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emgroff

  • Location: Lehigh Valley, PA

Dinner Tonight: Asparagus with Crème Fraiche Mustard Sauce and Prosciutto

Wow, this amazing. Didn't have any lemons, so I used white wine vinegar. That sauce is amazing! I think we'll try this for dinner next with a poached egg or shrimp.

No More Posts (again)

I'm also having this issue, again. I use Google Chrome.

Pizza in Easton, PA

I live in Bethlehem and have heard great things about the pizza at Sette Luna in Easton. I haven't eaten there yet, but it was described as "the best pizza in the Lehigh Valley."

Supermarket Smackdown

WEGMANS. I moved to Pennsylvania two years ago and shop almost exclusively at Wegmans. It combines the high-quality ingrediens, good service and pleasant shopping experience of Whole Foods with the price competitiveness and general offerings (pharmacy, household goods, etc.) of a Safeway/Giant/Stop and Shop/what have you. Plus an amazing prepared foods section.

Where to Take a Date for Cocktails in Portland, OR

We were just in Portland on vacation. We drank (a lot) at Clyde Common because we were staying in the Ace Hotel. It's pretty big and noisy, but I liked the drinks and food and the service was friendly. We also went to Cask. It was much more "romantic," but the drinks were just as good.

12 of Our Favorite Food Movies

Delicatessen, ha!

Ask a Bartender: Are There Cocktail Trends You Hate?

Flavored vodka is excellent for jello shots.

Video: Funeral Procession for Whopper Jr. Fan Includes Stop at Burger King Drive-Thru

This is a very sweet gesture.

Lunch Box: Chicken Kebab with Carrot-Raisin Salad and Greek Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)

What an excellent column idea. I look forward to trying all the recipes.

Cocktail 101: Stocking Up For a Storm

When I called my grandmother to see how she'd survived Sandy, she said she was fine, but worried that without power, she wouldn't have ice for her nightly Manhattan.

We stocked up with rum and ginger beer to make Dark n Stormies, cause we love a theme. And we had plenty of beer to see us through. There's not much to do when the power is out other than sit around and drink.

Hungry Hunk Dinner Suggestions?

Pan-fried steak with a red wine pan sauce and mashed potatoes, braised short ribs, herb-crusted pork tenderloin, chicken roasted on potatoes, carrots and shallots. Winter is a great time for cooking. And once summer rolls around, my man and I are big fans of Smitten Kitchen's blueberry boy bait.

Secrets from the Host Stand: 10 Things a Restaurant Host Wishes They Could Tell You

A friend of mine has a saying I love: "We all choose our own choices." If you really hate hosting so much, don't do it. Oh, and restaurant customers are called "guests" in the same way that I was a "customer service associate" when I checked movies at Blockbuster and an "administrative assistant" when I was a secretary.

New Years' food superstitions

Pork and sauerkraut, like everybody here in Pennsylvania. Mostly cause it's delicious, but it's also supposed to be good luck.

Eating at The Office, Grant Achatz's Subterranean Speakeasy

Wow, I have to agree with the other posters. This is kinda ridiculous. Imminent bloody class war, indeed.

Barritt's Ginger Beer: The 'Stormy' in the Original Dark and Stormy

I'll keep an eye out for Barritt's. In the meantime, I like Reed's Extra Ginger. It's almost too spicy to drink on its own, but it does a good job of cutting the sweetness of the rum. And I always include a generous squeeze of lime in my Dark and Stormies.

What to do with Meyer lemons?

I made this Meyer lemonade marmalade last winter. It's very sunny and delicious!

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: La Quercia's Pork Belly Heaven Package

B&J Cannoli Ice Cream

It's been a very long time since B&J made a new flavor I liked. The ice cream and the mix-ins always seem to be low quality and too much. I just stick to the classics: Cherry Garcia, PB Cup and Heath Bar Crunch.

Are my beans ok?

It's just beans, garlic and water, right? I'd go with Loco_food_guy then.

Guy Fieri NY Times Review and Response. Is it fair?

I like this take from Slate best. The gist: "What if the purpose of Wells' piece—and many other works of criticism, for that matter—isn’t to convince, to educate or, God forbid, to provide something as dull as service journalism? What if his review is merely an example of a talented writer responding to an offensive thing in a way that pleases him?"

So basically, I don't read it as a review so much as an artfully written commentary.

A Look Back At Cakespy: Our Favorite Recipes And A Fond Farewell

Aw, too bad! Cakespy's posts were always entertaining on a Monday morning.

Fast Food: Popeyes Crawfish Tackle Box

Thank you for mentioning the Strawberry Fanta! It's my second-favorite thing about Popeyes (the first being the chicken, obviously).

Culinary Vocabulary: How many M's in Mmmm!

Eat for Eight Bucks: Gravy Cheese Oven Fries with Roasted Garlic

I just made this for dinner and it was so good! Very easy and very tasty! Healthy? Not exactly. But it ain't gonna kill you.

Fresh or canned/packaged?

I make tomato sauce from canned whole tomatoes. I also pretty much only ever use frozen peas, and frozen corn for the 10 months when good fresh corn isn't available. And frozen puff pastry and pre-packaged (high-quality) chicken stock. I do make my own stock, but I really appreciate the convenience of the tetrapack.

Picnic: cold fried chicken and ... ?

So I promised my gentleman friend fried chicken on Saturday. We're going on a picnic, so it'll be cold. Will this work? I've never done it before and I want to make sure it's still good. Also, what else should I pack? I'm planning buttermilk biscuits, but I'd like something fresh and green, too. Salad maybe? For what it's worth, we'll be having peach ice cream and toffee cookie sandwiches when we get back home.

New Sonic in CT! Is it good? What should I order?

So I'm really excited that Sonic Drive-In is finally opening in Connecticut (today, no less!) and I can finally stop being tortured by their television ads. I plan to make a pilgrimage on Friday, but I thought I might ask you guys for the inside scoop first. Is Sonic good? What are your favorite menu items? Thanks!

Where can I find quince?

It's fall and I keep hearing about quince and seeing quince recipes. But here in Connecticut, I've never since a quince in a grocery store or anywhere else. Do you know where I might find quince? Are they just not available in the Northeast?

Where can I buy lardo in the U.S.?

My bf and I were watching the other evening and Anthony Bourdain was in Italy. Kev was absolutely in awe of lardo and I'd like to get him some as a fun treat. So far, the only web site that I found sells it is Murray's Cheese. Do you know of any other web sites? Does Murray's sell quality goods via the interweb? I live in CT, which is sprinkled with old pockets of Italian immigrants. Is lardo the kind of thing an Italian market might have? Or perhaps another specialty food store?

Le Creuset: Is it worth it?

So over in the food section, there's a discussion of the six most important tools in your kitchen. Again and again, "Le Creuset Dutch oven" comes up. Like many cooks, I covet just such a pot, but I'm stymied by the high cost. For those of you who own Le Creuset products, have you found them to be worth the money? Is there a cheaper brand that makes Dutch ovens of similar quality?

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