Sooeygun's Profile
Chefs and SMOKING
I was working at a hotel in the banquet kitchen during tour season. Each tour had a set time for dinner and set menus (you know, chicken, fish or beef). As soon as the pick ups for a time slot were done, the smokers (all men that particular summer) would scurry off, leaving us non-smokers to tidy the line and re-set for the next round. I once in passing commented on this to one of the sous-chefs and he said that it evened out for me (as a woman) because women take more bathroom breaks. I didn't bother to respond to that.
Forget dogs, how can you *eat* rabbits?
My dad's sisters used to dress the rabbits up in dolls clothes and push them around in a baby carriage. And then eat them for dinner.
Home cooks + professionals -- anyone have problems with dry hands?
I agree on the Bag Balm. I also find it at pet supply stores, when I can't get out of the city to go the feed store. BB has made my eczema much more manageable.
What Is All-Purpose Flour Good For?
I'm confused as to why bleaching has come up. The OP asked about AP flour. AP flour is available unbleached. That's what I buy for general use.
What Are Your Most and Least Favorite Pasta Shapes?
I'll ask her next time what her opinion is on ziti. That's another one I never buy.
Grocery Store Deli Dept. Slicer Cleanliness
Doesn't bother me at all. it's not like they are slicing raw meat on it and then going back to cooked.
What Are Your Most and Least Favorite Pasta Shapes?
Have to agree with you about liking all the shapes.
I was visiting my Italian friend and she commented that she didn't even know why they bothered making penne lisce (the smooth penne) cause the sauce doesn't stick to it and I realized, I had never bought it before.
Tonight it's cavatappi with shrimp. Mr S cuts the shrimp in half and they curl up, sometime entwined right around pasta.
Portion control at a dinner party
"BTW courteous guests take SMALL first helpings to make sure that there IS enough for everyone... and then go back for seconds after everyone else is served."
Tell that to my brother. When we have family buffets, he's the first in the line, and because he is picky, feels justified in taking heaping portions of the things he does like (anything with meat, potatoes and no greens or most other veggies). Don't even get me started on the fact that he contributes little, while my sister and I do the cooking and our hubbies do the cleaning.
Why don't more fast food restaurants offer delivery? [moved from General Topics]
"How is that any different from people buying it to-go?"
Agreed. Also, how different from all the places that do deliver and have fries on their menu. If I take out fries to take home or have them delivered, Mr. S has the oven on ready for my arrival and the fries get crisped up while I'm changing out of my work clothes and settling in for the evening.
How much do you tip in Toronto restaurants?
And a followup article
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1118448--toronto-restaurant-tip-debate-boils-over
Brunch Sunday before touring ROM
That is so completely different from my experiences there. I've been to Over Easy many times (never for non-breakfast food) and have always had quick service. I recommend any dish with ham. Unlike lots of other breakfast places, they have proper, baked on the bone ham. Oh, and they have real Hollandaise.
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
You made me think of my cousin's wedding were we broke into the dining room. The wedding party were very, very overlong after the ceremony going to just the perfect spot for photos. The room where we were to have appetizers (which ran out before we even we got there) and wait for their grand arrival had less than helpful staff and no chairs. My SIL was 8 months pregnant and had orders to have her feet up and my mom can't stand for long periods to due various health problems. After an hour of standing around, the 8 of us moved into the dining room, found our table and waited for another hour.
Why don't more fast food restaurants offer delivery? [moved from General Topics]
KFC delivers in Toronto. But not to me. The location that served my address closed so I'm currently in a black hole of KFC delivery.
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
"Of course, if you have a babysitter or kids to worry about or dogs then of course you can make that known before the dinner to the host -- "We'd LOVE to come, but have to be home by 11pm to let the dog out" or something along those lines"
Mr. S and I do this. Mr. S has to be up at 4 a.m., so by 9 pm he is nodding off. If it's friends that don't know this (most already are aware), we make sure they know and are okay accommodating us (or that we might have to dash before dessert is served).
Mr S's closest friend is married to an Italian woman. We often had to bow out of parties at their house, because they wouldn't start until 7 or 8 with dinner starting at 9 or 10. Now that they have a daughter (and many in their group of friends have kids), their hours are a little more in line with ours. Although for the daughter's first birthday, they had a split party - afternoon into early evening for the 'kids' party and later into the wee hours for the non-kids party. In spite of being child-free, we opted to go the early party along with granny.
How much do you tip in Toronto restaurants?
Article about tipping in Toronto in today's Toronto Star
http://www.toronto.com/article/710035
Cheesecake Questions...Recipe for 8 inch? Sour cream?
Have to disagree on ditching the springform. Heck, where I worked making cheesecakes in batches of a dozen or so, we used cake rings that didn't have a bottom at all. We just placed the ring on a piece of foil and then twisted it in such a way that the water didn't get in. Still do the same thing with my springforms.
I Find it Very Tough to Write a Recipe
I agree with you Joan. I have written out recipes (or expanded on existing recipes) for people many times and if they are not very experienced, I give them as much detail as I can. Doesn't matter if it doesn't look like a recipe from a book or is two pages long. Even when I pass on a photocopy of an existing recipe, not only will it have my notes that I write right on the recipe in the book, I will expand on anything that I think won't be clear.
Allspice Leaves - what to do with them
My co-worker brought back some allspice leaves that she picked for me when visiting a friend's house in Jamaica. What can I do with them?
Googling tells me that they are used in jerk, but I'm not a big fan of jerk. And I know that I can use them like bay leaves.
Anyone have any good ideas for me?
Do you eat the...gulp...fat?
I'm the same, cheesemaestro. It's a texture thing for me. Mr. S carefully trims my porkchop after cooking and takes the fat for himself. win-win
but the lovely crisp fat on bacon? Just had some this morning.
I Hate Organic Natural Peanut Butter
You are not alone. I prefer the PB with all the stuff in it. Maybe because I don't really like peanuts on their own. As an ingredient (love PB cookies, peanut sauce), but not on their own.
I do have a jar of the natural stuff in my fridge for making peanut sauce or other recipes where I don't want the added sugar/salt, but I don't use it on toast.
How do you freeze your stock?
I rarely thaw stock separately either. Comes out of the freezer, into the pot of whatever I am cooking. I freeze in small and large yogurt containers, so the only time I need to thaw it ahead is if I only need a smaller amount and am out of small containers. Even then (or for the rare use where it must be liquid), I probablywouldn't realize until the last minute and would dump it in a pot or microwave it.
Grocery Stores around the world-quirks?
Used to have in in Canada too, but not anymore. Not that I would want it, don't really see the need for it. I remember as a kid talking my Gramp into buying pink TP. Of course, it didn't match the bathroom and was so garish. My Nana just sighed and smiled. I had Gramp wrapped around my little finger.
Hamburgers are now a special order item at Wendy's
Didn't it used to be that everything (well, at least the single/double/triple, etc) was listed plain and you had to add cheese? Or is that a Wendy's Canada thing? I'm sure they have looked at how many people order without cheese and have gone with the majority.
Grocery store pet peeve. Is it just me?
I had a price matching experience a couple of weeks ago at my grocery store, although not in the express lane. I didn't even realize the store had a price match guarantee (or if I had seen it, I promptly forgot or figured it was probably to complicated to worry about). Luckily, the shopper was very organized and had all her stack of flyers in the order that the items were on the conveyer, so by the time I had my stuff loaded on, she was almost done.
Maybe I should be paying more attention to other store flyers!
all this talk of express lanes, reminded me of when I was a cashier. I was working the express lane/cigarette counter and the manager sent someone over with a cart full cause I had no customers. It wasn't a regular type cash lane, just a counter, so it was really a pain to take big order. got everything rung up and the customer realized they had no wallet. So I had to reverse everything, item by item, with manager standing there for approval. What a pain.
Grocery store pet peeve. Is it just me?
It's just not really possible to watch the groceries being rung up where I shop (self bagging store). If I'm by myself, I have to unload, and then bag and load into my buggy. If I watched the cashier, my groceries would be blocking the end where you bag. I check my receipt on the walk home. If there's an issue (and that's rare), I get it fixed the next week.
Grocery store pet peeve. Is it just me?
I guess I just so rarely see check writers that I've forgotten about them. It's been many, many years since I've been behind one. I don't think they are that commonly used for groceries where I am.
Grocery store pet peeve. Is it just me?
I shop on foot and usually just grab the bits I need for grocery shopping. Debit card, health card (I case I get hit by a bus), list, phone, keys all in my pockets. I usually shop by myself and hate having to either keep my purse on my shoulder the whole time or worry about it (theft and grime-wise) in the cart.
TIFF Food on Film series
No individual film sales. Only the package of 6 films (there are 3 movies that haven't been announced yet). $180 per person for non-members.
I'm tempted.
Grocery store pet peeve. Is it just me?
Not just credit cards, but debit too. I can swipe (or insert card in chip reader) and do the whole debit procedure faster than the person digging out all their coins to give the exact change. It's become even faster now that most places don't need to you hand the card over.
