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What to serve with my butternut squash?
Maybe some green beans? Or stove top popcorn? I have seen recipes for butternut squash soup with popcorn croutons, so there must be some symbiotic relationship between the flavors.
Tipping on Alcohol
@presenttense, among others: the tip isn't (usually) going to the restaurant though; it is going to your server. Just because you feel cheated by the wine mark-up, you shouldn't take it out on your poor server.
Your tipping percentage is based on the server's efforts, but your tip is ultimately decided by your bill. It might not seem right, and it might not seem fair, but that is the way it is. It is not about the difficulty in uncorking the wine bottle, the pouring, the choosing. Your server doesn't prepare your food for you either, but your tip is still based on what you are ordering. You would end up tipping more if you got steak instead of chicken, so you tip more if you buy expensive wine than if you don't.
Yes, it is a problem that servers aren't paid realistic wages, but withholding a tip isn't doing anything to solve that problem.
Vegetarian Lifestyle
@therealchiffonade While I am inclined to agree with you, it is strange that we feel tired, or think we will feel tired, of beans/tofu, but never seem to think that way about chicken/beef. I think most people's meat consumption is probably as unvaried as the popular, but perhaps incorrect, view of a vegetarian's protein consumption.
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'Georgia On My Thighs' Cooks Along with Paula Deen
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A Thanksgiving food tradition I really miss is splitting a funnel cake with my best friend at our big rivalry game on Thanksgiving morning: Easton vs. Phillipsburg. You may have caught our 100th anniversary game on ESPN a few years ago.
I of course, have always rooted for Easton. Go Rovers!
What to serve with my butternut squash?
Maybe some green beans? Or stove top popcorn? I have seen recipes for butternut squash soup with popcorn croutons, so there must be some symbiotic relationship between the flavors.
Tipping on Alcohol
@presenttense, among others: the tip isn't (usually) going to the restaurant though; it is going to your server. Just because you feel cheated by the wine mark-up, you shouldn't take it out on your poor server.
Your tipping percentage is based on the server's efforts, but your tip is ultimately decided by your bill. It might not seem right, and it might not seem fair, but that is the way it is. It is not about the difficulty in uncorking the wine bottle, the pouring, the choosing. Your server doesn't prepare your food for you either, but your tip is still based on what you are ordering. You would end up tipping more if you got steak instead of chicken, so you tip more if you buy expensive wine than if you don't.
Yes, it is a problem that servers aren't paid realistic wages, but withholding a tip isn't doing anything to solve that problem.
Vegetarian Lifestyle
@therealchiffonade While I am inclined to agree with you, it is strange that we feel tired, or think we will feel tired, of beans/tofu, but never seem to think that way about chicken/beef. I think most people's meat consumption is probably as unvaried as the popular, but perhaps incorrect, view of a vegetarian's protein consumption.
Tipping on Alcohol
@sushiburger--But that is just the point. People are content to tip less on an item that costs less, but not more on a more expensive item. I think @ericjpdx said it best
"But that doesn't make buying an expensive bottle and tipping the customary percentage wrong. Nor does it make tipping below the customary percentage right."
100 Rules for Restaurant Staffers
I think some of these suggestions are a little overkill, criticizing someone's personality versus competency, and contribute to the whole problem of service vs. servitude.
9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition.
33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by.
41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do.
Some of the advice seems inconsistent:
11. Do not hustle the lobsters. That is, do not say, “We only have two lobsters left.” Even if there are only two lobsters left.
74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.
And some of the suggestions are usually out of the hands of the server:
94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist. If someone doesn’t like Frightened Rabbit or Michael Bublé, you have just ruined a meal.
And your own "Served" author once mentioned asking if something was wrong with the service after recieving a dismal tip:
96. Do not say anything after a tip — be it good, bad, indifferent — except, “Thank you very much.”
As I mentioned in the talk thread, I think a really helpful list would be 100 Things a Customer Should Never Do. I want to be a good patron as much as I want to have a good server.
Tipping on Alcohol
To everyone who thinks it is outrageous to tip more for a more expensive bottle of wine: do you tip less when you purchase a salad or a simple sandwich? There is an incredible markup on these items as well, and I don't think anyone would tip less for a salad than a more complicated entree. , and I don't see anyone up in arms about that.
quitter's nibbles
I have never had to go through quitting smoking, but I am kind of a yo yo dieter...
I would recommend avoiding soft, sugary items, as you will go through a lot of volume in a short amount of time--not good for your waistline. Instead opt for items that will take awhile for you to chew and swallow--beef jerky, slim jims, hard candy, zwieback, or melba toast.
Also, second @dhorst's suggestion of frozen grapes--so delicious. I prefer green frozen grapes myself.
Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
I would really appreciate a list of things customers shouldn't do. I always want to be a "good" customer, and I worry I try too hard.
Regarding number 100, I have heard from waiters, and I know from my stint in a sandwich shop, that comping items can get you into trouble, since sometimes people start to expect it. My first day I let someone in before we were really open, and after that I always had to let him in early to get his first cup of coffee.
Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Well then let's talk about the next fifty:
The author seems to have gone from "never give your opinion unasked" to "babysit your guests".
Also, I don't think a guest is going to care if they drop a menu--I would want it back, even if it fell on the floor. I am going to reach for it, and if the waiter isn't handing it to me, that is going to be an awkward situation.
Then again, Olive Garden is a splurge for me...
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I love Necco wafers! We used to get little packs from a family friend every New Year's.
I've never really wanted a crunchy cupcake either, juliebugsmama, but I have baked them with whole wheat flour, which makes them a little gritty...
Holiday Baking
@therealchiffonade Those are adorable! I will not be making quite so many, but I will definitely keep in mind not to roll them too thin.
Favorite Bagel Fillings/Toppings?
Cream cheese and tomato! Add bacon to make is a well-balanced meal!
Fried potato question
Any time I make fried potatoes I base them on this recipe:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11/paprika-spiked-potatoes-home-fries-poached-egg-recipe.html
I usually coat the potatoes in a more than healthy amount of paprika, salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and chili flakes.
I know everyone hates on dried oregano, but that plus garlic powder might be delicious.
Holiday Baking
Thank you so much for the advice! Those gingerbread cookies sound amazing!
What would you eat for 30 days?
I could eat rice with some sort of sauce everyday. Or grilled cheese.
Eating quirks
I also tend to eat layered things in layers, and by colors. I am not above peeling the chocolate frosting off of a Hostess cupcake or a Swiss roll. I even unwrap the cake of the Swiss roll sometimes.
I also like to spread my mashed potatoes on my meat and bread, but never my vegetables. And I am put off by sandwiches with mashed potatoes as a filler.
What to do with leftover bread crust
I'm jealous of your abundance of crusts! I hate recipes that call for day old bread, or stale bread, or what have you. Bread goes fast in my house, so I end up toasting fresh bread.
That said, there is a ton to do with old crusts, which everyone has already mentioned. Bread pudding, egg strata, croutons, homemade bread crumbs, etc.
Cakespy: Leftover Halloween Candy Pie
cakespy, i feel bad for all the negative comments on your post. i for one, am not above eating non-traditional combinations of sweets, not matter how negative the popular, "healthy" opinion may be.
Photo of the Day: Meat Head
I think a giant head of meat at a party would make me a temporary vegetarian; even now it's making me a little sick.
It's like that thing is staring into my omnivorous soul...
Should Bagel Shops Charge For Toasting?
What if it were a 25 cent discount for NOT toasting your bagel? Would that make everyone feel better?
I agree with the general undercurrent here though...if you are already paying 2.50 for a bagel with cream cheese, an extra 25 cents is pretty insulting.
Street Food Profiles: Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches in Los Angeles, California
I am also curious about this edible wrapper. Unless it is super-sweet, melt-on-the-tongue delicious, it seems like eating your wrapper would ruin the experience of the mouthfeel of an ice cream sandwich. Also, isn't part of the point of the wrapper to protect your food from other people's hands?
Popcorn: Do You Err on the Side of Unpopped or Burnt?
BURNT I make my popcorn on the stove, and I would much rather pick out one or two burnt bits (a rare occurrence) than see a bunch of shiny unpopped kernels on top of my fluffy popcorn when I dump it into a bowl. Shaking the bowl doesn't always sink those kernels, and I like to eat my popcorn by the spoonful. The worst part of my night is sinking my teeth into soft popcorn and then ricocheting off a hard kernel.
The 'Pizza Strip': Indigenous to Rhode Island
I grew up on the Pennsylvania/Jersey border, and our little Italian bakery sells this as tomato pie. As a picky younger eater I also used to refuse to call this pizza, but as my palate matured I came to realize that this food is friggin' delicious. I'm pretty sure the bakery puts some parmesan in the sauce, so yes, it is pizza.
The Tornado Potato Touches Down in the U.S.
I was in Wildwood NJ this week too! There were so many ladies on the boardwalk offering free samples!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My favorite incident was terrible at the time but so funny years later so it has become my favorite memory. When I was younger, I loved the canned cranberry sauce. The family would pretty much put it on the table just for me and I would eat it all. Well my aunt was a terrible cook so I don't know exactly what kind of creation this was but it was made from beets and looked pretty close to the canned cranberry sauce. I dug in gleefully only to spit it all out on my plate. I now like beets but sure didn't when I was eight. I was scared to eat the canned cran at her house for years after that.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The one that my husband and I refer back to over and over was the very first Thanksgiving I had with his family when we were first dating. I was helping in the kitchen, and at some point my MIL started rooting around in the fridge. She pulled out a couple bottles of salad dressing that were completely empty. Tossed them.Then she pulled out a bottle of ketchup that was also empty except for the bits clinging to the sides and bottom. She put some water in the ketchup bottle, swished it around, and dumped the results onto the salad. And then she handed me the bowl of salad and told me to go put it on the table.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My favorite Thanksgiving was in college, when I went with my roommate to her aunt and uncle's house. The two best parts - 1. I had homemade cranberry sauce for the first time, and have made it every year since, and 2. her cousins had invented the "full rug" - whenever we were too full to eat another bite, we would lie on a rug in front of the fireplace until we had room again.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first year my wife and I were married was also my first year of seminary. We lived in a 2 room apartment that was adjoined by a hallway kitchen. There was a tiny oven, no counter space, and barely any range real estate. My wife was the eager bride and wanted to make a full blown meal for both of us. First up, she bought a 20 pound turkey. For 2 people. To cook in an oven that fit the turkey like a pair of '80's Calvin Klein jeans. Then, when I was pulling the turkey out to rest on the "counter" I spilled more than half of the turkey juice all over the floor. Second, my wife decided to make a home made pie. Crust and everything. I was in the bedroom playing on the computer and came out to find a snack. At that time my wife begins to cuss out the pie crust that would not roll out. On a kitchen table. I walked back into bedroom and didn't come out until the pie crust went away. It was a memorable Thanksgiving.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
A family member had a big family thanksgiving thing and a butterball turkey involving a bag and ginger ale and orange juice or some nonsense. I got a really nice turkey from a farmer I know, roasted it tout simplement… which do you think was better?
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
One year I was invited with my wife to a distant relatives house--how bad could it be? Well, they served brussel sprouts--possibly the most gag inducing food known to me. I got it down--which was remarkable considering I believe there are still some hidden brussel sprouts somewhere in my childhood home yet unfound
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Enjoying my mom's manicotti right next to the turkey and dressing--followed by a weekend away with my cousins while my parents got a little vacation.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
When we all got so drunk off manhattans beforehand, that we forgot the turkey and burned it to a crisp
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Last year a guest arrived with mini pumpkin pies that had been spiked with vodka. Essentially they were vodka pies. They were also a gateway to what is now forever known as Drinksgiving.
The highlight of the evening is when I convinced a soon-to-be-sick friend to carry around a fashionable "Party Bucket" on her arm for the entire night! It was just the bucket we use to mop the floors.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
During one of our first Thanksgivings after being married, my husband made the gravy. He kept adding more flour to thicken it and eventually it was so thick that when we turned the gravy boat upside down, it stayed in place.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
do you mean the one where the firemen came after the neighbors called about the smoke? and they sprayed all the food on the counters? It was a restaurant meal that year!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My mom taught me how to make the pie crust, which I always thought WAS way more difficult. And then I got a lesson on fillings. And now the day before Thanksgiving I'm always on pie duty, and I love it.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Oooh pick me! Pick me! Alton Brown is the reason why I took food science in college!
Ok my story: One year I made Alton Brown's brined turkey. As per his show, I preheated the oven to 500 degrees, slathered the bird in canola oil, and put in the oven for 30 minutes to brown the skin. Well, half an hour later I opened the oven to drop and heat and cover my bird and a completely naked turkey was staring back at me. ALL THE SKIN HAD BURNED OFF!!! It charred and slid off to the side leaving a pale white, naked turkey. I continued to cook it and still served it, but we had a good laugh. I'll never forget that bird!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My aunt and uncle came from Bangladesh to visit and led us to discover that roasted turkey tastes absolutely wonderful alongside dahl and rice.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I'm loving the stories.
My favorite food memory is eating at my Grandma's house - lots and lots of people, lots of food, and so much love. There was the 'adult' table, the 'kids' table and the floor in one area for the 'inbetweens.' One year there were more people than silverware or plates. We 'tweens' used anything we could find - pot lids, casseroles, to hold the food and felt lucky to find at least a spoon or a fork too! We ate, the women did the dishes, some of the men napped or watched tv, and our favorite uncle would take us kids out for a walk in the woods. Then it was time to eat again!
Oh..and we always sang 'Over the River and Through the Woods" on our drive north.
Happy Thanksgiving all!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Ah, picking just one favorite Thanksgiving story will be a challenge. I am afraid that I will have to out my mother with her recipe for giblet gray that she invented the first year we had a smoke alarm (you know where this is going, don't you?): Put giblets in small sauce pan, cover with water, bring water to a boil, forget about pan until smoke detector goes off, throw out giblets and stick with pan drippings for gravy making. I would love to report that this only happened once, but I am afraid that it became something of a tradition.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My favorite turkey day memories were when my grandpa was alive, seated at the head of his table, us at the extra "kids" table, grandpa always started the prayer with a few jokes from his Reader's Digest magazines. Always good laughs along with great food.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The year we decided to go vegetarian and we completely messed up the tofurkey. Oh well, it was a great idea - we just weren't technically prepared.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
my mom always tells the story of my grandparents and their thanksgiving. my grandfather was horrible for his teasing, and one particular thanksgiving he got a little too frisky. so my grandmother flung a spoonful of mashed potatoes and gravy at him and hit him square between the eyes and all over his glasses. it stunned him silent. XD
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
Last year, I did all the cooking.I don't mind the cooking, but someone else gets all the credit for my work, so I don't know what will happen this year.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My first turkey ever! My roomie and I were rinsing and drying the bird. One of us drying from each end. EEEK! Something moving in there! Drop the bird. Turns out we were feeling each others hands!
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My first year making pies, my boyfriend and I were trying to cut a decorative design for the top of the cherry pie. Somehow the 3 leaves that we were cutting out turned into two eyes and a giant smile. We left the pie crust that way, but I still remember laughing uncontrollably at how happy our pie looked.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
The first year I learned to make my Mom's wonderful Thanksgiving stuffing
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
My grandma overcooked the turkey every year. I'm the only one not completely ruined on turkey in my family.
Cook the Book: 'Good Eats: The Early Years'
I think I'm lucky to not have any Thanksgiving stories! Last years T-giving was great, though, in that I spent it with friends, and one of the nicest grandmas I know.
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'Georgia On My Thighs' Cooks Along with Paula Deen
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 26, 2009 at 1:30 PM
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A Thanksgiving food tradition I really miss is splitting a funnel cake with my best friend at our big rivalry game on Thanksgiving morning: Easton vs. Phillipsburg. You may have caught our 100th anniversary game on ESPN a few years ago.
I of course, have always rooted for Easton. Go Rovers!