cassis's Profile
Relaxing weekend with food by a pond? Suggestions for accommodations near good food? [moved from Greater Boston Bd]
Spreads, salads, breads from Arax or Massis, dessert from Sofra, and picnic on grounds of Decordova, Lincoln, or the Arnold Arboretum.
Boston Fish Share
The two times I have done the Cape Ann share, there has been a lot of cod, but also haddock, dabs, flounder and monkfish.
Russo's vs. Whole Foods
I love Russo's too, and with an imminent move to Arlington, plan to adapt my shopping habits to make it a regular stop. However, I find the dry goods shelves below the bins to be very awkward to reach in the crowded narrow aisles--when you lean over to access them you just irritate other shoppers. That, and finding a less frantic time to shop!
Revisiting Florence 50 Years Later
Thanks so much! I will report back.
These may not be the "finer" restaurants in Florence, but it's those simple typical dishes that I dream of and long to experience again.
Revisiting Florence 50 Years Later
As a student in the 60's, I was too poor to eat out at anything but the university mensa or a tavola calda. Now I'm returning in April for 3 days, but many of the places I wanted to go then....no longer exist. My 2001 edition of Slow Food Osterie d'Italia suggests the following but I would appreciate comments from any hounds who have up to date experience.
Ristorante Al Tranvai
Piazza T.Tasso, 14r
da Sergio
Borgo San Frediano 145
Trattoria Mario
via della Rosina 2
Trattoria Ruggero
via Senese 89r
l’Antico Noe
Volta San Piero 6r
Cibreo Trattoria
via de’ Macci 114
East Coast Grill Sold
He did a lot to revitalize Inman Square and to make it what it is now, and he is always a cheerful presence along the street.
Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant in Malden
I was careful to compare my experience with that of previous posters--tagine with fries or couscous, bread with three condiments, hot harira--not with some idealized version. The online menu shows no prices, but we may have paid more than earlier diners too. I wish them well, but won't be returning.
Staying on Waterfront Need a place to dine for nine
Have since been corrected--chef is the same--whatever, the squid ink pasta is made in house and scrumptious.
Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant in Malden
I was really looking forward to trying Moroccan Hospitality after reading the descriptions but was a little disappointed that our experience did not match others'. It was 1:30 when we sat down today and there were three other pairs of customers over the course of our visit.
My harira soup was heated in the microwave without being stirred so that some was cold and some was lukewarm; the delicious spongy bread was served with no condiments, and my son's lamb with prunes was offered with no side starch. Bill for harira, lamb, tea and falafel came to $26. We enjoyed what we had but felt we had missed something.
Staying on Waterfront Need a place to dine for nine
The Daily Catch apparently has a new chef. I recently attended a rehearsal dinner there--somewhat apprehensively--but was very pleasantly surprised. Everything was very fresh, skillfully prepared, delivered with panache to suit the occasion--especially the squid ink pasta made in house, with seafood, which was memorable. Can't beat the view, either, weather permitting.
Wok cooking classes Boston
The Greater Boston Buddhist Center in Central Square (617 547-6670) occasionally offers lessons in Chinese vegetarian cooking.
Globe Article on Seafood Substitutions.
I much prefer haddock if it's broiled as a fillet too, use cod more for stews etc. I think we are partly to blame for the mislabelling because so many of us ask for fillets at the market. I applaud WF and a few other stores for displaying whole fish because it's up to us to learn to tell them apart. In France and Italy most of the fish is sold whole because the public is wary of substitutions, and the fishmonger will always skin and fillet the fish for you.
Help me choose a wedding brunch venue
My son and future DIL are getting married on New Year's Day and I would like to hold a family reunion brunch the day after the wedding. Most of the 35-40 guests are from Japan, France and Brooklyn, and will be staying around Copley Square. It will be cold, and we will be tired from all the partying the night before.
The bride is hoping for neighborhoody feel (as in Brooklyn) and the son cares most about the food. After many communications with about 12 establishments, I've narrowed it down to
Vlora (only lunch items on Monday and a little dark), Sel de la Terre (brunchy lunch items but kind of corporate slick) and Gaslight, (brunch menu because it's a buyout).
If you have never planned this type of event, you may not realize that you pay more p/p for a more restrictive menu, so the experience is not the same as it is ordinarily.
Which place has the best atmosphere and best food at that general price point, and am I overlooking a gem? Thanks!
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Vlora
545 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
Sel de la Terre
774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199
Best bakeries in Boston area?
You might also be interested in Nashoba Brook Bakery in West Concord as they make slow rise levain breads of many types, I especially love the long rustic breads they make for restaurants. They also offer sandwiches, baked goods, coffee. Their website is www.slowrise.com/.
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Nashoba Brook Bakery Cafe
152 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA 01742
Best Yogurt I've Ever Eaten - Sophia's Belmont
I just bought some Cabot Greek Style low fat vanilla bean yogurt, but despite "sugar" being way down the list of ingredients, and the generous flecks of "vanilla", it's waaay too sweet and artificially vanilla to my taste at least (it also lists cornstarch which might help keep it solid and thick). I churned it up in my little Donvier and hope it will be more palatable in that form.
Best supermarkets or grocery stores?
My regular spot is the triangle between the new Market Basket in Burlington, Super H and Trader Joe's---I find nearly everything I want in those three stores.
For fancy farmstands I love Idylwilde in Acton and Russo's in Watertown, and Trader Joe's on Memorial Drive for wine. And of course the Armenian stores on Mt Auburn St.
Birthday Gift Suggestions, Please.
Thanks so much! Antonelli's sounds just perfect, and seems to be the sort of business you really want to support. Have already contacted them.
light dessert needed
Peel and slice some oranges, arrange on a plate. Drizzle with cointreau or rum. Make a caramel, drizzle on top lightly. Don't refrigerate, make only a few hours before serving.
Suggestions for Pork Shoulder Braised in Milk
I used to make pork roast braised in milk many years ago in Florence. Basically, you saute some onions, lightly brown a pork roast, add orange peel and fennel seeds, cover with milk and braise very slowly until the meat is tender and the milk has evaporated and caramelized. Delicious.
Auvergne Bread
Look in "The Breads of France" by Bernard Clayton, or "Local Breads" by Daniel Leader. It's not so much the chignon shape that makes them special, as the natural yeast method and the small amount of rye flour.
Birthday Gift Suggestions, Please.
Boston chow mom here, looking for advice from Austin hounds. My son's birthday is coming up and I would like to give him a gift certificate to an interesting specialty store that offers tastings and fun classes, along the lines of Murray's or Zabar's in Manhattan, or Formaggio here in Boston.
It could have a cheese focus, or be all about artisan bread, micro-brews, fish, herbs and spices, pastry or even kitchen equipment.... anything that's really original and exciting. He eats plenty of BBQ and TexMex already, so I'm looking for something different that might lead to new discoveries.
He lives in Travis Heights, I have no idea of how you get around there. Thanks so much!
Dinner for One?
Do you like kimchi? to that basic miso broth I would add the tofu, udon or soba noodles, bok choy or spinach, asparagus, maybe salmon instead of tofu, and as much kimchi as you can stand--the heat mellows as it cooks and creates a wonderfully rich broth.
Dover Sole
I'd be curious to know what fond food memory compels the OP to seek out Dover sole for this special occasion!
As for the difference between Dover and grey sole--and I havn't had it for many years--I'd say the impostor has a brinier taste and flabbier texture, that no amount of brown butter can disguise.
JaJangmyun (자장면; 짜장면);
In this recipe www.maangchi.com/recipe/jjajangmyun both sweet potato and sugar are used.
Is it ethical to eat Bluefin Tuna?
Thanks so much for creating this thread! I tried to leave a reply on the New Japanese Fish Market discussion but was deleted.
I agree with you and wish more people would ask themselves if the pleasure of eating blue fin (or any other endangered species) is really worth seeing that species become extinct. And why don't more markets and restaurants take the lead in educating their customers?
I recommend "Four Fish: the Future of the Last Wild Food" by Paul Greenberg, he makes some interesting points about the shortcomings of fish farming.
And then there's panga, which I havn't seen here but which is very popular in France because it's cheap, meaty and mild tasting: comes from farms in the ultra polluted water of the Mekong River, so farming is not always the solution.
Where can I find fresh galangal?
Me too!
What a great idea (galangatron, would you be interested in being the guide?)
Actually, not just SE Asian, but any of the Asian cuisine ingredients merit a tour.
The Great Boston Pastry Hunt
My question is, setting aside all the suggestions, WHY is it so hard to find really good pastry in Boston? Is it because of higher labor costs, higher rent, lack of really good ingredients, or lack of tradition and a public that just doesn't care?
I just spent some time with family in Italy and France and gobbled perfectly delicious pastries and cakes and viennoiseries not just from dedicated patisseries, but from supermarket bakeries, and even from the back of the little truck that delivers bread to the village every day. Most items cost around $3 each, and food there generally costs at least 1 1/2 times what it costs here.
New restaurants - Chronicle
I think she said it was a "small village in the south of France"...
Bruschetta or Crostini Toppings . . . what are your favourites?
Traditional tuscan topping: chicken livers. Rinse, dry chicken livers, saute in olive oil with garlic, bay leaf/sage leaf, salt and pepper til cooked but still a little pink in the center, deglaze with a splash of white wine. Cool, mash coarsely with a fork, check seasoning. Spread on lightly toasted baguette slices, drizzle with more oil, bake til edges brown.
