Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Probably not extreme but really unappetizing: A friend of mine and I were on a trip to Germany in high school and we saw what we thought was smashed banana on toast. So we each took a bite and had a slimy, greasy mouthful of "schmaltzbrot". Turns out that "schmaltz" is just pure animal fat - we should have opened our dictionaries before our mouths.

My mom typically uses dark soy sauce instead because it's so convenient for her. Nevertheless, the pictures above seem so enticing that I may have to try to make my own caramel sauce.

I remember seeing Williams-Sonoma selling Vietnamese caramel sauce and thought it was overpriced. This recipe has definitely confirmed my opinions about it.

We would get Dunkin' Donuts coffee for group meeting and they either put the creamer and sweeteners in the middle of the coffee caddy (as shown in the picture above) or give us a bagful. These solutions seemed to work well for us.

The coffee top caddy doesn't seem all too secure, especially if you're rushing back in a busy city and can easy bump into others. Plus, I doubt that the employees at DD have the time and patience to place those things on there nicely. Seems like dumping them into a bag or on a tray is the quickest and most efficient.

Perhaps they are trying to introduce a new unit of measurement to replace our Imperial system, Scändinavian ünits.

I guess you don't have to trek to Philly for Tony Luke's anymore? Seems like they'll be coming to your local grocer's freezer aisle.

@justcook: Le Grand Chef was great - just watched it all online! I really enjoy Korean dramas and that film was perfect.

@roboppy: you have no idea how much you've influenced me, muwahahaha ;o)

There should be a new Academy Award category: Best Foreign Food Film.

@Budmufin: how long ago did you work in Hunt Valley? I'm just asking because I live there now and have been for just 6 months and haven't smelled anything yet. I'm wondering if we'll smell the oregano too.

What I find interesting is that Kellogg's seems determined to keep the same amount of cereal in the smaller box. Most items now, it seems, are suffering from what has been termed the "grocery shrink ray" where items are in new packaging but contain less than their predecessors. Good for them to not deceive the consumers and also being conscious of the environment.

I noticed something similar with a box of Cheez-Its at the grocery store the other week; however, I am starting to become suspicious if it has become a victim of the "shrink ray".

@dhorst: Here's a blog you (and your husband) might be interested in: http://gastronomyblog.com/category/vietnamese/banh-mi/
Cathy (the Gastronomer) has been to Vietnam many times and has plenty of suggestions on good eats there. I've linked to the banh mi posts but you could easily spend several hours just browsing through all the deliciousness she's encountered during her trips.

This reminds me of a college classmate of mine who was initiated into the basketball team by having to drink beer in a baby bottle - just plain dumb.

But this really brings a new meaning to the term "nursing the bottle".

Who won? I missed most of last night's episode because of "Man v. Food" but caught the last few minutes at Judge's table.

The fact that it is a cheesefish sandwich has always bothered me. I've always found dairy + seafood an odd combination.

I'd buy one if it had a Vietnamese spring roll in place of the rolling pin because that is how I roll.