Thanks for posting this, I've always had trouble with this technique even though it seemed so straightforward.

I have wondered about this myself, but it just feels right. I like it!

Me neither. Willing to try, though apprehensive due to my fear of baking.

Thanks I have not considered water chestnuts, and I can get them fresh. Will try this out on the kids this week!

I have to agree that restaurants that require their servers to do this also have crap food. So why even go to these nasty chains?

I'm going to guess star anise

We smoke a turkey in the terra cotta smoker (Alton Brown's design) and bring it to whichever house we are going to each year. I have also been assigned stuffing for the first time. While I love nearly all kinds of stuffing and I have made a few good ones, I'm a bit nervous what to bring. My in-laws usually use the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix and add chopped raw onions and celery and butter and bake it like that. So I'm pretty sure they won't mind if I make something along those lines and just use real food and, like, technique.
Any thoughts on whether I should use the turkey offal in the stuffing? Is it overpowering or does it just add "yum?"

Any thoughts on things that make your stuffing great? A particular bread you like or ingredient that's awesome?

Great thread. As I am already taking down Halloween at my store and setting up Christmas, I naturally have thanksgiving on the brain! Glad someone else does :)

They're trying one out in my neighborhood that has shredded lettuce, tomato, and onions. The thing is, when I get a McDonald's burger I don't really expect it to taste like a burger. It's just some odd sandwich that vaguely resembles a burger on appearance only.
This thing has that quality but trying to taste like a real burger. It actually tasted okay till I got to the mayonnaise center. But that was just bad preparation. Also, it lacks ketchup or pickles, and needs at least one of the two to cut the blandness.

They are calling it the "New McDouble."

Was so happy to see these at Ralph's not too long ago. A little bite of my childhood.

I'm not gonna lie, I'd at least try them

If you are worried that these things will happen to your leftovers, why would you eat their food in the first place? You don't trust them to slop half eaten food into a box, but you trust them to use a separate cutting board for raw chicken, and maintain safe temperatures?

I don't think that tip should be docked for following restauranat policy but I DO wish that restaurant policy was to pack leftovers for me, in the back. I really hate boxing it up myself, and I'm less concerned about having them wrapped perfectly as having to do the work at the table. Not that I'm lazy, but I go out to eat, in part, so that I don't have to clean up after myself, including putting away leftovers.

Unless you're specifically BAKING, none of the measurement stuff bugs me that much. The variation, for example, of juice content between lemons is not really an issue because that much precision is just not that necessary in cooking, and I can taste as I go. I'm sure the juice is around 2 oz or so, but who is going to measure out the juice of a lemon to make sure there's enough? Just like I don't need to be told precisely how much salt and pepper to add.

Then again I only look at recipes to approximate cooking times... Outside of baking I don't find recipes too helpful in general.

I'd start with a vinaigrette you really like (either one you make well or a store bought) , boiled red potatoes, chopped fresh parsley, red or green onion, some crunchy element like celery, and then, if the taste isn't quite right, change up the dressing or the herbs.

Not really, it seems like "agree to disagree" means "agree to ignore evidence that supports the opposing view."
It's true that his tone grates, it's false that he fails to hone in on the true problems of the restaurants he visits. He takes different, creative approaches to the individual situations.

" The girl at the counter told me to boil the "Meshallaeh Cheese" for 10 minutes to remove the saltiness ("Meshallaleh" probably means "Miscellaneous", right?) . Of course the cheese melted"

Haha sometimes I too am given culinary advice that common sense tells me will be a disaster. Boiling cheese for ten minutes is the silliest advice I've ever heard, and yet, in your situation I too would have given it a shot.

yes! this is the best way to eat Okra! I bought some for a bloody mary and now I can't stop snacking on them!

Mixing salt and pepper in with the beef instead of on the outside makes a huge difference!
Also a TINY BIT of soy sauce, Maggi, or worstershire will help.

Not I, but what a cool idea!

What are the best hot dog buns? And where can I find em?
Are there hot dog buns out there that can stand up to chili?
Do you have a favorite brand? Are the .98 store brand artificial spongy sticks the way to go? Or is there something better out there?
I've seen dogs discussed at length but tomorrow I would like to get some really good buns to accompany my beef franks and homemade chili.
So does anyone have a favorite bun???

11 years later, I'll throw ya a LOL

Iif I want high quality ground beef, I'll buy the chuck and ask the butcher to grind it. I buy ground beef knowing its cheap and flavorless and I'm trying to stretch a buck to feed my large family. What parts of the cow are inedible? If they had lips and assholes ground up and added in I would still feed it to my family-- it's meat, ain't it?

There is no ingredient "not being disclosed". "pink slime" is 100% beef. The willingness of people to buy into such an obviously contrived scare story should surprise me, but it doesn't. The fact that even Hounds refused to seek out the truth for themselves before buying the hype is a bit disappointing.

Great with cream cheese so I'm sure cottage cheese would be great!

I snack on relish right out of the jar, if that's the only pickle thing we have in hand. I'm a pickle fiend so I pretty much snack on any pickled thing in the fridge

"Cheesecake is never going to be healthy. It is an indulgence. You eat it once in a while, and try to limit the quantity."

And some people can't have sugar. No cheesecake for them!

Ludicrous to think any part of it was the guest's fault. Service is service, whether your customer is getting a discount or not. And how is poorly excecuted meatloaf the result of "ordering wrong?"

Our favorite breakfast is at Johny Reb's in Bellflower (Also Long Beach). Great place to get brisket and eggs, grits, amazing pancakes, and for special occasions like Mardi Gras or Father's day they have beignets, Prime rib n eggs, and shrimp-n-grits (which I like for breakfast).

http://johnnyrebs.com/

+1 on Enrique's. I never, ever crave Mexican food, it's just not my thing. But I've been coming here for ten years and it's always delicious and fresh!

+4 on the Johnny Rebs. Our family's favorite, very consistent on the quality and execution of the food.
Hands down our favorite place to have breakfast, too.