Favorite restaurant

[jpshaw]

I'm probably going to get kicked off of Spice Place for saying this but my favorite was (It closed) Ryans. It was one of those buffet jobs where you were eating 60 seconds after coming in the door. Always full of contruction workers and truck drivers and my wife hated it. It actually always had baked tuna (not canned) and baked chicken and could be fairly healthy if you picked right. Their Spaghetti and meat sauce was better then the Italian place everyone went to (not Olive Garden) and the salad bar was full of cut fresh fruit.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Not a thing wrong with that JP! And you make some good points there- they have a great selection of salad bar ingredients, and fresh fruits (very low sodium there) & as always tons of choices! Also you could always order a steak with no added salt and a baked potato and not add a drop of salt, then have the salad bar on the side and wa-la you'd have it made!

[scubalaydee]

On some occasions not many I try out buffet dinners, what bothers me is that I want to taste everything and cannot, everything looks sooooo delicious, I call it food torture!

[chubbyalaskagriz]

I agree w/ Cathy, JP...

I sure ain't no food-snob, that's fer shure.

I cooked for 25 years at some fine, fine places.

Worked at elegant Alaskan lodges operated by Princess Cruiselines for years- also hotels, country clubs, and many foo-foo places. Loved the finer kitchens- but the final few years of my career I side-stepped out of gourmet stuff and cooked at remote site work-camps for the oil, mining and commercial-fishing workers. Cooked nothing but meat and potatoes- and LOTS OF IT for the guys. It was very rewarding- didn't miss a thing about the fancy-schmancy stuff.

Today? I enjoy all stlyes of food from the foo-foo nouvelle cuisine to slung hash and truck stop grub! I even have my fair share of suppers of microwave popcorn, ramen noodles, bologna sandwiches & canned soup, and peanut-butter toast!

I just love food- and I ain't too good to enjoy any of it!

[scubalaydee]

Of course you are not a food snob chubbyalaskagriz, you are one of us who loves good cooking!

[jglass]

My fav chinese place with the sushi is a buffet. By the time I eat my fill of sushi Im to full to try anything else.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

please post the recipe for your spring rolls scubalaydee, would love to have it myself!

[scubalaydee]

Exactly jglass on my previous comment I mentioned that everything looked so delicious, you first begin with your favorite and of course by the time you are finished you are 90% full, and all that sumptuous food just stares back at you, here is what I do, I select very tiny portions of nearly all my favorites, if I am filled after this treat, I feel satisfied that at least I had my favorites, what I like very much is that you never really have to wait, to me that is the best!

[scubalaydee]

Vegetarians can use their choice of vegetables

Makes about 2 dozen spring rolls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
2 cups your choice of meat (cooked ham, raw pork, or raw chicken, you can also add tiny shrimp or leave out the meat entirely and substitute more vegetables)
6 Chinese dried black mushrooms, soaked to reconstitute
1/2 cup bamboo shoots,
1 cup bean sprouts
1 small carrot, grated
1-1/2 cups Chinese or regular green cabbage, finely chopped
2 scallions, shredded
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 package spring roll or egg roll wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 egg, beaten

4 cups oil for deep-frying
soy sauce/ginger mixed together for dipping or regular duck sauce

Directions:
1. Prepare filling: Heat oil in a wok. or a large deep frying pot, Add meat and stir-fry briefly (until cooked through, if raw). Add vegetables and stir-fry about 2 minutes. Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. Add to wok and stir-fry until sauce thickens. Let filling cool before filling spring rolls (refrigerate if you're in a hurry).

2. To prepare each spring roll: Position one wrapper like a diamond with one point facing you. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a log shape across the bottom about 2" from the lowest corner. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling and tuck it behind the filling. Roll the packet up once to enclose the filling securely. Moisten the three remaining corners of the wrapper with beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners to the center and press down firmly to seal, forming an envelope. Finish rolling up, sealing the top corner. Repeat with remaining packets.

3. (Spring rolls may be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to cook. Make sure they do not touch each other or the dough will stick together.)
4. In a deep-fryer or wok, heat 4 cups of oil to 360 -375 degrees F. Deep-fry spring rolls a few at a time, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls hot.