Ima Wurdibitsch's Profile
Planters has whumped up the price of their peanuts by 40 percent.
On another site, I saw that this was likely to happen and stocked up. Glad I did.
Cheapest 'perfect' wine on earth or in the Universe??!!
"Perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. Reasonably priced might be a better discriminator. I like the Martin Codax Albarino at around $14/bottle for my favorite white (although the Rex Goliath Giant 47-Pound Rooster Pinot Grigio -usually under $8- is a decent sippin' on the back porch after a hard day's work). Reds tend to be a bit pricier. I think it's called "Big House Red" - black text on a white label. Not bad at all.
Funniest Thing a Server Said to You
On the flipside of that, an old friend of mine had such horrendous service (rude when the server showed up, excruciatingly slow service, wrong dish, drinks left empty for 20+ minutes, etc.) that he purposefully left no tip. As he and his table companions were leaving the restaurant, the server chased him out to the parking lot yelling, "Why you no leave tip? Why?" He told her.
Awkward.
Funniest Thing a Server Said to You
Dallas-Ft. Worth cards everyone, too. The first time I was carded there, I was quite flattered... until the 70-ish gentleman at the next table was also carded.
Substitute ingredients that (unexpectedly?) worked better than the original?
I had been looking for a good recipe to make use of an overabundance of pears when I found an Upside-Down Pear Cardamom cake at Epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Upside-Down-Pear-Cardamom-Cake-104438). I changed up the recipe a little bit by slicing the pears for a more decorative top and adding some chopped crystallized ginger to the top, as well. It was so delicious that I made it again the following weekend.
During the second making of the cake, I realized that I was grabbing the coriander instead of the cardamom. Turns out coriander and pear are wonderful together.
Someday, I'll make it with cardamom just to see how that turns out...
Hot Lunch at your Desk
When I get home at an hour when I can cook dinner, I bring leftovers. Recently, I've gone back to school and have been working way too many hours to do anything other than fix a nice adult beverage, lament my sorry state, and go to sleep. Even getting to the grocery store is difficult.
I keep several cans of soup in my desk drawer. My favorites are Muir Glen, Wolfgang Puck (not as much these days) and Pacific-something-or-other. I also throw in cans of veggies and fruits. I also try to buy snacky-type foods when I do get to the grocery store. Crackers keep for a pretty long time so I'll buy a round of brie or a fun cheddar (Guiness-soaked is really nice) and some chorizo. It's a quick dinner but you can also bring it into work. I'm a little paranoid about people dorking with your food in a communal fridge so I use a freezer pack and a little collapsable cooler.
I try to make sure and have a satisfying breakfast. That makes those quick lunches more manageable.
Oh, my desk drawer also has roasted almonds, Clif bars, gum, and green tea.
Huntsville's 20 Most Distinctive Dishes.
I've had the hushpuppies at Greenbrier and they're fantastic. They're even better with a little bit of the white sauce on them.
The chicken w/white sauce at Big Bob's is delicious and I think I've come pretty close to replicating the sauce at home. Mmmm.
Olde Towne beer is pretty tasty but I have other favorites so I wouldn't miss it that much if I moved.
Anything at Bandito Burrito Co. will tickle your tastebuds but the fish tacos are a huge favorite of mine. I also love the green bean burrito. Mmmm.
Beauregard's does make some excellent hot wings, so I'll agree with that.
I've had Big Ed's pizza but not the Big 8 and not in years.
Terry's Pizza used to be the best pizza on the planet. When they first started offering them at Star Market, they were almost as good as the original. The last few times I tried them, they just weren't as good. The sauce was too sweet and the baking process was different. Also, the toppings weren't the same quality and they were skimpier. I'll stick with homemade or Mellow Mushroom at Providence.
It's not on the list but I would really miss the tapas menu at Vinotini in Madison, especially the foie gras and the Korean BBQ. Speaking of Korean anything reminds me that I haven't been to Korea House on Jordan Lane in ages.
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Bandito Burrito Co
3017 Governors Dr SW, Huntsville, AL 35805
Alone, not confident. Think I should try entertaining again. Without any help, or should I just get a caterer?
Great idea. Also, if the neighbors are involved in the planning, there's a greater likelihood of a good turnout.
What is a good starch to have with beef short ribs?
German potato salad was my first thought; however, it would also depend on how you're preparing the ribs and what your other side dishes will be.
Classic Sarcastic descriptors
There's a fun blog I found a couple of years ago called The Red Wine Haiku Review. It can be found at: http://redwinehaiku.blogspot.com/
This review was one of my favorites:
Royal Zin Cuvee Royall Zinfandel 'NV' (California)
This wine is a slut
Only one thing on her mind
And she's good at it
How to lighten classic carrot cake???
I posted a recipe for what my friends call the Best Carrot Cake EVER on my blog a little over a year ago. The post is at http://wordybitch.blogspot.com/2008/02/best-carrot-cake-ever.html
It reduces the oil significantly (using applesauce, as one other replier on this thread suggested) and has a lighter crumb. You could certainly reduce the sugar in the cake or the confectioners sugar in the icing if you wanted to make it less sweet. I wouldn't add anything to the icing in place of it, though.
My version doesn't have raisins in it but it does have pineapple and nuts.
Apologies in advance for my smart-ass, wise-cracking recipe. It was written for friends and not for a formal publication.
Palm Beach Shores / Singer Island area recommendations (groceries and restaurants)
I am mortified. I don't usually post and run but I completely forgot to come back and post an update on this thread.
We had a completely fantastic meal at Cafe Boulud. I hope to go back there. The food was excellent and the service put the whole evening over the top.
I also made a trip down to the Brass Ring and had one of the most mouth-watering burgers I've ever eaten. Truly delicious.
As for grocery stores, the Greenwise/Publix had everything I needed and the lure of the beach was just too great to spend much time off the sand.
Comfort Food
I tried a few gluten-free pastas in an attempt to find some good alternatives for my granddaughter. I tried the Tinkyada Fusilli - but I didn't use it as a base for a traditional pasta type dish. I used it as a base for a spicy dal and it was fantastic. I loved it.
Applebees
After several really awful experiences there, I gave up on them for years. A few weeks ago, I was coerced into going for lunch. I was very pleasantly surprised with the food. I had the shrimp diavolo and it was really tasty. Plus, it was a reasonable portion (not oversized). I would have liked it if the vegetables had been cut a little larger but the flavor was just right.
The service, on the other hand, was horrible. I could see picking up a to-go order of the shrimp.
simple chicken & artichoke cozy dishes?!? please
This is quick and easy.
Lightly pan-fry some polenta in canola or olive oil and set aside. Take artichokes, some garlic, some salt and about 2 tsp of olive oil and sauté until the artichokes are just a little bit light brown on the edges. Then, add the chicken (or shrimp), some capers, some lemon juice (from one lemon should be enough), and some pepper. After everything is just about done, I add just a little bit of white wine, scrape up anything that's stuck to the pan and cook it down. At the very end, I take it off the heat and add a little bit of butter Top the polenta with the artichoke and chicken or shrimp mixture. As a side dish, I'll wilt some spinach to serve on the side. A quick grate of parmesan and dinner's on!
Salmon Croquettes - how do you get the bones out?
Pulverize (actually just a good stir). The bones are so soft, I doubt you'd notice them after cooking. Plus, why miss out on the calcium?
My Huntsville, Alabama Chow Log
No. I haven't even heard of it until now. Where is it?
Best Lentil Recipe?
Wonderful comfort food. I like to top mine with a few diced, pickled jalepenos.
Trader Joe's brand - The Good, the Bad - What have you enjoyed? tossed? bought more of? thought a bargain?
The masala naan in the fresh bread section is fantastic.
The Triple Ginger cookies are addictive.
There's also a mushroom brie that makes me drool just thinking about it.
your fave baked fish recipe
All of these recipes sound delicious! Thank you to all the contributors!
Bring On the Bloody Mary Recipes
I'm not normally a fan of tomato juice so I don't keep any at the house. I also don't like using pre-made mixes so I start with tomato paste (I always have some of that on hand). I make my tomato juice as thick or thin as I want it that day. Then, I add worchestershire, tobasco, horseradish, black pepper, lime, celery salt, ice and vodka. Stir it with a stalk of celery and garnish it with a skewer of cornichon, cube of cheese, cocktail onion, and an olive.
How Do You Top Your Steak?
Usually, nothing but salt and pepper but every once in a while, I'll top a filet with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce. Mmmm. Now, I'm hungry.
Is anyone else bothered by all the talk about reducing salt intake?
Yes, we can add more but many dishes use salt (and different) kinds at different stages of the cooking process for them to taste right. The layering of flavors matters. Just putting salt on the top of my food isn't going to be the same thing.
Is anyone else bothered by all the talk about reducing salt intake?
Count me in with those who are bothered. I, too, need extra salt in my diet because of extremely low blood pressure. My doctor has told me, "Use all the salt you'd like - and then add some more."
Fortunately, I love salt. I think, though, that it's interfering with my cooking ability a little bit. I'm so worried that my salt tolerance has made me less able to detect appropriate levels of saltiness in my cooking that I tend to underseason. Boo. I use volunteer tasters to let me know if I'm on track.
PB & J dilemma - Please weigh in!
I keep my peanut butter in the cabinet and my jelly/jam in the refrigerator. Peanut butter on the bread first, then jelly so that if there's any cross-contamination, at least it will be in the refrigerator. I would be very skeeved to find jelly in my cabinet-housed peanut butter.
ISO something different to do with pork shoulder roast
I finally did mine this weekend, too. I made a few modifications to the recipe but kept the technique exactly as posted. It was fantastic!
My modifications were made because I had no fennel and wanted something a little southwestern-flavored (first use of the pork was going to be for tacos). I'd made some ancho-chipotle rub a little while back so I mixed that with the crushed garlic and pressed it into the slits in the pork. I didn't use the lemon juice because I was using a cast iron (no enamel) dutch oven. Other than that, followed the directions.
I've never had pork shoulder cook so perfectly. The meat was tender and juicy and delicious. After just 9 hours, it shredded very easily. Mmmm. I will definitely be doing this again. Next time, I'll try the recipe as written.
How do you use 'good for you' spices in unexpected ways?
I saute cabbage with onions and turmeric. It's delicious!
Cinnamon and ginger make their way into all kinds of sweet and savory dishes.
Keeping perishible foods safe when giving as gifts
Put the items (well-wrapped) in a cooler with dry ice or regular ice depending on how long your travel and expected time before opening gifts will be. Then, wrap the cooler!
Top Chef Reunion Show - Any surprises?
I agree with you completely about Eli. He did absolutely nothing to redeem himself. In fact, when you add his horribly immature behavior during the season to his half-assed and insincere apology, he comes off as a dishonest child.
Top Chef - Las Vegas - Finale Part 2 - 12/09/09 (Spoilers)
Excellent comment and I couldn't agree more.
