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I was taught to double the tax and that will tell you how much to tip

@J.Kenji... Just don't be dangling your participles in here or you will loose your Gerund and Infinitive privileges... Don't say you weren't warned....

Thanks, lemonfair. My grandmother would never let any other batter touch her angel food pan. I thought maybe it would become seasoned over time if you used any butter or grease on it.

@zucchini - You can clean an angel food pan just fine for future use with angel food cake. The no fat rule is mostly for the beating of the egg whites when making the cake, but yes, you wouldn't want any fat on the sides of the pan, either, so the cake can climb. But you've used the batters and bowls for other things, and they clean well enough - the pan will too.

It's not like you're taking a bundt recipe and trying to make it in a jelly roll pan. The shape is close enough that it should be fine.

That said, Bundt pans are nice because you get the interesting design that doesn't need much embellishment. A little powdered sugar to enhance the design, and it looks fancy. And to be honest, I'm not a big fan of sweet frostings, so a frostingless-bundt cake makes me happy.

IMO, the Nordicware bundts are better quality than most of the others you'll find. If you've got a Marshall's or Tuesday Morning or similar discount store near you, you can probably pick one up cheaper.

Save the pan for future use - learning how to make a good angel food cake will serve you well. What's $10 for future deliciousness?

The NYTimes one is a no fail - I was going to make pie and saw this and thought "mmm.. cake pie" - I changed the apple out to Gala tho.. as the Fuji's at Whole Foods were too old.

Have FUN! If yer not then change out again and make everyone an ice cream sundae with caramel, ginger ice cream and pumpkin cookies. You WILL not be shut down :)

I'm making the apple pecan cake in the NY Times again - this is my 2nd in the last week. Forget the angel food pan - if you are already nervous you don't need the stress. Check it out, I have the link for you, and enjoy. It's super easy, totally yum, and you just need a pie plate. Good LUCK and take a deep breath :) Yer the last course and everyone will be a little blurry.. they are sure to cheer on your sweet treat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/dining/183drex.html?ref=dining

I always thought an angel food cake pan had to be solely dedicated to angel food because of the no grease rule. If you use the pan for a regular cake, buttered and floured, won't that ruin it forever for use as an angel food pan?

The free online dictionary defined gratuity as "a favor or gift, usually in the form of money, given in return for service." If it's required then it isn't a favor or a gift, it's a fee. So @mongoose is correct.

As for the article... A 18% gratuity on their $73.87 tab would have been $13.29, not the $16.35 they were charged so that's unfair to the customers. The article I first read about the incident mentioned that the group waited over an hour for salads and wings, that their waitress went out for a cigarette break instead of bringing their napkins/silverware/etc, and that they had to go to the bar to get their drinks because no one was around to wait on them.

Yes waitstaff deserve a break but leaving a group of people for an hour without any service is irresponsible. Not bringing your table the items they require like drinks or silverware or their food is irresponsible. The restaurant barely did what they were supposed to do. The customers should not be required to pay. I think they should have complained to a manager and pointed out the math error in the bill and explained why they were refusing to tip instead of just walking out.

And voila! My peeve is people who pronounce it with a w in the front. And people on the weather channel who think we need to clean off our rooves in the winter.

@dmcavanagh. I don't think a peeve is a worry.

I live in NYC and tip an amount that is double the tax (always rounding up to a whole dollar amount). Coins are tacky. Service jobs are hard, physical (and often emotional) work. I get genuinely nauseated when someone tips less than 15% for average to great service. At my favorite places, I have tipped 50%.

If you frequent a particular restaurant, tip well. It's worth every penny. Remember dining out is not just about feeding your face. It's an experience.

Don't try to justify your bad decorum. If you're too cheap to tip the recommended 18% pre-tax gratuity for decent service, for the love of gastronomy just go to supermarket and buy a frozen TV dinner.

I agree, honeycrisp. I definitely judge people based on their tips. I would kick a cheapskate date to the curb, and I avoid dining out with friends whose tipping is crappy, because I am filled with anxiety when the check arrives.