Sooeygun's Recent Activity
Story Comment
Bailing Before the Host Notices
"If you really are too tired to stay and be social, then on your arrival when you great the host, you could explain "I was awake all night for work last night, so can't stay long, but just didn't want to miss out on your party altogether.""
I agree with this mountaincachers. My husband has to get up at 3 or 4 am and works weekends. We often tell the host when RSVPing that we might have to slip out early because of my husband's work schedule. And they understand completely. But we would never leave without saying thank you. That's so rude.
Story Comment
Enough with the Workplace Candy!
As someone who has battled with weight loss for a long time, I would like to say that I would never, ever expect my co-workers to give up bringing in treats to the office. If they were over-pushy, trying to get me to have some, I might quietly say something to explain my situation, but why should my problem stop them from their enjoyment. Heck, I bring baking and treats into the office myself.
I'm more likely to be tempted by the smell of someone's lunch being heated up, or someone's takeout being eaten at their desk. So, should all eating at the office be forbidden? Don't think so!
Chowhound Post
Steaklovers ... when did you first fall in love with steak?
I don't remember when I started eating steak. As a kid, I didn't eat it, because my older sister didn't like it and I wanted to be like her. Most of the time our home was an 'eat what's put in front of you' home, but with steak, my parents didn't care because the substitute was a hamburger, which was cheaper. So my sister and I would eat hamburgers and everyone else would have steak (well done, cause that's the way my dad liked it).
My dad still tells the story of me staying at a friend's house and being given the option of steak or liver. To the great astonishment of my friend's mother, I picked liver. I loved liver as a kid and still do, but no longer would pick it over a good, rare steak.
Chowhound Post
Stuffing/Dressing - Do you add egg?
We are very attached to the stuffing my mom makes. Yes, she does use egg in it, as we too like it bound. I don't like it all falling to bits on the plate and it makes better sandwiches.
We (including my mom) are so attached to her stuffing that this year for Christmas, even though my mom can't make dinner due to health reasons, she is insisting that she has to make the stuffing. And the gravy. The rest of the time, she promises to sit.
Chowhound Post
What's the rule in your house regarding restaurant leftovers?
Leftovers in our house usually go to me, but I ask first. My husband gets a staff meal at work, whereas I take my lunch to work everyday. So I get first dibs on leftovers either from home made meals or from restaurant meals.
Chowhound Post
Cheese & Apple Pie
My dad says that too! I love apple pie with cheddar. Not melted on top, though. On the side.
Don't really love ice cream on my pie. I like to eat my pie slowly and the ice cream just doesn't hold up. I also love the flavour of pie crust, so don't want to have it all soggy. If I want cream on my pie, I have whipped cream.
Chowhound Post
"One Hundred Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 2)"
"It's not the chef's job to give out his or her recipes"
Considering these lists have been written by the restaurant owner for his own restaurant, I'm sure as owner, he will make it the chef's job to give out his or her recipes.
Chowhound Post
Cookie Dough Woes
If chilling does not work, add some more flour.
I often add flour to cookie dough after doing on pan as a test. Never had it make my cookies tough. I don't consider a cookie dough ready, until I have made one panful to see if the dough is the right texture.
Chowhound Post
Do you enjoy "deconstructed dishes"?
Thank you for that link. Very interesting discussion. I like the suggestion from one of the posters in that discussion ""Reconstruction" or "recombinant cooking" might be more apt. " That's what I understood it to be.
Chowhound Post
Why Can We Not Reuse Freezer Bags Used for Raw Meats or Seafood?
I often don't end up washing the bags from meat, as I often don't do dishes right away. Once they have been sitting for a while, I am reluctant to reuse. However, if they are washed right away, I am fine with it. After all, I wash all the other containers/bowls, utensils, etc. that I use for raw meat. I don't throw those out.
Chowhound Post
Sponge Cake - ingredient substitution query.
I agree that orange would go well, but you could sub water. A quick google of hazelnut recipes showed my hazelnut also matched with pear, apple and passionfruit. I bet pear juice would work.
Chowhound Post
Do you give out your recipes?
I am often asked for recipes for the things I bake and I will usually share if there is a genuine interest. But I usually can't give the recipe right away. Most of my recipes are so full of notes and additions/deletions, that they take some deciphering first. Or they might be a combination of two or more recipes, like my Dutch Apple Pie. It's dough from one book, filling from a different pie recipe and topping from a recipe that isn't even for a pie.
And there are other recipes that are just ingredients with something like 'cookie method' or 'sponge method' below them. Then it takes a bit to write or type it out using instructions that someone else could use.
Finally, there are recipes that just can't be passed on because too much depends on me knowing what the product should be like at various steps. Can't really give a recipe to someone that says, 'add enough flour so it look right' or 'add more salt if the batter doesn't taste right' or 'add part of an egg if the dough's too stiff'. If someone really wanted to learn one of those, I would gladly give a lesson.
Chowhound Post
how to do respond to "how is everything?" when it is just not "good"!?!
I agree. If there is something I don't like because it's not my taste, I still will probably tell them. Maybe it's a complaint that been made before and will inspire a change to the menu. I'm not looking for a handout or a new meal, just giving feedback.
Chowhound Post
From the BBC: The Rise of the Non-Veggie Vegetarian
The ovo-lacto vegetarian is generally what is meant these days by vegetarian. At least among the people I know and the restaurants I have been too.
I do have a friend who is completely vegetarian at home and when she has control over what she is being served, but in circumstances where nothing else can be done will eat fish/seafood (for example dinner at someone's house who doesn't know my friend is veggie...she would rather not make a big deal about it when it's someone not close enough to know she is veggie). She did start out with more fish in her diet when she was heading for vegetarianism, but now has it only very rarely in special circumstances. I feel comfortable calling her a vegetarian, because in a perfect world she would be.
Although even when people do know she is a vegetarian and assure her that she doesn't need to bring anything cause they have it covered, she often finds herself eating veggies sticks and dip. Like when people say 'Oh, this is vegetarian, it just has a little chicken stock in it. That doesn't count does it?'
Chowhound Post
does anyone know if restaurants really charge significantly more for wedding-related events?
I wouldn't be surprised if there are different prices. A friend found that was the way with dresses. She was looking for a bridal dress and found a 'bridesmaid' dress that she really liked. When they asked what colour, she said ivory. Oh, is this as a bride's dress? Yes. Then the price suddenly went up.
Chowhound Post
Sauce-making technique (bechamel)
The way I learned bechamel at cooking school, was to put bay leaf, onion, peppercorns in the milk. So you have to heat it to infuse it with the flavours.
Chowhound Post
Do you give everyone Thanksgiving leftovers to take home?
Well, if you buy the right size turkey and don't have my dad peeling the potatoes (Are you sure that's enough? Yes, dad, we're sure), you don't need to have so many leftovers. T-giving dinner (the Cdn one, but it's the same idea) is always at my mom's and we don't usually have tons leftover.
Chowhound Post
do you eat American style or European style?
Then if you are weird, I'm weird. I am right handed and do the same as you. My mother is European, so we learned the non-switching hands method, but as a kid it never made sense to me to have the fork in my non-dominant hand. Why would I want to use my clumsier hand trying to get a pointy object into my mouth? So I started keeping the fork in my right.
Chowhound Post
Stone Crock Restaurant is a Crock!
As far as I have heard, the Stone Crock hasn't been a Mennonite operation for many years. I remember my dad taking us there in the 70's for the homestyle dinner with pie. It was amazing. Then on later trips, we noticed the food wasn't as good and they were serving alcohol. No longer Mennonite.
Chowhound Post
Foods you LOVE as leftovers?
When I was a kid, leftover night was my favourite dinner. There was never enough on one particular thing for everyone to have, so you got pick and choose what you ate. And didn't have to eat the stuff you didn't like.
Now, I eat leftovers almost every weekday for lunch. Even if a leftover dish isn't as good as when first made, it's way better than most of what I can buy near my office. And cheaper too.
Chowhound Post
Foods you LOVE as leftovers?
Nope, on toast with mustard.
Chowhound Post
10 worst dining trends of the last decade: Cupcakes, Kobe, Foam...
"I don't ever, ever, ever want to see a raging priapus of onion rings on a shaft ever again."
Snort....new keyboard time! Thank you very much for the much needed laugh!
Priapus...now that's a word I didn't expect to read on CH.
Chowhound Post
ISO: Cantal Cheese
I bought some from Alex Farms (can't remember if it was from the St. Lawrence, Danforth or Manulife store) several months ago.
Chowhound Post
DOUGH
I went in about a week ago out of curiosity. I had already bought fresh bread that day, so I didn't buy anything. The front part of the store is cavernous and looked like they weren't fully set up yet. Lots of empty space. Maybe they are planning on stocking other products.
They had a loaf of 'butter tart bread' cut up for tasting. Of course, the phrase 'butter tart' always gets my attention, but the bread wasn't exciting. Just plain sweet bread with some crumbly sugar topping. boring!
But I will go back next time I'm over there, as the other breads looked and smelled fantastic. Would love to hear from someone that has tried a full loaf of something :)
Chowhound Post
Totally Disgusted at Supermarket--Am I too Finicky?
I could go on a lot about that, having lived in a neighbourhood, where stores had to have a sign in the door saying, please leave your pets outside in order to keep people from bringing their dogs in. Until I lived there, I always figured leaving the dog outside (or preferably, leaving it at home, if you need to shop or eat) would be the default. I would see 'no dogs' sign in a coffee shop or restaurant window and wonder who the heck would think bringing their dog in was okay.
Chowhound Post
A brilliant idea for always getting restaurants to cook steaks and burgers perfectly
But as I said, was not every cook knows what colour inside equals what feel on the outside. They may have learned at some point that 'this' feel is 'rare' and 'this other' feel is 'med-rare'. They may not be able to make that connection to the colour inside/on your picture. And may, for that matter, have learned incorrectly the right feel for the right colour. Not every cook is well or properly trained or has enough experience with meat cooking.
As far as the thermometer, not every cook carries one. They should, but not all do. And maybe I didn't work in the right places, but I never saw any cook carry more than one.
Happily, I like my meat anywhere from rare to med-rare. So I order rare. If it's done properly it's great. If it's overdone a little, it's med-rare and it's still great. Beyond that, it's back to the kitchen.
Chowhound Post
A brilliant idea for always getting restaurants to cook steaks and burgers perfectly
I wouldn't call this "foolproof" though. It assumes that the cook in the kitchen knows how to get your steak to the doneness in the picture without cutting it open. It assumes he or she can relate the colour inside to the feel of it from the outside.
Chowhound Post
Looking for mouse shaped chocolates in Toronto
Fabian's Cafe on Markham Rd used to make cute mouse shaped truffles. That was forever ago, when I worked there, so I'm not sure if they still make them.
Chowhound Post
Pasta Fagioli
Re: the parmesan rind. I can never find it at the end of cooking and someone usually finds it when eating the sauce or soup and eats it anyway, so I have started chopping up my rinds into smaller bits and not bothering to look for them.
Chowhound Post
Top Chef presenter, enlighten me
I don't really have a problem with Padma. She falls in the middle on my scale of reality hosts. Top level - Cat Deeley, Phil Keoghan. Middle are okay, but bug me a little, like Padma, Jeff Probst. And the bottom are vapid idiots like Ryan Seacreast and Tyra Banks.
