Angela Roberta's Profile
Portion control at a dinner party
This happened to some friends of mine: They were invited to the house of some old friends. Two families together, four adults and six kids, four teens and two children (not tots). For the main course, the hosts serve a one-pound baby canned ham and slice it with an electric knife.
I loved reading these responses!
Explain "With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good"
They are playing up their company's history. Real people, a real family, the Smuckers, who cared about their product. It's not a made-up, folksy-sounding trademark, like Bartles & James. I have always liked these commercials a lot. The jams are OK.
Popular flavors that you don't care for
I am not crazy about strawberry preserves or anything with cooked strawberries. Fresh strawberries are so good, and the change, for the worse, is so dramatic after cooking. On the other hand, cooked raspberries are wonderful--no significant decline from fresh.
Do you use a lunchbox?
Yes. I have about four insulated bags of different sizes. I pack the smallest one that will hold my food for the day. I have little blue ice blocks to keep everything cold, using more of them in the summer. (I especially don't like yogurt that isn't cold.)
Glass jars - fess up!
I keep any jar that has a pretty raised motif--leaves, berries, grapes.
Le Creuset Dijon Or Citron Yellow?
Dijon looks more old-fashioned and French to me. (Both good things!)
The Chilled Relish Tray...do they still exist?
Celery and olives used to be an appetizer choice with the "complete dinner" at the neighborhood (Queens) restaurants my family would go to when I was a kid. I haven't seen one out for a long time. We have celery and olives at home for holidays.
But I've enjoyed this thread so much, I'm going to make a retro relish tray one for my next dinner party.
Are Anderson's Baldies pretzels made anymore?
Oh, thank you. I will try the Key Food near my house first.
Are Anderson's Baldies pretzels made anymore?
I haven't seen these in years. Part of me is relieved I can't find them, as I could eat so many in one sitting. But they were so good--super crunchy and not overly salty.
My, how could that taste so awful?
I agree. No fake mayo ever again--not no-fat or low-fat. I'd rather use a lot less of the real thing, go without, or take the calorie hit.
Special occasion-type place in Queens? Or Roberto's in the Bronx?
I've been to Joe's Deli in the Bronx. I like it a lot. The shop is wonderfully stocked, neat, and clean. The deli man gave us fresh-mozzarella samples, and we had to buy some to take home. Big recommendation.
Why is it so easy to get a reservation at Gotham Bar & Grill?
Yup, for me price is the big difference. I like both Gotham and USC a lot. But Gotham's dishes are quite a bit more expensive, and if I recall, there's less play in the menu, meaning you can't order great sides to flesh out something like a BLT or a burger. And maybe the portions are a little smaller at Gotham.
Second Kitchens
My mother is very much like this, me only a bit less so. And, yes, we are Italian-American and have two kitchens!
Secret to spaghetti with garlic and oil?
I'll take a guess and say restaurants are probably using more oil and salt than you. They care about repeat business, not your health. NTTAWWT.
The 15.5 qt Lecreuset goose pot came in yesterday. Here is a photo:
I love the red, yellow, and blue together!
Help! My Cuisinart is Stuck!
If you manage to get it unstuck, this is what I do to prevent sticking: Spray some of the locking bits of plastic with a little Pam. The lid and bowl need lubrication.
A good mail-order source for marzipan?
I'd like to order some excellent marzipan candies. Anyone have a recommendation? Thanks.
Classic Chinese-American restaurant names
On my bus ride home, I pass a takeout place on Northern Boulevard (in Queens) with the name Lung Sing.
When I was a kid, the local place was Gum Kew, now long gone.
And then there's the Hong Kong Gardens, from The Honeymooners.
Any way to keep candied orange peel from melting?
This is so good to make at Christmas. But mine so quickly loses its crystals and turns wet. Is there any way to keep it dry and crystalline for a week or two?
Thanks.
Best online source for delicious Jordan almonds in bulk?
I ended up ordering from nutsonline.com. I ordered in the afternoon and delivery was the next day. The Jordan almonds were beautiful, fresh, and delish. Highly recommended. Thanks for all the replies.
Best online source for delicious Jordan almonds in bulk?
I want to make party favors. Anyone have a good experience ordering from an online source?
Thanks
Le Creuset vs. others. Why is it better?
I have several pieces of Le Creuset and just love them. Zero complaints about performance and durability, and they clean up so easily. I also love their design and the mystique, for lack of a better word, of their being made in France. I'll buy more when I can find a good, discounted price.
I'd pass on cheaper knockoffs even if they performed equally well. I don't want to see this great manufacturer go the way of Wedgwood. And for that reason I wouldn't buy the Le Creuset ceramics made in...Thailand?
Need advice on Cake Bible cakes.
I wouldn't describe any of the cakes I've made from The Cake Bible as "very dense"--even the pound cake. Did you use cake flour? I would try again, measuring carefully and checking the oven temperature. I find Rose's recipes well worth the effort.
I can't comment on the buttercream, as I made it only once, many years ago. I just can't afford those calories!
Arthur Ave...Bronx
Besides the excellent and numerous food choices, there's the colorful atmosphere on Arthur Avenue. Lots of interesting characters and talk. Keep your ears open!
Flower lollipops (cut-rock candy) from ages ago
After spending a lot and eating a lot at Christmas, I think now is not the time for me to buy that big box (which indeed isn't a bad value per piece). But I have bookmarked the site. Makes me happy to know that someone--in Poland!--is making those delightful lollis.
What city should I go to for a culinary vacation?
I did two foodies trips in two years--New Orleans, then San Francisco. I put NO clearly ahead, the difference being that in NO the food is great; in SF the food is trying to be great. It's kind of a Zen thing.
BTW, I live in NYC. I still put NO ahead. The concentration of good is just so much better.
Bag Lettuce...do they all smell like a Chemical Factory?
I look for a relatively dry bag, too. Also a good sell-by date. Finally, if you see even one decaying leaf, don't buy that bag.
It seems like Bumble Bee Tuna has gone down in quality
Somewhere along the line, years ago, I gleaned that Bumble Bee was not considered a good-quality tuna, which kind of fit in with the old Star Kist commercials. Remember? "Sorry, Charlie, not all tunas are good enough to be Star Kist" or something like that. Also, I remember buying, not too many years ago, very cheap cans of Bumble Bee, which I picked up for the occasions my dog was feeling poorly. And it looked very chopped up to me. (The dog ate it, however.)
Just some anecdotal evidence to confirm your findings. But was Bumble Bee ever considered good?
new tropicana cartons - completely awful!
Tropic-Ana was such a cutie. But the picture you link to is just a head shot. Didn't she have a grass skirt? And did something show up top, or was that covered by a lei? (Or maybe I'm remembering the White Rock fairies.) I imagine she lost her job due to political correctness--ethnic concerns and/or inappropriate depiction of a child.
Remember the very old Tropicana TV commercials? "Come on down!" Meaning, to Florida. "Florida orange juice" used to be a big selling point for Tropicana. But I noticed a while back that the oranges now come from the U.S. or Brazil.
