hitachino's Profile
Real UK-style Cask Ale - South of 49th Parallel - West of Atlantic Ocean?
heh - i'm surprised no one deleted this post of mine yet. (about inexpensive airfare)
as for cask ale, i'd never actually tried it until i visited the brewery in noblesville - their bourbon barrel aged one was very good. i think that i somehow knew to expect a less carbonated beer, but the flavors were exceptional. i think the lack of immediate and overwhelming carbonation would throw any person used to the average beer off.
that's such a shame!
Maggie Valley/Waynesville, NC
i've been to snappy's pizza - it was good, nothing spectacular.
i enjoyed the guiness gravy and fries that they served at the irish pub in waynesville. (o'mally's)
when in the mountains i look for mountain food that i can't get here in FL: country ham biscuits for breakfast being a must have!!
what a great server!!!
i'm the opposite - i'd rather box it myself.
i don't want someone's dandruff or spittle getting into my doggie box. ;0)
charcoal vs. briquets?
when i first got my grill a couple of months ago, i grabbed some "all natural hardwood charcoal" and a chimney starter to go with it. the charcoal was in regular, uniform lumps - ie briquettes.
my next one was the cowboy brand lump, and now i have the royal oak lump (red bag).
the initial briquettes worked out waaaay better for my smoking attempts. alas, i don't remember the name brand - but it was from home depot.
i can't seem to get the lump stuff to burn evenly and it's SUPER hot. i wouldn't EVEN attempt to use this stuff for slow smoking.
LOVE the chimney starter!!!!
Hey Chowhounds, Let's Build a Better Burger!
man, the water trick didn't work out for me at all.
maybe i used too much water or maybe it's the meat (1/2 cup for a bit over a lb of meat, and i'm not sure what cut of beef it was - i get it from my podunk grocer and it's usually really good - it just says 'ground beef' on the package, but the burger meat from there is usually quite good, and i've lived here for over 10 years)
and yes, i do cook them to well done - but i've not had them this dry in a long while.
they were a really weird consistency - jello-ish - the meat was drooping thru the grill grates on the edges of a couple of the thinner patties.
plus, i put the water and seasonings with the meat in the bag and let it sit for about an hour, maybe i should've cooked the burgers right away. (i'm used to letting my mixture blend for an hour or so in the fridge)
i'm gonna go back to just a dash of liquid (worcestire, bbq, hot sauce etc)
what a great server!!!
ironically, i have a terrible name/face memory but i could always remember what people drank. came in quite handy as a cocktail server/bartender.
i know it sounds cheap, but as a customer, to me any little thing free (extra bread to take home, some little something for the kiddle, sample of a nice draft beer) always make my day - particularly when you're a bit of a regular in a certain place.
Your choice for Trader Joe's BEST item
OH, ok - i see! ;0)
no, they didn't have hitachino in indianapolis.
even so, i can get hitachino here in FL and i was more interested in midwestern or northeastern microbrews that i can't get in FL. (of which there are a ton)
i think i was expecting TJs to have a large selection, like whole foods does.
could grilling / bbq get its own board?
i typed bbq into search:
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seriously, the whole "can we have a board for this or that" sounds so whiny, and i've done it too, obviously - i just wish the search feature worked more efficiently - then it probably wouldn't matter as much whether certain topics had their own spot.
Isn't Florida big enough yet to have a few separate chowhound boards?
i agree - if california and texas can have multiple boards......
that said, at least we *have* a florida board - i feel bad for all of those states that are all lumped in with other states.
maybe once they get the search feature fine tuned (if they ever do) it won't matter as much.
Hey Chowhounds, Let's Build a Better Burger!
i thought i had seen this someplace before -- now i remember, it was on a paula deen segment.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_22249,00.html
i'm going to add some water to my burgers tonight - i'm still gonna add some balsamic vinegar though.
cool tip, thanks!
Your choice for Trader Joe's BEST item
i'm sorry, i don't understand your point. both red and white what? (i never commented on wine)
Pork wings - where do pigs fly?
heh - never heard of them -- sounds interesting, though.
The Niki Rothman Method
i've always used liquid but not that much and not plain water. (balsamic vinegar, worcestire, bbq or hot sauce) and burgers always seem juicier and more tender. (and i like 'em well done)
i'm grilling burgers tonight, actually.
what is "American dining"
you've said it best, cornfusion.
and as for that silverware-holding issue, fork in left while pushing food on with a knife in right - looks as prissy and inefficient as it really is, imho.
;0)
unless, of course, you're left handed......
Baltimore crab soup thread
quick question interjection on the topic of baltimore crab: is $18.99 a normal price for one crab cake?
being from FL, i really wanted to try a genuine maryland crab cake on a short BWI layover - the price at the obrycki's in BWI astounded me, and i couldn't see shelling out that much for a crab cake.
i don't think it's just an airport price thing either, because the obrycki's online menu has the same price......
Authentic BBQ?
granted, i'm a novice - but i, too, am an avid convert from propane to charcoal. and using the chimney starter instead of lighter fluid.
you can't imagine the difference in taste until you've tried it. yes it's more work, yes it makes you smelly....but the finished product gets raves. even from my picky 10 year old "these are the best wings i've ever had" -- and i've only tried cooking wings twice - once fried (rubbery and gross) and this time on the kettle, indirect.
i also love adding soaked hickory twigs from my yard to whatever i'm cooking, be it wings, burgers, steaks or ribs.
recently my neighbors were having raw oysters during a grill out (which i'm quite hesitant to even try) but i do like them steamed or fried - so i had them throw some on the half shell in the smoker for a few minutes. (he was using an offset smoker/grill and threw some wood on the coals)
those oysters were da bomb!
for me, using charcoal/wood is what makes it 'authentic'
Your choice for Trader Joe's BEST item
based on recs here, on our trip to indy i tried the turkey meatballs and the chicken drummies. i loved them both but my son did not like the chicken at all. (keep in mind we only had a microwave to heat them)
i also loved a bag of green veggies i grabbed - can't remember the name - it had edamame, asparagus, spinach, broccoli and green beans in it.
i tried and liked the ham/onion/creme fraiche pizza tart thing - again, had to nuke it - i imagine it's much better baked properly.
i liked the TJs lowfat yogurt, but it wasn't to die for. (i guess i shoulda grabbed a fage just to try it)
i wanted to try the shrimp and the tilapia, but that would have been too much food (we had to eat out a bit too!)
overall, i liked the store very much - although the beer selection wasn't the greatest.
Brisket in the oven?
awesome, thank you!
i will definitely try this - i have to find some more of the uniformly-sized hardwood briquettes that i initially got at home depot when i bought the grill - after running out i've been using the hardwood chunks and they burn way to quickly and unpredictably.
the briquettes in that rope method (when i tried slow smoking some ribs) burned FOREVER. to the point where i think i overcooked the ribs, and the ring had only burned halfway around - i think it took 4 hours.
i can't remember the brand, so i'll have to just make a special trip to home depot.
thanks again!!!!
Has anyone kicked the diet soda habit?
i've never been a big soda person. i always order tea or water. (or beer!)
i remember even as a kid, mom would have liters of soda on hand and one of my brothers was a soda fiend, but i always preferred milk or juice.
i wonder what they put in there that makes it so addictive to people cause there's obviously something!
i think the stuff is evil!
i rarely buy soda now, occasionally i will buy my son some rootbeer as a treat, or a sprite with the odd fast food order.
since you like iced tea, why not try experimenting with different kinds....also consider herbals like iced rooibos or honeybush (no caffeine, very tasty and very good for you) or iced yerba mate for energy (kind of an acquired taste - sort of grassy/hay like).
and it's perfectly OK to mix and match green / white / black / decaf / herbals.
try the cold brew method (let the tea sit in water overnight in the fridge, then strain - or you can even leave the tea in there for a couple of days with no harm done) there's no bitterness and it's super easy and tastes great.
"How is everything?"
when i was a server, i used to simply try to smile and make eye contact and not say anything so as not to be intrusive (and usually because i was also very busy). if they needed anything they'd wave me over or say something. or i would simply ask "doing OK, need anything?"
i think that if you're a good server you get a sense of people that like you to be chatty and/or super-attentive and those who don't.
as a customer, i tend to not want to be chatty with the server or bartender - unfortunately mrhitachino is the polar opposite, especially with a drink or two in him ;0)
as a server, what i used to hate was people constantly asking me "what's wrong?" and telling me to smile. (my mouth naturally turns down a bit at the corners when i have no expression)
that was soooooo annoying. so i had to remember to constantly try to walk around with a fake half smile plastered on my face while trying to remember orders/requests and handle problems......(i rarely wrote anything down - only if it was a large party)
i left ZERO tip. (long story- but get this!!!)
the OP said they didn't even initially see their server for 15-20 minutes. THAT's when i would have walked out. i'd say that's a bad omen for your dining experience if ever there was one.
since the person decided to stay and had continued problems with food and service, a talk with a manager was certainly called for....comps were in order. if the server was rude on top of the problems, i can most definitely understand the stiff - but they still should have complained to the manager.
as for 'in the weeds' - we used that back in the 80s when i was a server, i had no idea they used it on top chef. no idea where it comes from. i would think that it would have something to do with weeds holding you back/down - or being lost?
to this day, i still have 'weed dreams' where i'm waiting to take someone's order and they can't decide and are asking really stupid questions and i'm watching table after table get seated and they're all waiting for me to take their orders -- man i hate those dreams.
What to serve with Grilled Jerk Pork
why not grill some veggies?
or you could make some sauteed/fried cabbage (another typical side in jamaican restaurants)
New Ideas For Porkchops
my latest thing is to take the thin, bone-in center cut chops and marinate them in EVOO, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary/garlic, S&P (or just dump on italian dressing if in a hurry)
i let them sit in fridge for an hour or two, then broil 5-7 minutes each side.
very fast and very easy.
if you want to do the slow cooker recipe and you don't have dried apples, can't you just use fresh ones? you can also use a fruit jam/jelly (apricot, apple, peach) in a slow cooker with pork and it makes a delicious sauce.
Why does anyone buy flour tortillas?
quesadillas!
to me -- corn is for tacos, tostadas or enchiladas.
Want rec. for cajun potato salad
after reading thru this thread, i had a craving for potato salad. i'm not a big fan of mustard, but i love southern style potato salad and decided to try the smashed thing. i didn't measure anything. mine is chunky from the eggs and veggies, but the potatoes are pretty mashed.
i boiled some peeled russets and 4 eggs.
i chopped a few ribs of celery, leafy celery tops, two seeded datil peppers, a dill pickle and a small onion.
i mixed together about a cup of mayo and a couple of squirts of yellow mustard along with a couple of shakes of a mustard based hot sauce and some garlic powder.
i drained the potatoes and dumped them back into the rinsed and dried pot and ran a knife thru them willy nilly. dumped in the chopped boiled eggs and stirred in some pickle juice. added about a tablespoon of smoked paprika, sea salt and some black pepper -- stirred again. (by now it's looking like chunky mashed potatoes with a reddish tinge from the paprika.) then i dumped in the dressing and the veggies and stirred well.
OMG, this is the best potato salad i've ever had.
Beer Label Likes/Dislikes..Thoughts?
i like magic hat's labels, shirts AND they have an ultra cool website.
to tie into this thread, what are some folks' favorite brewery tee shirts?
i love a stone gargoyle one that i bought for mrhitachino and a couple from A1A aleworks in st. augustine (bridge of lions brown and the armadillo one)
Is there a GREAT Bloody Mary Mix ???
i haven't tried either of these, but man - they sure do sound like they're delish
http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cocktails/best-bloody-mary-mixes.asp
Real UK-style Cask Ale - South of 49th Parallel - West of Atlantic Ocean?
check with southwest, or sign up for their email list....we got 3 RT from tampa to indianapolis for less than $350 total (including fees and taxes) -- $39 one way.
