mldubose's Profile
Fresh Market is coming to Chapel Hill
For someone like me in the Savannah, GA area, Fresh Market is a welcome relief from shopping at the local Kroger. We don't have many choices around here, other than Kroger, Publix, and that gawd-awful Walmart, so being able to shop at Fresh Market while not having to suffer from listening to either Kroger's "tunes from the trailer park" or Publix's "Air Supply's music to accompany swallowing a bottle of pills" is a HUGE step up. It's also nice to be away from the crowds that shop with their shirtless babies drinking Kool-Aid bottles while standing up unsupervised in a shopping cart (at Walmart, where I wouldn't be caught dead!).
It's a vast wasteland here in Coastal GA, so FM keeps me from having to buy quite as much online.
The nearest Whole Foods is FOUR HOURS AWAY!!! And we can't even get a Costco either. Sob.
Key Lime Pie
Not to be a jerk, but the Persian limes will make a nice Key Lime Pie if you don't want to juice all those tiny little buggers. Some, if not all, of the bottled Key lime juices have a preservative in them that is quite noticeable.
I have a preference for pastry with this pie. Even with cheesecake I find myself scraping off that sandy, bitter, awful-tasting, grainy graham cracker stuff. As far as the topping, a nude pie is the way to go for me. Foam, whether egg-based or dairy-based is a good way to ruin it. But of course all of this is a matter of preference. I am an ass about eating, if you didn't notice. ;-)
I grew up in Louisiana and lived in Mississippi, and you wouldn't believe the amount of "food-coloring pie" I saw. The stuff was GREEN!!! Gelatin, green food coloring, and god-knows-what was added to these wretched concoctions. You Florida cats would have died!
Helena
It almost wouldn't be Chow without Vorpal.
I haven't been able to get on much myself lately, but the "Manners" section seems to be a little slim on creativity and advice quality. But everyone can go through a rough patch, and what sounds good before submitting it for your work assignment can turn out to be an "Oops!" after a bit of reflection.
Help Me Make the Perfect Cup of Tea
People in the South add baking soda to tea because they overbrew it. And they never use enough tea, so they extract the hell out of what they do use. It's a wretched practice that should have been abolished along with slavery. Many Southerners will leave tea in water for 15 minutes or more. Ick! No wonder it's bitter!
But I agree with dbug31. You must have freshly drawn, BOILING water. Hot won't cut it for black tea. Green, white or oolong yes, but not black.
And don't add anything to tea until the steeping is done. It's your preference what to put in it, but less is more. A good quality tea needs nothing actually. Even though I like a bit of sugar. Milk takes away all health benefits of drinking tea.
People who drink tea with the bag string hanging out of it should be tarred and feathered.
question about butter
Cooks Illustrated liked the extra creamy Land O'Lakes butter better than the European butters. The unsalted at least. I don't remember the results for the salted since I never use salted butter. I can't stand it personally.
New to Savannah: Looking for good NON-chain places
Try Girabaldi, Elizabeth's on 37th. Some people swear by the P. Dean place, but I hate that kind of food myself. Love's wasn't anything great, and I've heard the good things about the Crab Shack but haven't been because I don't want to smell the river and deal with flies. Have you discovered Kitchenware Outfitters yet? It's a great store for buying all sorts of things for cooking, and it's locally owned.
The Polite Guest v. The Food Pushers
Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I am the world's pickiest eater. But where I live, people ask once, and when you refuse, they don't keep bothering you about it. It sounds like you're dealing with some real bullies who are looking for validation about their cooking. I think a simple "thank you, no" should suffice. And when you are asked again, you could respond with, "I had already said no." Telling people that it looks too good, but you're full just makes them continue making it every time you come over, and heaven forbid, bring it to you when you're recovering from surgery. They'll get the idea that you have other interests and dietary needs without thinking that you don't love them anymore. And if they don't, they can take it up with their therapist.
