uwebres's Profile
Cilantro Techniques?
This seems odd I know, but it is a genetic thing. About 10% of the population perceive cilantro to taste like soap or even metal. I dont have this, but I am a chef and there is always one waitress on staff who will not sample stuff with cilantro. She told me of this condition, and I doubted her but looked it up online (seemingly reliable source) and it appears nothing you can do will help.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123446387388578461.html
Hand cut shoe string fries. Why so rare?
I love hand cut fries. I had some shoestrings the other day, and they were great. I realized I had only had hand cut fresh one other time. Any thoughts? The previous time was in Portland Or. and they were soggy and limp. This time it was in one of the now common high end burger joints. The only thing on the menu that got fried were the potatoes, so maybe dirty oil or lower fryer temps were to blame. These recent ones were at 4 Burgers in Cambridge, MA.
Lunch between Lexington, MA and the Berkshires
I agree with route 2. You could to Amherst or northampton, then switch to 90 from there. Amherst and northampton have got to be the best bets in that part of the state. If they are Californians, 3 hours instead of 2.5 cant seem that bad. I once got stuck in traffic on an Oakland to L.A. drive and it took 12 hours.
Fall 2009 Openings and Closings
Ginger exchange is owned by the same people who own the ginger pad in Burlington Mall area. Sushi, pan Asian noodles etc...
songs referencing food: your playlist
Southern Culture on the Skids has a great song called Banana Pudding
Turkey burgers - help me win!
I have successfully sold turkey burgers as a chef for many years now. The secret is to add fat or spice to the raw mix. Can you find some turkey sausage? maybe a flavored one from whole foods. Go 50/50 turkey sausage/ground turkey. Based on the flavor of sausage garnish accordingly
Brew Pub - Fenway area
Boston Beer Works is across the street. I cannot recommend it however. Cornwalls is in Kenmore and is an "English" pub. Eastern Standard has a small but excellent beer list.
Tip for a large take-out? (moved from Boston board)
There is a small chance that if the person taking the order is also a waiter/bartender, the cost of togo sales would be included in their total sales and will be taxed on the assumed tip based on a formula I do not understand. One in a million chance of an audit would assume a tip percentage of say 15% for all his/her sales and not care if it is take out.
Calvin Trillan's green chile
There is a chapter in "Feeding a Yen". Also enter this into bing or google " In an October, 2002 article on Gourmet magazine entitled “Bowlful of Dreams,” "
First trip to Santarpios tonight, any curveballs?
I agree, nothing special, but stone hearth and upper crust always let me down, while harvard house and the half shell and until recently three aces are all interchangably bad
First trip to Santarpios tonight, any curveballs?
Just a note on pizza. While i have lived in Massachusetts since I was 5 (minus 2 years in NYC and 4 on the west coast) I was born in New Haven. I am aware of pizza disagreements. My father is a Pepes guy to the point of saying Sallys is crap. This is all based on things other then taste. Sallys and Pepes are more similar to each other then to any other pizza. I have learned in my travels that while taste alone is important, set and setting helps. If Santarpios fits in my mind what a good old school Italian/Neapolitan pizza shop is, then all the pizza has to do is be better then average. The ambiance adds to the taste. As it stands now, other then Armandos and Gran Gusto, I live in Cambridge, the capital of both Greek style and yuppie style pizza. All Santarpios has to do is not suck to make me happy.
First trip to Santarpios tonight, any curveballs?
Thank you all, this is what I was looking for.
First trip to Santarpios tonight, any curveballs?
I have to pick someone up at Logan at ten. Finally get to try Santarpios, but then I got nervous. Closed Mondays? Cash only? Monday is Hells angels night? It has happened to me before at other places (not the Hells angels). Any advice?
Grape leaves other than for stuffing?
If you boil them to soften, you can make a feta and grape leaf pesto. It has been awhile since I made it, I'm sure there was garlic involved as well.
Myers & Chang - June 2009 Report
I was the poster about M & C creating a raw tasting menu for my SO. They went so above and beyond the call of duty. We had called to ask if they could do anything for a raw vegan, and they kicked out a multi course tasting with a coconut mango dairy free "lassi". The regular menu was excellent as it always is, and two types of Hitachino Ale. repeated kudos for not just respecting but embracing a dietary restriction.
I have 2 hours in Cork City
The menu looked great online. I hope to be able to eat there. I don't have a good grasp of Cork city geography, is it walkable from Purcell bus terminal?
Limited Edition Coconut M&Ms
The 7-11 across from North Sation has them at the register. Coconut is subtle. Pretty good stuff.
I have 2 hours in Cork City
Thank you for the help. In the U.S. bus stations tend to be in less desirable neighborhoods,
Help me with my new neighborhood - Agassiz?
You are moving to the center of a circle of great restaurants. If you can give a cross st. and the distance you consider close I can elaborate on some of the previous posts. I live in this hood, for about two years now this time but had previously spent ten or so years living and working during the 90's so I know it well.
I have 2 hours in Cork City
cool. I'll check it out. Do you mean $40 entrees or $20? Its a celebratory week so I have been saving up so I could do it right.
I have 2 hours in Cork City
Thanks for the info. Looking forward to visiting. I went to Dublin years ago on my honeymoon, but this will be my first visit to a rural area. Excellent tip on the ferry, will do it and report back (mid July)
I have 2 hours in Cork City
Bus Layover on my way to Schull/Goleen/Skibereen area for my sisters wedding. My first question is if there is anything outstanding walking distance to the bus terminal (is this a sketchy part of town?) Also, aside from the wedding itself in Schull I have 4 days in the area with access to a car. Any must trys in Schull and Goleen? As an American I am used to driving 45 minutes to an hour if it is worth it.
Ordering way off the menu. Major props to Myers and Chang!
We can barely sell veggie burgers in this hood, and we make from sctratch black bean, corn and cumin burgers. At home I make Heather things like pureed fresh corn (quite good raw) with avocado chunks, cilantro and lime. Julienned cukes, peppers, jicama and squash tossed in lime or orange juice. Tons of fresh fruit smoothies (sweetened with raw agave necter) Citrus based salad dressings, sea veggies tossed in namu shoya (uncooked soy sauce, not quite the same as regular soy, but even more umami flavor). pepitas, raw almonds, etc.. Using only raw foods is a challenge, but flavor profiles are the same. Mint and tangerine smoothies are a good thing.
Ordering way off the menu. Major props to Myers and Chang!
thanks, toro seems like a good idea. If they except our request then they sort of have to take our reservation. I will post the responses I get from various restaurants as I try to make reservations. As for the items you listed, almonds are pasturized, therefor not raw, hummus is nevermade from fresh chickpeas but dried then cooked, unless I misunderstand tomato bread, bread is out olive marinades tend to have things added for flavor that have been cooked somewhere down the line. If I understand correctly, Heather (my s.o.) eats raw due to the destruction of beneficial enzymes in the food from cooking, and approaches it holisticaly so nothing over 118 degrees enters her system, even as a flavoring to a main dish.
Ordering way off the menu. Major props to Myers and Chang!
Knowing how to talk the talk helped. I gave ample notice, explained the situation and he was more then happy to help. As my post mentioned, some rawists think walking in and handing the server a note will inspire a chef to make something off the menu. But while we would love to, playing Iron Chef for one customer during service with an alien cuisine is not always the best way. Chef Matt excepted the challenge, took the time to research and created something on par with the menu they already offer. Most decent chefs are happy to put in the work if it doesn't interfere with service. Matt used the opportunity to educate himself and show off at the same time.
I run the kitchen at DJ's in the old Hooters space. While we have a few good ch posts, we opened mid way through the Celts/Bruins season last year. In an attempt to maximize the rest of the season, the owner pushed us to open quickly no soft open, got final permits on a Wednesday and opened that Friday, wasn't allowed to have product in house until Thursday, so cook and waitress training consisted of explaining on an empty plate what the stuff would taste and look like if we had it here. We definately worked out the kinks by the time the C's won it all, but by then the boards opinion was tainted. Overall ch and yelp are more positive then negative but when all is said and done we are a burger and wing place even though the opening menu had things like dijon molasses glazed pork tenderloin, snapper veracruzana and a decocstructed tuna Nicoise. Oh well.
Ordering way off the menu. Major props to Myers and Chang!
My SO is a raw foodist. Other then Grezzo (awesome food by the way) we usually have to call a week or so ahead and request one raw food dish. Chef Matt at Myers and Chang did an absolutely amazing job. I spoke to the hostess on Tuesday, He called me Friday, did the online menu research, prepped it on Saturday and served us on Sunday while the rest of us ordered of the menu. Fresh rolls using mandolined cucumber as the skin, an asparagus salad with marinated goji berries. He even wrote out a little description for the server to present. The tigwers tears, banh mi and pork belly buns rocked as well. Some rawist friends of my so suggest giving the waiter a note explaining the dietary restrictions. But as a chef myself (I know you other ch'ers dont like my restaurant, but the longer we have been open the more apparent that North Station is a culinary wasteland anyway and we have dumbed down the menu and done some cost cutting measures that if the economy were better would make me look elsewhere for work.) I know that sendingh a note to the kitchen through a server when you arrive will get you very little special food. However a rock star like Chef Matt took the challenge, researched and actually put out food that rivaled Pure Food and Wine in NYC and Grezzo here, and he did it with a kitchen not designed for raw food. Anyway, much thanks to M and C, and we have another dinner next Saturday with parent/uncle types and if anyone can recommend another place tpo try this I am listening.
recent winners from a boston transplant
I miss it like crazy. Just as in the pizza debate, what you are used to usually wins out. I went out there just as Annas was expanding around town here and I actually liked it. Now that I am back, I just cant eat it anymore. Boca Grande has some legit stuff, but almost every mexican place here is actually Salvadorian owned and operated. The 2 countries are close together, but I see the difference now.
I'm embarrassed as a chowhound that I have never eaten ...
And the price has gone through the roof since Rachel Ray started hyping it.
