exvaxman’s Profile
Recent Comments
absentminded kitchen disasters
On one move, apparently my pressurized whipped cream dispenser was taken from the fridge, packed up, and put into the pantry when we unpacked. Foolish me - I opened it to find out that it was still pressurized and spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen.
Come On, You Know You've Thought It, Too
As I was growing up, there was a local place that served food from zoos whose animals were "On their way out". I had bear, lion, tiger, giraffe, etc.
(Un) fortunatly, the place is no longer in existance since there ar eplaces that provide hospice for such animals these days.
Is it Rude to Eat on Mass Transit?
I am obviously different - if there is something I do not understand, I'll ask. I will say that I am not complaining, just wondering what is being eaten because I do not recognize the smell. The absolute worst smell I ever dealt with was goat - but it did taste great when I was offered a sample. The problem was finding goat to replicate the recipe (Don't ask). Sorry - I just enjoy discovering things.
See more comments by exvaxman ยป
Recent Posts
exvaxman hasn't written a post yet.
Recent Favorites
exvaxman hasn't favorited a post yet.
Recent Polls
exvaxman hasn't answered any polls yet.
Recent Quizzes
exvaxman hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
One of my favorite places - especially for kitchen gadgets. My wife does not like me going there unsupervised.
absentminded kitchen disasters
On one move, apparently my pressurized whipped cream dispenser was taken from the fridge, packed up, and put into the pantry when we unpacked. Foolish me - I opened it to find out that it was still pressurized and spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen.
Come On, You Know You've Thought It, Too
As I was growing up, there was a local place that served food from zoos whose animals were "On their way out". I had bear, lion, tiger, giraffe, etc.
(Un) fortunatly, the place is no longer in existance since there ar eplaces that provide hospice for such animals these days.
Is it Rude to Eat on Mass Transit?
I am obviously different - if there is something I do not understand, I'll ask. I will say that I am not complaining, just wondering what is being eaten because I do not recognize the smell. The absolute worst smell I ever dealt with was goat - but it did taste great when I was offered a sample. The problem was finding goat to replicate the recipe (Don't ask). Sorry - I just enjoy discovering things.
Is it Rude to Eat on Mass Transit?
While you are not allowed to eat, I made a few friends when there were terrific smells and I went over to ask what was being eaten - because it smelled so great. The one I will never forget is that a grandmother was there with her grand-daughter who was eating while being "escorted" to her job. The grand-daughter translated the recipe for me (curried lamb) as well as (blushing) told me that she was informed that she WOULD tell me she was single and give me her phone number. I gave her my card and proceeded to kiss the Grandmother and asked the young lady to thank her for me. I gave her my business card. She did call to say that I made an imperssion with the grandmother.....
Why Can't You Get a Good Slice Outside New York City? 'Wired' Magazine Says It's the Water
I disagree with the water theory. The best pizza I have had outside of NYC was in North Carolina - two brothers who moved down from the bronx to open up a place. It's how you make it as well as the ingredients.
Arkansas: Stalking the Fried Dill Pickle
Not great quality, but you can get them as a menu item at Hooters.
Greek Eats
When I first moved to my new town and had temporary housing by work, there was a (unfortunatly long since gone) place on my way walking from work to the hotel. Rack of lamb with salad and all of the trimmings was only $12.00. With an appitizer only $20. The rack was a full rack - I don;t know how they did it for that price. Anyway - that was where I spent my per diem every day - with plenty of leftovers for breakfast and lunch. After the first week they had it ready for me every week night so I could eat it at the temporary apartment (I don;t like eating alone in public and my wife at the time who was not here was very paranoid)
Recommended Chinese Cookbooks?
An old standby for me was "1001 chinese recipies" -
I had to purchase a paperback of it when it was re-released because my mother would not part with her copy.
Time for a Drink: Marconi Wireless
The best thing is that if you drink applejack the odds are that you will not get a hangover. A trick I learned form some older commercial glass blowers.
Roast Duck
I *always* do duck in a smoker - takes a while, but comes out great.
Usually use apple or mesquite.
Pressure cookers....do you use one?
Fried Chicken, not much else.
Cheese Budget? How much money do you spend per week on cheese?
$25 +/-. And prices have gone waaay up recently. I'm going to have to cut back.
Which City Has the Best Pizza?
Laugh if you will, and it has been 15 years, but New Bern & Moorehead City NC. Two brother's that trlocated from NYC - Mario & Luigoi. Luigi ran Mario's (my favorite) and Mario ran Luigi's. Great calzones as well.
The Best Frozen Custard
Culvers better than Kopps? Heathens!
I live in River Hills directly between Kopps and a Culvers. I can always get into the Culvers, but there are many times when Kopps is full. Kopps IMHO has slightly better service than the local Culvers, so I think I am in the majority in this area :)
There is a gal that works for a software vendor that grew up locally in Wisconsin but is now in Texas. Any time one of the people comes up from her new home in Dallas, If they don;t come back with a couple of quarts of Kopps they aren't allowed in the building without getting a major blast from her. One time I couldn't get to Kopps in time to get fresh and sent Culvers. I was on her s**t list until the next shipment.
Beverage of Choice
Diet Coke, or water with a packet of dried lemon to make it acidic.
If I want a hot drink, usually instant miso soup, but I try and avoid it due to the salt content.
Cheesecake, what's your style?
Gotta be a table bender or it isn't a cheesecake.
There are a couple of clone Lindy's recipes that are great.
What can't you cook?
I thought I did a decent Lindy's style cheese cake until my 10 year old made one that was perfect. He lords it over me to this day that I have him make them when I want to bring one.
I like the taste of slightly burnt____
charred steak on both sides that is still rare inside.
A decent (non-fast food pizza hut/etc) pizza crust.
Need help finding a new food processor.
Robo Coupe. Go to your local restaurant supply house. You will pay, but your grandchildren will still be using it.
On the (very) cheap side - for my father's salads I picked up a Hamilton Beach that dumps directly into glad containers.
We're Giving Away a Truly Great Steak This Weekend
Wow - a lot of the ones that I enjoy have been mentioned. I don't travel like I used to, but I will say that my favorite steak place is my backyard.
A decent cut of meat and depending on the mood, marinated in a tumbler and tossed into a "green Egg" going full bore (+/- 800F). Has the advantage that I can have a few martinis and not worry about driving. I once catered my sons little league practice whice also had two father's who were the "premiere" chefs for the immediate area - they were begging for the steak recipes....
Best Find from Trader Joes?
My father made weekly trips to Trader Joes. After his heart surgery he had to move to my area, and the one thing he missed was TJs. They opened up a store within sight of his assisted living home, and by doing to has added years to his life. I have found a number of the things that he bought on a regular basis at cheaper prices at COSTCO, under the manufacturer names. However, the cheese prices at TJs are so much cheaper than other places that it is astounding. Beats Fresh Market, Whole Foods, the local speciality stores (Sendiks, Larry's, V.Richards). The fresh flowers as well are always a treat.
Fightin' Words on Vodka
To be honest, I can't really taste the difference. What I do however is take the cheapest vodka and run it through a brita filter. Then put it in a frozen metal bowl and add a few ice chips and put that in the freezer. The water gets pulled out of the vodka and you are left with the alcohol - which is used in the basis of a lot of drinks. Cheaper than everclear for a cordial base.
I will pass along one story - According to my wife's Russian friends, vodka is not drunk for taste, it is drunk to get drunk. About fifteen years ago before they became popular in my area, I picked up a vodka set (small glasses in a base that holds ice). A Russian executive who was over negotiating a contract with my employer found out through the local community that we were having a party and pointedly asked me about it. I invited him along (decent guy, just out of place) and as soon as he saw me take the set out of the freezer he said "I knew someone in this misbegotten area was civilized" and shot gunned the eight glasses. What astounded me was that they seemed to have no effect!
The Best Frozen Custard
13JE09, C. 1532 HRS
Dear Serious Eater,
EAST COAST ORIGINAL FROZEN CUSTARD of Fairview Park, Ohio,
is another mecca for frozen custard lovers ! Custom machinery for top quality taste and texture. Sugar~free frozen custard always available too.
http://cityvoter.com/
east-coast-original-frozen-custard-18900-lorain-rd-fairview-park-oh-44126/loc/30551
Best Find from Trader Joes?
My pleasure bareneed, especially when it is to bring new people into the TJ's cult. Unfortunately there isn't a store in SC yet. They have locations in Chapel Hill, Charlotte, and Cary in NC, and half a dozen locations in GA. Perhaps a road trip is in order once you get there; you can even use the excuse that you want to compare the 'cue in NC and SC (well beyond the scope of this thread).
Best Find from Trader Joes?
@DavidNY - Thank you so much for your information - that is what I love about this site, people are friendly and willing to share their knowledge with others. I will try and find the video and watch it, perhaps I can also "google" it and find out if there is a store in Charleston. I will definitely check it out.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
bareneed: There is a recently posted video of a fan-made TJs "commercial" on this site. It sums up the store better than I can, but here is a brief overview. TJs sells mostly private-label products, which are often identical to brand name ones, just with different packaging. They sell them at much lower prices than the branded counterparts, but even when they do carry items you can find elsewhere, they are often significantly cheaper. Their basic "philosophy" is to cut out middle-men as much as they can, and buy directly from manufacturers. Other ways they keep prices low are by having a more limited selection (and smaller stores) than most suburban supermarkets, limiting advertising to radio ads they record themselves, getting rid of products that don't sell well, buying from suppliers in large quantities, etc. etc. While they do sell a lot of organic and healthy food, there is also a ton of snack food and other items that are upscale but definitely off-limits to anyone on a diet (witness the bacon spinach salad containing 50 grams of fat). The stores are done up in a mock-maritime decor, with wood paneling, a ship's bell for signaling the crew, Hawaiian shirts for full-time employees, etc. As you can probably tell, people are fanatical about the place. Aside from the food and prices, there is a fun atmosphere to the stores; I worked there for three years, and constantly had people telling me that it was their favorite place to shop (for anything). The company also treats its employees better than just about anyone else does; IMHO, the only reason it never appears on Fortunes Best Companies to Work For is that it is privately held.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
Waah! I have never heard of Trader Joe's - live in Canada - do they use branded products or their own - what is their philosophy? Organic, green? Is there a Trader Joes in Charleston, S.C.? I will be there for two weeks this summer.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
Ditto on the gyoza. Sesame-crusted cashews. Marinated tri-tip (almost impossible to find in any other store in New York). Frozen pizzas. Greek yogurt. Frozen raspberries at half the price of any other store. Double-roasted salsa.
kqrbob: The edamame are from Thailand.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
oh and the frozen chicken gyoza is great.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
the manhattan store is just too crowded and can't keep the stock on the shelves as quickly as things are purchased. they probably gear it towards nyu students because they are the only people who can go during the middle of the day when its empty. its frustrating, but it is so much cheaper then our neighborhood grocery stores and the quality is much better so my roommate and i go every few weeks to stock up on staples. we love the gingersnaps and all of the cereal is great.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
i second the pizza dough. if you bring it up to room temp and crank the oven to 500 for about 20 minutes, you can get a damn good pizza out of it. also at $1 i can afford to buy an extra in case i mess one up.
no one's mentioned the frozen chicken taquitos... i cannot walk out of TJs without a package. they are strangely addictive.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
Cream-topped whole milk – Never thought I'd see that again!
Naan – my daughter's favorite. Fortunately, our new copy of How to Cook Everything has a recipe! (The nearest Trader Joe's is an hour away from where I now live.) Actually, almost all the TJ breads I've tried have been good.
Double Gloucester cheese. Like cheddar with extra butter. And chives. Mmmm.
Maple syrup – affordable at last!
King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour – beautiful stuff, but it's about $6/bag at Safeway.
Spelt Farrotto!
Sugar/salt scrubs for getting extra gooky stuff off your hands. My son swears by it.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
@DaveFaris and others: You mentioned liking the TJ's harvest grains mix (Israeli couscous, red quinoa, dried chickpeas, etc.) - I've gotten it before, but it never turns out right. When I cook it according to the instructions on the package and the chickpeas are always still hard when the rest of grains, etc. are cooked through. Has anyone else run into this problem?
Best Find from Trader Joes?
TJ's brand: Organic mint tea, Organic orange juice, vegetable chips, original beef jerky, frozen brown rice, frozen Thai shrimp dumplings, gyoza dipping sauce, jalapeno stuffed green olives, whole wheat pizza dough, challah bread rolls, garlic naan, orange blossom liquid hand soap, and their french chocolate truffles.
Best Find from Trader Joes?
Dried fruits
Nuts
Trail mixes
Pound plus chocolate (can't make brownies without it!)
Cherry jelly
absentminded kitchen disasters
I once bought a bag of frozen plums, and I didn't think to check whether they contained pits. I tried to use them in a smoothie, shattering my blender and making a huge mess. And I couldn't even drink the smoothie, because it had pieces of pit in it :/
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
I'm born in the USA but shop mostly at markets where most of the other customers speak English as a second language. Han Au Reum (the former name of H-Mart, actually a branch of a major Korean chain) has long been a favorite (and its number 11--cham pong, a seafood noodle soup with soothing side of kim chi chases away winter viruses quite nicely). Now, another Asian market's a little nearer, but likewise has great quality (and turnover) of produce and fish especially, if not the watch-your-lunch-cook counter. And there are a couple of small local chains (Magruders and El Grande come to mind) with higher quality and cheaper produce and meats than the biggies.
When I visit my dad in the Chicago suburbs, I shop mostly in the small ethnic chains (mostly run by Greeks but catering to Poles, Russians and similar Slavs--my ethnic background) for the highest quality produce and most interesting pickles and deli meats. H-Mart also has a branch (converted from a closed Dominicks/Safeway). I'll also occasionally stop by a Filipiino market. In Philadelphia, it's the Italian market, natch. Funny thing, that's the highest proportion of native English speakers of all the places I shop, though now Spanish is as commonly heard as Trader Joes or Whole foods bags are seen.
The ethnic markets are so much fun to see and try new foods! Sad that our American foodstuffs are processed to death, and it takes our newest neighbors to lead the way back to real food!
absentminded kitchen disasters
Try preparing dinner with a swollen and sore foot! I had to do that the other night, as I'd taken out the food scraps to the compost bin (in bare feet, as it's summer in the southern hemisphere) and stood on a bee. To make matters worse -- I had a job interview later in the evening :( Probably straying a little from the thread, I know...
absentminded kitchen disasters
I need a Depends!!!! These stories are hi-sterical!!
absentminded kitchen disasters
When your blood sugar is low, you tend to make rookie-class cooking mistakes. You start to do to the bulk of your cooking when your blood sugar is at it's lowest. Go fig!?!
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
H-mart Portland OR - rocks - great prices - great quality. Love it.
absentminded kitchen disasters
I am so glad to see that many others forget about their hard boiled eggs!
I have been alerted many times by the loud popping in the kitchen and each time, I can't believe That I have done it again!
But probably the weirdest kitchen mishap was when I was grading Spanish exams. I was sitting at the table with a messy pile of papers and books, when a finicky friend dropped by. I grabbed all the papers and threw them into the oven, to neaten up...then I forgot that they were there. The oven was not turned on, but by the time I remembered my papers, the heat of the pilot light had curled and browned each and every exam. I had a hard time explaining that one to my students!
absentminded kitchen disasters
A ffriend and I once decided that we wanted to make dinner for her family ( we were about 14 at the time so it was a big deal to make food) After dinner (no problems there) we were whipping egg whites to top the rice pudding. Absentminded me forgot to take the spoon out of the mixer after checking our peaks. We turn the mixer on and hear: CLATTER CLATTER WOoOOSH BANG! As the spoon flies across the room spreading half whipped egg whites around the entire kitchen we dropped to the ground and my friend's mom came running.
The rice pudding came out fine but ever since, I'm extra careful with utensils and mixers.
absentminded kitchen disasters
I can not put ANYTHING in the oven without setting a loud timer, because it is guranteed that I will forget about it!!
absentminded kitchen disasters
Be sure to grab the correct ingredient!
(1) I used corn syrup instead of cooking oil to make popcorn. Kept smelling candy. Then I lifted the lid to find burnt syrup and popcorn kernels stuck to my mom's best heavy-bottomed pan. Oops.
(2) I grabbed baking soda instead of cornstarch when making an oriental stirfry. It fizzed up and smelled horrible. We had to throw away the food. Oops.
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
Asian grandmothers have higher food quality standards than dumb white yuppies.
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
Why wouldn't you shop for perishables in an Asian market?
Its in the U.S., chances are they get their perishables from the same places other supermarkets do...not some top secret Asian place with practices more questionable than your average supermarket.
If you're willing to buy a chicken breast strapped to a bit of styrofoam at the Shop Rite, there's not much difference in buying a piece of chicken breast strapped to a bit of styrofoam in an Asian market. If you have questions about sources, you can ask the market, too.
I actually am more likely to buy meat and seafood in an Asian market than I am in a regular supermarket. Turnover tends to be high because the typical clientele buys so much of it all the time.
There's also an honest to goodness butcher counter in all the Asian markets near me, I don't need to buy ANYTHING strapped to styrofoam!
Chances are the crab or the fish I'm buying at the Asian market is still flopping around and trying to skewer me through the bag as I'm walking out the door.
Of course you still have to use your eyes and nose and sometimes sense of touch to make sure its something you want to buy that day, but I'm not sure what's up with this irrational notion that Asian markets must be up to something especially skeevy.
Recent Posts
exvaxman hasn't written a post yet.
Recent Favorites
exvaxman hasn't favorited a post yet.
Polls
exvaxman hasn't answered any polls yet.
Quizzes
exvaxman hasn't taken any quizzes yet.
One of my favorite places - especially for kitchen gadgets. My wife does not like me going there unsupervised.