KCJ's Profile
Stevia as a sweetener? [moved from Home Cooking board]
Long ago, I liked stevia when I first tried it. As others noted, it's VERY sweet so a wee bit goes a long way.
After about two weeks of starting to us it, however, I began developing a bad metal taste in my mouth after drinking iced tea with stevia. The taste lingered a long time and it happened each time I consumed stevia.
I've heard others complain of the same issue while some folks have no apparent problem at all. Guess it just depends on your own body chemistry.
Stomach Flu--What to Drink? Nibble?
I always found Coca-Cola syrup to be far better at calming my tummy than a drink of Coke.
Other things I've found effective for me include:
Propel nutrient water
Peppermint tea (not too hot)
Chamomile tea (not too hot)
Ginger ale (room temp)
Ginger hard candies
For some reason, the first protein I crave after a bad tummy episode is a bit of baked or grilled chicken, shredded. I can always get someone to swing by Wendy's or Boston Market
or some other restaurant to get me baked or grilled chicken. The next thing I seem to crave is a bit of egg drop soup.
What foods would we find in your workspace???
Once upon a time, when I did seasonal data entry work, I usually kept a resealable bag of dried fruit in my drawer all the time for a quick pick-me-up as needed. Each day, in addition to my salad or sandwich for lunch, I'd also take a few sticks of string cheese, an individual bottle of juice (orange, grapefruit, cranberry, grape, apple), a large cup-with-lid-and-straw of diet soda, and sometimes a few cookies.
I also kept a decorative tin filled with wrapped sugar-free candies on my desk for anyone to take. My favs were Russell Stover sugar-free root beer and butterscotch. Several others kept tins of M&Ms, Hershey's Kisses, mini Dove or other little candy bars, and assorted other wrapped and unwrapped treats.
On a work table toward the front of our unit, there was always a large container of red "licorice" whips, assorted individual bags of chips, sometimes small wrapped chocolates, hot coffee, and two-liter bottles of assorted soda in both regular and sugar-free varieties. Those who grazed from the community table chipped into the cash box to replenish the supply as needed. Either the manager or the one of the workers would periodically take the cash to a Sam's Club or Costco to restock the grazing table.
In addition, several times a week, this or that employee would also put a supply of cookies (freshly made or packaged), fresh fruit (strawberries and cut melons wee popular), cake, brownies, or whatever on the grazing table.
This group of folks always found any excuse for a party so they had potluck dinners about three times each month. While several made homemade items to bring (casseroles, deviled eggs, cole slaw, potato salad, cookies, cakes, brownies, pies), many others stopped on their way to work to pick up their potluck items. Fried chicken, pizza, grocery store platters of cheeses and/or fresh fruit, chips, crackers, dips, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, cakes, cookies, and pies were always popular from groceries and fast food joints/restaurants.
Depending on the season, there were anywhere from 12 to 35 workers on that unit. They were flat out the eating-est crew I ever worked with!
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Food Franchises That Don't Suck
I've not heard anyone mention Bob Evan's here and I've never been to one. Is it worth watching for one on my travels? And if so, what's particularly good there?
Same with Machine Shed. Worth the trip to the south 'burbs for me to try it?
Balsalmic vinegar
The longer it's aged, the higher the price. The higher the price, the thicker and richer.
I've been to aceto balsamico tastings before and I assure you that that a 50-year-old is divine, a 75-year-old is sublime, and a 100-year-old is danged near orgasmic.
But even the differences between six, twelve and twenty year old balsamics is dramatic.
Sonic
I'm not sure it's worth driving two hours just to go to any fast food restaurant. On the other hand, a road trip which includes a stop at Sonic would be fun.
I'm not really much of a fast food burger lover (except for Backyard Burgers!) but I really like Sonic's grilled chicken wrap, tater tots, onion rings, and fruit smoothies. Their malts and shakes are better than Dairy Queen around here but since they've been offering their fruit smoothies, I've been going for those instead of the ice cream concoctions.
Because it's a comfort food from my childhood, I sometimes have to have a corn dog at Sonic. I can feel my arteries clog as I eat it but it's soooo good! :)
Last chance - Sedalia MO guber burgers
WyCo - The signs in the window in Cole Camp gave the address of the new Der Essen Platz in Camdenton and I think I wrote it down but danged if I can find it now. I'm not all that familiar with Camdenton other than the fish market, Walmart, Mom's insurance man, and the route I take her from Sunrise Beach to doctor's appointments in Osage Beach. So the address didn't mean much to me. If I remember when I go down that way in two weeks, I'll check it and see.
Oh wait, when I first posted here about their move I might have put the new address in that post. Hmmmm, I don't find it in the search engine here. I was sure I posted that notice maybe in late December or early January.
What foods do restaurants most frequently mess up?
Liver and onions - Liver isn't supposed to be leathery. And why so skimpy with the grilled onions. They're relatively inexpensive.
Ruebens - Can't you slice the meat on the proper diagonal so it isn't so nasty tough? How about draining the sauerkraut well so the whole thing isn't just a soggy mess?
Mashed potatoes - If I wanted instant mashed potatoes, I would have ordered instant mashed potatoes. Don't try to pawn them off on me as freshly made mashed potatoes even when I inquire before ordering.
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Last chance - Sedalia MO guber burgers
Oh, good grief, that's sad.
Wheel Inn in Sedalia and Der Essen Platz in Cole Camp were my two favorite places to stop on my way from Kansas City to Sunrise Beach. Soon Wheel Inn will be gone and Der Essen Platz closed this winter in anticipation of their spring opening in Camdenton.
I wonder if Wheel Inn will relocate in Sedalia or if they've decided this is the time to call it quits.
How often do you eat out?
1) What country you are from (and region, if you feel it is relevant)?
..... USA / Midwest
2) How often do you eat out in an average week?
..... 7-15/week, depends on the week, depends on the weather, depends on my mood. I'm counting all meals that I eat from restaurants (sit down or drive-thru) and salad bars/hot entrees/prepared sandwiches from grocery and convenience stores that I eat there, take to the park to eat while I read the newspaper, eat in my vehicle while between here and there, or bring home to eat.
3) What meals would you eat out (b/l/d)?
..... Yes
4) How much are you spending on eating out in an average month?
..... I don't keep track but just running it through my mind now, I probably don't spend any more in a week than I'd spend at the grocery store, and I save a lot of time that I'd otherwise have to spend in meal planning, grocery shopping, food prepartion, and that dreaded clean up. About 15-20% of my meals are paid for by others.
5) Do you feel this is an average amount to eat out?
..... Well above average.
6) Why do you eat out/not eat out?
..... Once upon a time, I prepared probably 18 of the 21 meals a week that a family consumes. I didn't mind it, in fact, other than the clean up detail, I usually enjoyed it. But that was then and now is now. I have a different lifestyle now. I keep different (and very odd) hours. I am allowed to be more spontaneous with no one else depending on me. I like to make decisions about what I want to eat at the time I am ready to eat, not days before when I plan the week's meals or do the grocery shopping. I don't like to feel guilty about unused ingredients going bad in my refrigerator either because they are left over from something I prepared a few days ago or because I wanted something special when I went grocery shopping so I bought the ingredients and then I didn't have any interest in fixing it.
Besides, several of my meals each week are social events for me. It's fun to go out with friends to eat -- whether it's fine dining, upscale casual, homecooking cafes, or the neighborhood loveable joint for burgers and beer.
Not all my meals are expensive. The older I get, the more I don't want big meals. A recent $5.99 combo take-out dinner at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant gave me enough food for three meals for myself. Hey, for $2 a meal for that Chinese food, I couldn't have made myself much of a dinner at home.
I do enjoy cooking at my home or other homes with friends and family. And the clean up isn't tedious at all when everyone pitches in to help. I am sometimes away from home for a few months at a time and there I enjoy cooking several dinners each week plus fun sandwich fillings (egg salad, chicken salad, ham salad, etc.) plus cookies, cakes, puddings, etc. The audience is appreciative and I get my small need for culinary creativity fulfilled that way.
Hmmmmm....speaking of dinner, I'm already contemplating tomorrow night's dinner. Right now I'm thinking the terrific little buffet at the Mediterranean place down the street (where I can fill a styro container, pay about $9, and end up with three meals for myself). But by tomorrow morning, I may be thinking more about matzo ball soup and a sandwich at the neighborhood deli. Oh, heck, I might start out for the deli and half-way there decide I want VIetnamese or sushi or Italian or maybe a Greek salad at Fric 'n Frac. It's fun to be spontaneous!
Super Bowl / BBQ / Steak in Kansas City (KC) or Overland Park
I'd second Chappelle's in North Kansas City. It's literally a sports museum and folks there will be chuffed for the game. Get there early to get a good seat as some tables don't have a view of a TV screen. It's a fun place on a big game day.
The drive isn't bad from Overland Park via I-35, maybe 20 miles from College Blvd (I-435) and Metcalf area (where most OP's motels/hotels are located), and I think the predicted snow flurries for Sunday have been eased back, but it's still bitterly cold here, day and night, and some folks don't want to travel too far in such cold weather, especially in a town they don't know
Jess & Jim's for steak and Fiorella's Jack Stack (Jack's original venue) for barbecue are both around 135th & Holmes (KCMO), about 8-9 miles from that same hotel/motel area of Overland Park. But I don't have a clue if they'll have TVs so call in advance.
The Jack Stack closest to that hotel/motel area of OP is at 95th and Metcalf (southwest corner). Just a hop, skip and touchdown away from I-435 and Metcalf. It's more corporate feeling than the other Jack's joints but the food is still just as good and the service has always been fine. I'd be more inclined to think that this venue would be more prone to having TVs going than the other Jack's venues. Call to check though.
I'm kinda sorta thinking that Plaza III, J. Gilbert's and J. Alexander's wouldn't have the game on. They're just not that sort of place -- but I may be wrong.
Hayward's Pit Bar-B-Que is in OP just north of College Blvd (comparable to 111th Street) on Antioch, real close to I-435. They don't really have a bar though so I'm not sure about a solo hanging around for the whole game and taking up a table.
http://www.haywardsbbq.com
And then there's The Peanut, 12663 Metcalf. Not steak, not barbecue but terrific buffalo wings, amazing BLT, lots of quaffables, and a guaranteed Super Bowl party going on, I'm sure. Fun place. It used to be pretty smoky but I'm not sure if the restaurant smoking ban is up and running in OP or not. Anyone?
There is a pretty good local chain steak joint -- Longbranch Steakhouse & Saloon -- on Marshall Drive (which is the frontage road on the west side of I-35) and just north of 87th Street. I'm pretty sure they've got to have TVs there in the big bar area and I've been there a few times with steak lovers who said the steak was pretty good. I've always been happy with non-steak items I've had there. And it seemed to be a lively place on weekends.
Good luck, have fun, eat well, and keep warm! It's cooold here!
What food do you never leave home without?
16 oz. bottle of peach or berry Propel nutrient water
Sugar-free hard candies (current favorites: root beer and butterscotch, both by Russell Stover). I stash them in a little old four-piece Whitman's Chocolate tin.
Unless I'm going to be in hot temperatures or know I otherwise won't need them, I often nab a couple string cheese to take along. When I need a protein infusion, I need it NOW and I've not ever found a protein bar I really like!
Dried fruit, sometimes with almonds, cashews walnuts, and/or pecans.
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Best NON-BURGER/NON-FRIED Fast Food Meals
I've never been all that please with Subway and there's a chain based out of my hometown (Mr. Goodcents) that, in my opinion, is much better than Subway so I stay loyal to them -- or else I stop at Jimmy John's.
Schlotsky's doesn't float my boat either. Though their fillings are decent, the bread always feels gummy to me.
Do you tip for take out?
I believe McD's and BK and similar places have a policy against tipping.
And at the drive-thru window, it's difficult to tip because who knows who did what. Some voice takes the order, someone at window 1 takes the money, someone at window 2 shoves the stuff out to you but you can see that maybe one or two other people in the vicinity helped with your order, too. And it was the cook staff that really had the biggest pain, most likely, in keeping the pickles off Johnny's burger, mayo and ketchup only on Susie's burger, no onion on Dad's McRib, etc. How ya gonna tip that cook staff for that extra care?
On the other hand, I always tip the carhops at places like Sonic and the few other old fashioned places (like Wheel Inn in Sedalia, MO) that I come across.
And I always tip the pizza delivery dude. And I tip them probably close to 15%, especially when I see they are using their own vehicle for delivery. The cost a resto may add on as a "delivery fee" mostly goes to the driver but I've known guys who did pizza delivery and the money the boss gives them for fuel and maintenence and such really isn't adequate to cover all their costs in running their own vehicle for that work. Besides, I feel my tip helps make up for all the deliveries the dude made that night when he didn't get a tip.
Do you tip for take out?
I don't generally tip for takeout at a basically sit-down corporate-type restaurant but I always tip for takeout at the locally owned sit-down restaurants.
Generally it's in the range of 7.5-10% for me depending on the service rendered.
I'm sure my tipping has resulted in some of my fav places giving me little surprise perks in my bag. Like a little Chinese hole-in-wall where I got takeout two or three times a month. Usually there was a full order of crab rangoon or egg roll included, or maybe a couple of almond cookies along with the standard fortune cookie. One Mexican joint regularly include an order of chips and salsa or sopapillas in with my order.
Granted, I like the perks but the reason I tip is because they are providing me with a particular service and I feel that in the lower level independently owned restro biz where hourly wage is low, it's the right thing for ME to tip those who give me service. I don't make any judgement about anyone else's practice in this matter.
It can get a little tricky if more than one person takes your order, checks your order, packs your order, and rings you up. Normally just cashier service alone isn't reason for me to leave a tip. And I don't feel obligated to tip the cooks as they'd be plating anyhow and plating is plating whether on a plate or in a styro box. But for the one or two (sometimes three people) who might be actively involved otherwise in getting my order prepared and packed, I'll make the effort to hand them each something, even if it's only 50-75 cents.
Not wanting to debate this but just stating how I do it.
What to eat with cottage cheese?
Lately, it's been unseasoned cottage cheese with a kiwi or two.
But I'm sure I'll be going back to my favorites, too:
CC with a dash of Olde Westport Spice Co.'s Gold Coast Garlic Shake
CC with juicy, vine-ripened tomato with plenty of freshly ground pepper
CC with Jake & Amos Sweet Baby Pickled Beets
CC with sunflower seeds and dill weed
And 'cause it was a comfort food from childhood, occasionally lime Jell-O with CC and crushed pineapple.
In praise of my fast food indulgence, Popeye's... this one's for you jupiter and sivyaleah!!
I tend to not go for fried chicken too often due to the fat factor but when I did, I'd always opt for local joints like Mrs. Peter's (Kansas City, KS) or Stroud's (85th & Troost, Kansas City, MO), but both of them are now history and it's a long to Stroud's other venue up north. So typically, I make due with Go Chicken Go (a local shop) on Troost about 50th Street, At least I know I can get my gizzard fix there,
I loathe KFC. Just too salty. And too many rude employees. And the ones I've seen are just too dirty.
The first time I ever tried Popeye's was about eight years ago when I did secret shopping work for them. I loved the stuff! Always very fresh tasting and excellent side dishes. And with the exception of the one in my immediate Midtown neighborhood, all were clean and seemed to be well operated. Since the one right in my 'hood was so bad (and actually closed several months ago), I just didn't continue to eat at Popeye's and never really thought of them when I drove by them when I was out and about. There were always other places I wanted to eat.
But now this thread has me "inspired." I checked their site and found a couple Popeye's within several miles of me so maybe I'll go check 'em out. Thanks for the reminder about Popeye's, Katie. :)
What's your favorite breakfast?
If I'm eating breakfast in a restaurant, my fav may vary depending on where I'm eating, but among my favorite eating-out breakfasts are:
Half order of biscuits and gravy (biscuits _must_ be hot and fluffy; gravy must have lots of sausage hunks; and the pepper shaker on the table better be full!)
Two eggs scrambled hard, half a rasher of extra crispy bacon, dry rye toast, strawberry jam or orange marmalade
Still hot Belgian waffle with whipped honey butter and warm real maple syrup
Buttermilk blueberry pancakes with whipped honey butter and warm real maple syrup
Strata or omelet
At home, breakfast usually consists of things like:
Special K mixed with lemon yogurt
Steel cut Irish oatmeal with dried fruit
Rye toast and a couple of kiwis
A slice of leftover pizza, cold or just barely warmed in microzapper
Cold meatloaf sandwich with ketchup
Hard scrambled eggs with cheese and ketchup
I've been known to leave Kansas City at 4 a.m. and drive 300 miles to have breakfast at Colony Inn in Amana, Iowa. Served family-style, it's a roll-out-the-door meal complete with a bowl of fresh fruit (in season, or otherwise other fruit), a plate-sized buttermilk pancake, platter of sunny-side-up eggs (so fresh you'd swear they were laid that morning!), a platter with Amana sausage and Amana bacon, a bowl of superb homefries, toast, juice, and coffee. I've been eating breakfast there whenever I could since 1954. Divine!
Your Favorite Chain Burger
Not that they don't exist somewhere, but I've never had a bad Backyard Burger (specifically the Black 'n Bleu Burger with Black Angus) or Culver's Butterburger.
I am willing to drive to either of these places even though they are considerably off my beaten path.
I never could much stomach McDonald's burgers but always used to like Wendy's burgers. I'd not tried a Wendy's burger in years though until maybe last year and it was quite dreadful. I thought I might have just hit a bad location/time so I tried again elsewhere the same week and found it dreadful, to.
Food Franchises That Don't Suck
Given that most franchise food joints are good or bad depending on management, the following have been fairly consistently good for me:
Steak 'n Shake
Sonic (grilled chicken wrap, tater tots, peach and tropical smoothies)
Backyard Burgers (Black 'n Bleu burger, spicy curly fries)
Culver's (huge salads, malts, unique fast food albeit pricey)
Jimmy John's
Mr. Goodcents (subs)
Waffle House
McCormick & Schmick
Houston's
Arctic Circle
The following are places that I have found to be generally mediocre but happen to have found an isolated one or two that excel:
Red Lobster
The following have disappointed me too many times in too many locations that I generally don't patronize any of them:
Carraba's (have never had passable service in any I've tried)
Cheesecake Factory (inconsistent food, impatient staff, warehouse atmosphere)
KFC (way too salty, poor supervision of lazy staff)
Subway
Panera
P.F. Chang
Chipotle
Qdoba
Denny's
Believe it or not, though they exist in my vicinity and where I travel, I've never eaten at:
Ruby Tuesday, Chili's, Applebee's, Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans, Fridays, Fuddrucker, or Outback.
Kansas City recently got a Chick-Fil-A. I'm eager to try it.
Food Franchises That Don't Suck
Dairy Queen varies widely by location and management. The one near me is wretched.
Your Salad Dressing History
I don't ever recall trying Dorothy Lynch dressings here in Kansas City, Katie. I might have to look for them. But I do well remember Mass St. Deli's delicious dressing! Sorry they aren't making it any longer. :(
Are the chains the same, or do they have regional quality differences?
>> Is it possible, in general, that big city chains are inferior?
I don't really think that has anything to do with it. If the franchise owner and/or manager receives and properly stores and rotates ingredients, trains the staff properly, compassionately supervises the staff, and maintains the premises, a chain restaurant can succeed regardless if it is in rural America or in the heart of a big city.
Several years ago, I did "secret shopping" work for several different chain fast food operations. Some were in the heart of a major city, others were in suburbia, and others were in more distant rural areas. Let me tell you, scrutinizing 12-15 McDonald's, Burger Kings, and/or Popeye's each day for nearly two weeks on a rotating monthly schedule was a real eye-opener!
There was always one consistent stand out. A McDonald's located in the urban core in a rough neighborhood. All around it, the other fast food establishments I regularly visited only earned average, mediocre or poor marks from me on the majority of the many areas that I needed to note. Yet this one particular McDonald's was always stellar. The grounds were perfection, the bathrooms were spotless as was the dining room, service areas, and counter. The staff was cheerful, helpful, attentive, courteous and efficient. They actually counted my change back to me each time like clerks used to count change back to customers years ago. The employees were also fresh scrubbed in exceptionally neat and tidy pressed uniforms.
The food was always terrific. Orders were always correct and complete. Hot foods were hot and cold foods/drinks were cold. Each order came complete with appropriate plasticware, napkins, straws and extra condiments. Burgers were properly and neatly prepared with lettuce, meat and cheese centered on the bun and not hanging out and with condiments spread across the bun instead of lumped on in one swift squirt on one small area of the bun.
This establishment never earned less than a "very good" from me and most generally they fully earned "excellent."
The key obviously was the management style. Those who were managing the shop -- I don't know if they were the franchise owners, general managers, shift managers, whatever -- were always a presence. They were always helping and monitoring and guiding and most of all, kind to the employees and to the customers. The staff obviously picked up on this kind of nuturing and I always felt that they young people who worked in this shop were destined to succeed in whatever they chose to do in the future because they were being given a solid work ethic and they were learning respect. They thoroughly acted as though they enjoyed what they were doing, loved the teamwork, and were honestly striving for customer service. A rarity at most of the other places I visited.
Your Salad Dressing History
When I was growing up, my Mom's freshly made Thousand Island (mayo, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, a few seasonings) was the dominant dressing in out household but we almost always had Ott's French and Wishbone Italian in the refrigerator, too. I still enjoy them when I visit Mom's house mostly as nostalgic comfort food but I don't have them in my house.
When dining out, my first preference is always either bleu cheese or Roquefort with big chunks of cheese. If that's not available, perhaps Italian with bleu cheese crumbles. Next choice would be either raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette followed by a maybe a good quality poppy seed dressing. If all else fails, I revert to Italian, either regular or creamy.
I don't really make many dressings myself, but I have made and do enjoy others' homemade raspberry vinaigrette. When I'm on a tight food regime, I love smothering a salad with fresh, homemade salsa (or a commercially made salsa with nothing but veggies, no additives).
I don't care for bleu cheese dressings in bottles but do enjoy the jars of bleu cheese that are kept under refrigeration at the grocery store. In my part of the country, Marie's Bleu Cheese is probably my favorite but I've tried other cold-stored jars of bleu cheese and enjoyed those, too.
I've never yet met a Newman's dressing I didn't like but I probably have a preference for Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette and Newman's Italian. I also like trying the small company dressings, especially those that are locally or regionally made. I've come across some good Poppy Seed, Green Goddess, and Creamy Vidalia Onion dressings that I really like.
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Your Salad Dressing History
So what's your preference in Salad Dressings?
What kinds of salad dressings did you grow up with? Do you still like those dressings?
When dining out, what are your favorite types of dressings to have on your salad?
What kinds of homemade dressings do you like?
What kinds of grocery store dressings do you like best?
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Feel free to respond to any or all of the above! :)
Best NON-BURGER/NON-FRIED Fast Food Meals
>> does the ground beef in the chili count as "burger" in OP's view?
Nah. Hardly enough ground beef in fast food chili to qualify as the equivalent of a burger on bun. :)
Are the chains the same, or do they have regional quality differences?
I've definitely found regional differences. In fact, it doesn't even have to go as far as regional; I see differences in the same chain right in my own community depending on who the franchise owner is.
Sonic is my prime example. I have three Sonics within a very short distance of me (Kansas City). I find that two are very good and one is pretty dreadful. It transcends the preparation of the food. The good ones have mostly cheerful and efficient employees, consistently good quality products, clean premises, and give senior discounts. The lousy one strikes out on all four counts. The difference between the three? Different franchise owners,
There are also three Sonics along my regular route to my Mom's in Lake of the Ozarks which is about 3.5 hours away from me. I might stop at any of the three while enroute. I can't really say that any of the three are "bad," but they are different and there are certain things I will or will not order at each of them.
I've had the same kinds of experiences at other fast food and even sit-down chain restaurants across the country.
Of all the fast-food chains ... who makes the best ice cream shakes?
Yes, I like Arctic Circle's Fry Sauce, too, but I find Fry Sauce to be pretty common all over Idaho. Don't know about other states in that region.
For those who don't know, Fry Sauce is basically a mayo and ketchup blend for dipping -- what else? -- your french fries! Very tasty and addicting, too. :)
