Food Blogs (314)

Wondering soy burgers had been around for many decades as I recall them flavored like beef not bad long ago yet the fast food places act like it's a modern day miracle

I design and sell kitchens for a living. While many of my associates do housing developments, I get the single custom projects. Medium to high-end gourmet kitchens and sometimes a client would actually be a professional chef.
Architectural drawings (what once were called blueprints) come to us with house design and a generic kitchen that gets approved by the country building division. The contractor and trades bid against the architectural drawings. Architects rarely go beyond the concept layout. Since it's custom, it's my job to take the concept to a finished design that not only works, but is aesthetically pleasing.
We have to ask how they want the layout and designate different areas for food storage, prep, cleaning, etc. Some clients entertain guests while they cook, others want the kitchen to themselves and bring out the food like it was a surprise. If it's a Kosher kitchen, we have to provide a layout for 2 sinks, and double of nearly everything including 2 dishwashers.

Most of my clients want spices adjacent to the range top. However, in a (large) working kitchen, food preparation and cooking are in two locations.
I'm glad large hearth-style hoods with spice storage are no longer in fashion, it presented the problem of heat in the general area that wasn't a good place to keep spices. I always asked... if they wanted, they got it.
The one thing I learned from a real chef is they don't season the food over the stove. It's done at the time of food prep and that's typically in a different location.
Not everyone has time to peel & press fresh garlic for each meal, that means most use powdered garlic. If you remove the cap from the bottle and you see garlic stuck around the perforated holes, you know they've been shaking powdered garlic directly over cooking food and the steam rising makes the garlic stick.

I was up early this morning, charged the helicopter batteries with expectations of a few flights before heading to Miami to continue renovation. Winds, were 15mph so I decided to stay at the condo and head to Miami later in the day.

I knew my stylist was working until 6 and it was nearly 5 when I called to see if she was available. The girl who answered told me 3 were in front and there would be a long wait... She seemed to be unable to grasp that 3 clients waiting and 1 hour before closing meant there wasn't time for me to get a haircut. Duh. It took several tries to get her to realize this.

Al, the brother of my neighbor is jobless and nearly homeless, so I asked if he wanted to cut my lawn... he was over in 2 minutes ready to work. I trimmed the bushes and did the edging. Break time I went to Burger King with a buy one get one free coupon. Al got an unexpected dinner. It would have been sooner, but it took 20 minutes to get through BK.
I equate this to a lack of management. I was a heartbeat away from suggesting they build a fast-food restaurant at that location.

A few minutes before sundown and I did a practice flight in front of the house to drain the battery. Lithium polymer hobby batteries deteriorate if they remain fully charged for long periods of time.

Already 8pm, I was packed and ready to leave when my wife texted asking if I was okay. I phoned back... Yes, all good and I'm heading back. I stopped for gas and the tanker was blocking some of the pumps. I did a few maneuvers and got within 15 feet of the tanker. The driver had 3 hoses connected and pumping away. What surprised me was the amount of fumes off of this rig. I recall someone saying tanker pumps have coaxial fittings with gaskets. As flammable gasoline gets pumped in, pressure returns to the tank... For safety and environmental concerns, it's a sealed system and fumes don't escape. I guess that's only in theory!

Gassed up and heading to the highway, I see the sign on the Carvel Ice Cream store lit up OPEN so it was time for some. I wanted a Chocolate Waffle Cone on a medium soft serve. The girl told me Chocolate Waffle Cones only come in large. My response was I understand, but don't want a large ice cream. How much extra to get the Chocolate Waffle Cone and only put in the amount for a medium.
She looked puzzled and repeated the Chocolate Waffle Cone only comes in large.
I took the medium Waffle Cone... without chocolate.

I have a coworker who loves talking about food made up to look and taste like 'real' meat. My question to her is why?
She said she likes the taste of meat but dislikes that it sacrificed an animal to have a meal and the horrible conditions of food processing.
So wouldn't it work if you squeezed something from a tube and fried it up?
Her answer was definitely not. It has to resemble real food.

On my way to visit an old friend who had surgery and cannot leave his apartment for a few days, I asked if he needed/wanted anything. His reply was to get him a hamburger. I stopped at Wendy's and for me, I got a thick shake. They gave me a paper straw. Ugg... the last time I had a paper straw was the cafe in the health food restaurant. It failed.

So While I was sucking air... knowing these things don't work well with frozen drinks. I waited until I left my friends apartment and started back on the shake that was already melted. By then, the straw was wilted and failed.

I understand their concern with saving the planet from plastic waste and recycling... but plastic straws should be mandatory with thick shakes.

That's my thought on the subject.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT—Ben & Jerry's has long been known for the ice cream company's political activism, introducing flavors that support many progressive causes.


The company has done it again with its exciting new Antifa-inspired flavors, the sale of which benefits the anti-fascist organization that bravely stops fascism by force and silencing those they disagree with.

The new flavors include Vegan Coconut Milkshake with Real Concrete Mix, Blood of the People You Disagree With, and Antifa Protester B.O. All the flavors are made with real ingredients, whether that's blood harvested from people that Antifa threw a brick at or actual sweat from Antifa rioters.

"Delicious!" said one Antifa taste-tester in Portland before throwing his half-finished Vegan Coconut Concrete ice cream at a conservative reporter standing nearby. "It's great to know I'm supporting a wonderful cause like fighting Nazis with my ice cream purchases. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find undesirables and utilize violence against them."

At your local Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, you can even get your Antifa ice cream customized with great new toppings like Molotov cocktail drizzle, real bread crumbs from a Soviet breadline, and bits of dog meat from Venezuela.

So many countries are planting plenty of trees. I wonder if there is enough water in the world for watering all the trees and satisfying the human consumption.

This time of year, overwhelmed by veggies in garden. Table out front for walkers by to take some. Kale, Zucchini, raddishes, lettuce....still early for tomats.

Typically, I buy low-fat Greek style yogurt and changed my mind to see what whole milk yogurt was like...
Awesome !!

“Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins.”

July 20, 1969. As 500,000 million people watched from the Earth and two others were about to take the first steps on the moon, Michael Collins was all alone.

As the Command Module Pilot of Apollo 11, Collins orbited above the lunar surface when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked into the history books and the collective memory of our nation’s Trivial Pursuit enthusiasts.

Do a search for “Michael Collins” and you’ll find articles that use phrases like “Forgotten Astronaut,” “The Other Astronaut,” and similar slights.

Fortunately, we found one amateur mixologist who is attempting to immortalize Collins in cocktail form with a play on a traditional Tom Collins. For your drinking pleasure, we present:

The Forgotten Astronaut Cocktail
2 oz London dry gin
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 oz Demerara syrup
And a bar spoon of tart cherry jelly
Shake. Pour over ice in a Collins glass top off with seltzer.

Cheers to you, Michael Collins.

Thanks to Max Reid for the out-of-this-world cocktail.