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The Ten Most Recent Posts By Traveller

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

While watching Top Chef last night (and wondering how I would deal with being awake and cooking that long) an idea struck me that I thought would make a great spin-off from it: Top Pastry Chef.

Every season, the show emphasizes in one way or another the fact that these chefs have never really baked anything, or done pastry, since school. Since I love baking, and that would pretty much be all that I could be qualified to do well, why isn't there a show like that? Pastry chefs are amazing in their skill and are every bit as skilled and knowledgable as chefs, so what gives? Why aren't they getting their due?

What do you think? Would you watch a show like that? Would you dare try out to be on it?

From Talk

Pre-school memories

I was just talking with a friend of mine around this the other night, and I got such a warm fuzzy memory from it, that I thought that I would share and see of other people had similar memories.

When I was in pre-school, I had to go to a neighbor's for daycare, and I can remember one of the reasons that we would all try to behave. Because, when it came to lunch, if we were really good, we could choose our tv tray first (the ones with those great cartoons on them, such as Kermit the Frog or Rainbow Bright). And we could also pick our favorite lunch (mine being the standard, white bread-peanut butter-grape jelly) combo and sit and watch cartoons while eating.

Did anyone else ever get something like that? If not, what memories of lunch or snacks at daycare do you have? Good or bad? And favorite foods that they made for you?

From Talk

Random Personal Facts

Hiya! First of all, I would like to take a second to thank everyone on here for the support that I got over the recent death and illness in my close friends and family. I appreciate every word! You are all wonderful.

So, following on the introduction string, I wanted to try another fun one on random facts about us that people don't normally know. For me, I will start with the fact that, although I look like a really goody-two-shoes, so to speak, and everyone at work thinks that I am very straightlaced, I have two tattoos and am currently plannig on the third. Granted, they are all very well-planned and have great meaning to me, but it still comes as a shock to most people when they find that out.

What about you?

From Talk

Dinner: Impossible with Michael Symon?

I juse heard that FN is replacing the old host for Dinner: Impossible, Irvine, with Iron Chef Michael Symon.

What do you guys think about this? I watched him a little on the "Next Iron Chef" show and I must admit that I really liked how he worked and his creativity. I think that he could be a good change for that show.

Oh, and apparently, it is going to be in an hour-long format now, too, for those of you that really like it. I think that I might actually try to watch this version.

From Talk

Decals for your appliances?

So, a little while ago, I finally bought my KitchenAid Artisan Stand mixer, and someone on here was kind enough to forward me the site to get really neat (Alton Borwn-style) flame decals for it. Except, that I lost the link and now I can't find it. Does anyone have it?

Also, on that topic, I was thinking about decals and wondering whether or not anyone made decals for things like fridges and stoves? Does anyone know of anything like that? I have white/cream-colored stuff, and I am kind of sick if the plain colors. What do you guys do to dress them up? Anything?

From Talk

Grief Food

Okay, so in the interest of full disclosure, I am going through a rough time right now. In the span of a single day I lost a close friend to breast cancer and found out that my grandmother wasn't doing well, either. I spent the weekend trying to be with her (it's a long drive away — close to Canada), and I cannot even attend my friend's funeral, because tickets to the UK at the last minute are too expensive.

That being said, I also have no appetite, and I was hoping that someone might have some ideas for something that might appeal to me and be comforting. Right now, everything looks about as appetizing as cardboard. I would love to hear any suggestions...

From Talk

Starbucks V Dunkin' Donuts

After watching the Food Network special last night about the "Java Giants" of these two companies, I wanted to know which one you prefer?

Actually, we don't have any more Dunkin' Donuts where I am, but even the new coffee blend from Starbucks tastes like jet fuel to me. I still prefer the good, old-fashioned brown water (call me crazy) that you can get at places like Perkins, IHOP, Village Inn and other places that serve cold pancakes and individual servings of SMuckers grape jelly.

So, which one is better, and why? Or is there, like me, a third option that you prefer?

From Talk

NordicWare Annual Competition!!

For the third time (it's only the third year that they have been doing this) I am going to enter the NordicWare Bundts Across America competition, and now I feel inundated with too many ideas!

Is anyone else entering or thinking of it? Have you entered in the past? What did you make?

And how do you narrow down your options? I mean, I have participated in many competitions before, but I always seem to run into this problem initially. I just have too many ideas and textures, and flavor possibilities. how do you decide?

From Talk

What restaurant would you bring back?

The thread on bringing a restaurant with you got me to thinking about the ones that have already gone away, and that we would like to bring back to life. I have one that I am sure is much better in my memory than it was in real life, but there was a restaurant around me when I was a kid that was like an old-fashinoed diner, where the servers had rollerskates and would even dance and sing on the table tops to certain songs. There was a jukebox and everything. And the food, as I recall, was decent, too. It was just a fun experience that I would really like to have back.

So, what would you like to bring back to life and enjoy again? And if you know, what happened to it? Was it a mom and pop that just wnet out after they got too old? Was it sold out to a larger corporate place?

From Talk

Snickerdoodles

In my attempt to bake my way through the Blue Ribbon Baking Book, I recently made a recipe for Snickerdoodles for the first time in my life. Strangely enough, although I have been baking all of my life, and have made countless varieties of cookies and other goodies, I somehow managed to never even hear about these cookies!

They turned out really well (apparently). Everyone seemed to like them, and I guess that they cme out the way that Snickerdoodles are supposed, which is nice, since I didn't really even have a photo of what they were going to turn out like (although one can suualyl make a good guess based upon the recipe).

My question is this: Where did that name come from? I got confused, because I thought that they would have peanuts in them, like the Snickers candy bar, and pbviously they do not. Does anyone know their story?

The Ten Most Recent Comments By Traveller

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

So, what if it was exactly like the one on Bravo, so no dramatic cake moving involved... I could see great things for the quick-fires, like trying to make a decent meringue or something like that. Now *that* takes skill! Or souffles, torts, homemade phyllo dough...

From Talk

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef

Alton Brown. He's the best.

From Talk

Do you send local treats to homesick family and friends?

Oh, sorry! That would have been nice, huh?

www.carolwidmanscandyco.com (Grand Forks and Fargo, ND)

www.pearsonscandy.com (Mineasota)

From Talk

Your $200 Pizza

I am not quite sure than any pizza would ever be worth that much. I like @cfinke's idea of just taking a nice one and making it over and over. Sometimes the simplest, most basic (or even really cheap) ingredients are the best, like some caramelized onions and artichoke hearts. Yum!

From Talk

Do you send local treats to homesick family and friends?

When I was living overseas, i would constantly have my family send me Widman's chocolates (especially their chippers), to tide me over. In fact, more of then than not, when I would go home for a holiday, I would take an empty suitcase with me, and it would come back filled wtih foods and cooking/baking ingredients that I couldn't easily get over there, such as nice marshamallows, unsweetened cocoa, and of course local Pearson's chocolates and Widman's again.
Actually, I alsom had my father send me some plain, yellow-box, unsweetened Cheerios once while I was in the UK, because they don't have it there at all. All of their Cheerios over there are either multi-grain or sweetened, or both, and my favorite is just the plain. I love those!

From Talk

Yelp.com

I am on it, but I don't use it as much as I should. it is really, but yeah, more people need to use it and post more information on it. I like that a lot of the places have website links, but more of them need those, too.

From Talk

Top Chef - Should Jennifer have been sent home?

I am really surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that Ryan, who is at least a fairly competent chef, was sent home for a dish that did not fit the theme of a tailgate, while Mark, who is a really nice guy, but managed to disgust the judges with his unhygenic activity, was able to pass by. Now, I can easily forgive someone for not making the dish that was appropriate for a setting, over, say, a person who was double-dipping their spooins in a soup while serving a crowd. That is simply inexcusable for a chef, in my opinion.

As for Jen, I think that I have to admit that I wanted her to stay around. But like she even said, she has been in the middle a lot. Other than that quickfire, she hasn't relaly "dazzled." Now, is that because she is constantly put with other "middle" chefs who are not dazzling? Or is it something else? Who knows.

And yes, I love Richard and his ability, but as @markbb noted, scales a your fish is jsut not right. He's a great chef, but that needs some drastic improvement.

Also, I had a question: Has anyone noticed that in the episodes where they bring together the prior seasons to cook, they are now giving Tiffany a lot more credit and showing her in a kinder light, as opposed to how the portrayed her initially? I think that that is somewhat unfair. If she had come off this way in the original show, I think that she would have had a lot more support. She's a great chef, and it looks like she really got the short end of the stick on that season. Or is that just me?

From Talk

Random Personal Facts

I am so glad that I am not the only one that listens to goth and metal. I think that I nearly made someone faint when they found out that little old me went to her first concert at the age of 14 and it was Nine Inch Nails. And I loved it, and still listen to that sort of music. Actually, not so much metal as industrial or something like Low-Fidelity All Stars or even rap music, like Outkast and Spooks. :) I love it when people get the wrong impression of me and then looked shocked. Never judge a book by its cover.

And on the forgetting front: I just got back from an hour-long meeting - I had to go to the bathroom beforehand, but forgot to...until about half-way through that meeting...bad idea. Tryto remember that, at least. I was absolutely bursting!

From Talk

Random Personal Facts

I am a firm believer in the theory that as we age and gain more information, it pushes older (sometimes equally important) information out of our heads...like, shampoo BEFORE conditioner.

I get so bad that I have been known to make tea...without the tea. Or try to use mouthwash as toothpaste. And dont' even get me started on shopping lists that don't get filled with crucial ingredients. I think that the local grocers are starting to think that I am a little nutty. i am not evern thirty yet (although getting close - I turn 28 next week)!

From Talk

SE users: please introduce yourselves.

I should mention that I, too, like PumpkinBear, might accidentally be aiming to contribute to the obesity epidemic in this country (and any other country that I happen to be living in at the time). But, there are worse ways to go, right? ;)

Responses to Comments by Traveller

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

You should try Top Chef. I think the contestants on Hell's Kitchen are from McDonald's or they stock the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday's or something - and it seems that they don't really know how to cook in the classic sense. I don't understand that show.

Top Chef has real chefs who actually know how to cook. Some of the challenges are very interesting. Try it!

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

I would love a Top Pastry Chef show as well

Hey - did anyone every wonder how the cakes from Charm City taste? I love Duff and the entire staff and all of the creative things they do, but it seems like the cakes sit around for days on end!!!

From Talk

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef

#1 Alton, #2 Ina - love her style and her kitchen!, #4 Tyler - he's cute and his food looks great, #4 Bobby Flay - Throwdown, #5 Jamie - I liked his old show too when he cooked in the european style kitchen with the tiny fridge.

Sandra Lee is one of the reasons why remotes were invented - so I can quickly change the channel!!

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

That would be awesome. I'm a carb whore! I'd love to see challenges like feeding a roomfull of schoolchildren chocolate chip cookies, mimicing Girl Scout cookies or snack cookies in a gourmet fashion, making strudel and puff pastry, and really decadent things, or even a low fat/low sugar challenge for their chemistry skills. And having really judgemental and insane French pastry chefs come in.

From Talk

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef

I would love to see Ina and Paula together. Head-to-head, teamed as "buddies"--the contrast between Ina's haute-New York and Paula down-home Savannah just seems so funny and interesting to me. Southern-boy Alton could assist Paula and Manhattan-bred Bobby Flay could help Ina.

Sorry. I appear to be having one of those "If I was an Executive in Charge of Programming" fantasies.

So I like Bobby, Paula, Ina and most of all Alton. I agree with all the people who said they've learned from Alton--whenever I have a new ingredient with which I haven't worked before, I see if Alton has a recipe/technique for it. And I love how many of his shows start at Kroger's or Bed Bath and Beyond, because that's where I do all my shopping and it makes it very accessible.

I also love Iron Chef America. I agree with the people who said the "Challenge" shows are time-wasters. And Guy Fieri should be shot out of a cannon. And hey, whatever happened to charming Amy Findley?

From Talk

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef

Alton is by far at the top--GE and FoA are two of our few "appointment viewing" series, and he's responsible for about 80% of my cooking skills that I didn't pick up from a relative.

2nd tier, I.E. the show's we'll watch if they're on when we flip past, would be Paula Deen, Molto Mario, Jamie Oliver (mmm), Iron Chef America (if it's an interesting ingredient/challenger), the current reruns of A Cook's Tour, Unwrapped (Marc Summers is fun) and occasionally 30 minute meals if she's doing something interesting (most of her stuff I already know, but I've picked up a timesaving tip or two)

Hate: Dinner "Slightly Difficult", Guy "Fee-eddi" (eyeroll), and most of the travel/competition shows that don't feature Alton ;-)

Dark Lord of the Sith: Sandra Lee

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

Rereading my post, "comes to mind" clearly comes to my mind a little too often.

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

Would totally watch it. I like watching Ace of Cakes when I can. I even find myself hoping things don't go wrong in the transportation aspect of the show. I know, I know...I shouldn't get sucked in-it's just I'd feel bad for them, all that hard work...

There was a show on a little while ago-Kitchen Confidential-which was funny to me. But got canceled. I was sad. The pastry guy and the fish guy would always go at it. Hilarious. Anyone see that show?

From Talk

What About Top Pastry Chef?

...The recent head-to-head monkfish gutting competition comes to mind!

Now that's something I truly would have loved to see! Competition over something that's pertinent to cooking! (And hopefully not just a token amount of the broadcast.)

From Talk

Favorite Food Network Show and Chef

Alton Brown for being unabashedly and delightfully technical. And zany. Bee puppets! He uses honeybee puppets! Amazing.