imarku 7-Inch Santoku Chef Knife: Broken Blades, Broken Promises

Like many kitchen knives on Amazon, the imarku 7-Inch Santoku Chef Knife promises the world for a very low price. You get a perfectly balanced, ultra-sharp, highly polished knife with pretty pakkawood handle. The blade is hollow-edged, meaning it’s scalloped so food won’t stick to it. It’s made of some kind of very hard steel. … Read more

What’s the Difference Between Sprinkles and Jimmies on Ice Cream?

ice cream topped with sprinkles or jimmies

I don’t go in for topping my ice cream with candy. It’s sweet enough for me as it is. But, I’m the exception. You can’t have an ice-cream shop without an assortment of sprinkles or jimmies, those little sweet candy pieces that ice cream lovers use to adorn their scoop or cone. But, what’s the … Read more

What is a Two-Top in a Restaurant?

two-top in a restaurant with a couple reading menus

In the restaurant business, the suffix -top refers to a table or a group of customers at a table. A number is used before -top to refer to how many covers, or place-settings, the table accommodates. Thus, a two-top is a table that seats two guests and accommodates two covers. And once you know what … Read more

What is a Banquette in a Restaurant?

banquette seating in a small restaurant

In a restaurant setting, banquette is a word for a padded bench with a cushioned seat and back. This style of seating is used in “banquette seating,” which is often confused with booth seating. In fact, some restaurant owners may call the padded benches in their booth seating banquettes. However, banquette refers to a continuous … Read more

Banning Artificial Colors: Food Deserts and Minority Rule

assorted nutrition facts panels from food labels

With the current frenzy around banning food additives, and particularly banning artificial colors, I thought I’d recount a little story about the impact of food additives on someone’s life. The story involves artificial food colors or “dyes.” A 4-year old boy named Trenton started pre-K. He started having nightmares and public meltdowns. His mother couldn’t … Read more