken. I ordered the Steak and Lobster ($31) and Martha had the Chicken ($19), each came with soup, salad, shrimp appetizer. The soup was a mushroom onion which was ok, but the broth was not as subtle as others I have tried and the onions were scarce. The salad was a standard type with ginger dressing, I though was a little heavy on the diakon radish or horseradish but not bad. The shrimp appetizer was prepared by the chef on the grill, it was not cut into pieces you were just given 3 whole shrimp plopped onto your plate. There are two sauces, a spicy mustard which was quite spicy and a ginger which was very good. The main course was pretty good, I thought the quality of the beef was very good and my Steak was tender and delicious. I was dissapointed in the Lobster as it was just kind of heated up and set on the plate, no spices, no lemon, not much taste, plus it was not cut up well and that made it difficult to eat with chopsticks. My wife's chicken was ok, although she did not finish it. I must say that I was impressed by the "Onion volcano" that was set on fire....I guess that there have not been too many lawyers eating there! The bill for dinner, 2 drinks which were "ok" and a large Saki was 77 bucks. Would I go there again, yea, it was not as good as Benihana or Hamada of Japan but better than some other Teppanyaki rooms I have been too. I asked the manager about the beef, where it came from and his answer was "Newport Beach"....that pretty much said it all! Edit:cold house, cold fingers no type well

A fridge that replaces food when you use it! a more realistic idea is a good gas stove with flat griddle and a high heat broiler on the top part...oh yea baby, I could tear it up with one of those!

If I could just get someone to send me for an article or TV adventure!...I would need a bargin rate on a capsule!