Adrienne's Profile
Fresh Juniper Berries in Manhattan?
I don't know how generalizable this information is to others' intentions, but I used the ones whole foods has to make gin flavored gelato and they were perfect.
Looking for a good quality not break the bank meal near the TIme Warner Center
Ma peche. It is south and east and definitely you can eat well for that budget.
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Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019
So, can I put the whole ice cream machine in the freezer while it's running?
I have a cheap ice cream machine and I've found that the entire texture issue is immediately resolved when I just freeze the bucket longer. AT LEAST 3 or 4 days in the freezer, and then it spins on my counter for 30 minutes and the texture is perfect. I think you have to *start* with the bucket really cold to get the right texture, so putting it in the freezer afterwards would be insufficient.
arctic char in place of salmon
I always use char instead of salmon when it's available. I prefer cooking with it because it tastes very similar but seems to smell less. I have substituted it many times and never had complaints. I would change anything in comparison to a similar cut of salmon.
I need ideas for a PINK cake---can you help?
All of the ideas here sound great for flavoring. For coloring, I would suggest using beet juice -- I collect mine right out of the can of sliced beets, and I use it in my devil's food cake along with cocoa for a sortof red tint (it's not bright red like commercial red velvet), and it actually adds a nice, subtly sweet flavor to the cake. I think that without the cocoa present a bit of beet juice could go a longer way in coloring the cake.
Eggnog pudding?
Why not try making vanilla pudding but substituting (for all of the milk) the eggnog from the store that you would otherwise mix into liquor? Is that cheating? I think it would taste good and probably would work well. But if you want to do it all yourself without buying a packaged product, I think the main flavor of eggnog is vanilla plus nutmeg. I don't really think the liquor is a key part of the flavor. But if you want a liquor flavor, I would try adding just a little bit of brandy.
'Jail/Prison' Themed Dinner Party
What if you did foods from famous prison movies? That way it would match the theme but wouldn't have to be real prison food, nor riffs on it...
examples --
The Green Mile -- Cornbread that Tom Hanks' wife makes
Cool hand luke - hardboiled eggs that he scarfs down
Shawshank - I don't remember much food but those ice-cold beers on the roof were unforgettable
There has to be something from Papillon that would give you an excuse to make something French! But also there's the coconut his friend passes him as 'extra food' in seclusion... or there's always serving bugs.
I feel like Shutter Island had a big dinner scene, but I don't remember what they ate... and Dead Man Walking could be a good excuse to make Louisiana style food (grits, crabboiled seafood or corn, red beans...)
Anyway if you like this idea, I'm sure others who are more into Movies than me could give better specific suggestions.
also check out these famous last meals --
http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl/famous-last-meals.html
OK.... ok .. i'm giving it up, my secret way to cook polenta that is so easy you will do it again and again
I used your method, but I made the polenta in a skillet I had just roasted a chicken in, and I didn't wash it out in between, so the polenta came out a little saltier and fattier (just a little in the direction of grits, I guess) and it was fabulous. Then I randomly decided to mix Fage into it and it was SO delicious! Thanks for the method! I will be definitely trying this out when my skillet has other sauces leftover in it to make differently flavored baked creamy polentas!
How to use leftover, flat ginger ale?
The pears can really be prepared however you like them -- definitely peel them, but whether you slice them into halves, slices, core them or not is totally optional. Obviously, the smaller pieces you make, the shorter the poaching time.
I honestly just submerge my pears in the liquid and boil. You want to keep them submerged, so depending on how much gingerale you have, you may want to add water, and depending on how much water you add, you may want to add sugar, but all of it is to taste (sorry!) The pears are ready when a fork slides easily into them.
My favorite way to serve these slightly sweet poached pears is "belle helene," or with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce, a shockingly good combination, but the pears are good alone too.
I'm sure others add other things to their poaching liquids, but mostly when I've used gingerale I haven't added anything to it.
How to use leftover, flat ginger ale?
Poaching pears in gingerale is lovely and doesn't require any carbonation.
Pumpkin recipes (canned or fesh)
This is something I sortof invented once trying to use up what I had on hand, that has evolved into something I find delicious...
Baked Pumpkin Gnocchi
Gnocchi ingredients:
16-oz whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
1 TB sugar
1 cup pureed pumpkin (canned)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Topping:
Salt, pepper, sage, parmesan, butter
Mix all of the Gnocchi ingredients in a bowl with a fork
Boil a big pot of water
Take two big spoons and make 1 TB portions of dough, dropping them into the water as you go, going quickly and making only one layer of gnocchi in the pot
When they float, remove them into a baking dish and make another layer of gnocchi on the stove until all of the dough is used up
When all of the gnocchi are boiled and are sitting in the baking dish, add butter, sage and salt and stir. Then top with pepper and parmesan. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until the top is browned. Serve warm.
Why don't I hear more about Joseph Leonard?
Hmmm.... My friend almost definitely had skate wing.... which she loved, and it was super meaty... I can't remember what kind of fish I had, maybe a bass or trout? but I remember that the sauce was slightly pineapply and there were little crispy ribbons over the top and that it was wonderful :)
Why don't I hear more about Joseph Leonard?
I loved Joseph Leonard too! We had 2 different fish dishes and both were fabulous -- perfectly crisped skin, lovely texture, really wonderful sauces, and we loved those brussels sprouts too -- I don't know what, some places just get less e-traffic, but they seemed to be doing well, there was a wait out the door when I went.
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Joseph Leonard
170 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10014
How many tries do you give a restaurant?
If I try a restaurant and the food falls short, I'm not going back.
However, if I try a 'young' restaurant and the food is good but the service is a mess, I will usually give them a second chance because I am still hoping they'll fix that. I might feel the same if a few dishes were excellent but others weren't. But just bad food? I would never give that a second chance.
Eleven Madison Park Tasting Menu Review + Photos
I second us being grownups. It is obvious from the responses here that some people feel that a review of a comp'd meal is totally irrelevant, and others disagree. It seems to me like we can all make this decision for ourselves, and decide to try restaurants based on our own opinion of the credibility -- in fact, that's what's so special about this website, because over time you can actually get to "know" posters and whether you agree with them, like their recipes, etc., so you make your own choice about who to listen to. The idea that a comp'd meal is illegal to post here seems pretty silly.
I guess this comment will probably get censored.
Eleven Madison Park Tasting Menu Review + Photos
No disclosure? What are you referring to -- the blog post has a whole paragraph explaining the situation.
I do think that comping a testing menu because of a 4/5 donuts review seems excessive, but that's the restaurant's prerogative. She (OP) certainly seems to have been more than forthright about how this transpired.
Need some beach-themed appetizers...
It seems to beg for the "plate sand" all these restaurants are doing... I think whatever you make you should sprinkle with bread crumbs and call it sand!
What to cook with cast iron skillet in oven?
I made a whole collection of cast iron recipes, some of which are for the oven -- and I look forward to trying out a lot of the recipes on this thread!
My cast iron skillet blog http://kelliskillet.wordpress.com/
Just baked items http://kelliskillet.wordpress.com/category/by-method/skillet-baked/
Bananas and... 1st birthday cake
To me, banana goes really well with a strong vanilla flavor (like in bananas foster)... what about doing banana cake with layers of buttercream with a good strong hit of vanilla bean? topped with some slices of carmelized banana... and maybe some vanilla ice cream with it?
Peanut Butter Frosting--recipe request and a question
It sounds like yours is definitely more tangy than mine. Mine is sweet and salty, so its the saltiness that balances the flavor, which for me goes really well with peanut, but I also just love a little salt in my sweets.
I make it in advance and refrigerate it, so maybe it started really cold from the fridge when I actually used it, but it didn't melt after quite a few hours at room temp.
Peanut Butter Frosting--recipe request and a question
Peanut Butter Frosting:
½ cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup Peanut Butter
¼ cup milk
2 cups Powdered Sugar
A good sprinkling of sea salt
Just blend them them all together until delicious! I let the butter and PB soften for maybe 3 hours before blending by big wooden spoon, and I finished it off with a few seconds with the electric mixer. Really delicious.
Summer Rolls
I've done that - I put dried sour cherries, bits of pistachio, gorgonzola and greens inside the rolls and served them with balsamic vinegar and oil and it was delicious and looked pretty funky...
Eleven Madison Park Tasting Menu Review + Photos
I have an EMP res in 2 weeks and I've been trying to decide whether I want to go tasting vs 4 course. My main uncertainty really was that it seemed to me that the tasting menu would be way too much food for me and would leave me feeling disgusting the next day (when I have to be at work at 8 am. Yes, on a Sunday). But now that I've read this I feel like maybe the 4-course could actually be better.
Is there anyone here who's recently (since the menu change at least) done the 4-course who could say more about how that goes? Does it mean no little special touches at all? Any advice on what to order if we do go with that?
Thanks!
I loved Public!
I just wanted to post because although I have seen good reviews for Public here, it had been largely off my radar. I honestly only found it because a friend and I were joking around about eating kangaroo and I was googling kangaroo to be funny and I stumbled on their website and demanded someone go there with me to settle my curiosity. It turned out to be such a great meal I wanted to post here!
I started with a cocktail recommended by the waitress - a not at all overly sweet watermelon herb martini which was lovely, and then my friend and I agreed to share the whole meal because there were so many things we wanted to try. We did order the kangaroo (how could we not) which came in fairly thin, seared slices, over a felafel ball and with some tiny chopped pickles. It had the flavor of a game meat, with a slight smokiness to it, but the texture was softer than beef. Very unusual and tasty. The pickles were fabulous. The felafel was fine (could have been crunchier). Our other app was a kobe tongue, which came as two medallions, grilled I think, over a sauce that had crunchy chickpeas in it and carmelized onions. The tongue was the softest, most melting tongue I've experienced. For entrees we shared a lovely, light cod encrusted in polenta over a fresh corn and basil risotto which was also quite yummy and I think had huitlacoche in it, and a venison over "dumplings" which were more like pancakes but had a great chewy texture and a toastiness to them. Everything was delish - including a second cocktail I somehow ordered with a lemon or cucumber flavor to it, and we did something I've never done before: on the way out, we made a reservation to go back, next time for the Sunday dinner where they surprise you. I've certainly eaten at places I knew I wanted to return to immediately, but this is the first time that me and a dining companion both felt it so strongly for the same meal - but of course also we were both curious about how much more adventurous their Sunday menus could be!
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Public
210 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012
Looking for recommendation for a restaurant for a date
If you are looking for a restaurant with table service that is appropriate for a first date close to your price point, I'd think either basic Italian, some Spanish or Asian food, but definitely not sushi. Good sushi with table service is going to be a lot more than 15 bucks (unless you mean 15 bucks per roll!)
The only sushi option I've tried in that area that would be in your price range is monster sushi https://www208.safesecureweb.com/cwaltzer/o_rol_fr.asp?MENU_CATEGORY=Rolls&location=chelsea but to be frank I don't think it's a good place to take a first date, because although the food was fine, the atmosphere is a little hokey-family-oriented and the chairs are a little plasticky and its just not the right mood.
My first thought was Lasagna - http://www.lasagnarestaurant.com/menus-Chelsea-main-menu.htm their lasagnas run about $15 and they're huge, big enough for two to share a lasagna as an entree, as long as you order salads or something first. Their lasagna was tasty and gooey -might be a little messy, but that can sortof break the ice too.
A really good place just a little above your price point is El Cocotero http://www.cocotero-restaurant.com/menu/ -- their entrees are like 15-19, really yummy Venezuelan
I haven't been to this place but its one of my friends' favorite places, and its tapas which can be nice for a first date vibe - http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/txikito/
Farther north in Hell's Kitchen (which to me means the 30s-50s on the west side) I'd have more suggestions because I eat there more -- several good Thai places for example, Chanpen, Pure noodle shophouse, would be within your budget.
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Lasagna Ristorante
196 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Chanpen
761 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019
El Cocotero
228 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011
Monster Sushi
158 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Pure Thai Cookhouse
766 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Restaurant Week Summer 2011: The List
I also had dinner at Graffit last week -- I intended to do RW but my dining companion had accidentally gone to Graffiti so he got there 40 minutes late and by then I'd already had a cheese plate (really yummy -- Izabal I think? with homemade liquidy preserves that were a little too sweet) and two glasses of cabernet (perfect) and there was no chance I could eat 3 more courses, but they let him order RW and me order regular, which was nice. Then I received a playful amuse -- two little cups, one with a spanish omelette in it, and one called "bagel and cream cheese" which was a lox and cream cheese mousse with a sprinkling of bagel dust and seeds, it really did taste like a bagel with cream cheese, and then he received his appetizer, which I can't recall, but he enjoyed his restaurant week entree of steak with peppers; it was extremely pretty and the meat was cooked well, but he felt pepper played a little more of a role than it needed to but not in a spicy way - the plate was dabbed with liquified sweet peppers, maybe they went a little too far with that, and I enjoyed my regular-off-the-menu entree of Hake wrapped in zucchini ribbons with chopped olives -- very subtle, not knock-your-socks-off, but good and light, and the fish was cooked right.
Then they brought out his restaurant week dessert -- and they brought me one too! I thought that was very nice, I think they were trying to make up for the fact that I sat there alone for almost an hour, even though it wasn't their fault. Or maybe they just wanted to make sure I left knowing how freaking amazing their dessert is -- this was by far the standout item, a beautiful little collage of fresh banana, frozen banana, banana cake, banana egg roll, banana crumbs, two banana puddings, and dulce de leche. I was completely full when it came, I am not really a desserts person, and I don't like bananas(!) and this was so good I wanted to lick the plate.
Foodies dining with 7 year old plus need some recs
I think milk bar is fun in that there are some whimsical options, and those huge uniced cakes that you can see all the layers i think would be really fun for a kid -- but it is true that it would be best to plan to get those boxed up and head over to union square park or somewhere to sit and enjoy leisurely.
For gazing purposes: Open kitchen for solo diner?
The Atlier of Joel Robuchon isn't exactly an open kitchen but the whole bar is set up around the carving/prepping station, which was really fun to watch.
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L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
57 E 57th St, New York, NY 10022
