DrXmus

Last time we ate in at Wu's I had the braised boneless chicken mentioned in that article. It was my first time trying it. I enjoyed it, but I have to admit I tend to like spicier food. The braised chicken had a brown, meaty broth and the chicken was cooked perfectly.

Thanks for the details; I understand where the mispricing came from, now. It's a happy error for you because you made a great profit on a keg of beer. Congrats!

$8 a glass? Seriously?

Funny, I recently learned that wasn't universal, too! Some people can metabolize the pigment better than others. Apparently, I'm a mutant there, also. If asparagus pee is frightening, what about peeing red?! Freaked me out the first time it happened to me. I've heard of people that go to the hospital for red urine or red stool only to find out it's due to the beets they had the night before. I've seen a canine patient for the same thing; Mom fed him some beets the night before. His urine looked like mine.

From MrsDrXmus' Native Plant Listserve: Wild Ramps At Risk Wild greens like ramps have become trendy in restaurants as part of the push for seasonal, locally grown foods. But the newfound popularity could threaten whole populations of wild plants. Ramps are a type of wild leek (Allium tricoccum) with a pungent, garlicky taste and smell. They shoot up in early spring in woodlands in the Eastern United States. Not so very long ago they were the food of the poor, prized as a tonic after a long winter without fresh greens. But that era is gone. "The ramp season is about to explode onto farmers market tables and restaurant menus," chirped the Gourmet Live blog earlier this month. "If you've never tried ramps ... buy a bunch and discover what the fuss is all about." Ramps are slow-growing woodland plants, and the increased demand may be driving harvests down so low they can't rebound. "Just because it's there, doesn't mean it's sustainable," says Lawrence Davis-Hollander, a botanist and ecologist in Sheffield, Mass., who has taken on the cause of the sustainability of wild ramps. The fear is that ramps fervor could wipe out ramps themselves, as well as other fragile forest floor plants like trillium. Davis-Hollander has urged chefs — and others gathering ramps in the wild — to stop picking the slow-growing bulbs of ramps, which take at least 10 years to grow, and use just the faster-growing leaves. Horticulturalists and extension agents are also promoting ramp farming as a way to feed new ramp enthusiasts without threatening native plant populations. But it will take time: The seeds can take up to 18 months to germinate, and it can take five to seven years for a plant to grow large enough to harvest the root. — Nancy Shute

Mmmm...those were our daily mainstays during Meyer Lemon season. I used about 1 oz of juice, 1/2 oz of simple syrup, 1 1/2 oz of Plymouth Gin and topped up with club soda. Fan-frikkin-tastic. Your lemonade sounds great.

DC Brau's pale ale was on tap at Lost Dog Cafe in Arlington Sunday afternoon. I wasn't in a beer mood (a very rare event) so I didn't try it, but I considered asking for a taster.

Funny, I just learned this a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was universal before that. Apparently, I'm a mutant because I can't even stand to be in the bathroom with myself on asparagus night. Usually, I forget to be ready for the smell and get freaked out that I've got some fecal organism causing a UTI. You'd think I'd learn.

While this menu sounds delicious, I would not want to be in the bathroom at Dino's on that night! A restaurant-worth of asparagus pee. Not pleasant.

I just bought a Taylor Outdoor Digital Thermometer at Lowe's in Chantilly. It was only $20 and gives my $80 Thermopen a run for its money. It's got a very small tip, although it's a little bigger than a Thermopen's, and it reads accurately at the very last 1/4" of the probe. The temperature reading is stable after about 1 second, so it's slightly slower than the Thermopen, but when does half a second really matter? It's got some pre-programmed temperature settings for meats with lights that tell you if you're below, near or above your target temp, but it does show the current temp in F or C which is the primary purpose, right? The programmed settings aren't on automatically, so it's not really an issue. Seriously, though, if you want meat at 160 and the temp is 150, do you really need a light to tell you the current temp is below your target? Well, if this is important to you, this little beauty will give you a blue light. When the temp is 163, it'll give you a red light. Thank the Lord for technology!!;-) For years now, I've been waiting for thermocouple probes to hit the mainstream and it's finally happened. For $20, this thing is a steal, I think.

I have a bag of OO Italian flour that I don't want to waste. Now that I've found it, I only want to use it in the best way. Do any of you Donrockwellians have a great recipe for using OO flour. I'm thinking pizza more than pasta, but I'm open. Thanks.

Thanks for that info, Dean. I did forget that there's a middleman that tends to affect costs, even from breweries down the street from you (essentially). I still contend that the IPA finishes too sweet. I'd be stuffed after a meal and a Monumental IPA - I wouldn't get desert at the restaurant. You wouldn't want that, would you?

I thought the exact same thing when I bought the beer. I think it was 9.99 or 10.99 at Whole Foods in Vienna. I thought it'd be less expensive than beer that needed to be shipped from CA or PA or OR. Apparently, it's expensive to ship from Alexandria. If this is as good as it gets, then I'll be buying beer for the same price that I enjoy more that's made in PA.

I like the porter, but I tried the Monumental IPA from the sixer I bought and, regrettably, I have to say I'm not a fan. It's more of a pale ale, meaning it's not hoppy enough for an IPA and it finishes way too sweet. I'd love to know what the finishing gravity is. I couldn't finish my second beer due to the cloying sweetness and the fullness factor. Trust me, I can drink a few good beers, so it's not like I'm a rank amateur. I've heard the wit is very good and the porter's had great reviews, too. I love the locavore factor and I hope they keep growing and tweaking.

Considering that Arcturus is now looking for a new job on the forum, is this further evidence that Orso is seeing major changes? Wasn't he the guy who people were saying that there's consistency pre-and post-MacQuaid with him in front of the oven?

Them's fightin' words. Check out the Bojangle's thread here.

In the heart of Tiger country

Soft pretzels! This is my fave take-to-a-party dish. It gets raves.

I agree Popeye's has better chicken, but I love the spice on Bo's and the biscuits are much better, too. Plus, eating there takes me back to my days at Clemson when my roommate and I would run (screaming "Bo-yangles, Bo-yangles") the half mile to buy a dozen biscuits and maybe some chicken to soothe the savage munchies. Good times...good times.

Bojangle's just opened a place in Union Station. I know where I'm eating before the next DC Central Kitchen night!!

Very cool, but I'd be more likely to get a set if they cut tomatoes with ease after slicing through an aluminum can. Ginsu, watch out. The Light Saber Knife is coming after you!! [Actually, I guess the number of lawsuits they'd have to deal with after people sliced off a finger or three would make the product prohibitively expensive. Too bad.]

We really enjoyed DCCK night last month, but no-can-do for Monday nights.

The description says the minimum bid is 6K, so I guess at 5,999 the reserve technically isn't met. I agree, though, why have a reserve? Why not make the bidding start at 6K? Can it really be that some people will think 5,999 is better than 6000? Are customers that oblivious?

Thanks!

What am I missing?