Get to Know a Serious Eater.

thepictsie's Profile

Website:

Location:

About:

Favorite foods:

Last bite on earth:

The Ten Most Recent Posts By thepictsie

From Talk

What's Italian for ice cream (US style, not gelato)?

Anybody know what Italians call American-style ice cream? The restaurant I work at got bought and turned into an Italian place, and we're keeping the old ice cream, but we want to call it something Italian on the menu, and it's not really gelato, is it?

From Talk

First Thanksgiving problem: How much turkey do I need?

It's the first time I've planned and cooked a Thanksgiving dinner myself, and I have NO idea of how big of a turkey to get. I've got 10 people coming, and I'm planning to deep fry the turkey. Will a 12lb bird be enough? Should I get two smaller birds? I want to ensure sufficient leftovers, of course. Soups and moles are in the game plan. Help!

The Ten Most Recent Comments By thepictsie

From Required Eating

'Where Are the Women?': On the Scarcity of Female Chefs

Oh, and for many of us who want to cook professionally, TV and blogging and so forth are not at all appealing. It's not what we want. Why hell should we give up our ambitions and settle (and just because it isn't settling for you doesn't mean it wouldn't be settling for us), just because the industry doesn't like us as much as the boys?

From Required Eating

'Where Are the Women?': On the Scarcity of Female Chefs

I live in Seattle, a much more woman-friendly city when it comes to the restaurant biz, and I still get lots of people assuming I'm in pastry. Even other women.
I got my current job partially because I'm a woman. The new chef at my restaurant is a woman, and she's trying to not be the only one in the kitchen. With me, there are three of us, in a kitchen that employs almost two dozen people.
Sarah, it's good that you're acknowledging women in the industry, but make no mistake, women are grossly underrepresented in restaurant kitchens, and a good part of what's responsible for that is pure, unadulterated sexism. Women who are not chefs doing TV shows for other people, frequently women, who are also not chefs, isn't going to help much. Trying to claim that anyone who points out the sexism in the industry is wrong isn't helping, either.

From Talk

$200 Rice Cooker

From Required Eating

May I Pour You Some Wine? A Server's Take on Wine Service

Asado, Truculence, and others:
Clearly, there are some major points about food service that you do not understand. For each thing that you dislike and insist that servers should not do, there are many other people who would throw fits if the server neglected that particular service. A server must follow the house's standards of service, and should not have to ask diners if every little point of those standards is to the diners' liking (that would be really annoying, if they asked on every possible point where one person might prefer something different over the usual standard of service, because there are more of those points than you can imagine). If it is not, it is the diners' responsibility to speak up when the server asks if the meal is to their liking. That is one of the purposes of that question. As Hannah said, a server is not a mind reader, and cannot be expected to magically know that you want something different from the last fifteen, or fifty, people she's served.
And don't be critical of servers who need to complain about diners, as long as they do it out of earshot and visual range of the diners. It's a tough job, and they need to blow off steam. Also, every little variation from the standard of service is one more thing a server has to keep track of, and remembering not to do something that's automatic is much more challenging than just pouring the wine.
Also, good grief, are people really allowing their conversations to be interrupted by a server coming up and pouring something? I mean, I generally smile and/or toss off a "Thanks," but it's not as if it breaks my train of thought.

From Required Eating

Stand Up to Waiters Who Rudely Refill Your Wine Glass

potroast -- 60% of a pour doesn't necessarily mean 60% of glass capacity. Red wine glasses are standardly substantially larger than a standard pour of 5-6oz, and so 60% of a standard red wine pour will be rather less than half of the glass's capacity. 60% of a standard white wine pour will be at just about half the glass.

From Talk

Purple cauliflower?

I always roast it, and it stays purple just fine, thanks. Purple asparagus and "green" beans, won't, but I suspect cauliflower has a different pigment.

From Talk

What's Italian for ice cream (US style, not gelato)?

Neapolitan means "from Napoli". Neapolitan ice cream was an Americanized version of spumoni.
Nope, not trying to make up a word, necessarily, just trying to find something that would work in the context. Personally, I think it's ridiculous, but it's what the boss wants.
I'm going to suggest "Gelato Americano," but I doubt it will go over well.

From Eating Out

Serious Sandwiches: Is There a Better Condiment than Guacamole?

You don't need a recipe for guac! Mash a couple of ripe avocados with cilantro, lemon or lime juice (I love it with key lime, but I'm from Florida), and, if you like it chunky, add diced tomatoes or onions. Some people add a tablespoon of mayo to make it creamier, but I don't care to.
Actually, I can't eat guac at all anymore, not for about two years now. I developed an allergy to avocado. I'm sad.

From Required Eating

In Videos: Robin Williams' Deranged Character on 'Law & Order: SVU' Is Locavore

They actually held a similar pillow fight here in Seattle recently, and the city crews who had to clean up were very, very unhappy.

From Talk

What do you eat a Vidalia Onion with?

I make dressing out of them, among other applications. Sweat them in a little bacon fat, then put them in a blender with a little dry mustard and some cider vinegar, turn it on and slowly add the oil to make an emulsified vinaigrette. Salt and pepper to taste, poppy seeds if you want a little texture. Fabulous on salads.
I also do onion rings, or roast halves.
A cilantro lime dressing should be pretty easy to put together, though.

Responses to Comments by thepictsie

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

Safari Tacos in Door County, Wisc. I mean seriously, that makes no sense. Safari Tacos?

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

Phuket, let's Thai one on.

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

Juan Toomany's Taco Hut in Missouri City, Texas (now closed).

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

My favorite is the chinese restaurant in Cooperstown, NY.

Foo Kin, as in "I want some of that Foo Kin Chinese Food!"

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

Singapore Bistro on 19th and L in Washington DC has the name right but if you look closely the sign below reads "Asian Cousin". Awesome!

And in Hilton Head, South Carolina somewhere I remember seeing a restaurant called Mexician Grill. We still laugh at that one!

From Required Eating

The Best Worst Restaurant Names Ever

There's a Chinese restaurant here in Portland, OR called Hung Far Low. I have no idea why.

There used to be a place called Takee Outee in the French Quarter. There was one right up the street from Pat O's. The eggrolls were huge, delicious and exactly what we needed after a few Hurricanes. Good times.

From Required Eating

'Where Are the Women?': On the Scarcity of Female Chefs

Oh, and for many of us who want to cook professionally, TV and blogging and so forth are not at all appealing. It's not what we want. Why hell should we give up our ambitions and settle (and just because it isn't settling for you doesn't mean it wouldn't be settling for us), just because the industry doesn't like us as much as the boys?

From Required Eating

'Where Are the Women?': On the Scarcity of Female Chefs

...women are grossly underrepresented in restaurant kitchens, and a good part of what's responsible for that is pure, unadulterated sexism....

If women who truly love cooking and the culinary arts didn't have to machete their way through the "old boys' club" that's the restaurant scene in most cities, there would definitely be more of us in professional kitchens.

When a man embarks on a cooking career, he has to master cooking. When a woman embarks on a cooking career, she has to first overcome roadblocks of sexism before she ever gets to touch a knife. Why? It's a waste of time that could be spent doing what she loves - cooking, and/or running a restaurant.

Then, consider the flip side - when a man effectively runs a kitchen with an iron fist, he's "strong and in charge." When a woman runs a kitchen with an iron fist, she's a "bitch."

From Talk

$200 Rice Cooker

I hate to say it, but $200 for a rice cooker seems steep. maybe it's the college student in me, but if you've got a stove, a pot and a plate, there's your rice cooker.

From Required Eating

May I Pour You Some Wine? A Server's Take on Wine Service

@thepictsie: Clearly, you can understand something and disagree with it as well, no? Please don't make false assumptions.