berkleybabe's Profile
Did you grow up eating homemade Boston Baked Beans? [moved from Boston]
I'm from Michigan, but my dad was Boston denizen for many years before marrying. It wasn't at all unusual for us to have beans and Boston brown bread for a dinner now and again as a result. I make them now, mainly for large gathering. As Michigan is the biggest producer of Great Northern beans, I always use them, salt pork, molasses, ketchup and a little bit of vinegar after it's done. I'm always amazed at the depth of flavor and how good they are...so much great taste and food for such a little amount of money and effort. Now to make the brown bread and some date..
Did you grow up eating homemade Boston Baked Beans? [moved from Boston]
A cat with great taste.
Mobile Food Truck Forum @ RO Farmer's Market - DTW
Thanks, VTB! And, no, I can't say anarchy, but we didn't stay late. There was generally a lot of good will, some good music and folks were excited by the event...but enthusiasm flagged as the wait times greeeewwwwwwww. My suggestion is to only offer 3-4 items, have a pre-order process and have more trucks in the parking lot where there's more room. Quality of food is probably a reflection of the huge demand...
Do you cook/eat differently when it's only yourself?
Yup, it used to happen more frequently...but first on my list is broiled chicken livers. Everybody in my family loathes them and the smell.. I can cook these to my heart's content. Also fried clam strips (yes, I know it's the best I can get here in MI), rice is my starch of choice, soup, pudding or custard. It can be really fun. But if it goes on too long, I start reverting to sandwiches, take out pizza, salads or yogurt.
Mobile Food Truck Forum @ RO Farmer's Market - DTW
Any other area hounds stop in? It was a great idea...5-6 trucks there, including Ned's Travelburger, Jacques Taco, El Guapo, Concrete Cuisine, Chow and Mama Taco. Inside of the market looked very cool with a number of the trucks and the twinkly lights.
However, operationally it need some major revision. The lines were incredible -- up to half hour to hour just to order, another 45 minutes to get the order. And this for street food. We only ended up at two places and the food was just OK...ever getting there at 5:30 (the thing started at 5) some items, most popular, were already sold out.
Lines need to be marked much better... they sprawled all around. Pre-ordering has to be essential. It's ridiculous to stand in line forever, just to give an order. One truck had somebody going down the line and taking orders which speeded things up incrementally.
I'm surprised anyone was surprised that there would be a massive turnout. We were already too deep into order to walk out and lose our money so we hung around for another hour to get dinner.
It's a great idea, but some real thought needs to go into the next iteration of this event. Big time.
What's The One Thing You Can't Eat, even for money.
+1 -- grade school trauma = egg salad bleah. Oddly, I like deviled eggs.
Things you thought you hated
GRAVY of any kind. Until I was in my late 20's and was invited to now husband's parents' house...they passed a gravy bowl and I asked, "what's this?" They said, "gravy."
Not a thing like my mother's which was basically fat with hot water and flour and a huge amount of pepper. Just gross. I skipped it for two decades, that's how bad it was.
It was a revelation that gravy could be delicious. Now our turkey gravy is "sacred nectar" and we even have a video of MIL making it...probably should be in the Smithsonian.
homemade yogurt
My husband's been making yogurt all the time since the fall. He uses a plain yogurt as a starter, warms the milk to the right temp and then puts in a glass bowl on top of a heating pad, covered with a towel. Lately, he's been draining the final product through a tea towel to remove a whole lof of liquid and it ends up being really, really good Greek-style yogurt. So,no you don't need a whole bunch of special equipment.
tasty, freezable cassersoles -- please help if you can
Some suggestions (I know you can find these online) -- chicken pot pie, shepherd's pie, lasagne, simple baked spaghetti (cooked spaghetti and sauce with or w/o meat topped with cheese.) All simple and taste good when food really doesn't mean a lot.
Looking Ahead - Super Bowl Sunday
Really good French onion soup gratin...maybe Caesar salad long with. I also love rumaki -- chicken livers wrapped in bacon and broiled.
Childhood Favorites
Wow, this is a little bit of a vintage post...for me, coming home from church and watching "Shirley Temple Theatre" with my sister eating a sleeve of Ritz crackers with peanut butter and strawberry jam. Our family's "cracker mush" which we'd sometimes have Sunday evenings after a big dinner -- broken graham crackers with milk poured over. Taste even better when we watched the begnning of the Disney Sunday show. Sloppy Joes w tomato soup and Lipton onion soup...total sodium bomb but a fixture in sleep-overs as was California dip (see Lipton onion soup.) The interesting thing about the thread is its' more about the emotion and love of the event than the food.. and that's why the food tastes so great.
Valentine's Day Dinner in Detroit Metropolitan Area (DTW)
Another option: Giovanni's in SW Detroit. I don't think you'll get the hype of Valentine's Day, just warm, personal service and outstanding food. Very relaxing, comfortable and just delicious and you leave feeling kind of all buffed up and shining.
Lellis [dtw]
Saw that, too. We had a memorable dinner at the Auburn HIlls place for my mother a bunch of years ago. The occasion was more memorable than the food. The minestrone rocked. I was considering the groupon as well and checked out the menu-- prices were pretty stunning. I figured it'd be another at least $40-50 for two to dine with the groupon. I'd rather spend the money at Giovanni's.
Best variety of blue cheese for buffalo fingers dipping sauce
I'd think an Danish or Amish blue would do just fine. Good, solid blue cheese taste and texture, not as pricey as a Maytag or other high-end. And I think the local grocery store's blue cheese (in chunk form) would work as well -- you're blending it with other ingredients and the hot sauce in the wings will predominate the flavor. The dip is really the cooling aspect.
What to do with beef tenderloin bits?
Beef Stroganoff -- tenderloin is perfect for it.
Name Brand Or Generic?
For most things, generic works fine and I'll try that first.
Exceptions: English muffins = Bay's, mayo= Hellman's, wheat crackers = Wheat Thins.
Help! Key limes vs. mexican limes vs. regular limes, key lime pie
+1 here! I've made key lime pie with small key limes (a total pain to juice!) And I've used Nellie and Joe's. Can't tell the difference. It's my go-to dessert for any occasion. Use the recipe on the back of the bottle = never fail.
Food to eat in hospital, postpartum
One of the smartest things I did was cook a whole turkey breast before baby #1 was born; available for sandwiches, heated up, or a piece just hacked off eaten over the sink when I was starving! Some individual shepherd's pies or chicken pot pie would be great...also good soup in aseptic cartons to nuke with a cheese and rye sandwich. I just recall being so hungry at the drop of a hat, and needed food NOW! Also protein. My sainted MIL also brought dinners, I remember cold oven fried chicken with a cold rice salad as being delicious. Small cartons of yogurt and fresh fruit salad is also easy to pre-prepare and have ready, or get from the salad bar at the grocery. I like the idea of take-out dinners frozen. Good luck.. I'm a twin, they'll have a blast with each other!
Sandwiches at home - no cold cuts
I've been enjoying for breakfast toasted English muffins with broiled cheddar on top -- I still have a litle bit of leftover ham from Christmas and nestle that under a slice of cheese before broiling. Other option is the broiled cheese with some good slices of ripe avocado and a sprinkling of kosher salt and good grind of pepper. Good for lunch, dinner or breakfast!
Bonnie's Buffalo Chicken Dip: Questions
Well the idea is Buffalo chicken, which is always served with blue cheese. So I always use blue cheese dressing, never ranch. I also about triple or quadruple the amount of celery (at least 3- 4 tall stalks) in the original recipe, mix in half with with the ingredients -- works better mixed together, not layered. And after it's cooked with the cheese on top, I toss the rest of the fresh diced celery on the hot dip. A great contrast of hot and cold and more crunch and freshness. I use whatever hot sauce is on sale -- doesn't have to be Frank's and certainly doesn't have to be buffalo sauce. I've even used Sririracha to good effect. I am a total hero in my life with this dip, a legend in my own time...people are crazed for this! Minor effort, maximum rewards for all.
Valentine's Day Dinner in Detroit Metropolitan Area (DTW)
For sheer romance, I don't think you can beat the Whitney for atmosphere. Family members, who are good food people, just love Due Venti -- it's the go-to place for them, and it small, family run. Don't think you could miss for either of these.
Can I really bake dinner in a toaster oven?
Absolutely -- works great for a small steak, chicken thighs or drumsticks (breasts, too but we're dark meat people), spuds, burgers, roasted veggies.
Coco Pazzo Cafe= thanks hounds!
We had wonderful weekend trip to Chicago (conference for berkleygary).
Thanks to the hounds we had a stellar dinner at Coco Pazzo Cafe, walkable from our hotel. Convivial atmosphere - a whole lot of history profs/teachers/writers there for the conference got the vibe to go there.
Loved the murals on the wall. And it was cozy but still room between tables. Some of the best service I've had in years, personal, interested a little quirky. The pappardelle w/ wild boar ragu totally rocked. Could only eat half, just great as a reheat when we got home. Carpaccio a little weak but the parm was just delicious. berkleygary's veal was pristine yet very flavorful - but I won with the ragu.
Wine prices were very reasonable and added to the meal.
I'd go back in a second. Thanks all.
Dinner near Sheraton
Will be on for conference starting Friday, leaving Sunday @ Sheraton in River North. Already planned on a dinner when we come in and a brunch @ Fox & Obel (which I loved last time I was there.)
Where's a moderately priced, good food place for Saturday night dinner that won't bankrupt us in taxi fees? My first thought was Bistro 110, but it's closed. Something along that line would be great. (Have already checked archives and not getting the answer I want...)
Thanks, hounds.
New Soup Thread for 2012...
Split pea soup on the stove as I write- using a spiral hambone from Christmas.
Let's talk about Liverwurst.
Wow, thanks...maybe I'll noodle around with that. Seriously, the mustard rocks!
Herring for the New Year?
My grandparents were Austrian and my father always had creamed herring on New Year's Eve to eat when it struck midnight (or earlier.) A good luck taste to start the year.
I have always had herring on hand. Anybody else? Just can't do New Year's without it.
