• Created on 2/16/10 by bmarvin

We conferred endlessly and futilely and arrived at the place from whence we began. Then we did what we knew we had to do in the first place, and we failed as we knew we would. - attributed to Sir Winston Churchill Whether the opening quote is accurate or not, the thought behind it deserves consideration. Are we becoming incredibly adept at ineffective procedures? Have you ever thought that there had to be a better way to run a restaurant? Does the idea that you have to work 60-80 hours a week to succeed in foodservice strike you as a suspicious notion? Most operators... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by ssolomon

Judith Schad of Capriole Farms in Greenville, Indiana (in an area known as Kentuckiana) is one of my favorite people. Not only is she great fun, she is among the most knowledgeable cheese makers anywhere, a true farmstead producer. In 1978, she, her husband Larry and three children moved to an 80 acre farm which they later found to have been in Larry's family from the early 1800's to the late 1950's. They modified the original barn and purchased goats as a 4-H project for their children. The children have grown and gone, and Judy and Larry now have new kids, over 200... read more

• Created on 5/13/10 by Greg

There is plenty of Amaretto so it has a very nice rounded almond flavour throughout.   Ingredients   3 tbls of Caster Sugar 3 tbls of Butter 85g Plain Digestive Biscuit (crushed)   200g Caster Sugar 450g Cream Cheese 450ml Sour Cream 3 tbls of Cornflower 2 tea spoons of vanilla extract 6 tbls Amaretto Spirit Pinch of Salt 4 Free Range Eggs   Method   Base   Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4   Mix digestives and 3 tbls of caster sugar.   Add melted butter and mix again.   Press into a stringform tin (ideally... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by dbirkle

Oregano Also called ORIGANUM, flavourful dried leaves and flowering tops of any of various perennial herbs of the mint family (Lamiaceae, or Labiatae), particularly Origanum vulgare, called wild marjoram in northern and central Europe, widely used to season many foods. The name is derived from the Greek oros, "mountain," and ganos, "joy." Oregano has long been an essential ingredient of Mediterranean cooking. Pliny the Elder thought it a remedy for bad digestion. The Greeks used it as a poultice for wounds, and Pliny recommended it for scorpion and spider bites. The... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by kroyse

When it comes to customer service, everyone has a story: the airline attendant who had no record of your seat assignment; the restaurant server who forgot you were allergic to walnuts; the telephone rep who swore at you when you called to check on an overdue order. These stories are fun to tell but infuriating to live through. Certainly, examples of bad service have been easy to come by for years but after awhile, you start to wonder why so many of us are fuming at front-line employees everywhere. After all, we live in a society that devotes billions of dollars to... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by JackBlack

On a recent hot and humid eveni ng I was standing in my garden with an empty plate in one hand and a small juice-glass of wine in the other; I was looking for dinner. I set down the glass of wine on the edge of the porch and picked a few leaves of basil and a couple small chilies, and put them on the plate. A couple perfectly ripe tomatoes also went in the mix, as did a cucumber and small bell pepper. As is often the case, I nibbled herbs and vegetables as I foraged. And as I bent to look in ankle-high weeds for low growing herbs I absent mindedly bit into a chili.... read more

• Created on 2/22/11 by CTLurker

What is Following? Following is like subscribing to another member; you'll receive notifications of their activity in public areas.   How do I follow another member? To follow a member, visit their profile page and click the "Follow Member" link under their avatar. You will be able to "unfollow" someone in the same place.   What will I be notified about? When following another member, you'll be notified about many of the same things that appear in their activity feed: replying to threads, writing reviews, and other actions they take around the... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by hbrody

Mythologically, they are associated with lighting bolts. Astrologically, they fall under the awesome powers of Mars, the god of war. On the human level, they strike fear into the palates of mankind. They are chipotles - jalapeno peppers that have been ripened to a red color and smoked until they are brown. They can be found dried, pickled and, most often, in the international section of a supermarket, canned in a spicy Mexican  sauce. According to Dave DeWitt in his remarkably thorough book, The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia, the jalapeno pepper has always been the... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by Nicko

Important Notice: If you receive a private message or public message notification in your email, do not reply to the email.  Click the 'Reply' button to reply via your message center. Learn: Send Private Messages Access And Manage Your Message Center Write Public Messages Delete Public Messages From Your Profile Change Your Messaging Notification Preferences   Send Private Messages Occasionally you may want to converse with another user privately.  Navigate to a user's profile page. Underneath that user's avatar, you will see... read more

• Created on 2/16/10 by Nicko

Nothing epitomizes summer cooking more than grilling.  However, grilling can be very confusing.  The more recipes, cookbooks, and perspectives you encounter, the greater the diversity of opinion that arises.  When do you apply the barbeque sauce?  Gas or charcoal?  Flip the food only once or frequently?  High heat or low heat?  Dry rubs or marinades?  Cover closed or open?  It can make ya nuts.  Let's explore the different variables. Barbeque sauce.  It is generally recommended to add it toward the last end of cooking since it is high in sugar and can burn easily.  Some... read more