mojoeater's Profile
Rush Hour
I don't go to the grocery store during rush hour, midday weekends or when the weatherman says it's gonna snow. Just not worth the hassle. And for me it's not the checkout lines, it's the sheer number of people in the aisles blocking access to what I want. My favorite time to shop is after 8pm mid week. The deli isn't open, but I don't usually get deli meat andthe aisles are wide open!
New York City to Ban Big Sodas at Restaurants, Food Carts
Personally, I've never really thought of sodas as particularly Chowish and think 40 ounces of it is just gross, but I know many people live on the stuff. What do Chowhounds think of this?
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/31/us/new-york-sugar-drinks/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
How You Like It - Home Vs Dining Out
Home - usually no alcohol with dinner, but later on when snuggled up on the couch.
Out - rarely a meal out without alcohol unless it's lunch and I have to go back to work.
Home - hot sauce on most dishes.
Out - only when it's already on the table, like in Asian or Mexican restaurants.
Calorie listings at chains
The websites aren't too specific, but I know that even without dressing, the grilled chicken salads at McD's border on 300 calories. That's due to the fact that all their chicken comes precoated with some sort of liquid margerine seasoning.
Turkey Burger seasonings and moisteners
We like rosemary, cracked pepper, dijon mustard and a little red wine vinegar. Never add salt. Tastes great on a toasted bun with dill pickles and garlic mayo.
Calorie listings at chains
Out of curiousity, I went on BK's website and looked at nutritional info. Fascinating that even their salads have over 400 calories each, similar to a double cheeseburger. The double whopper, which DH tends to order when we're on the road (pretty much the only time we eat fast food) has 900 calories! And the tendercrisp chicken sandwich I really like has something like 750. So chances are next time we're traveling, we'll still stop for fast food once but might change what we order.
Garbage disposal uses
Where do you think the food from your disposal goes? Garbage heaven? It ends up in our sewer systems and rivers, or just clogs a pipe somewhere downstream. The most "green" you can be is to create a compost pile/bin.
Garbage disposal uses
Why would you want to put corn husks in the disposal? A garbage disposal is best for plate leftovers and vegetable parts left from chopping. Anything tough like what you mentioned could not only damage the disposal but also clog your pipes. Just throw that stuff in the garbage or compost them.
Restaurant options for dinner between Charlottesville & Wintergreen VA
There isn't much out towards Wintergreen that would be "nicer" for you. We love Blue Mountain Brewery (www.bluemountainbrewery.com) which has a terrific patio, gorgeous views and they source most of their food locally. It is not fancy but it is lovely.
Between Cville and Nelson County on the way to Wintergreen is Crozet. It's a very small town but there are a couple good places to eat. We've had some nice meals at Three Notched Grill (http://www.threenotchedgrill.com/about/). Da Luca (http://www.dalucacafe.com/) is an Italian place also in Crozet. I would recommend Duner's which is closer to Cville, but if it is graduation weekend they will be packed.
You probably could still get reservations at some places in Cville which will give you more options. The restaurants at Wintergreen are pretty predictable and boring.
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers -- Huh?
Didn't detect any horseradish. There might have been some cayenne. Most flavor came from mayo.
Homemade insecticide for herbs
My mom always used some liquid ivory soap, white vinegar and dried garlic. Never had a recipe, just mixed it up and it worked. Made the yard smell like salad dresssing!
One night in Haight Ashbury - Magnolia Pub?
Update: We didn't get to any of our preferred locations. As soon as we arrived, our friend picked us up and had us in the car for another 4 hours, driving to Sausalito, Marin, etc. We stopped to eat but it was nothing remarkable. Finally got a beer much later than we would have liked at a dive bar on Haight that is popular with the locals. We did stay at the Red Vic, which was very hippie but relatively clean and the people were very nice. For one night it was fine, and not having to drive or hop a bus after much drinking was a good thing. If we were staying longer, we'd find a different hotel for comfort's sake.
Once we hit Palo Alto, we did find Tied House Brewery ( http://tiedhouse.com/) which had some tasty beers and interesting housemade sausages. Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers -- Huh?
Had them again yesterday. Completely mediocre. Dipping sauce bland. Oh well.
Greasy Tacos
I worked in a Cal-Mex place and we would fry the taco shells with the beef in them! Used a toothpick to hold it together and dropped it in the fryer. Beef sure was never dry and they tasted damned good.
Need help with Science Fair food
MILK! When I had a similar project as a kid, I took a little Vitamin D whole milk and left about an inch in the bottom of a cup uncovered and unrefrigerated. It developed the coolest green and black molds.
Avocado breaks down quickly and would look really gross after 2 weeks. Most cut fruit would. Raw meat would be really disgusting. make sure he has a corner of the house/garage where the smells and animals won't be an issue!
How are meals served in your home?
Just the two of us. We both work late, so by the time we get home we're tired and hungry. Luckily we cook extra on weekends so have leftovers all week long. We each put together leftovers in whatever fashion we choose. Often similar ingredients but usually different results. Once everything is heated we put our plates on trays and take dinner downstairs and watch tv while eating. We break out the wine. Weekends we cook both brunch and dinner from scratch and dine in the dining room.
Wait staff and hand washing
Not just restaurants, but retail and office environments are breeding grounds for all kinds of stuff. Money is truly gross. But if we really worried about every door handle and desk/counter surface encountered, we'd all end up living in bubbles!
One night in Haight Ashbury - Magnolia Pub?
Thanks everyone! Looks like Toronado, Alembic and Magnolia are all good options. I'm still a little stumped about where to stay. Looks like the nearest BART stop to Haight is 2 miles. That's how we are getting from the airport to town and seems like a long trek with luggage...
What can I use in place of chipotle chiles in Tacos al Pastor?
If you want the heat without the smokiness, you could use a few squirts of sriracha in the marinade. For the salsa, use grilled jalapenos or whatever peppers you like. I would not forgo peppers altogether as they seem to add a lot to that recipe.
Open bar & tipping...
I worked catering for many years and outside of that have organized many corporate and social events. Unless there is a cash bar, the tip is the host's responsibility. Guests often are not carrying any money at hosted events. And every catering outfit I've known works that into the price of the event. If your wage relies heavily on tips, your manager needs to address this either with a flat rate per server/bartender or a percentage of charges.
One night in Haight Ashbury - Magnolia Pub?
Thank you so much for the suggestion, scar. I just can't wrap my head around staying in a stranger's private home or letting a stranger stay in mine. I understand the community aspect, but maybe I'm just too old ;)
One night in Haight Ashbury - Magnolia Pub?
We have one night in San Francisco before heading to Palo Alto for a conference. We have been before and have enjoyed a variety of asian foods significantly better than what we get back east. But this time we only have one night and are meeting up with a friend who lives in the Haight. Our focus will primarily be casual with good beer and good food (in that order) within walking distance. I read some of the reviews here and elsewhere and Magnolia Pub came up as a good option. Our local friend isn't much of a beer geek or foodie and thus no help.
Also - his recommendation was to stay at the Red Vic. After looking at online reviews, I am hesitant. Communal bathrooms don't appeal and the reviews question cleanliness. Is there anywhere else Hounds would recommend that is
My mouth is on fire! Memorable spicy food moments. [moved from Not About Food]
I like spicy food but not crazy hot, and chipotle in adobo doesn't seem that spicy to me. I've used it in many recipes and never gotten flavors blown.
Do I really need stainless and Le Creuset?
I, too, love Le Creuset and received them as wedding gifts. It's just the 2 of us, so the 5.5 round, 3.5 oval and 2.5 round are perfect everyday cookware for our needs. The only pans we use as frequently are our 10 and 12 inch skillets and a ceramic non-stick grill pan which is awesome for grilling meats with no oil (and no Teflon). I do have a large pasta pot and a 4 quart saucepan which does come in handy when the pasta pot is too big for my needs.
We don't make rice very often, thus a rice cooker would take up needed cupboard space and like you said, the LC works great when we do want rice. We also don't stirfry much, so no wok. I do like my crockpot for transporting hot items to parties a few times a year. The LC retains heat, but the outside of the crockpot stays cool and the lid is secure.
My suggestion would be to register for a few key cookware items (maybe a saucepan or two?), and then focus on other things you really want. We were able to completely replace all our dishes and silverware with wedding gifts, and I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to have everything match! Nice glassware for cocktails/wine/beer replaced freebies we'd collected. And new sheets and towels are always nice. One again, these gifts replaced older items so there was no space issue. We also had a link to Visa gift cards under the Registry section of our wedding website, and that turned out very well for us indeed!
Storing Glazed Baked Goods
Please don't put your muffins in the fridge! I learned years ago working at a bakery that it pulls a lot of moisture out of baked goods. And I'd glaze day of.
Theory about rise in gluten sensitivity/celiac?
Bumps on fingers and mouth sores are common symptoms of MANY autoimmune diseases. Anyone with those symptoms need to see a rheumatologist. Diet may not help and I speak as one from a family with a history of autoimmune problems.
Ocracoke 2011
Just got back from another trip there. This might be too late for your purposes: if you plan to cook most of the time, bring items that are important to you. Only the basics are available at the stores on Ocracoke. In fact, as of yesterday The Community Store still wasn't open for the season. We did go to Variety Store and spied a few fresh vegetables, but no fresh herbs. You can get terrific fresh local seafood from the Seafood Company. Other meats at the store but not a great selection. Dried goods like pasta, rice, beans, etc are available and if you aren't picky about brands you'll be ok. The vegetarian in our group always has a hard time eating on Ocracoke so we make sure to bring veggie staples with us. Going off island for groceries is over an hour each way, which we choose not to do as it disrupts an otherwise restful vacation!
Best Wedding Mains
Congratulations! We had our wedding this past fall and got rave reviews on the food. We went with family-style and everything was hot and fresh when served. Everyone was able to take as much of the items they wanted and nobody had to eat something that sounded good months ago but looked less interesting in person. We went Regional with local pulled pork, Chesapeake crabcakes, quinoa and herb stuffed tomatoes, mashed sweet potatoes with a honey beer gravy, roasted seasonal veggies and cole slaw. This was after some heavy passed apps.
If this sounds too casual, the biggest suggestion I can make would be to avoid chicken as a main. As someone who has been to over 4 dozen weddings, I have never had a chicken dish that was more than fine. Most were terrible. It is easier to create beef or pork dishes for a crowd. If you have one of those kind of meats, a decent fish option that would be widely accepted, and tasty sides, everyone will be happy.
Whole Foods -- falling short of my expectations
We find that Whole Foods is not suitable (to us) for a complete shopping trip. Not only would the total bill be outrageously expensive, but some items just aren't that great. Bread is one example. We've also found that the exact same item - same label - is significantly cheaper atTrader Joe's or even Kroger. What we do get from WF regularly is fish, fruit, 'General Tso's Vegan Chicken' from the deli, vegan pies from the bakery (not as sweet as other store bought pies), and certain granolas and snack items.
Most garlicky food ever
Absolutely! Years ago I worked at a restaurant and we had an annual 'Garlic Party' at someone's home. Everyone had to bring a dish which had garlic as a primary ingredient. The host only supplied wine. We ate very well on garlic soup, garlic bread, garlic fondue, garlic shrimp, garlic beef, roasted garlic, garlic hummus, garlic green beans, and even garlic ice cream. Every year we were fascinated by what people created. And for the next couple days after the party, we always ran garlicky specials at the restaurant to Hide the smell of the staff.
