VJA's Profile
Favorite pork ragu recipe?
The pork ragu I regularly make is from a restaurant. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/magazine/03food-t-001.html
Help -- I over salted Pork Ragu
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/magazine/03food-t-001.html
I'm making this recipe, which I've done several times, but somehow added far too much salt this time. It literally tastes like sea water. So strange.
Help -- I over salted Pork Ragu
Just pulled the braised pork out of the oven and the braising liquid is way too salty. This has to be reduced by half to become the sauce. Is there anything I can do to fix this without starting over?
Okay, LA Trailer Park Hounds -- your advice needed
I promise, I searched first for a pre-existing thread, but the latest one I could find was from last year.
So my question is -- for foodies (including junk foodies and deep-fried-is-a-ok foodies), WHAT IS THE CAN'T MISS FOOD AT THIS YEAR'S LA COUNTY FAIR?
Going next week, and would hate to fill up on a flaccid corn dog when there's a culinary delight at the next stand over.
Share all thoughts.
Thanks!
Good Inexpensive Sushi nr cnr of Larrabee & Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood?
The lunch special at Sushi Dan is one of the best bargains in town, and if you get it with the crunchy onion albacore sashimi or the salmon and scallop roll, you can't really go wrong.
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Sushi Dan
11056 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
Anyone ever buy a Whole Roast Duck in Chinatown? ISO advice and recommendations
I wanted to give this thread a bump. Since this was such a hit last year, it has now become an Easter tradition, so we're thinking of driving to SGV in the morning to have dim sum, then get a whole duck for dinner.
I wanted to see if anyone had any updates on past recs or fresh suggestions for the best spots. We're happy to travel to more than one location, as well, so don't need a place that has both great dim sum and great whole duck. All thoughts welcome.
fave restaurant on hollywood blvd
Yep -- that's the place. A really good happy hour, too.
Your Most Favorite Dim Sum is?
Can't believe BBQ pork rice noodle hasn't made an appearance yet. That's my husband's favorite, and the first thing he always asks the cart ladies if they have.
My personal is siu mai.
We also prefer the cart places to the ordering places. I realize that's sacrilege, but I like seeing everything that's available and getting what grabs me. We've also discovered a lot of great new things this way (like baked BBQ buns with the crispy topping - yum!)
I don't want to be the mom who always brings the salad...
First -- smack your son for not falling on his knees to thank you for raising him, keeping him healthy enough to play college football, supporting him by coming to his games AND making a salad. Few kids are so lucky.
As to your dilemma -- my mom had a potluck recently and the most RAVED about dish was the coleslaw. The generous cook gave us all the recipe, and I've served it twice to guests now, who also raved about it, and asked for the recipe. It's simple, tasty, healthy and can be served under your circumstances.
Mix in very large bowl --
one pound cabbage chop-chop-chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecan halves
2 T red onion, chopped very fine
Mix together and pour over--
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup mayo
1T cider vinegar
Just before serving, mix in
8-10 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
They will love it.
Parents' 1st visit to LA: Where to take them? (Animal, Rivera, Jitlada...)
I am a direct descendant of Aaron and Shiffra Peterman, of the famed Peterman's deli in Newark, and I can tell you that the best pastrami in LA is at the Oinkster in Eagle Rock.
Great burgers are great burgers wherever you go, but if you want the ultimate Cali-burger experience, go to 26 Beach and get the California Roll Burger. It is unreal.
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26 Beach
3100 Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292
Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA
fave restaurant on hollywood blvd
There's a gastropub next to the Arclight that's got decent bar food. Can't remember the name, but it's not pricey and great for a gaggle of drunken bridesmaids.
Inexpensive Japanese and Korean Must-Trys in LA area
I want to toss in an added voice for Kyo-Chon fried chicken, in case that rec gets lost in the mix. You really won't taste friend chicken like it anywhere else. I prefer the original to the spicy, and almost everything other than drumsticks and wings is mediocre, but I promise - you will crave the taste once you are back in Texas.
Catering a wedding, need vegetarian main course
I was a vegetarian for a year and created a couple of great main-course dishes, and though they are Italian by nature, could easily be spiced to lean towards mediterranean. The first is a veggie pesto lasagna and the other is an eggplant "trifle" (what I called it anyway)
Veggie pesto lasagna (make and par-cook the day before, each pan serves 20)
slice and saute a pound of mushrooms, 2 zucchini and 2 yellow squash with crushed garlic (to taste)
toss in a large bowl with a bag of uncooked spinach (the heat will slightly wilt the spinach)
add a pound of shredded mozzarella and 6-8 ounces of fresh (real!) pesto.
In a lasagne pan, layer noodles, crushed Italian-style tomatoes (about 2 cans per layer), ricotta (or feta - to go with your theme), the veggie pesto mixture and parmesan.
Cover tightly and bake at 400 for 45 minutes, then another 15 minutes at 400 uncovered (sprinkle more cheese on top first) right before serving.
For the eggplant, it's much simpler. Thinly slice an eggplant and grill the slices. Saute mushrooms, garlic, fresh parsely and onions. In a lasagna pan, layer grilled eggplant, cheese (I prefer sliced provolone for this, but pick what you like), mushroom mixture, cheese, sliced tomatoes, then start again with the eggplant. If done right, you should have three layers in all. Add your seasonings of choice to make it your own.
Hope that helps!
Valerie
How do you stretch bacon fat?
I have a recipe that calls for frying something in bacon fat, but after cooking a pound of regular (not low fat or low sodium) bacon, I don't have nearly enough fat to fry everything. What is the best way to stretch it? Crisco, vegetable oil or butter? I don't have time to run out and buy another pound of bacon. Any thoughts would be welcome.
ISO Recipes that use A LOT of milk.
WOW! I just saw the rest of the replies. Thank you all so much! I'm totally making the cassata -- that sounds amazing. Ditto for the Dulce de Leche. As for paneer, that may be a bit adventurous for me. Damn, now I have to go buy more milk...
ISO Recipes that use A LOT of milk.
Quick follow up -- I decided to use up a lot of ingredients we had in the house and took my best shot at Coconut Shrimp soup, which turned out delicious.
Chopped a sweet onion and sauteed until brown in 3 TBSP butter. Added four cups of fish stock (from a batch I made last week), a cup of white wine, half a cup of chopped parsley and basil, brought to a boil. In the steamer over the pot, steamed 30 frozen shrimp for six minutes, stirring for the last three. Dumped the shrimp in ice water to stop cooking. Turned down the heat to simmer the broth. Added one large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, salt and pepper. Simmered for half an hour.
Peeled shrimp, chopped fifteen of them into chunks and divided them into three soup bowls. Put the other fifteen in the blender with three cups skim milk, six TBSP flour, half a cup heavy cream and a quarter cup of coconut cream (not coconut milk, but the sugary stuff you make pina coladas out of ). Blended on high for a minute.
Stirred the foam on top into the liquid until it was smooth, slowly poured it into the simmering broth, stirred constantly for five minutes until it thickened slightly (it was still pretty thin when served), poured it over the shrimp chunks in the bowls and served with toast points.
It turned out great. I toyed with adding chopped tomato and jalapeno for a little spice, but decided not to, as it would have overpowered the coconut flavor.
The milk that started this whole thread is still completely fresh (gotta love organic milk), so I'm making the rice pudding tomorrow. Thanks Cheryl.
ISO Recipes that use A LOT of milk.
I just discovered in the back of the fridge an unopened half gallon of milk dated yesterday. I know that means it is good for another 5-7 days, but no one here drinks that much milk, and I hate the thought of throwing it out, so does anyone have a really good soup recipe that calls for a quart of milk or more? The more milk needed the better (I'd love to use the whole half gallon). Thank You!!
Anyone ever buy a Whole Roast Duck in Chinatown? ISO advice and recommendations
Quick update -- we went to Yum Cha for dim sum that morning and it was AWFUL -- truly inedible, and we didn't want to take a chance on the duck being that bad, so we went to Lucky Deli, had a few orders of very tasty dim sum, and bought a duck, which came with half a dozen mantou for $16. We reheated it for 10 minutes at 400 to make the skin crispy again, carved and served and it was AWESOME! Thanks for all the great tips -- couldn't have gotten this right without you guys.
Anyone ever buy a Whole Roast Duck in Chinatown? ISO advice and recommendations
ipsedixit -- re: Chinatown = desolate; is there a better place to get a roast duck (Arcadia, etc.?) If there's a substantial difference in quality, we might be up for making a Sunday drive.
Anyone ever buy a Whole Roast Duck in Chinatown? ISO advice and recommendations
For Easter this year, we are going into LA's downtown Chinatown for dim sum for breakfast and then buying a whole duck (the ones hanging in the windows) for Easter Dinner. No one in our family has ever bought one of these before, so I have a few questions:
1. Is there a place that is THE place to get a whole duck? One that is particularly better than the others? What places do you recommend, and what should we look for?
2. Once bought, should I refrigerate it (it will be served about 5-6 hours later) or just leave it on the counter? How does it get re-heated without drying out, or should it be served room temp?
3. Are there any traditional sides we should be making? Right now the plan is stuffing and sweet-and-sour chard (I have a great recipe for this). I'm totally open to suggestions.
As always, thanks for your incredible insight and help!
Recs needed for Fremont, CA
Actually, the hubby and I just talked about it, and we're doing Zach's pizza for his birthday (turns out Chez Panisse was more me than him), and he'd love to find a great brunch place for Friday morning and the best dim sum place in the Fremont area for Saturday. Strip mall Chinese that's an amazing "find" would be right up our alley, and one of my favorite places in the city is Helmand, so if there's comparable Afghan in Fremont, we'd definitely try that out.
Recs needed for Fremont, CA
In February, I have to come to Berkeley for a meeting that happens to fall on my husband's birthday (and a Friday), so we decided to drive up Thursday night and spend the weekend.
I found an unbelievable deal on a fantastic hotel in Fremont, which is fine for Thursday night, but if we want to have a really special night out on Friday, are we fools for staying in Fremont? Should I just find a place in Berkeley or SF?
I don't have to be in Berkeley until 2:00 on Friday, so what would be a great brunch place in Fremont?
Are there any world-class restaurants near there for the birthday dinner, or should we stick with the original plan and go to Chez Panisse?
Any ideas for a really fun Saturday that wouldn't include driving into the city? What are the hidden gems in that area?
We are foodies, film/music buffs, I'm a big hiker, but he's not very active. Any thoughts on what to do?
All input and feedback is most welcome.
Disney California Adventure
Any new updates on what's opened and closed there? We are planning a trip on Tuesday to DCA and their website shows very few restaurants. Is it all being refurbished, or is it being downsized to reflect the much smaller crowds?
Chowhound Geniuses -- a true dessert challenge
HillJ - LOL! This is almost exactly what i wound up doing. Made a Blueberry Buckle with 1.5 times the berries (and double the topping) and slightly undercooked (makes it very dense and custard-like), then chopped the pineapple to bits, boiled it down with a cup of sugar, a cup of water, a cup of orange juice and some vanilla. Put that in a bowl next to the buckle and watched it disappear. My DH was very proud -- it was the only dessert out of about 15 there that ran out.
Chowhound Geniuses -- a true dessert challenge
Sunday, we are going to a potluck that requires everything be homemade. I'm told this gets a little competitive. Since it's up the coast a bit, DH and I are making a weekend of it. Our hotel room has a fridge, so I want to make this Saturday morning.
Here's the other wrinkle, I have a quart of blueberries (yes, a quart) and a whole pineapple that I really want to use up or they'll have to be thrown out by the time we get back.
Barring cheesecake (DH doesn't eat it), do you know any recipes that can impress some snooty foodies and that utilize gads of blueberries and pineapple and are good chilled overnight?
Am I smoking crack trying to get both of these fruits into one dish?
If anyone can come up with something, I know you guys can. This is my first stop for all things food related.
Thanks!!
How long would you pre-steam veggies for a stir fry?
I'm making a stir fry tonight with scallops, broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, snap peas and cuke. I think I need to pre-steam the broccoli and sweet potatoes, but I'm not sure how long so that they are cooked, but not mush when everything else is ready. What's best -- 2 minutes? five minutes? I don't want to just stir fry them sooner, as I use very little oil and it will be very (very!) hot, so the chance of these two veggies cooking that way without burning is slim. Thoughts?
ISO Springform Pan ideas?
I made this last night (halved the recipe) and it came out AMAZING!
Next time, will reduce the "cake" part by about a third and double the topping, but thanks so much. In the little springforms, it made two perfect servings.
Need advice for cooking veggies
Thanks everyone. I chopped the potato into chunks, along with the shallot, tossed them in oil and herbs (rosemary, mustard seed, thyme and paprika), covered and cooked on 425 for 30 minutes, sliced the squash, tossed in the same oil/herb combo, added it to the potato, cooked another 20 minutes at 400 and served with a light dusting of grated parmesan. It was pretty yummy.
Need advice for cooking veggies
I want to use up some vegetables tonight, but am not sure how to cook them all together. I have a sweet potato, a zucchini, a japanese squash and a yellow squash. I know the sweet potato take s a lot longer to cook than the others, so I'm wondering if I can just toss them all in some oil and herbs and roast them, or if the squashes would turn to mush before the potato is cooked. What is the best method, temp, time, etc.?
Any thoughts on a great (easy!) dish with these four vegetables are welcome. I also have some garlic, onion and shallots lying around, plus some leftover roasted serrano peppers, but they might be too spicy for my MIL. Am open to conservative experimentation.
Thanks!
