aregularjoe's Profile
Buying rendered duck fat?
This was 7-8 years ago. I won't go back. When we went in it was clearly not what we ordered. The counter man agreed. They actually called us a few times on the phone demanding that we pay for it. I am so glad we did not leave a deposit or pay in advance.
That kind of treatment is a deal breaker for me.
Buying rendered duck fat?
Thanks Madrid! Sherman's is the winner! Bought it today $7.75 for a pint! About 1/3 the price of Dewar's.
Thanks to all for the others for suggestions, I will not patronize Savenors as they are outrageously overpriced and tried to scam me once on a custom meat order. I ordered fresh Emu. They got me Ostridge, lied to me and tried to tell me it was Emu, and then were complete jerks about it, expecting me to pay for their mistake, and then hounding on the phone about it.
Never Again!
Buying rendered duck fat?
Need to buy some rendered duck fat. I know Dewar's has it but it its way overpriced. Any thoughts?
Great restaurants near Copley Square?
Uh...
Respectfully, Copley Square is NOT downtown, its almost a mile from it. Sel De La Terre is the only place that you list that is in Copley Square and it IS a tourist trap and is frankly awful and a rip off.
Island Creek and Eastern Standard are in Kenmore Square, a little over a half mile away. Island Creek is good. Eastern Standard is OK, but has a lively young bar clientele and serves a few dishes at the bar until late night.
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Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Sel De La Terre
776 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215
Great restaurants near Copley Square?
Sorellina is expensive but incredible. They deliver big time on quality of food, preparation and service.
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Sorellina
1 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Pearl's Candy and Nuts? Worth the trip?
My Fault, should have said "in Salem". To late for me to edit...
Pearl's Candy and Nuts? Worth the trip?
Was thinking of taking a ride up here instead of going to the place in Kittery?
How is the selection? Prices?
TIA!
Need Sunday Lunch in Salem, NH
Anything goes. $15-20 PP food cost would be good.
Your thoughts?
Sunday lunch between Lowell and Nashua?
Anything goes. $15-20 PP food cost would be good.
Your thoughts?
Looking for baked stuffed lobster....
Saw "Venus De Milo" in Swansea listed in a very old thread as having good baked stuffed lobster. Anybody been there lately? It seems unlikely as the place is basically a wedding mill?
Looking for baked stuffed lobster....
Is anyone aware of a restaurant anywhere in Greater Boston ( or Eastern MA for that matter) that actually does this with some care and quality?
I'm not looking for some over breaded tourist shite, or some over cooked, let's used up last nights leftover cooked lobster abomination.
I'm looking for something real.
Please not Legal (adequate and uninspired food at best) or The Summer Shack (ridiculously over priced tourist trap). And yes, I know that I should have done this in November when the Hard-shells are at their peak.
Why, you might ask?
Because as serious a foodie as my wife is, she gets a hankering for this every few years ( a childhood memory) and this Valentines day I would like to indulge her.
Preferably a place that serves lunch.
Thanks for any positive input you can offer.
Best Bolognese in town
I'm surprised about La Morra as well, as the bolognese there is outstanding...
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
Report Number 1: Sasquatch Smoked fish, Gloucester, ma.
cocoabrioche mentioned Sasquatch Smoked Fish of gloucester as local source so I looked into it. No website, various little mentions on the web. Hmmm... could this be my favorite kind of vendor, a lone man toiling in obscurity making a quality product with passion and love. JACKPOT!
I found the phone number and made arraignments to trek up to Gloucester to check this out. Just talking to Paul on the phone made me feel like I was on to something. His casually confidence, and the tone of his voice boding well.
He got a small one man operation smoking Salmon, trout and mussels on a regular basis. He also does specialties on occasion promising shrimp, scallops and some pates for the holidays.
Paul was generous with tasting samples;
Salmon:
Salmon was hot smoked. My quest was for cold smoked, but I am glad i did not let my dogma get in the way because his hot smoked salmon is wonderful. Moist and retaining a freshness that was sublime. Light to medium smoky. Just delicious. Would love to make a nicoise with it.
Trout:
This was cold smoked for a very long time, with a bit of hot smoking at the end. Paul explained that
he finished the fish with hot smoke to render the fat layer between the filet and the skin. The filets peel right off of the skin. Amazing. Lovely smoky flavor balanced with he delicious fish.
Mussels:
These were so damn delicious that they can only be described s the food of kings. He pasteurizes the mussels, then cold smokes them for a long time, them marinates them in an herbed dressing. This is the kind of thing that would round out an antipasto, or a charcuterie plate with class and grace. Lovely texture and flavor. These would disappear in seconds at a party.
I bought a bunch of all three for holiday munching. The fished were vacuum sealed and the mussels in a plastic container.
His stuff is available at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville. It's a no brainer; locally made & just simply great!
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
This looks interesting. I will try to trek out personally, if not will mail order and report back....
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
I found it and will report in full asap...
Making Smoked Fish
I'd have to respectfully disagree.
1) You have to absolutely maintain the temperature below 80 degrees or you are cooking the fish
2) You have to make sure everything is meticulously clean because...
3) 80 degrees is right in the range where food born bacteria thrive.
4) Because of reasons 2 and 3 you need to make damn sure that your cure is right before you start cold smoking.
The method you describe will most likely result in cooked fish, albeit cooked at a low temperature.
Making Smoked Fish
Thanks opinionatedchef,
Wok smoking is a great way to hot smoke!
I was lucky to be given a stovetop smoker ( link below) years ago by a foodie buddy. Basically its a hotel pan with an insert rack and a sliding lid. Works Great!
http://www.cameronscookware.com/Stovetop%20Smoker.aspx
Making Smoked Fish
NOTE : We've moved this discussion from the thread at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/820601#6985878 -- THE CHOWHOUND TEAM)
Hot smoking cooks the fish. Cold smoking smokes cured fish at a low temperature.
Hot smoked fish is cooked fish but via a method that produces smoke. Think smoked barbecue, but not as much smoke. I generally use a stovetop smoker, and alder sawdust, to do this as you get a nice smokey flavor and the fish essentially poaches in its own juices. Delicious.
The majority of smoked salmon is cold or "low" smoked. This is the traditional method. The temperature stays below about 80 degrees. Any more and it cooks. It smokes for a long time so the fish needs to be cured before the smoking, usually with salt. So cold smoking does not cook the fish, it is cured and then smoked.
There are many resources for cold smoking on the web. Recipes and techniques vary by culture and chef. Its hard to do right without experience and frankly a proper smokehouse designed for cold smoking. Thats why I buy it instead of doing it myself.
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
Wow,
I am really amazed at the level of response to this post. Thanks for all of the input! I have some tasting to do and will report back on my experience...
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
I'll be trying Wegman's next week as well...
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
Thanks, I've been buying almost exclusively from Carl for years... And its a 30+ minute drive for me on a good day.
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
As I mentioned above, I hot smoke my own.
I also make my own gravlox. Its easy to do, as long as you use sashimi quality salmon.
Cold smoking is a pain, hence my post.
I agree that most of the of the packaged stuff in the markets is awful. Again, hence my post.
It is amazing what the average american consumer will accept!
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
HMMM...
I am trekking out to Wegman's next week and will give their house brand a try. Thanks for the tip!
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
This looks interesting. Botha hot and cold smoked version. I have hot smoked salmon myself many times.
You do have to call them though as their shopping cart does not give you the shipping charge.
