mordacity's Profile
Johannesburg - Give Me Your Greatest HIts
After what seems like an eternity in Conakry, eating at just five or six just tolerable places in rotation, I'm going to a conference in Joburg and I only want to eat the very best, most delicious food in town while I'm there. No particular preference on cuisine. Money is no object, though if you think the greatest food in Joburg is at a cheap sandwich place I'll be thrilled to eat that too. I'll be based in Sandton and won't have my own wheels, but if it's cab-accessible that's great. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
What to do with beef tenderloin bits?
I bought a whole beef tenderloin at Sams, and after saving half for a roast and trimming the other half into cute steaks, I have some extra chunks left over, enough for one small meal perhaps. They're about the right size for stew meat, but that's not something you do with tenderloin. Some of it I minced and gave to my (tremendously spoiled) cat, but what should I do with the rest?
220V Food Processors
I'm slowly buying a whole new set of kitchen appliances in preparation for my upcoming move to West Africa and I have run into a problem. It seems that Cuisinart doesn't make food processors in 220 volts, and since for my entire life "Cuisinart" was synonymous with "food processor" I'm kind of at a loss for what to buy. What other brands do people like that do have 220 volt models, and where can I order one and get it shipped to me in the States?
Best Hot Chocolate?
None of that powdery Swiss Miss stuff! Where do you go in DC for a delicious warming chocolaty experience?
Whole Ducks in DC/NOVA?
Where can I buy a nice whole duck, fresh if at all possible? Metro-accessible is best, but I can make it out to the 'burbs if need be.
Thanks!
Whole cacao beans
She says she got them in Bocas del Toro, from a cafe right on the water near all the snorkeling companies, possibly called the Starfish Cafe. What do you plan on doing with them?
Texas transplant seeks kolaches
I don't really much care for the Kolache Factory - their dough always seems a little dry to me. I always got my fix at Mornings Kolaches in Clear Lake. Fortunately, since my original post I have learned to make them myself! Homesick Texan has a great recipe (http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/03/sweet-escape-kolaches.html). Check out the rest of her site too for more Texas favorites!
Mochiko flour/sweet rice flour?
My sister wants me to make some sort of cake which calls for mochiko flour/sweet rice flour. She tells me that sweet rice flour is not the same as the white rice flour or brown rice flour available at my local Whole Foods. Does anyone know where I can find this in the greater DC area? Metro accessible is best, but I could make a trip out to the burbs if need be.
Barritt's Ginger Beer?
Well, we haven't seen it because Barritt's doesn't distribute in Texas. Bummer. I may order some online, but I found some Jamaica's Finest in the international section of my local HEB and I think that may fit the bill. Happy summer everyone!
Barritt's Ginger Beer?
I have declared the Dark and Stormy to be the official beverage of Summer '10, but I've found other brands of ginger beer to be too gingery (Maine Root) or not gingery enough (Reed's). Does anyone know where I can find some Barritt's in Houston?
candied fruit/how??????
I use the leftover syrup for iced tea. I candied orange peels most recently, and the leftover syrup smelled and tasted like Froot Loops!
Would how the item is written on the menu make a difference to you?
Some words have more power than others in a menu description because they provide more information to the diner. If there WERE fingerling potatoes in that aloo gobi I would want to know, because it's a fancy, expensive kind of potato, so the word "fingerling" indicates to me that this dish is going to be fancier and more expensive than your average aloo gobi. However, if they are plain old Yukon Gold potatoes you're probably better off going with "potatoes" because the extra information the descriptor gives doesn't make that much difference to the diner.
Also, when translation is involved simple is always best. An impressive description mistranslated isn't impressive, it's just funny.
Best and Worst International Cities for Food
I asked this question a while ago on the International board, but I didn't get much response so I thought I'd try again here. My apologies if this is not kosher.
I recently passed the U.S. Foreign Service Exam, and while I wait for my clearances to come through I'm engaging in the fascinating pastime of speculating on my future foreign postings. Being a chowhound, availability of delicious food is very important to my happiness. So, if you had to choose a world city to live in based solely on the food, where would you go? Where would you avoid? I'm especially interested in your thoughts on non-Western Europe areas of the world.
Thanks!
Coming Home to Houston - What's New and Delicious?
I'm coming home to Houston after a five-year absence, and excited for some great food! I can't wait to visit the old standbys (though I shed a tear for the loss of Brennan's), but after being gone so long I also need the inside scoop on some newer not-to-miss places.
Also, my previous Houston food experience is mostly that of a broke college student, so I'm excited to be able to try some places that cost more than $20. I'll be in Clear Lake, but I'll go anywhere for some great grub! Thanks!
Locavore food & bakeries in Arlington/DC--where?
Founding Farmers is another good choice for a locally-sourcing place with a relaxed atmosphere.
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Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006
Best Places in DC/Arlington for a Poor College Student!
Oh, the bastilla at Taste of Morocco is wonderful! I also like Chez Manelle, East-West Grill, Pho 75 and Ray's Hell Burgers (of course) in Arlington, and any of the various Julia's Empanadas outlets in DC makes a great delicious and filling but cheap meal.
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Ray's Hell Burger
1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
Taste of Morocco
8661 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Ray's Hell Burger Too
This is where Ray's Hell Burgers was when it opened, three doors down from where Ray's Hell Burgers is now.
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Ray's Hell Burger
1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
Ray's Hell Burger Too
I tried out the newest incarnation of the Ray's empire yesterday, and was pretty disappointed. It's basically Ray's Hell Burger, with wait service and a few additional menu items. There's a turkey burger, a venison burger, a wild boar burger, and a portobello burger for you vegetarians. They also take credit cards.
I had the venison burger - it was okay, but not outstanding. The cherry sauce was nice, but I could have used a bit more of it, and the dehydrated beet chips were just kind of weird. It was also only 6 ounces. My friends ordered 6-ounce versions of the normal Ray's Hell Burger fare which came out overcooked, likely because the grillmasters are used to longer times for the thicker 8-oz burgers. We also tried the duck fat fries, which were not good: very greasy, and limp and floppy instead of crispy. The onion rings, on the other hand, were outstanding.
In short, I'll stick to the original.
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Ray's Hell Burger
1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209
Keeping Bread Dough Overnight
I want to make some focaccia to go with tomorrow's dinner, but there is not enough time between quittin' time and dinner time for all that rising and kneading and rising and such. A lot of stores sell pizza dough that you can refrigerate and just use when you want, so can I do the same with my homemade focaccia dough? And if so, at what stage in the process do I stick it in the fridge to finish the next day?
Do you feel guilty when dinner doesn't include a vegetable?
Sure, there were several options for overcooked-vegetables-from-cans or iceberg-lettuce-covered-in-various-forms-of-fat, and I ate them, but it just didn't hit that vegetable spot.
Scape pesto recipe please
I don't have an actual recipe, but a word of caution: GO EASY. Last summer I made a garlic scape pesto with pine nuts and a few herbs, and it was WAY too powerful even for my garlic-loving mouth. We eventually rendered it edible by mixing it with standard basil pesto to dilute it.
For non-pesto applications, I like garlic scapes in stir-fires or sauteed and added to omelets and the like.
Polenta Snobs - Educate Me
True confessions - I am a 45-minute polenta cooker. I have it in the pot just long enough to lose that raw-corn flavor and get nice and congealy, add butter, put my ragu or whatever on top, and serve. And so far the results have been pretty tasty.
But then I hear about multi-hour polenta-cooking marathons and various Italians who wail that polenta cooked for less than X hours is total trash and not worth eating. So, I ask you, what does this extra time investment get you, exactly? How much difference does it really make? Wouldn't all the liquid just evaporate out and leave the rest to burn?
I'm willing to learn, but if you're going to turn a weeknight meal quick starch into a weekend-only extended production you'd better have some pretty convincing arguments.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
Cornbread. It's always too sweet and/or too dry.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
I totally agree. I hate it when I go out and have an excellent dinner, only to have the experience tainted by a "chocolate" cake that resembles chocolate only in color. On the other hand, if a restaurant can wow me with dessert I'm theirs forever.
Do you feel guilty when dinner doesn't include a vegetable?
I am constantly worrying that I don't put enough veggies in my meal plans, but I can't be bothered to consult reference materials and weigh everything out to see how I'm doing. Besides, it's summertime, which means I'm gorging myself on fruit!
Though recently I spent a week in an exurb on a business trip, with nowhere to eat but chains of the Applebees/Fridays type, with nary a vegetable in sight. By the time I got home I had never been to happy to see a fresh zucchini in my life!
what is your favorite summer desserts?
Fruit, fruit, fruit, fruit, fruit. On ice cream, in pies or tarts, or just as-is. There is no way to improve a raspberry.
I also like creme brulee, flan, and similar cold custards, especially with fruit! :-)
Did Mom + Dad influence your cooking? If so, did each do it differently?
Dad, being a professor in spirit if not by occupation, did most of the actual skills teaching. At each meal at his house one of the three of us was on cooking duty - making salad, chopping and grating, stirring the pots or manning the grill, depending on our age and capabilities and the menu du jour, with dad demonstrating and supervising and telling us why each step was important. He loves to experiment with new recipes and cuisines, and we learned that it's okay if it doesn't come out perfectly the first time.
Mom initiated us into the secrets of the 500 delicious ways to cook a chicken breast, and taught us, if you need good food in a hurry, grill it. We also learned that sometimes food is not the most important thing in the world, and sometimes it's okay to defrost a lasagna, pull some mixed greens out of a bag, call it dinner and get on with life.
Both our parents taught us that good cookware is worth the price, that you can get far with just a chef's knife and a saute pan, and that eating out is a privilege, so we had better behave!
Ex-Vegan looking for new kicks!
Just cheese has so much to offer. Go to Whole Foods (or, if you're lucky, your local cheese shop that lets you taste before you buy) and go wild with the samples. Cheese makes EVERYTHING better!
