charlesbois's Profile
Muskegon MI--any good fish places?
I know they have fried smelt and fried perch at the Bear Lake Tavern, or BLT as it's called. I've only eaten there a couple times and that was a few years ago, but it's an institution and definitely is casual.
Why aren't we talking about Biercamp in A2? [Ann Arbor, MI]
Went to Biercamp today for lunch and to stock up on goodies for Memorial Day weekend. Just an FYI, they will be closed this weekend for Memorial Day.
I picked up some "standard" hot dogs for grilling. They are fully cooked, long and skinny, and look like they are packed with delicious spiciness. Now, a package of 8 dogs was a little over $7. But for the quality I'm getting, I'll gladly pay around 95 cents per dog. Also stocked up on some hickory smoked bacon at around $10/pound. It's definitely pricey (I think you can get Alexander & Hornung's bacon for $10 for 1.5 pounds) but it's so worth it. Finally, I got some beef jerky and some BBQ pork jerky for our weekend canoe trips.
For lunch, I finally tried their brisket. It's incredibly beefy, juicy and delicious. Just a real stand-out beef flavor. I think next time I'll just do what I do with the pulled pork, and that's get a container of it cold for me to heat up and enjoy sans bun. It's a good little sandwich, but the bun is a non-starter and it becomes too juicy to pick up and eat anyway.
While I was in there, I saw they have a fermenting tun, and heard they were going to start making home-brewed beer in small batches. Woot!
Cakes for Outside Wedding
And I love the mini pie suggestion! I've even seen "pie pops" i.e. really mini pies on lollipop sticks.
And as for your peaches soaked in prosecco, well that is definitely on my summer to-do list!
Cakes for Outside Wedding
The first thing that comes to mind is, in 97 degrees I don't want cake, I want popsicles! Ever think about renting a small freezer and making ice cream novelties available?
Barring that, I think really light and citrusy cakes are the way to go here, with glazes instead of frosting, due to melting factor. I love angel food cake with an orange glaze (basically orange juice, milk and powdered sugar). Also lemon chiffon cake is nice. Maybe a spice cake with a crumble topping, which might hold up better than icing.
Non-cake ideas include fruit kebabs and alcoholic watermelon balls.
Fresh wild turkey breast
Thanks for the replies everyone! I roasted it wrapped with bacon and it was TOUGH. From the spur and beard length, we estimated it was 3-5 years old. So, not a young jake, which would be ideal to eat. But when there's a 22 pounder in range, can you blame anyone for taking that shot!
The turkey was quite flavorful. It tasted a lot like regular old grocery store turkey, just a bit subtler. I think we have quite a few corn-fed turkeys here (rather than acorns, oaks are getting crowded out by maples). So the taste wasn't too far off from a butterball. But so lacking in fat! I think next time, I'll do the breasts in a slow cooker with a rather fatty sauce and see how that goes. For now, here's a pic.
Good Breakfasts in Amsterdam?
There are a many, just look for the signs for English/Irish breakfasts. Other than those ubiquitous places, I like Gartine on Taksteeg and Cafe Neilsen in the negen straatjes area. Barney's up on Haarlemmerstraat is famous for large breakfasts and "coffeeshop" atmosphere. There are 3 barney's storefronts all near each other, just poke your head in and ask at which one you can get breakfast.
Fresh wild turkey breast
Thanks Veggo for you reply! Yep, definitely an Eastern turkey (what I wouldn't give to hunt an Osceola, but not sure how out-of-state hunting licensing works in Florida). I was afraid of the lack of fat when grilling, although I thought to wrap the breast meat in bacon for grilling too. I think I'll stick to roasting, as I do love a good roast bird. The first turkey my husband got a year or so ago, his parents roasted whole in a stand-alone turkey roaster. It was ok, but it ended up being more steamed than roasted.
Fresh wild turkey breast
Thanks! We put off making it until tomorrow and now it's between roasting and grilling.
Fresh wild turkey breast
Just bumping this thread because I'm cooking tonight. Still planning on roasting it, unless someone has some advice on wild turkey
Fresh wild turkey breast
My spouse bagged his spring turkey this evening! I read the earlier thread mentioning marinating, salt-crust baking and also roulades. I am planning on barding the breast with just a couple strips of bacon across them. Can I just roast it in my dutch oven with potatoes and carrots? Anyone have a no-fail preparation?
Foodie Detroit! need your recs...
Supinos pizza
Hamtramck for Polish
Dearborn for Middle Eastern (a must-try when you're in the area)
Roast for happy hour
Slows for BBQ
I like Traffic Jam & Snug for the eclectic factor
Motor City Brew Works for local brews
Bronx bar for dive bar
Red Rock Barbecue, Ypsilanti
Went to Red Rock last night. Apparently it was their grand opening weekend. At the outset, this place is EXACTLY what Michigan Ave in Ypsi needs. The place was jammed and hopefully bringing a lot of people out to eat, drink and shop to add to that old local economy.
It's located in the old TC Speakeasy's, and they kept the old wooden entryway, but that's about it. It's all exposed brick with a large central bar splitting the large room. A back wall and the ceiling were painted a rich red, and it looked nice. Another back wall was a weird puffy leather-covered affair. Bathroom had nice slate tile and was very clean, although they still need to add some trim to the walls.
We called ahead and were informed we would have no problem being sat. I got there and put in for a table for 3, and the hostess couldn't tell me the wait time -- so hostessing was a little rocky. I sat at the bar to wait for my friends, and asked the bartender what bourbons they have. He rattled off a fair few, and I order a Knob Creek on the rocks (I know, I know, but I sometimes like it on ice). It was a $9 pour, but a very generous pour. The rocks were generous too, and I would have preferred a few cubes instead of a rocks glass 3/4 full of ice. The bartenders were friendly but busy. I noticed a full complement of Hangar 1 vodkas on display, so I'll be going back to hit those up.
We got seated more quickly than I thought, so that was a plus. Service was good and attentive, but there's a bit of room for improvement just to make things go a little more smoothly. Our drink orders came out pretty promptly. They have a really nice selection of beers, mostly microbrews from Michigan. The one thing about the beer menu that puzzles me is the abundance of stouts, bocks and heavier beers. I for one like really crisp quaffable beers with barbecue, but to each their own.
Ok, now the important part, the food. My companions ordered a pulled pork sandwich and the brisket plate. I order the pulled pork plate. The coleslaw accompanying the sandwich got high marks, as did the cornbread. The beans were deemed kind of flavorless, even though there were big hunks of pork in them. The cornbread was a standout. Two medium-sized muffins per order, studded with corn kernels and extremely moist and cakey, which is how I like it. My sweet potato mash was very good, cinnamony but with a sweetness that came from the actual vegetable and not a bunch of added sugar.
And now the meat. Smoke ring is in evidence, people. My pulled pork came out cold, but was very good nonetheless. A great smoky, meaty flavor, with very little extraneous fat. The brisket was stellar -- beefy, smoky goodness. It is served sliced thinly, which I thought made it just a very little bit dry. However, 3 different sauces are provided on the table, so those took care of any lack of moisture. The sauces offered are a vinegar one, the house sauce, and a hawaiian sauce. They were all good. I preferred the house, even though it's not the best bbq sauce I've head. The hawaiian had a complex sweet-savoriness which was very good too.
So, all in all, a very good experience. I'd give the a definite B+. Hopefully they'll keep packing in the crowds and will keep up the quality they're striving to put out from the kitchen.
How Do You Make Popcorn?
Haha, yes, I have a dedicated popcorn pan as well. That thing is older than I am (my mom got it in her Revere cookware set when she was married) and makes perfect corn every time. Other than that, I go for the brown bag in microwave too. I can't believe the money the food companies made with those awful microwave popcorn bags. Most people didn't realize they could do the same thing at home for pennies on the dollar.
Strawberry ice cream - how to kick it up a notch?
Honey ice cream with strawberries blended in could give an incredibly rich sweetness. Also rhubarb (it's a classic strawberry pairing) could give a tart flavor, kind of like a fro-yo.
I'm all for adding liquor to desserts as well; what about grand marnier, mandarin vodka, or golden rum?
Michigan: In search of the best Coney
wait, what? They're going to Lansing (Ingham County), Jackson (Jackson County), Ann Arbor and Ypsi (Washtenaw County) and Detroit (Wayne County) just TODAY. They hit the west side of the state soon.
Michigan: In search of the best Coney
It's starting today! 8 Coney places in one day seems like a bit much though.
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/04/michigan_coney_dog_project_day.html
Favorite Frozen Food?
Tombstone makes a "lite" pizza that is all veggies, and is pretty good. The sauce definitely has a spicy kick. Too bad the crust is really "meh."
I like Amy's tamales. LOVE Amy's Veggie Korma. I like the Ethnic Gourmet chicken tikki masala.
Love the Evol shredded beef burritos.
Those new Bon Appetit parchment meals are pretty good. They're a step up from bertollis, and I don't think the bertollis are too bad.
The Newman's margherita pizza wasn't too bad.
If it's in your area, Meijer Organics does a nice spinach pizza.
I've been known to cook up some frozen fish tenders in the toaster oven, and I throw in some Alexia french fries for a quickie fish n chips meal.
Belgian beer for Carbonnade à la Flamande
thank you for this info. I'm in a pretty high-end, hard-to-find beery town, so maybe I'll be in luck!
Ypbor Yan (Emerald City)
Not to rub it in, but I know of a morel spot not 2 miles from Ypbor Yan ;)
I've eaten many times at Emerald City, and was surprised when they changed the name. They do this spicy "mongolian" chicken that's pretty good. Looking forward to trying the chili dumplings.
To Do: More DTW Coneys
Jacobys? Never been there to eat, but the bar atmosphere was nice. They seem like they try to approach the authentic.
What were your FIRST three cookbooks?
Kids cookbooks:
The Cookie Book (got that at a RIF sale)
some sort of disney cook book
Betty Crockers New Boys and Girls Cookbook (not so much MINE, but the first one I used a lot)
first ones I got as an "adult":
Frugal Gourmet cooks 3 ancient cuisines (Italian, Greek, Chinese)
New Vegetarian Epicure
Complete bartender
What Are "Frying Tortillas"?
I've had corn tortilla flautas. At one place in particular, I always wondered why the tortillas for the flautas seemed thinner than the tacos. Now I know, they WERE thinner. Makes sense. Thanks for the tip.
Any vegetarian recipes for a meat eater?
I'm just going to copy and tweak my list from another post about vegetarian dishes. I came up with this list one night, and thought it was pretty ok.
-roasted veggies and israeli couscous
-any sort of pancake/crepe/pannekoken meal (lemon ricotta, etc.) can be easy and fun, and soy sausage can be good if you want to go the brinner route. cheese stratas can be in a brinner theme too.
-any sort of north african stew can be great, and you can get a lot of flavor in it with minimal effort.
-split pea soup (use good soup base, aromatics and some good olive oil to replace flavors you miss from the absent meat) is a great hearty meal that you can just serve with warm bread or muffins
-I like making ratatouille and using it as lasagne filling instead of the usual bolognese
-potato croquettes, or any deep fried veggies can be extremely flavorful (yay deep frying)
-more Italian: eggplant parmiggiano, hay and straw pasta, aglio e olio, primavera, etc.
-Mediterranean/Greek - hummus, tabbouli, falafel, spanakopita, tryopitakia, etc.
-Indian - many dishes can even be made all in a rice cooker
-Mexican: enchiladas calabaza, potato tacos, bean flautas, etc.
Concretes? [DTW]
I like Ritter's. I'm not sure if they call them "concretes" but they do the mix-ins and hand them to you upside-down (which is the only way to serve them imo). There are only 3 locations in Michigan. I've been to the one on 8 Mile and Orchard Lake.
Just an anecdote, there is a tiny ice cream stand across from the Ingham County Fairgrounds in Mason, Michigan called Dairy Hill. They got threatened by DQ for calling their mix-ins Blizzards, so they've changed the name to Blysserd. Love it!
sides help!
Hank's suggestion sounds like it's in line with the flavors you will be creating in the main dish. A harmonious meal is the way to impress.
If you wanted to get a little different, how about sauteed, diced sweet potatoes garnished with seasoned pepitas and some skillet cornbread. A tomatilla salsa with chips to start and some hibiscus iced tea to drink. Dang, now I want to make this.
Belgian beer for Carbonnade à la Flamande
I've done a little hunting for this topic, but haven't really seen anything come up. Anyone have a favorite brown ale they use?
What are the best cooking tips or recipes you learned from your mom?
In the era of processed and microwaved foods, my mom taught me that fresh food is best. By serving us tomatoes still warm from the garden, freshly baked bread and a little bit of fried ham and eggs, she taught me that a simple meal can be more impressive than a 5-course feast. When all my friends ate Kraft dinner, she cracked open her Doubleday cookbook and cooked up French classics. She taught me cockaleekie soup is probably the most hilariously named dish ever.
Seitan Worship
Now that I have stopped laughing at the best chowhound thread title in recent memory...(seriously, that was hilarious)...
At the veg restaurant where I used to work, we did a seitan reuben that was popular. Also, any sort of beef stir-fry works well subbing in seitan. And I definitely have heard people ooh and aah over smoked seitan.
Personally, I never got into the taste/texture of seitan. I like tempeh in burger form or in chili. I've had tempeh brushed wth honey and grilled, and it is really good, especially if you then throw it on a pesto pizza with red peppers grilled with honey (sounds weird, but it is amazing). My absolute go-to for meat substitute is deep frying tofu and tossing it with chili-ginger-garlic-soy. You can marinate tofu slabs in that same combo and throw it on the grill, and that is good too.
Stacking a Burger
I do bottom bun, burger, cheese if applicable, mustard, ketchup, pickle, tomato, lettuce and bun. My rationale is thus: the mustard and ketchup act like sauce for the meat and dressing for the salad. And I don't like any of the wet ingredients to touch the bun, so I have the lettuce as sort of a barrier. Oh, and bacon goes under the cheese. That would pretty much be my perfect burger.
