Caseus, New Haven--grumble

Interesting comment, and now that it's over a year later they may have changed things. But I must say that the bread and butter is one of the small touches I LOVE about Caseus.

When I first saw it on the menu (now for $4) I was a bit taken aback, but when the waiter explained what they did I was hooked. Basically, they do make the butter themselves every day, and it a specialty flavor. The first day I went, it was cranberry nutella almond....it comes served as a huge hunk of this gorgeous butter with four nice rolls (a variety...one was rosemary olive, etc etc)...not at all the same thing you get at Barcelona, which is your basic hunks of french bread with olice oil (don't get me wrong, I like that too). It is definitely worth paying for. In the times I've gone, they've had a piquillo pepper with cheese butter, popcorn butter, apple pie butter, salted orange butter, etc.

I love this place, and while the prices are on the high side for New Haven, the portions are HUGE compared to what I'm used to in NYC--and the quality is just as good.

-----
Caseus
93 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT 06510

Sunnidae in Southern New England

Help me wow my vegetarian friend...cheaply.

Given your atmosphere parameters, I think you should check out Caracas Arepas in the east village (7th street between 1st and A). Bonus is that it puts you in a fun part of town that might still seem edgy to a visitor. The arepas are all around 6-8 bucks, and you can do with one or two (each) depending on how hungry you are. They have a variety of vegetarian options (I'm veggie myself). The place is small and fun, and it's a cuisine that a lot of people are unfamiliar with.

Sunnidae in Manhattan

first date - little owl or falai?

Or have you got another suggestion that blows the previous two out of the water?

I'm looking for a nice little place with good wine, great food, and not too much pretension. The atmosphere shouldn't be stuffy. Staying around the village/lower east side would be great though I'm somewhat flexible with location. I really just want interesting food - though of the variety that stimulates conversation and doesn't stifle it. Little Owl appeals to me because I've heard it's a great date spot - their menu doesn't necessarily call out to me just from reading it, but it's got great reviews. Falai is personally recommended by friends, but I'm not too sure about the supposedly plastic chairs...

If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks so much!

Sunnidae in Manhattan

infused whipped creams for summer desserts...help

Hello all. I have a lemon tart that I really want to accompany with a dollop of lavender whipped cream. I found a recipe on epicurious for lavender whipped cream (accompanying a meyer lemon cake) that involved bringing cream to a simmer with lavender and honey, then letting it sit to absorb for a half hour, then whipping it into a whipped cream. However, when I tried to do this it frothed instead of whipping. What did I do wrong? Perhaps the cream wasn't cold enough? Also, I used heavy cream instead of whipping cream - if this was my simple mistake, I apologize for asking!

Also, if anyone else has any other ideas for these kinds of infused creams, I'd love to hear them - it's such a nice subtle way to add flavor to a dessert!

thanks.

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Uses for extra eggs yolks...

Many thanks - lots of good suggestions to be found if only I had looked!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Uses for extra eggs yolks...

Hi everyone,

I'll be making a souffle and a pavlova tomorrow night, and plan to begin experimenting with macarons in the near future. Needless to say, I'm anticipating a lot of extra egg yolks. So I'm turning to you all for some suggestions on what to do! The only recipe that comes to mind that uses more egg yolks than whites is my trusty galette crust recipe - but there's only so much of that I can make. Any other suggestions please? Both savory and dessert are welcome.

Thanks!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

What in the world is a "perfect" hard boiled egg?

Reading this article totally changed my views on hard-boiled (or cooked) eggs. It's a really fascinating breakdown of what happens to an egg in different temperatures.

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/feb/cooking-for-eggheads/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C=

(I'll admit, I still just simmer water, then put in eggs and turn off the heat, letting it sit for about 10 minutes, for a nice soft egg)

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Reducing balsamic vinegar

Thanks so much for the advice guys - my guess is that I was putting it on too low of a heat and also being a bit impatient. I've definitely gotten a noseful of the fumes, they're powerful!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Reducing balsamic vinegar

Hi all!

While reading through a previous post, I heard someone suggest pairing balsamic vinegar with strawberries in a dessert, but first reducing it with a pinch of black pepper and some sugar. I've tried it twice, and love the flavor combination! However, I can't seem to get it to "reduce" - it simmers along and mixes, but no matter how long I leave it on for (and this is on low heat) it never thickens at all. Am I expecting something unreasonable? Any tricks of the trade that I'm missing out on?

Thanks!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Everything is Better Topped with an Egg

To me that sounds like a version of Uruguayan chivito....It can be served platter style (like yours) or a sandwich. Primary components are a steak topped with ham/bacon, cheese, and a fried egg. Everything else is just a bonus!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

Maria's Mexican Bistro

Is it any good? I've heard conflicting reviews. Essentially I'm looking for a good place that's not too staid - something with more ethnic food and relaxed atmosphere than the pricier italian joints that dot 5th avenue. Any suggestions? Thanks so much.

Sunnidae in Outer Boroughs

Whoopie pie filling

Hi everyone!

For a valentine's treat I'm going to be making red velvet whoopie pies (my first time so wish me luck). I understand that traditionally, whoopie pies have more of a fluffy creme filling, but I've been hankering for a slightly more cream-cheese experience. I came across this recipe, which also calls for marscapone cheese. While that would be fabulous, I'm afraid I may not be able to track it down in time - if I want to substitute something, should I just use more cream cheese instead? Will I be overly compromising the flavor?

Here's the recipe:

Mascarpone Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla paste is even better)
1 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Also, please let me know if you have alternate filling recipes that you would suggest instead! Thanks so much!

Sunnidae in Home Cooking

JG vs. Nougatine vs. JoJo

Hi -

I just recently got a small promotion at work and wanted to go out to lunch to celebrate. I've heard great things about both Jean Georges and Nougatine and their prix-fixe lunch special. However, JG restaurant JoJo is a bit closer to work. I was wondering if I'll be compromising my experience much by going to JoJo instead of either JG or Nougatine.

Thanks so much!!

Caitlin

Sunnidae in Manhattan

june in fort greene?

Had one of the worst brunch experiences of my life there about six weeks ago. Completely over-his-head waiter, who was very sweet but kept trying to apologize for his incompetence by saying he was "just a college student." The food was very bland, they were out of several options, and at one point the restaurant literally filled with smoke from the kitchen. We just kept looking at each other in disbelief. Maybe it's a different scene at dinner, but I'd never go back.

Sunnidae in Outer Boroughs

Il Buco vs. Peasant

Hi hounds! I've been hearing conflicting things about Il Buco, an italian restaurant on Bond between Lafayette and Bowery. It received a glowing review from NY magazine, but then I read several disturbing personal reviews following the editorial review. Portions too small for price, food not so great, etc. So what's the real deal? Every time we've called, they've been booked for weeks solid.

Also, we were thinking instead of Il Buco we'd head to Peasant, in Nolita. Anyone been there? How's that in comparison?

Sunnidae in Manhattan

Dinner around Union Square

Looking for a good dinner recommendation for tonight around Union Square (or within ten blocks or so). My roommate's mother, who has published a cookbook, is in town and we're looking for something interesting and creative but still hearty (ie, not to science-y). Ethnic restaurants are more than welcome. Union Square Cafe, etc isn't in the running, as we're looking for something new (to us).

Thanks so much!

Sunnidae in Manhattan

Lunch near Rockafeller Center

My friend just got a job around there, and would like to meet up for lunch. I've been pretty uninspired by places around there - basically, we'd like something with a little flavor (Indian or Thai would be great, but open to anything), not too expensive, that we could get in and out of in under an hour and 15 minutes.

Thanks!

Sunnidae in Manhattan

Best Mexican food in NYC

Two places: Mercadito and Alma.

I've only been to Mercadito on Ave B, so I can't speak for the 7th Ave location, but it was pretty good. Not absolutely one hundred percent the best I've ever been to, but pretty decent, food fairly fresh, and small portions allowing you to try more. Their queso fundido was good, and I love their huevos rancheros. Their drinks are amazing.

Alma is definitely my favorite. It's in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a trek for most, but it's so worth it. The view is amazing, the food is great, lots of options (I adore their chilaquiles), and portions generous.

I've also heard great things about Castro's, in E Williamsburg/Bushwick. Confirmations?

Sunnidae in Manhattan