alisa

Recent Comments

• Del Monte Recalls College Inn No MSG Broth (Slashfood)

  Dec 7th 2009 4:19PM What about all the BPA in the lining of the cans? It's an issue with all canned food and the BPA, the same stuff made us all ditch our water bottles but somehow it's OK to have it line food cans and get into the food many of us consume as a result.

• What Can I Get You Folks? - Diners and Their Allergies (Slashfood)

  Jul 1st 2009 4:27PM This is a really hard one because folks with food allergies have to
  be very careful and it seems like there are more and more folks with serious food allergies. I think it is of the utmost importance that chefs in
  restaurants make sure that the wait staff is at least educated on the
  major allergens - wheat, dairy, soy, shellfish & nuts. And to have a
  variety of offerings so that people (including people who choose to
  abstain from certain food groups - vegan, vegetarian, etc) can choose
  something off the menu. I am making the assumption here that the chef knows all the ingredients in a certain dish so even when the less well known allergy questions come that chefs can answer the question "what is in this dish".
  
  But i agree there has to be a line - like if someone with a shellfish
  allergy goes to a seafood restaurant it's almost sort of that person's
  fault. I know that sounds horrible and harsh but seriously, i am sure there are other restaurants with less ways to tempt an allergic response.
  
  And i have tons of friends with interesting food allergies, including
  wheat, gluten, dairy, shellfish and one who is allergic to all kinds
  of peppers. And i love to eat out with them but we always make sure
  we choose a restaurant that has lots of choices.... I wouldn't
  take my friend with the gluten allergy to a pizza joint, etc etc.
  
  I guess i think both sides need to educate themselves, be realistic
  about choices and servers should be able to pop back and ask the chef
  if they aren't sure whether a dish contains a certain allergen. Additionally I agree that patrons need to be up front about allergies and be well educated enough about the allergy to ask the right questions to the servers (sometimes 'sauce' ingredients are overlooked, etc)
  

• Proper Coffee Storage with the CoffeeMeister (Slashfood)

  Jun 24th 2009 5:03PM Love the OXO pop containers. This is where we keep our coffee. Also great for all kinds of other dry storage.

• Picky Eaters and Vegans - The Hungry Bride (Slashfood)

  Jun 8th 2009 9:43AM We had a vegetarian in our wedding party, his wife needed gluten free, and we have several vegetarian and or picky-eating friends. So we made sure we had an assortment of options - at least 2 wheat free which were also vegetarian (quinoa salad is a GREAT option). I tried to be conscious about it, especially because these folks were part of the wedding party. It's really not that hard to make some things vegetarian or vegan or however you need to modify it but you should also know you aren't going to make everyone perfectly happy, so don't go crazy about it.
  
  I know they appreciated that we had several options available, and we also had the menus printed to point out what was wheat free and what was vegetarian. Your caterer should also make sure that the staff is educated on what each dish contains, and make sure they put most of the sauces on the side.

• French Press Tips from the CoffeeMeister (Slashfood)

  May 15th 2009 10:42AM My hub & I make a pot of french press every morning (and we have a burr grinder - thank you wedding gift registry!) and we love it. It's fast, tasty coffee and we make enough for us each to have a cup.
  
  I like to toss some cinnamon in with the grinds to add extra flavor to the coffee. I'm sure the purists are gasping right now, but as the Meister says - we each like what we like.
  
  happy caffeinating!

• To Cake or Not to Cake - The Hungry Bride (Slashfood)

  Apr 30th 2009 3:05PM We went with a Carvel Ice Cream cake which we fed each other (and smeared on faces). We had 2 rounds (1 big, 1 small) as the cake that we cut, and then we got a few sheet ice cream cakes to serve. The guests absolutely loved it, and it was a warm summer night so it helped cool things down.
  
  Our caterer (we had a pig roast) also made tropical fruit salad and mini dulce de leche cakes which were also outstanding.

• Onions to Make Us Weep for Joy - Feast Your Eyes (Slashfood)

  Apr 27th 2009 4:03PM If you light a candle near your cutting board when cutting onions or shallots you will not cry. It's amazingly easy and it works. Very strange!
  
  http://theripetomato.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/shallots-i-love-thee-but-i-shall-cry-for-thee-no-longer/

• Smitten by Pasta - Feast Your Eyes (Slashfood)

  Apr 22nd 2009 10:51AM I loooooooooove pasta. Could eat it every day. This is a truly lovely sight, thanks for sharing!
  
  theripetomato.wordpress.com

• Use Your Noodle: Imported Whole-Wheat Pasta (Slashfood)

  Apr 7th 2009 10:01AM I struggle with the taste but have found that I like the Trader Joe's brand whole wheat pasta the best. I can't say I eat only whole wheat pasta, though, it's really only sometimes that I go for it. I'd rather eat regular pasta and load it with veggies instead.
  
  theripetomato.wordpress.com

• Sweet and Savory Citrus (Slashfood)

  Apr 3rd 2009 3:26PM I love kumquats... Use them in salads, etc, and agree they would be excellent with ceviche. They also go well all mashed up in a glass as part of a mojito !
  
  theripetomato.wordpress.com