Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Ugh, forced coinage. Also ugh, becoming a snob about anything, whether that thing is food, parenting, or one's oh-so-superior management of one or both.

That said, if we need a term to describe little gourmets-in-training, I vote "taster tots."

I appreciate that you at least put a roast pork and not a cheesesteak at the top of the article to represent us. Kudos for that.

That said, Capogiro's superior product knocks the pants off not only L'arte and GROM, but also Il Lab and Ciao Bella. The only gelato in NYC that beats Capogiro's is the olive oil gelato at Otto, and I'm sure we don't want to drag the fancy places into a challenge clearly built on the food of the people.

re: Philly's burger bench, you might consider the burgers at Pub & Kitchen, Royal Tavern, Union Trust, Lacroix, Butcher & Singer, PYT, VIllage Whiskey, and also the one you pictured, from Good Dog.

ALL that said, your pizza beats ours so soundly I'd nearly forfeit the whole thing based on that.

Thanks for your detailed analysis. In food we can all win; in baseball, we'll see.

I don't like to wear food-based scents because they make me hungry, but since this is a fantasy and not reality, I'm going with marzipan.

muiges, no, Shopsin was my first guess too! Thank you for confirming I am not (entirely) crazy.

Because it is better than words can say.

For less crowding, a shorter walk from the Metro, and to have your burger with a glass of shiraz in a pleasant air-conditioned environment, go to the bar at Ray's the Classics in Silver Spring instead. They don't quite have the full complement of options but you're more sure to get exactly what you want. And the bartenders are awesome. And if you're not in the mood for the burger, their other bar menu deals are tremendous.

I miss DC. And its burger selection.

Vodka is definitely the right flavorless choice. In my experience you can go up to 2 tbsp in a batch. If you want a great general ice-cream-making resource book, The Perfect Scoop covers everything beautifully. Happy churning!

There's a great recipe in All About Braising for braised scallions that would use up, like, a pound. Clean and trim (just nip off the very tops and roots -- this recipe uses the dark green parts as well as the white and light green) and pile in the bottom of an 8x13 pan, then add a little butter and a half-cup or so of water, veg stock, or chicken stock. Fresh tarragon if you have it, otherwise just S&P. Cover with foil. Can't remember the cooking time, but it's probably something like 350 for an hour.

They're like a totally different thing when they're cooked like this. Mild, sweet, substantial. It's a side dish all on its own.

You can also grill them and serve with romesco or another dipping sauce.

Better prices than other stores on dried fruits and nuts. I like their frozen enchiladas, lasagna, tamales, etc. for cheap lunches (check the calorie counts, they reeeeeally vary). Also good prices on beer and wine.

I agree the cheese is not always a good bet. I buy goat cheese there because it's well-sealed, but the quality of their other cheeses I think is uneven.

Yes also on the triple ginger cookies and the everything crackers (and everything bagel chips).

Don't get attached to anything in particular there, or stock up -- they are notorious for axing products with no warning and never having them again.

There is a Capogiro Gelato out in University City and one @ 20th & Sansom also... the one on 13th is still closed after a fire in their display case a couple weeks ago. Definitely hit Reading Terminal Market, but be aware it closes at 6 so you can't plan on dinner there. Cheesesteaks are OK but they pale next to a DiNic's roast pork or a Sarcone's hoagie, IMHO.

Sang Kee and Sakura (I think that's the name) are great options in Chinatown, and South Street Souvlaki is an affordable Greek option at 4th & South. If Monk's sounds good but you're not in that area around dinnertime, Eulogy in Old City is owned by the same people. I love the BYOBs but a lot of them are on the small side -- with kids I'd maybe recommend Distrito in U City or El Vez on 13th, both Mexican and loud and fun. Oh, also Famous Fourth Street deli for brunch or lunch, the sandwiches are huge and it's the best corned beef in town.

All About Braising has some great vegetable braising recipes you can do on the stovetop -- radishes, new potatoes with bay, all sorts of good stuff.

I think the Twitter recipes are awesome for advanced cooks who can fill in the gaps with their expertise, and want to play. Beginning cooks, yeah, or people who need to be 100% sure of what you're getting, stick with the full version. Twitter recipes don't threaten the existence of conventional cookbooks, or your grandma's borscht. Cookbook authors should be a lot more concerned about Epicurious.

I don't really use Twitter but I fail to see how its existence hurts me, as a cook or a person or lover of all things food. Why the hate?

Wasabi peas are good; wasabi cashews are AMAZING. Trader Joe's had an amazing version for a while and discontinued them, so you couldn't get them in the states (Dollar Tree has wasabi-coated ones but not the right rice-flour-shell version) but now you can buy them from Amazon... but only in a pack of six 15-oz jars.

Sorry to babble but I LOVE them. Crispy rice flour coating + hot wasabi powder + creamy fatty cashew... too perfect.