What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
Picky/Finicky/Boring eaters are such a turn-off!
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The Ten Most Recent Comments By ReneeRobinson
Keeping Cilantro: Science Experiment Results
Some people are genetically predisposed to taste cilantro as bitter and "soap-like," based on their ability to taste the chemical phenylthiocarbamide. Not to be the med school dork or anything.
Thankfully, I taste cilantro as the delicious and glorious herb that it is, but am still thoroughly entertained by the haikus at the online community called ihatecilantro dot com.
Michelada: Mexican Beer Cocktail
I love Micheladas with Clamato. I used to live in Oaxaca, and there they were always served with some Clamato/Tomato juice component. Sometimes if I don't feel like going through too much trouble, I mix 1 part bloody mary mix with 2 parts Corona.
Also, I like mixing chile powder with the salt to make a chile salt for around the rim. And MOST important: KEY limes. So much better than the other limes for Micheladas.
Fresh Food on TV: Weekday Edition
I really missed Iron Chef Japan!!!
Unfortunately, I don't think I get the Fine Living Network :(
Aztec Chocolate, 900 Years Later: Authentic?
Mmmm...Vosges is so delicious. I wish it was less expensive. They have a lot of incredible flavors, the curry one is great too!
starting a food blog ........
Karen and Luna, please don't stop, this is so hilarious. So far my favorites are:
"Go Ahead and Grill Me," "Losing My Marbling," and "Marrow Me."
SE users: please introduce yourselves.
Hello, I'm Renee, I am a 24 year old medical student at the University of Connecticut. I currently live in Waterbury, CT. After my college graduation I moved to Oaxaca, Mexico for a while where I became enamored with the food. Every day I make new recipes (except during the week before exams), and they are usually Mexican (especially Oaxacan) or other types of Latin American. I especially love using a variety of fresh and dried chiles, and I love seafood, although a student's budget prevents me from indulging too much. :)
I will be spending this summer in Puerto Rico doing research, and am thinking about starting a blog to include my food travels and recipes. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get started, I would love to hear them!
Responses to Comments by ReneeRobinson
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
Neither is a deal-breaker unless the person is fanatic about it, or tries to convert me to their ways. Same goes for just about anything -- religion, politics, milk-or-sugar -- whatever. I'm perfectly happy to have a reasoned discussion about whatever it might be, and I'm just as willing to let the topic lie undisturbed, but I'm not fond of people who insist that I should change who I am to suit them.
I'm actually more interested in people who are unlike me than those who could be my clones. I like learning about other people's cultures (including foods) and beliefs. I might not agree with them or embrace them in my own life, but I find it interesting on an intellectual level.
Things that are deal breakers are unkindness and ill manners of all sorts. Some ill manners I might excuse in a friend or relative that I wouldn't accept in a mate, however. Luckily, that choice is already made.
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
@Luna; LOL!!!! Report back after the gift has been delivered!
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
I agree wholeheartedly with Karen Resta, while I love both food and books, I am of the opinion that the heart and soul of a person determines their worth.
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
I have had people refuse to date me for both reasons. One guy who thought of himself as a "writer" dumped me after 3 dates when he found out I read trashy romance novels. Another person ( who I wasn't even interested in) told me in straight up "I can not have a pork eater in my house" He was muslim though...so that was understandable. On the flip side though I don't think I could give up pork for a guy.
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
I am a pescetarian married to an omnivore, but we have had few problems since we do both love food. And we are both readers. While I don't worry too much about WHAT he reads, the fact that he DOES read was important. The previous boyfriend didn't read newspapers and was never in the middle of a book. 'Twas a deal-breaker, for sure.
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
@ Butrflygirly: The stabbing. Oh God, the stabbing...
What is more of a 'deal breaker'--food or books?
Books are more of a dealbreaker for me. Anyone who likes Ayn Rand is out. Anyone who likes Nabokov is in.
I don't think food is quite as important as the person's attitude towards life, especially since the kind of food someone eats changes over time more than the mindset defined by the books they like. And it's a lot easier to sneak kale into someone's dish than Dickens into their hearts.
Dries Hair; Perfects Roast Chicken
This strikes me as a silly thing to do.
I understand that dry chicken skin when raw = crisp chicken skin when cooked, but has anyone really found that putting a chicken in a hot oven doesn't dry the skin enough in the first 2 minutes to produce a satisfactorily crisp skin? (Quick, someone set up a side-by side comparison test!)
If you want an air-dried chicken without wasting electricity, you can probably leave it out for half and hour after rinsing and before cooking it without much worry.
Dries Hair; Perfects Roast Chicken
I second seadkc's critique of that statement regarding the eco-friendliness of using a blow drier instead of paper towels. However, being a huge fan of roast chickens and well crisped skin, I may have to try this technique. Since I'm bald, I don't have a blow drier. I just might buy a cheapo one for the kitchen. This would have the added benefit of not blowing mold, yeast and poo particles on my chicken.
Question: does one blow dry the chicken before or after seasoning?
SE users: please introduce yourselves.
I'm Rosezilla (named for my three year old daughter and the giant lizard thing that stomped Tokyo...it's what I call her when she's being...how you say...willful). My real handle is Mandy. I live in Santa Barbara County again after growing up here, but lived for 11 years in western Sonoma County...home of fabulous food and wines. It spoiled me rotten, to become an adult surrounded by all of that luscious produce and foodie opportunity. I managed a microbrewery's kitchen for 6 years, and have SERIOUS opinions about ales, should anyone care for them. Now I'm a home cook primarily, although I do a little catering here and there. My daughter's favorite foods are salmon and broccoli, so I feel as though I've triumphed a bit over the three-year-old beige-food diet. We do, however, eat at McDonald's every Friday after school...it's our little Happy Meal indulgence...and those tiny cheeseburgers are SOOO good. I live with and cook for my mother, as well. I am dating a high school band director, who has actually LOST weight being with me, as he's eating more asparagus and less fast food. I think that size 14 should be the new size 6. I am curvy, healthy, happy and active...and think that excellent foods should be part of everyone's diet. I am active in the "S'Cool Food" movement here, which tries to bring local and sustainable healthy food into school cafeterias. And I love, love, love this website.
Website:
Location: Waterbury, CT
About: Medical student at University of Connecticut. Cooking is my passion and escape, and I try new recipes almost every day!
Favorite foods: Mexican, Oaxacan, Caribbean, Latin, ethnic, spicy, chiles, chipotle, tomato, cilantro
Last bite on earth: Oh, I need to think about this one for a while...