Morticia's Profile
What food find still haunts you - that you had once and haven't found since?
As a child, I spent a year in India, and I have never had a samosa as tasty as the ones we used to get from the tea-vendor's stall. Wrapped in a bag made from old Hindi newspapers, they needed no chutney - but required 2-3 glasses of water each since they were spicy as all hell! The pastry was crispier than anything I have ever been able to recreate, and the filling was tastier/spicier/more savory than any samosa I have ever had since then - either here in the US or even back in India...when I visit, I keep trying to find the same samosas, and while good, they are never as good as I recall...the samosas of my memories, bursting with chili, ginger, and masala! (If anyone has a tip on how to make a super-crunchy samosa wrapper, btw, I am all ears!)
When the host is late serving the meal - also rude? Is it ok for guests to leave?
As an admittedly disorganized and very late hostess, I have to say that I can understand both sides of this situation. I often try to host parties - and each time, no matter how hard I try to be organized, I somehow manage to be at least a few hours later in serving the dinner. At my old apartment, I thought it might be due to the fact that everyone congregated inside the kitchen, and blocked my path to the stove and fridge - no matter how much I wanted to get them to relax in the living room with drinks, they wanted to be "where the action is." Now that we have moved to a larger place, with an open floor plan (theoretically allowing them to be "in the action" without being "in the way") - I am still as late as ever. I try to compensate by giving myself an earlier start time, but somehow this translates into my letting it slip that it would be okay for those who are "early birds" - (with kids or other time constraints) - to show up early, too - thus throwing myself off even further. (And trying to cook with toddlers running around - help!) My tried and true and good friends somehow still want to come to my dinner parties, but I am sure I have alienated at least a few people that don't know me so well and are frustrated when "dinner at 7" turns into...eight? nine? ten??? I've never had anyone leave without eating - thank god! But I want to do better, and I guess I have sympathy for both sides - those who are frustrated by disorganized hosts, and those who are the disorganized (but at least in my case, well meaning!) hosts. For those who can always get dinner on the table at the appointed hour, I have nothing but awe for you - any tips???
Looking for a great Scone Cookbook - with Metric Measurements!
I want to give a German friend a cookbook he can use to make scones - but I would like to find one that gives measurements in the metric system. Also, one that is proven to be extra-great...does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!
Are there any bourbons available that are independent (not owned by massive conglomerates)?
Thank you so much for that link, Sku. It looks like there are at least a few smaller distilleries in California (the first 3 on the list) that appear to fit my criteria of being local and independent. (Would you say this is correct, or am I interpreting your information incorrectly?)
...And have you tried any of these 3's products - if so, how are they??
Are there any bourbons available that are independent (not owned by massive conglomerates)?
I have always been under the impression that my favorite bourbons (Bulleit, Knob Creek, et al) were independently produced...but it appears that they are actually owned by large conglomerates.
Does anyone know of any good bourbons that are not under these corporate umbrellas?
Hot chocolate, eggnog, hot spiced cider, wassail, ponche (fruit, chocolate or crema) - your favorite holiday drink and what makes it special?
Gluehwein (hot mulled wine, German-style) - preferably "mit Schuss!" (with a shot of rum or liquor in it to take the edge off the sweetness & give it a kick)...the last time I was in Munich in wintertime, we drank it at every Christkindlmarkt & Winterfest & it really kept us toasty!
Best Creme Brulee?
I just tried L'Ardoise's creme brulee, and I have to say it was definitely one of the best I have had! Also, B44's crema catalana (creme brulee but Catalonian-style, with a cinnamon flavor) was also excellent in flavor & texture.
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B44
44 Belden Place, San Francisco, CA 94104
L'Ardoise
151 Noe Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
Best restaurant desserts?
I second Pauline's - their butterscotch pudding & olive oil gelato are remarkably pure-tasting and delicious - I always save room for dessert, even though their pizzas are also scrumptious if you try the daily specials!
I miss my mom's______dish!
I second the above suggestion - during the year before my grandmother died (she suffered from chronic leukemia, so we were aware her time was limited) - I was lucky enough to be able to visit her once a week and spend the day chatting & cooking...she was Indian, and taught me how to prepare my favorite dishes, like aloo ka paratha and samosas, After she died, I was given her karahi and her spice grinder, which I will treasure always along with the memories...
'Tis the Season! -- What's the WORST "perfect gift for a food-lover" you've ever received?
Yes, ketchup flavored chips (sorry if it was unclear) are an only in Canada phenomenon. Sadly, some of the bags opened up due to the air pressure changes during flight - so they had to be consumed rather than given as "gifts" to our friends (yes, we give our friends foreign junk food - it's a tradition: paprika chips from Germany, Tak-A-Tak masala-flavored cheeto-like snacks from India, etc.) Cheap but our friends love trying the crazy flavors!
How un-healthy is Falafel?
I just made some very healthy falafel sandwiches using my brand-new ecologically sound non-stick pan. I don't know the exact calorie count - but I shaped the falafel mix into patties and pan-fried them in a very tiny amount of oil (less than a teaspoon for each batch of 3 patties). Then I put them into 100% whole grain pita pockets, with chopped onion, parsley, chopped red bell pepper, some homemade hummus, and a little bit of tahini sauce (made with garlic, lemon juice & a little tahini). They were wonderful & I am willing to bet they would beat a Big Mac hands down for nutritional value!
'Tis the Season! -- What's the WORST "perfect gift for a food-lover" you've ever received?
That's funny about buying American "weird food" to take back to Quebec...because my husband & I were just in Montreal, and we decided to buy "souvenirs" of Quebecoise junk food - like Ketchup and "All Dressed" flavored potato chips, cheese curds, and canned poutine sauce!
Where can I find Panna da Cucina in SF?
Does anyone know where I can find the Italian cooking cream known as Panna da Cucina here in the SF Bay Area? It is subtly different from both whipping cream and creme fraiche, and creates a cream sauce that is really out of this world, with minimal effort. It comes in little tetra packs, kind of like juice boxes, and I've only had it when someone brought it home from Italy. But someone must import it, right? Anywhere in the Bay Area - I would travel to get this, but hopefully not as far as Italy...!
Paper, plastic or BYOB?
I'm really happy to see your post, as I also bring my own bags religiously (I can't stand the waste that I see everyday at the supermarket) - and I always help to bag my own groceries, too. It's simple & easy, and I think that every American should follow the lead of our European brothers & sisters, and carry our own shopping bags with us or be charged $1 for each bag provided by the store. This would go a very long way toward resolving that giant plastic waste vortex in the center of the ocean...let's all pledge to do this as a New Year's Resolution for 2010!
Duke's Mayonnaise - where to find it in the Bay Area?
That's interesting that it does not have sugar - because the supermarket-brand prepared pimiento cheese I tasted in the South was decidedly sweet - almost unbearably so. (That taste of the supermarket version could have turned me off - but I could see the potential if it were made with natural high-quality ingredients...which is why I can't wait to try making my own!)
Duke's Mayonnaise - where to find it in the Bay Area?
I just returned from a trip to the South, and have some new recipes from a Great Aunt to try - among them, Pimiento Cheese.
I was browsing around, looking for other recipes to compare and contrast with the one from the Aunt - and I see that many of them mention a specific mayo to use - a Southern brand called "Dukes."
I was wondering if anyone had ever seen it in any kind of supermarket here in the SF Bay Area...since we have so many specialty groceries here, it was worth an ask to my fellow Chowhounds before I give up and just use Hellman's...
Ever feel guilty about eating too much at a buffet or all-you-can-eat?
My only peeve is that (since you can't take it home) these buffets make you throw out perfectly good food that you just can't possibly finish (eyes bigger than stomach, which usually happens to me, unless I'm very careful!) We just went to a buffet Indian restaurant today, and my sister piled her plate high - then couldn't finish it and had to waste a ton of food. There was a sign at this particular place that said: "To keep food costs down, please do not take more food than you can eat." (But I guess my sister didn't heed that warning!)
URGENT! Whole wheat pasta restaurant in SF/Union Square??
Desperately seeking immediate response - does anyone know a restaurant in SF (Downtown/Union Square) that serves WHOLE WHEAT pasta? Thanks!!
What would you substitute for European 'lowfat curd' (Quark)?
Hmmm...I have heard Indians call YOGURT "curd" - perhaps the cook who created this recipe may have been Indian? Or English? Quark is German, and I have only ever used it as a substitute for other things (like mixing it with sugar to create a faux-ricotta for a lasagne I once made in a village near Prague...) - so perhaps "lowfat curd" could mean "lowfat yogurt"?
"Breakfast" around the world
I am SO looking forward to my upcoming trip to Berlin!! Unfortunately, we will be arriving in the evening, so I will have to wait impatiently for the next morning's breakfast...On my last trip, I flew into Munich in the morning, and my friends collected me at the Flughafen and took me directly to a "white breakfast" (white sausage and weissbier) - which they were nice enough to plan ahead for vegetarian me with "bio" weisswurst, which were decent-enough tasting tofu versions of the real thing. Well, washed down with the REAL beer, they were pretty good...
When was the first time you cooked using a recipe?
Not sure if it was my first time, but definitely my most traumatic...I was (attempting) to make caramel popcorn balls - but of course, being around 7 or 8 years old, I did not know enough to read the recipe through first, and I didn't realize that a recipe could have several steps - that it wasn't just a matter of pouring all the ingredients together at once and then cooking it up. (Can you see where this is going?) Popped popcorn - check! Brown sugar - check! Water - check! MUSHY MESS...uh, check?
Yes, I know it is Mother's Day.... But Please DON'T take me to Brunch/Dinner!
Going to brunch or dinner on Mother's Day is the same awful experience as going out on Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve...just a mess, with surly waitstaff, overpriced & mediocre food, and unruly customers for whom this is one of the only times they get out to eat. I always skip it if I can - I let the sister take the folks to dinner (she likes that kinda thing!) and I make brunch at home for my mom - some of her favorite Breton galettes (buckwheat crepes) with gruyere and mushroom sauce. She loves it, and it gets me off the hook for waiting in line at some crowded brunch spot, only to be horribly disappointed!
Newsweek: Why Is "Housemade" Replacing "Homemade"?
It's my feeling that the term "house-made" is a bit of an internationally-inspired preference...ten years ago, when I was cooking at a restaurant in Germany, I noticed that the schnitzel was plated with "Hausgemachtem Kartoffelsalat" (house-made potato salad) - which was indeed made fresh by me whenever I was cooking...but on other nights, the chef would just open up a big container of store-bought, stir in a gloppy spoonful of commercial mayo, and call it a day. (My German friends would always snicker at the menu's description...) - but I do think that "Housemade" is a term used commonly in Germany and Italy - and restaurateurs here have commandeered it for its snob-appeal. It sounds more sophisticated and less like you're eating at Flo's Diner!
Locavore trend?
Even before reading Pollan's book, I have always tried to eat local and/or organic food. And yes, living in Northern California gives me a huge advantage - year-round great produce! - that I couldn't have back on the East Coast, where I grew up.
The advantages include being more in touch with the seasons, healthier (and really, noticeably tastier!) produce, and knowing that one is having as minimal an impact on the environment as possible.
I cannot justify supermarket, and especially not "Big Box," so-called organics, as I think that completely defeats the purpose. But I don't drive a car, anyhow, so I shop locally by foot or by bike, hardly conducive to purchasing huge flats of "organic" spring mix from Costco or Wal-Mart, anyhow...
I haven't gotten around to emulating my sister-in-law & her husband, who participate in a "CSA Box" that they pick up in various locations in the City every two weeks...this really forces them to be creative with the local and organic items they receive. It's fun, but sometimes a bit of a chore to try to find a use for a huge bunch of some herb you've never seen before - sort of like a "Mystery Box" or some kind of Top Chef challenge!
outer richmond eats???
I cannot second a burrito place that uses American cheese in their burritos!
Looking for cool kitchen stores - Bay area
I see that Robert mentioned "Cookin'" on Divisidero (between Page and Oak) - and I second that. It's definitely the best collection of vintage and ecclectic cooking-related items, although the store is a bit cramped, the prices sometimes seem on the high side, and the owner...can be a bit mercurial. But definitely worth checking out!
Healthy Indian?
I'm a vegetarian, too - and I have to agree that Shalimar has some of the very oliest Indian food I have had the misfortune to encounter! Their meat dishes may be okay, but I had some garbanzo bean curry with a (kid you not) 2-inch layer of grease on top! (It was take-out). I had to pour off the grease, but what was left was still completely inedible. My friend loved his lamb curry, though!
What is your top pet peeve when going through a chain restaurant drive thru?
I've never been through a drive-thru...!
loud table-neighbors
This may not apply to Chowhounds from other countries, but in my experience, Americans have gotten louder and louder over the last 10 years (and no, I don't think this is just a case of me becoming an old fogey, either!). These days people don't think they're having "fun" unless they can shout "WOOHOO! WOOHOO!!!!!!" at the top of their lungs every 5 seconds. It is beyond obnoxious. I don't understand it at all - and it's funny, because I work in a place where there is a beautiful "lounge" (they serve food and drinks) but people come in and make it so unpleasant that anyone (ie: the better mannered Europeans) can't stand to stay...can someone tell America that you DON'T have to shout "WOOHOOOOOOO!" in order to enjoy yourself? Please??
Do you travel with your kitchen?
My mom is "scared" of sharp knives - hence, all the knives in my parents' kitchen are duller than butter knives...one Thanksgiving, she wanted me to prepare a huge lot of root veggies for roasting, and I ended up with serious blisters on my hands from her knife...so after that, I used to always bring my own chef's knives home. One year, I suddenly realized that a good professional knife makes a wonderful present - sadly, she is still too intimidated to use it, but at least it's there for me now - no more blisters!
