Susquehanna’s Profile
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Pittsburgh restaurant suggestions
Also see: http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/03/yeah-pittsburgh.html
@cycorider: There's a half-marathon in Pittsburgh coming up!? Which one?
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Do you have a large slow cooker? Slow cooking is so convenient. You could slow cook a pork shoulder in ginger beer and serve it with baked beans, roasted squash and cole slaw. Or you could slow cook a chuck roast with potatoes and carrots or make it a beef stew and do what @gbania suggested and serve it in a bread bowl. Mmmm.
If you don't have one, definitely look into getting a slow cooker if you host casual events.
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Recent Posts
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Recent Favorites
Sunday Brunch: Zucchini Muffins
Posted by Robin Bellinger, September 13, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Eating for Two: Raspberry Leaf Tea
Posted by Robin Bellinger, July 8, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Grilling: Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobellos
Posted by Joshua Bousel, May 8, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Which Pasta Shape Goes with Which Sauce?
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 2, 2009 at 4:30 PM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Pittsburgh restaurant suggestions
As if I were in the know . . . I just heard it's the inaugural year for the Spirit of Pittsburgh HM on November 1st. Good luck and have fun! :D
Maybe I'll run it next fall . . . when I'm not pregnant!
Pittsburgh restaurant suggestions
Also see: http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2008/03/yeah-pittsburgh.html
@cycorider: There's a half-marathon in Pittsburgh coming up!? Which one?
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Do you have a large slow cooker? Slow cooking is so convenient. You could slow cook a pork shoulder in ginger beer and serve it with baked beans, roasted squash and cole slaw. Or you could slow cook a chuck roast with potatoes and carrots or make it a beef stew and do what @gbania suggested and serve it in a bread bowl. Mmmm.
If you don't have one, definitely look into getting a slow cooker if you host casual events.
How important is a gas range top vs. electric?
I find the comment about the resale value well-meaning. It's really not worth arguing this issue further.
Hot Dog of the Week Art Prints for Sale
Dear Hawk Krall: Please make a Pittsburgh "O" Dog print. Even though you are from Philly, don't hate on the 'burgh. We like you and will buy your wares. Thanks!
Anthony Bourdain drunk on latest episode!?!?
@skylarking: Must respectfully disagree on the twee-ness of the food world. Thanks to Bourdain, many of us learned in Kitchen Confidential that at least part of the food world is populated by a very skilled and yet depraved set.
I value Bourdain a lot. I just worry that hard-living is gonna' run him into the ground. And we'll lose him .
It was good to hear he quit smoking, though. Really do hope he's not drinking as much as some people suspect. Drinking a little here and there is no big deal.
Anthony Bourdain drunk on latest episode!?!?
I am convinced that Bourdain has a second, back-up liver.
Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 80: Remembering Our Serious Eater Beagle Brass
Adding my condolences to all of the thoughtful ones above. Losing a loved one, no matter if they be a biped or quadruped, is difficult to cope with. Hoping that all the support from the SE community helps you feel better. Your loving memorial to Brass sure did show that he was a sweetheart of a dog.
Steamed mussels or clams?
This makes me want to take a trip to Fell's Point, MD . . . where I get mussels with fresh basil and garlic butter at Berthas. They also have the richest, most delicious milk-based oyster stew. Yum Yum Yum Yum. And wash it all down with a Bass ale.
Tell Your Watermelon Story
I love all the stories. Thank you so much for sharing them.
Tell Your Watermelon Story
@kerosena: Use it in this SE recipe for watermelon pico de gallo. I made some myself and can vouch for it's deliciousness!
Tell Your Watermelon Story
@hmw0029: I've never heard of Suikawari before! It turns the watermelon into a pinata? So cool. I'd probably be horrible at it but it would be good for some laughs.
@hungrychristel: My dad told that tall tale to my nephew. The poor boy looked so terrified that I immediately assured him that Grampa was only kidding!
Would you bring your dog to a restaurant?
I, too, agree with chiff! To reiterate, people just need to be reasonable and responsible.
One last thing. In my experience, cafe/restaurant owners rarely put patrons on notice that dogs are allowed or disallowed at their establishment. So it's hard to fault someone who decides -- on a whim -- that they'd like to have lunch at an outdoor cafe that has an uncommunicated "Dogs Welcome" policy. Especially if no dogs have arrived yet. If that person gets bitten by another patron's unprovoked dog during their lunch, well, I can't say I have any sympathy for the dog-owner or the cafe-owner when they find themselves defendants in a personal injury lawsuit.
Would you bring your dog to a restaurant?
I can understand that someone might want to take the dog to an outdoor cafe after a nice morning walk. But why risk making others uncomfortable when some pugnacious Beagle starts WW III with your over-sized Great Dane?
This very scenario occurred last month when I was performing an al fresco gig at a local bakery/cafe with a mandolin quartet. God. I know Great Danes are docile, but this woman sat down right across from me and the thing was staring me DOWN. *Twitches* I was so scared when that Beagle freaked out.
Olympic Figure Skater Brian Boitano in a New Food Network Series
@BITTER: It is possible to like Boitano and intensely dislike the idea of him on a cooking show. Not mutually exclusive. I happen to like Boitano and would rather seem him in a different type of show. Big deal. I'm not gonna' go cussin' anybody out over it.
@chefviking: From what I've read, very few people here on SE actually like Fieri or Sandra Lee. I do know that some watch their shows for the can't-look-away-from-the-trainwreck appeal. But I don't get that. Oh well.
Local Holidays
Jubilee Day in my central Pennsylvania hometown has been around for a while. It's a street fair that happens around my birthday in mid-June and there are plenty of insidious food stands offering fried anything (including Oreos and Twinkies), gyros, Chinese food, chocolate-covered strawberries, cotton candy, Sno-Cones. There are carnival rides, sundry contests and I recall these odd kids swallowing goldfish they won at one of the game booths. Don't ask me. Also, every year I went, I'd get so excited about the Paint-Your-Own stand where you buy some offbeat white bisque figurine and paint it there. Most of mine were tossed long ago, but I still have a little Day-glo orange potbellied piggybank I fashioned when I was 8 or 9.
Olympic Figure Skater Brian Boitano in a New Food Network Series
I respect Boitano's skating skills and sense of humor but this is just off, no matter how well-appointed his kitchen is or how fun his friends seem. If someone gave him a show on BRAVO or another network where he and Kristi Yamaguchi got to judge ice skating talent, that would make sense and I would totally watch it. Bring on Project Rink.
Traitor Joe's, a Site by Greenpeace Against Trader Joe's Seafood
@wunami: Totally agree with you. Unless Greenpeace unsuccessfully tried to play fair and negotiate with the TJ corporate office, there was no reason for this smear campaign.
And why not pick a more treacherous target?
Chiff's "Everyday Food Magazine" Recipe
Congratulations chiff!
Olympic Figure Skater Brian Boitano in a New Food Network Series
Jesus H. Christ in the Escapades. I don't even want to know what Brian Boitano would make.
Dear Food Network, Please Stop
Forget Food Network. We need a regime change. We need HBO Food.
They might actually produce compelling food programs.
Video: Tom Colicchio's 'True Blood' Drink for Vampires
No hate or uppityness here. True Blood is supremely fun to watch and it's heartening to see that Colicchio affiliated himself with an HBO series.
I wish HBO would start to produce or air more culinary programs.
Hamburger America: Tessaro's in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
What a shame. May Kelly Harrington rest in peace. I love Tessaro's.
Pittsburgh restaurant suggestions
Thanks so much, everyone! I've been looking at menus for the past hour now. And yes, Susquehanna, it's the Spirit of Pittsburgh Half!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Thanks all for the good wishes! We went with chili after all, it being the f-f-f-fiance's specialty and me being swamped with work. I did make a pan of Martha's Mac and cheese (oh my word that's decadent!) and a giant caesar salad as accoutrement. Those, with chips and bread, rounded out the meal.
As to the surprise...we handed out glasses, popped some champagne and asked them to toast to us. Hugs and cheers and A LOT more champagne followed.
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Congratulations on your engagement BananaMonkey!!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Congratulations! Have a wonderful weekend - from a fellow Canuck in South Eastern Ontario.....
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
First of all, if you make a good one - chili is not boring! Especially in the cold, it's comforting if you serve it with shredded cheese and some kind of chip to dip in it (I like pita chips) but if you're still opposed to the idea....maybe check out this fall dinner party meal planner.
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
i love the pasta idea... you can embellish the pasta and make it a bit fancier with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts or even truffle butter and mushrooms. All these will most surely impress your friends, accomodate your vegetarian friend and nobody will miss the meat.
Some interesting sides are baked plantains in their skins... if you can find them in Ontario. I like the sweet contrast to a cheesy salty pasta. They're easy to make and no added fat. Salad and breadsticks make the meal...IMHO.
Good luck.
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Congratulations BananaMonkey-so exiciting--let us know how it goes!!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
@hmw0029--thanks! So excited!
@lobsterfest--ice cream sandwiches sound awesome--also thinking a sundae bar would be great! why not celebrate!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Congratulations BananaMonkey!!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
roast pork loin, stuffed with an apple rasin stuffing, served with roasted root veg. make a pan sauce and call it dinner. Cheap and very comforting plus it goes great with fall spiced beer or a comforting red. Good luck
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
ooooh...baked ziti sounds delicious. Lasagna too. I don't have a slow cooker, but I was also thinking maybe pulled pork of some sort, in the oven...anyone have a recipe they'd recommend?
@bareneed--Those Lieberman ribs are FANTASTIC. I've made them three times in the last two and a half months. Each time, I've added Chinese five spice powder, garlic powder and cinnamon to the outside of the ribs before browning and the result is unbelievable. Perhaps a bit more smoke when you're browning, but the depth of flavour is so worth it. I don't know if I actually have enough cookware to make ribs for that many folk...and I personally am a bit ribbed out, but OH MY--delicious.
Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions! Keep 'em coming, this party just got to be a little more exciting. The b/f proposed last night! We're engaged and waiting until Saturday to spring the news on our long time friends!!!!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
The baked ziti with heavy cream that was recently in recipes was incredibly delicious (just ask my huge hips!!) I added hot italian sausage.
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
I think pasta's always a good bet; it's inexpensive, you can make it ahead, it feeds a large crowd, and it could be vegetarian, but so good meat eaters won't even notice. Also because you're looking for something that falls in line with the season, I think butternut squash lasagna would be awesome. I'm making one this weekend with lots of squash, lots of sage, and lots of beschamel.
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
Almost all of these can be made days or day before...
Starter:
- soup like lemongrass lentil or a salad like fattoush
- stuffed grape leaves w/o meat
Side:
- big bowl of chunky roasted vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, red bell peppers, brussels sprouts, and basil -- dress how ever you enjoy it.
Entree:
- spaghetti squash mixed with pesto, pine nuts, cheese or with something saucier on top like crushed tomatoes, capers, chopped mushrooms, shallots, and basil
- chicken tenderloins dusted with garlic herb Old Bay then grilled (cooked however) on the side, sliced, for ppl to add
Dessert:
- praline/whatever bread pudding
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
One of the best casual gathering meals I've ever experienced was a smoky split pea soup (two versions: one with ham, one without); a basket of hearty bread (a rustic sourdough, cornbread squares); a platter of roasted fall veggies (different-colored beets, carrots, and onions). Served on a brisk fall day, in fact, with lots of local beer. Everyone helped themselves and it was utterly perfect.
For dessert, maybe one last round of ice cream sandwiches (purchased or homemade)? Just to remember summer!
Casual Fall dinner party ideas
How about two different kinds of chowder? I made a New England style clam chowder with bacon, and a red Manhattan style minus bacon to suit a vegetarian who does eat clams (and all shellfish and fish) in two pots at the same time. This worked out really well. If your vegetarian doesn't eat fish, you could go with a vegetable chowder, corn maybe? You could make or buy crackers and other tidbits to serve along with the chowders.
How important is a gas range top vs. electric?
I find the comment about resale value odd. I actually passed on purchasing a home a couple weeks ago in part because it had an electric range. The home is in an area with no natural gas, so I could run a LPG line to it easily enough, but for other, additional reasons, I decided to build instead. I will definitely be having an PG tank and line installed so I can have a gas range - I could never go back to electric. I plan to have a small wall built around it on 2 sides so it won't be visible from the street, and I'll plant flowering shrubs around that.
I don't understand why propane would be considered any riskier than NG. It is a much more stable fuel, and there is a limited amount of it on your property, whereas NG is piped in and once it ignites, there's an almost infinite supply to keep burning.
Pickle Juice
Pickle juice is great if you have high sugar levels due to diabetes to help lower them. Dallas Cowboys have been using it for years as an secret boost of energy rather than chocolate milk, candy, or energy bars that can bring them down due to the sugar. Athletes with diabetes use Pickle juice mixed with water for boost drinks. I it frozen on a stick.
Does anyone else put bechamel in their lasagna?
I make a mushroom and tomato lasagna with Bechamel sauce; it is my very favorite; so different and so good!
http://vinolucistyle.com/2009/09/lasagna-with-tomatoes-mushrooms-and-bechamel-sauce/
Lebanon Sues Israel Over Falafel Rights
you guys are such JERKS...If this was Israel suing, you wouldn't be talking. At least the U.S. ADMITS where the food comes from: ex: chinese food is CHINESE, hamburgers are GERMAN...we don't necessarily label them as "American food"...I'm pretty sure all Americans know where the food they eat comes from. Who doesn't know that pizza is Italian and that it was INTRODUCED by Italian immigrants?
The article really introduced some stupid logic.
Paula Deen Is Trying to Kill Us, Part 6: Cheesy Ham and Banana Casserole
ahahaahah! she is trying to kill us!
Pickle Juice
I poach chicken and fish in it, it also works well as a marinade for cheaper cuts of beef and pork...it tenderizes them like crazy. For the cheaper dill pickle juices, the ones with a lot of yellow color to them, I mix the juice 50/50 with water to use it or it yellows the meat. It's been a staple for my cooking for several years now.I wish they sold it without the pickles in it. BTW, it's also great for steaming veggies...
Eating for Two: How Do You Love Sardines, Tell Me All the Ways
Well, it has been a year, but I got one more. I bet even Marvin from Burnt Lumpia doesn't know about this. When I get my hands on some green (unripe) mango (traditional craving for pregnant Filipinas), we get some which start to get soft but still green. We (our family) scrapes it with a fork/chops it very fine and serves it with sardines and tomato sauce and rice. Sometimes we saute it a bit, but mostly we don't bother.
Recent Posts
Serious Efforts: Rendering Uncured and Cured Bacon Fat
Posted by Susquehanna, April 21, 2009 at 2:04 PM
NPR Report: Penn State Supplies Ice Cream for Inaugural Gala
Posted by Susquehanna, January 16, 2009 at 9:10 AM
News Flash: 2008 = International Year of the Potato
Posted by Susquehanna, August 9, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Seasoning an Iron Skillet . . . On the Grill?
Posted by Susquehanna, July 2, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Recent Favorites
Sunday Brunch: Zucchini Muffins
Posted by Robin Bellinger, September 13, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Eating for Two: Raspberry Leaf Tea
Posted by Robin Bellinger, July 8, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Grilling: Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobellos
Posted by Joshua Bousel, May 8, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Which Pasta Shape Goes with Which Sauce?
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 2, 2009 at 4:30 PM
10 Steps to Gardening From Scratch
Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 18, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Classic Cookbooks: Edna Lewis's Oven Brisket
Posted by Robin Bellinger, July 23, 2008 at 1:30 PM
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As if I were in the know . . . I just heard it's the inaugural year for the Spirit of Pittsburgh HM on November 1st. Good luck and have fun! :D
Maybe I'll run it next fall . . . when I'm not pregnant!