eGullet: How Has It Changed Your Life?

[DonRocks]

eGullet saved me from prison.

If I didn't have this outlet where I work, I would have "gone postal" a long time ago. 

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Just wait until your employer seizes your PMs.

You're not out of the woods yet.

(eGullet hasn't changed my life so much as it has stolen it from me.)

[eunny jang]

Egullet helped me lose four hundred pounds, escape a terrible marriage, get my high school diploma, and kick that crack habit. Then, it got out the tourniquet after a terrible thresher accident, and with gentle and infinitely patient care nursed me back from the brink of death.

Is there anything that egullet can't do?

[chezcherie]

Egullet helped me lose four hundred pounds, escape a terrible marriage, get my high school diploma, and kick that crack habit.  Then, it got out the tourniquet after a terrible thresher accident, and with gentle and infinitely patient care nursed me back from the brink of death.

Is there anything that egullet can't do?

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anyone looking for a sig-line? beautiful, eunny!

[judiu]

EGullet has shown me that I have friends I've never met, people who enjoy all things "food" as much as I do, and who love to talk about thier obsessions. It has also proved to me that there really is a Tony Bourdain...

[wordwiseguy]

Here's what I've learned:

That I am not alone in my food obsessions, whether it's having to try every taqueria I come across, or my uncontrollable lusting toward the Frances Frances Espresso maker (orange), or my need to have excessive number of Oxo spatulas and other products.

That while great food is about fresh, simple ingredients, it's also very much about the people involved and the atmosphere in which it's consumed, the undeniable creative process and the passions that drive chefs and gastronomes alike.

That when it comes down to it, I know nothing about food and I have a lot of reading, experimenting, cooking, creating and eating to do.

[laurenmilan]

Most importantly, I've learned that I know jack squat about cooking.

Seriously, I'm known as the "expert cook" among friends & family, but in the world of EGullet... squat. I never knew that being humbled could be a GOOD thing.

I learned that I am useless as a cook unless I give up trying to do advanced recipes from the get-go, and get the basics under my belt first.

I learned that Julia Child is more respected than Emeril Lagasse for a REASON.

I learned to give cilantro a chance.

I learned that I wasn't just "uncultured..." durian IS actually disgusting in most forms.

I learned that I am not the only creature on Earth that worships PIE.

I learned that it's a smart idea to find a bunch of people to shoot the culinary bull with, than bore my poor fiancee with my endless chatter about restaurants, cookbooks and techniques.

thanks guys!

[Randi]

I learned that it's a smart idea to find a bunch of people to shoot the culinary bull with, than bore my poor fiancee with my endless chatter about restaurants, cookbooks and techniques.

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But...but...don't you now have the new problem of boring him with "I saw the most interesting thing on eGullet today.." "or, I have to post about this on eGullet"...

and so on. I have found that I talk quite a bit about the amusing, profound and interesting things I read on this site.

Randi

[laurenmilan]

I learned that it's a smart idea to find a bunch of people to shoot the culinary bull with, than bore my poor fiancee with my endless chatter about restaurants, cookbooks and techniques.

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But...but...don't you now have the new problem of boring him with "I saw the most interesting thing on eGullet today.." "or, I have to post about this on eGullet"...

and so on. I have found that I talk quite a bit about the amusing, profound and interesting things I read on this site.

Randi

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Damn. You're right.

[Foodie in Vancouver]

Jamie: You asked how eG has changed my life? Notwithstanding that I now spend a ridiculous amount of time on this website, quite possibly offending my husband and kids and risking my gainful employment, I now have co-dependents in food and wine worldwide. And, as of this last weekend, I now know that it is OK to be a groupie in your 50's if the object of your affection is Anthony Bourdain. And, you can easily find a crowd to eat and drink with while waiting for him to appear.

[Chef Fowke]

...it showed me LARB

Edited November 11, 2004 by Chef Fowke (log)

[TotallyNutz]

I usually read more than I post. EGullet is the best. And it's nice to know there are others out there who share my obsession with Pretz and Pocky.

[phifly04]

It,s the only website i know where i,ll click on a thread on Larb,and then follow this crazy path of sub-threads where 20 minutes later im freaking buying bonzai trees from some guy in Iowa,who knew a guy.....crazy.It,s also a very valuable and informative haven to learn all about the stuff i THOUGHT i already knew all about....Love it!!!!

Dave s

[hillvalley]

It,s the only website i know where i,ll click on a thread on Larb,and then follow this crazy path of sub-threads where 20 minutes later im freaking buying  bonzai trees from some guy in Iowa,who knew a guy.....crazy.

                             Dave s

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I just spit chicken soup all over my keyboard

I learned that I am not the only one who thinks that sour cream on tator tots sounds completely divine.

I've learned that at 3am there are people in Minnesota, Texas or Virgina who, like me, have nothing better to do than read about food

Edited November 12, 2004 by hillvalley (log)

[eJulia]

I'd like to see what you consider to be the best/most important tip/idea that you have learned though eG Forums....

I am relatively new (have been lurking for some time!) and have enjoyed FoodBlogs, eGCI, and all the other threads. I have learned tons from each of them. Yesterday, however, I made a discovery courtesy of an eGCI lesson and Q and A that will forever change my life. (Okay, that may be a tad bit melodramatic!)

I found myself in possession of a stainless steel non-stick skillet I knew I had ruined. It had burnt areas that resisted all the "traditional" cleaners - scrubbies, kosher salt, pastes of dry dishwasher soap, reheating of the pan with water, etc. It was so burnt in it was smooth with the unburnt portions of the pan. I was sick.

I turned to eForums and found a eGCI course and Q and A in pots and pans by Slkinsey.

I found Bar Keepers Friend! What a miracle worker. It not only saved my skillet, but made my stainless sink look like new, and cleaned the bottoms of most of my other pots.

I realize you "pros" probably think this is obvious, but I had never used the product before and I am so impressed.....

So, what are the best things you have learned through eForums?

[Soup]

I'd like to see what you consider to be the best/most important tip/idea that you have learned though eG Forums....

I am relatively new (have been lurking for some time!) and have enjoyed FoodBlogs, eGCI, and all the other threads.  I have learned tons from each of them.  Yesterday, however, I made a discovery courtesy of an eGCI lesson and Q and A that will forever change my life.  (Okay, that may be a tad bit melodramatic!)

I found myself in possession of a stainless steel non-stick skillet I knew I had ruined.  It had burnt areas that resisted all the "traditional" cleaners - scrubbies, kosher salt, pastes of dry dishwasher soap, reheating of the pan with water, etc.  It was so burnt in it was smooth with the unburnt portions of the pan. I was sick.

I turned to eForums and found a eGCI course and Q and A in pots and pans by Slkinsey. 

I found Bar Keepers Friend!  What a miracle worker.  It not only saved my skillet, but made my stainless sink look like new, and cleaned the bottoms of most of my other pots.

I realize you "pros" probably think this is obvious, but I had never used the product before and I am so impressed.....

So, what are the best things you have learned through eForums?

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so what was the solution?

[eJulia]

Sorry, Soup, if I didn't make it clear.

You make a paste of Bar Keepers Friend and a little water in the bottom of the pot/pan. You're not supposed to let it sit more than one minute. Then you take a "scrubbie" and with a little elbow grease, the burnt parts disappear and you've polished the surface. I've sinced used the skillet for another meal and noticed no difference than when it was new.

It's really wonderful stuff.

[lauderdale75]

I've discovered several new restaurants I probably would've never ventured to. I've also discovered the wonders of the Pizza Stone and subsequently, how important it is to have a Peel to transfer the dough / crust to and from the stone.

[*Deborah*]

In addition to the thousands of helpful people here (who helped me make a wedding cake for my best friend, and have it not be a disaster, among other things), the dozens of fun Vancouverites I've met, the hours of entertainment and education, and some astonishingly good meals, Mooshmouse and I have somehow, in the course of less than a year, become fast friends.

If she weren't already married, and if we weren't heterosexual, we figure we'd be engaged by now. How many places can you find your next best friend?

On the minus side, I now know many many more places to eat delicious and fattening things.

[naguere]

I learned to give cilantro a chance.

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I will go out and buy some in the morning.

[Pan]

[...]So, what are the best things you have learned through eForums?

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The very best bit of information I got on the forums was eatingwitheddie's recommendation of the Li Family Restaurant in Beijing. Probably a close second was the recommendation of Joe's in Venice, California by some of our Angelino members. I could definitely go on in a similar vein; all the great recommendations, the pleasure of meeting some great people, many hours of diversion...

[jgm]

eGullet has finished --or rather continued-- what the Food Network started, then abandoned: a wonderful, free education about good food and good cooking.

Only in a college classroom have I elsewhere in my life, been prompted to expand my horizons. I've been exposed to new ideas, new foods, new subjects, new loves, and new understandings.

I have learned that there is a difference between food snobbery, and food excellence. It's hard to articulate exactly what the difference is, except to say that I'll never be able to eat bottled salad dressing again. Canned vegetables don't work for me anymore, either.

I have learned about vegetables I never knew existed, and have gained the courage to actually try some of them.

I have developed a new fearlessness in cooking. Whatever happens, help is just a few minutes or couple of hours away.

I have learned that tuna that sells for over $5 a can, is one of life's rare pleasures. Before eGullet, it would never have occurred to me to even try it.

And sorry if this sounds schmaltzy, but if anything ever happened to the Internet, and I permanently or semi-permanently lost my daily eGullet fix, I would grieve as if I've lost my home and my best friend.

Last but not least, I have learned, thanks to other's mistakes, such esoteric but important information as to not change tampons or go to the bathroom after handling habaneros without gloves. I have yet to ever chop a habanero in my life, but I do believe I am prepared, should it ever come to pass. And the look on my mother's face when I told her about it was priceless, so priceless. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for that one moment.

[Ling]

I've learned that I'm not the only person who's obsessed with re-working pastry recipes until I feel I've ended up with a version I can't really improve on. I used to think I was a freak, baking apple pie after apple pie (averaging at least 2 or 3 pies a week), changing the variety of apples, cutting each medium-sized apple into exactly 16 wedges (larger apples into 20 wedges), taste-testing each apple to see how crisp they were, then adjusting the stovetop cooking time accordingly...

(...and don't get me started on pie crust )

I've also met some really nice and interesting people on Egullet who are as into food as I am (some much more so!) My friends (in their early 20s, like me) don't appreciate food like I do, and none of them cook. I'm thankful to be able to connect with people who share my passion, and I've learned so much from this website.

Even as recently as a few months ago, I could sense that some of my friends found it kind of odd (in an endearing way, I guess) that I spent so much time in the kitchen, but by now they've learned a lot indirectly from Egullet too. They don't read this website, but their palates have definitely changed ever since I've started baking for them regularly (often b/c I was inspired by something I read here.) They can tell the difference between cocoa brownies, and brownies made from quality chocolate. They could tell when I decided to add a extra 2-3 tablespoons of flour to my regular peanut butter cookie recipe, and asked me to switch back to my old recipe. (Perhaps most importantly, they now know my cheesecake is like only 100x better than the stuff from Cheesecake Factory!) And they say the baked goods at Safeway don't do it for them anymore. I see how food is becoming a bit more of a focus in their lives, and that makes me really happy that I shared that with them.

Edited September 27, 2005 by Ling (log)

[mizducky]

I've learned that I'm not the only person who's obsessed with re-working pastry recipes until I feel I've ended up with a version I can't really improve on. I used to think I was a freak, baking apple pie after apple pie (averaging at least 2 or 3 pies a week), changing the variety of apples, cutting each medium-sized apple into exactly 16 wedges (larger apples into 20 wedges), taste-testing each apple to see how crisp they were, then adjusting the stovetop cooking time accordingly...

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Myself, I've thought I was a freak for a looooooong time. And not just about cooking either. But now that I've been hanging with all you fellow cooking freaks ... well, I don't necessarily think I'm any less of a freak (and not just about cooking either), but at least I feel a little more support for the cooking aspect of my freakhood.

Erm ... unless, of course, we've all just been enabling each other.

Aaaaah, what the hell. Normalcy is overrated! Freakhood forever!!!

Uhhhhh ... (somewhat) more seriously: it's hard to pick any one single thing that I've learned here that's been momentous, because there's just a general onslaught of good stuff. But if you twisted my arm, I'd have to say it's been learning from those of you who hail from Asian countries or otherwise have first-hand experience with the homestyle everyday cooking of those countries. That kind of cross-cultural food lore exchange is literally priceless, and has majorly enriched my already-strong appreciation of those cuisines.

On the downside: I fear that the last thing I needed in my life was yet another on-line time-sink that happens to be more entertaining than my actual paid employment.

[Ling]

Aaaaah, what the hell. Normalcy is overrated! Freakhood forever!!!    

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That's right! We freaks have to stick together!!! There's a crazy world out there who doesn't understand why I spaz when I accidentally leave my cookies in the oven for a minute too long! (I am more forgiving with brownies. They can go over for 2 minutes before I start throwing a tantrum.)

[transfattyacid]

I like the way

eGullet has delivered the industry gossip columns to my desktop.

eGullet has shown me that the world is a smaller more immediate place.

I`ll be honest

eGullet has creeped me out at times.

On

eGullet you can hear about your nights work that night, and in some cases even see it, which i`ll admit took some getting used to.

But on the whole its all good stuff.

but it does make me very hungry late at night.

eGullet has also helped me to put words into bold text on Invision Power Boards