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Where to eat in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas?
Dallas: Taco Diner and La Cucina (same owners and w/ locations in Fort Worth) are good, more casual; the steakhouses are nice, but I'm vegetarian so just ate lots of creamed spinach and roasted vegs - but Guidelive.com is a popular DFW guide.
Forth Worth - the Modern art museum cafe is nice; the food's alright and they have a brunch but the atmosphere is what's really yummy!
and second on checking out the Czech bakery en route from DFW to Austin.
Austin: for a drink, San Jose Hotel has a great outdoor bar; go for a swim in Barton Springs! and if you want to go to Chuy's, there's one very close, and P. Terry's is close too. Guero's food is so-so, but again great atmosphere - and featured in Quetin Tarantino's "Death Proof." I like Magnolia Cafe for brunch and you must go to Whole Foods - it's the flagship! More than a grocery store, it's an amusement park and then go to Waterloo Records across the street.
Have fun!
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
I'm just now learning to cook for myself and I visit numerous blogs/ sites and choose recipes among them, compiling recipes in my pantry...besides reflecting my online habits, it's cheap and I appreciate comments/ tips from blogs that aren't necessarily in cookbooks.
Question of the Day: Do you have a food-related pet name for your sweetheart?
I call my beautiful niece "baby cake." My sister calls her "chicken." No idea.
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Black coffee during dinner: your thoughts?
Posted by porter 3, February 7, 2007 at 1:14 AM
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Which Diet Is Most Environmentally Friendly?
Actually, the article discusses a study that looks at veganism versus vegetarianism versus some meat consumption; the "quick bite" here is misleading.
The study doesn't say anything we shouldn't already know - that every inch of soil is not capable of supporting all forms of vegetation, so it can be more stressful for the land to grow vegetables in lieu of using that land for cattle grazing.
Quick bites shouldn't be equated with sound bites, which are too often misleading and used to justify certain behavior.
Where to eat in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas?
Dallas: Taco Diner and La Cucina (same owners and w/ locations in Fort Worth) are good, more casual; the steakhouses are nice, but I'm vegetarian so just ate lots of creamed spinach and roasted vegs - but Guidelive.com is a popular DFW guide.
Forth Worth - the Modern art museum cafe is nice; the food's alright and they have a brunch but the atmosphere is what's really yummy!
and second on checking out the Czech bakery en route from DFW to Austin.
Austin: for a drink, San Jose Hotel has a great outdoor bar; go for a swim in Barton Springs! and if you want to go to Chuy's, there's one very close, and P. Terry's is close too. Guero's food is so-so, but again great atmosphere - and featured in Quetin Tarantino's "Death Proof." I like Magnolia Cafe for brunch and you must go to Whole Foods - it's the flagship! More than a grocery store, it's an amusement park and then go to Waterloo Records across the street.
Have fun!
Cook the Book: 'The Silver Palate Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition'
I'm just now learning to cook for myself and I visit numerous blogs/ sites and choose recipes among them, compiling recipes in my pantry...besides reflecting my online habits, it's cheap and I appreciate comments/ tips from blogs that aren't necessarily in cookbooks.
Question of the Day: Do you have a food-related pet name for your sweetheart?
I call my beautiful niece "baby cake." My sister calls her "chicken." No idea.
Coffee Culture
This article really spoke to me for I am a law student now and I love Nellie McKay! Also, I used to drive as much as an hour and half in search of a perfect new coffee shop, but now that I'm car-less, I love being a regular at a few places.
In college, my friend and I used to visit this same coffee shop forty minutes away every Wednesday, purportedly to study - and we did bring our books - but it was our chance to spend quality time just the two of us b/c we lived in a suite with 11 other girls. There was a certain thrill to sneaking off b/c we were afraid others would want to join.
Anyway, on these ventures, we made great friends. Being together made us bolder and we would strike up conversations with numerous people, including one very attractive man who I did start an email relationship with until he told me about his boyfriend (I'm female)...sigh. But yes, one of the last vestiges of community, I hear that.
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
second on the trail mixes. for very sweet - the cranberry bliss with chocolate ooh... i like their nuts/ dried fruits section generally. the juices are good too.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
it's mostly all been said, but i think RR and emeril's kids would be roundish and very cute! weirder couple: sandra lee + alton brown (am picturing him with his face super close to the camera).
OMG, they make Cherry Coke Zero now!
eh, i'll take coffee over any cola. but i'm happy for you.
Eating Pretty
holly golightly may not eat a bacon, egg tomato sandwich, but she does eat some type of pastry in that opening scene, thereby associating baked goods with glamour; or should we take it a step further and say what is appealing about that scene of her with a white bakery bag in front of tiffany's is that she is a collection of oddities - evening gown in the morning, sunglasses in fog and pastry in remarkably thin body - that aggregate of oddities is what's alluring. it's just like how michael pollan warns against extracting any nutrient from its food, nutrient: food as pastry: scene of contrariness, SAT what!
Question of the Day: What's your favorite breakfast?
i love breakfast at home, esp. chocolate chip + blueberry pancakes, sliced oranges and fresh coffee. i would eat it at every meal except for attempting to preserve its specialness.
What's your favorite kitchen sound?
garlic browning in oil in a wok right before the vegetables intrude.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN back in the early days. I enjoyed Jack McDavid, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton. Now, I never watch FN. The turning point, for me, was when Rachel Ray became a "star" (gag).
Now if I want to learn something about cooking, I tune in PBS, and watch Jacques Pepin, Lidia, or the two ladies on America's Test Kitchen.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Least: Ina Garten; from her voice to her food, personality, friends, etc. . .she drives me insane.
Most: Giada Di Laurentiis, I have a girl crush on her.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I have to agree with many comments here.I have studied culinary arts for years and these housewife cook wannabees do not know the difference between a good Veloute and a bowl of gravy.
Where does the food netwok find these people?
Sandra Lee gets so excited over her booze,you would think she was an alcoholic! Rachael Ray acts like the host of Sesame Street with her ignorant, goofy, childish sayings. Paula Dean serves so much fat in her food, it is more rich than her fake,overpronounced accent which is comparable to fingernails on a chalkboard.Giada dresses like a street walker and tries to sound italian with her fancy pronouncing og food.What happened to credible culinarians? are all we are left with are women's day readers like these four women who think they are teaching cooking? please!!!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My faves: Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Ina Garten
Likes: Jaime O., Tyler F. Micheal Chirello (sp?)
My not so faves: Ray Ray, Sunny Anderson and the Neeleys...I started out liking Ray but her overexposure did me in...I haven't seen a thing on Sunny's show that I would make, and I can't stand her delivery, and the Neeleys...I like things they make but that lovey dovey crap really turns me off...and of course Sandra goes without saying...
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My favorite is Ina and my very least favorite is Giada. Can Giada's tops get any lower without this show being rated as porn? I have nothing at all against showing some cleavage, but please...this is a cooking show, and if her cooking isn't good enough to stand on its own, they should take her off the air. Actually, I tried several of her recipes and thought they we just "okay". Her books are loaded with photos of her rather than of the food, and she is way too full of herself. She should stop the annoying Italian accent when she pronounces Italian food items. She was born and raised in California for goodness sakes!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN but honestly it's so overproduced these days I just can't get into it. I understand that they get the best ratings with these lame reality shows and camera-friendly cooks, but can't they appease everyone by having a few shows with hosts passionate about a particular part of cooking? Go ahead, play them at some weird-ass time of day, I'll tape it, but to me it's such a waste of a perfect medium to march out these clowns preparing the same bland recipe over and over and over again.
Favorites (none of these exist anymore): Jamie , Mario, Alton
Least favorites: Aida Whatever, Sunni Whatever
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch this channel frequently for info on cooking techniques, and good recipes; not on much anymore. Weekend getaways at $40 and such rot are a waste of time. I have no problem with the dumbed-down shows for the chef-boyardee crowd, but I have the travel channel, with Bourdain, for the other stuff.
Faves: Alton, Mario, Sara
Middling: Sandra, Giada [OK....just eye candy....no turtlenecks needed]. Flay....I like the genre, so I follow his recipes. Emeril....shelf life date gone by......he's now a shill on the "green network".....and, not convincingly so. Paula.....on the fast track to Emeril status.
Least: Ray Ray. Well, Sandra too...although S doesn't annoy me me nearly as much as does RR.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorite: Ina Garten and Bobby Flay
Least Fave: Sandra Lee (worst), Sunny Anderson, Ellie Krieger, Ann Burell
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
FAVE: jamie oliver -- i LOVE jamie at home. also nigella -- apparently i love brits.
LEAST FAVES: sandra lee, hands down. not even a competition!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favs: Ina Garten, Giada, Alton Brown. Duff Goldman & Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes - do they count?
also sort of Flay because, hey, a good looking guy who can cook? im all for it.
least favs - Paula Deen. something about her annoys the CRAP out of me. Sandra Lee - im in college and even i wouldnt eat some of the disgusting look things she makes
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorites: Paula Dean, her recipes I can make and have. Sandra Lee because her recipes are very doable. Why do so many dislike her? I love to watch her. I also like the fact that with Sandra Lee, you can take common packaged stuff and make something great. Alton Brown, definitely a fav of mine. I can't stand Emeril. His recipes are so complicated, why bother? Ina Garten's recipes are too complicated as well.
Least Favorite: Obviously Rachel Ray is an amature when it comes to cooking. Come on folks, I mean, my teenage son can concoct what she comes up with. Also, she is extremely irritating with all of her hand gestures and her EEVO and her rolling eyes. I deliberately turn off the FN when she is scheduled. I just don't get it. She's awful. BEST: Alton Brown WORST: Rachel Ray
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Most: Paula Deen, Alton Brown, and Ina Garten
Least: The Neelys and Sunny Anderson
Question of the Day: What's your favorite breakfast?
@BigD I want to marry you!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
First of all I have to recover from laughing sooo hard at the remarks from:
Nance- re: Sandra Lee on the Kwanzaa cake (topping in with corn nuts) please tell me your joking, I don't know if you or Sandra's Kwazaa cake recipe want to kill ME. rotfl.
Jensings- your comment also made me roll off the couch, well put.
Alssa- same as above
Thanks y'all for a very good laugh.
Now who I like:
Alton - becuz he is silly and informative, I like that.
Emeril- becuz of due respect, but he needs to (or has) retire, his "bam" has gotten a little too old.
Ina- like her soft spoken demure and her recipes seem very good, but did she make a pact with the devil? Read her bio eveything thing she did she is successful at... hmmmmmm. That nervous laugh does get to me though.
Tyler- tried some of his stuff....really good.
Sara Moulton- like her alot, she is so relaxed, I like her cooking, she teaches, and she covers UP!! I miss her.
Cat Cora-total professional, she is very pretty but like all chefs ( iam one myself) cover's UP!! She wears a chef coat. I like her demure and professional knowledge.
Anthony Bourdain- Love his shows, they tell the real shit that goes on in cultures.
Mario- real authentic chef. Love his shows and his foods. Wll miss him too.
Duff-I like but other then his oux and Mary Alice many of his workers seem liike there on drugs.
Guy- I like him. his show makes me sick becuz my city has very few diner, drive-ins and dives anymore( I live in Seattle). His other show I only saw a few times, but I liked what he made so far. He's funny.
Symon- I like him. He's professional and his giggles crack me up. I like his food.
Flay- His actual shows bore me to sleep but I do respect his success and I 'm sure his food is good. I hear good reviews about his restaurants.
Ming Tsi- I miss him, he too is a Pro. and I loved his show. I made a dish of his for Mother's Day once and it turned out great but man, I almost had to hop a plane to Asia to get some of the ingreds. for it.
Now for my dislikes:
Paula Deen- I like her home program (she's somewhat mellow) but the shit she makes.......
Paula's party- That is enough to make my ears bleed. Is she drunk on that show? She is flirting, forgetting what they are doing she is hamming it up. Nooooooooo!!
Robin What her name- Boring.
Giada- I liked her pogram when it first aired, but now it is a joke. Yes that phoney accent, the Farrah Fawcett smile, yes the low cut shirts. Shit she is making Italian food (maybe), she should be professional and wear a chef coat. You get shit all over yourself making Italian food. It's food food porn.
Sandra Lee- Ah wtf is she doing on FN? Yes she has a concept for making things go easy in the kitchen, yes someone above wrote that some chefs use canned this and that for fresh and its true, and that is good, but she can at least come through with some dishes that are homemade 100% for the times one has day off or special occasions ect. Anyone can open a box or packet and just add shit to it, but I thought the FN was to educate people how to make real dishes.
Bobblehead aka Rach Ray- She is over the top of WHAT???? Yes I play a game with my boyfriend, everytime 30 mins. airs we get beers ready and when she says her imfamous words "EVOO, sammies, delish, garbage bowl, awesome, eyeball it, giggles, ect., we take a drink. Guaranteed your tipsy (if not drunk) in 30 minutes. FN needs to restructure what their goal is really quick. Do they want the true chefs that really show people methods, ideas of real cooking or do they want to have circus acts like they are airing?
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Rachael, Guy and SLoP should be BANNED. Every Rachael recipe I've tried has come out like s**t.
I love just about everyone else on the FN.
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
That's a funny question, because my sister just sent my some food from their store in Atlanta. She sent me some agave plant sweetener, almonds, and some chips. I've only tried the chips so far and I really liked them--it was a veggie and flax seed chip, with carrot and tomato, spinach and onion, and some other flavors. Definitely recommend them--great plain, and they're probably better with some type of black bean dip or salsa!
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
I have to add the lemon curd, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and the English toffee candy.
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
Barring being in Hawaii and getting fresh-made mochi ice cream, I buy them there when the craving hits. They are available at a number of places here but, for whatever reason, I trust their transportation process. :P
Because their prices are so cheap, we buy with consistency their lightly salted frozen edamame in shell, pistachio meat, tamales, and sour dough bread.
During the holidays, we buy a butt ton of candy cane Joe-Joe's, and an assortment of snacks in cute tins to augment everyone's gifts.
We used to buy their thinly sliced beef for sukiyaki, but the last time we got it, it was nearly rotten, so we have been buying large cuts of meat at the butcher, partially freezing, and then cutting them on our own.
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
This is such an excellent topic. I LOVE Trader Joe's. My favorite things are the Mochi Japanese ice cream. I don' t care for the chocolate or vanilla kind, it HAS to be green tea. I also love their roasted red pepper soup that comes in the carton. I love their super affordable organic chicken stock and last, but not least: the huge containers of fresh basil that you can get for dirt cheap. Oh wait, one more thing! I love their fresh mozzarella cheese. There is nothing like walking out of Trader Joe's knowing that you've got everything neccessary to make a killer caprese salad when you get home.
Favorite Trader Joe's items?
TJ's freeze dried fruit is great -- the mangosteen, rambutan, pineapple & mango are all fantastic, delicious & nutritious.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Wow.....the animosity towards Sandra Lee in some of the comments is quite interesting. I’ve worked with and have hired professional chefs over the years and the short cuts they use in their cooking isn’t much different from Sandra Lee’s. She’s just honest about it. I know of one 5-star restaurant that opens a can of Campbell’s tomato soup, adds some garnish, gives it a fancy name and charges a ridiculous price. Anyone who utilizes a can of San Marino for a tomato dish cannot possibly sit in judgement of others.
I’ve tried some of the recipes of the highly rated “chefs” mentioned here and found them to be quite disappointing. The end result is what it’s all about....not how much one slaved in the kitchen.
Sandra Lee makes cooking fun....especially for those just starting out. And nowadays, with so many young folks working many hours in serious careers, I’m sure it’s nice to have a quick, fun recipe when one finally gets home at 7:00 pm and the kids are famished. I can’t wait to try some of her recipes with my grandson when he gets old enough.
I liked Alton Brown better before he went gimmicky and goofy.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I watch Food Network much more for technique and principles than recipes. Travel shows and food competitions are time-wasting. How about healthful cooking, vegetarian recipes, dairy substitutes, ethnic cooking other than Italian, bread baking? I can't eat pork or shellfish, or mix dairy and meat. How about cooking with those limitations.
FAVORITES: Alton Brown. More time and less clowning, please.
Giada. Reasonable recipes; fewer distractions (2), please. Maybe her body is too small.
Robin Miller. I respect her as a wife and mother. Realistic recipes. A nice lady.
WORST
Paula Dean, Ina Garten are toxic. Rachael Ray has too much TV and commercial exposure. Why does every one of her recipes have to contain cheese and pork? Emeril is generally boring, but occasionally he shows an excellent technique. His "Live" show is dreadful. Sandra Lee: I just turn off the sound and watch. I don't care what she's doing.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I think Food Network made the gradual decision to make the channel more about food and life and less about cooking technique... what with the average American's non-stop hectic life. Cue: 30 Minute Meals and the like.
I supremely enjoyed Batali's program with the three guests observing, asking questions and sampling his dishes - it was a beautiful and simple concept for a cooking show. It was what cooking should be, about learning and sharing with people. To whoever said he moves too fast and undercooks everything, I am going to fight you.
I don't like Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee either. A lot of people go bananas over Ray though. I've never watched an entire Sandra Lee.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Wow...who spelunked the archives to find this gem of a thread!!!
There are very few shows remaining on TVFN worth watching if you are amongst those with tastebuds. TVFN has switched its target to the Cool Whip Contingent instead of sticking with hardcore foodies (such as us).
Ina Garten, Michael Chiarello, Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentis are the last holdouts doing valuable cooking instruction at TVFN. The rest is fluff and nonsense - i.e. Unwrapped and The Secret Life Of... One exception might be the "challenge" shows which, depending on your interests can be intriguing.
The absolute worst hack on TVFN is without a doubt Sandra Lee. Her show is nothing about cooking. She assembles boxes of this with cans of that, pours in a little envelope of "soup" powder and calls it cooking. After attending one of Shamdra's Junkfests, I imagine her guests go out for dinner. If they can drive.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorites: Alton, always. He's a genius, funny, and has resisted the pressure to get hairplugs. : P I viewed what I'm guessing some people were declaring his rude behavior on the Food Star, and I think they need to take a breath and grow up a little; after all, these contestants were presenting themselves as both knowledgeable about cooking and having the charisma and creativity to create their own show--I don't think his expectations were too high. It's the network's that should be much higher.
Nigella I have loved for years, although I am dismayed by some of the shortcuts on the new show.
Jamie Oliver has had some great recipes in the past, so I'm interested to see the new show.
Anthony Bourdain is more himself, and therefore more entertaining on the Travel Network, but certainly worth watching in the original Cook's Tour.
Should be cancelled immediately, if not sooner:
Paula Deen, please sit down and allow Southerners to retain some semblance of self-respect. Every time I hear her, I can feel my brain cells committing suicide, and her recipes nauseate me. Less is more, Paula.
Rachel Ray--I used to find $40 a Day marginally bearable if only for the locations, but eventually stopped tuning in not only because of her overdone, annoying banter, but especially because of the appallingly paltry tips she would leave the kind people who served her food. It's no wonder she always wound up eating alone--no one else wants the waiter spitting in their food because they're sitting with a cheapskate! Since those early days, it's hard to escape Rachel. She chases me from one network to another, and even if I don't stumble onto one of her myriad shows, I can't escape her hawking something in commercials, nor her unnaturally shiny eyes in the grocery checkout line. God save us.
Sandra Lee: like a clone gone awry, she has followed Rachel in the Food Network's race to the bottom. I came across an amusing article that addresses this on a wider scale: http://chriswalkerversus.blogspot.com/2007/04/chris-walker-vs-dumbing-down-of-america.html Atrocious doesn't adequately describe her show. Just how stupid does FN think we are--and are we? *shudder*
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Black coffee during dinner: your thoughts?
Posted by porter 3, February 7, 2007 at 1:14 AM
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Actually, the article discusses a study that looks at veganism versus vegetarianism versus some meat consumption; the "quick bite" here is misleading.
The study doesn't say anything we shouldn't already know - that every inch of soil is not capable of supporting all forms of vegetation, so it can be more stressful for the land to grow vegetables in lieu of using that land for cattle grazing.
Quick bites shouldn't be equated with sound bites, which are too often misleading and used to justify certain behavior.