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Dinner Tonight: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar
Baked potatoes with cheese sauce, broccoli, and ham cubes were a standard weeknight dinner in my house growing up. Mmmm...
Based on Turkey Hill Ice Cream, the Phillies Should Win
Well, naturally, Turkey Hill Philadelphia flavors would be better. Turkey Hill is based in Lancaster County, PA, outside of Philly. Not exactly neutral territory! Also, that Phillie Phanatic Double Play sounds divine.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I love Necco wafers and when I was a kid, they were my movie candy of choice. My mom always took us to CVS or Walgreens to get candy and soda before the show, which we'd then sneak into the theater. No overpriced theater concessions for us, thank you. So Neccos still remind me of going to the movies.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Bad dining experience?
I really hate conflict and confrontation so I rarely complain or send my food back, but I would at least have filled out the comment card. The restaurant deserves to know your opinion so they can avoid losing business.
Dinner Tonight: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar
Baked potatoes with cheese sauce, broccoli, and ham cubes were a standard weeknight dinner in my house growing up. Mmmm...
Based on Turkey Hill Ice Cream, the Phillies Should Win
Well, naturally, Turkey Hill Philadelphia flavors would be better. Turkey Hill is based in Lancaster County, PA, outside of Philly. Not exactly neutral territory! Also, that Phillie Phanatic Double Play sounds divine.
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
I love Necco wafers and when I was a kid, they were my movie candy of choice. My mom always took us to CVS or Walgreens to get candy and soda before the show, which we'd then sneak into the theater. No overpriced theater concessions for us, thank you. So Neccos still remind me of going to the movies.
Happy National Sandwich Day!
I adore sandwiches. I also like pizza and other dishes that offer a complete meal in a convenient, easy-to-eat package. The best sandwiches were at Chez Joey, a pizza and sandwich place in Newpaltz, NY. I think the sandwiches were so good because I only had them after a day rock climbing in the nearby Shawangunks or after my dad arrived home from such a day. Sadly, Chez Joey closed when I was still a kid and going to the Gunks was never the same.
Cranberries and Canning...
My only recommendation would be to use a tested recipe, not one of your own invention. Especially if you'll be giving the chutney as gifts, it's very important to take food safety seriously. The Ball Blue Book has lots of delicious recipes.
Video: How to Play Farmville, the Facebook Farming Game
I'm totally addicted to Farmville and Cafe World. I would love to stop playing, but then what would happen to my crops and food??
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
My mom and dad make so much delicious food that it's hard to choose, but I guess I'd say Daddy's Spaghetti. It's spaghetti with tomato sauce and ground beef. Supereasy, superdelicious, and supercheap. I've made a few modifications, but it's still a classic.
What's your food therapy?
Chopping, kneading, and eating are all very soothing to me.
Yankees vs. Phillies: The Serious Eats World Series
When you mentioned cheesesteaks in a sandwich duo, I thought there's no better sandwich, of course cheesesteaks win. But then I read pastrami on rye. Oh man, hard choice! But I'd still go with cheesesteaks.
That's Nuts: Five Things To Do with Leftover Halloween Candy
What do you mean, leftover Halloween candy?
Where can I find quince?
I'll have to keep my eyes open around Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Cook the Book: 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'
My favorite food blog is Smitten Kitchen.
Best Halloween Candy?
I do a Snickers mix because Snickers are my favorite. The mix also has Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, and Twix, all delicious.
Tipping
I've never thought of it before now, but I tip after tax.
Greatest Pizza Box Ever Designed: No need to waste!
Most recycling companies do not accept pizza boxes for recycling because they're too greasy.
Stocking up and stashing Halloween candy. Do you?
This is our first Halloween in this apartment. There are definitely kids nearby, but we live on a pretty busy road near a very busy intersection, so I'm not sure we'll get trick-or-treaters. I really hope we do, though, since Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.
We were never allowed to open the Halloween candy when I was a kid and my mom usually hid it. This is my first year buying candy and I've been holding off because I'm not sure about my self control. I'll probably get it next week, though.
What's the Secret to Great Fried Chicken?
This recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deviled-Fried-Chicken-5623
It's marinated in spiced buttermilk and breaded in flour with more spices. It's the only fried chicken I'd eat over Popeye's.
When did you know you were...
I figured it out when I was a kid, or I guess a 'tween as they say these days. I started making dinner for my parents as presents for Mothers/Fathers Day or their birthdays. It's not your average 13-year-old who makes poached sole turbans stuffed with smoked salmon mousse, or paella. I also got really into dinner parties at about the same age. I just found cooking to be really fun!
Good heat-up-the-house ideas
I can't believe you're waiting until November! I'm in Connecticut and I waited until October 1 to turn on the heat and I barely held on that long! Still, I keep it quite low (60-63), so my apartment is pretty darn cold. I made braised short ribs (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Beef-Short-Ribs-with-Root-Vegetable-Ragout-100597), which did a good job of warming the place up a bit.
If You Smelled Like Any Food...
Jasmine (does that count?), orange, or raspberry.
Cook the Book: 'The Craft of Baking'
I love the toasted coconut ice cream made at an ice cream parlor in my downtown.
Dinner Tonight: Club Sandwich
I was under the impression that the third slice of bread was essential to the definition. Without it, the sandwich is not a club.
Also, with club sauce.
Gadgets: Progressive International Folding Mandoline Slicer
I, too, have the $25 Kyocera mandoline that CEBakes linked to and I love it. I keep it on my pegboard with a couple of other utensils and gadgets and I use it pretty often. It's lightweight, but not in a bad way.
The Great New York Fancy-Pants Fried Chicken Roundup
I'm also curious about how these compare to Popeyes. I know it's not fancypants, but you could rate it to serve as a baseline. Plus, I don't know why you'd pay so much for fried chicken when Popeyes is soooooo good and soooooo cheap. The only stuff better is the Deviled Fried Chicken I make myself (but I haven't been down South, I bet they have even better stuff there).
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Roast chicken with mashed potatoes!
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
I love pot roast with roasted potatoes, onions, and carrots. YUM!
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Spaghetti and meatballs always goes over well here.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
My family would be happy if I'd make them chicken and dumplings at least once a week. (And it's so easy!)
Serious Chocolate: Understanding Necco Wafers
@eeels ROFLMAO!
Reminds of of a conversation recounted by a friend this Halloween. Upon meeting a toddler Yoda, she said, “May the force be with you”.
He responded, immediately, “And also with you”.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
My family did roast chicken dinners every Sunday when I was growing up. Can't beat grandma's cooking!
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Spaghetti with meatballs and chunks of Italian sausage in a smooth garlicky red sauce, caesar salad with homemade garlic croutons, warm crusty Italian bread with butter, a nice barolo, and lemon cheesecake for dessert.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
fajitas, hands down.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Layer sauerkraut in a casserole dish, place pork chops on top and season (I use cracked black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika), cover with lid or seal with foil, bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. I like to make mashed potatoes with it, but have also just done steamed veggies on the side.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Grandy's roast beef, carrots, and mashed potatoes
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Mom's from-the-Campbell's-can versions of Chicken a la King and Beef Stroganoff!
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Mom's homemade lasagna, bread, and apple pie.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Coming from a Turkish household, my favorite family dinner is mercimek çorbasi (lentil soup) with köfte (ground beef/meatball-like patties), domatesli pilav (tomato rice), and yogurt.
Where can I find quince?
don't know what you want quince for... but if you go to a store that sells Spanish goodies, ask for MEMBRILLO or MEMBRILLO PASTE, which is sort of a guava paste - very sweet, but great to eat alongside manchego cheese.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Favorite family dinner would have to be my childhood birthday meal of Earl Abel's fried chicken and black bottom pie.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Sauerbraten and homemade sides.
Bad dining experience?
To pick up on dbcurrie's point - as customers, we get coached on how to make a valid, intelligent complaint but I think restaurants (and all businesses for that matter) should know how to field a complaint.
If a patron complains, 9 out of 9.5 times, the restaurant did something the patron is NOT imagining to warrant this complaint. Do NOT defend. This is a lame attempt to deflect blame and it never works. Accept that the customer is not happy, take away the offending item, and make it right.
I went to an awful wedding last year. The venue was beautiful but everything went downhill fast. The "catered" food was a small, miserable array of exactly 4 items. It seemed more like a prison feeding line than a wedding buffet. But insult was about to be added to injury.
A fellow guest and good friend found a long hair in his food. His wife, having worked in restaurants, approached the manager about it. The manager came to the table and said this: "All my servers have short hair so it must have been cooked into the food back at the catering kitchen." WTF???? You don't defend your servers by throwing the catering company under the bus - it does nothing to rectify the situation. Here's what he should have said: "I'm sorry about that sir, may I assemble another plate for you from fresh trays of food?" One sentence. The manager would have a) accepted the blame, b) given the guest a workable option and c) rectified the situation. Not rocket science.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Really anything, as long as it's accompanied by family and laughter. We often have shrimp scampi in the summer and a roast with Yorkshire Pudding in the winter....mmm.... :)
Bad dining experience?
LOL@ Banana Monkey! I know my comment might have sounded like one made by a person who would complain like a small nuclear device but I don't do that anymore. (Did in my younger years...)
A well-worded complaint includes a) the reason a person was unsatisfied; b) a personal opinion (nicely!) and c) what could have been done to make it right. You'd be surprised how many places actually pay attention to customers' concerns that elaborate enough to make sense to the person reading the complaint. Simply saying, "The food sucked," isn't quite enough and will likely be disregarded.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
Our favorite family dinner is Homemade Lasagna with a green salad and homemade yeast rolls.
Thank you so much for the chance to win.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
spaghetti and meatballs
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
We called it "chicken and glop", but it was chicken and rice. How did my mother put up with us?
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
It depends on the weather for me, but at this time of year it's roast chicken, mashed potatoes, peas (homegrown, please; frozen peas from the store are inevitably overripe), green salad, and pie.
Cook the Book: 'New Classic Family Dinners'
meatloaf and mashed potatoes!
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I really hate conflict and confrontation so I rarely complain or send my food back, but I would at least have filled out the comment card. The restaurant deserves to know your opinion so they can avoid losing business.