You know you are a tad too obsessed when...

[meatn3]

For me, I was trying to log into my e-mail. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. Then I really looked closer - instead of typing "hotmail.com" I was typing "hotmeal.com" !

What was your wake-up call?

;-D

[ChristinaMason]

You find out you have a salivary gland infection and your first thought is how much this is going to cramp your style.

(unfortunately true story)

[Whats_For_Dinner]

Yes!!

Similarly... I often burn my tongue on coffee in the morning, and rather than being annoyed at the pain, I'm pissed because I won't be able to taste breakfast quite as much.

[ChristinaMason]

hahaha. fortunately this isn't affecting my sense of taste, it just makes eating quite uncomfortable.

[Sinicle]

Planning a trip to NYC and not going to any shows because I do not like to eat rushed before or too late after and don't like matinees. Museums are OK because you can plan them around meals; shopping works for the same reason. As others have noted, the primary purpose of any travel is to eat.

[hungryabbey]

ha, I totally agree on the show dilemma. I always have to opt for the matinee for that reason.

[ChristinaMason]

this is why brunch (with no breakfast before) was invented. you're hungry again by 4ish anyway...

[Rmis32]

The database I created for NYC restaurants contains 875 listings and is growing daily. I only eat out about once a week.

[meatn3]

If there was a prize, I think you would be a contender! If I lived in your town I'd have a hard time not eating out - so many wonderful choices.

[PurpleTeeth]

Our (my so and I) ahah moment was when we went on a 3 hr hike up to a waterfall with my Mom with very full backpacks. When we got to the waterfall we then to an proceeded to lay out a spread of pate, cheese, smoked fish, olives bread and champagne with real glasses and napkins. My mom was shocked we had hauled all that stuff for hours instead of sandwiches & water and for us it seemed so normal. She had a great time though and then I knew I was a chowhound!

[buttertart]

When rousted out of bed New Year's Day by kitty jumping on bed to present you with the mouse he's just stunned (and which is currently at large somewhere in the apartment, oh goodie) you proceed immediately to the computer to spend the first couple of conscious hours of 2010 on dear old CH. Happy New Year and many happy shopping eating and cooking adventures to all!

[care11]

...you actually start a food blog and become obsessed with it to the point it keeps you from going to bed and wakes you up at night with a new story idea at 3am.

http://cookwithcare.blogspot.com

[alkapal]

those cornmeal crusted bay scallops look like they're right up my alley. when your recipe says potato starch, what can i substitute? i've never encountered "potato starch."

i'm going to serve mine with a cajun remoulade.

[care11]

We use flour if we don't have the starch...maybe even better! That cajun remoulade sounds delicious!!!!! Those scallops are awesome...as I am sure you know, so importanat to get the oil to temp!!!!

[alkapal]

yes indeedy, carolyn! since you love seafood, and like the idea of the cajun remoulade, i must give you more "food for thought" at 3 a.m. -- a link to john folse's louisiana cuisine. oh man, just reading the titles makes my mouth water. http://www.jfolse.com/fr_seafood.htm

here's his general site: http://www.jfolse.com/newfindrecipe.htm

here's his white remoulade: http://www.jfolse.com/newfindrecipe.htm
red remoulade: http://www.jfolse.com/recipes/stocks_sauces/stock_sauce09.htm
south louisiana remoulade: http://www.jfolse.com/recipes/stocks_...

laissez les bon temps rouler!

[care11]

Thank you! Okay, so I LOVE all the flounder recipes! Chef Folse... where have you been all my life?!?! Happy Friday!

[c oliver]

What a great site. Thanks for sharing.

[LindaWhit]

alkapal, check out the international aisle or where they have products for Jewish holidays. (Sorry, not sure what aisle it is!) I swear I've seen potato starch made by Manischewitz:

http://www.amazon.com/MANISCHEWITZ-Potato-Starch-Canister-16-Ounce/dp/B001FA1L8E

http://www.vitacost.com/Ener-G-Pure-P...

[buttertart]

Chinese stores have it as well, with the flours/starches - one brand has a cute picture of a windmill on it (apparently imported from Holland). it's useful for quite a few things.

[meatn3]

The package will say potato starch or potato flour. Bob's Red Mill is readily available, especially at a natural foods store that has a strong gluten free selection.

[c oliver]

A little story. We live at the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. It's approx. 80 miles all the way around the lake. It's a beautiful fall day today so we put the dogs in the car and headed down the West Shore, stopping at a park where they were allowed on the beach. Then on to the South Shore where we had a great lunch with wine. A couple at the next table are here for a week from the NW CA coast. They asked for must-do things and ALL I could think of were restaurants. Truly. After a few minutes we were able to come up with some non-food-eating things but I was still thinking 'hmm, where could they eat lunch after going to Donner Lake?" It's a sickness :)

[pikawicca]

I'm sure the visitors were happy they'd run into you. It's been a while, but I seem to recall having a hard time finding great food on the south shore.

[c oliver]

In light of that really good lunch (crab chili relleno and SW braised short ribs, I want to do some more research on the South Shore (and will post about this resto). We really never go down there but it's less tawdry than it used to be and in the non-winter months we should go there more.

[buttertart]

It's a sickness I share. A very nice woman I met at PT for my elbow and got friendly with moved into our neighborhood. We ran into each other on the street and exchanged email addresses. I sent her a welcome to the neighborhood/orientation email that was 99% food-related - best supermarket, shops, restaurants, etc. (the other 1% concerned the Brooklyn Public Library - and mentioned their cookbook collection).

[purple goddess]

I am currently in the process of moving to a new country, and all of my Internet searching is about food. Not one inquiry about health care, or education.. newp.. My entire recent history on BOTH computers is things like "best coffee shop in Lae", "mud crabs PNG", "Vanilla pods Morobe province"

I kid you not!

Oh and the other dead give away? Whenever I clean out old images of my camera I notice that of every 100 shots, only a max of 2 contain actual people. The rest are food.

[meatn3]

How exciting to move to PNG! I was there in the mid '80's - looking forward to your reports...

I moved to my state's capitol. People would assume I had scurried about my first few weeks seeing the legislative buildings, the Governors Mansion, reading all the historic markers...Nope, I was checking out the fish markets, farmers markets, ethnic grocery stores! I endured many incredulous looks!

[purple goddess]

Awesome, Meatn3! Were you brave enough to try the smoked fruit bat? We're moving to Lae, so any heads up on the best places/villages to go for goodies would be appreciated!

[meatn3]

No, We weren't aware of the smoked fruit bat...Most of our stay consisted of a white water rafting trip on the Watut, so meals were provided - basic US/Australian Anglo stuff. The outfitters were concerned about our impact on the villages, so sharing food in any way was strongly discouraged.

At that point the country was such a fascinating study of contrasts. You will be in such a great place to explore!

When we flew into Port Moresby it looked like there had been a massacre in the airport...then as I looked around and saw dozens of "no betel nut spitting" signs I put two and two together.

In Lae I just recall some small groceries with roll-down metal doors like you find on a garage. The products were largely Australian and English. There was a local couple, dressed traditionally, comparing the ingredients between Newman's Own dressing and a Heinz salad cream - Chowhounds are everywhere!

I am sure 25 years has added to the food options - what fun you will have!

[buttertart]

That betel juice residue freaked me out when I was first in Taipei.

[susancinsf]

chuckle: I moved to a new town about a year ago, and spent the first few months checking out (and posting about) restaurants!

(unfortunately, I moved from San Francisco to a smallish Central Valley town, and the restaurant scene has been decidedly disappointing. The good news is that I've still enjoyed checking out the markets, farm stands, ethnic grocery stores, farmers markets...and got a lead just yesterday on an ethnic food store I didn't know about! Time for more exploring!

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

I returned home from a long flight after a long day to find that my cat sitter had moved in while I was gone. Her groceries were in my pantry, fridge and freezer and her other possessions were stored and displayed all over the place. To top it off things in my house were missing for which she had no explanation. After I evicted her and her things I crawled into bed and was pretty much out cold. Somewhere in my sub or unconscious I remembered I had made pesto before I left on vacation and put it in the freezer for my homecoming meal. Uncharacteristically of me when I am exhausted (like waking the dead) ,I got out of bed and checked the freezer for the pesto. It didn't even occur to me to check my valuables, I was hell bent on whether or not she ate my pesto. Fortunately, she didn't.

[Jacey]

My question to all of you food obsessed people, are you a little heavy/overweight/have a few pounds to lose/obese/"big boned?"

Just curious because you're always thinking about food...

[pikawicca]

I spend an hour every day at the gym, so that I can eat what I want and not be "a little overweight." (And while I'm on the elliptical machine, I'm thinking about dinner.)

[BobB]

Pretty much the same here - not every day, but usually four days a week. And I love how an hour at the gym improves my appetite!

[c oliver]

Don't ask, don't tell :)

[alkapal]

i detect a dog in the manger!

[chicgail]

Jaycey, if you're not one of "you food-obsessed people," what are you doing on this board and, more to the point, on this thread?

But to answer your question, I am overweight, not obese, but willing to deal with not having my perfect body to enjoy one of life's great pleasures. I also work out very regularly.

[Paula76]

I am an average size and weight and in my experience, thinking and obsessing about food does not equate overeating it. On the contrary, most people I know who are seriously overweight couldn't care less about food and just eat junk to fill the gap whilst, somehow, those who are 'food obsessed' appear to be more discerning when it comes to what they put in their mouths (imho).

[Ima Wurdibitsch]

I wholeheartedly agree.

I used to eat a diet of mostly fast food, frozen dinners, and heavily processed items. Eating became not so much about the food but about mindlessly consuming. After I started doing more cooking, I started paying more attention to how flavors came together. When I started eating better foods, I found that I naturally slowed down paid attention to what I was eating. This resulted in me eating much less and enjoying it much more.

[alkapal]

oh no, i feel a "big-boned/weight-challenged" subthread comin' on......
;-)).

[meatn3]

At the moment I have about 30 extra lbs., but this is due to a long sedentary recovery from surgery. Now that I am finally able to work again (yea!) and be active it is starting to come off.

I've never eaten a lot. I listen to my body, eat slow and savor and know when I am full. I also know enough about food and how it is prepared to be aware of the nutritive aspects of my choices.

Being over weight isn't always about interest in food. Metabolism, medication, literally feeding some other need, poor nutrition all enter into this. I once was very good friends with a very obese fellow. We were often together 24/7 since we traveled for business together. I* ate more than he did, and he really was not particularly interested in food - just a whacked system.

*Very seldom will I eat an entire restaurant meal, usually half or less.

[chicgail]

Being obsessed with food; thinking about food; savoring food doesn't mean overeating. It means choosing where, what and when you will eat, how it will be prepared and then eating that and enjoying it.

Most of the truly "big boned" (i.e. fat) people I know will eat anything in any quantity, anywhere. They are not CHs.

[care11]

Well said!

[meatn3]

Yes, I was replying to Jacey...

[Popkin]

I'm actually of a rather slender build. I eat very rich foods, but I also can't eat much in one sitting. I take pleasure in all of it; the smells, the tasting along the way, and the preparation.

[Paula76]

I can relate to so many of the posts and it's comforting to know I'm not such a freak after all (or at least, that there are many other food-obsessed freaks like me out there!) Not only do I constantly dream about eating and cooking, daydream about culinary trips and incursions and research restaurants to add to my wishlist but all my landmarks and references appear to be food-related.

We were laughing with my boyfriend yesterday whilst walking around London as he finds his bearings around pubs (he used to be a big drinker) and I do the same with restaurants, delis and food markets and I kept naming the chefs for many of the restaurants we passed on our way (although I've never been).

[care11]

I constantly plan parties in my head (for events that aren't even going to happen)

I write out fake menus

One of the first things I talk to my husband about in the morning is what should we have for dinner, then most of the day revolves around that

I get frustrated with people who don't care about food as much as I do

I always played restaurant as a child..."Tiffany's by the Bay" was the name of the establishment and I was "Tiffany."

I used to pretend the basement windows on the outside of my parents house were drive thru windows

My friend and I growing up used to have a lemonade stand...that evolved into cut flowers, baked goods, candy bags, etc...

Her front porch was the "specialty grocery store" when we played

I am on this website constantly...

[chicgail]

It's so good to have this virtual community to share our food obsession with. Not everyone understands it. And I feel less like there's something wrong with me (or with them).

[alkapal]

care, you are a sweetheart!

[care11]

Thanks alkapal...I still dream of "Tiffany"...she's now the wealthy owner of a bed and breakfast on the New England coast. She never has any annoying guests stay at her Inn. She cooks them breakfast (which they always love...never any "special requests") and she hosts a wine and tapas happy hour every evening on her boat deck at 4pm. When her wonderful (non annoying) guests go off on their evenings...Tiffany sits with her husband discussing how they are so fortunate to have the life they always wanted, she sips on fabulous wine (that was sent to her by one of her vineyard owner regulars) and eventually goes to bed in the beautiful owners courters overlooking the ocean. She listens to the waves crashing as she sleeps and wakes (to her non annoying guests) to serve freshly brewed coffee, a savory goat cheese strata, warm cinnamon scones, smoked salmon and chive cream cheese on croissants. She's come a long way from "Tiffany's on the Bay" which started as a crab cake cafe in her parents garage down the shore...

[alkapal]

care11, i wonder if tiffany would care to have as a guest a globe-trotting epicure, with whom she forms an immediate food-lovin' bond, and they while away hours (because there are non-annoying guests at the B&B) talking about food customs and food all over the world -- drinking the excellent wine all the while, mind you.

then, tiffany's new pal orders up the lear jet and they jet off to.....
~~~~~
next chapter.....

[lulubelle]

No bacon for breakfast? It was an enticing little fantasy right up until then.

[care11]

Hmmm, duly noted, no self respecting B&B has breakfast w/out the swine! There's thick cut bacon in the goat cheese strata, along with thinly sliced apples, onions, maple syrup, nutmeg and cayenne pepper ...and beautifully browned hot breakfast sausage links on the side, banana walnut pancakes, crisp pumpkin waffles, fried potatoes with diced up ham, hot fresh from the oven baked bread w/homemade jam, fresh squeezed OJ and champagne cranberry spritzers while we're at it... (Tiffany doesn't need much sleep.)

[alkapal]

ok, i want crisp pumpkin waffles!

[tastyjon]

I'm a single guy and find I now judge a mate's potential by sussing out their culinary openness. This doesn't mean I seek someone with caviar tastes, but rather someone open to exploring the bare bones strip mall ethnic joint, or going to a different city and not sticking with familiar chains.

[ChristinaMason]

I think I fell in love with my husband-to-be when he cooked me dinner. I was asking him about how he'd made the pasta, and he admitted to having fire-roasted the red peppers over the stove. This was before we were even dating, and it made a real impression on me that he would put so much thought into his creation. He is still a great cook, and now, I get to live with him :)

[DarthEater]

When friends tell me about their date last night, the first questions I always ask is 'How was the food? and "Where did you go?" before I even ask how was the person like.

My fellow foodie obsessed friend and I always discuss what we should have for dinner while eating lunch.

[Cheese Boy]

I tell people, "If and when I ever leave NY, I'll miss the food most of all".

Outsiders might feel that I don't have high regard for family, friends, museums, prized schools, employers, etc with a statement like that, but hey, I like food, and NY has lots of it. Seriously.

[care11]

Cheese Boy, I understand!! We used to live in NYC and only went to one broadway show...the whole time we were sitting there, all I kept thinking was how I would SO MUCH rather be eating out somewhere wonderful...not sitting there listening to this person sing! People always ask us how many shows we have seen having lived there for 5 years and we're like...one! It all revolved around food when we were there... and we miss it :(

[pikawicca]

One of the great things about being a local food writer is that everyone wants to talk to you about food. Food they've cooked, food they want to cook, restaurant meals, etc. Even complete strangers who recognize me from my picture in the paper want to talk food. I love it!

[meatn3]

We went to the State Fair yesterday.Our first stop was the Pork Council Tent for their sandwich. After taking my first bite, I asked my SO, "So, where do you want to eat next?"

[k_d]

For me, it was when I realized all my status updates in Twitter and Facebook were about what I had eaten for lunch or what I was fixing for supper. And yes ... travel is always food-centric. I get worried if I think I'm going to be in a destination free of good food spots. CH usually comes through with a rec, though!

[Popkin]

I have a new one....

When one of the first things you ask your SO in the morning (who likes food and all, but isn't terribly interested) is something along the lines of "what do you want for dinner?" or "what do you think of X for dinner, maybe Y for dessert? Which seasoning should I use in the soup tonight? Oh, and good morning honey!" *smooch*

Him: *groggy look* "I don't know what I want for dinner, and however you make it I'm sure it'll be good"

[linguafood]

I start asking the night before about dinner the following day. Other than that, I talk about food more than anything else. It probably drives people nuts. But I don't care '-D

And yes, guilty of taking more than one picture of dinners I have made... if they look great, they must be saved for posterity.

[c oliver]

I am SO loving this thread. It's making me feel slightly more normal about this issue anyway.

[lulubelle]

I get back to my home town of Chicago for three weeks in winter and maybe six weeks over the summer. Emails between my best friend and I leading up to my visit are almost entirely about food and what I need to eat while I am home. They frequently involve complex itineraries like:

"well, we can stop at the soccer field for pupusas on our way to Evanston to go to the Spice House, and Then we might as well go to Skokie to pick up bagels at Kaufman's, and then we'll head back into the city--we can stop at Super Dawg on our way to the fish guy. Does that sound good?"
"We need to stop at the Italian bakery in Andersonville on our way, and we might as well go to the Middle Eastern grocery as long as we've paid to park. and more importantly, where are we going for dinner?"

Every meal involves a discussion of the previous meal, and another discussion about where else we will eat that day. It's a sickness.

[alkapal]

at lunch out, mr. alka will often ask, "what are we having for dinner?"

you'd think he was born in some war zone, where the next meal was never assured....

[buttertart]

We've been doing this for years - my husband gets it from his family who are similarly afflicted.

[BobB]

I always plan what to have for lunch with dinner in mind. I can't really eat more than one major meal a day (two if I have a big breakfast and skip lunch entirely), so if I know we're going out to a nice restaurant or hosting a dinner party I'll have a particularly light lunch so that I know I'll be really hungry for dinner.

[buttertart]

We're like that too. My husband also does not generally like to have the same meat twice in a day (this doesn't bother me if in different preparations) so we get around that by planning. And virtually all meals on a trip must be planned in advance - and sightseeing planned around hem!

[shaogo]

A friend who's a photographer often asks to look at my latest amateur photography.

He always comments about the vast majority of my photographs being of food. He thinks I should branch out into other subjects. I tell him that, sadly, I don't get nearly as excited about other subjects as I do about food. My wife claims that I photograph food because, since I'm constantly dieting, it's nearly as rewarding for me as *eating* food.

First thing I do when I check into an out-of-town hotel is ask the concierge where there's a gourmet market to pick up salumeria, cheese, and some baked goods.

The first thing I ask friends who return from a trip to New York is not "what (play) did you see?" nor "where did you shop?" -- it's "where did you eat?"

[c oliver]

A friend who lives in Oregon called me last evening asking about H&H bagels. I knew she was visiting NJ but she doesn't usually get into Manhattan. I was astounded that she had deliberately chosen to NOT go into Zabars (they have great smoked fish to go with the bagel). And she hadnt asked me my fave restos on the UWS where she was staying. I've pouted about it all day :)

[chicgail]

When I found that I was working our visits to the Uffizi and the Vatican and the Colosseum (and the Trevi Fountain and the Forum, etc, etc.) in between my plans for where we were going to eat in Florence and Rome.

[melly]

The first thing I always ask people, when they return from a trip (or even from the hospital) is, "what did you eat?"

[alkapal]

me, too!

[LindaWhit]

Me three! Huh....if coworkers are at a conference/convention, I'll ask where and what they ate if I know they went out to dinner. :-) My mother goes out for a sorority "lunch bunch" once a month - and she always knows she needs to tell me where they went and what she had. (And she's called a few years before the restaurants are scheduled and asked for suggestions.)

[hungryabbey]

haha thats hilarious. I asked a friend what she ate at a gala dinner only a few days ago and she said "I dont remember?" and looked at me like I was crazy for asking. I can remember every significant meal out (and most non significant) for the past few years with incredible accuracy.

[jeniyo]

i eat lunch during my Weightwatcher's meeting... yup... all the hungry ladies look at me!

[meatn3]

I am still recovering from laughing at the image you painted!

[EWSflash]

LOL!! do they alol look at you like this? >:~(

[Kagey]

I try to schedule meetings for work near places with good food. I can't tell you how many times I've convinced people to meet at one particular venue in Reading (UK) that has a great Ethiopian cafe downstairs.

[jeniyo]

everyone i know says "yep, of course, her question is ALWAYS related to food." even when playing taboo with friends. I dream about cooking, think about cooking during a boring work meeting, when i'm on hold on the phone, i type spreadsheets of things i want/want to make/wish i could make, i plan my days around what i should have for dinner, i obsess when the house does not have a homemade dessert, i spend my spare time in the food/cooking shops, i read food related books, i plant my herbs, i think relentlessly when i have an event that is food related, all i care about is the food in my wedding (i take a white apron any day..), i want to bake my own wedding cake, i have long discussions with my dear hubby about cookies and what i should stuff the chicken breast with until his eyes roll to the back of his head, i work in an office, and thankfully, i get to think about some of this stuff while i type emails and organizing. there are times i wish i'm chopping onions instead of pushing papers.

yesterday, i was going home after work on my commuter train. a nice man declared that he's a chef after seeing me reading "the soul of a chef" i didn't say much. i went home, cried, and made a 3 course dinner. i think i'm a tad obsessive, maybe i should change my field of work?

[yayadave]

Oh, yeah! You need to think about a new occupation. Maybe food related.

[egging]

I agree--sounds like you have a passion!

[Whats_For_Dinner]

I'm so glad for this whole thread! I'm not the only one! I feel so validated :D

Your post struck SO many chords with me.
I can always feel my personal conversations coming back around to food topics and I try to stop myself and converse like a normal person but I can't.
I have so many things that I want to try making that I have a physical hardcopy list that I update every few days.
Rare (verging on nonexistent) are the days when I wake up without having the day's menus planned -- and usually the next day's as well.

I unwind by cooking. Once during a 24-day-straight marathon of 12-hour days at my bottom-of-the-barrel prep/cleanup/b*tchworkfoodservicejob... I went home every night and how did I choose to relax? Why, spending hours planning and creating elaborate dinners, of course! I mentioned this to friends and they looked at me like I was off my rocker.

Once I was up until 4:00 AM making a triple batch of chocolate fudge because I just could not stop cooking and fudge was the only thing I could make with the ingredients I had left.

Wow, I sound crazy even to myself!

[c oliver]

Crazy? Of course. Isn't that part of the whole CH experience? You're in good company.

[kmr]

Hello. My name is Karen, I'm food obsessed....(you all say "Hi Karen!")
For me, it was when I realized that our travel plans ALWAYS revolve entirely around where we can eat, interesting markets, funky saloons, etc. I suspected I was obessed when I started talking my sweet hubby and some friends into driving almost 500 miles (one way) for my birthday dinner.

[BobB]

That sounds familiar. My wife and I are similar but since I'm the one who hangs out on Chowhound, we've developed a division of labor - I research the food venues when we're planning a trip, and she plans the inedible aspects (museums, concerts, etc). We completely trust each other's tastes and it works out very well.

[fmcoxe6188]

Yup-this is mine as well. Several months ago my boyfriend surprised me with a trip-which was incredibly sweet- but I felt very disarmed that I hadnt been able to research every restaurant in the area to find the ones I wanted to hit. Luckily he had done some homework for me :-)

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Hi Karen, I too plan out of our vacation around food, I thought it was just me or trying to pretend that I am normal....I guess not, OBESSED is more like it...And yes, I reasearch evey restaurant, even ones I know we will not visit..

We are going to the Keys/Cozumel in Jan and I all ready know where we are going to eat! Maine in August of 2010 for the Lobster Festival ... We are planning our 2011 vacation around the SOBE Food and Wine Festival...

If anyone needs to know a Food Festival in the US let me know I pretty much know them all ;)

[susancinsf]

since I will be in Cozumel in April, PLEASE report back on your trip finds for me! :-)

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Will do I write about all the places I eat at !!!

[Popkin]

When I am trying to help a customer with an animal related question, I somehow work human food into the conversation.

"Oh yes, you can give your bird various fruits and veggies such as ....... and you can even take a little batter if you are baking something and add their favourite veg/fruit/pellets ..... Yes you can give your bearded dragon lettuce, but it's nutritionally poor, try collard greens, dandelion greens, etc...., yes I know your bearded dragon won't eat mustard greens, just try some of the others though, mustard greens are a bit peppery. But they're good in salad with spinach, gives a nice contrast. Speaking of which, have you tried spinach sautee'd in butter and garlic? Oh yea, you can eat it as is or put it in an omelet, or quiche! In fact they have a sale at X on spinach right now"

[yayadave]

"And while you're sauteing that spinach, you may as well add some legumes. Oh, yes, very good in protein. With a little tomato sauce, too." TeeHee

[EWSflash]

Oh Popkin, you crack me up- that's just what I would do!

[yayadave]

About a week or two after we got back from Nassau, we figured out that the reason we didn't like it was that we had not had a really good meal there. The best we did was buy a couple of nice watches.

[Servorg]

When someone posted a little while back on my local board about the possible "ETA" of the opening of some restaurant I then posted to note that I suddenly noticed that one could make not only "EAT and ATE" out of that acronym - but "TEA" as well. At that moment I knew I was undoubtedly "one toke over the line Sweet Haysus..." ;-D>

[HillJ]

I ask my college age son what he ate that week BEFORE I ask how classes are going.

[Normandie]

LOL, meat, et. al. You each gave me a good giggle this morning. :-D

My obsession tends to evince itself not in terms of food, but through cooking equipment. Not humorous, but instead pathetic--I spent an evening recently being upset because I had accidentally put a favorite spatula on the bottom rack of the d/w, instead of the top, and the handle got brutalized. After about four hours of brooding (not openly--I'm not *that* insane--just somewhere there in the back of my mind), I remembered that the thing cost about seven bucks and is readily available. Doh. I just liked the thing, you know? It had been properly broken in. :-D

[alkapal]

normandie, i'm with ya girl. mr. alka once melted tupperware into a lovely old school revereware. damn!

[Firegoat]

you're just bitter because after my rubbermaid into the toaster melting incident you realize it could have been saved

[alkapal]

you are a hurtful, cold individual, and i DO remember that rebuke. dangit!!
<er, can i make the smiley face now?>

[Firegoat]

Yes, yes you can. I'm planning to go to Kansas City this weekend to see the fiancee, move some things, job hunt..... and all I can think about is what I want to eat while I'm there. Pretty sick.

[alkapal]

hey firegoat, best of luck there in the ole k.c.

and...you've got your priorities right -- after all, you have to eat, and it might as well be good food!
~~~~~
(that reminds me of this couple we knew, who when we said -- as everyone does -- "hey we should have dinner sometime," the wife replied, "oh, that's great, we eat every day!").

[tcamp]

I am still mad about my spouse putting the wooden spoon rest too close to a burner and charring it. We still use it, years later.

[pengcast]

My former assistant stopped by to say she was getting married and my first question was 'what are you serving?'. Not what is your dress like or where is the honeymoon?

She just laughed because we worked as event planners together so she knows my mania about menu planning.She seemed to have learned something from that experience because they are having a smaller wedding so they can have better food and wine.

[alkapal]

i did it just the other day. the post was about pistachio brittle. instead of typing "heart of the desert" brand, i called it "heart of desire."