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100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Be age appropriate when calling a woman "miss" or "ma'am." I'm 23 (and look it) and people have been calling me "ma'am" for years... sometimes in the same interaction as asking for ID! I'd rather be called dude...
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
Are you in Denver? I have a "snow day" too, but unfortunately that just means working from home. Enjoy the bread- I went with the chocolate chip cookie route last night.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
I think you should do part 2 of this in a high altitude location. I've been working on getting it right for about a year and a half now, and still don't have a foolproof way. The again, I'm not nearly as scientific about it as you are.
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Food Nicknames
"corn the horn"- I have no idea why, but whenever we have corn on the cob, my family calls it corn the horn.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Be age appropriate when calling a woman "miss" or "ma'am." I'm 23 (and look it) and people have been calling me "ma'am" for years... sometimes in the same interaction as asking for ID! I'd rather be called dude...
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
Are you in Denver? I have a "snow day" too, but unfortunately that just means working from home. Enjoy the bread- I went with the chocolate chip cookie route last night.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
I think you should do part 2 of this in a high altitude location. I've been working on getting it right for about a year and a half now, and still don't have a foolproof way. The again, I'm not nearly as scientific about it as you are.
I got a job at a B&B and the boss thinks I can do this!
Make life easy on yourself and make muffins or banana bread. Whatever you do, use a tried and true recipe or at least give a new one a trial run so you don't have any surprises!
96/4 Ground Beef
If you need to put milk-soaked breadcrumbs in there, it's a meatball, not a burger. I like 96/4 for alot of things, but burgers is definitely not one of them.
Swiss Chard Ideas
@mrs katch, exactly. I also sliced up the ribs into 1/2 inch pieces and sauteed them with garlic and threw those in too.
Non-milk milk
I can't think of a non-milk milk that isn't sweet. Does the recipe need milk to be effective, or just a liquid? If you just need some sort of liquid, I'd go with veggie stock.
Swiss Chard Ideas
I put some (blanched first) in lasagna last week and it was delish. It got me thinking that it could probably be used in place of kale for the kale chips from Gourmet that were all the rage last winter, but I havent tried it yet.
Best of Trader Joe ?
TJ's has the best coffee deals I've ever seen. Depending on the variety, it's generally less than $10 per pound of organic, fair trade, shade grown deliciousness.
wisconsin eats?
Leon's special sundae (in Milwaukee)- if you only get frozen custard once, this is the thing to have.
I need some summer dutch oven recipes
One of the nice things about a dutch oven is that you can stands up to alot of abuse, meaning you can throw it right on the grill or even a campfire, which is really great when it's hot out. How about a nice summer veggie stew?
Free Food
I had a coworker who would bring in grape pie when it was in season. i had never heard of it before, but it is heavenly.
mayo-free slaws
I love sesame slaw- do a dressing of rice vinegar, a neutral oil, sesame oil and lime juice, then add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and sesame seeds.
Parve Choc. Cupcakes w/o margarine?
@meem21, my family makes crazy cake too! It's one of my all-time favorites. We always frost it with mocha icing. I never thought about it as a vegan option- will definitely have to keep that in mind.
Threadless T-Shirt Giveaway: Baron VonFunburger's Haunted Castle Cavalcade
McDonald's Sausage Biscuit with Egg. Grape jelly on the side.
Cool Aprons?
a little expensive, but anthropolgie has really cute ones. Not always available in their stores, but they have them online.
Quiche Again
I always sprinkle a little flour in the botton of the crust before adding the filling. This seems to soak up a little liquid and keep the crust flaky, and not soggy
Egg in Toast: What Do You Call It?
My best friend growing up calls them Egyptian eggs, no idea why.
What Is Superman Ice Cream?
Am I the only person who thinks blue moon is the most disgusting flavor ever? I never thought I could dislike ice cream until I tried it.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I love this list, and, with the exception of # 23, I am heartily in agreement. When I am eating out, which is not all that often these days, I want the experience to be as good as it possibly can be. And, aside from the food, the etiquette (or lack thereof) of my server is what most affects that experience.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
@lemonfair - what a great idea! What would you put on this list?
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I'd love to see a similar list for the chef, considering some of the things we know go on in the kitchen. It matters as much as what goes on in public.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Did anyone else hear the author of this article on NPR today? He said that he's never been a "professional waiter" but he waited tables in college, which to me sounded like he was trying to grant himself some kind of exemption from his own rules.
Food Nicknames
@onepercent99 - FWIW, I've been married 3x. If I didn't apply humor to those horrendous mistakes, I'd have thrown myself off the Empire State Building already. Don't sweat it. Those who took offense should simply disregard the comment. Those of us who had deja vu are right there with you.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
My desire to order apps and drinks has less to do with a restaurant's bottom line as it has to do with the comfort of those of us who are waiting. I'm not "assuming" anything. If a DINNER reservation was made it stands to reason that at least one entree per diner will be ordered. This does not include salads, a la carte sides and additional cocktails. I state again with certainty that if I were ever refused seating because one member of my party was delayed, I'd go somewhere else. I'm extremely punctual to the point of OCD. If I'm on time with most of my party, I damn well better be seated or I'm happy to spend my money somewhere else. It's wise to make the customer happy under ideal circumstances but in this down economy it makes even more sense.
Sometimes the word "assume" is the most suitable to use in a particular sentence. The cutesy Felix Unger reference has become passe.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Therealchiffonade. You're assuming a reservation was made, assuming the 4th is coming shortly, assuming the first 3 will order apps and drinks, assuming the 4th will even order. We all know what happens when we assume.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
How would you know if drinks/ apps are going to be ordered? Should arestaurant have to deny a full party a table so an incomplete party canshare an app?
Because if a DINNER reservation was made, it's a safe assumption that DINNER will be ordered by each patron - even the one who's straggling.
Frankly, if I were to be denied a table because one member of a party or four or more was not present, I'd spend my money someplace else. It's downright rude to inconvenience diners like that. It's disrespectful - and very short sighted as I'm sure others feel as I do.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Most of this is entirely too pedantic for my tastes. I don't really care if the waiter asks me "How is everything?" or "Is there anything I can get for you"...just be polite and serve me my food in a timely manner.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Does the list mention "never never never sit down at the table with the guests while you tell them about the day's specials, as if you're part of the dinner party? Some extremely tacky places must seem to think that this enhances the atmosphere but I just hate it.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
@ScoutinSpokane - sounds like something that might be good for the toaster oven.
100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
the list is...interesting, but I also gotta call BS...most of these rules are just personal preference...for instance, I WANT a waiter to give me a name; i EXPECT the waiter to guide me when I order...i expect a casual, easy-going tone...I want to know that the waiters are human beings that care about the food, the job, and importantly, me. they're not just robots.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
I adore soft boiled eggs!! I could eat 10 at a time for sure!
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
No snow down here (Seattle), but it's been flaky up in the mountains. I have only two bread pans. When I make bread (especially raisin bread), I double or triple the recipe to make six loaves. I've used casseroles, double layers of heavy duty aluminum foil formed into a pan shape, a pizza stone that hasn't been preheated, cookie sheets, cake pans, whatever's handy.
I like the crustiness of free-form bread. If you don't take baked bread out of the pan immediately, the crust tends to be moist.
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
Here's a link to a hand rolled loaf:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=53134642&l=a1fb02f140&id=13925965
and some cute little rolls I tried:
http://kitchendreamer.blogspot.com/2009/10/mm-breads.html
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
I baked tons of bread before finally purchasing my first bread tin this fall. I usually split it into two pieces, gently shape them into oblong mounds and let them rise on a cookie sheet. Call them "artisan" or "rustic"! :-)
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
I made cinnamon bread, a family tradition when cold weather starts (from Joy of Cooking). My loaves were a little misshapen and, um "rustic" looking, but my fiance and I have already chowed through one.
That being said, there is too much snow on my porch for October, and I object.
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
if you gently pull the dough downward and tuck it under, you can create lots of surface tension, which will help hold the shape and make the bread crustier.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
Kenji,
The heat transfer rate/area = (coefficient of thermal conductivity)*(T_bath-T_egg)/distance
The equation is the same regardless of the medium. The dependence on the medium comes from the thermal conductivity coefficient.
Also, I agree with you that we are the only two involved in this conversation right now :)
Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?
I'm not enjoying this early snow, myself. I had to go out in it yesterday and today.
As far as bread goes, I seldom use a pan. I've probably used my bread pans for pound cake more often than I've used them for bread.
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
I may have missed it, but I didn't see any comments about baking "hard boiled" eggs. I didn't think it would work when I saw the article, but just set the raw eggs on middle rack of a cold oven, (they recommend a little foil on the bottom of the oven in case one is cracked and breaks - never had it happen) set oven temp to 325, set timer to 30 min., when timer goes off, drop in very cold water. I've done it several times, worked perfect everytime. Tried pulling some out at 25 min., yolks were not completely set good enough for devilled eggs, but perfect for eating with a little salt and pepper. One complaint about this method is wasting electricity just for a few eggs. I had my potatoes wrapped in foil, some bread rolls rising, and some jalepeno poppers that I bake as an appetizer ready to go in at appropriate times once full temp was reached. Egg salad sandwiches, potato salad, some appetizers, and probably hashbrowns for breakfast in my future. What energy waste?
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
@pookay
p.s. All of this is starting to remind me why thermodynamics was my second least favorite class in college :)
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
@pookay - yes, you're right. I jumped the gun in my response there. I stand corrected.
But at the risk of putting my foot in my mouth again, I'm going to ask you another question: my immediate reaction is that your statement that the rate of heating is inversely proportional to the distance is not quite accurate, because it does not take into account the heat transfer coefficient of the egg. In a vacuum, yes, the rate of heating is proportional to only the distance, but an egg has mass, and so there is a coefficient involved, and that coefficient is proportional to thickness of the egg that the heat has to pass through, so does that not turn the equation into an exponential one instead of a linear one?
And one more question: are we losing the other SEers here? :)
The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs
Kenji,
The contradition I pointed out still stands no matter what constants are involved since any constant divided by zero is still infinity.
The rate of heating per area is proportional to the temperature difference and inversely proportional to the distance (this actually means that in the instant right after the cool egg is put in the boiling water, the rate of heat transfer to the outer surface of the egg is infinite; note that this is not a paradox since an infinite rate times an infinitely small time interval is still a finite amount of heat). The temperature itself is not inversely proportional to the distance (or the square of the distance); solving the rate equation, the temperature approaches that of the boiling water exponentially fast with time so that if you wait long enough the whole egg will be the same temperature as the bath. The distance to the heat bath appears only in the exponent, so that the closer to the bath, the faster the temperature changes.
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"corn the horn"- I have no idea why, but whenever we have corn on the cob, my family calls it corn the horn.