Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I think it's a bad idea for a business that depends on consumers to make a political statement one way or the other. My only exception is when it involves speaking out against prejudice and discrimination. It is his right to free speech to say whatever he wants, true, but it is his responsibility to his share holders to not alienate the market. I think people get mad at consumers for boycotts and not respecting free speech, but that is how the free market rolls. As a business you should be careful.

Whole Foods in Austin has this thing I call the Wall of Shame. You go up this strange electronic walkway thingy, and you see all these optimistic posters of the beginning stages of Whole Foods and the stores they opened. Then when you go down you just see the word "acquired," "acquired," "acquired," repeatedly, and I may be wrong, but it is seems to me that the acquiring was really a buying out of small independent stores.

I do feel alienated by his comments on health care. I don't agree, and it is truly important to me. I know so many people that fall into these crazy categories that make it difficult to get healthcare through employers. I don't think I am self-righteous or a hypocrite that I choose not to spend my hard earned money at a business when a CEO makes it easy for me to know his opinions. I know there are a lot of bad practices out there that I could onyl find out with a bit of investigation. He made it easy for me to see that he is speaking out against something that concerns me. Just sell me your goods, hold your politics. This blog often talks about making conscientious choices in how you spend your money, why is this different?

It is easy for him to make a statement about healthcare. He could probably pay for several organ transplants and the accompanying meds with cash outright.

This economic downturn is not a time to turn away any paying customers. I used to make special trips to Whole Foods to get items unavailable at my regular market. My regular market is probably much more conservative than Whole Foods, BUT they know how to keep their mouths shut for the most part. I also have the satisfaction of knowing they are local-ish. Plus, I notice that they tend to stock anything that Whole Foods does if you just ask. I think the workers at Whole Foods could likely get a job at the local stores. In fact, a new market style store that will only carry local products is opening. They can get a job there.

I also noted that he did not explain what harissa was, but this is a pilot. I'm sure he would eventually start getting more educational.

I think they were both equal, one better in some areas and the other better in others.

What I liked about Jeffrey's bio was the part where he has his daughter taste the ingredient by itself. I had an epiphany that I don't do that. I have NEVER tasted an ingredient by itself. I do realize that most would be offputting, but in the end everytime I use that ingredient I would understand its place in the dish better. It was at that point that I became excited about his concept. He didn't pull it off 100%, but I think overall his idea was the more compelling.

It's hard to say that Melissa should not have won just because I, personally, am more interested in Jeffrey's concept. This is especially so since I loved her muffin gratin. It was genius.

I am looking forward to her show and hope to see Jeffrey's concept somewhere, even if it is a video blog.

I'm not sure how regional CostCo's are, but they sell a coffee brand called Ruta Maya, free trade and delicious. The price and quantity is a steal, and as far as I can tell unavailable elsewhere.

The wine is about 1/2 price in some cases.

We never had proper mashed potatoes growing up. My mom would boil peeled potatoes, and we each got our own half of a potato to mash up with our fork and add butter/salt. I loved it.

When we started talking about mashed potatoes we got next door, instead of figuring out how they did it, she began buying boxed potato flakes.

My significant other is a bit compulsive about how his potatoes should be made and makes gagging noises when the word instant potatoes are uttered, so he INSISTED on our first Thanksgiving with my mother that he make the potatoes.

He wasn't used to her stove and pots, so he thought they came out not up to par that time. My mother, though, talks about them to this day. She's the one that insists that he make them now.

My mother, who has a good excuse in that she is Korean and not American, has always tried to approximate what she has eaten at other American households. If she eats a dish at a place that makes it terribly, then she makes it terribly. It just took that one time of eating proper homemade potatoes to change her mind.

My suggestion for the poster is to get ballsy and insist on making at least one item. Convert the mom one dish at a time.

pure luck farm goat cheese

eating bacon as a child, it was so tasty

flourless chocolate cake

Eating barbecue in Memphis. Eating at barbecue places always feels like you are eating like a local. The pulled pork was interesting and delicious. Don't remember too much of Memphis except the barbecue,music and bookstores.

I think the vegetables side dish page had the most recipes I want to try. We just bought a huge bag of fresh green beans at the farmer's market, so I think I will try one of the green bean recipes even before Thanksgiving.

I miss Red Creme. I think Fanta put it out. They served it at the bowling alley, and it was perfect in my nostalgia fogged estimation.

1994 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon

It was memorable in many ways. It was my first time buying wine in earnest and not just grabbing any bottle in the grocery store. Some place in town was having a buy a bottle get a bottle for a nickle sale, and I went crazy. I didn't know where to start knowing very little about wine, except pat advice given me by friends and family in the past. I asked an employee to help me pick out some. One bottle I bought because the lady next to me told me to. I had however, read in some free weekly publication that the 1994 California cabs were great, so I set about looking for at least one. I got confused by the sign, and thought I was buying a much cheaper bottle. I didn't realize the price was the computed total after the sale.

I gave one bottle as a gift to someone letting me stay at their place. I later took the other bottle to dinner with my boyfriend's family. It was the best wine I had had at that point and most likely still my favorite, definitely in the top two.

tea tree chewing sticks - maybe it's not exactly classy to chew them in front of your date but will alleviate "effects" of eating curry, pasta, etc.