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Food Thread: Size Matters

It's actually important, even though many people (including me sometimes) just sort of chop stuff without paying much attention to what the recipe may say. And luckily most recipe writers are not fixated on the difference between a mince and a fine chop and a coarse chop and a slice and...

But some ingredients really are different depending on their size, and onions are a great example! A fine mince will allow the onions almost to melt into the sauce or gravy or whatever, while a rough chop allows more texture and a more robust flavor.

Sure, it might not matter all that much on a hectic Wednesday night when all you really want is some fuel for yourself and something to plop down for the kids because when they get hangry, the house is a very unpleasant place to be.

But think about something like stew...specifically, your favorite recipe handed down from your grandmother. It's a labor of love, and you carefully cut the meat into uniform pieces exactly 1.5"x1.5"x1.5" because that's what she did!

How weird would it be if you made it with finely chopped meat? It might even taste good (it probably will), but it will be a far cry from what you remember, and what you want.

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Taco Bell Is Actually One Of The Better Fast Food Restaurants Out There

And the writer is a retard. Taco Bell is pretty awful stuff, and the few times I have eaten it is because there wasn't anything else available, and that includes microwaved burritos from the gas station convenience store.

I've had a different experience with the brand. When I was following a vegan diet back in 2014 and 2015, it was one of the few cheap restaurants in my small suburban town that offered anything I could eat other than fries. This was before the days of the ubiquitous Impossible Burger, and I was deeply grateful for late-night black bean Crunchwrap Supremes and 5-Layer Burritos when the munchies hit. And unlike the oil-soaked McDonald's and Wendy's meals I had enjoyed in years prior, these indulgences never made me feel bloated and heavy the way a Big Mac would.

See what I mean? She is definitely a sub-wit. And a vegan. But I repeat myself.

First of all, Impossible Burgers are not ubiquitous. I think I have seen them a couple of times on a fast food menu, but Little Miss Vegan needs to put down the thesaurus. Second of all, the very reason you had limited options was because of your stupidity. Of course being a vegan was going to keep you from the tasty fast food that can be had in America with minimal effort. And third...Taco Bell may be the Platonic ideal when it comes to bloating. What planet does this twit live on?

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I like Garden&Gun. Their recipes are usually solid, and they don't shy away from butter and bacon fat. Of course there is a hint of Wokeness...maybe snooty pomposity is a better term, and this recipe is a good example.

Why "heirloom" tomatoes? It's the summer...most of us are getting relatively fresh local tomatoes anyway, and that little tag adds a few dollars per pound! Just stop it.

Heirloom Tomato and Caramelized Onion Tart does look good, so I'll give it a shot (it's a riff on a classic French tart).

They do redeem themselves a bit with Pimento Cheese Tomato Pies. The recipe is a bit fussy, but come on...Pimento Cheese!

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The photo is from commenter "Gunslinger's" first attempt at ribs on his new Weber pellet smoker.

He is very, very happy with it, and thinks it is elevating his smoking game. Judging by the look of those baby-back ribs, I agree.

Here's the rub he used, but of course he will be tweaking it to make it his own. That is vital, because it is ridiculously easy to do, and the end product...the food you eat!...will taste exactly how you want it, rather than the least common denominator of the chef or recipe writer.

I would leave out the celery seeds and maybe add some mustard powder.

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Shivmaster Bluebell sent me this, claiming it is the easiest and best recipe for Sourdough Discard Crackers.

I think she is correct. I have made them twice, and the only difficulty is making sure you don't overdo them. I think I might decrease the temperature to 300° or 325°, because the stuff is so thin it bakes almost immediately, and the only think left to do is get a bit of color and allow them to dry out completely so that they are crispy. I think that will be easier in a cooler oven...

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Good butter, and Flap Meat...whatever the hell that is...just send it, Broccolini that isn't $6/bunch, garlic...lots of garlic!, well-marbled hanger steaks and elk chops to: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com.

Who are those poor deluded souls who shake their Manhattans? These are the same people who drink fine bourbon with coke, and probably shake red wine with ice too.

My and the world's patience has run out. Shaken Manhattans henceforth will be banished to the land of Long Island Ice Teas and Frozen Strawberry Margaritas.

And yes, I used to demand fancy bourbon, but let's face it, $1,200 for a bottle of bourbon is just stupid, insulting, and a ghastly affront to most people's palates and wallets. I think the sweet spot is $40-$60 for excellent and interesting bottles, and bumping that to $100 gets you an incremental improvement in quality, but nothing mind-blowing. More than that and I think you are paying for hype and rarity, which may look good in your liquor cabinet, but doesn't translate to more quality in the bottle.