Brass Trays For Serving??

Is it safe to serve room temp food on brass trays? Some of the dishes will contain lemon juice or vinegar while others will have mayo/aioli or olive oil. Some of the dishes are:

A. Salumi platter with a sprinkling of olive oil and some parsley.
B. Tomato and mozzarella platter with olive oil dressing or pesto dressing.
C. Artichoke hearts with lemon juice and olive oil.
D. Cannelini bean, tuna and tomato salad with vinegar and oil.

Thank you for your help.

Unkle Al in Cookware

Acidity Of Sherry Vinegar

Does anyone know about the preferred acidity for Sherry vinegar (Vinagre De Jerez)?

I recently bought a bottle of Napa Valley Naturals Sherry Reserve Vinegar from Whole Foods. This vinegar had an acidity level of 4%. When I got home I checked my old bottle of Don Bruno Sherry Vinegar and it has an acidity level of 8%. That is a big difference!

Several sites on the internet indicate that Sherry Vinegar must have a minimum acidity of 7%.

Are there any Spaniards out there to help me out?

Unkle Al in General Chowhounding Topics

Weekday Dinner near Huntingdon Valley Library

Cafe Preya on Huntingdon Pike used to be quite good. I have eaten there at least fifty times but not in the past few years.

http://www.cafepreeya.com/

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Need help with meal planning to pair with Marcella Hazan Bolognese

Alice Waters fennel, mushroom & parm salad is always a big hit and unusual and goes well with the bolognese.

http://sites.google.com/site/theresalwaysthymetocookrecipes/shaved-fennel-mushroom-and-parmesan-salad

Unkle Al in Home Cooking

Sunday Brunch @ NaBrasa, Buona Via or William Penn Inn?

I think that the William Penn Inn is one of the best brunches in the burbs. The selection is terrific everything from smoked salmon to baked ham, waffles and eggs cooked to order.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Searing Brisket

I would cut it in half and sear it.

Unkle Al in Home Cooking

Avenida In Chestnut Hill

I am going to Avenida and am wondering whether anyone has eaten there in the recent past. Is it good? Which dishes are outstanding?

Thank you for your help.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

question about homemade marshmallows: texture

I have made marshmallows many times. I am careful of over beating because I have noticed that if they are beaten too much they tighten up kind of like whipped cream will tighten up if over beaten. Knowing when to stop beating is a function of experience. I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and it generally doesn't take 15 minutes.

Unkle Al in Home Cooking

Does a good kosher bakery exist anywhere in the Del Val?

You can try Lipkin Bakery on Castor Avenue in Northeast Philadlephia. I am no expert but it has been there forever and I think that it is terrific.

Lipkin Bakery
8013 Castor Avenue
Tel: 215 342 3005

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Korean Chicken Wings Cheltenham Avenue

Thank you so much.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Korean Chicken Wings Cheltenham Avenue

Does anyone know the name (and telephone #) of the Korean chicken wing place on Cheltenham Avenue at 5th Street??

The wings there are fantastic.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Moroccan food in Philly?

I have always liked Marrakesh a lot. I lived in Morocco for quite some time, it has a very Moroccan aura and the food, I think, is good.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

bulk chocolate around lansdale?

I buy bulk chocolate at Trader Joes

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Gift Basket Dothan, Alabama

Can anyone recommend a source for high quality gift baskets in Dothan, AL??

Unkle Al in Central South

Electrolux Brand

Sadly, for the near term, I will recommend that you do not buy any product manufactured by Electrolux. They are the owners of Frigidaire and I own a range and a refrigerator bearing that nameplate. Their customer service is quite good but their quality control is really, really, really bad. Their engineering is also really, really bad. They use cheap materials that break and fail. I have had myriad problems since I purchased the products. The plastic portion of the shelves from the refrigerator still crack regularly. I have four in my cellar that I just may send to the president of the company to show him the terrible quality of the product. I won’t even get into the range, they finally replaced it after I called said president.

It is just junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unkle Al in Cookware

Need steakhouse in midtown - keens is booked

Uncle jacks or frankie and johnnies or ben bensons?? Any others?

Unkle Al in Manhattan

Carciofi alla Giudia

I have prepared carciofi alla Guidia many times with very limited success. They were always delicious but I never achieved the spectacular results described in Marcella’s books or any other cookbook.

But, this week I made them twice with terrific results. First of all, you are very lucky to be living in Castroville because you will be able to get great and very fresh artichokes.

I am in Pennsylvania but found beautiful and very fresh artichokes at Whole Foods last weekend. The stem alone was 8 to 10 inches long (although the length of the stem is irrelevant). I think that the freshness of the artichoke is the key to success in preparing this dish.

Please review this video that depicts the correct way to make carciofi alla Guidia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2bD8RWN7KY

First of all you will need to put about 4 to 5 inches of peanut oil into a heavy pot. Slowly bring the temperature of the oil to about 325 to 350 degrees. Make sure the pot is big enough so that the oil does not overflow when you put in the artichoke.

You will need to clean the artichokes up very well and keep a bowl or pot of water with lemon juice (acidulated water) in it to dip the artichokes into after you cut. This will keep them from turning dark. Anytime I peel or cut any part of the artichoke I dip it into the water and sometimes rub it with a half a lemon.

1.) Remove all of the tough outer leaves then remove some more leaves! It seems very wasteful but is necessary.
2.) After removing the leaves peel the stem and peel away all of the green parts where the stem meets the body of the artichoke.
3.) Next cut off the top third of the artichoke.
4.) Spread the remaining leaves with your fingers as best you can and then remove the hairy center choke with a paring knife and a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon.
5.) Again, spread the leaves as best you can and put the artichoke into the hot oil.

Really great!

Unkle Al in Home Cooking

ISO The Best Croissants in the Philadelphia Area

I have not been to many of the above noted recommendations. But, yesterday, because of the power outage, I decided to have a breakfast of coffee and a croissant at Alice’s Bakery in North Wales. I have been a big fan of their baguettes since the bakery opened.

It was a good move. The shell was very, very crispy and the pastry somewhat shattered as I ate. The inside was light and airy with a buttery taste. It was really delicious

Could there be a better croissant? Maybe as good but I don't think a better one.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

ISO: The best Sharp Provolone

The best provelone is Auricchio brand. It is pretty easily available and will have a red stamp on the rind. You will be able to find it at any Italian grocery and many supermarkets. It is made both in Italy and in the USA. I stick with the Italian although the USA made is supposed to be real good.

It will not easily slice.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

so much feta, so little knowledge

I am pleased to say that my local Costco sells Dodonis. I have been buying it there for the past two years. It is a great feta.

Unkle Al in General Chowhounding Topics

Baguette that actually tastes authentic

I second Alice's in North Wales.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Chinese Lunch Near To Oaks, PA

There were only two of us but we ordered quite a bit of food. We had Dan Dan Noodles, Hot Sour Won Tons, Steamed Whole Fish and Fried Stringbeans with Pork.

Everything was excellent.

Thanks again

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Chinese Lunch Near To Oaks, PA

Thank you so much for the recommendation of Han Dynasty. I had lunch there and it was really, really good.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Chinese Lunch Near To Oaks, PA

Thank very much you for the suggestions. I have wanted to try Han Dynasty for some time.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Chinese Lunch Near To Oaks, PA

Chinese Near Oaks

I will be meeting friends from out of town at the convention center in Oaks Pa on Monday. Can anyone recommend a Chinese restaurant near to Oaks. It would be an added plus if they served dim sum. If there are no good Chinese places any good, nice ethnic place would be fine.

Thank you for your help

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Montco bakeries?

Alice’s on Sumneytown Pike in North Wales is a terrific bakery. They bake wonderful baguettes, ciabatta, muffins and rolls as well as many types of French pastry, tartes and cakes. Their cupcakes are terrific.

The Roma Bakery on Route 202 in Blue Bell (just west of where Rt 73 and Rt 202 intersect) is really a great bakery. They specialize in Italian pastries and cookies. Their creamcakes and rum cakes are amazing.

Both of the above are about as good as it gets.

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Tried New Menu At Mina's Cucina Rustica

I joined a party of five guys to taste some of the dishes on the new menu at Mina’s last night. Apparently, there is a new chef although Mina is watching everything and cooking too. The new chef is a very talented young Italian fellow who, from our experience last night, is really into cooking. He is not averse to doing untraditional things but is staying with an overall Italian sensibility. The restaurant continues to have a bottle of that terrific Colluccio (same as Frantoia, I think) olive oil on every table which is a nice touch. Another thing that I like very much is that they have, if you ask, is grated Pecorino cheese as an alternative to Parmagano. My mother being from Calabria we grew up grating Pecorino (Locatelli brand) and eating Parmagano.

Some of the notable new menu items were:

Asparagus Rollatini, which is not a new item but is one of my favorites, the asparagus were thick and meaty and with a touch of fontina cheese then wrapped in prosciutto and topped with a few crunchy bits of bread crumbs and roasted for a few minutes. This is a creative and delicious dish.

Calamari Fritti is a beautiful rendition, the calamari were very lightly coated with what seemed like panko, and fried perfectly crispy and were very, very tender. The tentacles were included which indicates to me that the kitchen was not buying just frozen rings. I in fact asked and was told that the calamari was fresh. The dish was unique because it included crispy fried, and delicious, broccoli rabe and lemon chips. The aioli was a nice sauce but not really necessary for me as the whole dish was so delectable.

Grilled baby octopus was very straightforward but very skillfully done, charred crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. It was served on house made foccaicia and had a light citrus dressing; a simple dish but succulent just the same.

Bruschetta with shrimp was nice particularly because it included a house made burrata. Burrata is a cheese that I love but cannot easily get out here in the suburbs. It also was garnished with some other things that included pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes. There were other tastes in the dish and it was complex and creative and certainly, not dull. The shrimp were of a nice size and cooked just the right amount of time so that they were juicy.

Ravioli Casatelli in which the raviolis were made, I was told, only after we ordered it. They were probably the best and most delicate ravioli that I have had in years. The little puffs were obviously hand made because they were so irregular, just like grandma used to make, and very, very tender. The filling was a rich and creamy ricotta, definitely not supermarket stuff, with lemon zest and it was topped with a sage brown butter. This was a killer dish.

A really outstanding dish was the halibut. A thick, pristine, white, piece of halibut was steamed perfectly using a broth of cocoanut milk; not exactly traditionally Italian but wonderful nevertheless. The portion was large and the dish was delicious. Its’ appearance reminded me of watching Eric Ripert (le Bernadine) poaching halibut on tv. It was topped with an eggplant puree and a very light lemon sauce that complemented but didn’t at all mask the fresh flavor of the fish. This is a fish lovers dish!

All of the pasta dishes were great as usual, the Bolognese a favorite as always. There is a new pasta dish with eggplant, mozzerella and tuna and capers that was served over bucatini which we all loved.

There were other things on the menu that I would have liked to have tried like the fennel salad and the Caesar with a poached egg but they will have to wait for next time.

We had a great meal, the service was excellent, the staff was friendly and it was fun

Unkle Al in Philadelphia

Best Source For Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Thank you so much for your recommendation. I will check them out.

Unkle Al in General Chowhounding Topics

Best Source For Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Which company is the best source for the highest quality 1 lb packages of Italian dried porcini mushrooms? I have noticed that some mushrooms are rated AA or AB etc, are these ratings meaningful?

Thank you for your help.

Unkle Al in General Chowhounding Topics