Pamela's Profile
Reputable merchants that ship exotic meats (in particular, suckling pig)
My preference is to find a reputable merchant with a website in which I can order the product and have THEM ship it to Northern New England. I've done some searches, but am not familiar with any of the merchants, and one merchant I saw received a few very poor reviews (although you have to search a bit to find these reviews).
Suckling pig is not exotic in the sense of, say, alligator, python, zebra, etc., but what I am looking for is a whole roasted suckling pig that the merchant can ship anywhere in the U.S.
The shipping is within the U.S.
Reputable merchants that ship exotic meats (in particular, suckling pig)
Can anyone recommend me to a reputable merchant who will ship exotic meat to northern New England? In particular, I am looking to ship a suckling pig (cooked) as a gift.
Kelp Noodles: Where to Buy?
Yup, they are in the refrigerated section all right. At Whole Food, the kelp noodles are in the refrigerated soy/vegan section. I also checked out a Korean grocery store on Sepulveda, near Pep Boy's. They had some version of "Tangle Noodles," but I opted for the ones at Whole Foods. I haven't checked Freshia, but I have shopped at Freshia before and often am disappointed. I usually buy fresh fruit there, but notice they spoil so quickly.
Kelp Noodles: Where to Buy?
Thanks so much, Emme. Will check out Whole Foods for sure.
Kelp Noodles: Where to Buy?
Where does one find kelp noodles? I live in Torrance and just returned from Mitsuwa. I searched long and hard--looking in the aisle that sells seaweed (dried kelp and nori seaweed)and in the aisle that sells soba noodles, as well as the section that sells other types of noodles. I cannot seem to find it anywhere. I asked a store employee, and she did not seem to know what kelp noodles are. Anyone have any idea?
Fresh Raw Fruit from www.rawguru.com
Don't bother with this "merchant." Ordered an item (fresh durian meat). Cost was $225.50. Merchant never emailed me with a confirmation email, in spite of multiple inquiries, but my credit card was automatically charged. The merchant makes it nearly impossible to get in touch with a rep by phone, and no one responds to emails. Essentially, the customer service is nonexistent, but they seem more than eager to take your money and run.
The item I wanted was not available in the proposed timeframe, so I requested a cancellation and refund to my credit card. Requested an email confirmation of the refund. It's been four days and still not a single response. Credit card has not been reversed.
Rawguru.com is probably one of the worst online experiences I've ever had. It's a complete joke and, frankly, I wonder if it is a scam.
Fresh Raw Fruit from www.rawguru.com
I was wondering if any Chowhound has ever ordered fresh exotic fruit from www.rawguru.com. I came upon the raw food site after Googling "durian and shipping." I have my eyes set on fresh durian meat and plan on shipping it as a gift to the east coast, but I am unfamiliar with rawguru.com and also am a bit hesitant about this purchase, given the risk of shipping fresh durian meat. Considering how pricy the durian is and how it spoils quickly, I thought I should seek out advice.
Any experience with either www.rawguru.com or with shipping fresh durian?
Cookbooks with a Pork Focus
Thanks for the suggestions. I did a search and ended up buying these three books:
1. Fergus Henderson's "The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating" (Perhaps the poster from the other thread should purchase this book.);
2. Heather Lauer's "Bacon: A Love Story: A Salty Survey of Everybody's Favorite Meat"; and
3. Peter Kaminsky's "Pig Perfect: Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them."
Cookbooks with a Pork Focus
I don't ever cook pork (or meat really), so do not have cookbooks that focus on pork exclusively. A friend's birthday is coming up, and she loves pork. I therefore wanted to see if any of you could recommend me a favorite cookbook that focuses on pork. The recipes should not be overly complex. In fact, the simpler, the better. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! I really appreciate it.
Where to buy fresh grape leaves?
I am going to attempt to make dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and am wondering if there is a store in the Torrance-ish area that sells fresh grape leaves. Alternatively, I know some stores sell jar grape leaves, but I want to try first with the fresh leaves.
Any store recommendations? Also, what is the approximate cost for fresh grape leaves?
Pumpkin Egg Roll Recipe
Thank you very much, todao and fmed! These recipes look interesting.
Pumpkin Egg Roll Recipe
Does anyone have a recipe for pumpkin egg rolls? I searched the internet, but cannot seem to find one. I'm looking for a recipe that is more of an appetizer than a dessert. Preferably, the recipe should have a dipping sauce.
complicated Thanksgiving
Other ideas: pumpkin ravioli (although most recipes contain some sort of cheese or cream); avocado egg rolls with dipping sauce; Vietnamese spring rolls (many of which tend to be vegetarian); some type of pasta with pumpkin or squash; eggplant parmigiana with cheese substitute; or plain or vegetable tamales.
complicated Thanksgiving
I followed the directions as posted on the Food Network. The serving is for 4, but in my opinion, it really serves closer to 6-8. But to be on the safe side, you might want to double the recipe, since you'll have a lot of people in attendance.
One thing the recipe I listed above did not mention is that you have to cook the risotto first. Here is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ming-tsai/vegetarian-risotto-recipe/index.html
There is a lot of stirring when you make the risotto part. You have to stir it every few minutes or so, and this takes a while, since it will take some time for the risotto to absorb the vegetable broth and become creamy (or more of a sticky rice).
complicated Thanksgiving
Just made this yesterday: WILD MUSHROOM AND PUMPKIN RISOTTO. It's vegan (unless you add butter), and it's very good. I think both vegetarians and non-vegetarians will enjoy it. Here's the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ming-tsai/wild-mushroom-and-pumpkin-risotto-recipe/index.html
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
This is good to know. Thank you! I don't normally buy mushrooms at the Farmer's Market, so am completely oblivious if any of the vendors have them.
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
Yup, that's the recipe.
Just tried the recipe, substituting oyster mushrooms for chanterelles and crimini mushrooms for the morels. Also used shiitakes. The risotto turned out nicely! And very healthy too, since I didn't use any salt at all. The pumpkin gives it a nice sweetness. Overall, a healthy, tasty dish, although I think some people might think it could use additional salt and seasoning. It reminded me of Chinese sticky rice.
Consistent with the pumpkin theme, I made a cornbread and Italian-bread stuffing, baked in a pumpkin shell, as well as a pumpkin cake with cream-cheese frosting. Everything turned out surprisingly well. And nothing was too complicated, although there was a lot of chopping involved, which I did the day before, and stirring (with the risotto).
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
Oh, lord. You all are not going to believe this. Now I have to go hunting for 5-spice, which I've never even heard of. I just assumed it was another name for all-spice. Since it is a Chinese spice, I likely could have purchased it at 99-Ranch.
Now for a trip to Penzey's Spice....and Ralph's for arborio rice.
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
Okay, I just went to Whole Foods, at one poster's recommendation, and also Costco. Whole Foods (Torrance) didn't have too many wild mushrooms, but they did have an orange mushroom called Lobster mushroom, which really looks like lobster shells. I didn't buy it though.
Costco has a larger cannister of "mushroom blend," which consists of porcini, morels, brazilian, ivory portabellas, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms--all for $16.00.
I ended up returning the truffle oil. It really was optional; it was for the garnish portion. Next time it would help to read the directions before purchasing any unnecessary ingredients, rather than simply rely on the ingredient list alone.
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
I just came back from a shopping expedition. Went to 4 different stores total: 99 Ranch Market, Trader Joe's, Cost Plus Imports, and Ralph's.
99 Ranch Market (Asian) had shiitake and oyster mushrooms, so I bought those two. I also purchased crimini mushrooms from Trader Joe's. At Cost Plus, they had dried morels, but they were really expensive--$14.99 for a small bag! No thanks. I think my substitute mushrooms should be okay.
Boy, the pumpkin risotto really requires expensive ingredients. In addition to the mushrooms, it requires "vegetarian risotto." Well, I figured Trader Joe's had it, but they only had the pre-mixed risotto, with all the herbs and mushrooms and stuff--kind of like Uncle Ben's rice. I just wanted plain risotto. Only Ralph's had it, in a pretty big container for $8.99. However, I saw no difference between Ralph's risotto and ordinary white rice. Isn't risotto supposed to be more of a pasta anyway, but with the appearance of rice kernals? Ralph's "risotto" just didn't seem right to me, so I'm going to use ordinary white rice.
FINALLY, the pumpkin risotto requires "truffle oil." I vaguely recall that Trader Joe's carried it, but apparently not on the day I need it. Ralph's doesn't carry it, but Cost Plus had it for $10.99 per container.
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
Coastie:
Thanks for the quick reply. It looks like you're correct. Rats. I just found a recipe for wild mushroom and pumpkin risotto on the Food Network, and I assumed that all the ingredients were autumn ingredients. Shucks. I guess I'll have to substitute in crimini and porcini (even if dried) for the chanterelles and morels. Thanks again.
Chanterelle and Morel Mushrooms: Where to Buy in the South Bay
I don't think the mainstream chain grocery stores (e.g., Ralph's, etc.) always has in stock the various mushroom types. I'm specifically looking for chanterelle mushrooms and morels. Anyone know where to purchase them? (I also don't think they carry them at the Farmer's Market, but I could be wrong.) I'm In Torrance.
Party Platter Recommendations - Different Types of Cuisine
Can any of you recommend me places between Torrance and Long Beach where I can purchase party platters for a group of 30? I'm not talking about appetizers but heartier food--Mexican food, Italian, etc. No catering services needed; I just want the big containers of food.
Sweet Potato Fries in the South Bay?
What a coincidence. Went to the Veggie Grill for lunch today specifically for the sweet potato fries! It was quite good too, although in all honesty I was really hoping for the version with a dusting of brown sugar and cinnamon, rather than served plain with chipotle ranch dressing.
Sweet Potato Fries in the South Bay?
Can anyone recommend me to a restaurant in the South Bay area that serves decent sweet potato fries?
Dumpling and Taiwanese Shaved Ice Combo
I ended up going to Shau May yesterday (Sunday), on some of the recommendation of some of the Chowhounds. Very interesting stuff. I ordered a whole bunch of stuff. I can't believe the amount of food you get here! What is regrettable is that it wasn't until after I ordered did I see the menus on the back wall. I was busy looking at the food on display cafeteria-style.
The pork chop rice was very good, although I prefer it without the pork chops. The sauce on the pork chop is way too salty (or too much MSG) and too oystery. I really like the rice and ground pork/beef that comes with the pork chops. Can I order that separately without the pork chops? If so, what is that called?
I also ordered a plate of fried dumplings. It was okay. Not the greatest. The stuffing was entirely a pork filling, with no vegetables in it whatsoever.
Unfortunately, we were so stuffed that we did not get to try the shaved ice at Shau May. We went to the San Gabriel Plaza and got Taiwanese shaved ice there. I don't know what the store is called, though, since the name is written in Chinese. It looks like a little ice cream parlour from the outside (and inside), and while they serve primarily shaved ice, boba, slushes, etc., there is also a "menu" on the wall that lists assorted Taiwanese and Chinese dishes. I've heard the hot food there is good too.
Dumpling and Taiwanese Shaved Ice Combo
Hmmm. Maybe. Can you (or anyone else) recommend me a really good place that sells authentic Taiwanese street food and that ALSO serves dumplings? My plan is to eat first, then visit some of the markets/stores, and then go get the shaved ice afterwards. (Need a break in between lunch and dessert, especially since I plan to stuff myself.)
P.S. Thanks, everyone, for all the tips, recommendations, and corrections!
Dumpling and Taiwanese Shaved Ice Combo
But there must be SOME regional differences between dumplings, although "Taiwanese dumplings" are obviously heavily influenced by dumplings from mainland China. Given their proximity and ethnic concordance, perhaps the difference is small. Earlier, you used the pizza metaphor. Now the gold standard for pizza is NY pizza. Well, "California pizza," I would argue, takes a different spin by adding assorted foo-foo stuff (BBQ chicken, artichokes, etc.), the crust is different, etc. This is why I'm thinking Taiwanese dumplings have a slightly different skin. I thought I read that dumplings from the Taiwanese restaurants tend to be thinner. (I personally prefer the thicker skin.)
Dumpling and Taiwanese Shaved Ice Combo
Ipsedixit:
I've not been to any of the above restaurants I listed in the original post. I did, however, vaguely recall reading some posts about Taiwanese dumplings...or maybe I read about them elsewhere. Do Taiwanese dumplings not exist? Isnt the dumpling skin/texture supposed to be different from "regular Chinese dumplings"? I honest don't know. Personally, I don't care. I love all sorts of dumplings. However, I was hoping, if possible, to have a dining experience from the same region. I would, though, prefer to have authentic (or as close to authentic) Taiwanese shaved ice. Shanghai/Beijing dumplings are just fine with me.
