cheflaura's Profile

Growlers are actually perfectly good for at least a week.. even if you don't purge the gas. If you're drinking it within a few days, it's great. I've been lead to believe that the gas purging is a gimmick, but I don't try to save fresh beer anyways.

Subway does in fact use artificial aroma machines just outside their doors, at least according to Fast Food Nation. I find the odor atrocious, but I do get the concept... Right now cooking some chicken soup.. the smell itself is soul-hugging and soothing.

Every now and then I buy the can from Trader Joes..sprinkle on everything I eat for a month.

I think it's nice that there's cleaner options out there. Why in the world should people who like clean food not get to enjoy the convenience?

I guess the only real way to know is to purchase cheese from a shop you trust. I've never heard of selling cow's milk as others, but I have seen stores mix up raw vs. pasteurized.

Fairway does it by the 1/4 as well. The problem with the pricing is that when you have a piece cut to order for you, rarely will a cheesemonger cut a 1/4, sometimes out of bad estimation, and sometimes because they know you'll say "it's ok" when .25 becomes .31 (1/3 lb). And then I find if I say "no, i really wanted just 1/4" they cut like, 1/8 to be safe.

I haven't set foot in a whole foods in a while, but the pre-cuts were rarely smaller than 1/2 lbs, so i think the signs are deceiving.. makes you think "oh, just $6 for this piece" but it's really twice the size. Much thinner than that, and a pre-cut peice starts to really dry out or taste like plastic.

I think ultimately cheese should be treated as a treat, and if you're committing to buying a piece, 50 cents isn't going to make a big difference, if you can't do the math right.

I did a few batches last year, from a highly chunky GT bottle and fresh organic tea with sugar - in a very similar looking square jar! I enjoyed the homemade more than GTs, with a much gentler taste and fizz.. the GT is darn near impossible for me to finish. Been thinking about getting started again, but not sure I really have the space for it.

they are in fact fried in oil. I don't know what the deal with the costco brand is, but I do know they come in big tubs with tons of gooey oil. If the tub isn't mixed well to redistribute, you'll find some dryer containers, and some more oily ones.

All I know is, I received my Bon Appetit yesterday, and made the Spanish Manchego cakes listed at the very beginning of the mag this afternoon, sans chorizo. AMAZING. If I make one recipe a month from the mag, it's fine.. I just love the inspiration, and I too read it on the subway.. it's very relaxing and I enjoy imagining eating all those wonderful meals.

Absolutely I do this. Save the most perfect shrimp from my dinner, the crispiest, cheesiest bite of eggplant parm, and of course the chocolateyest part of dessert. I think it stemmed from the games we played as kids, where we'd save the fudgy top of a hostess cupcake, or make our own double-double stuffed oreos, or licking the ice cream around the edges of a ice cream sandwich til the cookies collapse on themselves...

That said, it probably wouldn't be the worst thing for my figure, to eat the best bites first. I think saving the best parts encourage me to eat every bite, whereas if I didn't have something to look forward to, I might put my meal down before I'm overstuffed. But I dunno.. leaving a meal with the memory of perfection is nice.

Oh and jamiealyse- your post makes me remember when I'd order bubblegum ice cream, spitting out the gumballs and saving them for after, grossing my mom out completely. But really.. who can chew gum and eat ice cream at the same time!

Love love love true lambics, such as Cantillon. They not only use real fruit, but they add the syrups in *before* the yeast ferments all the sugars, so only the essence of fruit remains while a wild, sour, crisp, refreshing beer dominates. Lindemanns shouldn't be considered a lambic, as they add syrups *after* the beer is already made, which results in the soda-like fruit bomb. Nothing wrong with liking those, but they're not at all like a real lambic, made with wild yeast and centuries of traditional brewing.