Hest88
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Posts posted by Hest88
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I thought trans fats are all--for lack of better word--man-made, the most well-known being partially hydrogenated vegetable shortenings.
Actually, no. Small amounts are in red meat and milk. As I recall, it's because it's naturally found in ruminants' stomachs, but it's a rather small amount.
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A spoon of brown sugar
A spoon of powdered sugar
A spoon of Nutella
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My parents still grow Gow Gay in their backyard. Ick. Young or mature, I always found them too bitter, but my dad loooooves them.
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Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Digest and 96 Hours section, Friday, August 24, 2007
Napa Valley Architecture: Napa's houses of wine, John King
Would-be castles, eye-popping showpieces and more must-see architecture
"Wineries reflect different philosophies," says Gilles de Chambure, director of wine education for Meadowood resort in St. Helena. "You're telling a story about your connection to the land, and about your ambition: Do you want to announce that you've arrived, or do you want to look as if you've been there forever?"The Napa winery with the most pleasing aesthetics?
Spirits: Bay Area home distillers make modern-day moonshine, Camper English
Moonshiners live among us. By day they appear to be respectable members of society, perhaps writing software to make your Internet experience run smoothly. But at night and on weekends, after a visit to the farmers' market or a nice brunch, they work in secret, sterilizing equipment, taking specific gravity and temperature measurements, and waiting impatiently as their illegal hooch drip, drip, drips out of tiny stills.Winery Watch: The long and winding road to a legendary Russian River winery, Karola Saekel
You might expect a rustic version of a garagiste winery after the drive along Westside Road from bustling Healdsburg. It takes a good 20 minutes, though the town is only about 8 miles to the northeast. But the moment you turn right into Gary Farrell, you realize that something far more refined lies ahead.Winery Watch: Mario and Anna Monticelli, Jane Tunks
From the moment they met in a microbiology class, Mario and Anna Monticelli have been drinking great wine together.The couple, both 29, studied enology and viticulture at UC Davis. "I invited her for some filet and some wine after lab one night, and she couldn't resist."
THE SIPPING NEWS:
Pairings: A match for Pinot Noir that's just ducky, Lynn Char Bennett
Considered one of the most food-friendly red wines, Pinot Noir offers berry and cherry fruit, low to moderate tannins, and varying levels of acidity, earthiness and alcohol.Recipe:
Aromatic Couscous with Duck & Pomegranate-Wine Sauce
Chronicle Wine Selections: Central Coast Pinot Noir, Olivia Wu
The Cheese Course: Starter sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia, Janet Fletcher
The more approachable Brigante (bree-GAHN-tay) offers another style - younger, sweeter and creamier, but still endowed with the distinctive animal notes of sheep's milk.Bar Bites: Two, Amanda Gold
"Fans of the old Hawthorne Lane will be pleasantly surprised by its swanky reincarnation, dubbed Two since early this year. Owner David Gingrass traded in the former restaurant for a trendier version, serving homey, straightforward cuisine against a funky backdrop of chocolate brown, zebra-striped wood and exposed brick."
Bargain Bite: The Pizza Place on Noriega, Jane Tunks
"The cheerful hangout serves pizza whole or by the slice, bringing together East Coast-style superthin crusts with California-fresh toppings. About half the pies are vegetarian, and there's a vegan option called Timmy's Pie ($16 medium/$22 large), with vegan pesto, roasted potatoes and red peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions."
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Late but...
Not being a New Yorker, I too had never heard of Rocco until his ill-fated reality show, and thus everything I knew about him was driven by that media fiasco. I was quite floored later, reading Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, over the rhapsodic chapter on Union Pacific and its rising young chef, Rocco DiSpirito. All I could do, between salivating over the food descriptions, was shake my head and feel a bit melacholy at the waste of all that talent.
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Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Food Section for Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Chef's Night In, Karola Saekel
Eggs first for Chow chef
Recipes:
Clarified Butter
Plain Omelet
Very Important Breakfast Potatoes
Chowder the West Coast way, Georgeanne Brennan
Summer soups draw from the garden and the sea
Recipes:
Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers
Clam Chowder
Salmon Chowder with Tarragon
Southwestern-Style Red Chowder
The Baker, Flo Braker
Bake a mix-and-match cake
Recipe:
Summer's Fruit & Cornmeal Cake
Cook's Books, Amanda Gold
Building a better salad
Recipe:
BLT Chicken Salad with Ranch Dressing
Champion pizzaiolo seeks oven, Carol Ness
"The Bay Area's own Tony Gemignani went to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, and came home the world champion Neapolitan pizza maker - beating every Italian contender in the very city where pizza was born."
Seafood: Abalone in Half Moon Bay, Olivia Wu
"In Half Moon Bay harbor, there's a twofer going on with abalone. Doug Hayes is selling live, farmed abalone from his boat."
Meat Beat: Piggybacking on the salumi trend, Carol Ness
"Boccalone is the new retail operation from Chris Cosentino and Mark Pastore, who are producing the same kinds of salumi that has starred on the menu at their Noe Valley restaurant, Incanto."
Taster's Choice, Carol Ness
"Athenos comes out atop pita chip heap"
Sonoma County farm trails weekend
"Sonoma County farms will give visitors a chance to meet the people and animals behind their products on the first Weekend Along Farm Trails, Sept. 29 and 30."
Shopping Cart, Victoria McGinley
Peppery Popcorn
New Markets, Tara Duggan
Avedano's in Bernal Heights
New Markets, Carol Ness
Capay Valley Farm Shop
Taste of Marin...Greek Festival...The facts on fish
Restaurants
Dining Out, Michael Bauer
Sonoma's Harvest Moon is a welcoming addition
(This review appeared Sunday, August 12, 2007)
Dining Update, Carol Ness
Fresh sushi stars at Alameda's Angel Fish
Dining Update, Michael Bauer
Brick thinks big with daring combinations
Between Meals, Michael Bauer
Readers respond to cocaine discussion on Michael Bauer's blog
Embarcadero to get Peruvian restaurant...New chef for Campton Place...Yoga power...New Grand Cafe chef...Big changes at Jardiniere
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I've had them. Someone at work gave them to me and I scarfed them down in lieu of lunch. They don't taste very Oreo-like. Instead, they are indeed more like a Hostess cake product than anything else.
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Is it ageism to not allow children into bars too? Or to not sell an R-rated movie ticket to a six year old?
This is exactly why I dislike it when these discussions get equated with racism or ageism. They really are very different; children are people who have not reached their full emotional, mental, or physical maturity. They are not like adults. For the record, I have no problems with well-behaved children in restaurants, but I do question the judgement of parents who insist on bringing children to hushed, romantic 5 star restaurants.
That said, when people say excluding children from certain places is akin to racism or ageism, I have to assume if they think children should have equal freedoms as adults that means children shouldn't have the built-in protections and restrictions that we award them either.
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Ha! Guess you're not familiar with classic British foods? ;-)
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We nuke them, in the husk, for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes each. (If it's grocery store corn, then 3 minutes each. The stuff from the stands is either very, very fresh, or is of a more tender variety.) Then we open the husks, pull all the silk out in 1 tug, then use butter and salt. The husks become a handle.
Interesting. I nuke my corn usually as well, but I've always husked first, then wrapped in paper towel. I think I'll have to try this.
I also don't bother husking, though sometimes I'll take off the first few layers of husk. I think I learned this nuking method here, though it could have been elsewhere. THe great thing about nuking it with the husks on is that the silk really does come off easily.
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Oddly enough, DH and I have concluded that we don't like the Colorado lamb chops we've gotten, and much prefer the NZ chops. The Colorado ones seem less fatty--thus tougher and less flavorful. I'm sure that's not totally the case, but just our experience with what's available locally.
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The joy of appliance related matters. Here are some advices for those shopping for their appliances. The big fancy showroom you see is just as inefficient and flakey as the little mom and pop shops or on-line services.
Totally true. You can't tell who the experts are until you talk to them, and even then you can be disappointed. It really does pay, though, so find a vendor you "click" with. A remodel is such a huge process that I was happy to find someone who could truly guide me, even if I knew I would end up paying a premium. Of course, some of my favorite exchanges and least disappointing experiences were with online vendors, so I ended up buying from a combo of different places.
With appliances, though, I was least impressed with my local vendors. I did a huge amount of research, and it was disconcerting to walk into a local appliance store and find I knew waaaay more about my chosen appliances than the sellers. I was especially annoyed that my stove manufacturer is one of those old-fashioned firms that's totally paranoid about Internet sales so I was forced to buy locally. I wouldn't have minded if I could get service and expertise from my local distributor that was equal to an online distributor, but that was completely not the case.
Now, I do believe in buying locally as much as possible, but when I can get much better responsiveness AND much better guidance--not to mention better prices--from someone more far-flung I don't see why it's a virtue to reward the mediocre with my business just because they're close.
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Oh, I'm not sure if being on this thread is good for me. We are a week away from demolition and I've already cried once--and I'm generally not the crying type. The people on my favorite home bulletin board have been grand, but the horror stories make me cringe. I'm trying to do a lot of yoga and meditation to prepare me for the ordeal ahead, but I anticipate more crying fits down the road. I've done all my research, so at least I'm semi-prepared, but I know there will be unexpected bumps.
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I also slice corn off the cob, as my dad taught me. It not only means less flossing, but I like the texture of the resulting kernel slabs. If I'm too lazy to slice and just want to retreat to the couch with a book and an ear of corn, I will also twist off the kernels one by one. (Yes, I'm weird. I will also bite into them in a normal manner if I'm eating corn in public, but it's not my preferred method.)
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Doesn't surprise me. We get so much stuff from China now, yet the regulations there are quite a bit more lax than in the U.S. I also agree it's just the tip of the iceberg.
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Well although my mom is one of those "you can eat off her floors" women, as a Chinese immigrant she nonetheless had ideas about food hygiene that differed greatly from her American neighbors. As a result, I'm totally lax when it comes to refrigeration and the like. Granted, I'm convinced one of the reasons we never got sick was because just about all veggies were cooked, I also believe the lack of conventional hygiene gave all of us stronger stomachs.
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I get them at my local butcher. They usually have them in bags in the freezer or in the back. The trick is to make sure they're the middle shin bones, so you want pieces that are relatively straight. If they're too curved or bumpy they're probably end pieces which won't work.
I just have my butcher slice them into 2-3 inch pieces, and I roast them at 425 for 20 minutes or so.
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That truffle oil is labeled as that and not "truffle-flavored oil", appears to be fraudulent and not condoned by me...Truffle-flavored oil offers some pretty good flavor to those who haven't had the opportunity to be spoiled by the real thing. As such I think it has a legitimate place in the pantry so long as its use isn't abused or mislabeled.
This is pretty much my stance. I don't particularly like truffle oil, but there's no reason why people who do like it shouldn't enjoy it. The problem is when consumers are mislead, and paying an inflated price for an artificial product when they think they are paying a premium for oil flavored with real truffles.
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In the book, she seems to imply that searing is simply a higher heat version of sautéeing. Perhaps for the purposes of the book, this was so (it's still a terrific book).
I dunno. Sounds like a book I'm going to have to avoid!
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Wonderful!!!!! Thank you so much!
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Ah, this brings back memories. When I was younger, my parents would pile us into a car and we'd drive out from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. When we saw a nice stream or canal, they'd stop, issue us big buckets, string, and liver. We'd tie the liver on the string and dip it in the water. Invariably, we'd get crawfish after crawfish grab onto the liver and we'd gently lift them out of the water and shake them into our bucket. We usually got plenty of critters in a couple of hours to have a nice crawfish feed when we got home.
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When it's crispy yes. When it's non-crispy and rubbery, no. I make an exception for sushi.
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What *really* drives me crazy is seeing people eating fried rice on plates with chopsticks. No wonder they think chopsticks are inefficient! It never occurs to them to look around the room and see how Chinese people are either sweeping fried rice into their mouths from rice bowls, or using spoons or forks?
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Digest: San Francisco Chronicle Food Section for Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A piece of the pie, Janet Fletcher
From coastal farm to city cafe, Mission High students learn about baking and beyond
Recipes:
Pie Ranch's Mixed Berry Pie
Rhubarb & Strawberry Galette
Tuna in a can deserves respect, Marlena Spieler
I love tuna in a can. Fueled by time spent in Italy and Spain, I already held canned, preserved and jarred tuna in high esteem. As a precious commodity, fished for with great tradition and respect, preserved in good olive oil, tender and briny and delish, it is magnificent eaten straight from the jar with a fork.Recipes:
Gretchen's Favorite Tuna Salad with Dill and Capers
Gretchen's Open-Face Avocado & Tuna Melt
Tuna Melt with Roasted Red Pepper Tuna
Eatwell's Walker says Petrini's words were an affront. "It's kind of like I was kicked in the face -- all of us, not just us at the Ferry Plaza but other farmers, too." And he's a Slow Food member who has held a Slow Food event on his Dixon farm.- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Wood-oven pizza pies
- Openings: Essencia in Hayes Valley, Kara's Cupcakes
Taster’s Choice, Carol Ness
Ralphs ketchup licks top-selling Heinz
Classic cake heralds spring, Flo Braker
"This wonderfully adaptable American classic owes its springy, tender texture to the gentle folding of two airy mixtures: the recipe's high percentage of liquid and oil (bound together by egg yolks) and the addition of whipped egg whites."
Recipe:
Lemon Chiffon Cake with White Chocolate Glaze & Lavender
Bringing out okra's best, Karola Saekel
"The local okra season is just around the corner. Most of the okra in the markets now is from Mexico, but within the next few weeks, the Fresno crop will roll in. As summer approaches, there will be organically grown okra from fields near Sacramento."
Restaurants
Dining Out, Michael Bauer
Wood Tavern dishes up bold flavors, welcoming vibe
(This review appeared Sunday, May 13, 2007)
Dining Out, Michael Bauer
Shanghai at its best at Shanghai 1930.
Dining Update, Amanda Gold
Apadana's fare calls for mix-and-match approach
Sous vide, solar cooking, and eating locally.
- Omega 3 fatty acids
Chinese food versus McDonald's
in China: Dining
Posted
As an ABC I grew up eating Chinese at home but, yeah, I remember loving McD's as well. When I was in my early teens my parents took us to Hong Kong and even though there were lots of Chinese foods I loved my sister and I still had to seek out pizza once. I think I really starting growing out of it in college and now if I go too many days without eating a big mess of stir-fried vegetables then my body starts getting massive cravings! I just about never eat McD's though (with the rare exception of Sausage McMuffins once or twice a year) now that I have the choice.