pamlet's Profile
16th Birthday High Tea
FYI, you are after a cream or afternoon tea. The term high tea properly refers to an evening meal, most often shortened to "tea" - it's a working class/ Northern thing. In any case, have only tried the Taj one myself. Very nice, but pricey and small quantities for what it was. Wish we had something like Tea and Sympathy (NYC) here - much more like what you'd get in the UK.
Saturday night challenge in Newton: quick dinner options
Thanks for the ideas. My husband goes to the Biltmore fairly regularly (post-tennis Boys Night Out) and wants something a bit different.
Saturday night challenge in Newton: quick dinner options
So our babysitter can't make it til 7, and we have to be at the surprise party by 8:30. Where would you go for a quick Chowish bite in that time frame? We live in Brookline, near Rt 9, and the party's at the Biltmore. Thought of Farm Grill, but would like something a bit more interesting... Any ideas?
Best of Brookline - 2011 Edition
Won't repeat what others have said, but I'm shocked - shocked, I say - that no one has mentioned Super Fusion sushi in W Sq. love the sushi there. Also like the sandwiches at Virginia's in B Village, which rarely gets a mention here.
Today's Groupon- Petit Robert Bistro
Sorry -- should specify -- this was the Kenmore Sq location.
Today's Groupon- Petit Robert Bistro
Went there on Sat night and was seriously disappointed. I had the beet salad and cassoulet; DC had the lobster mac & cheese and the sweetbreads. DC enjoyed his dishes -- I shared some of the mac and cheese and really liked it. But my cassoulet... awful. In retrospect, I should have returned it, except that we were having a very intense conversation and I didn't want to interrupt the vibe. I have never in my life had a cassoulet that you could describe as "dry" -- this was just dry-ish beans and overcooked confit. The sausage was nice but the rest of it was just not tasty. So sad -- I don't have cassoulet often, and when I do it's a real treat. This was just sad, sad, sad.
SOUP, SOUP, SOUP
I am shocked, shocked that no one has yet mentioned Caldo Verde, classic Portuguese soup. There are lots of recipes around, but here's one example: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/caldo-verde-portuguese-green-soup/detail.aspx Perfect winter soup.
Least awful Canobie Lake dining option?
went to Canobie for the first time with husband and the chow pups. Had a great time! So great we were there from 1 to 8pm, so all of my efforts to pre-stuff the pups and avoid nasty overpriced crap were for naught. We ended up with the parental nightmare: kids melting down from hunger and resorting to the closest source of food, which was a place that offered different varieties of "chicken tenders" and fries. Later I saw a few places that looked marginally more appealing. Does anyone have any experiences of tolerable food there? Leaving the park, whether for packed food or a nearby restaurant, is unlikely to fly...
Need to use three leftover loaves of Wonder Bread - no croutons or bread pudding! Ideas?
I don't think this counts as a bread pudding... Summer pudding. You can probably google a recipe on BBC Food. Essentially, you make a mold with the bread around the edge of a bowl, then patly fill with a boiled berry mixture... Currents are good with this, a bit of sugar. Then more bread and more berries. Weight down, chill in fridge overnight. Turn over on a nice plate, taje off bowl...very pretty, served with heavy cream.
Coffee near UMass Boston
What's wrong with the Peet's at the Campus Center? It's decent enough... And then there's always Starbuck's in McCormack... (not my thing...)
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McCormack's
312 Veazie St, Providence, RI 02904
Composting in or near Boston
I saw in the Brookline TAB that they did a trial run composting thing (one-day drop-off). Might be worth writing or calling the town to petition for expansion
Need ideas for 10 btween Newton/Lex.that includes good , but not too expensive seafood.. Any on public transpor from Copley would help..
Closed down some time ago.
Sources for confit de canard in Boston? Fresh, to make at home?
Hmmm.... well, maybe you've convinced me... Thanks, everyone!
Sources for confit de canard in Boston? Fresh, to make at home?
Just got back from France and my son (7) developed a real love of confit de canard. Literally said it was the best thing he'd ever tasted -- this, from an extremely picky child. We've brought back several tins of it, but you can only carry so much, and we'd like to be able to give it to him as a treat every once in a while. Are there any local sources for this? You can order over the internet, but it was awfully expensive from D'Artagnan's. I saw that Savenor's sells something, but it wasn't clear whether this was a tarted up version (we just want the traditional version). Does the Butcher Shop do it? The online info isn't clear. Any other thoughts? Thanks! (And yes, I know we COULD make our own, but I'm afraid my motherly devotion doesn't run quite that far...) Any other confit lovers out there? (And just for the curious, this is mind-boggling easy to make at home... just bung the duck in a frying pan, cover with splatter guard, and cook. It's that easy. The quality is all based on the preservation process and remembering not to overcook it. And then you've got lots of lovely duck fat to use for other stuff...)
YoBro Frozen Yogurt - Brookline
Thanks for posting this! It's very close to where I live. I tried the frozen yogurt place in CC and thought it was ghastly -- I literally couldn't finish my serving -- so I'm glad to have something nearby. Will report back. Do you know which curved building (south side of Rt 9 or north?)
Your favourite "magic" few-ingredient recipes
Then there's the classic chicken with 40 cloves of garlic (Claudia Roden's recipe)... 40 unpeeled cloves laid on the bottom of a dutch oven. Place chicken (seasoned as you will) on top, some herbs if you have them, 1/2c of olive oil. Plonk lid on, bake in oven for 1.5hrs at 350 or so. Done.
My husband does a fresh pea soup... saute onions, add frozen peas, cook until tender, whiz w/ an immersion blend plus some mint... Done. Top with olive oil and parmesan and a sprinkle of mint.
Huevos Rancheros with Pool of Tomato Salsa/Sauce?
Lots of posts on here about the Deluxe. In general, the omelets are not worth it, but the pancakes are AMAZING. I'm especially fond of the blue cornmeal ones w/blueberries, but others here like the regular blueberry and sweet potato versions. The waffles are very good, too. But do a search -- lots of opinions about this place. I love the staff there, personally -- they make a real effort. In fact, I liked their insulated teapots so much Dylan ordered one for me... I also like the crabcake benedict. My husband LOVES the corned beef hash.
Computer-friendly places to hang near Herb Chambers on Comm Ave in Allston?
Will be in Herb Chambers purgatory tomorrow while they diagnose my car... plan to head to the Super 88 food court for lunch (which is, in fact, the only bright spot of a HC visit), but is there a congenial place to work while I'm waiting? I've had enough of the bad coffee in the hC waiting room... The bubble tea place? Any ideas?
Huevos Rancheros with Pool of Tomato Salsa/Sauce?
Just FYI -- I am no HR expert -- the HR at the Deluxe comes covered in a warm tomato/salsa sauce. Warm small pot of black beans on the side, along with guac and sour cream. Flour tortillas. I have no idea of how it stacks up against a "real" version, but I find it a comforting dish.
Zaftig's
I'm fond of the scrambled eggs, lox, and onions, because it reminds me of the LEO of NY diner fame (spoken as someone who visited Ratner's regularly as a child....). My husband likesnthe banana stuffed French toast and the apple and cheddar cheese omelet, and my kids like the regular French toast. Otherwise... The bagels are an abomination and the smoked fish plate severely disappointed me. I live in Brookline - if not, I'd never visit the place.
Do You Ever Feel Like Nothing Can Come Close?
Croissants at PB Boulangerie in Wellfleet might do it for you. Amazing - took me back to holidays in France. Which reminds me of the bread so good you eat it straight, the boudin noir, tender and spicy and dark, the fish soup (with the aoli-covered croutons). Gosh...
Costco cooking - advice?
Costco also sells bags of frozen mixed veg that are very good. I use the Asian Stir Fry (I think that's what it's called) all the time, with udon in soup, as a stir-fry, as a side for Asian dishes. They have other ones as well. I've learned that it's best to buy stuff that's already frozen if you can, as they do a much better job of it than you could. Although I agree that part of the hassle of a Costco shop is the storage challeng after if, especially if you have meat that needs to be broken up and labeled.
Christmas Crackers for Xmas meal?
Thanks everyone for the ideas! My husband dropped in on the Harvard St./Allston TJ Maxx today and found some very nice ones (can't remember the brand, apparently quite high-end). We never would have thought of looking there! But they were the last ones...
Need recs for restaurants in Coolidge Corner
No one's really run down the places in Washington Square -- it's pretty easy to get to from CC. There are at least two places there worth mentioning -- Rod Dee II, which is very kiddie-friendly what with the couches and all -- and Super Fusion sushi on Washington St., which isn't kiddie friendly but is darn good. Not to mention Athan's, which we have taken our kids to for breakfast (they get the pain au chocolat). I love the soups from Russian Village ($3 for I think a quart? Large plastic tub) -- lately it's been mushroom barley. They use a lot of dill, which I happen to like.
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Super Fusion
690 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02446
Christmas Crackers for Xmas meal?
My SO is British, and Xmas crackers are a critical component of the traditional feast. Yes, it's not a food item technically, but it is so integral to the festivities (well, in the UK at least), that hopefully it's OK for this board.
Last year I was able to get them from the Waltham Costco, but alas, not this year. Yes, we could go to the British Shop on Rt 1, but that's a trek for us (we're in Brookline). Any suggestions for a closer source? TIA.
Looking for Assorted 'British' foods and a Rant :)
Wulf's in Brookline has smoked haddock, and will order if they don't. We were looking to make kedgeree and it was the only place we were able to find. However, the quality wasn't great -- it was a bit dry, not yellow and moist the way it should be. I suspect this might have been due to their defrosting technique or the fact that it might have been in the freezer too long. That might have been a one-off, however -- they're usually pretty reliable, so I'd give it another shot.
This reminds me that I haven't made kedgeree for AGES...
Nigella's Clementine Cake
Every recipe I've tried in "Jewish Food" has been a huge success. I love the chutneys. It's a wonderful book. For those of you who think of Jewish food as stodgy Eastern European stuff, this book is a revelation.
Deluxe Station Diner to Open in Newton Centre
Just an FYI -- was talking to Dylan at the Watertown site this morning and she said that the Newton site was set to open on December 6th. She seemed very excited! (So are we!)
