Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

It's annoying in movies too. I felt like Sex and the City was just one big advertisement.

San Antonio. But surprsingly, for Tex-Mex, I really was floored by Oklahoma City. Good stuff...

I would like to know what I ever did to Carnation that warrants them discontinuing the Instant Breakfast Bar. My roommate and I lived on the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Crunch flavors in college. I want them back. Waaaaahhhhh.

Not to be contrary, but Magnolia, Kerbey Lane, Salt Lick (BBQ), Chuy's, Shady Grove...all over-rated.

For good Mexican, Sazon on South Lamar, Polvo's on South First, El Chile on Manor, those are really good places. Fonda san Miguel on North Loop for an upscale, interior Mexican meal.

For good Mexican breakfast, Sazon again, Maria's Taco Xpress on South Lamar.

For other good stuff:
High End: Uchi, Mirabelle, Aquarelle
Medium Priced: Roaring Fork, Buenos Aires
Cheap but delicious: Whole Foods (must be seen to be believed), Madam Mam's, Little Thailand, Asia Cafe

Try mineral water. I have a friend who got her boyfriend off of Cokes by subbing it with LaCroix Mineral Water in cans in various flavors. Sometimes it's the ability to grab a can and go and LaCroix is just that!

Anybody remember Sprinkle Spangles? Anybody? It was a cereal made of star shapes, sprinkles and lots of sugar. Beautiful rocket fuel.

Initially, I bought it because it's hormone free & organic - thinking it has to be better for me. I really don't drink much milk, but occasionally have cereal at night, need it for a recipe and like it in my coffee. Add another one who was shocked at the shelf life. I live alone and it gets used up before it turns. How nice!

AARP bumper sticker:

Food has replaced sex in my life.
Now, I can't even get into my own pants.

Carolina de Witte - chefs can taste if they want to, of course. Some do, some don't. Some do sometimes but not always.

I was never taught to taste during service before sending it out to a customer but rather to be sure that I knew ahead of time by smell and look and by focus on the initial prep and even ordering/checking in of goods that when in the process of putting out anywhere from four orders to 250 orders that they would be good and correct in taste just from the building "from the ground up" so to speak.

As executive chef I worked on instilling this same way of doing things in the chefs and cooks that worked for me. It requires a lot of standardization of recipe and focus on initial ingredients, along with an intensive structure that involves detailed production schedules and a well-trained team who are willing to work together. It's not just about the food itself, its about the people who are putting it together.

This takes away from "creativity" allowed in a free-form way, yes. But the guests get consistency.

It's a beautiful thing when a kitchen of ten can trust each other to come in and together put out a range of meals where some of the plates might be finely detailed "fine dining" and the other plates are fine banquet service for 50 hitting at the exact same time.

Granted, part of this is intuition. But most of it is training, teamwork, knowledge and consistently-implemented procedures that run from step A to step Z.

But to each their own, and to taste on an ongoing basis is one way of doing it, for sure.
But what I said is true and workable also. :)

foodvox said: "No, chefs don't have to taste all the time if they are chefs for they know what they are doing and don't have to double-check." This isn't true. I've been a chef for many years, but I was taught to ALWAYS taste before sending it to a customer. There are many variables in cooking. If you aren't a good 'taster', you can not be a chef. The difference between ordinary, bad and sublime can be just a touch too little or too much salt, nevermind such ingredients as acids, etc. That being said, a 'taste' doesn't mean an entire mouthful of food, it is just enough to judge...a few drops could be sufficient.

I am not overweight, as I usually skip the 'house meals', and I go to the gym several nights a week. I eat the majority of my meals at home with my family, and we love fresh fruits and vegetables, organic and local if possible. I love preparing meals for my family even more than I do for patrons at work. Moderation is always key. I do splurge, but not everyday.