Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Peeps, Not Worth the $2

Ewww. Splenda does not belong in food, period.

randomeater at 12:47AM on 09/21/08

I'm so old that I remember (food style)...

ag3208, I assure you they existed :)

randomeater at 12:45AM on 09/21/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

I should learn to read the comments before I write my own :) Last one, I swear. I guess I've had all sorts of strange things on flatbread pizzas. Egg, beans, salsa.. Wasn't really thinking of those as pizza, but then pizza in Italy is closer to that sort of thing than what you would get as most pizzerias in America!

randomeater at 2:29PM on 09/19/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

Mm, I guess I've also had goat cheese on pizza, with roasted veggies. That's kind of outside the norm. (It was a frozen pizza, actually!)

randomeater at 2:26PM on 09/19/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

When I was in Italy, I had pizza with brie, mozarella, and pear. My partner's pizza had shredded horsemeat (sfilacci di cavallo), and uh.. some other stuff I don't recall.

Yes, there is veggie pepperoni, but it's not very good. I haven't had the real stuff in over a decade, but I hope it tastes a lot better.

When I'm having *good* pizza, I like to enjoy it with just cheese, but the pizza locally isn't that good, so I cover it with veggies :)

I do like pineapple on pizza, but without ham. I don't actually consider that "weird" or anything.

randomeater at 2:25PM on 09/19/08

Foods We Loved as Kids, Maybe Not as Adults

Oh right, also unnatural fruit juices, and Sunny Delight, which we used to drink a lot. I was given a bottle fairly recently because someone's mother sent her a case, and it was horrible.

randomeater at 10:47AM on 08/28/08

Foods We Loved as Kids, Maybe Not as Adults

I pretty much can't eat anything overly processed now, including any sort of pasta from a box (mac & cheese, hamburger helper, etc) or can (the aforementioned Spaghetti-Os). Also ramen, white bread, processed cheese food slices. All the stuff that I ate as a child because we were poor, and my mother neither had time to cook, nor wanted to (if she can't make it in the microwave or toaster oven,it's not worth making). Especially the ramen.. I physically cannot eat that stuff now, because it makes me nauseous. Also anything that's too sweet. Most candy is ok, but sugared cereals or prepackaged pies/brownies/etc are not.

randomeater at 10:45AM on 08/28/08

Table Manners III: Do you eat European or American-style...

Like AliNC, I rarely use a knife in the first place, so I tend to just eat with the fork in my right hand. I have pretty much no coordination in my left hand, though, so using the fork in that hand would be very difficult for me, and possibly messy.

randomeater at 12:52PM on 08/18/08

Snapshots from Asia: Tropical Fruit Feast, Pulasans and Rambutans

I've bought rambutan at the local grocery a few times, but it's so far removed from the origin, and turnover is probably low, so more often than not, it just isn't good :( Which particularly sucks given how expensive it is!

randomeater at 12:29PM on 08/12/08

What wouldn't you serve guests

As a vegetarian, I appreciate that you won't serve tofu! I mean, I enjoy tofu, and I cook with it a lot, but it's rather easy to mess it up. Someone who doesn't eat it regularly (and who doesn't realize how yummy it can be when done properly) would probably create something horrible, and that wouldn't be good for anyone!

randomeater at 11:59PM on 08/09/08

Why Do Diet Sodas Taste Like Crap?

Diet coke doesn't contain saccharine; it contains aspartame. Personally, I love Coke Zero. The acesulfame potassium + aspartame combo makes me happy (and it's what my local store-brand uses in their diet cola). I do like regular diet coke, too, though. I cannot drink non-diet sodas if they contain HFCS (though I do like the ones that contain cane sugar). And sucralose? EWWWWWW. I cannot drink anything that contains it. It's vile, disgusting stuff.

randomeater at 12:22PM on 08/07/08

Strange combos

I used to make sandwiches containing just cheese, potato chips, mayo and a touch of mustard. I think the habit started because when I was younger, a lot of events (academic competitions and the like) only served cold cuts for lunch, and as a vegetarian, I wanted something a little less boring than cheese on bread. I still put potato chips on deli sandwiches sometimes, if they're available.

I don't know if I'd want it now, but I used to dip things like french fries and potato chips into chocolate pudding. Now I really like fries with mayo, especially if they're sweet potato fries. I'm not a huge fan of ketchup, and even on burgers, I need to cut it with mayo.

I like to mix marmite with either peanut butter or butter and spread it on bread. Peanut butter and butter is also a yummy combination. Also butter and honey. (And obviously, peanut butter and honey!)

The salt on chocolate cake thing mentioned above intrigues me, and I might need to try it sometime :)

Growing up, we ate a lot of pizza at home (every Friday night!), and I liked to put various sauces on the leftovers.. bbq, honey mustard, etc, and also things like parmesan cheese. It wasn't particularly good pizza, but dressing it up really helped (and it was always better the next day, anyway, preferably cold or lukewarm).

And.. I'm rambling :)

randomeater at 11:28AM on 07/21/08

Look Who's Talkin': Recent Comments We Have Known And Loved

re: milk + cola

I used to do that, too! But I didn't get it from Laverne & Shirley. I used to make my own version of "egg creams" using milk, chocolate syrup and cola (I didn't know any better, and we never had seltzer in the house), and I think the milk + cola thing evolved from that.

I also eat french fries with mayo, b/c it's *so good*, and I don't particularly like ketchcup. Especially sweet potato fries. Mmmmmm.

randomeater at 11:15AM on 07/21/08

Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 24: How Often Should I Weigh Myself?

I weigh myself twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. That number is then inputted into a spreadsheet, from which a trendline is produced.

randomeater at 3:25PM on 07/04/08

Massachusetts Supermarkets May Remove Individual Prices on Items

"I don't want to run down the isle every time I pick up a product to see how much it costs. "

Have you ever gone to a grocery store outside of Massachusetts? Do you honestly believe this is what happens when things aren't individually priced?

randomeater at 11:57AM on 07/03/08

Massachusetts Supermarkets May Remove Individual Prices on Items

I guess it's because I've never lived in Massachusetts, but I'm unable to understand the opposition to this.. It's coming across to me as "our residents are lazy and stupid", and I *know* that's not the case. But this system has worked in basically every state other than Massachusetts (and Michigan?) for *years*.

Out of curiousity, are there no labels on the shelves currently? How do you do unit comparisons, or is everyone expected to whip out a calculator and figure it out for every item? And when an item is on temporary sale, I guess someone has to go relabel every single box, and then do it again when the sale ends?

randomeater at 11:53AM on 07/02/08

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

oops, here's the link to the photo. http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/04/29/loblaws-offers-free-green-bin/

BananaMonkey at 10:41AM on 09/15/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

Are plastic bins just a Canadian thing? In Southern Ontario we have a family of chains that each sell their own reusable bags, but also sell large plastic bins with tough handles on them. They are surprisingly easy to carry, Much easier to clean than the bags and most importantly, when I've talked to cashiers, they MUCH prefer loading them. The new reusable bags are often so tall that baggers are already reporting stress on their arms and shoulders. A few stores I've seen have retrofitted their conveyor belts so that they can lower and taller bags can be more safely loaded. But until that's everywhere, I look for the green option that doesn't hurt the workers.

I find unloading is also much easier because of the large surface area. Granted, if you have limited mobility, lifting them might be an issue, because they can hold an enormous amount of weight. I live in the burbs, and so use a car, but I know people use these to carry stuff on foot as well. I've ripped through three reusable bags in the last few months, but I suspect these bins will out live me.

Here's some blog with a photo. I'm not schilling--i just did an image search.

BananaMonkey at 10:41AM on 09/15/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I'm a fan of the Ecobags.com bags, we have quite a few and they are really sturdy and hold a ton. You can get organic cotton for a little more $ too. We got a "kit" that included some of their stretchy string bags too, but I prefer the plain canvas ones. Plus, no logos! I'm not doing any free advertising, thanks.

rockandroller at 10:27AM on 09/15/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

@CJ baggu bags are all I use. I love those things. They are a million times better than those "store" bags, they look great, they carry 2x the amount as most other bags, they weigh nothing and they fold up nice and small. I've given them out as gifts also. People love them. They are the perfect reusable bag. I'm thinking of getting a couple of their small totes to carry my lunches in.

chisai at 9:04AM on 09/15/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I have a Portland Trailblazers reusable that's an easy cashier conversation starter.

pearce77 at 4:26PM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I have bags from a variety of shops and stores, but my ABSOLUTE favorites are from www.baggubag.com

All the other bags are bulky and have to be carried manually because of their size. I needed something strong, small and handy.

They fold very small and two easily fit into a purse of pocket. They are the strongest of any bag I've tried and come in a ton of colors. Eash time I give some one as a gift, everyone who see them wants them (so I've got some easy x-mas shopping ahead).

I LOVE them, so I thought I'd share.

CJ McD at 2:53PM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

That WSJ slideshow is offensive and stupid. It appears that some fashion editor decided it would be cute to do a spread mocking reusable bags in general, and showing them holding photoshopped-in items like guns, boxing gloves, a chainsaw, and a fire extinguisher. How very clever. I could not possibly care less whether my grocery bags are stylish or not.

McNormal at 1:39PM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I still use the plastic bags for trash and garbage. Does it make sense to buy them? I can honestly say that they are always recycled at my house.

Jeremiahc at 1:29PM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I personally find this article by The Wall Street Journal extremely hypocrytical (and I'm not surprised from such a news source).
The "movement" is not only supposed to provide a more sustainable way to carry groceries (etc.) but to spread awareness of the issue surrounding wasting of plastics. Education!!!!

If the WSJ is so skeptical: how much "power" and "resources" did they use researching such a thing? Writing such an article???

As a principal: I have many of these bags--some of them are my favourites. My WWF bag is so durable AND its hot-pink :) I use it for everything. Some of them are pretty poor-quality but that doesn't mean that its pointless.

Every bit counts in my opinion. One less plastic bag clogging up the process :)

hungrychristel at 12:10PM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

i always forget them when i go grocery shopping, but am really good about using my 'book loft' tote for carting books back and forth to the library.

gastronomeg at 10:16AM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

Like KarynMC, we buy reusable bags on the offchance that we've forgotten ours. We currently have scads of the original Wegmans black bags and a couple of the Whole Foods cloth-papery ones. Unfortunately, our township doesn't have a recycling program, so we're avoiding paper bags until that's changed...

avaryne at 9:33AM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I reuse doubled paper bag sets from the stores I frequent, each in designs they have not used in many years. Have been doing so a very long time -- well prior to when it was trendy / it was "green" / anyone else seemed to be doing it. Doubled bags last forever, and it is easy to glue the handles back on when they come off.

For the stores that have different bags at holiday time (often ones with child-drawn designs from the previous year's holiday bag contest, I have a set of these. A couple years ago, I had a bagger -- excuse me, courtesy clerk -- ask where I got it, as it was a design he had submitted as an 8-year-old in the mid '90s. Yes, I've had it that long...

Chou Peng Qart at 12:39AM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

Most of the ones I have came from trade shows where vendors hand out bags for you to carry all the brochures and stuff. Some are a little small, but that's fine to segregate the cleaning supplies or when I'm just picking up a few items. But it's funny when I'm at the grocery store and my bags say "Intel" or "Microsoft" instead of the name of a store. I've also got some from the local harware store that gives them away now and then, and from the local newspaper. Most of the bags I use were free with some promotion, though.

I do have a really nice big burlap bag from Sunflower Market. That's the one that I usually go to the farmer's market with, and then I take smaller bags to segregate different produce or keep the crushable stuff safely on top.

dbcurrie at 12:33AM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

Loving my baggu bags. Tons of color choices and I am not a walking grocery store advertisement. Fold-able into a pouch for my purse.

TurkeyandPickles at 12:04AM on 09/14/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

Got mine in India for about 30 rupees (75 cents). It's served me well for five years now. I see no need to buy anything trendy. Mine is very sturdy, holds a ton, and has groovy wooden handles.

Dcarl1 at 11:12PM on 09/13/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I got this amazing canvas bag @ Target bout a year ago. It was 5bucks and fits a TON of evertthing. I leave the car, it's on my arm.

Can't stand plastic bags as they can suffocate ferrel cats, birds, -----,
without my going on a tangent.

donnie at 10:09PM on 09/13/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

My first reusable came from my husband. He got it from a fabric wholesaler (he's an upholsterer) and it is burlap. It's for my vegetables. I have 3 insulated bags that I got from Costco and I have a nice fabric bag that my friend got from JC Penny's and gifted me. I see lots of people in Costo that like @Jerzee love the boxes. I would, too, but they are so hard to break down and I have miserable hands from arthritis. We live in a town that requires recycling and while I do that I try not to have too many boxes that have to go out. I don't always have someone around to help when it is time to pull the boxes apart and set it out.

janaatwg at 8:44PM on 09/13/09

The Battle of the Reusable Shopping Bags

I have the black Wegman's ones. I have not bought more even though if I see the tomato one I might. I have Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, A pink one for breast cancer month. Mostly I reuse boxes. When I go to Costco I grab fruit boxes, dole, grapes whatever they have that are waxed and they carry a lot of stuff. I fill the boxes and then we unload those and bring them into the house. I find things do not get messed up that way.

JerzeeTomato at 8:28PM on 09/13/09

I'm so old that I remember (food style)...

I remember my Aunt Margie cooking authentic rouladen beef rolls, tied German-neatly with strings; she called them pigs in a blanket and taught me to make them when I was a teenager.
For dessert she made sheets of big, I mean big, puffy fresh oven-baked custard -filled German creampuffs. For the ever-present cookie jar, there were always thin gingerbread cookies and the slenderest imaginable lemon sugar cookies, melt- in -your- mouth delicious. How I miss that woman~ I also remember foods we ate that my mom called depression food. Cheap, but filling concoctions which every so often I still cling to as comfort food. One really unhealthy one may bring a memory to some of you "ration-card" war babies (like me). In place of cake or bakery goods, after dinner or at breakfast, we were allowed real butter spread ona slice of bread with a light sprinkle of sugar. My granma would ask, "a bit of sugar bread for you, dearie?" Mmmm...We loved it then, along with milk in our tea, the taste of pure butter was a luxury to savor, and milk added to tea was for "special" occasions only. That was during the war, mid forties, at the time when even little tots joined in to help to smash the aluminum cans flat, recycling for the war effort. Another comfort food "penny saver" was Muellers elbow macaroni, cooked a bit "al dente", slathered with Campbell's tomato soup straight out of the can and heated with a smidge of milk, but served with a dollop of that precious rationed butter, salt and pepper. To this day I consider that a treat when I feel a bit low. Crazy connections foods make to the psyche! Please share other "hard times" foods that you may remember, especially from "ration" days of the forties.

fifties girl at 10:18PM on 01/10/09

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

ALthough plain cheese is always appreciated, I make 2 special pizzas that my family enjoys. One is buffalo wing chicken with pepper jack cheese,and the other is smoked mozz with sweet sausage and roasted red peppers.

dmcavanagh at 7:56PM on 12/30/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

Feta cheese with tomatoes fresh out of the garden and kalamata olives sprinkled over a round of dough brushed with olive oil, minced garlic, greek oregano and a thin layer of mozzarella cheese is one of my favorite summer time pies. Even better when it's done on the grill.

dhorst at 7:19PM on 12/30/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

smoked, thin-sliced ham and green olives...yum
And I make my own pizza at home
Besides plain cheese, the above mentioned are great for a change of pace

soozm32 at 6:11PM on 12/30/08

Why Pepperoni Pizza Sucks

No pepperone, love it uncooked with cheese & crackers or antipasto, but not on pizza, overpowers everything else. Same thing with bacon. Good sausage meat or plain cheese for me. And don't even start with those cowpies from Chicago!

tio tony at 5:26PM on 12/30/08