Velda Mae's Profile
ISO Broiled, Not Fried, Seafood Platter on the North Shore
Where should I go on the North Shore for a broiled seafood platter? We're flexible as to what time of day we go (lunch or dinner) but will be with my father who can't wait in long lines. We don't need anything fancy, a family style restaurant is fine. We're also flexible as to where we go--Marblehead, Salem, Gloucester, Rockport, etc.
SOS! I Put Too Many Eggs in My Cake!
The cake was more dense than the last time I made it but it looked perfect and tasted fine. When this recipe is made properly, this cake is not soft or gooey. Even with the extra eggs, yesterday's cake was sturdy enough to absorb plenty of the lemon syrup and hold the glaze on top.
SOS! I Put Too Many Eggs in My Cake!
I'm baking Ina Garten's Lemon Cake, which is a loaf cake. I realized as I was pouring the batter into the pan that I'd used twice as many eggs as the recipe calls for. Rather than throw out the batter, I decided to bake it. The cake is almost ready to come out of the oven and looks normal. My question is this -- what effect will the extra eggs have on the cake? WIll it be tougher? More fragile? Moister? The reason I'm asking is that I'm supposed to pour lemon syrup onto the cake. Will the cake be able to handle it or will the syrup turn the cake into pudding and cause it to fall apart? The cake also gets a glaze so it would be possible to omit the syrup, though the syrup does help make the cake very lemony.
Is Charl's Ice Cream Still Around?
Pemma, I always called them bon bons but the Charl's website calls them truffles so I went with the official lingo for my post. I'll keep my eyes open and report back. I've seen Berto's spumoni at Stop & Shop and Roche Bros but haven't seen the bon bons in awhile.
Is Charl's Ice Cream Still Around?
I just called the phone number in Woburn and it's no longer in service. I emailed Berto's and they replied to say the best bet is to go to the factory store. According to the email, the store is open 9 - 4 Monday through Friday.
Is Charl's Ice Cream Still Around?
I used to love Charl's ice cream truffles. I used to get them at Whole Foods and Roche Bros. but they seem to have disappeared. I emailed the company a few weeks ago but haven't gotten a response. Has anyone seen Charl's products recently? If so, where?
Shake Shack Coming to Chestnut Hill
Burgers are ubiquitous. What's rare in these parts (no pun intended) are Vienna Beef dogs and Shake Shack's got 'em!
Anyone Been to Geoffrey's Cafe's Recently?
Has anyone been to Geoffrey's Cafe since it opened on Berkeley Street? If so, how is the food? I thought the food wasn't as good at the Roslindale location as it was on Tremont Street and am hoping it's back to its original South End quality.
And how is the noise level? The one in Roslindale was so loud that conversation was impossible.
Recipe for Making Waffles that Will Be Frozen
I've not been happy with the results when I freeze leftover homemade waffles. I know the reheated version is never going to be as good as one that is fresh off the waffle iron, but I suspect some recipes freeze better than others. I've tried a couple of different recipes but haven't been happy with the results. If you have a recipe that makes good frozen waffles, please let me know where to find it.
Two Questions about Making Mini Cheesecakes
I have questions about making mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan. In no particular order, they are
--Should I spray the muffin papers with nonstick spray?
--Can I use paper liners or do I need to use foil ones?
--How can I make a crust for mini cheesecakes? Won't the muffin papers burn if I bake them while they're mostly empty?
I'll happily take any other tips folks want to send my way.
Thanks!
Lauren
Afternoon coffee & pastry in Newton
The coffee and pastry at Bread & Chocolate in Newton Highlands is just o.k., but it's very pleasant and the dining area is around the corner from the door so you won't get a draft on a cold day. It's fairly quiet in the late afternoon and so would be a nice place for conversation.
October 2011 Openings and Closings
Wikipedia is incorrect. It's Hood that manufactures Brigham's.
Beginner to blintzes
I've never used cottage cheese but the King Arthur Baker's Companion does suggest draining it. Ricotta cheese could be another option.
Correction - I checked my batter recipe and it has eggs, flour, salt and water.
Beginner to blintzes
Yes, I fill and roll and then store them. I've never added fruit to the filling, though I believe it's done frequently. I have made a blueberry sauce to serve with them, though my favorite topping is cinnamon sugar and sour cream. The tangy sour cream goes well with the lightly sweetened filling.
Beginner to blintzes
If you can make crepes, you can make blintz skins. My recipe for the skins is just flour, salt and water. As for the filling, I use a mixture of farmers cheese, cream cheese, egg and sugar. I believe lots of people use cottage cheese, which can be easier to find than farmers cheese. I fold mine so they look like little squares, though lots of people roll them like spring rolls. At this point you can store them "as is" or cook them in butter until they're crispy. Blintzes freeze very well. To answer your last question, I've only ever seen sweet blintzes.
How Do I Dry My Immersion Blender's Gearbox?
That's the thing-- I can't get the water to come out at all. I tried pressing on the center mechanism, the part that spins the chopper blade, which has some play in it, but nothing came out. I also tried attaching the lid to the motor and running it in the hopes that the water would spin out but nothing happened.
How Do I Dry My Immersion Blender's Gearbox?
Mine is similar to the one shown in cutiepie721's photo but is older. I got mine in the mid 90s. I called Braun and learn that they no longer sell household appliances nor do they provide technical support for them. Braun gave me the number of a local service center and the guy there said the piece was probably deformed and that I need a new one. That'd be fine except the model I have was discontinued years ago and no replacement parts are available. Interestingly, there's a sticker on the motor component that says not to put it in the dishwasher but the only warning label on the chopper top is not to lift the lid until the blade starts spinning. It does seem like the water is evaporating ever so slowly.
Is There an ETA for Gustazo in Belmont?
I'm really looking forward to trying Gustazo, the Cuban restaurant that's going to open in Belmont. I saw a recent article that said there was a lot of structural work that needed to be done to the space and they were hoping for a mid-August opening. If you have more information about when they're likely to open, please share!
How Do I Dry My Immersion Blender's Gearbox?
Thanks for your vote of confidence but, no, the part of the blender I put in the dishwasher was the plastic top that sits on the chopper bowl. The handset with the electric cord and motor snaps onto that plastic top and makes the chopper blade spin. I'd used the chopper to make chimichurri sauce and really needed a thorough dishwasher cleaning to get the oil off the plastic. There does not appear to be a way to take the piece apart to let it dry.
How Do I Dry My Immersion Blender's Gearbox?
I have a Braun immersion blender with the chopper attachment. I put the top of the chopper, which I believe is called the gearbox, in the dishwasher and it came out sloshing with water. I've tried manipulating the mechanism to release the water and also tried running the blender in the hopes that the water would spin out but, alas, it didn't. Is there a way to release the water? If so, how do I do it?
Seeking Boston's BEST Brownie Sundae.
PICCO in the South End makes its own ice cream and uses Scharffen Berger chocolate in the hot fudge. If you don't want to wait in the interminable line for a table, you can order ice cream to go at the bar.
What's your favorite dijon mustard and where do you buy it locally?
I buy my mustard at Marty's in Newton. They regularly stock Maille, Bornier, Pommery and some varieties of Faillot.
Native corn
Enterprise Farm had some at the Brookline market last Thursday but the ears were tiny.
Explain the Wide Variation in Angel Food Cake Recipes
I've recently surveyed several angel food cake recipes and found extremely wide variation in the amount of sugar used for the same amount of egg whites and flour. For example, three recipes use 12 egg whites but Ina Garten's recipe uses 2 c. sugar, Alton Brown's uses 1 3/4 c. sugar and Martha Stewart's uses just 1 1/4 c. sugar. Ina Garten uses 1 1/3 c. flour while both Alton Brown and Martha Stewart use 1 c. flour, respectively.
I know more sugar will yield a much sweeter cake but what other impact will it have on the final product? Will it make a more stable foam that's less likely to collapse? How will it change the texture of the cake?
Also, most recipes say to bake the cake for about 35 mins at 350 degrees but one cookbook says to bake the cake at 325 for 50 mins. My guess is that the longer, slower bake will yield a more stable cake, but please tell me if I'm wrong.
For the record, I used Martha Stewart's recipe because I wanted the least sweet cake, but I sifted half the sugar with the flour, which is what Alton and Ina do. The result was a very tasty cake with a nice texture. It wasn't rubbery at all, which I gather is a common problem among angel food cakes.
Bodum Iced Coffee Press
If you've tried the Bodum Iced Coffee Press, I'd love to know what you think of it. It seems like a great idea but I'm not convinced it's worth $30.
ISO Hong Fat's Noodles with Gravy
hwun - Do you know what the dish was called on Hong Fat's menu?
Best spot for PYO strawberries?
I like Jane & Paul's Farm in Norfolk. They're very friendly and laid back there. There is a small rabbit hutch and a pen with goats and chickens and little chow dispensers for feeding the animals. About 10 minutes away on Rte. 109 in Westwood is the Bubbling Brook restaurant and ice cream stand.
-----
Bubbling Brook Restaurant
1652 High St, Westwood, MA 02090
Frozen Shrimp. Does Brand Matter?
All the shrimp at the Newtonville Whole Foods are from Thailand.
June 2011 Farmers' Markets, CSAs, Farm Stands Etc.
Cooks maple syrup is excellent. Really dark and maple-y Grade B. Some years Simeon doesn't buy a grading kit but he can describe how the syrup tastes because he boils it himself.
ISO Hong Fat's Noodles with Gravy
bmj2k -
Loved your blog post. I can't tell you how many times I've had the same experience of going on autopilot to a longtime favorite only to find it has vaporized. By any chance have you tried the noodles with gravy at 69? If so, how do they compare to Hong Fat's?
