smokey

In my experience with ML, this is critical. They really love to undercook their pies. I also think their sauce:cheese ratio is off (too much cheese), but that may just be me. Thanks for the research effort, Daniel!

Funny, that's exactly the way I feel about their pizzas as well!

I would describe that as an excellent summary of the situation. Might I add, why not look in DC for what is good in DC, instead of trying to recreate what is good somewhere else? Let NY have their (great) pizza, and let them wonder where all the good DC-like Ethiopian restaurants are in NY.

Yep, that's it. It's in a funny location in that strip mall--actually faces the Anthropologie store on the pike.On the topic of Bonaparte's baguettes, I've had the baguettes from their retail operation when at a friend's in Baltimore. They really are great. Haven't had anything else from there.

Yes! That's exactly what I liked about them. Good, strong banana flavor, but delicate like a cake--not a quick bread. Mmmm.

I've heard good things about Stella's on the Pike near White Flint Mall, but have never been. Can anybody confirm?

Not doubting what you read (or tasted in your mouth!), Barbara, but i agree that I love Italian meringue buttercream and don't think what he's producing tastes anything like the IM buttercream I make [pats self on back]. Mine isn't like a stick of butter and is light and fluffy--frankly, delicious.

well, not answering your actual question, but may I recommend a chocolate/sour cream frosting for that banana cupcake? I've made that same recipe and thought it quite good (I think I modified the instructions for how to mix the ingredients to more of an RLB type approach, but don't remember for sure). Regardless, i love chocolate and banana together. I've found that a chocolate sour cream frosting is just wonderful on banana cake. Hmmm, thinking about the black frozen bananas in my fridge and what they might want to become.....[drool]

I completely agree with this description of the frosting. It's like a stick of butter. My complaints with cakelove have much less to do with the dry cake and more to do with the frosting. Blech.

Only appropriate that your post should have come after the one regarding 'critical violations.' That Giant always looked to me like it was 1 violation away from being shut down (although i do appreciate the convenience factor you say you miss).

Perri--have you tried the KA Cookie Companion? I haven't looked through it for oatmeal cookies, but it's fairly comprehensive. They might have something you like.

If I read Perri's post correctly, she's not looking for a chewy recipe, she's looking for a soft recipe.

Agreed, Ann Amernick's stuff is amazing. I would try contacting her through Palena (where she is pastry chef) to see if she still does wedding cakes (I wouldn't get my hopes up, however). I'm with you, BTW, about fondant. It may look great, but looks are a distant second to a great tasting cake!

Yeah, and then your SO comes back from the store with cilantro, unable to discern the difference between cilantro and flat leaf parsley. You decide to start looking at a different set of cookbooks, because cilantro will never work with what you had planned!

LMAO! I have had similar problems with overcharging (though not as egregious as you've experienced) at the WF at Congressional.

The one in Congressional Plaza in Rockville [aside: truly the worst WF I've ever had the misfortune to be a regular customer of] has done this. And, in the process, they've eliminated some things that I would have thought were fairly standard (e.g. polenta anybody?). Their spice selection has increased 20 fold, but as somebody pointed out, I don't need 30 nutmegs very often and, regardless, I almost always buy my spices through penzeys. So who gives a...?The WF out in the Kentlands has a mix of the "old-fashioned" bulk and the new style. My hypothesis had been that it had to do with perceived/real stealing of bulk items, in part based on the fact that they had made the switch at the Congressional location (which I suspect has a lower SES clientele compared with Kentlands location [NB: don't flame me about this, I'm not saying poor folks shop at WF in Congressional--it's relative to the folks who shop at Kentlands WF]) but not at the Kentlands location. However, they haven't prepackaged a bunch of stuff that I figure is absolutely ripe for the stealing (i.e. chocolate covered malt balls), and now i'm learning that they've made the switch at other WF. So, there's data that undermines my previous hypothesis here. Anyway, rambling over--whatever the reason, I find it incredibly annoying.

It's evolving into so much more! Ketchup isn't a vegetable?

If only we knew where to find her (besides here!) perhaps we would!

Oh, I like this! Not standing on the left side of the escalator so that people can walk past you; not taking the elevator when you're able-bodied and there's somebody there with a child in a stroller; the list of offense could go on and on. Now, for that enforcement problem...

This is a carrot cake recipe I got from a friend who used to bake for a restaurant in Iowa City, Iowa. It's basically the restaurant's recipe, modified for the amount one might want to make at home and for some of my preferences (e.g., I like cardamom!). It's a fairly dense cake with pecans, coconut and pineapple, as well as loads of carrot. That's a style I like a lot--if it's not your wife's style it may not be her thing. Carrot cake Grease 3 qt (about 9”x13”) pan, preheat oven to 350. 1 1/4 cup white flour 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 t baking powder 1 1/2 t baking soda 3/4 t salt 1 1/2 t cinnamon (I usually add more, maybe 2 1/2 t cinnamon) 1 t ground cardamom 3 eggs well beaten 1 cup sugar 10 T vegetable oil (just shy of 2/3 cup) 2 t vanilla extract 1 cup drained crushed pineapple (1 small can) 2 1/2 c grated carrots (approximately 1 lb) 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/2 c shredded coconut Sift together all dry ingredients, save for the whole wheat flour. Then mix in whole wheat flour. In a separate bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix until just blended. Pour into pan and bake for 30-35. When cake has completely cooled, frost with following frosting. Cream cheese frosting 1/2 lb. cream cheese 1 1/2 sticks butter (not margarine) 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 1/2 t lemon juice (I like it more lemony and usually add 3 t) 1/2 lb. Powdered sugar Blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla and lemon juice until well mixed. Add in powdered sugar, frost!

This weekend tried a new to me recipe from KA Cookie Companion--almond cardomom cookie. Basically, it's a Russian tea cake/mexican wedding cake/call it what you will cookie (all butter, no eggs). The sugar was 10X, which i don't remember from previous incarnations. I blitzed the almonds in the food procesor, so some were meal, and the biggest was 2mm(approx!) in diameter. Flavored with almond extract and cardomom--intensely cardamom flavor in the dough, less so in the finished product. In future renditions, i would add more (I really like cardamom). For the crowd I was serving them to, it was probably just the right amount.

On my list as well. Oh, to have all the time in the world to pursue my hobbies!

Or, in the words of Milhouse van Houten, "I fear to look, yet I cannot turn away."

If I follow you, you are arguing that it is both an etiquette violation for an infant to be at this restaurant (and not having been there, I withhold judgement on that) and that it is an etiquette violation for the infant to have been breastfed there (a point with which I disagree with you). It is not indiscreet, inappropriate or inconsiderate to breastfeed an infant in public. [ETA: yeah, hiking up a dress from hem to breast (even a very short dress!) to breastfeed is indiscreet. I am making some assumptions about the situation.]

Actually, no. If you'll read CajunJason's post (snipped below), he doesn't complain about the person bringing an infant to a crowded dining room. I can understand somebody complaining about that, depending on the restaurant. I've never been to Notti Bianchi (sp?) and have no idea what the restaurant or prices are like. Is it an expensive restaurant where based on prices/quality of food/level of service/formality/etc. one would expect to go out for an adults only meal? While this is a subjective assessment, that certainly factors into my decision on whether I would take an infant there. Regardless, what CajunJason complains about is the paying customer (who, I am assuming, wasn't told that she couldn't bring her infant) who chose to breastfeed in the restaurant. What he described is not an etiquette violation to me. However, staring at a mother and breast-feeding baby to get a shot of mom's breast is an etiquette violation. Using your definition of etiquette, which I think is reasonable, it is not discreet, considerate or appropriate. [ETA: Apparently, Raisa and I were posting at the same time with the same point. I'm leaving my post up regardless because I think it's an important point.]