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♥♥♥ = Homecooking. What's for dinner Nov. 23?

We had breakfast for dinner. Ham, potatoes, onions, and peppers all diced and fried together in a skillet, with fried eggs on top. I think I could eat a fried egg almost every day. :)

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I might add another indicator of potentially bad food: If you walk in off a busy street at 6pm on Saturday night and the place is dead, the food's probably not very good.

Also, I'll put in my vote for good reviews. As others have said, we have a limited number of meals to eat before we die. SE's opinion of food is one I trust, and if they can help me avoid bad food, so much the better.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I've always used Golden Delicious, unless there are other apples that need using up. I've used Galas, but I definitely prefer the Goldens. Perhaps it's because my mother (and her mother before her) always used them, and nostalgia and tradition influence my tastes?

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Lots of things look good, but I didn't start drooling until I looked at the perfect mashed potatoes with gravy, so that's my choice. :)

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Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?

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What do turnips go with?

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They carry ________ but not _________?!

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How long does wine "keep?"

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Talk

♥♥♥ = Homecooking. What's for dinner Nov. 23?

We had breakfast for dinner. Ham, potatoes, onions, and peppers all diced and fried together in a skillet, with fried eggs on top. I think I could eat a fried egg almost every day. :)

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I might add another indicator of potentially bad food: If you walk in off a busy street at 6pm on Saturday night and the place is dead, the food's probably not very good.

Also, I'll put in my vote for good reviews. As others have said, we have a limited number of meals to eat before we die. SE's opinion of food is one I trust, and if they can help me avoid bad food, so much the better.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I've always used Golden Delicious, unless there are other apples that need using up. I've used Galas, but I definitely prefer the Goldens. Perhaps it's because my mother (and her mother before her) always used them, and nostalgia and tradition influence my tastes?

From Serious Eats

Win a Free Organic D'Artagnan Turkey

Lots of things look good, but I didn't start drooling until I looked at the perfect mashed potatoes with gravy, so that's my choice. :)

From Talk

What would you eat for 30 days?

There is nothing I could eat 3 meals a day, for 30 days. I would be sick of whatever it was.

From Talk

What are you asking Santa (or whomever) to bring you?

- another, bigger Le Creuset dutch oven (I love my little one, but it is, well, little)
- a stock/soup pot
- a pair of nice bread pans
- new cookie/baking sheets, mine are warped

^__^

From Talk

Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?

I made cinnamon bread, a family tradition when cold weather starts (from Joy of Cooking). My loaves were a little misshapen and, um "rustic" looking, but my fiance and I have already chowed through one.

That being said, there is too much snow on my porch for October, and I object.

From Talk

Bread Loaves without Bread Pans: Can it be done?

Tell me about it. We have at least 1.5 feet of snow! I'll let you know how the bread baking goes.

From Talk

Any food you could eat daily til' you kick the bucket?!

My foods are:
-strong tea with milk
-bread
-pasta
-cheese (even lactose intolerance hasn't stopped me here)

I love sushi and chocolate, but I definitely don't think I could eat them every day and not loose the specialness I associate with eating them. I savor chocolate, and let it melt in my mouth, a small bite at a time. As for sushi, I associate that with special occasions. Give me a well-made plate of sashimi, tuna rolls, and unagi over birthday cake any time.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'

PWC is really one of my favorites, but SE is the site that comes up in my top sites. :) I visit several times a day, to lurk or post, and recipes posted here have always been delicious!

From Talk

Bad mood, bad food?

Moods tend to affect my patience. So if the pizza dough I'm rolling out keeps shrinking on itself, for example, my mood will get worse and worse and I'll become less and less patient. I've learned when that happens I have to put down what I'm doing and/or hand the task to someone else. On the other hand, making bread has always done wonders for my mood.

From Talk

Pizza: A cure for the blues?

Pizza always makes me happier. ^__^

From Talk

The Most Unhealthy Thing You've Ever Made

Has to be the shrimp scampi I made for my fiance a year and a half ago -- used two sticks of butter, I think, and big pile of cheese. Did I mention dessert was a cake that also called for two sticks of butter? Mmmm, butter.

From Talk

Your Clever SE Name

Mine actually stems from an argument with friends in high school. Some people held out that "scythe" was pronounced "skythe." My usual handle until then was Skysong. I started using Skythe instead partially to make everyone chuckle when they saw it, and partially because, in high school, I thought it was a much cooler username than Skysong. It seems to have stuck with me.

From Talk

If You Smelled Like Any Food...

Definitely fresh baked/baking bread. No question about it. :)

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: 'Japanese Hot Pots'

My fiance and I have a favorite soup we've shared with several friends. Italian sausage, small shell pasta, beans, thyme, and lemon combine to make a really delicious soup. We make at least once a month, even in summer. It's light, and yet very filling.

From Serious Eats

Should Restaurants Be Allowed To Ban Laptops?

I'm not sure how I feel about laptops, but take away my books and I won't be dining at your restaurant. If I'm eating lunch alone, I want a book to keep me company. ^__^

From Talk

Food processor feedback needed

I have what I think is a 7 cup Cuisinart, and it's never let me down. I've had it for about 1.5 years, I think.

From Talk

SE College Division...

I've frequented SE from about Sophomore year on. Now I'm a grad student at CU, and I'd be happy to contribute, too. :)

From Talk

Bread Bricks

I should note that I ate my bread bricks out of spite (for the yeast that I'd killed) and they weren't that bad. But it's definitely really frustrating when that happens.

From Talk

Bread Bricks

It's possible you killed the yeast accidentally. That's what happened last time I had bread bricks -- the water was just barely too hot. I haven't used bread flour, though, so I can't help you there.

From Talk

Silicone Bakeware?

No silicone here, either. I had a bunch of pans, but after the second batch of gummy muffins, I got rid of them. Not worth buying.

From Talk

Is there "milk" that tastes like milk for lactose intolerance?

Lactaid, lactaid, lactaid! I love the stuff. The skim does taste a bit sweeter, but it's pretty hard to taste the difference in 2%. You can also get store-brand lactose free milk, as others have mentioned. I also agree that any calcium-fortified lactose free milk tastes just awful. I've tried just about every non-dairy milk, and lactose-free milk is the closest you can get. I rarely drink milk by itself anymore.

I will warn you that taking pills with uncooked* milk has never worked for me, so be prepared for issues there.

*There are two ways to deal with the now un-digestable lactose in the milk. Take lactase supplements, pre-added like in lactaid, or in pill form, or boil/cook the milk at high temperature for awhile. Both of these will denature and subsequently break down the lactose protein, which is what a LI person's body can no longer do on it's own.

Anyway, good luck!

From Talk

How long does wine "keep?"

@misterhee If I use the vacuvin or the wine spray does the wine still need to be refrigerated?

From Talk

Teen Foodies

I was a teenage foodie, too -- though I'm technically not a teenager anymore. I did learn that my friends were definitely interested in eating anything I made. I also took a "culinary arts" class where through my HS, which was awesome. I met a lot of like-minded people that way. Maybe see if you can do something like that. :)

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

I forgot to ask.

Did you really pay $9 for what's basically chips & dip? Even if it was the best "made from scratch" chips & dip I ever had, I would never pay that much for it.

$12 for that tiny looking quesadilla?!

I envy New Yorkers for living in a food mecca, but I don't envy the prices. Most Mexican themed placed where I live, serve warm fresh chips & salsa for free. If you want something else, like the guacamoli mixed with fresh Pico De Gallo in the pic, it might cost you $1.50 at most.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

"If the waitresses are wearing distractingly skimpy outfits, the food's probably not very good."

In Yorktown, Va., there is a biker bar that fits this criteria. The thing is, their food is really good. To be exact, their seafood and subs are so good, that the place attracts groups from all walks of life. Rock n Roll Biker Bar, or not, the food is so good, that people just don't care if loud bikes and a rough looking crowd also hang out there. Everyone gets along in perfect harmony, because of the tasty offerings and beer. The skimpy outfits only distract you while your waiting for your food. Once your meals get placed on the table, one could care less what the world is wearing.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I like Ida Reds but can't find them anymore. I use a mix of Gala, Granny Smith and Macintosh. Not really much variety here in the stores, lucky to get those. The best way to get great tasting heirloom apple varieties is to plant a tree or two in your yard. If you are lucky enough to have a yard. We have seven acres and went a little crazy. Here are two great nurseries with excellent quality and service :
http://www.vintagevirginiaapples.com/
http://www.raintreenursery.com/

We have planted 30 or so fruit trees and we're waiting....in 3 more years they should start producing. What we're going to do with it all I don't know, but we just couldn't resist all the different varieties!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I made my first batch of applesauce 35 years ago at the suggestion of my new MIL with Courtlands and since I bought a couple of bushels I would use them for pies and crisps as well. They don't require added sugar and the sauce is pink and the kids always thought that the color made it special. Each year I find I run out sooner than I should since there are more grandkids:-)

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Maybe, if possible, the seeds of those far-flung 800 apple varieties should be carefully collected and saved in the deep cold seed bank up in ?Finland?Sweden? Future generations may need them along with all the other vast varieties of foodstuffs our planet used to provide. Sadly, our modern-day food delivery system just can't handle the variety and logistics involved in providing them to us readily. Another reason for "back to the land"! We must seek them out...farmer's markets etc. Just as an aside...anyone remember when the Shriners, dressed as clowns, used to sell big delicious Macs on city street corners as a fundraiser? One of my treasured memories of the 50s!!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

About 1 1/2 hours outside of LA (off the 10) there is a great apple growing region called Oak Glen, you can get all the heirloom varieties you can dream of. My current little bit of apple heaven... Arkansas Black- little sweet, little tart and super crisp. I don't like my fruit cooked, so I have no idea how they would bake, but if you can get your hands on them... so good!

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

If Lucy's had a publicist to send you lots of press releases, i'm sure they've seen this review and it's made the rounds there. My prediction: by tomorrow morning, if not today, you'll have an email in which they'll blame it on a new line cook or chef or short staffed kitchen. I'm a publicist myself (albeit not for food) and i can't even think of another way to explain away such a terrible experience.

They'll then invite you back to try the food again, and it will be somewhat better, perhaps even remarkably so. but i think the former.

In any case, i agree with the other posters who've said that reviews of really terrible places like this are a service to the reader, and to the restaurant itself, just like when a diner sends back food that has been improperly prepared. They can't fix it if they don't know there's a problem.

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

another "we should have known better:" it seems to be attached to a duane reade?

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I wonder if the Russet & Orin are regional apples because the Whole Foods in my area (PA) doesnt carry them. I'm going to try a mixture of Gala, Golden Del & Granny Smith w/the vodka pie crust!
Watch out!

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

Am I the only one for whom this review actually makes me want to go there, if just for knowing what a meal that was so bad that SE had to write about it is like?

From Serious Eats: New York

Worst Meal This Year: Lucy's Cantina Royale

@orpheum, I can't believe the great wide internet knows about Dirty Franks! Good call, they do have great slushies. But then again, any place willing to put kimchee on a hot dog can't be bad.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but Ambrosia's seem to bake up really well with a lot of flavor. Haven't tried them in a pie yet, but in muffins & other baked goods the texture holds up really well, and the flavor deepens and becomes more complex.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

i just made the most unbelievable {if i do say so myself} tarte tatin with mostly pink ladies, with some russets, pippins, and winesaps thrown in. heaven!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Emily of Black Rock Orchard swears by Ida Reds.

If I've only got a choice of supermarket fruit, Golden Delicious is my favorite option, but at the farmers' market, I prefer talking to growers, sampling, and then selecting a mixture.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

My new favorite this fall is jonagold for pies. Made a perfect tarte tatin this year: soft, cooked, and held its shape, though with tarte tatin, the apples are more cooked than they are baked. I have to say that in an informal crisp test I performed (I make dinner at a shelter twice a month) golden delicous outperformed granny smith by a mile. The grannies turned to mush while the goldens were sweet and held their shape. I'd think it would be hard to do an apple pie test without any apple pie seasoning though. Who's to say that plain apples in the presence of cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. would still perform the same?

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Cortlands should surely be considered, a pamphlet put out by NYS apple growers names them as the best for pie. I am a Macoun fan myself, both for pie and out of hand snacking.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Winesaps! I had forgotten about them. Used to love them and think they were the best in pies! Haven't seen one in ages.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

New England tradition demands baldwin apples.

Baldwin:
Raw: bland and uninteresting
Baked: Full of layered spicy notes

I'm down in VA where Baldwins cannot be found, so I'm experimenting tonight with a heirloom variety called "gold rush" which is an ugly beast, but crunchy, tart, and with a lot of layered flavors when raw. We'll see how it cooks up.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

My mom always used Granny Smiths because she is not too big on sugary tastes so I used those until I took a baking class in Philadelphia years ago with a pastry chef from a well known restaurant who ONLY used Golden Delicious. I started using them then and have never looked back but I do sometimes use equal Golden Delicious and Granny Smiths to even out the sweetness. Northern Spy is an interesting thought but Macs and Empires I would think would turn to mush!!!

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Macintosh and Granny smith, heavy on the granny, are my winning combo.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Empires----an improved descendant of the Macintosh-------tart and crisp to eat and great flavor in pies, applesauce whatever. (Although Honeycrisp are still my faves for eating out of hand fresh---for people who don't see them as special, consider the source was it a supermarket (yuck) or fresh off the tree or farmers market, they don't do so well at room temp so if they've been off the tree for a couple weeks they become pretty inferior unless kept cool.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

I'm with you Kerosena! I always feel kinda silly admitting that in the baking world cause they're not supposed to be the best baking apple, but I love them and use them for everything.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Add me to the group who give affection to Macs and Cortlands--both are what apples are "supposed" to taste like, to my palate: like a great glass of fresh-milled cider! Both are great bakers, though I prefer Cortlands for pie and sauce and MacIntoshes for crisps or simple baked-apples...Yum.

I made a batch of applesauce this past weekend from Macouns, and was pleased with the results--an interesting fresh-sawed wood back note I've never experienced before. Not my fav, but an interesting twist.

From Serious Eats

Taste Test: Finding the Best Apples for Baking

Macs and Courtlands are my favorite baking/cooking apple. they bake down, yet somehow hold part of their shape during cooking. Maybe it's my new england upbringing, but they are the only apple I'll be using next week for my pies.

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About Skythe

Website:

Location: Boulder, CO

About: I'm a lactose-intolerant grad student who loves to cook (and eat).

Favorite foods: tea, fresh seafood, pasta, sharp cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, chili, fresh bread, wings, curry, sushi, melon pan, and berries

Last bite on earth: Mom's pasta and sauce, spinach salad with strawberries and candied pecans, tiramisu