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From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I'm with you Kerosena! I always feel kinda silly admitting that in the baking world cause they're not supposed to be the best baking apple, but I love them and use them for everything.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

I worked at a bookstore for 4 years and lots of authors came in wanting to sign their books. I always thought it was kinda awesome of them, but at the same time we sometimes said no or didn't let them do all of them, cause if the book didn't sell it would make it harder to get a refund from the publisher.
I still think it's cool though!

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

Sides, absolutely. Not that I don't like turkey. And pies and desserts, I could do without. I need one bite of sweet at the end of a huge savory meal, then I'm done. And I'm a huge baker, in pastry school! As long as I get to eat a mound of mashed potatoes, some stuffing, and something green, I'm satisfied.

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I'm with you Kerosena! I always feel kinda silly admitting that in the baking world cause they're not supposed to be the best baking apple, but I love them and use them for everything.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

I worked at a bookstore for 4 years and lots of authors came in wanting to sign their books. I always thought it was kinda awesome of them, but at the same time we sometimes said no or didn't let them do all of them, cause if the book didn't sell it would make it harder to get a refund from the publisher.
I still think it's cool though!

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

Sides, absolutely. Not that I don't like turkey. And pies and desserts, I could do without. I need one bite of sweet at the end of a huge savory meal, then I'm done. And I'm a huge baker, in pastry school! As long as I get to eat a mound of mashed potatoes, some stuffing, and something green, I'm satisfied.

From Serious Eats

Is Mayo Making a Comeback?

Gross. Mayo freaks me out.
Homemade, flavored mayos as a component to a dish are the only versions excluded.

From Serious Eats

What's Your Favorite Sandwich?

Roast beef, turkey, and american cheese on a roll or hero with potato chips on it (preferably UTZ). A base layer of chips gets supplemented throughout the eating process so there's a crisp crunch in every bite.
When I was little I liked the same thing but on white bread and with Doritos.

From Serious Eats: New York

Shake Shack, Bill's, and RUB: It's Rainin' Smashed Burgers In This Burg

Shake Shack is super yummy non-haute burgers. It's like fast food burgers on speed. I feel like no one has the right to degrade OR elevate them. They are what they are, but they serve a purpose and are MIGHTY satisfying, much more so than McDonald's ( ok, I've never had a McDonald's burger)....

From Serious Eats: New York

Should Bagel Shops Charge For Toasting?

I am SO with the non-toasters here, especially J Keni Lopez. If a bagel needs to be toasted to be good, it's not worth eating. I only eat a bagel when I know I'm getting it from a good place where it's likely hot out of the oven and if not it was within probably a half hour. It makes eating a bagel a delicious special occasion this way. Sorry if that's smug, but I openly admit that bagels are one of the few things I'm completely a food snob about.

Also, I've never seen cream cheese given on the side- weird!

From Serious Eats: New York

Sugar Rush: Pumpkin Ice Cream at Sundaes & Cones

Oh man, i LOVE sundaes and cones! They're adorable, and they do lots of interesting flavors, which are usually surprisingly yummy. I want to try this one!

From Serious Eats

Photo of the Day: The Back of Someone's Head

I hate that I guessed who that was before clicking through :-)

From Talk

What's your favorite food when drunk?

Fried things or diner food (which yes, is often one and the same but not always) or Mexican. I also usually end up baking when drunk (I dunno, natural instinct? weird compulsion?), but never want to actually EAT sweets.

From Serious Eats

Why Don't More Mini Bagels Exist?

Well, I mean, if bagels stayed the size they're supposed to be and places didn't turn them into giant puffy rolls with a hole in the middle, they wouldn't be so bad.
Also, anything that comes packaged in a grocery store IS NOT a bagel.

From Talk

Will you miss Gourmet magazine?

Yes, but as long as I still have my Saveur I'll be ok.

From Serious Eats: New York

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Bagel

Oh, thanks for this! I am such a NY bagel snob, and all the big names are always gross. I'm convinced that the best bagels are from the unassuming neighborhood places like the one my Grandpa got bagels from every morning when I was growing up in SI. I eat far less bagels these days because I can't find many places like that in north (aka "definitely not old-school") Brooklyn, nor in the Manhattan hoods that I frequent. I WILL be heading to Bagel Hole on my next leisurely day to try it out.

From Talk

foodie related halloween costumes ideas anyone?

When I was in preschool my mom and I went as red M&Ms. She sews, so she made them-big red felt circular cushions held together with straps (like a sidewalk board person wears), with white m's sewed on.

Also, @hungrychristel- I've seen people wrapped in tinfoil too, but as Chipotle burritos.

From Serious Eats: New York

Dallas BBQ: Boldly Going Where No Other Food Writer Has Gone Before

Ha, I can't believe you did a review of BBQ. Pretty awesome of you guys. I've eaten at a bunch of them and I'm of the opinion that the food isn't particularly tasty, but I think the biggest draw for a lot of people is the "bowl-drinks," as my friends and I call them.
I'm not sure, but wasn't the now closed 8th street location NOT a true Dallas BBQ? I think I heard several times that they were an imitation, and I remember the name being just "BBQ" and not "Dallas BBQ." However, if it WAS a Dallas, then if they were still open they'd have to bring down the cleanliness score here---I once had a roach crawl onto my table. I work in restaurants, and I'm aware that keeping pests out of NYC establishments is a daunting task, but that was unacceptable.

From Serious Eats

Happy 250th Birthday, Dear Guinness

Visited the brewery a few months ago. It's pretty cool. Yay, Guinness.

From Recipes

How to Make a Pizookie, or a Pizza-Cookie

Never heard this term, but I grew up with "cookie cakes," which were actually the only cake I knew until probably the age of 7 or 8. Every birthday was a giant chocolate chip cookie (from scratch though...I also never knew cookie dough came in tubes until probably closer to 11 or 12). I resurrected these cakes in high school, when I brought them to the cafeteria for friends' birthdays. They're pretty delicious. So like a cookie- same ingredients, after all- but so different.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'What We Eat When We Eat Alone'

pasta with sauteed onions, garlic, and peas, peanut butter on bread-sometimes toasted, sometimes not, bread or crackers with cheese, cereal, or if there are any appropriate leftovers and a tortilla, i'll make some type of burrito-y wrap.
or i just bake and eat dough/tastes of whatever i make while drinking :-)
i hate eating alone.

From Recipes

Dinner Tonight: Zucchini, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Tart

I'm currently in in the puff pastry section in pastry school. And it is pretty fun/rewarding to make from scratch! But I agree, frozen puff pastry is definitely one of the things I'm not a snob about. I've even worked in a restaurant and a catering place that used frozen!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

i just made the most unbelievable {if i do say so myself} tarte tatin with mostly pink ladies, with some russets, pippins, and winesaps thrown in. heaven!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Emily of Black Rock Orchard swears by Ida Reds.

If I've only got a choice of supermarket fruit, Golden Delicious is my favorite option, but at the farmers' market, I prefer talking to growers, sampling, and then selecting a mixture.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

My new favorite this fall is jonagold for pies. Made a perfect tarte tatin this year: soft, cooked, and held its shape, though with tarte tatin, the apples are more cooked than they are baked. I have to say that in an informal crisp test I performed (I make dinner at a shelter twice a month) golden delicous outperformed granny smith by a mile. The grannies turned to mush while the goldens were sweet and held their shape. I'd think it would be hard to do an apple pie test without any apple pie seasoning though. Who's to say that plain apples in the presence of cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. would still perform the same?

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

Seriously yall, she's freaking Pioneer Woman, if people will buy KATE GOSSELIN'S BOOK, they'll buy Ree's. (And my guess is there's a lot of people who own both.)

I may not be a fan of PW, but I think this was a cute thing for her to do.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Cortlands should surely be considered, a pamphlet put out by NYS apple growers names them as the best for pie. I am a Macoun fan myself, both for pie and out of hand snacking.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Winesaps! I had forgotten about them. Used to love them and think they were the best in pies! Haven't seen one in ages.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

New England tradition demands baldwin apples.

Baldwin:
Raw: bland and uninteresting
Baked: Full of layered spicy notes

I'm down in VA where Baldwins cannot be found, so I'm experimenting tonight with a heirloom variety called "gold rush" which is an ugly beast, but crunchy, tart, and with a lot of layered flavors when raw. We'll see how it cooks up.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

My mom always used Granny Smiths because she is not too big on sugary tastes so I used those until I took a baking class in Philadelphia years ago with a pastry chef from a well known restaurant who ONLY used Golden Delicious. I started using them then and have never looked back but I do sometimes use equal Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths to even out the sweetness. Northern Spy is an interesting thought but Macs and Empires I would think would turn to mush!!!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Macintosh and Granny smith, heavy on the granny, are my winning combo.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Empires----an improved descendant of the Macintosh-------tart and crisp to eat and great flavor in pies, applesauce whatever. (Although Honeycrisp are still my faves for eating out of hand fresh---for people who don't see them as special, consider the source was it a supermarket (yuck) or fresh off the tree or farmers market, they don't do so well at room temp so if they've been off the tree for a couple weeks they become pretty inferior unless kept cool.

From Talk

"dinner" vs "supper"

I think it depends on what's served. We have "chicken dinner," "lasagna dinner," "steak dinner," "breakfast for dinner," "chili supper," spaghetti supper," "soup and salad supper." "Lasagna supper" just doesn't sound right.

From Talk

"dinner" vs "supper"

I have lived in Missouri (St. Louis) all my life. We always called the second meal of the day "Lunch", and the last meal of the day, "Supper". Although Dinner and Supper could be used interchangeably My husband's family did the same thing.. I notice my older siblings are now calling it "dinner" when they invite us over. I have always used the word Supper unless we are going out to a formal meal, then I will call it Dinner.

We have always used the word soda. My uncle used to call it sodie.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

Love the "Connect Four" reference.

Jerz, maybe for Christmas this year you could forgive PW for her dumb recipe. The goodies far outweigh the baddies.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

Oh, Ree! You are just the cutest! And, such a doll in person too! :)

Thank you, Adam, for sharing this cute little piece. I hope Ree does more of the same everywhere she goes. So sweet!

Hopefully other authors will feel free to mimic the gesture. I sure wouldn't mind.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

You know, she never said she did not ask permission from the bookstore. Just that it was not a publicly announced event like a signing. For heavens sake....

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

Bunch of buzz kills y'all are!! From the book signing to the rip on the recipe. Lighten the hell up.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

BrooklynBaker is, of course, right. Several local writers used to do that here. However, I think Pioneer Woman is probably popular enough right now that those will be sold with or without signature. But given royalties, how many books have to be unreturnable (so the author receives royalties) before said author makes $50, say? I am prone to give her the benefit of the doubt, but there are others for whom I would not be so forgiving.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

I think it is very funny kind of like the cottage cheese, Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Sausage and Kraft grated cheese in her lasagne. Amusing is a word.

From Serious Eats

Pretty Sneaky, Sis

I'm with BrooklynBaker...I question whether her motivations were benevolent or financial.

From Serious Eats: New York

Shake Shack, Bill's, and RUB: It's Rainin' Smashed Burgers In This Burg

it's restaurant conglomerate versus restaurant conglomerate here; i can't imagine a burger from the same people as blue water grill would be any good but . . . . i want some of those veggie fries!

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

This year we are having 18 for dinner.My daughter and I do nearly all of it. She always brings mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing (yuck!), a pumpkin cheesecake, her Sexy Salad ( greens with sexy stuff in it), my dad's green beans (with shallots and bacon - coming from our garden this year), and chile con queso. I do the rest, usually, although this year Jose Luis and Carmen are bringing smoked brisket and tamales. (They recently inherited my cast-iron smoker which Jose-Luis can make sing arias.) I will be making a sweet potato pie, a few apple pies (the youngest child and his beloved are bringing New England apples they picked last week with his roomates), at least 3 pecan pies, and a carrot cake for dessert. If I can squeeze it in, I want to also make a 3 layer chocoalte cake for me. The sides I make are cranberry-ginger sauce (the cranberries are also being brought directly from the bog in MA), 8 dozen homemade rolls, a relish tray with homemade pickled green beans and pickled okra, and tiny gherkins and our friend Richard Moon will augment it with different olives and throw some sweet pickles, baby carrots and left-over celery from the dressing on the plate. I might make some hummus for that.

I have a 25.7 lb turkey in the freezer and a 10lb ham in the fridge. We should be in good shape. I've been saving plastic send-home containers for a few months so everyone can bring stuff for sandwiches the next day.

My mouth is watering for Friday's breakfast which will be turkey (breast meat only, please), mayo, cranberry sauce and dressing on sourdough sandwiches.

From Serious Eats: New York

Where Does Your Thanksgiving Loyalty Lie?

Even though I have to watch my carbs and sugar for health reasons, I always have been and always will be a sides girl (just gotta eat little bits of it now instead of going all out!). I like ham and turkey just fine, but I eat deli meat a lot throughout the year, so it doesn't really seem like anything special. Southern cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole (we do a pecan streusel-mini marshmallow mixture on top), orange-cranberry sauce, yeast rolls... it's all so good!! Of course, I adore pumpkin pie and pecan pie too... have to have a little bite of them to really call it Thanksgiving!

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