julesrules's Profile
Why is the Olive Garden so reviled?
So all these foodies/chowhounds aren't trying hard enough because they secretly love these places? I don't buy that.
It used to be easy for me to say I hadn't eaten at McDonald's in 5 years. Then I got married and had kids. No, having kids does not force me to eat at McD's. But sometimes it is the easiest, cheapest option that makes the most of us happy, even after having also tried every hole-in-the-wall in the vicinity (and given that cute Turkish guy more than one chance to actually prepare one of the many delicious-sounding items on his supposed menu that were not shwarma ... sigh). It's not always rewarding to go off the beaten path and in these suburban business travel scenarios, I would not have the energy.
The Chowhound of my youth. [moved from Not about Food board]
One of the things I like about my home board is the friendly co-existance of the guy who will try every new little hole in the wall and the fine-dining expense account types (who also throw in comparisons with high calibre restaurants around the world...). Sometimes these types even coincide in the same individual :)
But I'm at a point in my life where I pretty much know I will never have the lifestyle of the latter, so it's not even fantasy fodder for me anymore. I'm generally quite content with my lot in life so I don't bear a lot of envy or resentment. And yet... I've noticed some things getting on my nerves. A long report on a private dinner with wines the posters brought from their private collections? Not something the reader can ever hope to duplicate, so could be interpreted as bragging rather than reportage. There's also the tendancy of some to turn every thread into a discussion of the elaborate dinners they host and parties they throw. These are probably very nice people but please, consider the context of the thread (ie/ "I can't afford to fully host the small, modest dinner I want to have for a family member").
We're rubbing up against each other here in a way we might not offline and sometimes, it chafes.
"Water Weight"
With newborn babies who are breastfeeding and suspected of not getting enough milk, they sometimes weigh the baby before and after feeding to estimate intake. However I just googled it and it seems some studies show this method isn't all that accurate.
ISO Canned smoked oysters that are from Canada
I bought some of these as a Christmas gift from the One of a Kind show and they were well received. Might be available at the Healthy Butcher.
http://www.thefishery.ca/catalogue.html
Oysters are second from the bottom.
Why is the Olive Garden so reviled?
My favourite are the picks of chicken breast (in a sandwich, salad or whatever) that show stringy meat... the way chicken breast can only look when it is *very* overcooked. And these are the pics they choose for the menu board...
Red Bananas - Aren't they supposed to be good?
These finally ripened about a month after purchase. And not even all at the same time.. having avocados in the bowl with them seemed to help, the layer of bananas touching the avocados ripened first.
The skin became a darker, brighter red with pink undertones and lost the slightly green speckling, it also thinned out. The flesh was not chalky at all.
The flavour was fine and slightly different from Cavendish but not interesting enough for me to consider buying them a month in advance :)
iced coffee 2012
I tried Second Cup's iced coffee. It is a dark roast brewed quite strong. I think it could be good with at least 25% milk. I asked for milk and "half-sweet". She added very little milk (bad) and barely discernable sweetener (good), The only way I would get it again would be to ask for it 3/4 full and add my own milk until it reached latte colour.
Will I hate campari?
No Trader Joes here in Canada but I have a few options for grapefruit soda. There's Ting, and seasonally President's Choice (local store brand... some US distribution I think) makes a good one... or at least I am hoping it comes back this summer :) Oh and I notice that San Pelligrino is distributing grapefruit flavour here now. I love grapefruit soda.
Will I hate campari?
Yeah I have a bottle that I've had for about.... 10 years? Mostly untouched.
I bought it due to memories of a great grapefruit/campari sorbet I had on a trip to NYC in the 90s but then found it overwhelming. And I find grapefruit juice too acidic to drink much of.
Thanks to this thread, maybe I will some of these ideas a whirl, knowing it can actually keep that long. Maybe with grapefruit soda, the base for my favourite cocktail, the paloma (with tequila).
ROMANTIC ANNIVERSARY LUNCH DOWNTOWN
Had a lovely & romantic bday lunch with my husband at Galery Grill, Hart House once.
If you are invited over to friends' home for dinner...
We have friends who showed up at our cottage with some groceries and homemade food, and TP. Best cottage guests ever!
Food Trucks' Food
Thanks - you probably saved me the trouble, since I can get Rodney's lobster roll right outside my office at a fair price ($19 I think - their website is down - includes bisque and a few greens).
Right now I can see Caplansky's truck from my window at a new condo site at Temperance and Sheppard, they are apparently giving away free lunch, the line up is very long however.
Kid-friendly thing to do with radishes?
A quick and easy radish salad with simply oil, vinegar salt and pepper, but left to sit a while so they turn entirely pink and the flavour and texture are muted. And if she still doesn't like them, I suppose it could be turned into tea sandwiches or even blended with cream cheese to make a pretty pink spread?
how do you handle this??? [Moved from New Jersey]
Um.... they're cash only right? You too can be "cash only". Go to the restaurant and politely stand your ground until you get your cash.
how do you handle this??? [Moved from New Jersey]
Either way, I would definitely find time to argue the bill rather than withdraw more cash. I can definitely understand the pressure of a big party and all those kids, and I would probably have a meltdown, but I would have that meltdown in the restaurant before I would hand over $100 I didn't think I owed. $20 or so I might let go but not more.
bare bones pantry meals
That reminds me of another one... hot dog fried rice. Actually, just about anything fried rice can be made pretty tasty!
bare bones pantry meals
Nothing too creative but I recently had a brief period where I needed to eat from the pantry for a few days. I rediscovered how very delicious tuna salad on saltines can be!
Calorie listings at chains
I can be a little Sheldon too :) But I like computer-based (typically online) ordering as well because I feel like there's a little less room for error. Sure they can still goof while assembling the order but at least I know my order started out correct! Special orders, even getting salad instead of fries, are always a little more prone to human error, I find. There was a crepe place where I gave up on requesting their whole wheat or buckwheat versions because they almost always brought me the default regular crepe no matter what I ordered.
The Beach Vs. The Danforth
I was going to suggest the same but in reverse order. Better dinner options in Leslieville :) Grab sandwiches at Brick St for a picnic lunch in the Beach.
Say what?? Cooking comments that baffle you
Oh I'm pretty sure there's no actual garlic in my MIL's kitchen. In fact, I think fresh garlic being a pantry staple in mangiacake Canadian homes is probably a fairly recent phenomenon (maybe in the last 20-30 years?).
Say what?? Cooking comments that baffle you
It's funny and well-worthy of inclusion in the thread, but I can kind of see this one - in a ditzy way. Maybe she was being flattering when she said "favourite", and it's more like something she has enjoyed before but had little exposure to. I never really think too hard about the fact that pate is made from liver, even when it's called LIVER pate! Also there is the "what am I, chopped liver?" expression which could lead to some confusion that "chopped liver" is idiomatic in some way. ANYWAY... she sounds a little ditzy, but open-minded and willing to admit ignorance, which I like :)
Gilead Cafe review - The food is EXTRAORDINARY! A must for any foodie!
I'm confused... the menu, preserving theme and mention of "pre-Thanksgiving treat" all sound like you went there in the fall. Are you posting a late review?
I've been for post-theatre snacks, and even with a groupon, it was too much money for just OK food for me. Other than the poutine nothing really came together flavour-wise.
iced coffee 2012
I didn't know you could customize. Wonder if they would do half-sweet? Although I actually enjoy it just the way it is, it is a tad rich & sweet so I will try this. Thanks!
I notice that Second Cup is doing iced coffee this year. Gonna try it. I tried Tim Horton's twice last year and they had no clue how to do iced coffee, although I can confess to enjoying the occasional Iced Capp, which I order with milk instead of cream.
list of "age-appropriate" pubs/bars/lounges in Toronto for Chowhounds who are over 30
Ok thanks... doesn't sound like a beer destination, although my husband loves nachos, so we may try it for lunch someday. I'm with you on the price point, and if I am going that high, it probably won't be at Greenwood and Danforth.
Bridget, the roti lady is back!
She had at least 20 people in line at 12:30 today.. . too long for me, but hopefully she has a good summer.
Toronto bakeries with swiss meringue type frosting on cakes and cupcakes- please help
I like Prairie Girl but if you thought the minis had too much icing you would like the full-size even less. There's over an inch of icing all piled up in the middle and not well-distributed for eating out of hand... the minis are actually better proportioned even for this sweet icing lover.
Refills To Go at Sit Down Restaurants
It struck me as tacky but apparently it's pretty common after all. Here in Canada very few places even offer the whole free refill thing in the first place (except for coffee at breakfast), and I tend to even forget to ask when in the USA, so my opinion carries little weight here. And I'm not a huge soda person. I do love me some nonsweet tea and I can see the appeal of getting some to go on a hot day. But I hate the idea of extra garbage so I would hesitate to make this a habit, maybe once in a while. It's overconsumption IMHO.
Molasses...
Not 100% sold on the texture of this, but I didn't measure accurately. The flavour, however, is awesome for molasses lovers - like a gingersnap for breakfast! Actually, I was even out of ginger and used a combo of cinamon, cardamom and cloves, and it's stil great :)
http://professionalpalate.squarespace.com/blog/all-grown-up-overnight-molasses-granola.html
When do ethics come to play in your dining decision?
That seems like a very bad use of business social networking... they should save that stuff for their personal pages not their businesses'. I probably wouldn't stop frequenting a restaurant just because I happened to hear the ownership had different political views than mine, but if they insisted on using their facebook page that way it would be enough to turn me way off.
