Serious Eats: RichardCrystal's Profile

what shouldn't go into a brisket?

There are as many brisket recipes in my family as there are recipes for kugel, gefilte fish and tzimmes! You really need to experiment like I have over the past 30 years. Tomato sauce, onion soup mix, onions, carrots, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, Coke or Pepsi, garlic...whatever. Find a recipe that everyone likes and stick with it. However: pay extra for 1st cut and cook with the fat on the top. It makes a MAJOR difference!

RichardCrystal at 10:22AM on 01/24/11

From Slice

Poll: Anchovies on Pizza - Way or No Way?

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! Of course I crave anything salty and fishy anyway. (Lox, kippers..) A good thin-crust pizza with mushrooms and anchovies is a slice (or three) of heaven.

RichardCrystal at 10:12AM on 01/24/11

From Talk

Kind of gross, and I probably shouldn't eat it, but can't resist

Pork rinds. I may just as well inject lard into my arteries.

RichardCrystal at 10:02AM on 01/24/11

From Talk

Anchovies: Way or No Way?

The more the merrier! When ordering caesar salads with friends I usually tell the waiter to deposit everyone else's on my salad. Most people hate them but since I'm addicted to salt I love them!!!!

RichardCrystal at 12:43PM on 12/30/08

From Recipes

Celeriac Potato Pancakes with Apple Crème Fraîche

Actually that 8-day oil thing is a bunch of mishegoss. Although I prefer sour cream, try your next latke with a bit of both at the same time. A bit of the sour with a bit of the sweet...

RichardCrystal at 2:21PM on 12/23/08

From Serious Eats

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?

Many years ago when they first came out they were made of Haddock and they were very good. God only knows what's in them now. Forget the cheese. Many years ago the filet-o-fish sammy came with cole slaw and tartar sauce which was really very good. I haven't had one in decades...

RichardCrystal at 1:39PM on 12/18/08

From Talk

I'm going to make bagels!

For God's sake whatever you do BOIL THEM!!!

RichardCrystal at 1:26PM on 12/18/08

From Serious Eats

Snapshots from the UK: McDonald's Fish Finger Happy Meal

Cookieeater- Cheap and greasy..sounds like a girl I dated in high school. I would certainly order these but I'd have to order like 3 Happy Meals unless it came in an adult version. I haven't had a filet-o-fish for decades and I remember they used to be made with Haddock. God knows what they're made with now.

RichardCrystal at 1:22PM on 12/18/08

From Serious Eats

Photo of the Day: Wiener Dog

This photo made my Rottweiler hungry.

RichardCrystal at 10:52AM on 12/10/08

From Serious Eats

Snapshots from the UK: Cadbury Creme Egg Twisted

I'm sure they're just as delicious but they're just not eggs.....

RichardCrystal at 10:41AM on 12/10/08

From A Hamburger Today

Gourmet White Castle Hamburger Stuffing Is Just a Bad Idea

If you added a pound of butter to this mess it could have come from Paula Deen.

RichardCrystal at 1:41PM on 11/25/08

From Talk

Stuffing Vs. Dressing

I always stuff the bird (and no one has ever died!) and whatever is left over gets baked and later combined with what came out of the turkey. My old world Grandma always called it stuffing and my modern American Nana always referred to it as dressing. When I was about 5 years old or so I remember hearing Nana call it dressing and I believed she was going to put little turkey clothes on our dinner!!

RichardCrystal at 1:38PM on 11/25/08

From A Hamburger Today

The Bacon Hamburger Fatty Melt, a Bacon Burger with Two Bacon-Stuffed Grilled Cheese Sandwiches as Bun

What, no mayo???

RichardCrystal at 8:28AM on 10/14/08

From Serious Eats

Starbucks Testing Clover in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco

THANK YOU, Mr guy! I'd like to shoot whoever the hell came up with that! You hear it everywhere and it seems no one can tell me what it means. Does it mean the same as "price range"? Or is it more specific?

RichardCrystal at 2:55PM on 08/27/08

From Talk

Salt Mill/Pepper Grinder... difference?

I had one of those combination pepper/salt grinders whereby you twisted a cylinder to get either salt or pepper. As far as I can remember it used the same grinding mechanism. So based on that I wouldn't think there'd be much difference.

RichardCrystal at 10:08AM on 08/27/08

From Serious Eats

Mayor Closes Children Produce Stand for Lack of Permits

I'll sum this up in 3 simple words:
LIABILITY, LIABILITY, LIABILITY...

RichardCrystal at 9:56AM on 08/27/08

From Talk

I bought chicken liver mousse, now what?

Honey, it's all chopped liver to me! Thaw it out, smear it on some fancy-schmancy crackers and knock yourself out!

RichardCrystal at 9:34AM on 08/27/08

From Serious Eats

Foods We Loved as Kids, Maybe Not as Adults

FIZZIES! Does anyone remember those? They were an Alka-Seltzer-like product that flavored water just by dropping a tablet into a glass. It would dissolve and when it was done you had a wonderful sweet fruit-flavored soft drink. It was pulled off the shelves in the early 70s because of cyclamates, an artificial sweetner that allegedly caused cancer in lab rats. Anyway, about 10 years ago it was re-marketed and I bought some for old time sake. BLECH!!! It was disgustingly sweet and really vile. So we had a "Happy Fizzies Party"; we dropped all that were left into the john.

RichardCrystal at 9:31AM on 08/27/08

From Serious Eats

Starbucks Testing Clover in Boston, Seattle, San Francisco

Oh puh-leeze! Here we go again with yet another gizmo to jack up the price of coffee and who better to do it than Starbucks!? I'll stick with my Braun, Zabar's coffee and a measuring spoon, thank you very much.

RichardCrystal at 9:14AM on 08/27/08

From Serious Eats: New York

Sushi Bait and Switch Reaction Swift and Strong: What's Next, Shoeamaki?

I figure if it tastes good and doesn't make me throw up I really don't care what they call it.

RichardCrystal at 11:52AM on 08/25/08

From Serious Eats

Massive Keg Damage Causes College Town to Install Rubber Sidewalk

Do they also lessen the painful impact of falling down drunk?

RichardCrystal at 11:32AM on 08/25/08

From Talk

Best way to eat ice cream?

Right out of the Ben & Jerry's carton with a spoon!

RichardCrystal at 1:00PM on 08/22/08

From Serious Eats

Butter Sculptures Gallery

The thought of licking anything in any way, shape or form having to do with McCain nauseates me.
Obama however......
BTW..the McCain is all wrong.
Shouldn't his foot be in his mouth?

RichardCrystal at 1:55PM on 08/21/08

From Talk

Yet another table manners topic - clearing plates.

Blue Iris..I have been kvetching about that for ages! Therefore I would really appreciate being asked first. Of course here in Baltimore I usually get, "Ya done, Hon?"

RichardCrystal at 2:26PM on 08/15/08

From Talk