FelafelBoy's Profile
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
Kater, rubbery bread is inexcusable, yes? I have had that experience repeatingly at one of the other Indian restaurants. Recently, I had to stop eating the piece of naan at Taste of India as I found that I was losing the battle of it dissolving in my mouth. The naan there is normally edible if you get it when it is first put out although not in the league of what you get at RI and SK. . The naan I had at Spice Kitchen as I posted previously, rivaled the tender naan I had at Royal India years ago - crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, and dissolving quickly in the mouth. I wonder if you got dried out naan. At the lunch buffet, the naan was brought to each table, freshly made.
If you believe the sauce in the makhani was from a jar, I would have told them you wanted to duplicate the sauce on your own and wondered what brand of canned sauce they used - or ask in a way that might suggest a food allergy to prompt them to tell you whether the sauce was canned or fresh. What I was picking up on one of the sauces was an unpleasant aftertaste of vinegar and sugar that didn't contribute to the dish - something as you said, you might expect from a canned sauce.
It wouldn't be surprising if these restaurants reused some items from the previous day since they put out so much in the trays for the buffets and at the end of the day there is probably a considerable amount of food left. When I used to go to the lunch buffet at Royal India years ago, they frequently never replenished the trays of food past a certain time - that reassured me that they were not reusing food, although it annoyed me significantly that the trays would run out of food sometimes just past 12:30. Maybe things are different now. Taste of India normally has its trays of food well-stocked for the lunch buffet, including their many trays of desserts.
The time I was at Spice Kitchen, there was no tandoori chicken, and it seemed that whatever cutup pieces of chicken there were, were mixed in with other dishes. I viewed the chicken breast pieces as a healthier and more expensive part of the chicken. (marinades seem to partner better with the fattier portions of the chicken)
The sauces in the dishes I had at Spice Kitchen did not impress me other than the dal. The spice mixture Bawarchi uses for its chana masala and korma dishes appealed to me more, and except for the heaviness of the sauces in most of the Taste of India dishes, the spice mixture they use appeals to me much more. Last two visits at the lunch buffet at Taste of India were at times that the restaurant was selecting alot of starchy dishes as a replacement for green and healthier vegetable dishes. I like potatoes and noodles, but they featured at least four dishes that included as its primary food potatoes or noodles. Even one of the vegetable medley dishes seemed to be mostly sauce, onions, and carrots with a few small green pepper pieces tossed in. On that day, I had to rely on the green salad, chana masala, and dal for my vegetarian selections. At Spice Kitchen, Bawarchi, and Chinnar, I have experienced fewer visits involving such an imbalance of dish selection.
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
Note that the restaurant's main phone number area code 610 exchange 910 - ....
is not located in the Trooper, PA area as is the restaurant - it is for an Avondale, PA. location. For those folks whose phone plan is zone-based, the charge for the call could be other than a "local" call. If you have local regional calling and are calling in an area close to Trooper to this restaurant, you will be charged for a long distance call, believe it or not!!
VitaMix Blender, is it worth it?
I have used my Oster 10 speed blender almost exclusively now for making ice cream from frozen banana pieces. I add only a small amount of coconut or almond milk and a few frozen pieces of fruit. It comes out very creamy and a close cousin to soft serve dairy ice cream. When I have had the "ice cream" made by VM demonstrators, the ice cream made is too "icy" and "airy" to my taste.
Can the VM be used to make creamier ice cream? I prefer not to consume something that has a large component of ice cubes and an "airy" texture. I also prefer the creaminess of the banana "ice cream" to a sorbet texture which has more "ice crystals" in its body. I create the banana ice cream in my Oster by using the slower speed and having it "fold" the puree over into itself (it has a four blade unit similar to that of the VM albeit at a much lower HP). I wondered if the VM could be used in the same way. (I was told to just set the VM to a "high" speed to make ice cream from a frozen banana. I wouldn't want to destroy the "creamy" and dense texture that the banana provides by mixing it up too finely to form a smoothy result instead.)
I am leaning toward the 48 oz. container (the 64 oz seems too large for smaller amounts of recipes I would make, and though the 32 oz. seems adequate for this purpose, I'd rather leave the option open for larger portions, such as soup should I decide to make that in the VM). What is the "contour" difference in the 48 oz. container vs. the 64 oz that a poster referred to? Is there any negative aspect to this different "contour" difference?
At the demos, a bouillon cube is always used in the soup recipes. What can be substituted for that? (Most bouillon cubes are loaded with sodium.) Why not just add "extra" seasoning? If soup is being made, and items such as tomatoes, potatoes, celery, and carrots are being placed in the container, how much space is needed above the water level to operate the machine? With a pressure cooker, a certain amount of "empty space" is required above the water level. I was wondering if a 48 oz. container would be suitable for making soup and if so, since the container is not to be filled to the top, if the result of the cooking could be calculated to be no more than about 4 cups (40oz) leaving about 2 cups room for the liquid and contents to be splashing around and up.
What effect does using the wet blade container for grinding grain have on the longevity of the blades? (I understand that the wet blades pull down the contents into a vortex vs. the dry blade container tends to "push" the contents up.
I have noticed with my Oster blender that I continually have to either add more water to keep the contents in the blender blending, or use a spatula to reorient the blending mixture due to the solids tending to get "stuck" at the bottom of the container near the blades (the width of the base is quite narrow, so unless the mixture is being "folded over itself" the ingredients just "stick" at that location.
I would hope that the VM operation would blend ingredients more efficiently.
My previous thread on wattage for a blender referred to my Oster motor burning out. Oddly, after it smoked for a few minutes (and emitted a rotten plastic burning smell), and after airing it outside for an hour in the 40 degree weather, the slow speed setting worked again with the container on the base (before the spindle would turn but would not work with the base on it even though I was confident that it was secured correctly), something it hadn't done in MONTHS. I don't know if the cold weather changed the metal configuration or the smoking inside the motor and belts did something. If the blender died, it would make my decision to get a VM much easier and more immediate.
Since there is not a bottom opening to the VM containers, is it not a challenge to remove the mixed contents (other than highly liquid items like soup or salsa) even with a spatula? I think of the potential hassle of getting nut butters, ice cream, or kneaded dough, out of the container, even with a spatula. This is one reason why I thought a smaller container, such as a 32 or 48 oz. container would reduce such a challenge. (My Oster container is a 5 cup / 40oz capacity, and other than making soup, I can't see the need for a 64 oz container.)
Blender/Food processor
FH - Are you talking about the Ninja Total 1100 model?
Does the Ninja grind through a clump of frozen banana slices and
eventually turning that into a creamy puree? My old Osterizer 641
was able to do that with just the banana, easier with a little bit of
milk and/or frozen fruit - until it started smoking this evening as well
as not working on the slower speeds.
Strength of motor in blender or processor for making ice cream from frozen banana
Was making delicious ice cream by pureeing/blending a frozen banana (cut in pieces) in my old Oster blender (model 641). In recent years, I had noticed that the lower speed settings (among 10) were not working well (they would activate if I would choose the faster speeds then press them). Tonight, during the blending, I smelled buring and then saw smoke coming from the base of the blender. The Osterizer is an 800 watt machine and its base is very heavy. I turned to my other older appliance, a cheaper and much lighter-weight food processor, a GE processor model D1FP1-4200, even louder than my Osterizer. Wattage is 360. It was able to puree the frozen bananas and frozen blackberries. I normally add a little bit of milk, ideally less to get a more solid and yet creamy texture. With the food processor, I added more milk and the result was something between the soft serve ice cream I normally get and a smoothie. My questions are these - what minimum wattage should a person use to avoid burning out a motor used for the purpose I have described, and ... is there less drain on a motor in a food processor that has a larger diameter in its container base, and consequently longer blades cutting through what appears to be less food material? That is what I thought of - that even though the processor had a wattage of 360 watts versus the Osterizer's 800 watts, that the smaller base ( about 2 inches and each of the four blades being about 1/4 inch in length vs. the GE's 5 inch wide base and each of two processor blades about 2 inches in length with a different shape than that of the Osterizer's blender blades) in the Osterizer would put greater strain on the motor. I thought, if the Osterizer cannot blend through the frozen banana material at 800 watts, how could a lesser wattage of 360 watts do the job? The processor, perhaps due to the shape of the blades, wasn't able to cut through the last piece of frozen banana slice - I had to cut it up into finer pieces before it finally pureed it. I am looking at replacing the blender and would like to get a blender or maybe a processor that can handle this job. I have seen the Vitamix make "ice cream" but I prefer to make ice cream without ice cubes. I have seen them make ice cream only with ice cubes. Maybe it can be used to make the banana ice cream by using a slower speed. I think Cuisinart makes a highly recommended blender with a strong motor. I seldom use a blender, so I prefer to buy a blender for the purposes I plan on using it for. I have noticed the Yonana ice cream maker and see that it is recommended as being decent. I'd rather use a blender and make the ice cream in the amount I choose and add other ingredients at the same time instead of the manner described for using the Yonana. Plus - I have been fine just using one banana per recipe; the Yonana apparently requires at least two bananas to "push" the content through the machine. Has anyone else burned out a blender motor by making this frozen banana ice cream, and are there less expensive blenders that can be used? (The Nutribullet looks like it might work for this purpose, but at a price of about $110, a larger blender might be more practical, though I am sure I would use the Nutribullet to make quick healthy drinks - by the way, its motor is about 600 watts, much more powerful than the Magic Bullet.)
[Edit by me after the initial post was made ... The Oster blender appears to still be operational.
I turned it back on and tested all speeds including the slower speed which turned on initially
after I first tested the higher speeds. I don't understand how it could have been smoking before
and smelling of burning parts but still be operational. At first the slowest speed didn't work when
I first pressed it with the container attached. Then it did turn. I also found other discussions
on this board with similar concerns regarding blenders and processors. This thread is more
specific as to the motor speed. One of the posts in the other threads referred to the contour of
the blender container affecting the effectiveness of the blend - that a wide base with a straight
up and down container side did not pull down contents well. The Osterizer I have has a narrow
base with edges expanding outward toward the top. I didn't like the fact that the base was
NARROW, causing me to frequently have to push down contents, such as when I make hummus,
until the blender is able to pull down the contents on its own.)
Bialys in Philly suburbs?
Doesn't help now, but the bagel place that used to be open on Lancaster Ave. in Overbrook (can't recall the name ... Brooklyn Bagels? New York Bagels?) used to have excellent bialys. They also had excellent cinnamon raisin bagels (I always felt I was compromising myself as a purist by eating those!)
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
I didn't believe SK had changed to the extent you posted. But I heard another person remark positively on SK and how it had a different chef and management. That second opinion reinforced yours and motivated me to give SK another chance. I did learn that the chef had changed, not the management.
First, my overall impression of the different experience from last visit -
very pleased. Overall, the food quality was better than average, the service was very attentive (although due to the crowd, a bit delayed, especially with the check), variety of food, although not as extensive as TOI, Bawarchi, or Chinnar, diverse and satisfying, flavor (spicyness) very appealing, and freshness of food was better than average.
I would compare the style and flavor of food to be that between south Indian and north Indian, with a strong bias toward south Indian. The spice flavor is decidedly different from that found at TOI. Also, there is much less cream in the sauces. If I had not had the chicken tikka masala (I went for the lunch buffet), and the strawberry custard, I would have left with a lightness and no sinus congestion!
The buffet I was at included a surprise to me - sambar - which was VERY good (and different from what Bawarchi does) and giant-sized
idlis. Fresh naan was brought to the table - the choice on this day was plain or garlic. I chose garlic and it was among the best I have had at this kind of a buffet (the other great naan was had at Royal India in Malvern). It was freshly made, warm, and stayed moist throughout my meal. The pakoras were very good, and although I try to stay away from such deep fried food, I indulged. The coating was pretty thick around the inside filling/vegetable, and was the only dish I had among everything at the buffet's offerings that bordered on being "oily," though I would not call the coating excessively oily. (Chinnar does a good job at pakoras that are not oily at all. Bawachi's pakoras, along with some of its other fried vegetarian dishes, like its bhindi dish, are oily.).
I don't recall the name of the kind of dal served at the buffeton this day.. It almost looked like dal makhani, but its look was more of a creamy brown lentil kind - though it wasn't masoor dal. It had a very nice flavor. The sambar, idli, dal, and naan, were satisfying in themselves alone, to override anything else that followed that may have been less satisfying..
The buffet included a small salad bar that consisted of iceberg lettuce tomatoes, finely cut carrots, and red onions. Raita and chutneys were very tame. TOI uses sour cream in its raita to make it taste richer and be thicker.
The buffet included four different vegetarian entrees - the dal, channa masala, an okra dish (bhindi ... piazza), and a vegetable paneer dish(Kadahi Paneer I think - according to the menu, this dish contained certain vegetables that were in addition to those listed on the menu for this dish, though I may be incorrect in my memory). Two of these dishes were the only significantly subpar foods I had on this day, at least to my taste and preferences. The sauce in the chana masala was very thin, and the dish impressed me as being little more than chick peas in a thin sauce. I don't remember having such an unadorned chana masala at any other Indian restaurant I have been to. The chana masala at TOI, Bawarchi, Chinnar, and Royal India all make a more interesting and satisfying chana masala. For my taste, the paneer dish was in a sauce that was too sweet and may have had a small tinge of vinegar, both of which made the dish shifting back and forth between pleasant and unpleasant, although I did like the freshness of the vegetables in it.
There was no tandoori chicken at the buffet. The chicken dishes consisted of chicken biryani and tikka masala (chicken pieces were tender). There was also another kind of chicken appetizer type dish next to the pakoras. The chicken tasted and looked like dark meat chicken.
The tikka masala was pleasant - not as rich as you would get at TOI.
I passed on the goat dish.
Desserts consisted of freshly cut orange slices, galub jamun, and strawberry custard. The custard appeared to have canned fruit cocktail in it, which surprisingly complimented the custard very well.
The main entree area featured lemon rice which included nuts. (Bawarchi makes a vey interesting version of this kind of rice - this was good, although not as elaborate as Bawarchi's version.) Off to the side next to the desserts was a small tray of basmati rice that was displayed in a matter that appeared to present it as an afterthought. The basmati rice was displayed not in a tray like the lemon rice but on foil in a smaller area that impressed me as just being odd. I had wondered prior to seeing that area why basmati rice wasn't offered. I would think that unless the restaurant patron had viewed the entire buffet area, he/she would have assumed lemon rice was the only choice to go with the entrees.
The server (American) was very extraverted, engaging, and attentive.
The owners presented a pleasant demeanor while they helped to keep the place humming.
I did not get the decor. It consisted of the white curtains hanging everywhere as shown in the picture provided by the previous post by
rj2003. Patrons whose groups consist of two or fewer people are seated off to the side in a fairly secluded and intimate space bordered by a wall that extends up about four feet, but still allowing them to feel a part of the restaurant. It was an odd feeling being secluded away, but on the other hand, it allows a person dining alone or part of a two member group to have more privacy while eating. (The small side area helps to create the illusion of more space and complexity in the restaurant, whose space is quite different from that of the other Indian restaurants. Due to the space of the restaurant being fairly small, any group that is overly loud can be easily heard by others. On the day I was there, although it was filled to near capacity, the background noise was manageable except for two men who laughed repeatedly at a level with abandonment more appropriate for a bar setting.
Upbeat pleasant Indian music was played in the background.
On the way out, I was greeted with an "opinion" card to fill out, with the chance of winning a free lunch. I don't recall any other Indian restaurant in the area, in all the years I have eaten there, ever displaying an interest in customers in this way. I remember from years ago, the owner's wife greeting me in a friendly way to return and they would be happy to see me.
With the exception of the two dishes previously mentioned not up to my preference for taste and consistency, almost everything else I experienced will motivate me to return and strongly recommend SK as one of the better Indian restaurants in this area.
Overall, the buffet makes up in quality and service with the slighly smaller offerings (no mango lassi included with the buffet) one would find at the buffet of some of the other local Indian restaurants (Chinnar, TOI, Bawarchi, Royal India). Fewer desserts, but the delicious sambar and freshly made naan, Idli, and other tasty vegetarian dishes. If you want fresh-tasting mild-tasting and flavorful Indian food in a pleasant environment (served by upbeat folks), SK will satisfy.
With the kind of food quality offered, this area should be able to support a larger SK. (on the day I was there, with the large crowd, the staff had to hussle to keep up with check dispensing and customer's needs). I would guess that an SK in the Devon/Wayne area near the other Indian restaurants would do very well. Glad that we have SK in the Trooper area. I hope this restaurant thrives and expands its buffet offerings.
Vegan Cream Cheese
Thumbs up on vegan cream cheese ('"veggie plain cream cheese") made by the brand Galaxy, the company that makes soy-based cheese slices as well as another variety that is rice-based. The cheese slices are ok for grilled cheese sandwiches but don't yield the kind of creamyness I find with dairy-based cheese.
The Galaxy brand of cream cheese is different in this respect. I didn't know the company made such a product and I had limited myself to the Tofutti variety (the one which is made without partially hydrogenated oil), so I thought I would give this a try, particularly since I read in the ingredients that a primary one used is coconut oil along with other non-GMO ingredients.
It tastes similar to the Tofutti version, but is more buttery and has a velvety-type mouth feel - I suspect from the prevalence of the coconut oil used. I find the Tofutti version has more of a solid and more dense mouth feel. Supposedly the Galaxy cream cheese can be used in baking, whereas with Tofutti, the ones made with partially hydrogenated oil hold up better in baking - most likely due to the presence of the oil.
I'd recommend both these brands for anyone who needs their "fix" of cream cheese and who prefers it in the vegan non-dairy form.
Cooking time for lentils in a pressure cooker affected by other ingredients?
Thanks for all the replies. The replies targeting the acid portion of the ingredients makes sense, but I wonder how Indian cooks do their recipes including tomatoes all at one time (unless they add tomatoes in towards the end and then bring to pressure for a few more minutes.) Since the lentils were rather old, maybe it would make sense for me to soak the lentils for a few hours, something that would otherwise not be needed to be done, and then add everything (including the tomatoes at one time). I had never had kabocha squash before and had read that it was a sweeter squash. It was very good and very colorful! I had serious misgivings about skinning the squash, but found that the skin was thin and my inexpensive peeler was able to accomplish the removal of the skin. Unless the squash or sweet potatoes were organic (or as I do, quickly "detoxify" the outside by emersing the food item in a diluted solution of clorox bleach and water and then rinsing well), wouldn't eating the skin be inadvisable (I can't imagine munching through the texture of that!!!) Yes, this was the first time I used the pressure cooker to make a "meal" consisting of more than one item. The cooking time was done quickly, but the preparation of this dish took hours!!!
(Good thing the result yielded about four servings.)
Next time, I will definitely leave out most of the cayenne pepper and chili peppers. I prefer a mellower version of this stew and can see how a mildly fragrant tomato base sauce would be sufficient. The squash gave the dish an interesting texture, flavor, and color combination. I improvised with the vegetable broth. I was out of boxed broth and realized that I could make my own (us novices find it hard to realize the obvious!!), so I just used what I had on hand - carrots, celery, green peppers, bay leaf, onions, dried thyme, cilantro, a bit of salt. The result made me aware that a vegetable broth is super easy to make and for pressure cooker dishes that always require a liquid medium for the steam element, such a quick improvised broth will be convenient to always have available.
Cooking time for lentils in a pressure cooker affected by other ingredients?
From the recipe in the book "Beyond Pressure Cooker," I made "Morrocan Lentil Stew," consisting basically of lentils, Kachoba squash, stock, and tomatoes.
The time to cook lentils in a pc normally is about 7 minutes.
I cooked the stew for about 11 minutes (recipe called for a time of 7 to 10 minutes).
While other ingredients were done, the lentils were a little tougher than "al dente."
(I had let the cooker naturally cool down, which took about 4 minutes before the valve on my Fagor Elite cooker dropped down.)
After tasting the toughness of the lentils, I added a little more vegetable stock, brought pressure up, and cooked for an additional 5 minutes and allowed for natural cooling down of the cooker. The lentils were now tender, but the squash had gotten a little too soft.
Why did the lentils not cook in 11 minutes? Was it due to the other ingredients that the lentils were cooking in, such as the olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, hungarian paprika, freshly diced tomatoes, green chili peppers, and cumin?
(the technique used - chopped onions were sauteed in 3 T of mild/light olive oil, spices added, stirred for
a few seconds, rest of ingredients added, stirred for about 5 to 10 seconds, then homemade vegetable stock
added, stirred all, closed cover, brought to pressure, and cooked).
Note that there was still some liquid left in the dish after cooking time had expired, so it wasn't as if there wasn't sufficient liquid for the lentils to cook in.
I know that sometimes when beans/legumes are "old," that they can be tough and should be soaked overnight, but I thought that lentils, being so tender, did not need this treatment. The lentils I used were at least several years old.
Also, could I have used canned diced tomatoes, or would they have turned to a soupy mush versus using freshly diced tomatoes?
I have read that when beans are pressure cooked, some are toughened when subject to other ingredients, such as salt and other ingredients, but if a many ingredients composing a dish are being cooked all at one time, will the beans not be "toughened" by being cooked at the same time?
Bottom line - the dish came out very well, but next time I will cut down on the hot peppers!!
Can the cooking time of lentils in a pressure cooker be affected by other ingredients in the dish it is being cooked with?
A recipe I used for Moroccan Lentil Stew called for a cooking time of 7 to 10 minutes for the entire dish consisting of lentils, kabocha squash (cubed), vegetable broth, diced fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, a small amount of chopped hot peppers, and various spices such as cayenne pepper, hungarian paprika, cumin, all sauteed in olive oil. (salt added before the cover of the cooker was sealed).
After 10 minutes, there was some liquid still left but the lentils were still a bit tougher than al dente. I added more broth to be on the safe side, and cooked for another 5 minutes. After reducing pressure the natural way I found that the lentils were now cooked as desired, but the cubed squash had gotten softer than I wanted.
Was it the oil and/or the salt that caused the lentils to not tenderize within ten minutes, or could the age (were at least several years old) of the lentils cause the "toughness" requiring additional cooking time?
(the kabocha squash resembled the taste of mild sweet potatoes - would the cooking time be the same? peeling the squash was laborious, but due to the thinness of the skin was accomplished with success).
I thought that when beans/legumes are pressure cooked, it is advisable to not add certain other ingredients during the cooking time to avoid "toughness," but if the beans are pressure cooked at the same time as other ingredients due to the nature of a dish, should these toughening ingredients be avoided and added only at the end of cooking?
I use a Fagor Elite pressure cooker (one setting - high, at 15 psi).
King of Prussia [Seasons 52]
Review of first and only visit to the KOP Seasons 52 consisting of food served at a company luncheon, the order of which was one of the restaurant's "packages."
The lunch consisted of the flatbread, salad, three various entrees, drinks, and dessert.
What I thought was average was the mild flavoring applied to every dish and the serving time between the salad and the main entrees.
What I was most impressed with was the health aspect of the foods. I didn't know this restaurant emphasized the calorie issue. I was aware of the freshness and lack of overcooking/processing of foods.
This may seem like a trivial thing, but when I see real sliced tomato and fresh basil on dough of appealing thickness, I pay attention to the fact that health was given a priority in the making of the dish - that a more convenient tomato-based sauce wasn't spread on the dough, and that fresh basil was used instead of the more convenient dried basil.
I've been to another chain (Maggiano's) whose similar mainstream mixed green salad consisted of dressing whose vinegar-based flavor was too sour to my liking. At Seasons 52, the salad dressing included a mildly flavored white balsamic vinagrette with a slight kick to it. I am not a fan of vinegar, including the acclaimed balsamic version, but this was very aggreable. The salad consisted of various healthy greens as well as some other addiions incudling toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds (?) and other vegetables (don't recall if there were cranberries as part of the salad).
The plates used had an ununusal design, consisting of an offset placement for the bowl in which food would be eventually situated.
The chicken and pasta entree included tube-shaped pasta noodles (don't know the species name for this type of pasta - they could have been ziti or tortiglioni) and small chunks of chicken and vegetables such as small broccoli florets. The dish didn't have much flavor to it, but did taste like something one would eat if they didn't want something drenched in oil or with many calories.
What amazed me was the "Farmer's Market Vegetable Plate," which consisted of small squares of grilled tofu, butternut squash, yellow beets, carrots, asparagus spears, and tabouleh made with cranberries and other healthy vegetables. I was amazed that the carrots and asparagus were cooked al dente. For a vegetarian (other than a raw vegan), this dish would have suited them well.
Dessert consisted of a variety of selections, all packed into attractive small thin parfait-type glasses. Prior to receiving the dessert selections, I was served a very long and thin spoon. I guessed what it was to be used for, and when I saw the desserts, I made the connection! The server was very knowledgeable and helpful with identifying each dessert by way of a light from a small flashlight to highlight the selection being discussed. I had the Old-fashioned Carrot Cake and for seconds a lemon-based dessert. There were cheesecake and chocolate selections to choose from also. Even though the size of each dessert looked small, the contents were dense and tasty, and sufficient.
The decaffinated coffee I had reminded me more of Starbucks than of a mellower one, such as the coffee found at Wawa or Dunkin Donuts, which is more to my preference.
When I left the luncheon, although I had eaten quite a bit, I was surprised that I did not feel "stuffed."
So, if a diner wants to eat in a pleasantly decored environment, have attentive and knowledgeable servers, have meals that are served with health in mind and a more minimal degree of oil and minimizing of overcooking of dishes, I would recommend Seasons 52 as an alternative to the other similar chains whose cooking style impresses me as more "traditional," which on the positive side means more flavor and a richer experience. On the downside, are the calories, the greater use of oils, and the risk of food being overcooked and processed. And .... at what other chain in the KOP suburbs could you find a plate of tofu, yellow beets, tabouleh with cranberries, and vegetables cooked al dente? This place is nearby all the other expensive steak and traditional chains, so I was very pleased with the "alternative" menu. The only other places/chains in the area that I think might have similar "alternative" vegetarian offerings are California Pizza Kitchen, The Cheesecake Factory, and Piazza di Giorgio Cafe (as well as a few of the other smaller restaurants in the KOP mall and court and the Asian/Indian restaurants in the area).
More on Indian lunch buffets in western suburbs
Revisited some Indian restaurants after being away.
Bawarchi in Chesterbrook has raised its lunch buffet from the daily price of $9+ to $11, and $11+ to $13 on the weekend.
Chinnar with tax is still about $9.50, and its food is still extremely bland. It is not cooked in much oil, which makes it less unhealthy, but the flavoring of its food is the most bland I have tasted of any Indian restaurant I have visited. If you want tasty Indian food, you are best off choosing another restaurant., Its chicken sweet'n' sour soup is very sour. The saag paneer looks overly green and has a strange taste. Their dessert selections consist only of gulab jamun, orange slices and soupy kheer. The host(s) are authoritarian about where a patron sits. They assertively direct single people and doubles to small tables away from the center of the restaurant. (At least the ambience is more pleasant than where such diners are directed to at Bawarchi.)
Taste of India is still under $10 during the week and a bit over $11 on the weekend. Still very tasty and oily food. Sambar is very spicy and tasty. Oddly, on the weekends, they typically serve only one "vegetarian" dish other than the channa masala and the paneer tikka masala. I normally get my vegetarian fix from the channa masala, sambar, salad, and the one vegetarian dish (they rotate between alu gobi, bhindi masala, and saag paneer).
I may try Desi Village again or take the drive out to Royal India. I don't expect I will revisit Chinnar for a long time.
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Taste of India
348 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
More on Indian lunch buffets in western suburbs
Where can I find your post (rabidog's biryani) on the home cooking board? I don't see a search feature on the board. Can you provide a hyperlink, or a date for the post? Thanks.
More on Indian lunch buffets in western suburbs
Recent trip to Chinnar reminded me of the greater variety of vegetarian stand alone dishes in its lunch buffet versus recent experiences at TOI. A recent visit included an offering of chana masala, vegetable jalfrezi, a potato-green bean-green pepper dish, pakoras in a yogurt sauce, dal makhni, and saag paneer. A vegetarian could have easily chosen a variety of dishes to enjoy. At TOI, there is a more limited selection of such dishes, although its mulligatawney soup is a stand alone vegetarian dish that is far superior to soups I have had at other places with the exception of Royal India. (Bawarchi's sambar used to be thick - the last few times I have been there, the soup has been thinner. Years ago I was at Devi in Exton, and its thick sambar was excellent. On the weekends, TOI's sambar is very tasty, although perhaps too spicy for most American palates - as with Bawarchi's preparation, it is not for the faint of heart or for people who do not like sour or strong Indian spice flavors - the mulligatawney is more mild without sacrificing very pleasant flavor.)
The saag paneer had very few pieces of paneer, and while the saag had a hint of spices and flavor, it was better than I have had here in the past. I would rate it passable and pleasant vs. my previous rating as unacceptable. The potato dish also struggled for flavor, but what impressed me most about this dish was the fact that it wasn't drenched in oil, but impressed me as having come from a roasting process. Combined with the channa masala and saag paneer, its drier consistency worked well. (I didn't touch the pakoras/kafta in the yogurt cream sauce). The vegetable jalfrezi was in a tomato sauce that was sweet and reminded me more of a Chinese-influenced dish than a jalfrezi I am familiar with as being "Indian." It was much too sweet for my taste and the vegetables in the dish seemed overcooked. Occassionally, Chinnar features a bean dish other than dal makhni, which I still find as one of the most tasteless and boring dishes offered at these buffets, whether it is here or at TOI. Once I had a dal makhni at Royal India that consisted of three different kinds of beans, and that preparation was the best makhni I have had at any of these Indian restaurants in this area. I don't know why these other restaurants can't make their dal makhni more interesting.
As before, the pakoras at Chinnar were the real thing - not vegetable fritters. They were excellent.
Chicken dishes consisted of curry, tikka masala, and tandoori. I had the tandoori, which consisted only of drumsticks (no thighs as what is also featured at TOI), which tasted only of a paprika covering, and didn't have the flavorful marinade and the barbecue coating I consistently get at TOI.
The salad bar consisted of vegetables in separate containers - sliced green cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and a few other vegetables. The naan was the same as before - lacking the moistness one finds at Royal India and at TOI. Its chewiness after a short time made the bread less desirable.
Off to the side were some interesting extras - a very spicy chicken hot and sour soup. If you like very spicy Chinese-type soups, you would have liked it very much. I had a cold, so its spiciness (Chinese spices) was very agreeable. Beside the soup was a large container holding what looked and tasted like vegetable lo mein, which was very good.
Beverages included chai and mango lassi. Deserts included kheer, gulab jamun, and sliced fresh oranges. The mango lassi was very good and served as a satisfying dessert substitution.
Pleasant Indian music was playing in the background and the servers were also pleasant.
For a nice variety of Indian food, particularly north Indian vegetarian with some Chinese influenced dishes mixed in, as long as you aren't seeking much flavor and spiciness in your food, Chinnar is a very likeable place for a lunch buffet.
How Does Subway Stay in Business?
The article also stated that McDonald's revenue is still higher.
I stopped going to Subway (or at least make sure employees look like they know how to make a sandwich) after having had two places make a tuna fish sub for me based on their measurement of the tuna fish into two small spoons and then proceeded to spread the tuna like they were spreading butter on toast. When I asked for a little bit more tuna fish so I knew that I was eating a sandwich made with tuna fish, they acted like they wanted to accommodate me and when I checked out, the owner attempted to charge me more for the "extra" tuna fish (one more spoonful, I kid you not). Their actions were explained to me as having been trained to respond as such by Subway management. I noticed that this kind of "by the book literalism" only has taken place when ownership and employees originate from Asia, in particular. (I don't mean to insinuate that demographic apportions food in this way for all restaurants, but I got that these people were not trained by Subway properly to address the American customer according to this culture.)
What struck me as odd about this approach, is that Subway is known for loading up the sandwich with "all the extras" based on what a customer requests. Adding an extra spoonful of tunafish, I doubt, would put this Subway chain out of business.
Chick-Fil-A
I found comments on this fast food restaurant added amidst other subjects, so I have chosen to enter a separate one for this comment on the restaurant alone.
Due to a promotion for its chicken sandwiches found in a local magazine, I thought it wise to try its chicken sandwiches again after many years of absence.
What impressed me most about the basic grilled chicken sandwich was the quality of the sandwich and the ambience of the restaurant (for a fast food place).
The sandwich consisted of a very large chicken breast slice topped with a thick slice of tomato, pickle slice, and a large piece of a very green-colored lettuce which looked like anything other than iceberg lettuce found at other such restaurants. The roll was not the typical airy kind.
What also impressed me were the various sauces (I still prefer ketchup!! the one sauce accompanied on the tray with the sandwich just doesn't agree with my digestive system, probably due to the vinegar content) available for the sandwich and the ambience of the place - many tables has some sort of a flower centerpiece and the background music was relaxing, of a more adult nature, meant to create a calm atmosphere vs. creating an upbeat high energy place.
The menu features various upscale varieties of chicken sandwiches. I did not have the potato "waffles," but did see a customer with them and they left me longing for Arthur Treacher's "chips," the large steak fries.
Years ago I had the cole slaw at Chick-Fil-A and enjoyed it. This time all I had was the grilled chicken sandwich and it was satisfying for what it was. (My memory of McDonald's grilled chicken sandwich from years ago is that it didn't have the "plain" taste but some peppery flavor to it which wasn't pleasant. Chick-Fil-A's version is more plain, allowing the patron to add their own seasonings.)
I recommend this place (I visited a stand alone restaurant, in the suburbs not a location in a mall which this chain also operates) to anyone who wants a more mature environment to eat their food in peace. (This restaurant had a playground for young children and the area was intelligently sealed off from the restaurant area so as to not have that activity interfere with patrons. eating inside the restaurant).
For a more exotic treatment of a chicken sandwich, I have thought of going to the Mexican-American chain Baja Mexican Grill (I think that is their name), whose ads for their chicken "sandwiches" look interesting and tasty. For the plain thing, CFA will suffice.
More on Indian lunch buffets in western suburbs
Yes, I know of that store you referenced. You are fortunate to live close to it!
If you don't feel like cooking (and I will look for your recipe on the home cooking board!), why not try some of the frozen entrees the store carries? I noticed that the brand Deep (somthing or other) now has a line of "Healthy" entrees made with olive oil. They look good. If you want spicy, look for the "Swad" brand of boil in a bag dishes. I think this store may be discontinuing the line or is not carrying it anymore. I will be trying another brand called "Haldiram's," which is supposed to be good.
My favorite canned ready to eat brand is Jyoti which this store carries, located in the front right side of the store.
As you know the store also has a takeout area. Since you are so close to other nearby restaurants, why not try New Delhi two blocks away?
Speaking of TOI, do you know its weekend buffet is now less expensive than during the week? My one complaint as I mentioned before, is that my last few visits there have been when there has been mostly starch and protein dishes (kofta balls, rice, bread, potatoes, chicken) rather than more stand alone vegetable dishes. I know if I go to Bawarchi, Chinnar, Royal India, or Himalayan, there will be at least one or two stand alone vegetable dishes. The trade off is the richness and otherwise variety (salads, desserts, and soup) at TOI.
With all the variety of products at the store, hopefully you can duplicate some of the dishes you would have at the restaurants and open your own restaurant! Maybe you can get one of your friends to drive you out to TOI for its weekend buffet, or to share the cost of the carshare.
More on Indian lunch buffets in western suburbs
Hadn't been to Taste of India since last year and given my recent trip to two West Philly Indian restaurants over the weekend found my experience interesting.
What struck me most about Sitar and New Delhi during lunch was how crowded they were! Sitar has limited space and the number of people filling up the space made the lunch buffet and "dining" a challenge. It had a nice variety of food and a limited salad bar. Hadn't been to New Delhi in a very long time and I was struck by the spaciousness of the arrangement of the buffet display. The salad bar was separate from the rest of the selections and had a nice variety. As with Sitar, there was a decent variety of food. I was also struck at how noisy (high decibel level) the place was. In prior years, the smell at New Delhi was not enticing. This time, the aroma struck me as being much more appealing.
The experience inspired me to re-visit Taste of India. The interior quickly informs the visitor that this is a place to dine - the walls, decor, tablecloths, etc. create that ambience. But for some reason, this restaurant in particular (unlike Chinnar), attracts a very loud crowd. I have been here many times, and have experienced many individuals, not just sitting in groups of many people, but in tables for two, talking and laughing with no care for their voices overpowering those around them. The place has gotten to be consistently very noisy. Maybe Mondays and the weekends (attracting more families) are quieter.
What struck me as different about TOI than the other restaurants I had recently visited among other factors was the number of desserts on hand. Both Sitar, New Delhi, Spice Kitchen, Chinnar, and others, typically have two or three selections. In the middle of the week (and typical for TOI), the desserts consisted of fruit cocktail (canned), freshly cut up honeydew, custard pudding squares (with a flavor whose name I can't recall - it tasted somewhat similar to rosewater but more exotic), carrot halwa, kheer, jalebi, coconut burfi (fudge), rasgulla, and gulab jamun. (The coconut burfi was as one might expect, fudgelike, without too strong of a coconut flavor which did surprise me. The custard pudding squares were much more flavorful and had a better consistency than what I had at Spice Kitchen. The carrot halwa was too sugary and lacked the well-balanced mixture of carrot/butter/sugar/raisin/pineapple it had years ago. Years ago I had a halwa at Bawarchi which demonstrated to me how it can be made without being overpowered by sugar and butter. The honeydew, while not perfectly ripe, was appreciated for being a fresh alternative to other selections.)
On the day of my visit, there was no "Indian tea," just a table label for it, next to the filled container for mango juice (not lassi). There is no Indian restaurant in this area other than Royal India that offers the salad selections that TOI does (the main salad tray consisted of much more than iceberg lettuce). There is always a Punjabi style salad along with the mainstream iceberg lettuce selection.
TOI does a great job with its version of Mulligatawney soup which can be said to be a slightly spicy and very thick pureed lentil-like soup. I have been to TOI more than a few times where I have noticed that the lunch buffet selection lacks a stand alone green or healthy vegetable entree. With the number of selections, it amazed me that there was no such vegetable dish (other than the salad selections). On this day, the only stand-alone green vegetable dish (other than the chutneys,and salads) was the mutter paneer (which offered peas).
I look forward to at least one dish containing spinach, okra, zucchini, cauliflower (white but healthy!). Peas only go so far! The sauce that the mutter paneer was in reminded me of the sauce one finds in the chicken tikka masala here - thick, rich, and VERY ADDICTING. (I would bet that this sauce is extremely high in fat content. The cream content is prabably very very high which explains why it is so delicious. I found myself able to only eat small amounts of this dish due to the richness of the sauce, which didn't help given that I was seeking some green vegetables to balance the other food!)
TOI's tandoori chicken for some reason comes out with more of a barbecue flavor than other restaurants I have been to. After I have had the chicken here and have it elsewhere, it is like other places fail to "finish" off the preparation/cooking of the chicken!
I am no fan of TOI's version of pakoras. I have had pakoras at Chinnar and they resembled what I associate with authentic pakoras, deep fried where the coating from the besan flour had a solid but light consistency around a lightly spicy and chewy vegetable interior - often what is labeled as "vegetable fritters" is little more than deep fried mush or breading around a very tiny filling. Today's version was labeled as "vegetable fritters," and they looked like a mush mixture that had been breaded and deep fried. If you have had good pakoras, you know the difference.
There was a potato dish which looked like roasted/boiled potato sections that had been coated in some spice and/or herb mixture. They were very good and wholesome, not overly fried and complimented the other dishes very well.
There were many chicken dishes to choose from. There was what tasted like a combination of a vegetable biryani and an asian-inspired vegetable rice dish.
Basmati rice had been prepared in an oil process and was heavier than what gets at Spice Kitchen, Chinnar, and Bawarchi. Naan was very good.
So, with all these dishes, is it not reasonable to expect at least one stand-alone green vegetable dish? I think so.
TOI's weekday lunch buffet is almost $10 and for the selection one gets there, the price is more than reasonable. Nearby restaurants charge less, but one is getting fewer selections. I have said before, that what drives me to return to TOI is its stronger flavors and larger number of selections. What drives me to not return more frequently is the lack of more stand along vegetable dishes, which seem more prevalent at places like Chinnar. (TOI normally has at least either saag paneer or alu gobi. On the day that I was there, I did not consider the mutter paneer an adequate substitute as the "stand-alone" vegetable dish, considering that its weekday buffet prices are a bit higher. )
After I finished the meal, I found myself needing to drink water for hours afterwards. It seemed like only vanilla ice cream was able to balance whatever craving I had to quench the sodium content from lunch.
I do appreciate the varieties, but also know that ordering off the menu or going to a finer restaurant (if you don't have the good fortune of being able to prepare this at home) would get one some selections not found at a buffet such as shrikhand or kulfi.
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
Bacchus - appreciate being introduced to alternatives outside my area. I explored these (Saffron, Cross Culture, and Everest) online and learned more of them.
I only rarely go to Indian restaurants for dinner, opting out for the lunch buffets, as well as going to places closer to my residence other than occassional trips into the city where I must get my fix of saag paneer at Minar Palace.
Saffron appears to have a nicely furnished restaurant. Weekend buffet I see. Interesting that its menu did not list any soups!
Reviews of Cross Culture appeared mixed! Pictures of the inside reveal a very attractive place.
Everest Grill has a very interesting menu, including dishes (Everest) from the region not just Indian. Nice that the lunch menu offers a thali selection. Interesting selection of Persian cuisine-inspired dishes.
These three restaurants look like tasty alternatives to the other Indian restaurants we have posted messages for.
For making your own thali, you can't beat lunch buffets!
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
Cheesewit - if you have "avoided" Indian food due to your dislike of spices used in Indian cooking, even SK and Chinnar may not be to your liking. My first real experience of well-prepared Indian food involved judicious (as in not tame, but artful) use of spices which struck me as heavenly. If I had eaten food mildly flavored, I may have been left with a memory of a mediocre tasting meal.
So, if you want to gradually expose yourself to Indian cuisine, for the area you live in, I'd recommend SK or Chinnar, not too far from the Gateway Shopping Center. My preference would be Chinnar due to its greater variety and quality for its lunch buffet. If you like the taste of the food at these places, and want to explore more flavor, I'd recommend you drive an extra 30 minutes and try places like Taste of India, and Royal India (in Malvern). Haven't been to Himalayan in Great Valley in some time (they also serve mild tasting dishes with a very large variety at its lunch buffet - main dishes are sometimes too heavily oiled or creamed, but sometimes just right). If you want to explore very different flavors from these restaurants, then try Bawarchi, but don't judge all Indian food from THAT experience.
Years ago, my first taste of Indian food was at a restaurant in Manhattan and I didn't touch Indian food for about 7 years after that experience thinking that ALL Indian food was as distasteful as what I had there! Now, I can't believe there is BAD tasting Indian food!!
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Taste of India
348 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
Spice Kitchen, new Indian restaurant in Trooper, PA
The Chowhound messageboard webpage did not allow me to respond to my original post on "new places to get Indian food in the Trooper/Audubon ... area" so I had to start this new post. (maybe the latest browser is required?)
What Spice Kitchen does very well - providing a very welcoming and warm ambience.
There are no small tables in this restaurant as is the case with almost every other Indian restaurant I have been to, so if you come as a couple or as a single, you will find yourself sitting at a very comfortable table, which is not necessarily the case at other such restaurants. There was very pleasant relaxing Indian music playing in the background at a comfortable decibel level and of an enjoyable nature (no Bollywood music here).
The couple that appeared to operate SK made it clear that they appreciated customers business and checked up on their wellbeing, as well as welcoming them back, something that doesn't occur at every other such restaurant.
Tables consisted of a sturdy cloth covering and upscale silverware. There is a small area in the entrance to hang coats so there is no need to bring coats into the restaurant unless desired. The ambience is a combination of casual, unpretentiousness, and elegance.
The lunch buffet consisted of a variety of dishes one might expect - a variety of vegetarian and chicken dishes, along with a few side dishes, consisting of appetizers, greens, soup, desserts, and tea.
At two visits I noticed that the soups offered were other than those listed on the menu (vegetable and creamy potato soups). The potato soup I had was of a light consistency and agreeable taste. It consisted of a few strands of ginger and onions. It was more tame and thinner than I had anticipated, which is what I prefer for this kind of soup.
The salad bar consisted of nothing other than iceberg lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Cucumbers and carrots would have been a welcome addition to the lettuce. The raita had too mild a taste for my preference.
Side dishes included pakoras and onion fritters (along with various chutneys).
A nice touch is that you get a basket of fresh naan brought to your table (choice of garlic or plain). The naan was very good - moist and quite different from what is found at some other restaurants in the area. What was interesting is that this naan stayed moist throughout the time of my meal. I had been told that when naan is allowed to sit out in trays, it dries out. This naan didn't loose its moist quality.
The rice at SK is very good - by very good I mean plain. At Taste of India, the rice seems to have an oil coating, and thus has a heavier feel in the mouth (and in the stomach). Lighter rice is a better compliment to dishes that are heavier in taste and have in themselves a degree of oil content. The main rice was called "Jeera" rice, but impressed me as being nothing other than basmati rice. I did not see nor taste cumin seeds or flavor in this rice. The other rice dish was a vegetable biryani which was very good and full of various vegetables and flavor.
Vegetarian dishes on the day of my visit consisted of chopped okra which had been overfried, similar to what I had found at Bawarchi, Navrattan Korma which was very tasty (although not desirable for anyone watching their cholesterol or desiring a lighter tasting noncream based dish), dal tadka which was mildly flavored, and saag channa which looked like the green puree offered at Chinnar but with a taste more similar to what I expect for this kind of dish. For some reason, the chick peas were missing from the saag. (I thought maybe they had sunk to the bottom of the tray holding the green puree, but alas, no chickpeas!
There were three chicken dishes - tandoori, tikka masala (whose sauce looked more tomato based and thicker than I have seen elsewhere - its appearance guided me to just try the tandoori chicken, along with the fact that I had gotten enough cream based dishes already), and some other chicken variety.
Desserts consisted ofl fresh orange slices (hooray for the presence of fresh fruit!), a mango flavored cream of wheat dish (do not recall the Hindi label) and a mango custard pudding. The cream of wheat dish which was warm was enjoyable although a bit on the heavy side, and the cooler mango custard pudding.was refreshing, although being of a thicker and heavier consistency than what I associate with a pudding.
Tea was available at the buffet table. It took me awhile to realize that the tea was, in fact, chai. It was very rich and full of flavor. (The container of the tea was labeled as "Tea," not "Chai" or "Masala Tea." My guess is that the owner wanted to present items in a way that most non-Indians could understand and be as appealing as possible.)
The day that I was at the restaurant, it was filled to near capacity, and a large group near me ordered off the menu and was brought some dishes that were audibly sizzling. I was amazed at how quickly their dish was prepared.
For folks who want a very comfortable restaurant setting with standard Indian restaurant fare of a north Indian style, Spice Kitchen is a nice addition . Current lunch buffet price is $9.99.
To summarize, what SP does best, at least for the lunch buffet experience is the ambience, customer care, rice, biryani, and naan. My preference regarding the food, itself, is for lighter quality in the main dishes as well as stronger flavor. Folks who are not familiar with Indian cuisine will not experience too exotic a treatment of dishes at SK's lunch buffet.
I'd recommend this place over some other Indian restaurants for them due to the mild nature of the seasonings, somewhat more similar to a Chinnar than to a Royal India, Taste of India, or Bawarchi.
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Taste of India
348 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
New additional places to get Indian food near KOP in 2011
Two relatively new places to get Indian goods within fifteen minutes of KOP.
There is another Indian grocery store in the small plaza that features Subway and Genuardis among other stores. I don't recall the name of the store, but inside there are a few tables to eat when ordering from the menu labeled "Apna Kitchen - Eat In and Take Out". I have yet to go there when there has been food in the trays - apparently in place for the future lunch buffet which the owner told me he is contemplating setting up. The store has a very large takeout menu.
The grocery store is located on Audubon Village Drive in Audubon, PA and has been there, I believe, since 2010. I had seen no ads for its takeout restaurant.
The big news is that a new Indian restaurant, called "Spice Kitchen," which recently opened up on Ridge Pike near Park Ave. in Trooper/Eagleville in the plaza anchored by the large ACME supermarket. I don't know when it opened - I became aware of it by way of an ad in Clipper magazine. It features daily lunch buffets with the normal variety of foods one might expect - a small salad section, various vegetarian entrees, a few chicken dishes, rice, naan brought to the table, soup, and from what I saw at a quick glance, two desserts (kheer and carrot halwa). The restaurant is very attractively and warmly furnished. Since I have not eaten any of the food I can only comment on the selection displayed and the appearance of it (appeared more home cooked style of a Bawarchi or Royal India than that of Taste of India which tends to feature more sauce and oil saturated style dishes).
Except for the presence of Dosa Hut in Eagleville, this area (Eagleville/Trooper/Audubon) has been in need of a more traditional style Indian restaurant, given the many grocery stores catering to Indian tastes as well as the Indian population out here, not to mention those of us who simply enjoy authentic Indian food as an alternative to the many steak houses and franchise places that feature a more traditional American menu of foods. The Trooper area provides a good alternative to the relatively homogenous restaurant styles in the King of Prussia area (other than what's in the mall) - I don't know why the KOP area can't duplicate the International variety of restaurants found in the Great Valley area rather than adding more high end steak houses.
I think Spice Kitchen will be a good alternative to Desi Village in King of Prussia as an attractive restaurant to go to for good Indian food and good ambience (I have not eaten there but have high hopes for the place!) as an alternative to the various places located in Wayne and Malvern for suburbanites in this area.
Will review at a future time when I eat at these places! I hope someone else reviews them sooner.
(Edited by me just after the initial post ... After I submitted the post, I saw that Chowhound had automatically added an ad for one of the restaurants (TOI) IN MY POST as well as a large map displayed in the large right section of the web window page for getting to the restaurant. I understand that ads support free use of this message board, but the main problem here is that the restaurant listed is not the one I was referring to - the right name but the wrong state. I guess that of all the restaurants listed in the post, the Chowhound software picked the one restaurant that had paid to be ad listed. It's been some time since I have used this board, and I have just experienced a little bit of how this revenue based model works.)
Indian Restaurants in the Western Suburbs
Hadn't been to Bawarchi (in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center in Wayne) in a long time.
The food at the lunch buffet midweek was excellent. I got to the restaurant past peak time, and found that the vegetables that I remember as being in the sambar were emptied out. The sambar was still very tasty, but there were no vegetables, such as cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and tomatoes in it to enjoy.
There was no idli either, a first for me in all the trips here. Although I was trying to cut down on my intake of fried foods, I did have to try one vada, which was quite good.
Since the last time I was there, the expansion of the restaurant has allowed for more serving space for the buffet dishes. (Before, there used to be just one long serving table - now there are three such serving tables.) The longest area contained the sambar, side dishes like the vadas, pakoras, upma, rice (two different kinds), and all the various main vegetarian dishes. Another serving area contained the various chicken and other meat dishes, as well as the salad, chutney, raita, and fresh fruit. The third area contained some beverages and two desserts.
The new area, as has been mentioned before, seems to be designed by someone whose strength is not with interior decoration. The large squares on the carpeting clash with everything else in the room. There are large expanses of wall space that are crying out for some decoration. Part of the walls contain pictures, but too much space is empty making the room look incomplete and very cold.
The other issue I took note of is that on this day there were many groups consisting of a large number of people who took up large areas of space. Diners consisting of one or two people were very few. Single folks or couples are relegated to areas that are not very hospitable. Sitting next to a large empty wall space is not something that I have had in most other restaurants. The host and servers are fairly emphatic with directing singles and couples away from the larger tables even if they are empty. (I understand the need to keep the larger spaces available for large groups, but the design of the restaurant now is much less warm than every other Indian restaurant I have been to.)
Foodwise ... the vegetarian dishes were excellent. I don't know of any other place in this area that makes dal as good as this restaurant. The palak paneer was pleasantly flavored - consisting of pureed spinach with fairly moist paneer cubes. I contrast this with the way that nearby Chinnar makes this (the less said on this matter, the better).
There was a cabbage-coconut dish (shreds of these that were lightly fried) that was quite tasty. There was some sort of a pepper dish that I couldn't make out. It had a tasty sauce. (Interestingly, I did not find these two vegetarian side dishes listed on the menu.) The tandoori chicken was tasty. (I did not have the cury chicken or the other meat selections.)
First time I had been here where the salad was cut up in a way to make it appealing.
Desserts consisted of fresh cantaloupe, rasgulla, and an egg custard type dessert that was very attractively displayed along with attractive serving containers. It was very delicious, and provided an enjoyable way to finish the meal.
Nearby Chinnar appeared to have cut back in its lunch buffet selection (no soup few desserts, few side dishes), while Bawarchi seems to have expanded its selection.
For a person who is willing to sample Indian food with a Hyderabad flavor style, and to eat more vegetarian style foods, Bawarchi offers a very nice lunch buffet selection. Watch out for some of the fried appetizers - if you stay with the more mainstream vegetarian dishes, this place can offer you very healthy food (for such an Indian restaurant).
Bread Machine Pizza Dough
This subject could be considered as a subcategory of the Pizza 101 Topic (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/683552 )
posted on this "Home Cooking" board ...
After doing research on this topic, I am confused. Many recipes suggest to me that there are different recommended ways of handling the dough in terms of rising and timing.
Many recipes refer to "complete the dough cycle" in the bread machine, removing the dough at that point and allowing the dough to rise.
Well, if the dough cycle is completed, it already HAS risen in the bread machine container.
A few recipes call for removing the dough from the bread machine, kneading for a few minutes, placing in a bowl, and allowing it to rise for about 50 minutes, then punching it down, rolling it out, and baking in the oven at that point.
One recipe called for placing the dough in the refrigerator to rise (for 24 hours), and then punching it down and allowing it to rise for 50 minutes.
My bread machine has a "dough" setting, which consists of sequences of mixing, kneading, and rising (for 50 minutes), the total time of which is 1 hour and 30 minutes. If I use this setting and remove the dough after the 1.5 hours, could I not just take it out at that point, roll it out, and bake it?
A bread machine is designed to simplify the process of making bread products, while sacrificing some quality in the process, and I'd like to transfer the simplicity of the machine's operation to making pizza.
What is the advantage of removing the dough after the kneading process in the machine and allowing it to rise outside the machine in a different bowl? If so, how long should it be allowed to rise for, and does the time of rise make any difference if the dough is bread flour alone, or whole wheat flour, or a combination?
(I read one recipe that said that preheating a cookie tray in the oven, and THEN placing the dough in it helps to make a crispier and better dough.)
I don't have a pizza stone, and would just use my baking tray made of thin stainless steel I guess. When I bake frozen pizza, I do not like to put it on anything else - otherwise, the bottom of the slices do not get crispy.
Recs for Indian Restaurants in Philadlephia
After years of not having been to Minar Palace (at its location at Sansom St.), I revisited it as its new location on Walnut St. in Center City.
I had heard it was serving the same food, but in a more upscale designed interior than its prior incarnation.
I was very pleased with the new Minar. The only thing I noticed that was different from the past were slightly higher prices, a very beautiful interior (the ambience had a "warm" feel to it - warm colors, warm lighting, spacious area, well lit menu board), and instead of being served saag paneer in one plate, the rice was placed on one large plate, and the saag paneer was placed in a separate bowl. Perhaps the separation of these foods was the same as years ago - I remembered differently.
The great news is that the saag paneer was EXACTLY the same as I recall from years ago - even the rice was done the same way. This is the best saag paneer I have ever had at any Indian restaurant and since the last time I was there, I have been to other Indian restaurants. The saag portion of the dish was very rich tasting without tasting too "creamy," and the flavor was rich with the right amount of "bite" from the heat (from chilis I assume). The paneer were very tender and numerous. I think this kind of cuisine is more typical of north Indian (Punjabi) cuisines, but other north Indian restaurants I have been to have not equaled the flavor of saag paneer that MP makes.
Along with the dish was served the same side dish of a very small "salad" consisting of sliced cabbage and I think two other chopped vegetables, served along with a small container of raita and a glass of water. Considering the quality and portion size of the sp, $6.95 was still a good value. As before, the food is served on paper plates and plastic silverware. The ambience and very pleasant decor makes you forget about the nature of the eating utensils, plates and glasses used. I had no problem with that.
The staff was friendly.
The restaurant is closed on Sunday according to the door posting and is open until 9pm on other nights.
I compliment the owner for maintaining the same food quality, not increasing food prices dramatically, and providing patrons with a more pleasant eating environment.
If I lived closer, this would be one of my favorite places to indulge in Indian food.
Angus Beef (It's only a marketing term)
I may be misunderstanding the posts here, but my understanding of CAB is that from the association's guidelines for "qualifying" beef as CAB, they have to meet specific measurable requirements - in other words, while CAB can be viewed as a "brand name," the name refers to something in addition to a moniker.
I believe the beef has to go through 8 additional requirements beyond USDA guidelines for "passing." Marbling has to be of a particular kind, aging has to be of a certain duration, cattle must be killed before a certain age, etc.
I saw a chart of CAB, and while choice grade beef consisted of a large range of marbling, CAB consisted of a combination of choice and prime and had a more limited range of marbling resulting in a more tender and higher quality product more consistently.
Whereas a USDA choice graded beef might be tough in 1 out of 15 cases, CAB was measured to be tough in 1 out of 50 cases.
While I agree with the ideas expressed regarind the difference between dry and wet aging of beef and the different grading of beef, I would think that at some point the consumer would note no difference between CAB and USDA choice grade beef and choose the less expensive beef.
The fact that only 8 percent of all angus beef meet the requirements according to the angus beef association's guidelines to become labeled as CAB I don't think is some arbitrary "marketing" illusion of quality. It would seem that a distinction is being made based on strict measurable guidelines of the different kind of beef quality.
(I am just as happy eating a good tuna fish or high quality turkey salad sandwich.)
Bread Baking
I did replace the Red Star "quick rise yeast" (which is labeled as rising flour 50% faster and which was told to me to be the best kind of yeast for that "express bake" setting) with Red Star "active dry" yeast which was described on its label as "ideal for bread machines or traditional bread baking." Your description referred to the need (or recommendation) to dissolve it in water first. Could I not place it on top of the flour mixture in the bread machine like the other kinds of yeast? If I do have to dissolve it in water first, how does that process affect the sequence that the bread machines state, referring to liquid first, then the dry ingredients, then place the yeast on the top of the flour, then start the machine?
I discovered the KA website and it really is excellent. I scanned the section on recipes for bread machine bread (even has a section on bread machine bread that is baked outside of the unit). I will try its whole wheat bread recipe. It looks very simple.
I am tempted to add in some other ingredients I have been holding onto for awhile (I add them to my oatmeal mixture!) - millet, organic whole grain rye, flax seeds, poppy seeds, oats. I could use my coffee grinder to grind the millet, organic whole grain rye, and/or flax seeds into a fine powder and then add that to the whole wheat and/or bread flour.
I think the KA site will help educate me, but it will take a long time to do so. There is so much to learn about baking. Even the ideal way to prepare an oven for bread baking is involved. Some book even had a section on the PH of the water used in the ingredients!!
Is there some absolute rule as to when to use gluten? (If bread flour is used, does that negate the need for using gluten, which seems to be called for when whole grains are the primary ingredient.)
I wonder at what percentage of the use of bread flour or white flour does gluten no longer need to be used, i.e. if the bread mix consists of at least 1/4 bread flour (the rest whole wheat or some other whole grain).
I am tempted to make the easiest bread consisting of just white flour, but I have read that while that bread may taste great, for health reasons, it is desirable to have more fiber as part of the bread makeup, which is why I would want at least some other kinds of whole grain flour present. (I think millet is also a very healthy grain. More and more stores even sell more exotic grains such as spelt which I think would not affect the final product other than adding nutrition. Some of the store breads I have seen at places like TJ and more frequently traditional supermarkets consist of ingredients that are quite exotic.)
Bread Baking
Thanks for the suggestions.
It wasn't Red Star that advised me on the yeast thing. A person identified as a baker at one of the flour companies (I choose not to give the name, but it's a well-respected one) explained the action of the "quick rise" yeast over the slower longer lasting yeast in regards to this issue.
I did toss both my year old bread flour and whole wheat flour, even though they did not smell rancid. I bought new flour, the ww in a smaller amount, the bread flour only came in the five pound bag (smallest size), along with exchanging the quick rise yeast for the rapid rise active dry yeast.
I looked through some bread baking books at the bookstore over the weekend and was amazed at the science involved with this art. One can make bread at a simple level (the benefits of having the bread machine - it helps a newbie like me keep things simple and progress in a more manageable way - progressing from working "inside the box" to thinking and working "outside the box!").
My goal is one day to be functioning mostly "outside the box."
I did look through some books by P Reinhart and was amazed at the art and science involved with bread baking.
A person could make this a life long hobby and life's work.
Thanks for the KA link and the book suggestions. One thing at a time.
PS It was suggested in a previous post that I could leave out the "milk" or "dry milk" ingredient. I am somewhat lactose intolerant (though store bought bread containing dairy doesn't seem to bother me), so I hesitate to start adding milk. Perhaps dry milk powder interacts differently. Not to bring up "past" history, but I have in my storage closet in a sealed plastic bag a small amount of dry milk powder that I bought .... more than a year ago (but within the last few years). Does this ever go bad? I thought of including it in my next "custom made" bread. I don't live near a "health food store" that sells this stuff in bulk, so this small amount is what I originally bought for this purpose. How long can dry milk powder be stored for and is it just a simple mxing in with the dry ingredients?
By the way, in one of the bread machine books I looked through, there was a guidance made of placing ingredients like salt in a small defined corner of the top of the flour mix rather than just dumping it in. I wonder why there was such specification of keeping the salt separate. It was as though it is not to be mixed in with the water until the flour has had a chance to mix in with the water first.
Bread Baking
Channa - thanks for the info. I may try your suggestion of just using the bread flour and the ww flour, leaving out the ww pastry flour and gluten.
I did substitute the quick rise yeast for the other yeast due to the "express bake" setting's requirement for the faster yeast.
I did inquire to various companies and was told that the quick rise yeast (the "Red Star" brand package says "rises 50% faster") is specifically made for such faster baking methods such as the express bake one. Rapid rise and/or active dry yeast (SAF brand refers to it as "perfect rise") as well as the one that comes in the bread mixes made by Hodgson Mills (rapid rise) allow for a slower rise making use of the two rise cycle. The chemistry of the rise was explained to me by them. I have it written down somewhere - not memorized, but understood to some degree of the difference and the need to use one over the other.
I was told that the Red Star "quick rise" (rises 50% faster) will not have the power to rise the bread a second time and/or for a lengthy time. Because of its more immediate short burst of strength, I thought it may be just more suitable for breads made with lighter flour vs. the heavier whole wheat flour.
It is possible, as you said that the "bitterness" or off-taste may be attributable due to the rancidity of the flour (although I smelled the flours from the unopened bags and they didn't smell foul - the dates said, "best if used by..." the dates of which were about one year ago). As I mentioned, I was told by one of the flour companies/bread machine companies, that using a fast cycle such as the "express baking" one will produce a bread that does not have the kind of flavor that is desireable.
The other post responses dealing with the reply of "shaping" the bread ... my question regarded the explanation of the sequence of turning off the machine, allowing for the rise, then shaping, and continuing the rising/baking process.
I didn't get what was meant by "stirring" it down, turning off the machine, and allowing it to rest for two hours (in the machine?). Was the suggestion to let the machine mix the bread mix, knead it, allow it to rise (for how long?), then punch it down, let it sit in the machine, then remove it, knead it again, let it rest, then rise, then bake it? (In the "express bake" setting, the rising period takes about 20 minutes or so (didn't rise much, which is normal I was told for this kind of yeast), then baked.
Bread Baking
I am not sure what you mean by the way you described the rising process.
The way I read your description, there are THREE rising periods - first by way of the machine (by "stirred down," do yo mean "punched down" by the machine's paddle wheel?). The second rise WOULD take place if the flour was allowed to sit as you suggest (by coming back after a couple of hours). If the dough is taken out at that point and put in another container and allowed to sit, that will be another rise. There is the three I count.
The quick rise yeast is used specifically for a one rise effort - it doesn't have the power to create another rise from what I have heard.
I would find it helpful if you explained the step by step process for this partial use of the bread machine and using a longer period of time for rising both in and outside the machine's container. Your description of "coming back a couple of hours later" confused me as I assumed the mixture is going to rise again after being left for two hours.
I have learned that quick rise yeast in a 58 or 80 minute cycle is not going to produce the "sweetness" or flavor in the yeast and is not recommended. That may explain why my bread tasted more on the flat and nonsweet side. Is there any other use I can make with the quick rise yeast other than tossing it?
Did a later post in this thread regarding using less yeast refer to the quick rise yeast? I was told that this kind of yeast doesn't have much staying power. How do bread bakers use it to make decent tasting bread then?
From now on, I am going to stick with the rapid rise yeast for bread machines unless someone can tell me how I can make better use of the quick rise yeast.
(Would using a lighter flour combination be a better use of the express bake setting than my choice of the bread flour/whole wheat flour/whole wheat pastry?)
