travelmad478's Profile
Those weird things you eat when you are in your kitchen
It is Bragg's. Now that I Google it I see that it is not carbonated (although I bet it would be nice mixed with seltzer):
http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar-drink-honey.html
When you drink it, it's very clear that you are drinking vinegar. So you better like it!
Those weird things you eat when you are in your kitchen
Vinegar. I pour it from the bottle into a spoon and drink it straight. Not fancy-pants balsamic, just plain old Progresso red wine vinegar, or any other kind for that matter.
About a year ago I was in a natural food store and saw apple cider vinegar soda--the label claims magical health-giving properties, although I tend to be skeptical of such things. I had to get it. I think I might be the only person on earth who actually drank it for the taste!
Kaffir lime leaves in northern DE or nearby?
Hm, Newark Farmer's Market would have been my go-to--I'm sure I have seen them there before. Harvest Market is a definite no--I'm there all the time and have never seen lime leaves in the store. Whole Foods, maybe, but call. In a pinch, order them online and then just stick them in the freezer. Kaffir lime leaves lose nothing in the freezing, and you can keep them for ages. I have curry leaves (used in Indian food) in a ziploc bag in my freezer also.
You might also just stop by one of the Thai restaurants around and ask where they source them. Maybe they would be nice and sell you some, or add some to their order for you.
Univ of Delaware/Newark, DE-Wilmington, DE
Not sure I'd recognize you as a South Park character ;-) but I am thrilled to find another Fresca devotee!
Univ of Delaware/Newark, DE-Wilmington, DE
We are totally into that for tonight. I looked at their website but need to look again to sign up for updates. I can't remember who on here clued me in on signing up for the Woodside Creamery events calendar, but that's been a great thing too.
Univ of Delaware/Newark, DE-Wilmington, DE
Now that is a new one to me. I live pretty close to Va La and it sounds like a very nice way to spend a nice Friday evening! (The mushroom smell is a constant for me anyway as a Hockessin resident so I can't imagine it would put me off...) Thanks for the tip!
Why is my bread crust not crusty?
Actually yes. This thread was extremely helpful in that regard. My recipe hasn't changed as far as ingredient proportions, but I did a lot of experimentation on baking strategies based on suggestions I got here. What I came down to is: baking the bread for 35 minutes with the lid on and then another 25 with the lid off, and opening the oven door for the last few minutes also. The crust is now everything I want it to be. Thanks, CH!
Univ of Delaware/Newark, DE-Wilmington, DE
Enthusiastic second on Two Stones Pub. We have recently discovered this place and really like it. Hands down the best beer list in DE, and probably in several surrounding states. The food is also very well done--as RC51Mike says, it basically takes bar food to a higher, more imaginative, better-executed level. It's in Newark but away from the main drag. It is casual. This place is quite popular and fills up, but the wait for a seat is worthwhile.
Birthday cakes for the opposite of a crowd
I made a single-serve chocolate layer cake for Mr. travelmad478's last birthday--it was just the two of us and I don't like chocolate. It was a big hit--helped out by really nice frosting and a candle on top. I baked the tiny cake in a cleaned-out Progresso soup can, oiled and floured, and it slid right out with no problems. I sliced it in half and frosted/layered it. Worked very well.
I found the recipe online somewhere--I can't remember where, but it might be this one: http://cakeonthebrain.blogspot.com/2008/08/small-batch-baking-mini-chocolate-cake.html I did it with chocolate frosting.
american chinese food cravings?
+1 on shrimp with lobster sauce. That is my "come home from a trip" meal, along with a pint of wonton soup, a tiny container of white rice that I dump soy sauce all over, and of course the little bag of fried noodles with the plastic packets of duck sauce. I can pack away the entire thing, after which I feel kind of gross, but happy to be home.
I moved about a year and a half ago to a new neighborhood, and the Chinese takeout place here doesn't do Sw/LS as good as my old one...damn. Their wontons are much better, though.
Inexpensive lunch on road from Philly to Rehoboth Beach, DE
Cantwell's in Odessa is quite good, although it's not what I'd call inexpensive (although it's not particularly expensive, either). If you don't stop there, it's pretty slim pickings from there down to the Dogfish Brewpub in Rehoboth itself (which would be my next choice!)
Pad Thai - The Non-Thai Dish That All Thai Restaurants Are Judged By
So by your thinking, spaghetti Bolognese is not Italian, because the noodles came by way of China and the tomato from the New World?
Culinary reductio ad absurdum can go a long way. Best to leave it alone.
The House of William and Merry (Hockessin, DE)
gfweb1, you inspired me with that post. As soon as I read it, I marched right over to OpenTable and made a reservation for brunch today, which we just returned from. Really excellent, I am glad to say.
The meal started with complimentary eclairs, which in addition to being topped with very rich chocolate were also filled with a chocolate-chunk cream. Wow. I wolfed down half of it before coming to the realization that perhaps I should save some stomach room for my entree. I had the biscuits and gravy, the name of which does not do justice to the very well-executed plate I received: two fluffy biscuits, a good-sized pile of seared strips of corned beef, two crispy-fried (yet "easy"-yolked) eggs, and a fine, light, well-seasoned gravy with shallots. I love biscuits and gravy but I too often sausage gravy comes out gluey, over-salted, and kind of overpowering; this was the polar opposite. Fabulous. My one quibble was that there should have been more gravy--the biscuits needed more to mop.
Mr. travelmad478 had the bagel toasted with lox, gruyere, and pickled onions, plus a side of bacon. (We remarked on how this was an appropriate lead-in to Passover!) He was very pleased with all of that, and shared his very generous bowl of fruit salad with me. Between my food--which I ate every crumb of--the eclair, and the fruit salad, I don't think I need to eat again until tomorrow.
With one coffee and one tea, the total bill came to $36: extremely reasonable, if you ask me, particularly considering the very high quality of the food. We really need to get to this place more often.
W&M really should do more marketing and events. We were thinking how great it would be for them to do things like beer dinners and wine dinners; as far as I know, they haven't. We are big on this sort of thing, and would be thrilled to be able to drink a lot of beer and then walk home!
CSA - how many chowhounds use a CSA
Here is a thread about my experience with a CSA last year:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/676750
We had a half share and got probably 10-15 lbs a week (including several watermelons over the course of the season). It was a lot for two people to absorb, particularly since I was also growing my own tomatoes.
This year I have doubled my own garden space and will be growing the things I liked from the CSA, and buying things that are a pain to grow. I will be glad to not have to deal with all that damn lettuce.
Finalizing Hubby's 40th Bday Eats in Charleston. Help!
I spent a long weekend in Charleston last weekend. We had one dinner at Husk, which was very good, although FIG was noticeably better, to my surprise. The overall atmosphere at Husk was nicer, but the food at FIG was absolutely spectacular. The only booking I could get was 8:30 on a Saturday night, and the place was packed even when we left, so I wouldn't shy away from the 9 PM reservation.
Husk has a very, very nice bar (next door to the restaurant) and the drinks menu is very creative and good, so I would recommend it for drinks.
Our other favorite was Hominy Grill. We went there for lunch on Friday and loved it so much that we went back for brunch on Sunday. I was really surprised at how good this place was--very interesting and tasty food.
Our other two breakfasts were at Toast (bleh) and Eli's (fine, but not worth making a special trip). Our hotel was very close to both of these, so they were convenient, but not worth bothering with if you are trying to make every meal count.
Blue Parrot Bar & Grille in Wilmington
+1, genevapics. It makes me crazy when restaurants try to pull this stuff. You're not required to pay it, and I have in fact done just what you suggest--don't pay the 18%, and tell the manager exactly what you're doing.
rome vs istanbul?? from a foodie standpoint
+1 on Roland Parker's response. I have spent a lot of time in Istanbul and absolutely love the food there, but if you want really good, seriously interesting cooking you will have to seek it out and go at least somewhat off the beaten path. There are a lot of restaurants that serve more or less identical menus, although I will say that the lowest common denominator in Istanbul is still higher than it would be in other places.
Check out the food blog Istanbul Eats. I have gotten some very fine restaurant picks from there. It will also help a lot to get friendly with people in Istanbul who really care about food--they can direct you to little places you'd have trouble finding on your own. Luckily, Google Maps has Istanbul covered, so you can pretty much find anything that you have an address for. And the absolute best time you can have in Istanbul is wandering around the backstreets anyway. Getting off the beaten path in that city is essential.
Anyone been to Alla Spina yet?
Four of us went on Saturday night and had a good time. We had
- the pretzels (beer cheese very tasty, but oddly the pretzel bites were just OK--lacking in salt, didn't have that good pretzel crust)
- mackerel crudo (very good but a miniscule portion)
- deviled eggs (again, just OK, and very little "punch" in the yolks)
- fried sunchokes (quite tasty but could have used some dipping sauce)
- pork terrine (excellent, and the applesauce was a great addition to the dish)
- beer cheese toast with egg and bacon (very good but not all that interesting)
- grilled cheese (good)
- lamb speck (delicious, and very lamby-tasting--a nice departure from the overwhelming focus on pork)
- schisola polenta (not at all what I was expecting--a tiny dish of soft polenta to be eaten with a spoon, whereas I was thinking it would be some squares of crispy polenta--it was kind of weird in the context of bar food, although tasty...would have been fine as a side dish on a main course)
- crespelle (basically, spinach lasagna...only OK, not a standout)
- pork pot pie (really good, just chunks of ham under a crust, but a lot of flavor)
- beer float with stout (I didn't try this but it got a good review from its owner)
- chocolate sundae (fried bananas were the winner here--but for my money, you do not make sundaes with soft serve)
Between the four of us we had two beer flights, about four drafts, and a couple of cocktails, and the bill came to $210. We were full and I had no complaints about the beer sizes, really--some beers aren't meant to be served in pints, given the alcohol content.
In general the meat dishes were the real standouts. I was very, very happy with the pork terrine, pork pot pie, and lamb speck. The rest of what we had was fine, but really, does EVERYTHING have to be cheese/bread/pork? After a while this just got kind of old. It's hard to make a whole meal out of it without getting very repetitive. To be fair, we could have ordered more fish, but there is a near total lack of vegetables on the menu, which is hard for me to deal with. Nonetheless, I think my dining companions were very happy (particularly Mr. travelmad478 who basically exists on pork, carbs, and cheese in daily life anyway!)
Why do people expect "ethnic" restaurants to be cheap?
Sorry, but it is preposterous to assert that a restaurant's costs end at the money they paid for the ingredients in their food. Sure, you can make the same thing at home for less money than you paid in a restaurant. Care to factor in your mortgage/rent for that kitchen? The cost of the plate you put your tamale on, the napkin you used, the soap and the water to wash the plate? The salary of the person who made the tamale, the person who washed the plate and cleaned the kitchen, the person who took your order and gave you the food, the accountant who calculated your books and your taxes? The utility bill for lighting and heating your dining room, keeping your fridge cold, and piping the gas to your stove? The money you paid for the cash register, the pots and pans, the knives and other utensils?
OK, you can leave out the cost of the table and the waitress who didn't serve you.
What is the biggest baking catastrophe you've ever had?
He lived another 7 years after that, so apparently no lasting damage (except to his reputation).
What is the biggest baking catastrophe you've ever had?
My biggest baking catastrophe never even got to the baking stage. Years ago, when I was living in Russia, I decided to go all domestic for the International Women's Day holiday, which is a day off for pretty much everyone. What better way to spend a day than making a great home-cooked meal for my boyfriend, complete with homemade bread, right? So I mixed up two loaves' worth of challah dough and set it on the counter in a bowl to rise. I then went off to the market to buy dinner ingredients.
A couple hours later, I came home to find a very, very aggravated boyfriend. "You would not believe what I just had to clean up!" he said, and told me that he came home to find that my dog had been violently ill, from both ends (:-0), all over our apartment. He had just spent the last hour or so cleaning the entire place. I went into the kitchen and saw the big bowl that I'd left the challah dough to rise in lying empty on the floor. "Where's the bread dough?" I asked. "What bread dough?" he said.
We still had the home-cooked dinner, but it was interrupted multiple times by me having to give the dog endless bowls of water, clean up more dog puke, walk the dog down four flights of stairs (gotta love those Soviet apartment buildings), take him out so he could satisfy his other needs, haul him back up the stairs, etc. This went on throughout the night. Not only was the dog in major gastric distress, he was also seriously drunk from the effects of yeast rising in his stomach. So getting him up and down those four flights, about six times over the course of the night, was a real joy.
It was a long time before I tried making bread again.
Domaine Hudson has been sold! (Wilmington DE)
I meant selected as a semi-finalist, not nominated.
Domaine Hudson has been sold! (Wilmington DE)
Good to hear. Now if they would just open for lunch, so I can do business lunches there!!
Farm to Table Restaurant in Odessa, DE [Cantwell's Tavern]
We made it to Cantwell's last week and were quite pleased. I wish this place were not so far away--basically this is the restaurant I want to see open in Hockessin. The beer list is indeed very fine, and the food is very nice as well. We really wanted to order a lot more things than we could possibly have eaten, but in the event we had:
- an order of the homemade pickles. Excellent, and I would have bought more to to take home if they sold them in sealed jars. Maybe on the pricey side at $5 for a small jar of pickles, but hey, they were very good.
- flat bread with Vermont cheddar and fennel salami with apples. Just OK. I always find cheddar to be too oily for a preparation like this. The salami was fine, but nothing more.
- turkey pot pie. Very nice indeed, although technically it was more like turkey stew served with a giant cheddar biscuit. Both filling and biscuit were delicious--no short-changing on the turkey, some nice baby carrots in there, and a biscuit so tasty that I ate every scrap of it even though I should have stopped after the top half, just because it was gigantic.
- steamed mussels with chipotle cider broth. Although Mr. travelmad478 liked this, I thought the broth was way too sweet. Mussels and apple juice are not a good combination, IMO. Also on the menu are some other broth options, like beer/mustard, that I think would be more successful.
- chocolate pecan pie. I thought this was great (at least, the one bite I had). Mr. tm478 said it wasn't as good as his North Carolina grandmother's version, but I found that to be a quibble. My Bronx grandmother never made anything that good ;-) They serve Woodside ice cream--always nice to see, although considering we live 3 miles from the dairy, we have a freezer full of it at home anyway!
Service was super friendly, and still professional. We were there at about 6:30 PM on a Sunday night and the place was mostly full, which is a good sign. We were sitting in one of the rooms on the ground floor, right by the kitchen door, so we didn't have the same issues with "travel time" that Irishmafia had. Our food arrived in the proper sequence and with just-right timing, so they appear to have worked out the kinks there.
We really wanted to try the pretzels and the charcuterie board, but with only two of us dining, it was a bridge too far. We'll definitely go back to try more menu items. In fact we are booked for the next beer dinner, on April 9. The menu for the last one looked great, although immense--I'm not sure how I can possibly eat all that!
One solo dinner within walking distance of St. Regis Bal Harbour?
Thanks all! I really appreciate the help. I'll be back at another conference in Miami (South Beach) in May, so I might just come back for more assistance!
Domaine Hudson has been sold! (Wilmington DE)
Actually no, they also nominated the chef at Espuma in Rehoboth.
Casual but delicious dinner in Wilmington, DE?
Great, glad you liked it! I moved out of that neighborhood right as they opened, so I've only eaten there once. I should try to go back if I'm passing by.
One solo dinner within walking distance of St. Regis Bal Harbour?
Looks intriguing, although as a longtime resident of the land of Stephen Starr (Philadelphia area), I have gotten used to his places being more about the decor and the scene than the execution of the food. How would you characterize Makoto in that context?
Also, as a solo diner on a Wednesday, do I need to book a table in advance?
