dcandohio

I have a Whirlpool "Silent Partner 1" that is about 3 years old, bought at Lowe's on sale. It is very quiet, does a good job cleaning and has the silverware caddy in the front door. Delay function allows 2,4 or 6 hour delay. It's made in Ohio. I like it very much. Not fancy, and brings no prestige factor, but it does the job.

Inspired by Thistle's quiche description, we made a sort of tortilla espanola, more of a tortilla portuguesa...potatoes, shredded kale and onions cooked in an egg, milk and cottage cheese custard with smoked paprika stirred in. Quite tasty. Roasted cauliflower. Peach daiquiris made with super-ripe local peaches (Don, from Utica, ohio!).

So lame last night...popcorn tossed with grated parmesean, salt and pepper. For dinner. On the porch at sunset, with a glass of wine. Not ready for summer to end!

To the dream job offer my partner received! After months of interviews and lots of difficult waiting, the news is sweet. Sadly, it will mean that we no longer need a second home in DC...not sure how that will play out, but I have loved every opportunity to spend time in the District over the past 10 years.

Once, in a now defunct local Balinese restaurant, the same song (some popular pop song of the day) played over and over through our entire meal. No wonder the place didn't survive.

This describes how I *occasionally* feel about a place, so thank you for putting words to it. I have never eaten at this place, but I know EXACTLY how you feel!

Dinner at Shaw location last night was very pleasant. Larb chicken, papaya salad, pork fried rice and green curry with chicken. All were fine. This is decent neighborhood Thai and we noticed a lot of take-out orders going through the door. Sitting outside (in August! In DC!) was nice. Because we live on the Green line this is actually quite convenient for us. It's easier than Regent Thai, which had been our go-to in the city.

We had dinner here about a week ago and enjoyed the seasonal ingredients...tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini, etc. Ate a lot of the daily specials and thought they were all quite good. The little upstairs dining room is much quieter than downstairs.

So, differerent people, different tastes, different experiences. My last visit to Granville Moore's was unimpresssive. Liberty Tavern continues to be a favorite of ours, and Boundary Road is way above both. Last visit to Atlas Room was too long ago and I can't remember any details. My two cents worth...

Dear Chef, The crab in the pasta was fine! My description of "mild and sweet" was a compliment. I enjoyed my evening, and look forward to returning to try more of the menu.

Today, all day, the gallery place Legal Seafood has 89 cent big rock oysters at the bar. In case anyone needs an inexpensive bivalve fix.

We enjoyed wine and pasta at the bar yesterday. This is a perfect spot for bar dining. The bartender was attentive and gracious, the seats are comfortable for lingering and the bar is quiet enough for conversation. I slipped in just before happy hour ended and ordered the meat and cheese sampler ($11), which wasn't an inspired choice but I wanted something that would still be good for my partner, who was about 20 minutes behind me. I saw all the lucious crostini orders around me, and was jealous, but didn't know how well they would fare sitting out for 20 minutes. The sampler was pretty small...not a great value. I say that because the dinner menu crostini, which looked and sounded great, were all $11 or below. When my partner arrived, I tried to sell the notion of sharing some crostini as dinner, but she had a bad day and craved a homey comfort food experience...therefore she ordered the saffron fettuccini with bolognese ($19). I never got a taste and she finished the entire generous serving, pronouncing it "perfect." I had the linguine soft shell crab ($25), also a generous serving. The bartender tried to steer me toward the tempura style soft shell crabs instead, saying it was a better CRAB dish if I was serious about soft shells. But I, too, developed a hankering for pasta and thought the linguine would offer the best of both. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, the tomatoes were bursting with summer flavor, the crab pieces (probably one whole small crab, chopped into sections) were mild and sweet and the entire preparation was light enough to let the pasta shine. Overall, though, a pretty simple dish which really didn't demonstrate the abilities of the kitchen, I suspect. A shared side of grilled asparagus was $8, for 7 spears. Not delicious enough to warrant over $1 per spear. There seemed to be an overall imbalance in the value proposition...the pastas were very large for the price, and easily shareable, but the starter and side were quite small for the price. I bet that a careful, educated regular could eat very well here for a small price, especially by beginning with some happy hour small plates. The space and the menu make me want to return, to try some of the more complex dishes and to enjoy the dining room.

The location in Columbus, OH is very good. As Southdenverhoo said above, good coverage of the local beers, extensive inventory of foreign beers and a well-versed staff. Lots of TVs for watching sports. Food is brought in from surrounding restaurants, so, I guess quality depends on what's close. We've never ordered food, but like to go after a lomg bike ride for a refreshing draft or two.

Last night I made a variant of the Ken's soup from upthread. I also roasted onion and red peppers with the tomatoes. I did not roast the herbs, but added fresh basil and rosemary and blended. I then re-heated it and finished it with some buttermilk. Served with parmesen toasts and corn on the cob. Summer deliciousness.

The bicolor local corn (central Ohio) has been delightful year, and plentiful. Last night we brushed some commercial black pepper olive oil mayonnaise on the shucked corn and grilled it. Delicious. My Ohio born partner, who always uses butter on corn, said the mayo was better than butter. We grilled three extra ears and today I will cut the kernels off the cobs to make a corn relish.

Fortunately, I was convinced to get a full sized upright freezer for the basement. My partner then bought me (us) a vacuum food sealer, a food processor and a set of canning equipment and supplies. So I am taking advantage of summer's bounty this year, like never before.

Thanks. I made salsa yesterday, but froze it instead of canning it. I am going to freeze the corn, too. I think I will reserve my canning for pickles and jam.

I need some info/advice. I have been reading on web sites of state extension services to learn about canning salsa (water bath). I feel informed about the basic process, the special cautions of dealing with low acid foods, etc. I understand that a certain amount of acid must be used based on the quantity of other ingredients. So, two questions still unanswered. 1. Corn: Corn is so good now. Can I add corn to canned salsa? Would I substitute corn for some quantity of tomatoes? Or for some quantity of peppers (I want it to be fairly spicy). 2: Timing of prep: Can I make the salsa on one day, and reheat to boiling to can the next day? is there any reason the canning has to take place immediately after the initial cooking of the mixture? Thanks for any help you can provide. I don't want to kill anyone with my creativity.

To my Dad, who turns 86 tomorrow, and to his oldest grandson, my godchild, who is beginning his freshman year at Harvard in a few weeks. My Dad was an orphan of immigrant parents who died shortly after coming to America, and he became a foster child in Dickensian circumstances. He escaped via the friendship of petty gangsters and, when he was of age, the Navy. He believed that only education could redeem him. He earned three degres after his military service, while raising three children. His pride in his grandson is immense, and it is a true manifestation of the American dream.

Rats. Rats. Rats. I was SO hoping for credible Tex Mex.

This menu seems very boring and not at all representative of what Diego would actually have eaten at home. (Frieda Kahlo and the staff who helped her were renowned for their lush meals.) Perhaps the execution is far superior to my expectations. I do hope that is true, but I suspect it is not. If anyone has tried the food would you please report to us? And as a bonus if you are interested in a (not completely historically accurate) account of Frida and Diego's life please read "the lacuna." You won't regret it.

Patio at Dino Patio at New Heights Tabaq has an awesome rooftop but the food and service aren't the best Dinner ar Marvin, then drinks on the roof there?

I can understand that a business doesn't want to open up until it is totally prepared, and that final 15 minutes before showtime can be a hectic process that guests shouldn't necessarily witness. You want to fling open the doors at the moment when you are actually ready to do everything you can for your guests. On the other hand, if it is bitterly cold, or raining, or blazing hot, and if a restaurant can accommodate waiting guests without interrupting its prep, isn't that a nice gesture? These same guests are going to be spending an hour or two with you, and if you can start their experience by getting them out of the heat, rain or snow, you are improving the quality of their experience.Not every restaurant has space where patrons can wait without interrupting the flow of the prep. But if I recall, Mintwood has a small front area where waiting would not intrude upon prep. On a related note, it irks me to no end when I arrive at a bar or restaurant after it is opening, and it is NOT prepared. We were at the bar of a big deal restaurant shortly after opening, and we waited quite a long time before a server showed up behind the bar (even though the hostess greeted us and assured us that the bar was open). When a server did appear, and we ordered a glass of wine, we were told that the bar had not yet been restocked and that he was waiting for the wine. Fail. To be fair, he did comp one glass of wine, but wouldn't it have been more prudent to just be stocked when customers are expected to arrived?

Will it be crawling with kids? Or with adults acting like kids? Doesn't sound at all appealing, but I am obviously not in their target audience.

To my partner, who has endured SIX flight delays or cancellations over the past few days while attempting to find a job that will (ironically) involve less travel and will allow us to truly live in the same city. Air travel is becomming inhumane. Let's not even think about the enormous waste of productivity for people who are caught in delay or cancellation hell.