DanCole42

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this so please feel free to move it wherever it fits best.

my husband looooves the homemade toasted pumpkin seeds we make after carving and the toasted seeds from any squash we eat, but really, there's only so much squash i can cook (or eat!). he's tried the davids pumpkin seeds from the store and didn't like them, and i've even tried taking the davids seeds, rinsing to get the salt coating off and re-toasting them. they were significantly better but still nowhere as good as the fresh ones. does anyone know how i can get a bunch of fresh, untoasted pumpkin or squash seeds (with the shells, not pepitas) so i can toast them at home? thank you!

This time of year the woods near my house are full of animal scat that's almost nothing but pumpkin seeds. Foxes, maybe? I dunno.

Could you ask your neighbors if they're throwing out their pumpkins, and could you have some, please? Since they're throwing them out anyway you don't need to worry about wasting the flesh, and the seeds should still be good.

Pyrex measuring cups REALLY are no longer what they used to be.  I'm not talking about the change from borosilicate to tempered soda-lime glass...Corning started that long before selling the product line to World Kitchen.  I'm talking about the now useless pour spouts on the 2- and 4-cup sizes.  With Pyrex's current production method, they're not really spouts anymore, merely dents in the rim.  The dribble+spill effect sets in if you try to empty the 4-cup size in anything less than 20-30 seconds...and even geeks like me who habitually pour down an intermediate object - a holdover from using stirring rods in chemistry class - still find that these new cups suck.  Unless you really like mopping up your counter and trying to guess how much volume didn't make it into the dish.

Better explanation on this Amazon review, complete with pictures of how the 2-cup spout has changed.

Stick with your vintage Pyrex as long as you can.  Mid-80s through mid-90s "open handle" were the best ones made IMHO.  For new, has anybody used the Arcuisine borosilicate measuring cups?  Rather pricey, but the design looks promising.

That really sucks. I'm a fierce advocate of spending extra $$$ to buy something that will really last. It's a shame when the thing you want to buy simply doesn't exist. I wonder if something made for a laboratory setting would work?

http://www.amazon.com/SEOH-Borosilicate-Graduated-Beakers-1000ml/dp/B00AU6Y78K/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1446477290&sr=1-1&keywords=borosilicate

No handle? No problem: http://www.amazon.com/Beaker-Rubber-Coated-Nickel-Plated/dp/B00IUZ9G5W/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1446477351&sr=1-2&keywords=beaker+tongs

Good lord this community is amazing. I wish Don got some money or something every time people on this community were amazing. He'd be rich.

The GM is sold on my passion and my eagerness - that's what got me in the door in the first place. Bart's right, though - this particular winery is about the business of the winery, not about the wine. They want me to demonstrate that I can get people in the door and get companies to use their cellar for meetings, not that I can get their wines on menus (although if I did get the job I'd want to change that).

I love Linden - it's the only winery I'm currently a case club member of - because they're clearly more about the wine than about throwing weddings or corporate events.

I'm okay with just promoting the winery, though. I've always loved wine, but I've never been "in" to wine to the point where I'd consider myself an expert on different grapes or vintages. For me, the wine is about the experience: pop the cork and share it with good friends, drink a little too much, eat a little too much, and laugh together just the right amount.

I put together my proposal and sent it along... it's a very long shot. There are plenty of marketing professionals in the area who do have hospitality experience who would kill for the chance to work at this (very $UCCE$$FUL) winery.

Wish me luck... and thank you!!!

Dan, knowing you and your personality, I think you're pretty much of a can't-miss for this job - all you need is some experience, and you won't get that until you actually start work.

I sent you a PM, but I'm hoping others will chime in based on the way you framed your question.  We have *many* people in the industry here, some of whom are on the marketing side of things - they can help you.

This really is such a great website, Don. Thank you.

I know I could do great in the role - I just need to prove it!

DR friends... Despite having no experience in the hospitality industry, I have an unbelievable dream opportunity to interview with a very popular Northern Virginia winery as their Marketing Director. To counter my lack of experience, the GM would like me to write up my plan for how I would go about marketing their winery. Real action-oriented (e.g. "Go put fliers under windshields!").

What are some ideas that could set me apart? What are things that you've really seen work/not work?

Note that I'm marketing the winery, not the wine...

My parents and I are taking in the Annapolis sailboat show this Thursday. Where should we eat? Preferably someplace we can walk to from the waterfront. We had a longstanding tradition of going to Maria's, but they've closed.

If you are getting headaches, are you eliminating caffeine on your fasting days?  I ask because there is a drastic difference between the Yom Kippur experience (total fast, no liquids either) if you are caffeine free and if you are not. Virtually everyone who routinely has caffeine in the morning has a nasty headache by 11 am.  We caffeine-free folks have a much easier time of it. 

I would not survive fasting days without caffeine.

Well, I might survive them, but the people around me might not...

The only reservation we could get with in two weeks (I clearly waited too long before booking) was on a Thursday so we fought the drive time beltway traffic for an hour and 15 minutes (from Old Town) before arriving. That said, once we arrived the gorgeous mountain top setting melted away the traffic angst. 

This is a new (and good) problem for them to have. 

Through a series of unplanned events at work, I ended up having to go out and grab lunch today instead of sucking back the smoothie I brought with me.  Went to the Tropical Smoothie Cafe and picked the one that seemed most aligned with my eating plan -- protein powder, berries, oatmeal, splenda.   It tasted good going down but now I've got a rotten headache.  Makes me wonder what kind of additives are in their slurry base.  

Could be the Splenda.

I had some success with 5/2 last year.  One acquaintance lost a *lot* of weight on the routine.  Mr. P has had moderate success.  For women, the target intake on "fasting" days is 500 calories.  I find that no matter how well hydrated I stay, by evening I have a raging headache and feel weak and shaky in a low blood sugar kind of way.  It's most unpleasant, and as a result I haven't been able to stay with the routine.  But there is at least some evidence that it really works.

I find that coffee, tea, meditation, and chewing gum are all big helps. Of course, if you're just not wired for low blood sugar then... you're just not wired. You could try a 16/8, but I question how effective that would be.

Are these dried "noodles" with a long shelf-life? If so, thank you Dan (and Pat) for introducing me to something I'd never heard of. If they're anything close to what I think, they will come into great favor with me. What other kitchen items do you need to make them? Pot with boiling water, spoon to stir, and some soy sauce for flavoring? Thank you - I'm willing to go out to lunch less-often if I have something lying around that's low in calories that I like.

Don-

They are packed in liquid and will last a year in the fridge. They can absolutely be kept on hand as a "random snack." They're actually easier to make than boiling pasta - you don't even need to boil water.

1. Slice open package.
2. Drain noodles into a colander.
3. Rinse under cold water.
4. Shake off excess water.
5. Put in a non-stick pan over medium-high to high heat, stirring occasionally (I use plastic tongs).
   1. They take a few minutes to dry. This is usually when I assemble the rest of the ingredients.
   2. Usually I'll just dump a ton of frozen veggies in the microwave on the Frozen Vegetable setting, then use the same colander I used to drain the noodles to drain the veggies.
6. When dry (they'll "whistle" when you press down on them), that's it. They're done.

At that point, add whatever flavors you want. It can be as simple as a little soy sauce and sriracha, or as many items as I list in my original post. Heck, there's no shame in using some kind of ethnic flavor packet.

I'm trying 2 days a week of whey protein shakes and typical eating the other 5 days.  Just started so I don't know how the results will turn out.  Will report back in a month (or earlier if I run screaming from the room at the idea of yet another smoothie day)

So just shakes??? How many and what kind?

Zero calorie pasta. Zero calorie pasta! Zero calorie pasta!!!

If you read my post on Intermittent Fasting, you might be wondering what the heck I eat on those fast days. My main meal is so filling I can barely move after I eat it. "Filling! But, how can you possibly feel full from a meal that's only 600 calories?" I don't. I feel full after eating a meal that's barely 50 calories. Technically the pasta itself is 0 calories - I just add a ton of veggies.

Miracle Noodles are a brand of Ameri-friendly shirataki noodles. It's zero calorie pasta made from plant fiber from the konjac yam. Yes, zero calorie pasta.

Here's the Variety Pack.

When you first open the package, it's kind of slimy. according to the video instructions, first you rinse them and then you dry roast them in a nonstick pan. They don't really taste like anything, but if you dry them properly you can basically infuse them with any flavors you want. It's fun! Typically I'll do something like:

Mexican Fettucini

Sazon Goya flavor packets, cider vinegar, dry-roasted vegetables, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, lime juice, tons of toasted cumin, oregano

Pho

Torch some Chinese five spice seasoning, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, miso paste, dry-roasted vegetables, chili paste, basil

In both cases, the calories are coming from the vegetables (and you can get a ton of veggies for 50-100 calories).

CAUTION

When you put something in your body that your body can't digest, it has to go somewhere. You might be tempted to eat a pound of this stuff, but keep in mind you're basically eating a pound of Metamucil. Here's my other recommended purchase.

I wanted to start a thread to see if anyone else looking after their waistline has tried "Intermittent Fasting." There are several variants (Warrior Diet, 6/18, 5/2, LeanGains, etc.), but the basic premise is simple: rather than limit calorie intake here and there, go for the extreme and average a caloric deficit over a longer timeframe.

My routine is: five days a week, I eat normally. Two days a week, I limit myself to 600 calories. Here's how it works:

Let's say that, to maintain weight, I had to eat 2300 calories a day, or about 16k a week. If I wanted to lose weight, say about 3-4 lbs a month, I would need to drop that to around 12k-13k calories a week. A traditional diet might do it this way:

M 1800

T 1800

W 1800

T 1800

F 1800

S 1800

S 1800

So every single day you have to watch what you eat and count the calories. With my routine, however:

M 600

T 2300

W 600

T 2300

F 2300

S 2300

S 2300

With both routines, I would lose the same amount of weight. However, with my routine, I only need to exert myself two days a week instead of seven days a week. Better to suffer some days than all days, right?

As you can see, I've lost a little over 5 lbs in 2 months following this routine. That's an average deficit of about 300 calories a day (I'm not made of stone!).

Is anyone else trying this? Does anyone else want to try this?

Does anyone know where I can find some Saucony Brewing Company Maple Mistress Pumpkin Ale?

To take home?

It's good.

I recently took a home DNA test. Apparently, my brain's reward circuitry is totally whack: it takes an excessive amount of stimulus for me to register any kind of pleasure or reward. That's probably why I spent 20 years clinically obese: I have to eat a lot before I feel anything. Stupid dopamine.

Anyway, you can imagine my surprise when I took a single bite of the limited time "pork-strami" sandwich with chicken liver mousse on rye ($17) and experienced religious levels of euphoria.

It was the best sandwich I ever had.

I took one bite and then just sat there for a minute feeling feelings. Nothing's supposed to make me feel feelings! It was a foreign and wonderful sensation. The pork was moist and smokey, the mousse meaty and rich, the pickled vegetables (?) tart and juicy. And of course the rye paired beautifully. After all, this is Malvin Krinn, Chef Krinn's father, artisan breadmaker, and former ophthalmologist we're talking about. If you've ever been fortunate enough to have his bread, you know how good that rye was.

The fries were so-so.

Against all sanity and pushing the limits of human tolerance for smoked meats, I followed up my sandwich with smoked wagyu beef brisket | dry-rubbed | carrot slow | Carolina BBQ ($19). This was part of a menu feature called "Chip off the Block" where they take some meat and, every day, do something different and fun with it: "...as ideas pop into our heads." The slaw was almost too bitter, but the meat was (IMHO) better than anything I had in Austin, TX. Rich, smokey, and with perfectly-textured bark. A giant pile of sauced smokey meat served with some veggies on a wood slab?

All of the reservations for reasonable dinner times were booked (Saturday night) and they're mostly booked next week, too. My wife and I were lucky resourceful enough to get there at 5 and be seated as walk-ins. We had the option of sitting outside or at a counter overlooking the kitchen. We had the best seat in the house and chef Krinn stopped by to say hi to everyone. Who needs reservations???

Clarity deserves to be a gustatory destination, and luckily I live close for it to become a regular haunt.

CAUTION: Under the influence of the pork-strami sandwich, I may have said some things to my wife that are untrue and that I now regret ("I'm sorry, honey, but I love this sandwich more than I love you."). The DNA test also says I'm predisposed to make bad decisions, so I blamed my parents.

Where did you end up?

I don't remember.

I'm cooking up a pot of beans. I'm out of carrots; can I use the carrot tops -- the green leafy things -- as an aromatic? If so, do I sauté them, or just throw them in the pot?

I've heard that boiling the greens of strawberries creates a dangerously potent laxative tea.

I know that's not really related, but it's an example of greens and fruiting bits having very different effects.

I'm meeting up with an old friend from high school. We were hoping to grab drinks somewhere between my place (Fair Oaks) and his place (Shirlington), so I'm thinking Falls Church.

This would be Saturday night around 7:30. Just low key beers or something.

Any ideas?

Hey again!  What great information - I hope everyone who stumbles across this has a lot of fun following up...

Another Q:

Any ideas on SMALL comedy venues?  You know, that bar that you wouldn't think would have comedy but on certain nights, it does?  Or ones which have regular comedy, etc, open mikes, etc..  including in Virginia?

I already know about the big-big ones (Improv, Drafthouse)..

Any thoughts in this regard would be Awesome.

Thanks!

ComedyInDC.com

Short form improv. I used to perform with them when they were in Ballston. An awesome time, IMHO.

I'm having a one-to-one lunch meeting with my friend/boss tomorrow. Typically we do strip mall Indian (she's from Hyderabad), but we're both open to anything.

Criteria

• Centered around where 28 meets Old Ox Road (i.e. NE corner of Dulles). Chantilly/Reston/Leesburg are all probably too far; think Sterling/Herndon.
• Nothing that requires us to dress up or pay dress up prices.
• In the door and back out in an hour or less. Maybe 90 minutes if it's amazing.
• The recommendation should be good enough that she won't fire me but not so good that she thinks I'm buttering her up for a raise.

Does maximum grill temperature for various kinds of charcoal make a difference?

Some quick Googling tells me that Japanese charcoal burns cooler, but for longer and with basically no smoke or smell. My guess (not knowing much about it) would be that it would really only have a niche application and that the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the cook will have a much greater impact than the charcoal used (unless you're using really shit charcoal - not like cow pies, but like just really bad charcoal).

Had the Farm Burger a few weeks ago. One of the best Burgers I have ever had. The Bar menu has grown considerably over the years, and is essentially a restaurant in and of itself. Very good.

Say hi next time.

Several constraints contributed to tonight's excellent dinner:

• I've been trying Nathan Myhrvold's "quick dry age" technique: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/quick-aged-grilled-rib-eyes.
• The NY strip I used was total crap and way too thin.
• I'm trying to eat my way through an over-full freezer.
• I wanted Bearnaise.
• I had leftover asian vinaigrette.

Therefore...

• So instead of Bearnaise I blended the vinaigrette with some soy lecithin, loaded it into my whipping siphon, and made some Asian foam.
• I seared the still frozen steak, then chopped it up into tiny strips.
• Microwave-steamed some garlic.
• Cooked some frozen Painted Pony green beans from last year's garden that were in the freezer.
• Clove, coriander, red pepper flakes.

The end result:

Stir Fry

Painted Pony beans / dry-aged strip / Sweet & Spicy Asian foam

No. It's intriguing. Thanks for sharing.

I love my Smokenator. I've done brisket, pulled pork, and bacon with it. Highly, highly recommended.

If memory serves, the inventor died of lung cancer, so you know he was an expert. (fuck cancer, but still)