yeuxblu

I just said less greasy. Nothing about being any healthier or less healthy. Although I do think comparing manufactured foods like the average soy dog to the average hot dog, the same for a tofutti cutie compared to an ice cream sandwich, when comparing fats and cholesterol would be a "healthier than" options. I imagine both would bomb when it comes to sodium content. This is all like comparing low fat fritos to regular fritos. Both are crap but a lot of people still eat them. What I was trying to address some of the reasons I liked about "meat substitutes", besides the name . I think the statement would be better put as "anyone who thinks they are eating healthier food when eating manufactured food is deluding themselves."

Vegetarian options have really jumped in both availability and quality. I prefer a meat substitute to a hot dog or a corn dog hands down. The texture and the taste is actually more appealing to me than a regular hot dog. Hot dogs (and all the renditions made with them) along with options like soy buffalo wings are less greasy and I find equally tasty. I think its the in-between ground for a number of people who are either minimizing their meat intake and/or looking for another form of protein. Most of the substitutes are fast and easy. For the past 3 years my boyfriend has been eating soy corn dogs with out realizing it was a soy dog until last month when he read the ingredients. Some of the current products are really good others are bad. Its the same with any item picked up at the grocery store or dependent on how the chef/cook prepares it. The effects on my body are less painful if I eat a soy product or another substitute than certain types of meat, especially heavy fats. This also goes for items like fondue or alfredo sauces. I don't have a delicate stomach but I notice a difference in how my body reacts especially if I have a long run the following day. I love a good steak but do not enjoy frois gras (blasphemy, I know- just remember to sit next to me at the next dinner serving it). I disagree that there is a joyless attitude amongst vegetarians. The friend who started my year long vegetarian span introduced me to some of the bests restaurants and wines I'd ever experienced. He was so thoughtful about food, presentation and enjoying the moment that you couldn't help but enjoy the passion in food. My time as a vegetarian was not for moral or ethical reasons. It was more of an experiment to try different foods and a different approach to it. I wanted to think about why I chose to eat meat rather than just eating it since everyone else did. My stint as a vegetarian altered both my meat eating habits and the way I look at food. For me it was a very pleasurable experience. The reason I stopped was I had a craving for red meat that did not stop and I couldn't pinpoint a supplement that gave me whatever nutrient I was missing. You can't really claim to be a vegetarian and still eat a steak on occasion. Besides, it would be boring if we all enjoyed the same foods. (Wow that was long winded of me.)

Mel introduced me to the bacon cheeseburger at the Boulevard Woodgrill in Arlington. Prior to that I had made an occassionaly stop at Whitlows for the 1/2 price burger night. Recently I discovered Arties burger which ranks up up there with the Woodgrill salty, cheesey, drippy burgers with a bun willing to soak it all up.

My boyfriends mother put together a family cookbook for him as a college graduation present. I joke that it's a ploy to make him call home more often since she omitted all sorts of stuff from the recipes. You never know if a recipe will miss an ingredient, time, temperature or amount. We can't help but laugh every time we cook from it. He hates my Joy of Cooking book since the recipes reference other recipes with in the book. It drives him crazy flipping between multiple pages to create one item. We once tried to make an arugula soup that called for frying arugula and crumbling it up in to the soup base. I'll just say frying arugula to a crisp isn't my specialty but I can't make one heck of an ash tasting arugula soup.

This is one of my favorite combos. I love adding croutons to the basic tomato soup. Some of the sharper and aged cheddars can be develop a strange texture for those fond of the basic cheddar sandwich. Sometimes I add a bit of mustard and through a tomato on the grill to add to the sandwich. Just another cheese to consider is a parmesan cheese sandwich (from Cooking with Mr. Latte). Its a nice variation.

When you think of salads (or if you think of salads) where do you go to find that plate of raw veggies? Besides creating your own, are their places that stand out as serving a delectable salad or do we all fall back to the sneeze guard protection of Ruby Tuesdays? Rockwellians- where do you go?

So does this mean we can make s/he-bass soup? Oh the mighty Po.... Male Bass Across Region Found to Be Bearing Eggs: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6090501384.html

Well said hillvalley. The issue tends to be control, not food. I think a good chef can see potential in certain foods despite their personal distaste or allergies, granted they may not make or taste them in the case of severe reactions. A majority of art in Italy wouldn't be in existence if it hadn't been for patrons. The artist doesn't always have the taste of the benefactor but they may still create for those that may enjoy it.

We covered the frame of an ugly mirror with our collection. It's over flowing again so I'm not sure what's next- maybe the bathroom floor and a bit of epoxy work.

Macadamia nuts are a wonderful idea. I've always blended both pine nuts and walnuts for pesto.

Spamarama- I recall seeing some nice Spam sculptures that day.

When we lived in Courthouse (we moved last year), we went to Il Radicchio fairly regularly. The pasta isn't too exciting so ignore it. The lasagna and the chicken parmesan are the dishes I recommend. We tried the roasted chicken our first night there and it was good but the lasagna is what stole the show. Its a little bit salty but there's something about the balance of it that I love. Unfortunately there have been a couple of times that the sauce was off but we'd give it another try and everything was back to normal. It's one of those places you go to just relax. We always get a house wine, not because its great but there's just something nice about sitting on the patio with a glass of red and looking at the over priced town houses across the street.

Usually I get an experimental mix of wines. I give the staff at a wine shop my price range, how many bottles I want and ask for a mix of whites, reds & summer roses (depending on the party/season). The process of putting together a mixed case with the staff is fun. Plus it gives your guest the ability to chose their poison. As a side note, a lot of people still haven't gotten past a pink wine must be a white zinfadel philosophy so you may want to go light on rose. If you do end up with some higher end bottles that you want to try, I would definitely open them at the beginning. Partly for taste and partly to just be able to drink some before everyone else devours the wine. That first glass is so nice when you you are setting up for a party. Have fun.

Lesson learned- use cayenne pepper, not Texas chili powder. Thanks.

So my Vindaloo recipe called for red pepper, but I couldn't find a clarification on what type of red pepper. As a lover of spicy food I added red chili pepper which gave it too much heat. My guest was sweating and hiccuping from the spice. Any suggestions on the appropriate red pepper for vindaloo?

See I totally disagree with your rice comment. There's nothing I love more than a bean, rice, and cheese breakfast burrito. Followed closely by a potato, egg and bacon breakfast taco. The great thing about burritos are you can throw what ever you want in to it, wrap it up and chow down. Chipotle will mix your burrito with a spoon if you ask. I was suprised to see this one day. Me I look forward to a bite of rice mixed with cheese and sour cream followed by a bite of guacamole, lettuce and beans. Love those simple pleasures.

It's been about 5 yrs since I've participated in beer can chicken. Does anyone use a drip can for the beer seepage or do you just move the coals to the sides and let it drip?

I'm really not sure how I feel about a square egg. Guess it's about as good as green eggs & ham. To keep in line with what seems to be a plethera of odd breakfast making items: For those busy sugary sweet coffee lovers there's the Self-Stirring Mug. Actually what I'd really like is a dehydrater and a juicer, but we lack space. Alas I can neither hydrate nor dehydrate. I do kind of miss the industrial sized mixers. Nothing like whipping up 40 lbs of butter cream. Oh power tools...

I'm from the cook or starve method also. My mom was a bit of a health nut when we were young but once she started grad. school our eating habits when down hill quickly. She started working full time when I was in 3rd grade. By the time my parents got home, no one wanted to cook. I was tired of the frozen dinner and Spaghetti-Os so one afternoon I opened up a Southern Living magazine and found a recipe that sounded good. It was a chicken with white wine and mushroom sauce. Called my mom at work to find out if we had any wine I could use for dinner. That was a fun conversation. After a lenghty pause she said yes and so started my experimentations in the kitchen.

Sportz beer- a classic from the people who brought you Pabst Blue Ribbon. Old Dutch is still around. Can't remember where I saw it.

Wegman's way out in the VA burbs usually carries sushi grade tuna.

We took family to Bazin's last night. It was a wonderful first visit. Probably the oddest part was the television at the center of the bar showing Emeril and Rachel Ray, but it set the tone for a relaxed fun evening. We ordered 2 types of salad: the chop salad and a watermelon salad. The chop including olives, pistachios, garbanzo beans, carrots and green beans. It was a mix of oil & vinegar dressing that had light lemon zest. It was very nice and refreshing. I had the watermelon salad which consisted of triangular stacked slices of watermelon, yellow watermelon and feta. There was a lemon citrus sauce and topped off with arugula which made for a beautiful presentation. Not to mention yummy. The yellow watermelon caught my attention as it was a first for me and provided a more solid texture. For the entrees we ordered the flat iron steak and the grouper special. The flat iron steak was prepared with mozzarella mash potatoes and green beans. You couldn't really tell where the mash ended and mozzarella began making a nice creamy hit at our table. The mixing of sauces and sides made stacking ideal. And the well stacked fork was delicious at least the few I was allowed to take from my boyfriend's sister. Three of us ordered the grouper special including my boyfriend's mother who normally is not a big fish eater. It was topped with a lobster sauce and had a side of spinach and grits. There was a bit of Pico de Gallo sans onions that topped the fish and gave it just the perfect amount of zest. The grits were creamy, just like my boyfriend's grandmother makes. They were the big fat granules. We loved it including the non-fish eater although she wanted a touch more salt on her fish. For dessert we shared an order of chocolate hazelnut bar and the warm chocolate tart. The tart just melted in your mouth almost like the chocolate base for hot cocoa. The hazelnut bar was delicious too. Our waiter was efficient and knowledgeable. I think a number of the rough edges have been ironed out. We'll definitely be returning.

I love a grilled portabello with the gils (no clue what the real name is for the underside of a shroom) scooped out and rep-laced with pesto and feta. It's simple but one of my favorites.

Sitting on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial in the evening makes for a lovely evening. You can stroll along the tidal basin or its a short walk to the Potomac. Its one of my favorite places to jog since it is so beautiful. Depending on what day it is the Sculpture Garden on Constitution has a jazz concert that is a nice treat. I think they do this on Friday evenings. They serve wine and sangria although I can't tell you what the options are. That would keep you legal. I've always enjoyed Great Falls especially as the sun begins to set.

I'd love to participate as long as its not on Monday or Tuesday nights.