They generally just need to be cooked twice: once at a lower temperature to cook them soft and then at a higher temperature to brown the outside surface.

I had some good onion rings once: perfect, slightly sweet, crispy batter with a touch of spice just in the background. The batter didn't separate from the rings, so when you bit one, the whole onion didn't slip out and leave you with a hollow shell. I've been chasing that ever since.

It's not stroganoff if it' doesn't have mushrooms in the sauce.

Don't come at me with your fragile bacon that you can shatter with a fork.

Omelets take practice! When I go to buffets with an omelet station I ask if I can watch. Most makers of omelets are happy to have an audience--one person even explained what he was doing as he went along. Same with crepes. I've learned a lot and my omelets and crepes are pretty good.

Isn't cooking an egg a common test for chefs?

I had a friends who would say "cook them until you think they are burnt, then give them another minute". She still got white in them.

Try Rao's or Carbone's

And it there are tomatoes, it isn't a true Caesar salad. The salad can still be good though, but something else

I thought I didn't like gnocchi, but it was the starter at a wedding I went to recently and it was so good! Guess it's not meant to resemble boiled wads of glue.

Instant mashed potatoes are 90% as good as the real thing. Sometimes it's worth the time and effort saved to use them.

Err, in which case why would you order a pot pie? I thought that was the definition thereof.

I always add a pinch of salt. definitely helps.

From my experience, there should be the word 'American' in there ahead of the word. 'restaurant'.

I will absolutely agree with this. Even coffee shops struggle with this. I prefer my own coffee from home, store brand, in a can.

Often it comes down to a wrong brewing temperature. It's either too hot (burnt taste) or too cold (bitter taste)

With enough sugar, any coffee is good

Ugh, yes! Going to a place that has good breakfast but c**p coffee brings down the entire experience

My only complaint is no two restaurants or cafes make it the same, so I don’t know in advance whether to ask for full strength (double shot) or half strength (single shot) when I order my Flat White. I usually default to full strength and add extra sugar if it’s too bitter.

Definitely not in the States.

It grinds my gears to pay $5+ for a coffee that tastes burnt and is either tepid or volcanic hot.

In Spain and Portugal bad coffee is a deal breaker. I'm not talking all the BS that some people enjoy. Expresso, real coffee. A bit of milk. not a cup twice the size of a can.

Most people I know that visit my island and come back to USA tell me, the one thing they miss the most is the great coffee they can get anywhere. Even gas stations sell better coffee than most restaurants here in the states.

I think that depends on how often they clean the machine

This is another dish that I will only make at home for myself. There is one frozen brand that is AMAZING!!!! but I just can't force myself to pay that price for a frozen side dish that I can make fresh for a lot less money. It truly is "The World's Best" though.

Did not know this. Thanks!

Where's uncle roger?

honestly, its a minor pet peeve of mine that some americans just call all pastas, spaghetti etc "noodles" xP

Thus why I dislike white meat.

Tortillas are one of those foods that are significantly better fresh.

Ordering noodles can be hairy, because a lot of them are over cooked and over sauced, resulting in a sloppy mess.

yes...this!....they used to have celery, carrots, onions, and tiny shrimp in addition to the cabbage...and they had that thick bumpy shell

It has to be fried hot and fast

If I cant see a body of water, I never order the crab cakes...

This photo is an insult to poutine. There is not enough gravy, and an embarrassingly small amount of shredded cheese.

Try making homemade nachos I like mine since I do whatever ratio I want.

"Garlic aioli". What, as opposed to "garlic and oil" (the literal meaning of the term) with no garlic in it? What I think you mean is simply that some places use garlic mayonnaise where you would prefer aioli.

Right? I love them so much that I rarely order them because I don't want to be disappointed. Very few places make them well. Not too much corned beef which ahs to be low on fat and gristle and not smooth. It needs a little grain to it. Lots of kraut and not too much dressing. Is that so hard?

Especially when cooked on the barbecue grill by someone who knows what they’re doing.

I always ask for dressing on the side