Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Could I use dates instead of prunes?

Thank you all so much for the great ideas! I feel better already. Time to head home and try some of these recipes. Those lil' green guys are waiting for me...

I've eaten at Chez Panisse and thought it was lovely. I will repeat that experience as often as time and my wallet will allow. So, not often. That is in essence the same approach quite a few others who have posted comments seem to take when making decisions about what to eat. We try to make good choices. We splurge when we can. My opinion: being angry that someone else doesn't "get it" is a waste of energy.

However, my attention was turned to whether Waters is "arrogant, self-righteous, and out of touch" with the publishing of her open letter to the White House about their choice of chef. She seemed to be peering through a keyhole into the kitchen, dismayed that she hadn't been invited in, and reacting only to the partial information she'd gathered. I thought that the letter was a display of poor taste, unfitting especially to such an excellent gourmand.

Having said all that, I was tickled that she disagreed with Rachael Ray (or if she disagrees with any other Food-face on TV). The more the debate, the healthier and more interesting our national dialogue can be. That's a lot more instructive and provocative than any of the silly Reality chef shows they keep rehashing every season.

@Mizbee - amazingly enough, I just sat down with a glass of wine to reward myself for washing all our dishes, bowls, etc... By Hand. Our dishwasher died last week and the search continues for a good appliance repair person. To second carolrsfMISSESTEXAS's comment, dishwashers really are a time-saver in the kitchen! It might not have been at the top of my list before, but it's definitely there now. Otherwise, I would have chosen my cast iron skillet.

Hey Adam, et al. My initial reaction - posted for all to see - reads harshly, and I apologize. I shouldn't have written that. And, I agree with you. Referring to DFW's body of work is certainly a worthy tribute.

However, my comments stem from what I saw as DFW's tragedy in contrast with what I read as a glib post. It's been my experience that other obits on Serious Eats have been written differently and with appropriate sensitivity, even for a site devoted to exclusively to food goodness. This post seemed... off the mark.

Serious Eats is a site that I read often during day. Adam, your posts are among some of my favorite. Please keep up the good work! I am and will remain a fan.

jcherry, I agree.

Honestly. Must we save Starbucks?

While I agree that it's a great place to meet, have a little coffee and relax, it hardly compares to local coffee houses. Why not support the small business guys and gals in our own towns? In many cases, they're sourcing good, fair trade coffee, too. Many have FREE wi-fi. Plenty make breakfast sandwiches in-house that are excellent. They often buy their pastries locally, too. And, if you're really lucky, some even roast their beans on-site. You'll know for sure if it's burnt or just dark-roasted, because you can ask the person who did it!

Besides, have you ever been to a Starbucks (or McDonalds) where you were able to request a new item on the menu or a small change in service and see it actually happen? Small businesses can do that. Corporate chains? Probably not.

The best after-school snack Ever was toasty pita bread with crunchy peanut butter on top. Definitely not authentic, but the memory remains long after my school years school ended.