Yes. This needs to be addressed. NYC water does not come from the Delaware water gap - and it just does not even seem efficient that water would be brought from South to North. It mostly comes from three points in the Catskills:

*The New Croton Aqueduct, completed in 1890, brings water from the New Croton Reservoir in Westchester and Putnam counties.

* The Catskill Aqueduct, completed in 1916, is significantly larger than the Croton and brings water from two reservoirs in the eastern Catskill Mountains
.
*The Delaware Aqueduct, completed in 1945 taps tributaries of the Delaware River *in the western Catskill Mountains* and provides around half of the city's water supply.

It basically all comes down from the beautiful Catskill Mountains. A gifted area that has served NYC in many wonderful ways.

I have never heard that phrase and I also would think that I might have at some point in my 38 years, from my 68 year old Bronx born and raised Dad. I like it....just never heard it. That said, I was rasied on LI, in Nassau, and have lived in QUeens for about fifteen years. My Dad and I have talked about municipal water at times and we both, plus my Montreal born and raised Mom, agree that NYC water tastes about as perfect as you can get drawn from a kitchen tap. Both my parents and my sister live out in Suffolk County, LI now where the water is still quite good, slightly off for my buds but nothing offensive, but nothing beats a cold glass of tap from a NYC faucet (although I admit mine comes through a filter in my fridge but I will as easily and gladly drink a pull from my tap). As a NYCer, I know where our water comes from, and I see no reason to ever order bottled water in a restaurant here, but I do pick up bottles of Poland Spring from time to time, merely for convenience's sake. I don't drink soda or juice and do not find that they quench my thirst, so a bottle of water works to serve its purpose and I gladly accept that and not really worry about where it came from.

**I have tasted really crappy tap water in other parts of our country (slightly making me understand why peeps in other parts of the country love Mountain Dew soda, when I don't think I really ever see it for sale here) and assume if I had to relocate that there are some areas on the spectrum that I could accept and get used to and others at the other end of the spectrum that I do not think would ever become palatable to me. I can start this list with our otherwise lovely next door neighbors in NJ. Blech. LI gets it water from undergound sources and that has proven quite good.

I have only ever been active - and far more active than I am on here - on one other message board. It was a birth board, while I was expecting my first child.....and then for nearly a year after he was born, before I grew tired of it. However, on that site, all the boards indicate who is moderating them - the moderators are also participants, like on CH (for example expecting a baby the same month and year as you or have a strong interest in safe car-seating). I agree that the opaqueness of CH can cause ill feelings, perhaps unnecessarily so at times. I think the opaqueness actually *causes* more ill feelings. This speculative, but deserved, thread being an indication of such. At least when you know who the mods are, you have a better understanding of why/how certain things happen on the board and you can take them with a grain of salt. I say this having recently taken my hat off to the mods on another thread....but more transparency would benefit the site IMHO. Moderation may be just as erratic, or undefined or misunderstood, (all of us being human) but things are always easier when you know who you are dealing with.

My hat is off to mods on this and other boards, but I actually think they are particularly well at doing their job here. You read enough comments on the internet and you appreciate the civility here on CH. I imagine being a mod is harder than we think. I don't know, maybe I don't read here *enough* to see all of the ickiness that others see "unpunished", though. Still....my hat is off.

So cheap, so fake, so low-quality and I don't care. Good Humor Toasted Almond bars are so....mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

No. I actually just think it is a cultural thing and do not take personal offense to it. But, it is darn noticeable. I do not know what the ethnic folks experience while shopping in "non-ethnic" venues. In my neck of the woods, I can't imagine one ethnicity being given better treatment over another - FWIW, I often feel as I am the minority here. I think most "non-ethnic" shops, like the local supermarket are just so in tune with the fact that their entire consumer base is made up of a world of people. BUt, that is just my own experience in my very diverse nabe.

I live in an extraordinarily diverse neighborhood in NW Queens, NY, I can walk, withing several blocks to a Thai grocery, an Ecuadoran bakery, a Peruvian chicken joint, a FIlipino grocrery, a Chinese fish store and market, an Indian Supermarket, an Irish butcher and market, and then some. SO, before you all beat up the OP, let me tell you this. I shop in all of these places, as well as my local supermarket. I happily purchase their products for my home cooking. But, absolutely, for sure, some places make me feel very uncomfortable. AGAIN. I shop in all of them, frequently, but there are some that seem to make an effort to make me feel like as a white woman, I don't belong. Truth.

This is not accurate. Whereas Champagne is a legally protected name, the word seltzer is a genericized trademark, similar to other words that were formally trademarked, but eventually declared generic - like aspirin, zipper, and yo-yo. So, while a company can only use the name Champagne if its product is derived from a specific region, any company producing carbonated water can call it seltzer.

Real Champagne comes from the Champagne region.
Real seltzer can come from anywhere - yes, even one's own home.

I also find this very frustrating. On every other site that offers the option, I always click "Oldest Posts First" Actually, sites that default to newest first even annoy me a bit. I can't imagine why anyone would want to read the latest entries without having read all the previous content. I think that a reader opening a thread for the first time - and able to read all replies in chronological order - outweighs the people who just want an easier way to see the last one or two replies. Perhaps it is just me....

I just don't understand why something so seemingly counter-intuitive would be the default setting.

I know this has been discussed many times here - which is actually why I am asking my question. It has been gone over so many times that I am actually NERVOUS about doing what I want to do! So, I hope you will forgive me for asking for your opinions on my very specific scenario.

Tonight, we are going out to dinner to celebrate my birthday with my parents and my husband's parents and our three year old. It is white table cloth Italian, but still a neighborhood place. I have been going through difficult personal issues and also came out of a "dark period" of relations with my in-laws this year, so I am very excited to go out to dinner with my husband, child, and our parents. I would like ONE photo of these six people, who have been so supportive and encouraging, with me. The owners know my husband and I, and while it has been a long time since we have gone there, I know they know us and like us. It is an early dinner - 6pm. How would you feel about a family taking one picture while seated at the table? We may all have to shift to one side, but don't think that will cause a commotion.

I hope I don't sound silly, but all those threads on photography in restaurants has me feeling self-conscious about wanting a nice picture that will mean a lot to me. Is that weird?

I also want to add that my comment was not directed to the OP. I realize s/he was posting something written by another writer.

Definitely not exclusive to middle America. I have never lived outside of NYC and LI and I have had more than my share of "recombinant cuisine" (who comes up with these terms???). I have to admit I have not read the article yet. But, as a woman who does most of my cooking using fresh ingredients, I find the premise of the article ignorant and disrespectful. Hostility? Yes. I am sure that anyone who has ever prepared a dish using condensed soup has a deeply seething hatred of the stuff. Maybe there should be a course for those studying Psychology that covers this issue.

This is the stuff that makes people who prefer local and fresh ingredients look like snobby arses - when most of us aren't! Do we really need something else to make our society more divisive? When it comes to food, I stand by, "Different Strokes for Different Folks". There are so many other things to judge and turn our noses up at (<- sarcasm). Food should be fun, conveneient for those who need it to be, a taste good - and taste is about as subjective as something can be. I had a French teacer in ninth grade, who everyone once in a while would say, "Don't yuck someone else's yum". Twenty-five years later, that is one of the thgings from French class that I remember the most. Probably because it is the most practical thing (for my life) that I learned in that class.

Thanks for your responses! I am thinking of tossing them with pasta today. I figure I will heat the liquid straight through, then toss them in at the very last minute, then toss it all with hot pasta. I am hoping that should get them nice and warm without ruining their texture. I don't know how one would reheat them without sauce. I was thiking about making a fritatta,for which I would not use the liquid, but hubs nixed that idea. I am wondering if anyone has tried preparing leftover mussles that way though.

Anytime I brought frozen, homemmade food to work, I would take it out of the freezer in the morning and leave it in my office until lunch time. It is only several hours, but enough to thaw it quite a bit without it going bad.

I made mussels in a white wine/butter/onion/garlic/herb sort of dish tonight. THere are lots leftover. Will they stay good for one night....if I heat them up in the liquid tomorrow for lunch?

I am always amused when I discover someone is the opposite gender than I had assumed. I kinda like it.

I understand what you mean. I do not think it is relevant, and I don't care what gender people are. As well, I am sure I have incorrectly applied the wrong gender while replying to a poster and do hope I did not offend. One might say that my gender is clear by my user name, but I stole this user name from my husband. He used to use it on another site. His name is Justin (I am obviously Paula) and I bet people on that site thought he was a she. So, you never know.

Anyway, I was reading a thread the other day that got a little heated. One of the commenters went off on another commenter, asking why one would assume that she was a he. That was pretty irrelevent to the discussion and seemed like just a tiff-oriented thing to write, because who cares if someone accidentally refers to you by the wrong gender - on an internet board.

Not to mention the many, many people who only drink one cup in the morning and would be buying a paper or styrofoam cup, retail, - also likely to end up in a landfill - instead of brewing a K-Cup at home, like my husband. I don't drink coffee, and he has his one cup a day, so we never had a coffee maker. Before our Keurig, he picked it up "to go" at a deli or 7-11 every morning in a disposable cup. Now he uses his thermal travel cup. And, yes, I did buy him a Melita One-Cup pour over thing at one point, on reccomendation from my Mom, but he didn't like how it tasted. So, the Keurig works for us. I also have a three year old, so sometimes I need me tea STAT, before I forget about it. I just use regula tea bags, but like having the hot water at the ready. I have no idea whether turning on the gas to bing a pot of water to boil, or using the electric for two minutes uses more energy. I have never thought about it.

My sister and father (a SAHM and a retiree) are the types that drink coffee all day long. They would never use a Keurig, because that would be a lot of money and a lot of waste.

That is not too bad - while you are doing hair and make-up. In my younger days, I would drink my wine or whatever in the bathroom while I was primping to go out for the night. Now, my husband actually drinks his coffee every morning in the bathroom as part of his morning routine - he shaves in the shower and does his hair in the bedroom, so that only leaves one other thing for him to be doing in there with his coffee in hand. It grosses me out, but what I am gonna do? He's a decent man...I think I will let this thing of his slide. I think it bothers me more that most days, I wake up to find an empty, used coffee mug on my bathroom sink (along with his last night's sleepwear) for me to put in its proper place to be cleaned - at this point I let that slide too, eh. If I am tasting something I am cooking or just slipped a cracker into my mouth and then realize I have to "go", I will stand outside the bathroom door and finish chewing before I even go in. To each his own, I guess. Even if I were a bathroom eater, I would probably refrain from doing it in public though.

We are taking our three year old to see Scooby-Doo Live at the Beacon Theater tomorrow, for a 5pm show. Husband and I like to dine at places that are not *specifically* kid-friendly, and our son is accustomed to it. However, I like to consider other people when dining at 730 on a Saturday evening on the UWS. I was shocked (and excited) to read that Landmarc is VERY kid-friendly. This is a restaurant that hubs and I can enjoy AND not feel uncomfortable bringing along our toddler. The thing is, they do not have any available reservations, according to Open Table. I don't mind walking-up and waiting and can linger around the mall until a table is ready. However, part of me feels deceptive doing this (I am weird, I guess). Also, I am curious if anyone has any experience that can give me some insight as to how long a walk-in might have to wait. Our anniversary was also this week and we were unable to celebrate, so a nicer place than, let's say Patsy's Pizza or PJ Clarkes, would be really nice for us. Finding a place to meet our interests has been tough, though, so Landmarc sounds like a good option. So, any info about your experience as a Saturday evening walk-in is appreciated. Of course, any alternative suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

This ^. I always use the oven method. I line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil - makes clean up even easier - put 8-10 slices on it and into an oven set to 375 degrees. I never have smoke and the bacon always comes out perfect. I drain it on a plate covered with paper towels. If I am making something else I need to keep warm, like pancakes, I put the bacon filled plate back in the oven to also keep warm. I never realized there was "hype" surrounding oven made bacon, but the number one reason I do it is because I can cook all of the other breakfast components without having to be a slave to watching a pork and grease filled skillet.

And the clean- up. Nevermind the pans, but all the splatter on the stove top, adjacent counter space, and floor. Plus, with a cooking-loving three year old constantly under foot in my kitchen, it is safer for me.

Thanks so much for offering a response to this old post. I ended up bringing clams that I get on Sundays at the Jackson Heights Greenmarket. We have already booked our LG trip for this coming July, so maybe this time around I will take advantage of your suggestion. All my years going to Lake George and I have never been to Saratoga Springs. A great fish market will encourage me to motivate myself to get down there this year. Thanks again.

I have a sort-of solution for having to toss my own salad with side dressing. I dress just a small portion of the salad, eat a few bites to clear up some room in the plate , and then dress and toss the rest . Not perfect, but less salad ends up on the table and goes in my mouth, and most of it is dressed to my liking.

I was very active on my "birth board", a Chowhound of sorts for women expecting babies. Mine was specific to women expecting in March 2010. Everything under the sun was debated/discussed on that board, throughout our pregnancies and as new mothers, yet I don't recall anyone talking about "Gender Reveal Parties". That was less than three years ago....

I have recently seen a few mentions of this sort of event, so it is not unheard of now....apparently picked up steam fast. Bleh.

Sex-change operation announcement party? Now, that I would go to, if only to see Grandpa's face!

Exactly. As you said, what might be exciting for one person to celebrate, might not be so exciting to the next person. I wouldn't run the risk of assuming 25 other people want to excitedly celebrate finding out the sex of my child, with a planned dinner, as much as I would, without paying for it. If you wish to provide an opportunity for friends bond over the joy of your new child, have one. Before it is born, after it is born, gifts, no gifts, whatever. But, pay for it! And if you can't, then hold off. There will be plenty of more party-worthy events where this bonding can happen: baby shower, bris/christening/baby-naming/baptism, newborn meet-and-greet, etc.

I am not exactly young, but my only child isn't three years old yet. I don't get this gender reveal party business (although I have seen items about it popping up more and more), and can't imagine anyone in my social circle doing it, but I guess it is harmless. That is, if you have the cash flow and want an excuse to take your friends and family out for a good time - not have them pay their own way. Like I said before, I posted it on Facebook - and I have read on many blogs that a lot of people can't even stand when pregnant women do *that*!

Yep. I was thinking the same thing. Invite your parents and grandparents over for cake and coffee, then send an picture announcement via email to everyone else. It would probably take less time to create the announcement email than its will to come up with the right words for an evite to this event, and you won't have to worry about those phone calls you don't want to make.

I just called my parents and in-laws then posted it on Facebook.

Yes. I am also curious why you are writing the invitations and discussing your financial situation with us, if your best friend is throwing the party? If you are dealing with the venue and contacting your intended guests, and the guests are paying their way, what exactly is the person "hosting" the event in your honor doing?

Anyway, I agree with others. If you (or the host) isn't paying, it isn't a party. Maybe taking everyone out for pizza and cake - as someone previously mentioned - that you or your host can afford to cover for your "guests" is a good alternative. In general, my feeling is that if you have to work so hard to come up with the right way to invite your guests, maybe you are doing something wrong. Maybe re-think this is event as more of a meet-up than a party and frame it that way....somehow.

I always, and by "always" I mean the three times a year we eat BK, ask for my Whopper with cheese. My guess is that A LOT of people do ask for it with cheese, so they asked you if you wanted it with cheese to preemptively keep you from coming back saying ,"I wanted it with cheese,can I have a different one", which is something that probably has happened thousands of times at every BK in the world....because people probably forget that it doesn't have cheese (like the Big Mac) and forget to request it.

Obviously you weren't over it when you created this post. But, don't take it as an affront to your "Whopper experience"'. My guess is that "the voice behind the machine" was just trying to be efficient.

For the record, I don't like Big Macs. But my reason is that I just don't *get* the extra piece of bread in the middle. Plus, BK makes a far better burger.

Why thank you Porker for such a lovely, encouraging comment! I also appreciate the insight from your experience. Well, I must say that I made the best meatballs ever, last night. I must give some credit to Ms. Hazan (I have been using a different recipe for years, but just finally got "Essentials....Italian Cooking), even though I tweaked her recipe a touch, but, wow....the texture of the home ground meat made such a difference! I have wanted the grinder, but honestly didn't know that it really does make ground meat so much better. Tonight, I make breakfast sausage patties, for tomorrow, with pork butt, fat back, several fresh herbs, and seasoning. Monday, I make my "Grandma' s Sweet and Sour Meatballs", on request to bring to my friend's NYE gathering. THEN....maybe I will try a cased sausage.