does anyone know a way to mask that scary brussel sprout smell? i love eating them (usually just sauteed/steamed lightly w/olive oil, s&p) but am embarrassed when i take my left-overs to school and heat them up and they stink! what can i do?
red hook (by carnegie hall) is supposed to have amazing lobster rolls (it was the most recommended item in the reviews i read) and yet i found it only ok (maybe they were having an off night? maybe my taste buds were affected by having guests in town?)...however the lobster roll at ditch plains (in the village) is pretty alright.
all of these sound so good im hungry now :) there is this amazing bagel store down the street from my house and they have tons of fancy cream cheeses, most of them pretty good - garlic rosemary, bacon cheddar, cinnamon apple (one of my faves), walnut raisin, blueberry cheesecake - i've never seen so many options at a bagel store before.
made the trip up to stockton a while back...i remember much of the freeway passing just those dinky pizza hut/taco bell outposts, so good luck finding some tasty treats! i feel like santa cruz should have plenty of good spots, even if the surrounding freeways are a bit a sparse in their offerings.
usually tip 20% although i'm ashamed to admit that sometimes when calculating split bills i get confused by the math and have left less than what was due...chalk it up to poor schooling :( and of course when it's friends serving us and they take off a hefty portion of the bill, we try to make up a good part of that in the tip :)
went to dim sum a few weeks ago and someone ordered the snails...i didn't try any but i think the consensus was that it was more work (to get the little buggers out of their shells) than it was worth.
i wouldn't really consider eel exotic since i eat the sushi rolls all the time...but the chinese-run mexican place by my school has eel burritos, eel tacos, eel quesadillas...and that just turns my stomach a bit (but who knows? maybe they're quite good)
i made this today for the barbecue i went to - my bodega ran out of raspberries so i substituted blackberries and blueberries - it was a hit! super easy to make and it disappeared in seconds and everyone loved it - so thanks SE for the recommendation!
we were in costa rica in december and omg the gallo pinto we had was amazing. also coffee everywhere was so good because it was so fresh.
i became addicted to whole fried fish for dinner - so simple yet so tasty! french fries there are pretty much terrible though, but you don't really need them. and a lot of places (especially in jaco, where there are a lot of tourists) have italian dishes (i guess there's a fairly large italian tourist industry there) but those aren't really that good - stick with the local stuff and the fresh seafood. and their version of american-mexican food (burritos, enchiladas)....i wouldn't bother.
we stayed a little outside of jaco and there was this amazing smoothie/milkshake place down the beach from us - just the freshest fruits and the perfect thing on a hot day.
one of my favorite breakfasts is a bowl of soft creamy polenta topped by a fried egg, DH adds chorizo to his. when it's in cakes, i think of it as more of an appetizer or a side dish.
my friend brought s'mores to our last barbecue and it was probably the most exciting thing there. grilled fruits are good too, dusted with a little bit of cinnamon and lime juice. also my friends love these pocket pies i make sometimes - i saw it first on a food network show but then couldn't remember the recipe so i kind of made it up as i went, but you cut some circles out of puff pastries, stuff baked apple pieces and blueberries into them, seal the circles and bake them - then people can eat them with their hands, or put on a plate and top with powdered sugar and vanilla ice cream if you want to be fancy :)
@sadiepix, i think we had that dessert growing up! one i was addicted to when other people made but have never remembered to make for myself was "muddy buddies" - chex cereal rolled in peanut butter and melted chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar. super messy to eat but when i was in high school it was amaaaazing.
@cybercita - oh no! say it isn't so! I don't think I want to go back now :(
I have to agree that 15% is the "standard" that I've been taught. I use 20% because it's easy to calculate, and then work from there (lower or higher).
I think it's ridiculous that our society has been taken hostage by tipping, where one is made to feel like a lump of sh!t for not "paying a compliment" with the "right" $$ amount. It's a TIP not a SERVICE FEE. The waitstaff should earn a regular wage, instead of earning below federal minimum wages. I doubt restaurants lowered prices when this took affect too.
My husband has been in the family restaurant (no booze) management biz for 38 years, so I thought he'd have a pretty good idea what people tip in reality. 15% seems to be standard unless the server goes above and beyond which happens frequently. Then tippage goes up to 20-25%. "Regulars" usually leave the same amount regardless of their check total, but that amount well exceeds 20%. People who order the breakfast buffet or salad bar tip lower, generally 10%. He stresses that it is essential to notify management of bad service, poor food, etc. These problems can be quickly fixed so the next diner has a more positive experience.
His servers' number 1 pet peeve: People who's tip consists of a scrap of paper tucked under a coffee cup giving religious advice. These religious conventioneers often fill the entire restaurant at once and need instant service so they can get back to their venue. Servers literally have nothing to show for several hours of work. Please know he's not knocking any religion or affiliation, but these folks need to remind themselves that they are no better or worse than any other patron in the restaurant who leaves a monetary tip.
i confess i was disillusioned about the artichoke soup at duarte's when i saw gigantic cans of campbell's cream of mushroom in the kitchen and realized what they use as a base.
I seem to have made some people very self-righteous on the subject of "only" tipping 15% as a struggling college student. Allow me to clarify:
-First, I always thought 15% WAS the standard, not 20. Surprisingly, that's not the consensus here, but it's the one I was brought up with and that people I know abide by.
-Second...to get a bit prickly own my own, I HAVE NO KITCHEN. Yes, there's the disgusting, ingredient and equipment-free, mold-growing-in-the-sponges, crusty goo all over the counter, communal kitchen in my dorm, but, really? I can't cook often, so it's not as if I have my own well-stocked kitchen to retreat to for a good meal. In fact, also with the paucity of grocery stores around in college (convenience stores: 2, expensive Whole Foods: 1), buying ingredients AND equipment to cook can often be MORE expensive. I eat out very sparingly (I'm talking about maybe 3 times a semester here) and I don't tip generously, but I tip the amount I've been brought up thinking is the standard. Yes, it would be cheaper to eat "rice and beans at home", but I'm not at home and I don't have a rice cooker or a (clean) pot.
There. Rant off my chest.
Cracker Spread:
Cream cheese mixed with pineapples, onions, green peppers, salt, chopped pecans. Roll mixture pecan halves or slivers.
A spoon.
Really good cream cheese is wonderful just plain.
A cracker is nice, too. Probably end up with fewer calories than if you just keep eating it with that spoon.
Any herb you like is a good addition. Chives or any onion-y things are good.
Cream cheese on rye bread with onion. Mmmmm....
Cream cheese on sourdough with tomato.
Cream cheese wrapped inside fire-roasted red peppers.
Cream cheese. Plain. Snuck from the fridge when no one is looking. Mmmmmm....
I love cream cheese with so many things! Some of my favourite ones are:
*lox and dill, with a touch of wholegrain mustard
*basil, sun-dried tomatoes & garlic
*green olives, pimentos and parsley
*artichoke, garlic and chives
*orange & cranberry sauce
Craisins & cream cheese on Ritz sounds really good right now
I love cream cheese mixed with chocolate chips, a little vanilla extract and some powdered sugar. Form into a ball and let it set up a little bit in the fridge, and you've got a dessert cheese ball that is delicious with graham cracker sticks.
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