Choirgirl21

I came in here hoping for liquor input so the recent posts are great! Do you guys feel everything is a no brainer price wise or are some less of a bargain than others? I'm low on a lot of liquors at the moment so was thinking a trip to stock up might be smart.

I've read good things about the Maison Cubi rose as well, but couldn't find it either. Though it's perhaps not the time for it be available. If anyone knows if they are carried in our region I'd be interested to try the red.

Same as my coffee post, time to tighten up the budget. Anyone have any boxed wines, especially red that they're enjoying that aren't too full bodied? I have found some whites that I actually find quite drinkable. The Pour Haus pinot grigio is a nice dry, acidic one. And I would venture to say that the La Petite Frog Picpoul De Pinet is actually a good wine though it's been a year or two since I had it. It's a little pricier than some, but warranted. Still, see above regarding budget so I find the Big House Wine Co Bootlegger White to be an acceptable alternative once it warms up a bit in the glass. Its very floral with lots of fruit so it comes across as a tad sweet when it first hits your palate though I don't think there's much, if any RS. I find it fairly food friendly as a result. Reds have been tougher. I did find one I like a decent amount. Le Vieille Ferme red is a Rhone blend I believe: http://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/rhone-blend/la-vieille-ferme-red-bag-in-box/p/117131750?s=402&igrules=true I wanted to try something different - does anyone have suggestions? I'm hesitant to try the Big House reds as I'm afraid they're going to be CA style fruit bombs. I did some research online and the Wineberry boxes seem to be well regarded as actual good wines, but I only see them distributed in NY. In general I find it easier to drink cheap white wine than red, though I have learned that aerating a cheap red can help significantly, but I'm hoping to find a couple that I can rotate through depending on mood. Oh, I also tried the Maipe malbec as I was able to get a bottle first. I could barely drink it.

In an effort to spend less I'm evaluating all of my spending to see where I can save money. One thing I am not willing to compromise on is good coffee, but I'm wondering if I can find a more affordable option that will still taste great. I had been ordering from Blue Bottle, but have recently switched to primarily buying from Whole Foods, which saves me some money, but I'm wondering about what's available at Costco - both the Kirkland brand and the others they sell. Has anyone tried them that can share their experiences? I tend to like medium roasts - Guatemalan & Mexican beans seem to be good options when I'm trying a new roaster so I got interested in the Kirkland Guatamalan, but though its labeled as a medium roast, the reviews seem to indicate its very dark. 4-6 lbs of coffee is no small commitment for someone living alone who generally drinks one cup a day so input is appreciated!

I'm surprised to find I didn't mention this already. I started to get a bit bored with Home Chef right when I saw an offer for a new service, Sun Basket, so I thought I'd give it a try. I've now been ordering from them for about 5 months and they are by far my favorite of these types of services. Food is from local farms, organic when possible, seafood is sustainable, meat is hormone free, packaging is recyclable and the ingredients are always packed well. There is even less prep than with previous services I have tried (sauces are often already prepared, for example a recent frittata dish came with a romesco sauce already prepared) and best of all I find the dishes more inventive and almost all have been delicious. I've gotten some really good ideas on new combinations or spice blends that I've since used when cooking on my own, as well as cooking techniques (this is how I learned to toss wings in baking powder before grilling so they get and stay extra crispy). They also have a lot of meal choices, including paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian plans. Of course there has to be a downside and that is that Sun Basket is more expensive than the other services I've tried. $74 instead of $60 for 2x3 meals. I've kept an eye on Home Chef and occasionally switch back to them for a week to save costs when the Home Chef menu is particularly appealing and unfortunately I've had issues with the quality of the ingredients nearly every time. So I think the added cost for Sun Basket is worth it. It's all well and good when Home Chef offers a credit for useless ingredients, but that doesn't help when you're ready to put dinner together and suddenly can't (or the fact that it's never a refund, but always a credit toward your next box). Here's more info: https://www.sunbasket.com/faq And if anyone is interested in trying the service, get your first 3 meals free: http://sunbasket.com/3free/Jennifer118095

My Home Chef box arrived yesterday with everything mixed up, resulting in frozen produce. Typically the meat and freezer packs are on the bottom, separated from the produce bags to prevent this. Anyway, question is - which things do you think might still be edible and which will I have to replace? Things that were frozen (and I mean solid, with frost on them) - whole carrots, several small whole turnips, bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, brussels sprouts, red onion. The latter 3 were maybe not frozen completely through. Not worried about the red onion, am worried about the rest. Everything is getting cooked except of course the slaw.

Thanks for posting. Last time I went I was devastated to find they were closed. Maybe they were just remodeling. Will have to get over there soon. I work 5 minutes away but tend to forget it's there.

So does anyone have that Bodum grinder I ended up with? I'm not impressed so far. I have the setting on the finest grind for espresso and it appears like a course grind from my previous grinder - maybe what I'd get on the 5-6 scale. Nowhere near what you'd expect for espresso. I'm now wishing I hadn't pitched my old one. I jammed up the grinder trying to switch the grind setting with beans in the hopper, but I'm wondering if it couldn't have been fixed. Aside from the coffee grinds everywhere, it did a nice job. I also recently noticed there is a coffee grinder thread that I was unable to locate earlier so if my posts should be moved, feel free.

This is perfect, thank you. Not surprisingly I ran out of time today, but I have a ton of leftover turkey and I saved the pan juices and the extra rub do I think I may attempt this tomorrow. Also think the carcass will make an excellent turkey tortilla soup and I may use a bit of the rub for that as well.

Thanks. Turns out I had this grinder way down on my Amazon wishlist. Had added it so long ago I completely forgot. It was at it's lowest price yesterday, So that was easy. It will be here tomorrow. Don, I wonder if it's just a function of less parts. No idea really, just know I'm not manually grinding my beans.

I'm making last year's WaPo pasilla Chile rubbed turkey for my Friendsgiving today. There is a ton of rub leftover. Wondering if there's any way I can make it into some sort of sauce for the turkey? Ideally I'd like to do it in advance and just warm and add drippings. Here's what's in it (its very rich, consistency is like a very thick tomato sauce): 6 dried pasilla chili peppers 20 cloves garlic, roasted (see NOTE) 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into quarters 2 medium onions, one cut into quarters and one chopped 1 cup agave nectar 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard Leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of cilantro And I have homemade turkey stock, old white wine, butter, flour, etc. Any ideas?

This is a bit last minute, but my coffee grinder bit the dust and I'm hoping to maybe find a good Black Friday deal on Amazon. Recommendations for a good grinder under $100? I don't have a lot of requirements aside from having good options for adjusting the grind (I tend to use the finest setting - a 1 - on my current grinder for espresso and the 3 for my Aeropress the most, but I sometimes use a courser grind to do the inverted method with the Aeropress. Anyway, aside from that, I would love to not have grounds everywhere all of the time. I don't think the container on my grinder has a good "seal" when pushed into place so you get a little of them flying out and then when you pull the container out they inevitably get all over. The container is plastic so not surprisingly it's also a messy endeavor when opening it and transferring grounds to another container. Other than that, I'd just like something with a small footprint. Space is at a premium in my tiny kitchen. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

I've been to Manor Hill once and really enjoyed it. Large selection of beers to suit a variety of tastes, nice interior, friendly staff. You can take your own tour through the (small) brewing area. Be prepared to not be able to take home the beers you like the most. Some are available all of the time in cans or growlers, others are only available in one, some not at all. Not uncommon, but maybe just because they make more beers than some of the other local craft breweries it seemed more of what I wanted was unavailable. Possibly just a bad coincidence. Note that you do need reservations. They're often available last minute and there's no fee to reserve your spot, but they've had to implement the policy because of neighbor complaints.

I have been to the Laurel location a good number of times, more often for carryout when I had a bit too much wine the previous night, but once or twice to eat there. I like it. Aside from the non-alcoholic beverages I think the prices are tolerable (not so much on the fountain soda, especially when you are doing carryout and won't have access to refills), and food has all been consistently good. With the nicer interior and the nice craft beer selection this is a place I actually enjoy going to, whereas 5 Guys is just a take out place for me. I also prefer the burger. My only complaint about the Laurel location - the floor is always horrendously sticky.

A friend shared this with me today. Looks like a place worth checking out if you're in the area. " If you're ever in Pittsburgh, seriously check Conflict Kitchen, a tiny boutique takeaway that serves food only from countries with whom the US is in conflict. Their current iteration focuses on the food, culture and politics of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. I mean, don't you want the chance to taste NEOGË' WADE'SGÖNDAK? I know I do! " http://curiositymagazine.53.com/articles/food-for-thought/

What days is this available? Friday and Sat? You're not open on Sunday, right?

When I asked this for a special occasion, I was told to go Marcel's and did not regret it.

Eggspectation? (Ducks and hides) Wait, I almost want to change my answer. Had a thought that it might be Silver, but I can't tell whether that's salmon or prosciutto and even if it were the latter, the dish would be missing the tomatoes. So I guess I'll stick with my first wrong answer.

I actually did a blind tasting of tonics (alone and in a g&t if I remember correctly), but can't remember the darn results as it was years ago. I think we only tried Fever Tree against Seagrams and Canada Dry and all I can remember is one tasted unpleasantly sweet. Completely unhelpful, I know.

Love the idea of the shrub addition to the G&T. Number 1 Sons makes delicious barely carbonated kombuchas. I have been known to mix gin with their gingerflower kombucha and some sparkling water for a healthy take on a cocktail. I presume my body gets the healthy probiotics before the alcohol destroys them. Pool Boy, I keep mini bottles of cheap brut for cocktails. One bottle usually works for 2 drinks. For something like an Aperol spritz it works just fine.

Well, perhaps ironically What popped instantly into my head is topped with not one, but two kinds of bubbles. Aperol or Campari spritz. I don't measure though there are recipes online. Pour Campari or Aperol over ice, add champagne or Prosecco, top with a bit of sparkling water and a slice of orange.

Any idea of the name of the place? That's actually quite close to my office so sounds like a good option for me.

I second what Bart has said. Chester Gap is also excellent and within driving distance of Linden. Closer to Leesburg, 868 Vineyards has a lovely setting, great outdoor space and some decent wines. On weekends they often have food options and they have a restaurant on site. Its perhaps not the best of anything, but all together makes for a lovely spot if you wanted to hang out somewhere for a while.

I am 100% in agreement with you! I don't go out to see movies much at all these days and frankly with the development of Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc I typically rely on user reviews (or number of stars and a quick preview) to decide if I want to stream the movie, but when I did go out and wanted to read reviews to determine if the movie warranted the money I would often start with Ebert's reviews. It drove me insane how much text he devoted to plot summary. I would always just scroll through to the last paragraph or two to read the actual review part.

There are several little strip malls in that space between North and South bound Route 1. The one with Pasta Plus is still there. As is the one virtually next door to the Walgreen's that has a CVS. Somehow they manage to co-exist, which I find slightly odd.