LordOfTheGrill's Profile
How Important to You is Pronunciation? (vis-a-vis Food)
I love it! (Going phonetic here:)
Polo rather than poyo (pollo).
Foe rather than fuh? (pho).
And from another venue: dee-rail-er rather than der-ale-yuh (derailleur).
Food options at your workplace?
Well, going counter-clockwise through our cafeteria, we first pass the bottled water cooler, the soft drink machine, the cappucino/latte/expresso machine, the flavored coffee. Then we work our way around the salads, the grab-and-go cooler, and the sandwiches. Next is the Asian/sushi station, followed by the vegetarian station, which is right next to the deep fryer and the grill. Opposite end is the pasta station, right next to the Mexican station. A sharp left around the do-it-yourself sandwich/salad bar brings you to the Exhibition station, which might serve anything from duck, veal, lamb, salmon, trout, or prime rib. Last is the pizza station and the desert station. We can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner for less than $15 total. I'm just not sure why I can't lose these last 15 pounds!
Thanksgiving day diasters. Yours?
Sliced the tip of my thumb off on a mandolin one year. Whatever I was slicing kept rolling off the little holder, and I only needed two or three more slices, so I held it in my hand. Mistake.
Family foods I thought was normal
I've run across quite a few people who think putting ketchup on eggs is weird. I don't remember how I first started putting mustard on bananas, but it was my wife who turned me on to black pepper on cottage cheese. All good!
On Brining: H McGee
We only use about 1/2 cup of kosher salt, and leave the bird in the brew overnight. I can't say I've noticed any difference between salt only and adding a bunch of other stuff to the soup (apple juice, herbs, whatever), but neither are the drippings too salty to be used.
Why can't I get bread in an Asian restaurant?
Probably for the same reason you can't get egg rolls at MacDonald's?
MSP: Bizarre Zimmern does MN
Someone needs to teach Zimmern how to chew with his mouth closed.
Strangest chow you've eaten?
Most recently: chapuline -- roast grasshoppers.
All time: Thiet chanh viet (sp?) -- Vietnamese duck's blood pizza.
Worst Beer Ever?
Miller Genuine Draft Light in the can. Undrinkable at any temperature.
Spanish themed dinner for 10?
Burritos and french fries. When someone says, "Burritos are Mexican," you just hold up a french fry and say, "Oh, please, Spain is right next door to France, okay?"
Cask beer on hand pump?
Not 100% sure, but I think Rock Bottom Brewery offers cask ales from time to time.
Is Fondue back? - The Melting Pot opinions.
I think you're all missing the point of this place. Granted, the food is nothing to write home about, but it's just plain fun!
What do Chowhounds do for a living (besides eat of course)?
Well, I'm 52, southern California born and raised, working as a mechanical engineering technician for a fabless broadband chip designer, and I've been watching cooking shows ever since Graham Kerr's "Galloping Gourmet" days. Didn't really start cooking seriously until a few years ago, and if I had known how much I was going to love it 30 years ago, I would have gone to cooking school. I love people's reactions to my food the same way musician, writers, and artists love people's reactions to their creative efforts.
Beef Ribs, What would you do?
Rip off that skin, apply a generous rub, and make your own mop and bbq sauces, then slow smoke 'em. You can skip the brine/marinade or not--up to you. The results are by far worth the extra effort.
Hotdogs cooked in beer
Not a big hotdog fan, but I always start bratwurst simmering in beer until they're plump enough to burst, then finish them off on a hot grill. Simply wonderful!
Fresh Meat?
Good recommendations all, and I'll certainly be checking some of them out, but when I said "fresh" I meant still on the hoof/wing. Are there any places like that in the southland anymore?
Fresh Meat?
I mean *really* fresh, like when you're standing there and this little piggy bumps up against your leg, and you say, "I'll take THAT one!" and thirty minutes later they bring Porky out ready for the spit. Yes, it's time to throw a real animal on the fire! I'm in Orange County, but L.A. and Riverside counties are close enough. Thanks . . .
Steak Dinner!!! No Idea what I'm doing!!!!
Oh, yeah, I did a red wine reduction and used that to deglaze the pan. Perfection!
Seen any good You Tube cooking demos/tutorials lately?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjkPav3En9s
Steak Dinner!!! No Idea what I'm doing!!!!
Thanks everybody so much for this thread! My wife came down with the flu right before Christmas, so we were stuck at home with nothing in the freezer except fish sticks and lasagna. I found an Asian market that was still open at 2 PM on Christmas day, picked up the ribeye and some asparagus, and pretty much saved the day. It came out so good that I did a repeat a couple of days later while visiting a friend out of town, and it was a huge hit. Cheers!
Orange County California...only a few
Ditto on Black Sheep Bistro in Tustin--pricey, but well worth it for a special occasion. Also outstanding are Roma D'Italia, as well as Zov's. All three offer outstanding food and excellent service.
FoodNetwork — What's the Right Amount/Kind of Personality?
Bobby Flay: Of course he comes off as arrogant--he's hugely talented, hugely successful, and therefore hugely confident. I'm not threatened by that, so I like watching him. Of course if he came into MY backyard for a BBQ challenge, his career would soon be over!
Rachel Ray: Cute as a button, but way over the top with the cliches and gonzo delivery. Have you looked at her magazine? Worth less than the paper on which it's printed.
Mario Batali: Love the shorts, and I'd love to accompany him on one of his after-hours food fests.
Emeril: Love him. "Bam" is show business. I've tried a few of his recipes, and the only ones that came out sub-standard were the ones I screwed up.
Giada: The woman is a goddess. Everything recipe I've tried of her was exquisite and got rave reviews.
Alton: Totally dig the background info he gives you, but his delivery--especially the dramatic "uhhhs"--are overly theatrical. We know it was rehearsed, just give us the show!
Bourdain: Awesome. A gentleman, a connoisseur, an adventurer, and an articulate and amusing writer. What more could you ask?
Andrew Zimmern: Okay, I know I'm on the wrong channel here, but hey. Arrogant, culturally ignorant, and rude. Love the concept, can't stand him.
Paula Dean: Who cares what's in it--it tastes good! How can you not love that?
Haven't watched a lot of the others, but my big question is . . . WHEN DOES THE NEW SEASON OF TOP CHEF BEGIN?!?!
Where can I find some good BBQ?
Burrell's BBQ
305 N Hesperian St
Santa Ana, CA 92703
Phone: (714) 547-7441
Chaplain's Real BBQ
21801 Alessandro Blvd
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
951-653-2224
Absolutely the two best BBQ joints in So Cal.
No-cry onion methods
Try breathing through your mouth, or cut them right next to the kitchen sink with the water running. Or both! Works for me . . .
Extinguishing coals?
I'd dump them in a hibachi or small kettle grill and cover 'em up.
any use for terrible wine?
I use the cheapest wine I can find to soak wood chips for grilling and BBQing.
To Brine or Not to Brine?
We've been brining for seven years and we'll never go back to the old way. Everybody always says, "This is the best turkey I've ever had," and I get multiple requests for our recipe/procedure. We also stuff the bird and use the drippings to make gravy. Just brine with one cup of Kosher salt overnight, and don't use table salt in any of the other components.
Waiting for the check
We usually put a credit card close to the edge of the table when we're close to being done. This usually catches them by surprise when they're expecting a reprieve between dropping off the bill and picking up the payment, but it seems to work well for us.
My mom told me a story about when she and my dad were working for the foreign service and stationed in western Europe. They'd been seated at a table in a restaurant in France. Some of the other tables had ferns on them, but theirs didn't, and dammit, my mom wanted a fern on her table, so my dad got up and retrieved one. The waiter came out, took their order, took the fern, and put it back. My dad grabbed it again. After he brought the food, the waiter took it back again and then vanished, so after waiting and waiting for the bill, they got up, my dad snatched the plant, and out the door they went.
It took the waiter about 30 seconds to come flying out the door with the bill in his hand, screaming, "Please, Monsieur, return our fern!"
They called my dad 'Fern' for many weeks after that.
Tempted by Chorizo - what should I know
You probably don't want to know what's in it. Now that I know, I try not to think about it. I'd say it's lightly to moderately spicy, but then I've been known to eat pickled jalapenos right out of the jar. I usually grill mine when I grill beef and chicken for tacos, but you could pan fry it, too.
