kittyfood's Profile
Bulk spices
A new source for bulk spices (also bulk grains and flours) is Winco Foods. They have just opened two big stores on Bell, one at 5850 W Bell and the other at 330 W. Bell.They carry a lot of mass-produced commercial prepared foods that don't interest us, but the bulk supplies are priced quite a bit below the nearby Sprouts.
Phoenix kolaches?
The kolache was originally a fruit-filled pastry, as you say. However, in certain parts of eastern Texas it has gone native and is commonly filled with sausages, jalapeno cheese, chorizo, and all manner of other Southwestern ingredients, as well as the more traditional sweet varieties. In other words, "Texas kolache" has a different meaning than the original "kolache."
Salt (or even vinegar) packed anchovies in East Valley
You may have to mail order them. Whole Foods carries oil packed anchovies, as does Trader Joe's. I'm surprised you haven't been able to find that kind in your supermarket. The salt packed anchovies are difficult to find -- I once found some at WF but on later visits they didn't seem to have them.
Five Roses Flour
A new neighborhood Middle Eastern market, run by Iraqis, carries this flour and I bought some out of curiosity. I thought it might be a very soft wheat flour something on the order of Italian 00, but I've googled it and all I have found is that it is from Canada and is described as "Bleached wheat flour, ascorbic acid added as a dough conditioner, niacin, iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, enzyme (improves yeast baking)." Does anyone have experience with this flour, and does it have a special use?
Recomendations for a visiting chowhounder
My favorite place for outstanding Mexican food in the North Phoenix area is Los Reyes de la Torta (http://losreyesdelatortaaz.com/ ) . It's a little place in a strip mall that you'd pass right by without a recommendation. This is where I take out-of-town visitors and have never been disappointed. It's also a great breakfast destination. Don't miss the giant aguas frescas and other drinks made from fresh fruit.
Best BBQ within 30 minutes of Tempe?
If you're looking for Texas-style barbecue, including brisket, Texas BBQ House is quite good and close to Tempe. See the New Times review:
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2011-08-25/restaurants/texas-bbq-house-does-lone-star-que-in-phoenix/
Places to buy caviar in Phoenix area?
You might also consider trying some of the salted/preserved roes of other fish sold at the big Asian markets like Lee Lee. Some of those are very tasty and can be used similar to caviar.
Chinese at Camelback & 35th Avenue?
We used to like this place a lot, but apparently the chefs have changed. Last time we had dinner there, about four months ago, our previously favorite dishes (duck soup with fun, ma po tofu) had lost their flavor. Maybe dim sum is still good? We've been meaning to try it again.
What to do with Serrano Ham
I ordered some thinly sliced Serrano ham as a holiday treat. It was lovely with whole grain bread last night, but what else should I do with it? Seems to me when you order it at a tapas restaurant it just comes on a platter with some cheese, maybe some almonds or pistachios. Or maybe with figs, but it's not the right time of year for those.
Mushroom Crostini
I think it would be fine to cook the mushrooms the day before. Before serving, let the mushrooms warm to room temperature. If you want them to be hot, give them a brief saute with a bit more garlic and whatever herbs you're using -- don't microwave.
Tacos Atoyac
We've been three times. My husband was disappointed on the first Saturday lunch visit that there was no mole, but we were promised that it would be available the next week, so we went back and he said it was excellent, very rich and complex. I've had all of the regular tacos (except the fish, not being a fish taco fan) and like them all. The trick is ordering the right amount of food, since the tacos and some of the other items are small, but everything is so inexpensive you don't mind ordering more once you've started -- we saw others doing this too. I like the molotes, the quesadilla with epazote and the memelitas, and the horchata with bits of pecan is outstanding. We have added this place to our regular Saturday lunch rotation.
Crawfish - Crayfish - Crawdad - Mudbug Recommendations
They're called crawfish and you need to consult the New Orleans board. It is possible to have them flown in from Louisiana, but to get enough for a crawfish boil would be pricy. There, they use a huge pot over a propane burner in the back yard, and the live crawfish must be purged with cornmeal for several days before cooking with lots of Zatarain's carb boil. You may be able to purchase frozen ones in the Valley -- check the Asian markets -- but those should be used in other dishes, not eaten whole, and the flavor will not be very good. Most of those are from China.
As for andouille sausage, order it from Jacob's in La Place, Louisiana. The shipping costs more than the meat, but it's authentic.
Let's talk Huitlacoche
I have been intrigued by huitlacoche for decades (originally read about it in Diana Kennedy's books) but I have never found a source for the fresh item. I have eaten foods made with canned huitlacoche a couple times in restaurants, and found it to have an unpleasantly muddy taste and texture. I continue to assume that the real thing would be much better.
Baking with kefir
A few days ago I substituted goat's milk kefir for buttermilk in a lemon bundt cake recipe. The cake was outstanding and very moist. I think the extra-sharp flavor of the kefir accentuated the lemonyness.
Gjeitost. Are there any other lovers of the frukost bord out there?
I haven't had it in years. Decades, probably. My mother was from a Norwegian family and when we would visit them in my childhood we would always go home with a foil-wrapped rectangle of gjetost. I would nibble on it as if it were a sort of dessert. It kind of makes me think of quince and guava pastes from Mexico. Maybe they would go well together. I see it occasionally, and now I will have to buy some next time and try that.
Food Truck Friday
The creme brulee is excellent, much better than that served by most local restaurants. Great creamy texture, not too solid. One day I bought the salted caramel, intending to eat only a spoonful or so and take it back to the office for sharing. None of it made it to the office.
Enhance My Jambalaya
The key is using top-quality ingredients. Mail order andouille and tasso ham from Louisiana. One source is Jacob's in La Place -- http://www.cajunsausage.com/ . (Shipping costs more than the products but it's worthwhile.) You also need to use rice with more body; most people in Louisiana use Uncle Ben's or similar type.
Okay, what is it about Haus Murphy's?
Boy, none of these responses make me want to give it another try. There is lots of good food to be eaten locally. It sounds as if you might want to go if you lived in Germany and miss the food, but that's about it.
where to buy kaffir tree?
I ordered mine online about three months ago. It came with one nice leaf branch grafted onto the root stock. . . it will be a long time before I'm using those leaves in Thai recipes. As I recall this is the same way I acquired my last tree (when I was living in New Orleans) and eventually it grew into a lovely strong tree.
Better if you can get a larger one locally. Unfortunately the guy on Central said he is not getting any citrus plants from Southern Cal right now because of the latest citrus disease that is hanging out in the Yuma area.
Zankou Chicken in Phoenix?
The closest I've found is at the cafe in Baiz Market. The roast chicken isn't quite up to Zankou standards, but they do make a garlic sauce that's similar. Here's a link to an article: http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/locations/al-hana-restaurant-at-baiz-market-511782/
Carl's Jr. similar to Tommy's? Sounds like a stretch. I'm not a big burger fan but my husband is so I've been to Tommy's many times.
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Baiz Market
523 N 20th St, Phoenix, AZ
Lucky finds for first time visitors
We are visiting Seattle this week, and have been lucky to stumble on a couple of very nice small restaurants that we had not heard about. On Saturday we took the bus to Seattle Center, planning to visit Bite of Seattle. We were quickly deterred by the mass of people, and wandered a few blocks away to Tilikum Place Cafe at 407 Cedar Street. From the brunch menu my husband ordered a Dutch baby pancake with duck confit and excellent roasted potatoes, and I had the roasted vegetable tart and a cup of lemongrass scented vichysoisse that left me wanting to lick the bowl. Service was friendly but professional. This would be an excellent alternative to fast food nearby for those visiting the Space Needle.
We are staying in Pioneer Square, which is why we had dinner one night at Al Boccalino at the bottom of Yesler. I would have been put off by the tacky Little Italy sign on the sidewalk, but we looked in the window and saw white tablecloths with nice table settings and Italian water jugs (and my husband was charmed by the young female server) so we took a chance and were well rewarded. The server immediately brought an amuse bouche of cold soup made from beets, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and yogurt. I don't ordinarily like beets but there was only a whisper of beet flavor and I liked it. I had a small plate salad with pears and gorgonzola and gnocchi with lamb ragu, and my husband had a starter of flatbread with cheese and pepperoni (like a small crisp pizza) and lasagna of cornmeal crepes, the same lamb ragu and goat crema. Everything was very good and the prices were moderate.
We have had a few other not-so-great meals, but overall our Seattle eating and drinking experience has been very good, with meals at more well known destinations including Etta's, Elliot's, mac & cheese from Beecher's. We were fortunate to find ourselves passing a Macrina bakery yesterday in Queen Anne, and stopped in for dessert and a cookbook. Our plan for today, our last full day, is to stand in the Salumi line early for lunch, as that was the one destination that I planned ahead.
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Space Needle
203 6th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Salumi
309 3rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Santa Rosa plums
Thanks Caitilin, and others. I made a plum kuchen from one of Deborah Madison's books and froze the rest. Now on to the peaches . . .
Okay, what is it about Haus Murphy's?
The bony-knuckly shank stew does sound good, so if we do go back I'll look for that.
Santa Rosa plums
I just picked an armload of plums, the first real harvest I've had from this tree (previously the birds took care of them before I got there). I'm looking for non-labor-intensive ideas for what to do with them. They're still a little on the tart side but they have great flavor, but peeling and pitting all of these for use in baking or to freeze could take hours. Any suggestions?
Renegade Cafe?
We arrived at 4:45 on the first Friday night after Renegade opened, thinking we would partake of happy hour in the bar. Wrong -- the bar was packed in the same manner as Roaring Fork used to be in its heyday. However, there was no problem obtaining a table in the dining room, although if we had arrived half an hour later it might have been a different story. Service was outstanding, as the manager, server, busboys, and everyone enthusiastically greeted us as if we were old friends, even though we hadn't been frequent enough visitors to RF to be specifically recognized. They are still working on the food and there was some room for improvement, but our comments were solicited -- more gravy in the green chile pork stew, please; less dressing on the arugula that accompanies the lamb riblet, please; more creaminess in the jalapeno mac & cheese, por favor. I had the grits with cod, lobster chunks and quail egg, and although the first bite seemed a little bland, by the time I got into the center I was really enjoying the creamy unctuousness. We don't usually order dessert but the choices were interesting so we shared the brown butter cake with caramel sauce and bacon, and the taste was excellent, although I found the cake slightly dry.
Roaring Fork used to be our favorite special occasion place and destination for out of town guests, so we hope Renegade continues to develop and provide consistently great comfort food.
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Roaring Fork
4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Aged Monterey Jack - who knew?
This sounds intriguing, but I've always found that monterey jack molds quickly in our refrigerator, even if I've never removed the original wrapping. I often cut mold off rather than throw the whole thing away. Now I'm wondering if I should re-wrap it when I first bring it home to keep that from happening. Or perhaps our cheese drawer is too humid?
Squeezing key limes
Here in Phoenix we buy key limes by the bagful and our refrigerator is never without a supply. Mostly we use them in the world's best margaritas, but we use an antique juicer similar to the one pictured by c oliver (bought it at a yard sale, but sometimes they can be found online). We squeeze five or six cut halves at a time in this. If we just need the juice of one or two limes, we use the hand-held citrus juicer like the one pictured by alanbarnes. We would not dream of using bottled lime juice in its place. If we lived in an area where the key limes aren't available we would use something else. Incidentally, we've done side by side tastings of key limes and Persian and other limes commonly found in the markets and the key limes are by far the most flavorful.
Cooking with a Costco rotisserie chicken
Since you're sauteeing already cooked chicken, doesn't the meat get overcooked and dry? We usually end up giving a lot of the breast meat to the cats because by the time we bring the chicken home and reheat it, the meat is too dry for our taste.
Okay, what is it about Haus Murphy's?
We have tried it a couple times and found it amazingly mediocre, bland-ish food that seems like Midwestern fried meats and overcooked vegetables. The house wine seems to come from a box. Every time I look on this board I see someone recommending it, so what are we missing? Do you have to love beer to like this place? Is there something delicious that we have neglected to order?
Tumeric root
I just bought some tumeric root but I don't know what I'm going to use it for. Apparently it can be used in Indian or Thai curries, but I'd like to hear from anyone has had experience using it.
