...someone other than me bought all the groceries. Uhf'da that gets expensive, fast.

I suggest making your curry dishes way, way too hot. And then force yourself to get used to that level of heat, and then, when you make it the normal way, when having guests for example, you'll find it just the right mount of heat.

This has the side effect of making you awesome.

All of our animals have always had names, so, maybe we're used to it. They all lived good lives, as we're a tiny farm out in the country, we've never had more than a couple of each animal at any given time, so we got to know them, feed them, and care for them before butchering and eating them.

Plus, if they have a name, you gain their strength by consuming their bodies and souls. I mean, do you get any soul with beef you buy at the grocery store? Pssh, you wish. Tasty...tasty soul.

Easy.
Breezy.
Beautiful.

(Covergirl.)

Everytime I see one of the "Real Simple" 'zines, I become upset. Not for the fault of anything within, but, "Real Simple", really?

"Really Simple" or "Real. Simple." with the periods.

That was Robin Leach, but, yes, Elliot has been in the media for years, and has produced, and even starred in FN shows from the infancy of the channel.

Oooh, this is about the beverage. Misunderstood.

Okay, step one...

Cut a hole in a box.

No, as much as I'd love to cook things on camera, I am fat, and fat people should never, ever be on TV.

As much as I do love to cook, it just takes an emotional, financial burden on me. My roomies almost never, ever, buy groceries. I'm dumping, sometimes 150 bucks a week on groceries, and, sometimes I just want to quit fighting it.

Why cook/buy for a lot of work/money when I can just go to a China Buffet and eat for ten bucks?

Well, that's a bad example, I love chinese food, and I can't make it nearly as good as they do. And, yes, I can make a better burger than most of the places around me, but, because I levvy all of the cost and labour myself, it is just as cheap to go to Denny's.

:(

I'll admit, that fresh anything is better, except for one exception.

Canned Green Beans.

I don't know why, and no matter how many times I try to prepare the fresh ones in differing ways, the canned ones, to me, still taste waaaay better.

Just heat them up on the stove, with a dash of Vegeta seasoning, and I'll eat the whole pot. Every other vegie is way better fresh, but never the green bean.

Thank you for all your help Hill Food. Hehe. "Hill Food". It is even fun to say.

Sadly, the only thing I dislike more than Greek Food is children. But, I do keep trying to like it. My roomies LOVE lamb, and I really don't care for it. So, I cook it, am always disappointed in myself, and then they devour it. So, I must be doing it right, I just...don't know. I'll totally try this place out, though! I'll even order the lamb, to give it another shot. Adventure and all that.

Even better! The 8th and D one is much closer! Ooh, and it is next to the Navy Memorial, and, a lot of stuff.

As much as I disagree with the "Tea Party" that's been going on in the country as of late, I love tea. Love it. So, while "touring" the area with google streetview, I saw a tea shop right north of the White House!

Teaism, on Conneticut and H. Looking through their website, they have some really fantastic Oolongs I'm dying to try. Plus, they have a little eatery there, so, I'll try that too Monday morning.

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Teaism
2009 R St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Fly out of Reagan, Monday at about 1745. But, you know, I'll be there early and all.

Right, and I wouldn't call myself "sedated" when it comes to different foods, just, as part of me puts it, "at a china buffet, you can try so many different things, all for that low price". Really more of an efficiency thing.

But, this vacation is about FEAR and ADVENTURE. So, yeah. I'm already plotting my stops.

Politics + Tiki are some of my favourite things! ^_^

That Good Stuff Eatery is les than a block away!

Also, googled the heck out of Kushi, and that, alone, makes me want to move to D.C. I go to sushi bars any chance I can, and, even though you won't believe it, we have a really good one here in Fargo. Just thinking about it makes me all giddy. But, this...Kushi...looks to be, not only better food, but the perfect hectic atmosphere I crave.

Bravo.

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Good Stuff Eatery
303 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC

All amazing advice so far everyone! I...I wuv you all. ^_^

Looking at ze google maps, there are a lot of joints on the same block as my hotel! "Capitol Lounge" and "Capitol Hill Club" are all within a block, so, woo to drunken debauchery.

Just perused their website, and I love Mezze!

Now, HALF of my brain is sreaming at me for not "just going to a 10 dollar China Buffet", but, as much as my love for the China Buffets are the stuff of Legends, so is the other half, the half of adventure!

Both, together, form the Brain of Gluttony.

I ate at a HRC once. Denny's is better.

I don't mind being in "sketchy" places as much as you'd think. But, as a tourist that *looks* like he has money, I'm a target everywhere, so, I don't really worry about it. I just smile, wave at everyone, and everytime I get mugged, they get all pissy that I don't actually have any money.

Indeed, you could be, but, it's okay. I still like you. *hug*

This metro sounds fun, so, I'll be hopping on that, and, against my better judgement, I'll be trying to eat everywhere I see.

If I get arrested, it'll be for drunk in public. I'll try to plan my food/drink adventures out ahead of time.

Yeah, great advice so far people. ^_^ I wuv you all.

Now, when I say 50 bucks, I mean just for the meal itself. Not that I'm opposed to splurging on food, rather, I'm really self-concious that my friends will think I'm "putting on airs" by going to a nice place to eat.

Drinks will be extra, not included in the 50 buck range.

I'll be so busy Keeping Fear Alive that, well, I'll be drinking way too much as well. Yay for vacations.

Aww, don't blow up my mind. I'm really looking forward to seeing and eating everything.

I'd heard of that Eastern Market, so, I am really looking forward to all the fresh crab I can gluttonize. Walking is going to happen, but, I'll be hopping on the metro too.

I skipped the rental car, because, well, I imagine parking is a bit of a pain. But, I'm really, really looking forward to this trip.

Hello friends. How are you doing? Good? That's good. *hugs*

As I've never been to D.C., I've always wanted to visit, take a lot of pictures, and eat a lot of food. Que Colbert's "March to Keep Fear Alive", and I finally have the perfect reason to visit, Friday Oct 29th through Monday Nov 1st.

Now, I'll be meeting a few Internet Friends that weekend, specifcally Saturday the 30th for the festivities, and I'd like your dining advice. Been asking around, and have been getting very conflicting advice.

"NEVER eat in D.C., always drive to Arlington." one person remarked. "Stay out of Eastern and South Eastern D.C." another explained, "It looks like someone bombed it." And, even a third mentioned "Everything is stupidly expensive, you'd be better off just eating at chain places."

This has the poor North Dakota boy a bit nervous. So, in keeping with our Chowhound guidelines, what would all of you suggest I eat to prove all of them wrong?

1. I love Seafood, and, being from ND, our seafood is limited to Walleye if we want fresh.

2. Nothing too crazy, maybe around 50 bucks at the most? Not including drinks.

3. Any place kinda classy I should visit? I fancy myself a fancy lad, and my friends...less so. So, any nicer place to enjoy cocktails after a long day of walking?

4. My hotel is a block from the Library of Congress, which is, about a block from the Capitol Building. Any nice place within walking distance of the Mall?

Thank you all for your time, and I hope I don't get arrested in D.C.

Aww, I even did a Ctrl-F for Mushroom. :(

I searched the thread, and didn't see this one!

Both my brother and my roomie went to Culinary School (yet I do all of the cooking) and my roomie very firmly believes that you can't ever wash mushrooms, that they'll soak up all the water.

To me, this is a myth on par with the whole "seal in juices".

Complete, and total myth. For no matter how long you soak them, too! Whether 5 seconds, or 30 minutes in the water, both show the same, negligible water gain.

So, use your "brush" if you want to waste your time, I'll wash mine.

Alton Brown talked about this exact issue on an episode of Good Eats! he pointed at a glass cutting board and said "Evil" then, paused before he reviewed the next one, went back to the glass and said "...Dark Lord of the Sith, evil."