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Ben Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl Dies at 82
My condolences to his family, the employees of Ben's and to the residents and visitors of Washington D.C.
I only had the pleasure of visiting once but his restaurant should be considered an American treasure.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
@rps
Ding, ding, ding for you, too!!!
The fashion magazine analogy is quite apt. I was a long term subscriber to Gourmet through the '90s until about 2002. I even kept my subscription going when I moved to France with the cheese company I worked for. I can't say if I changed or if the magazine changed but I realized that it was a magazine about places I would never visit and food I would never cook, first and foremost, because I couldn't afford them. Just like a fashion magazine, they started to make me feel poor and ugly and unworthy of what I saw in the magazine. Aspiration is one thing but paying to feel insulted is not my thing. I read food magazines to become better at what I love, not to read about how fabulous someone's expense account trip was to Fiji.
I top my oatmeal with ______
I am not sure where I fit in. My favorite oatmeal is baked oatmeal that I started to have when I moved to the Pennsylvania Dutch country of southeastern PA. I can offer a recipe but more or less it is some of your typical oatmeal combinations with egg and baking powder mixed in and then baked like a coffee cake. It is hard to describe if you never had it - the oats have more texture (stay more intact) yet they stick together into a cake. Here is a basic recipe that serves about 6.
3 cups Oatmeal (old-fashioned = best texture), ¾ cup Brown sugar,
1 ½ cup Milk, 3 whole eggs, 1 ¼ tsp. Baking powder, ½ tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 3 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hour or until center seems set and top is golden brown. Serve straight from the oven or keep it warm. Serve with warm milk.
You can add vanilla, spices, dried or fresh fruit, or about anything else folks have suggested.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Participation in This Promotion May Be Hazardous To Your Health
As bad as this picture looks, I remember fondly a burger with PB served at the Triple XXX Family Restaurant adjacent Purdue University called the Duane Purvis All-American described on their menu like this: "1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries. Add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and you're in for the touchdown!"
I had to wonder about that description but being young and adventurous, I could not let my college years pass without trying it. Surprisingly good because you have all the regular tastes of a good diner burger combined with a hint of sweet and nutty flavors from the peanut butter. I cannot say that it became a favorite but I can say that a bit of PB was a good way to improve the burgers they served in the dorm. Not a ringing endorsement, I know, but you do what you have to do.
Ben Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl Dies at 82
My condolences to his family, the employees of Ben's and to the residents and visitors of Washington D.C.
I only had the pleasure of visiting once but his restaurant should be considered an American treasure.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
@rps
Ding, ding, ding for you, too!!!
The fashion magazine analogy is quite apt. I was a long term subscriber to Gourmet through the '90s until about 2002. I even kept my subscription going when I moved to France with the cheese company I worked for. I can't say if I changed or if the magazine changed but I realized that it was a magazine about places I would never visit and food I would never cook, first and foremost, because I couldn't afford them. Just like a fashion magazine, they started to make me feel poor and ugly and unworthy of what I saw in the magazine. Aspiration is one thing but paying to feel insulted is not my thing. I read food magazines to become better at what I love, not to read about how fabulous someone's expense account trip was to Fiji.
I top my oatmeal with ______
I am not sure where I fit in. My favorite oatmeal is baked oatmeal that I started to have when I moved to the Pennsylvania Dutch country of southeastern PA. I can offer a recipe but more or less it is some of your typical oatmeal combinations with egg and baking powder mixed in and then baked like a coffee cake. It is hard to describe if you never had it - the oats have more texture (stay more intact) yet they stick together into a cake. Here is a basic recipe that serves about 6.
3 cups Oatmeal (old-fashioned = best texture), ¾ cup Brown sugar,
1 ½ cup Milk, 3 whole eggs, 1 ¼ tsp. Baking powder, ½ tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 3 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hour or until center seems set and top is golden brown. Serve straight from the oven or keep it warm. Serve with warm milk.
You can add vanilla, spices, dried or fresh fruit, or about anything else folks have suggested.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
I grew up with Vernor's in Cincinnati. Say what you will about it, but for my ginger addiction it was my gateway drug.
Oh, btw, can a brother get some Uncle Cornelius in Minnesota?
Lebanon Farmer Grows 24.9-Pound Potato
No chemicals, right..... Then why does it look like something from a 1950's horror movie that is about to eat his head?
Cook the Book: 'Fat'
For me, it has to be green beans cooked with garlic and onion carmelized in bacon fat. My mom is a country gal and we always had the can of bacon grease in the cupboard.
Of course, I came to this page knowing what I would put that down but after seeing everything else, that would be like picking which of your children is your favorite. Please don't make me do - I just want to love all of them.
The Most Disgusting School Lunches
Sorry to harp on it but the flashback to Romany Steak made we wonder if I only imagined it. I searched "romany steak" with the quotes on Google and it came up with only two hits. The second was a 1959 newspaper clipping (obituaries and school menu on the same page - hmmm!?) that listed Romany Steak and Mashed Potatoes.
What I cannot decide is whether it makes me feel better or worse to know I didn't imagine it.
The Most Disgusting School Lunches
Just to add on to Tawni's message, there is something green next to the ham pita - I only hope it is supposed to be that color!
The Most Disgusting School Lunches
In my elementary school (Hopewell Elementary, West Chester, Ohio), the worst in my memory is something called "Romany Steak". It was frequently nicknamed Romany Snake due to its mystery meat appearance. I probably remember it even worse than it was but my recollection was that it appeared to be catfood that was broken up in water to make a sort of sauce that was served over noodles or mashed potatoes (I forget which). What any of this had to do with Romany or Steak, I cannot imagine.
Adventures in Shoo-Fly Pie
I lived in Lancaster County for 15 years ('88-'03). I had my first taste of Shoo-Fly at Yoder's Restaurant in New Holland. Warm with whipped cream, it is amazing.
One of my favorite jokes that I fell for was from my boss at the time (he was French) when we were at lunch one day. I ordered the Shoo-Fly and he told me I shouldn't have ordered that. He was quite the foodie so I thought he was just being snobbish. I asked him why, and with the straightest face, he told me it was because flies were not in season so it wouldn't be fresh!
The Vanilla Ice Cream Wars
I work in the dairy industry and can tell you that the specks are mainly for show. Someone else mentioned that they could be ground up pods and that is essentially correct. When they make vanilla extract the pods and seeds are mashed up and soaked in ethanol to extract the flavor components. Once the extract is removed, the pods and seeds are dried and ground further to make the specks. There may be some residual flavor in the specks but not much. An ice cream manufacturer will buy those specks from a vanilla supplier by the boxful and add them to the ice cream along with extract to get the flavor.
A better indicator of quality is whether the flavor is vanilla extract only since that is a defined flavoring. If the label says vanilla and other natural flavors, that means the flavor company has padded out the natural vanilla with additional natural flavor components to tweak the profile. And, of course, when the labels starts talking about artifical flavor and vanillin, walk away.
Candidate Ice Cream Flavors
How about White McCain-adamia Nuts? Vanilla ice cream with white chocolate chunks and white macadamia nuts.
Now, if I could only figure out how to work "Aged" into the recipe...?
Traitor Joe's?
As a former employee of one of those contract manufacturers, I saw first hand how Trader Joe's worked. They bought one cheese spread from us with their brand name in addition to one product with one of our own brands. Their approach was to buy a bunch of product at once in cartons with a large number of units to keep costs down.
And if anyone is worried that this somehow compromises their quality, I have this story. The product we made for them was without preservative (potassium sorbate) but we also made versions of the same product for others that included preservatives. Try as we might to keep their product separate, one batch had some trivial carryover of the preservative at a level that was below an effective level but was detected by their quality team. As they should have, they rejected that load but they went the step further of ending our contract because of that one slip.
They were a tough customer when it came to anything quality related.
For a Drink You Can't Put Down: Bottoms Up
It makes me think of an after dinner drink (sake?) I had in an Asian restaurant in France. It was a porcelain cup with a sort of glass "bubble" on the inside at the bottom of the cup. When it was empty, the glass distorted whatever pattern was underneath. When the alcoholic drink was put inside, it changed the refractive properties of the glass and the pattern was revealed as a partially clothed woman or man depending on your gender.
Participation in This Promotion May Be Hazardous To Your Health
I went to the website and laughed so hard I cried, lol. Although, I have to say, I wouldn't mind trying the BBQ pork and mac n cheese grilled cheese sandwich. And I love saying "The Cookie Cake Pie" out loud, though I think I'd die if I actually ate it. Still, gotta love the creativity there :)
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
I loved Gourmet, and there are also food blogs that I refer to almost daily. There's room for both, if the quality is there. Ironically, the person who best expressed my feelings about the death of Gourmet is a food blogger: http://www.oneforthetable.com/oftt/stories/goodbye-gourmet.html.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
I paid in advance for a subscription to Cook's Illustrated - I never received a single issue - But, now I have had several bills from Cook's Country for a subscription that I didn't order and haven't received. Mr. Kimball is out for the bucks and not paying attention to the mechanics of distribution. To me, this denigrates the quality they are so proud of. I have balked at paying for their Internet site and wish it was offered at no cost.
I do watch them on TV quite often and like the shows - It appears that Kimball runs a tight kitchen and leaves the mechanics of print distribution somewhere in the midwest to careless management.
I will miss Gourmet in many ways just like I missed Laurie Colwin and Lilliam Langseth Christensen. Newbies, there, are good too, but the cost of publishing and distribution are big and when you see the book at the supermarket for nearly $ 5.00 an issue, you hesitate before putting it into the cart. I can purchase a whole used cookbook on the used book internet sites for that amount. Economics prevail!
Some blogs are worth reading - others are nonsense.One has to be selective or have insomnia. I read this site's content to keep up with trends and new ideas. It's, of course, NYC oriented, but that's not all bad.
Just keep on giving content worth reading. This is a good thread!
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
Chris Kimball is in need of a colonoscopy. He's full of a "lot of stuff", and most of it belongs in the toilet.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
Kimball is an ass and America's Test Kitchen just got deleted from my DVR...
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
I agree with some of the posters who have mentioned Goumet wasn't that great of a magazine anymore. I love to cook, and Gourmet was pretty to look at but I rarely ever found any recipes that I wanted to try. Either the ingredients were too obscure (and I live in a very large metro. area where there are tons of food stores) or too expensive. I hate to say it, but the few recipes I tried usually were not things I would make again (probably had more to do with my cooking skills).
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
I thought this piece was excellent commentary. I couldn't agree more.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
So there you have it. As much as any of us love and admire our peers in any group sometimes they make bad choices. Often we talked about Gourmet on here. Often the majority said they were not happy with the way it had gone and was going. I don't know a more solid demographic/focus group than this esteemed group. One of the things that takes you down the wrong path in any customer driven business is taking your finger off the pulse or trying to fix that which is not broken. Gourmet did both.
Bad business. If Ruth did not agree with CN that was something she had to deal with herself, none of us can speculate why. It is what it is for now.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
No, the internet didn't kill Gourmet. What killed Gourmet was greed. The ridiculous advertising aimed at the richest 2% of the population is what killed Gourmet. Not to mention competition from Saveur (which has suffered lately, too and better get it together before they succumb). There are so many more foodie mags out now than when Gourmet began - it makes me sad that Gourmet couldn't keep up. RIP Gourmet.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
I can't say if I changed or if the magazine changed but I realized that it was a magazine about places I would never visit and food I would never cook, first and foremost, because I couldn't afford them. Just like a fashion magazine, they started to make me feel poor and ugly and unworthy of what I saw in the magazine.
Well said. I was flipping through an issue of Gourmet in the book store a couple years ago and noticed a photo spread with a bunch of 20 something hipsters (models of course), eating a "southern" meal with pulled pork sandwiches. The whole thing just struck me as absurd.
Did the Internet Kill 'Gourmet' Magazine?
@ littlepaperheart
I do believe you meant "niche," not nitch.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
Hey, if you have gotten over your ginger beer shell shock and decide to do another review, please include Jamaca's Finest Ginger Beer from the Natrona Bottling Company. I think it's far better than those citrus-y, honey, pineapple-y, fruity, too-sweet, brew-y beverages you have tried.
Cheers!
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
Here in Japan, we had an autumn beer with ginger in it.... that`s lager beer.
Totally refreshing drunkeness!
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
I'm a big fan of Barritts, which used to be part of the "official" recipe for a Dark 'n' Stormy according to the company that makes Goslings Black Seal Rum (which has apparently trademarked the name "Dark 'n' Stormy" and their version of the recipe).
Barritts is no longer listed as part of the recipe since Goslings now markets their own Goslings brand ginger beer. Haven't tasted it myself but there's a discussion on LTHForum.com from those who have.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
Fentimans Ginger Beer is awesome. If you like it you need to try the
Seville Orange Jigger, it could also be described as funky!
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
I like Barritts Bermuda stone ginger beer, which comes in cans. They carry it at my liquor store in Cambridge and we drank it a lot with the rum in St. John's
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_xpH_4P0-1xo/SUVHpzBy5fI/AAAAAAAAAgs/9ziPzPmXFNg/s512/100_0979.JPG
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
@all you Maine Root fans, I stumbled upon a bottle this weekend, bought it, and will crack it open with dinner tonight.
@everyone asking about Vernor's. My dad is from Michigan so this was the soda of choice in our house, when we had soda. In my experience, if you don't watch it when you open a can it will give you a coughing fit. It's some powerful stuff, but I wouldn't say it's a true ginger beer.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
Natural Brew Outrageous gingerale ..just the right kick
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
There was a brand of ginger beer called Old Tyme that was stellar but I haven't seen it in a few years and I believe the company must have gone under. Of the brands that I've been able to find locally (Atlanta), Saranac is my favorite but if I may expand the discussion to include ginger ale, a local brand named Red Rock simply cannot be beat. Very crisp and sharp, I believe there's a hint of cayenne in it. It's best served very cold, which really brings out its crispness.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
@OTC617 - I couldn't agree with you more! Maine Root has the best Ginger Brew I have ever tasted! Is it too early for a D&S I wonder?
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
DG Jamaican (the original) and Maine Root Ginger Brew...deep, rich, cloudy, not too sweet and peppery delicious!
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
The only kind I can get here after looking hard is Goya’s. It is pretty gingery, and I will cough if not careful. Sometimes a whiff is enough to make me sneeze. If it were a bit less sweet, I think I wouldn’t mind either.
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
The best is always home-made. I'm a huge fan of Alton Brown's ginger beer:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html
The Serious Eats Ginger Beer Taste Test
In Kenya they have a soda called "Stoney Tangawizi" which is very spicy and floral... I wish I could get it here!
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About jfultz
Location: Minneapolis
About: I have been cooking at home on some level for 3/4's of my life and if that isn't enough, I have been in food product development for half of my life. (for those of you that don't like word problems - I am 45, cooking for 35 and working for almost 23)
Favorite foods: Beef stews of nearly any type with with my favorites being Mom's then Carbonade then Beef Bourguignon, Gin & Tonic, Sal's cheese steaks in New Holland PA, Beans & Cornbread
Last bite on earth: Assuming a meal, Confit de Canard with pommes de terre sarladaises and salade périgourdine
As bad as this picture looks, I remember fondly a burger with PB served at the Triple XXX Family Restaurant adjacent Purdue University called the Duane Purvis All-American described on their menu like this: "1/4 lb. of 100% ground sirloin served on a toasted sesame bun with melted cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Spanish onion and French fries. Add thick creamy peanut butter on the lower deck and you're in for the touchdown!"
I had to wonder about that description but being young and adventurous, I could not let my college years pass without trying it. Surprisingly good because you have all the regular tastes of a good diner burger combined with a hint of sweet and nutty flavors from the peanut butter. I cannot say that it became a favorite but I can say that a bit of PB was a good way to improve the burgers they served in the dorm. Not a ringing endorsement, I know, but you do what you have to do.