fourunder's Profile
where are the hot dogs???
No one is arguing the point that consistency of any one product or menu item as the basic concept chains try to achieve. The taste factor has to do with what is available regionally. as opposed to nationally as the exceptions.
Since I live in the New York Metropolitan area, the taste of the South in the form of a Southern Style Chicken Biscuit or Biscuits with Gravy.....or the taste of Lobster and New England in the form of a Lobster Roll is not available to customers outside of those respective regions.
As for the hot dog having regional preferences, that's true, but it does not mean someone would not order a quality hot dog of a different style if available. I've had hot dogs all over the country....I've only been disappointed if they were a cheap crappy dog overwhelmed by the roll or toppings.
where are the hot dogs???
This is actually what I would surmise to be true. Chains focus on what they do best and point you in that direction. They want to limit your options on choice to reduce costs for the franchise owners. Why offer something for a buck when they can sell something else for two. The Dollar menu is clearly not a favorite of the Franchise owner....In the end, if there is no hot dog available, then the customer orders something else.
where are the hot dogs???
McD wants the traveling US customer to get the same taste in every location..
The big chains want uniformity of product though the whole country and it doesn't work.
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If the menu is different , then the taste is not......and if they wanted the same hot dog in every location, they could. Who's really twisting here.
where are the hot dogs???
My point is...You say it can't be done and I say it can. Nobody is twisting anything here. .....they could easily have a uniform product in any hot dog, if they wanted to serve one, just like their burger and your position that they would have to serve a regional preference for a style of hot dog would otherwise disappoint is mistaken on more than a few points, such as.
They could contract out for one specific recipe hot dog and implement it nationwide
They could contract out and serve a regionally preferred style hot dogs and implement them regionally or nationwide...just as Sonic does.
US travelers actually do like to taste regional cuisines and menu offerings
It's been documented in food media that the reasons why McD's offers the regional exceptions is due to the fact they do not want the local customer to pass them up in favor of any group of potential customers, has one in the group, who wants to have a Lobster Roll or Chicken Biscuit at a competing food business in the same area.....
Shrimps not "smooth" after boiling (or poaching) for shrimp cocktail
Cannot get still frozen shrimp around here in the quantity I am interested in
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J,
We are both in the same area. Most supermarkets sell two pound frozen bags of shrimp in a variety of sizes. Generally, they cost about $15 for the two pound bags. The shrimp are known as * IQF, or Individually Quick Frozen *. They come in Poly, Zip Lock style resealable bags. You take out however many you need and defrost them in a BOWL of water, which takes only a few minutes.....no need to waste running water. They come raw or cooked, shell on or shelled, already cleaned. They may not be the best , but definitely worth considering. I'll let others debate their country of Origin and whether they are farmed or wild.
One of the more popular brands is Contessa, but here is a bag of Cape Gourmet I recently purchased at my local ShopRite store with a $5 coupon from their weekly circular which brought the purchase down to $10, or $5 per pound. I purchased this exclusively for the purpose of satisfying my craving for Shrimp & Grits.
where are the hot dogs???
My point is you asserted that the menu has to be the same Nationwide and it's not. You made no mention of a BASIC menu, or noting distinctions for any regional exceptions.
As ttoommyy notes below., there could be regional hot dogs served if they wanted to do so....in fact, if McD's wanted to serve ONE brand.or type of hot dog nationally, all they would need to do is contract out to have it shipped to their approved Distributors and they would ship it out to their locations nationwide .....or all over the world for that matter.
The reason why McD's doesn't sell hot dogs is they do not want to at this time. If they wanted to, I'm pretty sure they could figure out a an efficient way to supply them. serve them.... and implement the equipment and training necessary to do so to their standards.
Looking for good mail order pepperoncini...
http://www.victoriapacking.com/pepcini.html
What time do food courts in Flushing close?
New World closes at 10PM, but most stalls would start shutting down between 9-9:30. i was just there a little over a week ago before picking up someone at the airport. You may have to find a restaurant to get your fixes.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/785435
where are the hot dogs???
McD wants the traveling US customer to get the same taste in every location.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't McDonald's offer regional specialties......e.g., Lobster Rolls in New England and Southern Style Chicken Biscuit /Biscuits with Gravy in the South? In Hawaii, you can get Spam, Portuguese, Eggs and rice with a side of Pineapple.
The secret menu....
http://www.ranker.com/list/mcdonald_s-secret-menu-items/secret-menu-items?page=3
Thousand Island dressing help, please
Apparently no one uses boiled eggs?...
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Actually.....I do. When I make it I use sweet gherkins or sweet relish. for the boiled eggs, I like to cook them slightly under hard so the yolk is soft and bright yellow. I then put through a fine hole box grater and shave them. The softer yolks seem to make the texture a little silkier or creamy, if that's possible.
For a twist, if there are things like olives or capers in the fridge....and the jars are low, then I empty them onto a a cutting board and chop them to add to the dressing.
Shrimps not "smooth" after boiling (or poaching) for shrimp cocktail
Just to clarify......when the water comes to boil........drop the shrimp and turn off the flame. Stir once or twice just to separate the shrimp if touching each other....the water is sufficiently hot and there is no need to bring back to boil......unless you are doing a second batch of other sea foods, e.g., Seafood Salad consisting of Calamari, Pulpo, Scallops, Mussels or Clams.
btw.....one of the best tips I read on Home Cooking was that you do not need a flame to boil dry pasta....Once water reaches boiling, just drop in and stir until the pasta is completely submerged and turn off the flame. Cover the pot and stir once or twice......the pasta will be cooked as suggested by package's instruction for cooking time......and the water is still very hot even after 12-13 minutes.
Brisket coming out too dry
And Ill skip the mop.
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The mop can't hurt.....in fact, Steven Raichlen recommends you do so in many of his recipes.
Shrimps not "smooth" after boiling (or poaching) for shrimp cocktail
I let the water return to boil after adding shrimp... then turn off heat and cover
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Two thoughts about your problem
First, you do not need to return the water back to boil.....depending on the size of the shrimp, you only need to let them steep for 3-5 minutes until done ( no flame ). This is how many commercial kitchens cook Lobster Claws as well.
Second, Possibly, It sounds like to me somewhere along the line the shrimp have been allowed to sit out too long and the flesh has deteriorated. This is what is more commonly known as *soft shrimp*...This happens when sea foods and fish are left out in too warm a temperature for too long.....or in live shrimp and lobster, when the digestive tract is not removed soon enough and gases form and deteriorate the flesh.
Where can I find the best soup dumplings in Manhattan???
My funny Goody's story.....before they closed, i do not remember exactly how long ago it was....but I do recall they were running the two buck special at the time.....A friend who had been transferred out of the NYC area to Florida for a few years returned for a visit. The thing he missed most was NYC Italian and Chinese. To satisfy the latter, we ended up at Goody's for lunch. I seem to recall the Manager;s name was *Luther*, a tall man with a shaved head.....very unusual at the time to see a Chinese man dressed in a suit with a polished head, let alone going by the name Luther........I used to tease him and cal him *Lex* (Luthor).
At the time, you would be hard pressed to find many items for over 5 bucks on the menu......since my bud was having a one shot meal, we ended up ordering an array of items....probably over a dozen mixed between XLB, Appetizers, Vegetables and Seafood. I recall two for sure....their House Special Pan Fried Tofu and Carp's Head
While ordering, Luther interrupts and says...."Are you sure you want to order all this food? There is no way you could possibly finish" ....My reply was,......."Does it matter".......Luther laughed and said "I like your style".
Silly at some of the things you cannot forget.....
Tell me about tofu skin
What is the best way of preparing them for a dish, and by the way, does anybody have any recipes for them as a wrapper?
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Well, I wasn't really looking for recipes, ......more like how to rehydrate the dried ones and what other people put in them.
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? .......I'm confused. If the question is simply how do you rehydrate them....the answer is with water or stock.
Pizza with egg topping?
I believe someone on the NJ Board says he always has a soft spot for a fried/whole egg on Neapolitan Style Pizza....and orders it whenever he sees it on a menu.
BIG ROAST... HELP
The details you have provided are fine.....but for the record, that's not my preferred method. I do not like to roast any beef above 250*, preferring 225 in most applications....sometime 200 if roasting overnight.. Although target temperatures are the same, the method as how you get there has significant differences in tenderness and texture. I find roasting above 250* results in less tender chewy meat. The point behind low and slow roasting is to mimic the dry aging process to concentrate the flavor of the meat and break the meat fibers down through the longer roast. Personally, I believe a lounger resting period is essential for the finished roast as well. At 225*, you could expect the carryover rise to be 5-7*, but at 325*, you could expect 10-12*....I would suggest you reduce your target temperature to be no higher than 135* Please note, since you feeding a large crowd, yield should be a concern. At 225*, you would virtually see no loss from original weight and the yield would be highest. At 325* you could expect a minimum .5 pound, but closer to 1.0 pound.....not a tremendous loss, but significant in terms of yield....
Beef Roast do not have to be served hot, but only slightly warm or room temperature for serving. If you want it hot, then I would suggest you make your Jus and keep it on the stove or grill. You would simply dip the meat into the vessel to make hot and serve on your bread of choice.
To make the Jus, I would recommend you add your aromatics to the roasting pan....and deglaze with stock or water at the end while your roast is resting. I do not like to add liquid to the pan during roasting to avoid steaming the roast.
If you were to barbecue outdoors, you would take the same amount of time as roasting low and slow indoors. I would recommend you take the extra time and make the extra effort. I do not see any benefits from a perspective of time management in roasting at a higher temperature.
Best BBQ in Bergen County?
I usually go to New York City for BBQ....I find most places sell same day only Ribs and Brisket.. Dinosaur, RUB, Hill Country or Virgil's. ....not a fan of Blue Smoke Dinosaur is the most frequent choice as many also enjoy their Chicken Wings.
I really can't recommend or think of any BBQ place in Bergen I have enjoyed since the place in Teaneck went out of business.....and prior to Fink's involvement. I've tried more than a few over the years, but they are not worth mentioning or have gone out of business already. Using Route 78 as the boundary, I have not found any place better than what Famous Dave's serves...however there is one place that I am looking forward to trying, the recommendation of friends who practice Backyard BBQ and eat it out quite a bit....The Grub Hut in Manville. They tell me it's very good there and AYCE on Monday's.
What are you looking for in BBQ.....pulled pork, St. Louis Style, Baby Backs. Beef Ribs or Brisket. Is the meat most important, or are you looking for the sides to compliment.
My extended family went to the Blind Boar before the Lippin departure.....no one was excited by their meal. The large sampler was impressive, but very dry. I passed by recently and noticed they have a banner outside advertising they have an All You Can Eat Night on Tuesdays.
BIG ROAST... HELP
Given the large size of your roast, I recommend you roast low and slow to ensure it will become tender. Any rub or marinade will not really penetrate past a couple of inches from the surface, but will help in forming an outer crust. For inside home oven roasting I have found most prefer the basic Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper seasoning.
I would also suggest, especially if you intend to use a marinade, that you consider seaming the beef cut into smaller pieces ( 3 Seams )....it's quite easy to do and there are many video's available on You Tube to guide you. It should only take a few minutes to separate and trim. The advantage of this will be more even cooking in a shorter amount of time. Also, the smaller size of the meat will allow it to accept the marinade for tenderizing.....and last, it's more manageable for even slicing and will be much more easy to handle.
Here are a couple of threads with lots of good information and methods. The second thread is about a Beef Knuckle, the same as your beef cut, just so there is not confusion.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/591687
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/591687
Here's a video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5EI3dFHTdE
*** Please note, the convection feature is not recommended if you decide to roast low and slow.
Best BBQ in Bergen County?
That's because Lippin's BBQ was not very good.....and neither is Fink's. Both are very inconsistent. It was a crap shoot to see if you got same day made barbeque or....or leftover.
Wildwood/Cape May Questions
410 Bank Street is the most over-rated restaurant in Cape May....go with Washington Inn for Dinner and The mad Batter for a late Breakfast.....never had their lunch.
very dry dumplings - add back "vegetable" WATER?
First, If you have the option of purchasing regular ground pork, as opposed to lean ground pork, go with the regular......Sometimes when I purchase the only ground pork available from H-Mart, I run in to the similar problem you had....which is dry pork. Whenever I shop at the Chinese grocer who has the two options available... I never have the problem.
Second, try blending in soft tofu into you meat mixture. It gives a very nice silky smooth textured filling when cooked.
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
Never a one or two on a five, but many 3's and 4's........and 6's and 7's.....but never a snowman
Thanks for the information on the history....Pc mad a great deal......however, I think it was more than just taking over any lease, due to the fact liquor licenses were involved, which have to be purchased and transferred to new owners with township approval for any specific location....the new owners must also past background checks as well.
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
I cannot recall the principles that purchased Charlie Brown's from bankruptcy, but I can only surmise they sold off the Green Brook and Clifton locations to the principles of Grimaldi's, who are operating those specific location.
As I noted in the original post...the place needs polishing. The parking lot could use some maintenance, especially a good sweep....They also have two old banquette seating sofas outside....presumable for waiting. They advertise *outdoor seating*, but i did not notice it, but then again, I was not looking for it either.
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
This is very true, but there is a difference between a claim and what is actually done....e.g. a seafood or Italian restaurant claiming they fly is their fish from all over the world especially for them.
.....currently the pizza price at Grimaldi's is down right cheap....especially for a sit down restaurant. Other Brick Oven joints are charging $18-20 for smaller pies. The Grimaldi name has the famed history and reputation...but the pizza had it's original recipe beginnings in Harlem, if not mistaken. I believe they are going more so for the name in this case, not the dough made with Brooklyn water.
Personally, I have considered the bread served in restaurants ....maybe not for picking it as the place to go to....but definitely in deciding to say yes, rather than no..
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
Hahahaha ok then can we all agree I was right the water can play a part in it!?!?!?!
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I do believe the water makes a difference......however, I do not believe the water from Brooklyn, or the Bronx...... is better than the water available in Northern new Jersey. Over the years in running parties at the Country Club, special orders for bread and cakes were ordered from many prominent bakeries from the NY/NJ Metropolitan area......I also made many a purchase from various bakeries personally from recommendations whenever i was in any particular area at the time. If there was a competition putting these highly regarded NY bakeries against NJ ones.....there's more than a few NJ bakeries that would beat their NY counterparts.....be it bread, cake or pastries.
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
Let's look at it this way based on you figures.......the tolls and gas cost a $50, 30/20 respectively. Minimum 2 hours travel time, labor assessed at $15/hr, for an extension of $30. Based on those simple expenses...not including wear and tear on the vehicle, overtime and the actual cost of the water.....the total is $80 for the 19 gallons of water. While that's only about a quarter to add to the food cost,....It make no sense to incur the time and effort to do it on a daily basis for an extension of only bringing in $3000 on an operation that probably needs to double that figure, at minimum to survive.
Best Recipes you have ever found on Chowhound Home Cooking board
I thought my method was pretty good, but after reading that, I felt like an amateur. Below is a link to my preparation, or method.....and others as well. Give it a read when you have time. It's worth saving the topic/thread....as there are many good ideas and preferences on how to keep the cutlets crispy.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/514554#3646120
Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria.....$5 Bucks For Bread? What's Up With That?
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