Hest88

My DH's Caucasian and I'm Chinese-American. He grew up in a NY WASP family and said that, other than the baking, he hated the food. After college he discovered sushi and other ethnic foods but he's never delved into anything other than basic Chinese food until we started going out. Luckily he was an adventurous eater, just never had the exposure. Now he eats many Chinese dishes that I won't even touch. No, he doesn't cook.

Oh, Gary, that's one hideous topper!

Alejita, I only buy grass-fed beef now, which may be closer in taste to the beef you're used to in Argentina anyway. I don't buy it for safety reasons, though, but for environmental ones.

Ah, the never-ending debate. I grew up eating Cantonese food and it will always be my first preference. I also grew up in California and my tastes run toward Chez Panisse type "California" cuisine that highlights the natural flavors of food rather than buries it. I like other Chinese cuisines the way I also love certain classic, sauce-y French preparations, but not as my primary food. I think, for me, the linkage between my upbringing and love of more pure food preparations is a pretty straightforward one.

Mmmm, I regret over-tipping when I get bad service only because I wish I had been strong enough to tip less! I do think of tipping as a reward for good service, so I try to tip accordingly. Sometimes, though, I wish I could fill out a customer service sheet before tipping badly because I just know the waiter's not going to think of my poor tipping as a punishment for bad service but merely that I was cheap!

American's call what are technically sweet potatoes "yams"---which is why I think his notation read that way. From what I've read, farmers adopted the word yam to distinguish between orange flesh sweet potatoes and their traditional white sweet potatoes. Real yams usually aren't widely available in the U.S. and are not related to sweet potatoes at all.

Yes, but that has quite a benefit. Can you imagine eating chocolate after eating an tuna fish sandwich with your nose not being able to "forget" the smell of the tuna fish the way you can get a song such as "Yesterday" stuck in your head?

That's what I do, but I use a small spoon. Uh, don't use a pointy steak knife. Not that I've experienced the aftermath either, uh...

Ugh, Gariotin, you have my deepest sympathies.

Oh gosh! And I loved him taking the "osso bucco" to the veal supplier.

Oh yes, did you make these or are they from a restaurant. If from a restaurant, which one?!?

A good taco truck has great food at really, really cheap prices. What's not to get excited about?

Never noticed any chemical taste and mine have never crumbled. They have the same chewy texture as the old ones. I can even eat them while walking and not risk crumbs getting all over the floors.

Oh great, CB, now you're going to have eGulleters buy out the supply at their local PetSmart.

Yes, scientists have long known that the nose is where most of our sense of taste resides. As we get older and lose our sense of smell our appreciation of food can decline as well. Gawk!

Of course. If I'm paying money I want to get my money's worth! Naturally I pick over fruits and veggies, and make sure packaged meats look okay, but I've also learned the hard way to be sure cartons don't leak or dribble food. I've also learned that I have to take each egg out of the carton, since they break as much on the bottom as the top.

I've never made them, but twice I had julienned pig's ears at a local restaurant. Nice and crunchy, like jellyfish.

I've been using olive oil for the last few years, as has my mother. I don't really notice the olive taste anymore with veggies and the marinade masks the taste when it comes to meats.

And it's completely useless in any practical terms. "Joe, is this the day you're eating meat?" "Sue, are you one of those no red meat flexitarians or one of those only seafood flexitarians or does it depend on the phase of the moon?" I agree with the others. Call me a purist, but no one who eats meat is any sort of vegetarian.

Ahhhh! Now you've got ME with that darned Big Fig Newton jiggle running around my head!

I'm happy for Thomas Keller, but it's interesting that it was awarded four stars even with two missteps (the rabbit and that fish).

Here's the long Chowhound thread about it: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards...ages/97821.html

I hate all these semantic contortions. So-called vegetarians who eat some measure of meat are just trying to benefit from the appearance of spiritual and moral purity the term imbues. Can't they just say, "I don't eat red meat?"

Cool! Thanks Ted!

I'm that way with milk and yoghurt and ice cream and stuff like that containing natural fats, but all bets are off with something so obviously not from nature. Trust me, you really won't notice the lack of fat at all in your FNs.