nice books (A New Way to Cook; Gourmet’s Basic French) to replace 2 cookbooks (Cooking for Friends; Dessert Circus) that I had brought. Did you know that on the average, only 3 recipes from a cookbook make it into a...

oops. Forgot to mention that I’m a full-time student and a mom w/ 2 small children, so I am The Queen of Exhausted, Harried Cooks (the title is not official....yet).

). This is New York — there are MUCH more fun options, where your daughter and her friends will really be fussed over! I wish I were her, it sounds like a fun birthday party.

time on this trip or return to SF about once a month for the next year or two. So many of the items on the menu were enticing, suggesting new experiences or exciting plates. The monkfish was, in many ways, a “safe” call but...

't extent too much latitude to subordinate management no matter how competent. The Wall Street Journal ran a good piece yesterday about the new upscale menu items many chains have been adding to their menus. By and large, the...

Amen, Morton. Some places you can find, but not New York-style. In fact, I find it’s difficult to find a good sandwich place, period—not sprouts and pitas, but for-real hot sandwiches. There’s a place at Post...

I think you’re using too much milk. I use 1/2-3/4 of a cup for every cup of flour. You also might want to get some new baking powder. I add about 2 tablespoon sugar for every cup of flour and a good squeeze of lemon juice...

good manners with treacle. As many have stated here, both the delivery and the message are important. Someone spills red wine on your new white tablecloth, you do not scream at them and call them an idiot, you politely say...

very good and very affordable. My mom also likes the salmon burger patties for making herself a quick dinner. In general I only head out to TJ’s nowadays to stock up on meat and potstickers, especially potstickers, since...

the people buying $14 drinks at The Four Seasons don’t have the decency to ask if they can purchase a glass (available shiny and new in a box for under $20 at the front desk). You try to be head and shoulders above everyone...

proprietorship. I agree; for a mom and pop place, $65 is a lot of business... that’d be 10 of me if I were a lone customer!

've heard great things about the Inn. Also a couple of blocks away—towards Fisherman’s wharf is Hotel San Remo, which my mom stayed at when she was in town and liked it. Its really rustic—not as hip as Boheme or...

Grilled veggies sprinkled heavily with garlic salt... one of my favorites, then served with balsamic vinegar or vinegarette. My mom makes Meatballs and Cabbage using turkey breast for the meatballs, then cabbage, shredded onions,...

I’m new to Top Chef. Only seen it a couple of times. But I’ve been really put off by the credit at the end that says something about the producers, as well as the judges, having participated in the final decision....

I was going to append this list of Columbian restaurants and food-related businesses that I know of to the end of last week’s discussion; but that thread is buried so far back that I thought it would be better to start a...