fara's Profile
Otto in Coolidge Corner Open
Not for a pie, but for re-heated slices. They gave the impression of it being pretty good. I like the crust.
Kids' menus at restaurants. Really? [From General Topics]
this is us as well. we always order at least one order if not both of something our 3 year old "may" eat. often I ask her if she wants what I"m thinking of. She has eaten off a crappy children's menu with grandma, but not with me (oh the joys of...kraft mac n cheese, seriously?)
the last few times we went out she had some of our rice and beans and oxtail, and before that her half of the pizza was buffalo mozz pizza with mushrooms. sounds exotic but really isn't.
since restaurants aren't likely to have a kids menu of real entrees out of fear of adults ordering off of it, perhaps they could cater to children by expanding entrees by kid size portions? i.e. 1+kid size.
Sub for nuts as a snack?
I like to snack on all kinds of nuts mid-afternoon, really hits the spot. Unfortunately a co-worker is very allergic and is sensitive to just being in the same room with them. What would you recommend as an equally, easy, healthy and protein/carb/fat balanced snack?
New 'Menu Items That Need to Be Retired", 2012 edition...
there was a pizza place near us growing up that was owned by Greeks, the pizza often tasted of cologne. i kid you not. no offense to other Greeks out there, but it has turned me off to Greeks cooking Italian food. Greek food however is amazing.
New 'Menu Items That Need to Be Retired", 2012 edition...
mm, RI style calamari with hot peppers. I miss that.
Top Chef Texas Finale Part 1 - Ep. #16 - 02/22/12 (Spoilers)
isn't it sort of part of some Asian cooking traditions to have some raw veg on top? I see this for example, in Thai restaurants.
Taco Bell Pre-90s Was Good - Do You Notice the Difference Now?
LOLOL. And they changed Hershey's chocolate bars too!
sorry Houndogz, but the only things' that changed is you. you were a teen and now you're a grownup.
What non-food/non-traditional food items did you eat as a kid?
my dad had a farm and as a kid I liked to nibble on the chicken and cow grain. chicken grain only when I was really little as it was just re-constituted pellets, the cow's grain was sticky and had corn in it. I'm not sure how it compares to modern cow feed.
I also liked raw pasta, as does my 3yo today.
there's a story about me climbing onto the table and eating a stick of butter, but i also remember being really averse to meat fat, something that has changed.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #13 - 02/01/12 (Spoilers)
So I thought Grayson deserved to go home. She did turn out to be a very likeable character but her food has never seemed as impressive or tailored? as the other chefs'.
The whole vibe with Pee Wee felt awkward. He's older now and has a hard time making that voice all the time, so it was like he was in that very awkward character only some of the time. Also he had that scandal a while ago that in retrospect was not a big deal but kind of ruined his reputation as a child star.
Anyway, if it were the PW of 30 yrs ago I would've been better with it- but the challenge I thought did demonstrate skills. It required a lot of thought and logistical preparation that are indicative of talent and preparedness. The bike was just meant to add an extra layer of physical exhaustion. don't get me wrong, I prefer most of the past season challenges to this. it's gotten a little old that they have only had one real meal the entire season, plus restaurant wars. But I do think they ended up with the people in the top 4 who I expected at the very beginning to be there. that doesn't always happen. these guys are tough and talented. i can't wait to see how many finale episodes there are and wehre they'll be. is that known?
Kosher (?) Pizza in Charlestown, WV
This is like my local Trader Joe's, in a heavily Jewish area, puts a sign underneath the Empire Kosher boneless chicken breasts "Try these tonight with our Alfredo sauce."
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #12 - 01/25/12 (Spoilers)
I still find it entertaining whatever they do, but yes it would be nice to see a dish I would actually want to eat. "Healthy" is also so subjective, yet they all have similar ideas about what that means. Does it just mean it doesn't fill you up or eating the whole dish would not leave you as full feeling? I'm not sure that delivering fat via eggplant is any healthier than via another vegetable that doesn't absorb it.
Also, am I the only one that doesn't find Grayson charming? She seems pretty immature and slightly annoying to me. She's certainly no Evil Queen, but she can be a little snide and just a little too down-homey in w ay that makes her seem a little unprofessional to me, especially next to Lindsay. I did like that she was the only one not to call out Beverly but it's not like Grayson has never shown attitude. I would say Paul or Chris J behaved the best so far. I also don't think Grayson's food is among the best. I think she'll go out soon.
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
I guess I had some specific questions...and it seems to be getting off topic. For example, the pizza..we have been living in an area with inedible pizza. We literally used to go to whole foods to get whole pies. To us, uppercrust tastes great in comparison. But I know good pizza from my earlier days in NY, CT, and Italy. uppercust is passable but I would also like to know where better pizza is.
I don't know what good Vietnamese is really but Pho Lemongrass was a little bland to me, would love to try best in the city.
I really didn't ask about Everything good in CC, but people seem to be interpreting it that way- I've found a good butcher and grocer, just need a place for fruits and vegetables.
It seems to me that Allston is a treasure trove of restaurants, many of which I'd like to try. The restaurants we've been to right around CC haven't impressed me, though I haven't yet gone to Rami's or Michael's Deli. Zaftig was a rip-off, etc. etc.
Can kosher "crabmeat" be used to make crab cakes?
I imagine if you combine a flaky fish like cod, which is good in fishcakes, with the surimi (flakes as mentioned), you will get something approximating the consistency and taste of non-kosher crab cakes. Go easy on the bread crumbs and use plenty of moisture. As others mentioned, Old Bay is what makes the flavor. Crab cakes in most restaurants will not taste that crabby anyway. Serve with a home made tartar sauce including mayo, shallots, chopped and strained capers, chives, parsley, and lemon juice. There are a a lot of recipes online for fish cakes which are good in their own right. In my experience, krab is much better before it's cooked, such as in a green or mayo based salad.
What Are Your Most and Least Favorite Pasta Shapes?
it really depends on the recipe. but in general I don't like rotelle, cavatappi or bucatini. i keep linguini, zite, farfalle, and elbows on hand.
Expanding your chowbaby's palate from day 1
Actually we did things differently, and my daughter was eating pureed root vegetable and lentil soup from 5-6months. It is an Italian recipe for babies. She is still a great eater, although at some point they stop eating spicy food.
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
So basically you're saying I should just settle for what I find acceptable?
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #11 - 01/18/12 (Spoilers)
most likely she submitted more than one, I feel like the editors have led us to believe she has a young infant at home.
Deen - Why did she keep it a secret for three years while deep frying butter?
As chowhound states" less bashing of the TV hosts, please." Seriously living in the public eye can make people seem evil when in fact they're just not that conscientious or are perhaps timid, or perhaps situations unfold in ways they can't anticipate. I don't think Paula or Ina, who was maligned for not helping a make a wish child's request, are any worse than the average person. There is just much more scrutiny and analysis. Can you imagine if your life was like this? I think only very smart people or people with very smart PR people do well in the public sphere under these circumstances.
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
I went to one on Harvard, south of Beacon. I'll try that too. thanks
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
Yes, I've been to Bazaar a few times- I wouldn't consider it a produce destination. Good bread and imported items though. and I will have to see how convenient Johnny's is vs whole foods. was hoping for a local place other than WF (perhaps cheaper as well) thanks.
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
Thanks, this is great.
Must-eat and must-shop questions, with a home base of Coolidge Corner.
Just moved to the Boston area and I've had some good experiences so far. However, I'm still more excited about the possibilities than anything I've had. Let me stipulate that I am on the budget of hole-in-the wall to moderate.
We like uppercrust pizza, though people say there's better. That wouldn't be a destination for me unless it was transcendental pizza, what else should I get pizza in the CC area?
Le's in Cambridge was surprisingly good Vietnamese, how is the one in Allston? Is there another vietnamese, thai, or cambodian in the area I should try? We tried the thai place in CC and I probably wouldn't go back.
I love Brazilian food, is Cafe Brazil very good? Is there another brazilian restaurant worth traveling to?
Also, real Indian food and a Sichuanese restaurant that serves real sichuanese sesame noodles would be great, preferably one that does delivery to CC. Or just let me know where I can get real sesame noodles anywhere!
My daughter's been begging for dim sum, while my husband complained how "dirty" the last place we went to was (outside of Boston). Is there a good moderate priced/clean-looking but delicious dim sum option? Preferably with lots of choices? Our last unplanned excursion into chinatown lead to illegal activity (and i'll leave it at that....)
Last but not least, could someone please recommend a good place to buy fruits and vegetables in this area? Tj's sells parsley in small pre-packaged containers and don't even carry barley, it's not cutting it (although we've been getting great meat at Butcherie).
Thanks!
Applebees
i agree with that last sentiment. it's almost like before eating Popeye's you tell your body "this is not really food, get ready." but when you sit down for fast casual, your body gets confused and expects a "restaurant" meal, one that is reasonably healthy and delicious. i also think the ingredients in the sauces,etc at the fast casual are somehow less healthy than popeye's which is mostly just grease and salt.
Accused of being too interested in food?
hey danielle, i know how boring a veggie tray sounds to make or buy(!). but you could get creative with it and do a combination of cooked/raw veggies, pickles, etc with your own sauces. i'm thinking something like blanched asparagus with aioli or sauteed carrots that have been caramelized in butter and honey
Making Latkes - type of pan
cast iron gives really nice heat. my grandmother always used those as well.
can we really blame eating habits on parents?
thanks for the rec, but she has gone through these phases before - she may even be out of it now, not sure. Last night she turned down boxed Texas Toast at my in-laws which I have to say I was pretty (secretly) proud of.
