Profile

smile

I love to cook and eat. Or just cook. Or just eat. Preferably both.

  • Location: Minneapolis
  • Favorite foods: I eat and enjoy everything except-- things smothered in BBQ sauce, most pork dishes, offal, extreme seafood, cream soda, the floating tomatoes in vegetable soup and strawberry ice cream most of the time.
  • Last bite on earth: Probably a fattouce salad with rice pilaf or a cheeseburger with pickles, a steamed bun and a thin beef patty. Or a Chicago dog.

Best fictional foods

The kabobs from "Berenstain Bears: No Girls Allowed" and whatever Kirstie Alley was eating at her mother's house in "Look Who's Talking".

Olive Garden

We go to Olive Garden a couple times a month. The service has always been excellent. We go when we want a lot of fresh salad and pretty good soup for a good price. The only other place to get unlimited soup and salad in the Twin Cities would be a buffet.

Broccoli overload

Broccoli Mash-

Steam or boil in shallow water until the broccoli is really soft. Saute it with a little oil and garlic. Mash it with a big fork and add some salt.

It's simple and delicious side that has been in my family forever. I like to eat it with rice, but we normally have it with whatever Italian dish we cook.

Olive Garden

I've asked this question somewhere else before. The answer I got was that the soups and pasta sauces are all made that day from scratch, but only an employee who is certified to make them can do so.

What do you get at Subway?

@ajmill- I agree. Don't know why this thread went where it did...


Thanks for ruining my thread people!

What do you get at Subway?

I get different things depending on the mood I'm in.

If I'm disgusted by most food, I get the Veggie Delight on wheat with all the vegetables, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar. American cheese and not toasted.

If I want something classic, I get the Italian on white with 1/2 the meat with lettuce, tomato, yellow pepper and Italian dressing. Also American cheese. Not toasted.

If I'm feeling nostalgic, I get the Cold-cut Combo on white with 1/2 the meat (that I rearrange when I get the sandwich), lettuce, tomato, olives, salt, pepper and mayo. American cheese. Not toasted.

If I'm in the mood for something warm, I'll get the Meatball on white, toasted, with provolone, tomato and parm.

Best source for mail-order baked goods?

Zingermans!

Mine is Better Than Yours

Guacamole

What is the worst pizza you have ever eaten?

Carbone's in Minnesota.

How do you take your coffee?

Black at home, black and iced at a coffee shop, a bit of cream at the other place.

SE Staff Picks: What's Your Favorite Taco Filling?

beef and cheese!

Dinner Tonight: Korean Japchae (Noodles with Spinach, Carrot, and Beef)

An old grandmother taught me how to make japchae in Korea. It's a little different from this recipe, but I'm sure its still delicious.

Snapshots from Sweden: Roaming Around a Swedish Supermarket

Cool pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Kitchen Gardeners: Whatcha got so far?

Two strong dill plants and few red tomatoes. My other stuff (peppers, cucumbers, green onions) aren't quite ready to harvest yet.

Do you like buffets...really?

I only ate Todai in Korea and it was pretty amazing. I loved getting the steamed buns. Delicious.

Want to go back.

Do you like buffets...really?

@Yo, sounds like Todai.

Do you like buffets...really?

I like them, but buffets are tricky because if you go when it is crowded, there is always some kid touching everything, some old lady sifting for the "best" pieces and someone hogging the crab-- but at least the food is constantly getting made and it is fresher. When you go when it is not crowded, then you risk eating old food.

I can't believe I didn't try this before !!!!

Ground poultry. I like chicken burgers now!

The $3 Big Mac (sort of) mini meal

I believe they had a promotion like 10 years ago selling a "Little Mac" (single patty and a top and bottom bun). I hadn't thought of making it up on my own though. Good idea!

Volunteered to bake for a Great American Bake Sale. Help!!

Lemon Blossoms. The recipe is on the Food Network website-- Paula Deen's. They're the most delicious cakes ever and they are very pretty. Very easy to make and keep well too.

If you've ever worked at a chain restaurant/ fast food place...

I'd probably have a lot of fun at Taco Bell-- probably since most of the times I eat there the food is so poorly put together that I don't want to go back. But I always do.

What Makes Sushi Good

I find that temperature is a big factor for me with good sushi. I really don't like it when the rice is just cooked and still hot.

Side dish to an Easter dinner for a beginner cook?

Pineapple Souffle-- sounds difficult but it's actually very easy. It's a sweet side dish with white bread, canned pineapple and eggs that goes really good with ham.

You can go to www.allrecipes.com and look for the actual recipe there.

Anybody out there still enjoy an after dinner smoke?

I really enjoy having a smoke after I eat, especially when I have wine too. I don't do it often for the normal reasons though.

Dungeness or King

Dungeness is my favorite! I can't get enough crab. Ever.

If you've ever worked at a chain restaurant/ fast food place...

If you've ever worked at a chain restaurant/ fast food place, did you ever make your own "special" (not on the menu) meals with the food there? Were there any delicious combinations that you miss now that you don't work there?

For example: I used to do it at Starbucks all the time. I would make 1/2 of a latte and fill the rest of the cup with hot water and go nuts with the frappucinos.

Cooking a fresh turkey

I'm getting a turkey from a local farm that will be killed shortly before I cook it. Does anyone have any advice for cooking a fresh bird? Should I brine it? Does it take less time to cook compared to supermarket birds?

I want to make the meat as non-gamey as possible.

Any suggestions/knowledge?

Thanks!

Moldy feta

I just bought a container of crumbled feta from my grocery store. It's a packaged brand so I didn't get it from the deli. I just went to open it for the 1st time and saw that there are 3 chunks with bright green mold on them. Is moldy feta ok to eat?

(PS the expiration date isn't for a long time)

Minnesota Pizza

We've just recently moved to Minnesota and can't seem to fulfill our pizza craving. There are tons of pizza places but we don't know which ones to try anymore because every pie we've ordered here has a set of characteristics that don't seem right to us:

1. A round pizza cut into 30-40 tiny, unequal pieces
2. Paper thin crust that feels like wet cardboard
3. Toppings under the cheese
4. Cheese in a seemingly disproportional amount (maybe because of the crust) that slides down your throat while you're still chewing on it like taffy

We've asked our waiters if this is a Minnesota thing and no one can seem to give us an answer. From what we've experienced, it seems like the norm here, but we don't really like it.

My question is, are there any pizzerias that serve traditional crust round pizzas similar to Dominos or Pizza Hut style?( In the Twin Cities)

We want to find a good pie somewhere without resorting to the chains.

What Time Is Brunch?

I'm thinking about having a early afternoon reception for my wedding (from 12-3). There's a great brunch menu at a venue but I'm nervous that the guest will think "WTF? Bacon and eggs at a wedding?"

What are the hours that it is acceptable to serve brunch?

Thanks.

Need some help registering for my wedding.

I'm about to start a registry with my future husband for our wedding next August. He gave me full control of the kitchen stuff so now I need some help from my fellow foodies!

So far, the special items I have in mind:

Lettuce spinner
Dutch oven
Cast iron chicken fryer
Crock pot
Rice cooker
Kitchenaid mixer

Any recommendations? Have any brand names been good to you? Bad to you?

How have you suprised yourself in the kitchen?

Last night I made an entire thanksgiving meal with no oven, no microwave, one pot, one pan and one gas burner in my tiny Korean apartment. When I was finished, I was really surprised at how things turned out because they weren't all that bad.
Have you ever had a "super cook" moment?

How can I make stuffing without an oven?

First thing I know you thought of is Stove Top stuffing.... that's what I thought of too until I remembered that I was living in Korea. I have no oven and no Stove Top stuffing.

How can I make stuffing without an oven?

Minneapolis

I'm moving there in 2009 and I was wondering of any good places to eat/ grocery stores. Also, what famuos chains are in that area?

Thanks!

Looks bad but tastes great!

As I eat my Palak Paneer, I'm wondering if there are any foods that you find to be visually revolting-- but the taste is so good that you eat it anyway.

So my question is: What foods look bad, but taste great? I will start...

-Palak Paneer
-Injerra
-Gummy worms
-Mollusks

Fake chicken

I'd love to see a battered (w/ 11 Herbs and Spices), deep fried, sauce (Spicy Garlic from Buffalo Wild Wings) smothered, meatless option on the menu at chicken restuarants. Do you think it'd do well?

I heard that Peta has pushed so hard that KFC Canada is getting a meatless chicken option on the menu.

Culinary school graduates--

I'm thinking about going to culinary school next year. The thing is, I don't think I want to work as a chef after I graduate. My goal would be to improve my cooking skills and to learn more about the art from professionals (not to mention have access to tons of cool cooking equipment) Are there any culinary grads out there who did it just for fun?

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