My daughter is getting married on a Sunday, mid-day. We are hosting a reception Saturday, 3-6, and after the wedding lunch on Sunday from 4-7. Both receptions will be at the hotel where guests are staying. Saturday is an open bar in the bar area. Sunday is in a suite. What do you suggest for food platters and drinks on Saturday? What do you suggest for food platters and drinks in the suite on Sunday? (for Sunday drinks, please let me know if you have brand names in mind!) Thanks so much!!!

Just the herbs, no sugar, etc. Is that possible. Herbs: powdered turmeric, dried rosemary, fresh ginger. Thank you!

I am wondering...

Had home-made chicken soup at the Chinese restaurant with added veggies (still-crunchy and colorful carrots, broccoli, mini corn, Chinese peas). It is a very clear soup cooked without the skin - only the chicken and bones make the soup, they tell me. I didn't even taste salt or pepper. Yummy.

How much cholesterol do you think that soup has? Good or bad cholesterol?

(cleared up my sinuses, so less snoring!)

Hi everyone,

How many saffron threads = 30 mg?

I understand that saffron is v. good medicinally.

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have quick, simple recipes for bone-marrow soups & broths. I understand such soups are helpful in preventing-healing osteo. (and in Chinese medicine, these are useful for healing "kidney qi deficiency). Thanks.

I'm thinking of making oat balls as snacks to eat through the day.
But I wonder whether the oats have to be refrigerated once cooked.
I only cook the oats in water.
these are old-fashioned oats.

I called Quaker Oats, but they weren't so sure. They did suggest that you could eat the oats from the box raw or mix with nuts like a trail mix.

They also suggested their granola bars - but that has sugar.

Your thoughts?

Just wondering whether anyone is concerned...
At the supermarket deli counter, they try to keep the slicer clean - but they wipe the slicer with a rag. Also, they use a knife to cut sandwiches after the knife has been standing in a tub of cloudy water with other knives. My solution is to say I don't want the first slice and to cut my sandwich with a plastic knife. Is anyone concerned about bacteria that accumulates on the rag and on the knife? Wonder whether they could wipe the slicer with paper towels and slice the sandwiches with plastic knives.

Can red onions be used in chicken-ginger soup?

I made chicken soup with ginger for about 25 minutes. The soup sat overnight and looked clear, great. Next day, I removed the ginger, then added chopped red onions, celery, and carrots and cooked the soup for another 45 minutes. The soup turned black - really! The red onions lost their color.

When I looked up "red onions" on the web, it said they lose their color in cooking, and if cooked (rather than used in salads), they should be grilled or cooked "lightly." I am wondering whether there is a health issue or problem when the soup turns black, as it did. I can tell you that it tasted delicious...and vavavum, I could feel the energy barreling through my body.

Just wondering whether anyone uses particular herbs to combat winter blues. And if you do, do you get a plant and rub your fingers on the leaves, do you cook with the herb, do you smell it - what?

My question is about refrigeration.

I am combining some winter foods - kidney beans, lentils, garbanzo beans. The beans are out of the can and drained and I mix them in a bowl. BTW, there is no salt added in the kidney and garbanzo cans, and just a little for the lentils. I also add slightly cooked fresh carrots. I keep the combination in the fridge covered, and the combination lasts about a week or until we finish it. (when I am about to eat some of the mix, I add a few almonds, walnuts and a little Italians dressing) Of course, the totality is a VERY high protein mix, plus lots of other good stuff like calcium, iron, etc.

QUESTION: Can I take this mix to school or work without refrigeration? I am always a little nervous about not refrigerating food, but the cans don't seem to call for it.

I love anything and everything that's sweet. Yup, a sweet tooth.
Of course, my body isn't happy about the calories. I don't eat/drink any artificially sweetened things.

Anyone know of a natural ingredient (or extremely easy to make sweet) that is v. portable, sweet, good for you healthwise, with few if any calories? Or is that just my dream of perfection?

Is there a way to tell whether mushrooms are poisonous or edible, wherever you might find them? Or is it best to just stick to the store-bought variety, just to make sure.

What do you know...what have you experienced?

I couldn't believe it. i went to cook a piece of fish, and there was this white very thin "stick." When I went to flick it off, it moved.
Yikes!

The fish department at the supermarket where I shop said Yes, there are worms in many types of fish. If the fish is v. fresh, you are more likely to notice. If the fish is frozen or cooked, the worms are dead.

I didn't grow up knowing this. My mother didn't tell me. My mother-in-law didn't tell me. Both very fastidious women with food freshness, etc.

I've been a big consumer of fish for all the health benefits. But lately, it's been tough to buy it. Also, I used to love sushi, but...

What do you know; what have you experienced? Tips?

I like to eat out but what's on the menu often doesn't suit me for diet, dietary, allergy reasons. And if I'm with a group, I don't want to leave.

So I've found that I can ask to have something cooked the way I want it, and usually I can have that done. I've only had one restaurant that refused, and that's b/c everything they had was "pre-"done.

So, white wine instead of butter for baking fish, chicken grilled not fried, dressing on the side of salad, veggie substitutes, etc., etc.

What's the most unusual "my carte" item you've requested that's been honored by the restaurant?

Years ago, a friend told me that in restaurants, they try to seat you first by the bathroom or by the kitchen when they are available b/c those are the least desirable spots, but they have to be filled. I thought that was strange, but that has proved to be pretty much true. Now that I am aware, I request re-seating.

Anyone have a similar experience?

I use olive oil a lot - in food, on my skin, in my hair, in my soap. I look for pure olive oil. It's terrific for health, for beauty, etc.

So I wonder why there aren't beauty products made strictly from olive oil. And when you buy products with olive oil in them, there's often just a tiny bit of it and a big deal about it.

Any thoughts?

(p.s. - does anyone know of beauty products that are primarily olive oil-based?)

I've seen it mentioned on some Serious Eats posts that some vendors promote themselves or their products on Talk. I mention products I use or vendors I go to.
I am not a vendor.

How can you tell when it's a vendor who is chatting on Talk?

I know that wheatgrass is the same wheat grown and used for bread but cut when it is still green and only a few inches high. Whole Foods sells it as frozen, as juice, and as pills. And some people grow their own wheatgrass.

What are the uses for wheatgrass? What are people's experiences with wheatgrass?

I am always a little nervous about cleaning the romaine leaves and other such lettuce, as well as spinach. I keep washing and washing. Sometimes I just settle for buying the supermarket salad bar cut-up lettuce and spinach, although it costs a fortune, just b/c I assume they have high-power washers - or anyway, the lettuce and spinach look clean.

Are there any tricks and tips to making sure the lettuce and spinach are clean?

I like buffets and go to one fairly often. Sometimes I just watch to see how someone will arrange the food on their plate when they go through a buffet line. Especially, when it's the salad. Some people are pretty artistic about it. Some people are pretty "generous" (OMG!).

I'm curious about what that person must be thinking when he/she arranges the plate or what their actions say about them. Anyone else wonder, too? Any ideas-guesses?

I love to save money on lunch, eat delightful food (plus save time on food shopping, when I bring my list) - and eat out, too.

Recently, I realized that there are supermarkets that have some little tables (either courtesy of the supermarket or courtesy of an in-store Starbucks) that help me do just that. I buy lunch portions at the deli (of course, I can specify the number of ounces, too), get bread or goodies from the bakery, add a fruit, whatever. I've been paying between $2.75-$4.50 for lunch.

Other ideas for goodie-but cheapie get-away lunches?

In mid-morning or mid-afternoon, I am STARVING! So, if I have not brought something with me to eat or drink, I will hit the vending machines wherever I am, or the junk food at the supermarket checkout. Of course, the absolute worst is when the vending machine is stuck and the package won't drop and I have no change left!

I try to have something with me, so I can stop the hunger. Here are some of the things I bring, when I can, not all on the same day, of course: about 2 oz. of grapenuts in a baggie with a plastic spoon; some cherrios; a fistful of almonds (looove almonds) in a baggie; carrots (crunching relieves my stress), banana, bottle of water; a few pretzels in a baggie (but there never seem to be enough of them).

Anyone have anything more interesting?

I've can't get used to beer b/c it tastes bitter to me. Am I missing something or is beer primarily a social phenomenon that requires an acquired taste?

I read a while back that baking soda and white vinegar are great for cleaning. I've been using that combo ever since, or even individually. Quick, sparking results! Incredibly cheap! Great for bathtubs, kitchen sinks, stove tops, etc. I haven't bought a commercial cleaner in years for those jobs. And of course I assume it's also good for the environment.

What food ingredients do you use for cleaning, whether household, clothing, cars, or other?

I recently discovered inadvertently that honey helps with snoring. My husband says my snoring has diminished by 85%. On the internet, I found some comments that appear to validate this remedy. I eat honey with my Fage yogurt (ymmm!). BTW, I found that yogurt - which I eat just b/c I love it and it's a good source of calcium - also seems to have helped with reflux issues.
I recently read that apple cider and cranberry juice are useful remedies for bladder infections.

Can anyone validate the honey, yogurt, apple cider and cranberry experiences. Also, what relatively common foods do you use to treat some maladies?