Usually, when you pay upwards of 200$ for food and wine it's for a tasting. Tasting equals many many many many 'bites', all of which add up. Some places I got to basically try to kill you with good food, though I'm not complaining.
...either that or the restaurants you've been going to have been treating you crap. Most decent places give you that lovely celebratory overindulgent feeling you get after 10 or so courses...
Not a big drinker, but most family occasions with nice dinners just call for champagne. It's just the presence of the stuff that makes the occasion more festive.
Though I do feel like an indulgence every so often - surprisingly, I like a glass best with some poached fruit.
or chocolate of course. There is nothing that doesn't pair well with chocolate :)
Earth Balance is a good spread - trans fat free and vegan too. I've seen it used a lot in a bunch of vegan baked goods, and the goods looked delicious, though I've always been a bit wary of using spreadable butter in recipes because the final consistency isn't the same as stick butter.
(by the way, could anyone after me clarify why earth balance seems to be popular for baking/works well for baking? I've made cookies with Smartbalance brand before and they literally melted all over the tray...:p)
But yeah. Earth balance works well. I have a tub of the stuff in my fridge and spread it on toast all the time.
Just a quick geek moment for preserving spinach and basil and like leaves:
Pop them into the plastic bag, blow air in, and seal it while it's puffed up.
The herbs survive better in a CO2 environment.
Also, never store apples with the rest of your fruit..... :p
Studious Bites
http://studiousbites.blogspot.com
Mostly concerning what I eat as a student without free time/ sporadic baking ventures
Each type has its place in baking. If you're looking for moist, subtly fruity and flavorful, go with olive oil where indicated. If you're imagining a tight crumb, a light texture, and flakiness go with butter.
You can usually substitute some oil for butter in more forgiving methods, such as quick breads and pound cakes, but if you're making anything more technical it's best to stick with what the recipe recommends. Otherwise the texture/taste of the finished product will not be ideal.
I think they're affecting everyone, if only vicariously.
As much as I'd like to say that eating well is too important to let prices get in the way, for most people that statement is a luxury. I find myself compromising, whether it be from switching to generic brands instead of my favorites, limiting grocery trips because of the gas, or deciding to hold that new recipe off until next week because I don't really need that ingredient right away.
Scariest part is, a Costco I used to live nearby has apparently started limiting the amount of rice a customer can buy - I think there was an article about it this week. I'm not scared about grain shortage just yet, but if we need to ration rice maybe I should stock up or something...
Oh, and caramelized onions piled sky high.
and maybe honey mustard.
I'm just trying to make myself drool....why don't we just pile everything delicious you can think of on and leave it at that?
Thin thin thin crust. With a good layer of mozzarella and maybe some pancetta and pineapple on top. :)
Annie's Mac and Cheese!
When practice was in session, I could eat the entire box for dinner.
Oysters are ideal, but I'll settle for almost anything: last time it was antipasti, next time it could be grilled fish -- who knows? It's a not-too-decadent indulgence to break out a bottle of something with bubbles for no good reason every now and then...the world needs more bubbles!
Yes, I'd rather not leave a restaurant hungry. That said, a small portion, bursting with flavor, is more satisfying to me than a humongous portion of gelatinous crap.
Smaller is better. If it's exquisite tasting, wait 20 minutes before eating anything else. Your stomach, your arteries and your psyche will thank you.
OYSTERS, CAVIER, CHESSE... WELL ANYTHING THATS EDIBLE AS LONG AS I HAVE CHAMPAGNE
i dont remember reading where culinarygenius said they wanted food shoveled down their throat....or that they wanted to eat from a trough.....a very nasty comment that doesent belong on here....i do agree that if a person goes to a restaurant they should leave satisfied....not hungry.....no matter what the price....
It depends what is being served. Never tell people where to eat bravian it's rude. We agree to disagree here but the jerky comment is not needed.
Sometimes I like to savor a few different small plates and other times I want a big plate or bowl of something. There are places where I will order something I like in small order because that is enough and other times I want to drag some home. If you spent 200 bucks and walked away hungry survey says was more pretension and less substance.
There is a certain logic to smaller portions in an upscale restaurant. Usually (and hopefully) the quality of ingredients tend to be better and the dish tends to be richer, or more well-seasoned, or intensely flavored. A smaller amount suffices. Blander fare tends to encourage overcomsuption--i.e. I can eat an absolute crapload (and that is the technical term) of things like macaroni and cheese and chicken-fried steak and buscuits with white gravy. Generally, with the flavor profiles themselves being more satisfying, an upscale place can "get away" with smaller, more intricate portions.
All that being said, one should never need to leave a $200/plate dinner hungry. Ever. Small portions or not.
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Favorite foods: Chocolate, pastry, pasta, olive oil, all kinds of nuts, really fresh bread, breakfast foods, baked sweets.
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