tempest in a teapot's Profile
Gluten-free plum christmas pudding
I suggest you check out Nigella Lawson's Christmas Pudding recipe in Feast. That's the one I've used as a guideline for years. She uses a fair bit of ground almond (and no flour, but breadcrumbs instead), and I have a feeling you could replace all the breadcrumbs with ground almonds and nothing would go awry.
You could really use any appropriate GF flour that strikes your fancy in this application, since it's the mass of sticky dried fruit that holds the thing together, not gluten. After four (or eight!) hours' steaming, just about anything will be moist and compact enough to hold up to flaming brandy and slicing. Good luck!
Novice baker in need of great but not complex cake recipe
Since you're looking for decadent, I'll second Smitten Kitchen. But if you're after something easy, I'd recommend this French Yogurt Cake: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/08/slow-roasting.html
Caterers of Indian cuisine in Halifax and surrounding areas?
You might also think about checking into what The Salt Shaker Deli can do for you. I don't know whether they do much catering (we left Lunenburg two years ago), but the kitchen's capabilities and interests stretch far beyond pizza and bistro fare. She used to do a sushi night in the off-season and they've offered a variety of exotic-for-Lunenburg specialties in the past. Plus they're friendly, accommodating and close at hand, so it can't hurt to ask.
Then again, Second Peninsula is so beautiful your guests might not even notice the food.
Caterers of Indian cuisine in Halifax and surrounding areas?
Well, Lunenburg is about as lovely a place as you'll find in Nova Scotia, so it would be a shame to change the venue. Lunenburg does have several good restaurants with well-trained servers with experience in weddings (Fleur de Sel, Trattoria della Nonna) so it wouldn't be too hard to find three or four to work your wedding, probably at a reasonable cost.
You might look into Curry Village in Halifax (which is at least on-par with Taj Mahal, in my opinion, and very friendly, if slightly disorganized), and it's entirely possible that one of your servers would be able to bring the food in for you — it would only be another two and a half hours' pay.
So, I think this would be very do-able. Which venue are you looking at?
Mail order the Atlantic
Hi Precia —
I'm from Maine, too, and I've found that traditional Atlantic Canadian cookery is fundamentally different from traditional New England fare. Oyster crackers make only an occasional appearance here (seafood chowder is much more common than clam chowder), and the quality of baked beans is dismal... Heinz is pretty much it. I stock up on B&M whenever I'm home. It goes without saying that we don't have any other Maine summer staples like red hot dogs or Moxie.
Having said all that, Pete's Frootique does offer a (pricey) custom gift basket service, and if you outlined your preferences, I'm sure that could go some way to meeting your needs. But I find it's easiest just to make things myself and put in an order well in advance when relatives are coming to visit.
http://www.petesfrootique.com/baskets.php
Mexican Grocer - Halifax area
A family (I believe they're Guatemalan, though I can't say why) sells corn tortillas, pico de gallo, tamales and other specialties at the Seaport Farmers' Market.
Best of Dartmouth and Points East
My husband and I moved to Dartmouth almost two years ago, and we're trying more and more to spend time on this side of the bridge. Don't misunderstand; we still end up in Halifax two or three times a week, but our eyes are slowly opening to what's on offer here. A lot of Dartmouthians are hopeful that the new King's Landing development is going to bring with it more gentrification and development to the downtown. But that's years away. What's here now?
Anyone who spends time on this board should be at least passingly familiar with the best places to eat and the best places to find obscure ingredients from Halifax down to Liverpool. But the Eastern Shore deserves a little love, too. So I thought I'd start a list of recommendations for Dartmouth east to say, Sheet Harbour, and see what develops.
Tell me about your your love of Willy Krauch's smoked salmon (is the son's as good as the father's?), your best experience at that tiny East German place, the church lobster suppers in Chezzetcook. What's that tea room like near Lawrencetown Beach? Let's map out this area.
Dartmouth:
Two if By Sea Cafe — Very nice coffee, though the baked goods that made them famous can be a bit much.
Pho Hoang Minh — Tasty food, passable pho, delicious spring rolls, friendly service.
Fan's — Three cheers for Dim Sum!
Revana Pizza — We tried A LOT of take-out pizza to find the best in Dartmouth. When it's good, it's very good. When it's okay, it's still better than the other choices.
John's Lunch — Probably the best greasy spoon in Nova Scotia. Everything's crispy, the cole slaw is terrific, the staff are great. And everything's clean, clean, clean.
Musquodoboit Harbour:
Dobbit Bakery — The challah makes a perfect post-beach dinner of mushrooms on toast, and the emphasis on whole grains is appreciated. I really admire what the owner is trying to do here. Nice little spot.
Your turn.
STIR-FRIED SPINACH
The only way I can see it working as you described is if she first stirfried the aromatics for a few seconds then tossed the flavored oil with the spinach in a separate bowl. That might make the spinach a bit limper, making it feel cooked in the mouth. I still wouldn't try it with baby spinach.
Unless simon's right and it wasn't spinach at all....
San Marzano canned tomatoes in Halifax>
I've had some delicious meals at Curry Village (when it was at its old location. I can recommend you NOT try Gracious Indian (Windsor St.) or India Buffet Palace (Bayers Lake/Cole Harbour).
A couple of friends have raved about A Taste of India in the Scotia Square Mall, but I haven't tried it myself, so YMMV.
Halifax: Chinese Food
Yes, we went shortly after it opened. It wasn't a happy experience; the food was forgettable and disappointing in turns, the service was slow despite an empty dining room. And now I hear it's filthy.
I hope something Cellar-ish takes its place; I loved it there.
Where to eat dinner in Saint John?
I've eaten at Lemongrass twice and loved it. The food was fantastic (firecracker shrimp, moneybags, golden curry, basil chicken), the service is attentive, the space is lovely.
http://www.lemongrasssaintjohn.com/drupal/node/1
Also, there is (used to be?) a cute little Guatemalan place nearby...
ETA: See also
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/471342
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/479864
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/107086
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lemongrass
1 Market Square, St John, NB E2L 0B8, CA
Frozen Pearl Onions
I think I saw some a few years ago at the Pete's Frootique in Bedford. This would have been 2007, I think. I'll try to remember to keep an eye out the next time we go.
Cozy pub in Halifax?
Thanks, Greg. We'll be checking out the Henry House this weekend, I expect.
Pho in Halifax?
No transcendent pho experiences to speak of, but since you wisely specified "decent" you could give Pho Hoang Minh and Star Anise a shot. Haven't tried the pho at Indochine, the newish bahn mi place on South Park, but the sandwiches are tasty.
www.phohoangminh.ca
www.staranisenoodle.com
www.indochine.ca
Brunch suggestions for Halifax?
Seconding Epicurious. I've had dozens (hundreds?) of delicious, lovely brunches there.
Cozy pub in Halifax?
My husband and I like spending weekend afternoons in coffee shops — reading, writing, editing, etc. — but they all seem to close around 5. Can anyone recommend a cozy pub where we could while away a late afternoon? A fireplace would be nice and comfortable wooden booths are a must. Either side of the bridge is fine.
Basically, I'm looking for something like the Knot Pub in Lunenburg, but without loud sports in the background.
Thoughts?
San Marzano canned tomatoes in Halifax>
At the Dartmouth Crossing Costco, we buy 96 oz cans (which we split and freeze) for $3.99. In fact, I think it was that deal that sold me on the membership. That and the Parmesan.
Oh, and the cheap olive oil, which ranked number one in Cook's Illustrated's grocery store olive oil taste test.
New Seaport Farmer's Market in Halifax
Yes, we went, and to be honest, we were a bit disappointed. Despite the extra moving room, it seemed to have all the smae problems of the Brewery Market — particularly people congregating in paths impeding traffic flow while they have 5-minute conversations. I did like that all the food was grouped together and the handcrafts were on the upper level, and I'm hopeful that the crowds will thin out in a couple of weeks, when the novelty is worn off.
Also, I'm a little surprised that after two years of construction, the building still isn't finished(??!).
Annapolis Royal and Environs
We love Annapolis Royal and like to visit a couple of times each summer and fall, but while it used to have a couple of good restaurants, it's barren now. We've done the Mozart(?) place and the Streetside, but weren't very happy with either. Ditto the Garrison House Inn (I can't remember the particulars there, but I wasn't impressed, particularly given the bill). The German Bakery is good, but not for dinner.
Since we rarely spend the night, we're happy to visit any of the surrounding towns for a good meal on the way home.
Are there hidden treasures nearby that only locals know of? Please, do tell.
Cheap/Inexpensive Dinner in Portland, ME
On these recommendations, we tried Saigon tonight (a place we would never have even noticed otherwise), and it was wonderful — very attentive service, fantastic food — and five of us dined for under $70, with two lunches left over.
Man, I hope you Portlanders know how lucky you are. The Halifax dining scene is going to look even dingier by comparison when we make the long trek back on Tuesday.
Halifax Sushi Search
We love Doraku as well, great prices, always fun and busy. We also like Milamodo in Clayton Park. There are private rooms at both, and I believe both take reservations.
As an aside, we had a terrible experience at Sushi Nami Royale on Dresden, but that's not somewhere you'd want to take kids anyway.
Is a mold a must for Christmas Pudding?
For the record, I steamed it in a large stainless steel bowl, sealed with three layers of foil, inside a lobster pot, with water coming about halfway up the sides. I steamed it again for an hour and a half before bringing it to the party, but I didn't get the chance to taste it, but it smelled divine, and I was assured it was delicious by those who did partake.
To sum, no suet was used, no pudding mold was necessary. I used Nigella Lawson's Untraditional Christmas Pudding recipe from Feast, but with traditional dried fruits.
Is a mold a must for Christmas Pudding?
I jokingly offered to make a christmas pudding for a Christmas Eve party, and my hostess accepted. Ooops.
I know that it's too late to hope for a perfect pudding (other Chowhounders have recommended anywhere from six months to three years(!!!) in the pantry for a proper flavor), but must I buy a pudding mold to make it? Recipes say it's possible to steam a pudding in a stainless steel bowl, but should the bowl be partly submerged in the water? Or would it be okay if the bowl was suspended over the water, like a double boiler? Would it be possible to bake the thing in an improvised bain marie in a very low oven?
If I have to, I will buy the mold, and make Stir-up Sundays a tradition henceforth in order to get my money's worth, but funds are tight, and I can think of other places to spend $25.
Cheers!
New England Road Trip (mostly Maine)
On the way back from visiting family near Portland, we always stop at Central Bagel in Bangor for treats to last until Saint John. It's not far off the 395, and well worth the stop. Everything we've tried has been delicious— and we've tried a lot; $10 will take you a long way here.
Raisin Pie Vote
Thanks, everyone. Rum it is, for now, but I do love the idea of cream sherry; perhaps some hand pies for New Year's Eve....
Raisin Pie Vote
For the past few Thanksgivings, my husband has made a raisin pie adapted slightly from a Canadian Living recipe. It's a favorite in the family, in part because it fills the mincemeat hole.
It's a very nice pie, but I was thinking a little tweak might be in order. It's usually (lightly) flavored with lemon and orange zests and lemon juice, but I think it might be interesting to go in a more rum raisin direction, with cloves, nutmeg, and maybe some lime zest.
Any thoughts Chowhounders? Rum or citrus?
Dartmouth-area Coffee Shop
My husband and I have just relocated to Dartmouth from Lunenburg, and we're looking for a good coffee shop nearby. We work from home, so coffee shops often acts as a meeting place for clients, and we also like to have a change of place to write in a few times a week.
I guess what we're looking for is a Local Jo-ish place, closer to home.
Cheers, Chowhounders!
Bonito Flakes
You can also find them at Planet Organic, and the Chinese market on Green Street (near the Queen Street Sobeys).
Knife sharpening in Halifax
There's a great little place on Kempt Rd., but I don't know the exact address. It's past Hood Rd., in one of those small industrial buildings.
