imsohungry's Profile
Sarasota/LBK Help!
I've got the fried joint for you...Star Fish in Cortez. It's dockside and super funky. Great conch fritters, seafood chowder, etc. Not sure stone crabs will be in season then but if they are, they're good. You can't get more casual that this place...it's literally on the docks with picnic tables. Really fun!
http://www.starfishcompany.com/starfishcompany/rest.html
Kid Friendly lunch near Getty Malibu
If you're actually going to the museum, I would highly recommend the cafeteria onsite. You'll find a whole bunch of options and you can either sit inside or out on the terrace with gorgeous views. I know it sounds funny, but I was really impressed with the quality of food. There is also a sit-down dining room too but I didn't eat there.
Party mix OTHER than White Trash?
Cathy-I *think* the OP meant the party mix called "White Trash" which is a bunch of stuff with a white chocolate coating. No need to be offended (I LOVE Chex mix and it was indeed 'fancy' party food or only on the holidays when I was growing up).
http://www.food.com/recipe/alton-browns-white-trash-226723
Would love to replicate "Pill Pockets" for dogs
This is funny that this was posted today. Just this morning, I didn't feel like getting all peanut-buttery to give my Lab his big vitamin (one of the very few things he doesn't like). We toss him little snacks as treats all the time, which he catches with amazing reliability. So, I just tossed it to him and he snapped it up like a venus fly trap. I suppose he'll ultimately catch on but for now, no peanut butter trickery, which seems to work only 1/2 the time anyway.
What to do with with awesome tomatoes - going on a trip in a few days
Sorry if this offends (I know it's kind of a sin to cook such beauties but this is a quick solution), last summer, which was my first year of gardening, I'd go through times of too many tomatoes to use at once. When that happened, I'd just cut a batch into halves or wedges, toss with a little olive oil and roast until they just started to carmelize. Then, once cooled, the whole thing got scraped into a freezer bag. I know you don't have a food mill, but we enjoyed the last batch, milled, simmered and over pasta, part way thru a particularly snowy winter. It was like a bit of summer in the dead of winter!
Blossom end rot
Well, it's sort of a cold comfort, but good to know that I'm not the only idiot/fool :). PS-mine are in a raised bed, if that helps anyone out there diagnose.
Blossom end rot
Mine too! It's my first year growing zucchinis. Lots of flowers and fruit but we've lost all but one because of the same thing. I thought zucchini was the idiot-proof vegetable! Would love to hear what's happening here from one of the more experienced gardeners here.
Treasures in your kitchen???
My grandma's cast iron skillet, which she got when she was a young bride during WWII. I was so nervous when my mom gave it to me after Grandma passed and questioned my mom about not using soap to clean it. She laughed and rightfully said that there's no way that Grandma (a noted clean freak but amazing cook) didn't use soap.
I love the way the pan is nearly a living thing. It has good days (non-stick) and bad days, but nothing a little bacon can't fix (like me too!). If I make something particularly perlious in it, like a tarte tatin or tortilla, I say a little prayer to Grandma before flipping said item out. 9 times out of 10, it works!
What to do with garlic scapes?
I make a very basic pesto (just scapes, olive oil and salt...maybe a bit of water to thin) and don't rinse the blender. Then, I make white rice, but use the water rinsed from the pesto blender and a good scoop of the scape pesto (maybe 1/2 c.: 2c. water : 1 c. rice) for delish scape rice. This goes really well with grilled pork or beef. Any leftover pesto freezes well too.
Need restaurant recs for 3 nights in Siena, 3 nights in Florence, 1 night in Lucca late Aug.-early Sept.
Siena is such a magical place! Don't miss La Torre, just to the left of the campanile in the campo. Amazing homemade pastas (oh the tortelloni) and steak florentine and very reasonable. Another extremely reasonable place is Osteria la Chiacchera (The Chatterbox) which serves deceptively simple Tuscan peasant food. The sausage and beans is a dish I still think about! My mom had the chocolate pie and while it's not my scene, she said it was terrific.
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/siena/D34433.html
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/siena/D34431.html
Enjoy!
My pumpkin soup is missing something! Any ideas?
I like to throw in a parmesan rind (which I collect and keep in the freezer) during the "stewing" part of the recipe, and remove before the pureeing (any gooey cheese that remains on the rind is the cook's spoils). That, and a hint of cayenne, but like another poster said about thyme, best to start with just a touch and go from there. I almost killed a couple of dinner guests last time I served due to a over-enthusiastic hand. Oops.
TAMPA HOUNDS: NEED HELP! Hungry Brooklyn Foodie inbound
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It's exactly what a casual funky fishing shack should be! Thanks for the offer for Brooklyn tips but we just moved from there last year, and my husband still works there, so we're back often and are pretty well dialed in.
TAMPA HOUNDS: NEED HELP! Hungry Brooklyn Foodie inbound
You can't miss with any of the beaches but make sure to get up to the Point, which is, of course, at the northern tip of the island. Especially at sunset!
TAMPA HOUNDS: NEED HELP! Hungry Brooklyn Foodie inbound
My family used to live on Anna Maria Island and you're in for a treat! Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, very low key vibe. On a visit a couple of years ago, we went, repeatedly, to The Star Fish Market just a few miles away up the Cortez Causeway. It's literally a fish market with food served out back. The conch fritters and chowder were awesome, and the stone crabs, while kind of on the expensive side (which is just how they are) were perfectly fresh! And you don't really see this up North too often but if the pompano is available, get it. Grab a Red Stripe and enjoy. This is SUPER casual and funky, but I lived in Brooklyn and know that you can't really experience anything like it up here.
Though I wouldn't recommend dinner here, don't miss having a sunset drink out on the deck of The Sand Bar. Stunning!
http://www.starfishcompany.com/starfishcompany/rest.html
http://sandbar.groupersandwich.com/
Lastly, I'm not sure it's still open and operating (maybe some locals can help out here), but you used to be able to get a very servicable breakfast at the public beach in Holmes Beach (also on Anna Maria). The food is just ok but there's something about eating a breakfast burrito and pancakes while looking out on the gulf.
These are kind of lowbrow suggestions but you won't be disappointed!
Le P'tit Paris Bistro-Looks like we've got a winner!
It breaks my heart to write this. We have been waiting for a good restaurant in WT for ages, and looking at the above reviews, it seemed to have promise. Maybe we were there on an off-night, but the fact that they got "the basics" wrong makes me suspect otherwise.
My husband and I both ordered the frisee aux lardon salad, his with and mine without the poached egg. His egg looked like it had been beaten with a hammer! Otherwise, the salad was serviceable, but when you can't serve a properly poached egg, what else can you do?
On to the moules frites....as a poster above noted, the fries had to have been frozen which in my opionion, is a cardinal sin for a French bistro (and my main raison d'etre for being there, so, strike two). The mussels were horribly overcooked, with big pieces of raw garlic, and frankly, fairly inedible.
Again, I get no pleasure out of writing this as I wanted it to work so very badly, but please, Le P'tit Bistro, bistro cooking is not complicated and it's not rocket science! Get your basic skills down and give the ole Terrace the decent restaurant it deserves!
Help Hounds! Do-ahead creamy polenta recipe?
Can you please suggest a recipe? Much appreciated!
Help Hounds! Do-ahead creamy polenta recipe?
I'm having a dinner party, at which I would like to have most everything done ahead of time, and would like to serve creamy polenta. In the past, my polenta seems to "set up" rather quickly, in spite of adding copious amounts of cream/milk/butter, etc.
Short of a few recipes that require CREAM CHEESE (!?!?), I haven't been able to uncover a recipe that allows for at least an hour standing time, while remaining creamy. I'm not opposed to using cornmeal (vs. more quicker cooking polenta). Any suggestions? My pork osso buco and guests will thank you!
Blue Ribbon-thumbs up
We tend to be the first to complain, so I like to balance that out with giving praise where it's due...
We're on a post-holiday, low carbs, tune-up diet and wanted some simple salad and fish for dinner last night. Thought of what i consider to be a rock-solid option, Blue Ribbon.
It was mellow (on a Monday night), the service was top notch and our food was, as I've always experience, spot on. But this is why I'm writing a post. We were, atypical for us, "difficult" customers. I wanted blue cheese instead of feta on my salad; no potatoes for the old man's fish-could we please substitute with spinach? Etc.
The waiter was more than accomodating. When the mains came, there was a slight mix-up with one of the entrees. A sauce was left off, and one of the veggies did not come out as promised on the menu. In addition, the portion of salmon was a bit skimpy, and we noted it to the waiter. However, everything was reticfied in a flash, and the "skimpy" amount of fish, so expertly prepared, turned out to be the right amount. Amazing how satisifying a smaller amount of food can be, when it's prepared properly.
Here's the real reason I'm writing. At the end of the meal, the manager showed up and presented us with a beautiful plate of profiteroles, on the house, to compensate for the flubs with our meals. To be honest, I never would have given the mistakes a second thought, as they were quickly corrected, and with a great attitude. Unfortunately, we had to turn these down (the diet and all...we'll wait a few more days before we cheat on a profterole scale). Nonetheless, I thought it was a very classy thing to do.
I really like this place. I don't think they're breaking new ground or have anything mind-blowing going on, but I appreciate consistency and an all-around solid experience, from the quality of the food, to the quality of the service.
Sidecar on 5th ave in South Slope?
I really wanted to love this place. It's a cool room and the service was very good. However, the food just wasn't anything special. The hamburger was just o.k., but the bun was visibly burnt; the fries too salty. My SO's ribs (the special of the day) were just o.k. as well, but, the accompanying mac& cheese was dried out, not cheesy.
We sat at the kitchen bar and observed that the chef was notably flustered. Dude, you're churning out simple comfort food (which, don't get me wrong, when it's good, is a delight), not haute cuisine. If you're going to have a simple menu, it should be top-notch. Please step it up to match the room!
