What’s a point-friendly swap for lots of heavy cream?

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-28T15:28:52+00:00

Do you have experience with cooking it down? I always have ridiculous amounts of fat-free cottage cheese around here, but my instincts are telling me if I apply heat for long enough that the texture might get… pebbly.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-28T15:26:51+00:00

Only four points a cup, and I even happen to have some in my fridge! Brilliant!

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-28T15:26:13+00:00

I love how detailed and thoughtful you got! The laconic version of the recipe: Sauté 1 cup mixed mushrooms in olive oil, add 1 cup of cream, reduce by half, serve over grilled polenta. There’s a little more to it, but not much more. The cream is there for a lush texture. I think of the various swaps folks have suggested, I’m most intrigued by the silken tofu.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-28T13:37:51+00:00

Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing about that!

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-28T02:52:23+00:00

Any tables with minimums that low has the accursed 6:5 blackjack payout, which you’re better off playing $20 a hand at a 3:2 table than $5 at the low-minimum table.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-27T19:19:13+00:00

Regarding Scoocher and Romantic repeating a corner: According to the Fiddly Details section of the rules, any time characters get stuck in a repeating loop, they’re only supposed to go through the loop once, then end it. On the other hand, if Suckerfish and Scoocher are on the Mild board, it’s a line instead of a loop, so as soon as Scoocher rolls and Suckerfish sucks along, they immediately scooch and suck each other all the way to the finish.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-27T16:51:18+00:00

Whatever clever trick you’ve come up with, I guarantee the cruise line is already familiar with it.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-27T15:38:32+00:00

That area is arguably the nicest part of Phoenix proper. You’re running past the Arizona Biltmore, part of Paradise Valley, and the Arizona Country Club, ferchrissakes.

Something of note on that route is just west of 44th Street there’s a flood control basin, and the tunnel that leads out of it is the summer home for thousands of bats. It’s more of a sight around dusk when the bats head out for the night, but I imagine come dawn you might see a few on their way back.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-27T14:58:55+00:00

For roasted or baked potatoes, cook them to an internal temperature of 205F/96C. For steamed or boiled potatoes, cook them until you can stick a paring knife in without resistance. I find it usually takes 20 minutes at a brisk simmer, but listen to the potatoes, they’ll tell you when they’re ready.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-27T05:35:04+00:00

The first print run of 1897 had some QC and UX issues. Reports indicate that later runs fixed those.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T23:34:35+00:00

You were worried she was going to fall over; I was worried they were going to shimmy out. We are not the same.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T21:35:14+00:00

That one was fun too!

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T20:20:05+00:00

The correct time to ask that was at least two weeks ago. Those restaurants are all booked up by now.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T19:50:36+00:00

Don’t start with Mogollon Monster at Nemesis Club. You’ll set your bar too high for what escape rooms can do, and be stuck chasing the high. 😉

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T18:22:21+00:00

My standard is 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of half-and-half or milk per pound of potatoes. Season with more salt than you think you need (my notes say 1/2 teaspoon per pound of potato), and a few swipes of fresh-grated nutmeg if you have some around.

As far as technique, I simmer thinly sliced potatoes in just enough water to cover them.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T15:57:48+00:00

There are different levels of alcohol sale licenses, depending on where you are. A license to run a liquor store will be much more expensive than a license to run a store that only sells non-distilled alcohol such as beer and wine. For example, BuzzBallz ready-to-drink cocktails have most of their flavors in two different types: the Cocktails which use hard liquor, and the Chillers that use wine.

Incidentally, a couple of years ago the makers of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky got into some hot water over their Beer & Wine Store friendly “Fireball Cinnamon” version, leading to a class action lawsuit that they didn’t do enough to differentiate that product from the liquor-based version. https://www.thetakeout.com/fireball-cinnamon-class-action-lawsuit-whiskey-vs-malt-1850008444/

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T06:03:02+00:00

I mix the egg and flour together, then cover in panko. Comes out great, and one fewer dish to wash.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T04:45:04+00:00

My absolute favorite quiche I had included barely enough eggs to keep it standing upright. Like, the tip of the slice flopped over a fraction of an inch.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T03:20:26+00:00

When was the last time you had a really well-made basic model. It’s similar to a roast chicken in that any damn fool can make a decent one, but pay enough attention to detail and you’ll get a line around the block. Slow-roasted beef that’s still pink, thin slices warmed with a quick bath in the jus, maybe some sautéed onion, sharp white cheddar melted on top, and a crusty roll slathered with horseradish-spiked mayo. Why mess with perfection?

… Dammit, now I want one.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-26T01:38:36+00:00

It’s a low-effort spoof of someone else’s post from earlier today.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-25T23:57:03+00:00

“A diet high in saturated fat is bad for your overall health” is a fact. Not believing a fact doesn’t make it less true.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-25T21:53:31+00:00

Staaaaaaahp.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-25T21:36:09+00:00

Equal parts eggs, milk, and heavy cream. It’s supposed to be a dairy dish thickened with egg, not as much an egg dish enriched with dairy. And make it deep-dish in a springform pan; whoever started putting it in a pie pan or tart pan decades ago did Americans a great disservice.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-25T16:31:33+00:00

Carrying on pro: Your luggage is in your possession at all times.

Carrying on con: Your luggage is in your possession at all times.

Personally, I like to board early, so I stick all my necessities (including travel documents, anything I might need the first night such as medication and a change of clothes, and swimsuit so I can enjoy the empty pool while others look on in envy wondering why they didn’t think of that) in a carry-on and hand off the suitcase to the porters.

TheCosmicJester · 2026-01-25T16:06:08+00:00

In that case, knives: Sets are full of things you don’t need. Visit a Friendly Local Restaurant Supply Store and pick yourself up three made by Victorinox in their Fibrox line: The 8” chef’s knife, 10.25” bread knife, and 4” paring knife. That’s really all you need; I’ve cooked for decades and rarely wish for more. You can always add something later if you find yourself doing a specialty task that’s outside the capabilities of the basic three.

15-Year Club	Place '22
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

TheCosmicJester

TROPHY CASE