BobB's Profile
Why Yelp Sucks!
I think that depends where you are. Here in the Boston area new restaurants get written up very quickly on Chowhound, often even before they open, with posts like "Did you see what's coming soon?"
How long can I keep my smoothie in a frig?
Hmm. I'm not a smoothie fan myself, but applying logic to the situation: yogurt keeps for weeks refrigerated. Fruit, depending on what it is, keeps for a few days at least when refrigerated. Granted, pureed fruit may not keep as long as whole, but I really don't see how pureeing and blending the two somehow reduces their longevity to as little as four hours. I think your friend is being paranoid here.
How many fellow Chowhounders are or have been in the biz?
Do three months as an IHOP busboy when I was 15 count? I know, I was underage, but my best friend's older brother was the manager and hired both of us CHEAP.
Campari tomatoes -- tried them yet?
The thing about kumatoes is that they're not all alike. I've had fantastic ones that were grown in Mexico, and so-so ones that came from Canada. Same name, same logo, radically different sources.
Campari tomatoes -- tried them yet?
That doesn't sound right to me. I'm a gardener, and for many years have grown Sweet 100 tomatoes - they're intensely sweet cherry tomatoes, quite a bit smaller and much sweeter than Camparis.
http://www.burpeehomegardens.com/VegetableHerbGardening/PlantDetails.aspx?plantid=5098
Jarred pickles - what's best?
Ba-Tampte half-sours can be good, if they're really fresh. Check the color - they should look like fresh cucumbers, if they're at all pickled-looking they've been on the shelf too long. But even at their best they don't compare to the ones I get from the open vat at the local Russian store.
BREVILLE COUNTER TOP SMART TOASTER/CONVECTION OVEN
I have the full sized model, and it's about 18-1/2"W, 10-1/2"H, and 13-1/2"D (plus a handle that sticks out another two inches in front).
Cincinnati chili has no kidney beans?
>>The same way people call that macaroni/tomato/hamburger dish "goulash."
Except when they don't. That same basic dish is known as American chop suey in parts of the northeast, and Johnny Marzetti in parts of the midwest.
But for the record, no one calls it chili.
Challenge: find me an induction capable griddle
No need for silpat, plain old paper towels work great - plus they catch drips and spills while you're cooking.
Challenge: find me an induction capable griddle
But this is an induction cooktop, which means you can simply lay down some paper towels, set the pan/griddle on them, and start cooking scratch-free. That's what we do with our extensive Le Creuset collection on our induction range.
ethnic markets
Lots of ethnic markets around here (Boston), and some surprising finds. Just yesterday, for example, I was in a Russian market and ran across one of my favorite French double-creme cheeses, Fromage d'Affinois, for $13.99 a pound. Same cheese at Whole Foods is $17.99.
Surprising Menu Items That Steal the Show
Higaditos Mexicanos (spicy sauteed chicken livers) at Sol Azteca. A true standout on an otherwise OK but unexciting menu.
You know you're a foodie ("food nerd", "chow-der", etc.) when.....
Ha! Did that just today.
Do you have a favorite I'm-alone-now-so-nobody-will-know favorite dish?
I like the name - Wish Sandwich, as in, "I wish I had some meat to put in there?"
Shelf life of a cooked chicken?
The site I go to for such advice, StillTasty.com, recommends 3 - 4 days max in the fridge. That doesn't mean 5 or 6 will necessarily make it inedible, but the risk factor does go up.
http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16799
How long can I leave frozen cooked broccoli out?
Two hours, according to my favorite authority on such matters: www.stilltasty.com/
That's their recommendation for fresh cooked broccoli, but I don't see any reason why it would be different for frozen once it's been cooked.
Campari tomatoes -- tried them yet?
I agree, they're the best you can get out of season. I've been buying them for years.
Calorie Labeling Tricks Rant
I also have no problem with packages that are meant to provide more than one serving. My objection, as I said, is to unrealistic "serving sizes." Two ounces of kielbasa is maybe a 2" - 3" piece of sausage, at most. No one but a semi-vegetarian would call that a full serving.
BREVILLE COUNTER TOP SMART TOASTER/CONVECTION OVEN
Mine's been in daily use for over a year now, no sign of any problems.
Calorie Labeling Tricks Rant
Well, this is a topic that comes up pretty frequently on these boards, and the issue is generally (as it is here specifically) not labeling as such, but wildly unrealistic "serving sizes."
It's a widespread problem, affecting almost every type of processed food. Every can of soup on the market, for example, says it contains two or more servings when it makes one bowlful. I've seen kielbasa labeled with a "serving size" of two ounces - sure, if you're using it as a condiment.
Yes, if you read the fine print and have third-grade math skills you can figure out what the total value of an ACTUAL serving would be, but I agree with Chii that it is an inherently deceptive approach to providing nutritional information.
Ambrosia apples anywhere?
I've gotten hooked on these, but Star Market (where I was getting them) seems to have run out or is not restocking them.
They're the crispest apple out there, lightly sweet-tart with an almost floral undertone. I would drive across town to buy some if only I could find them. I've tried Pink Ladies, Braeburns, and Fujis, and they're all monotonic mush by comparison.
Anybody seen them anywhere recently?
Buying rendered duck fat?
I've gotten it from Savenor's and if I remember correctly it was something like $5 a pint (or maybe $5 a pound?), not too bad. They also have goose fat but it's twice the price.
Where to eat when someone else is paying up to $200?
I'd give Craigie on Main a call and let them know your restrictions. I bet Tony Maws can put something together that will knock your socks off.
any secrets to a great tuna fish sandwich?
There've been threads about that out here. My personal theory is that it comes from German immigrants - in German, "thunfisch" is one word.
When do ethics come to play in your dining decision?
Hindu and Jain also. We saw plenty when touring ancient sites in India. It was originally a good luck symbol.
When do ethics come to play in your dining decision?
That gawker article ends on a particularly ironic note, when it says, "Take a stand for gay rights and good taste: Eat a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich."
Not too many years ago, Wendy's made headlines for pulling its advertising from the TV show Ellen when Ms DeGeneres came out. Of course, the author MAY have known that...
Funniest thing you seen in a restaurant?
I dated a woman a million years ago (OK, around 1979), a single mom with three kids. The youngest was five and still breast-feeding. When I challenged her on it she said it made him happy - and indeed, this kid was a non-stop tantrum waiting to happen and her breast was the only thing that shut him up.
Needless to say we were not together for long.
