hennybee's Profile
Super-Frugal Meals -- around $1 per serving -- Beyond Rice and Beans
Another variation on the green bean/potato stew is Fasolakia (Greek): onion & garlic sauteed, add canned tomatoes, a layer of thickly sliced potatoes, a layer of green beans, then a layer of parsley or dill. Let it cook at a lively simmer for one hour and serve with good bread and feta cheese (the cheese could really be omitted or replaced with a dollop of yogurt if you can't find feta cheap locally).
Frugal meals
On the split pea soup, Marcella Hazan has a great recipe that uses no meat (but you still have the protein from the peas): 1/2 pkg split peas + 1-2 potatoes, cook in 5 cups beef broth--can use bouillon--when it is done, separately fry 2 Tb of onion in 1/2 veg oil 1/2 butter, add the whole thing to the soup, and process. You won't miss the ham flavor, I promise. It's silky smooth, extremely filling and satisfying, and cheap, about 50¢ a serving.
Kudampuli for Kerala Fish Curry/South Indian Grocery?
Yum! That looks fantastic, and I'll try it (with the black kokum for now, then I'll try Little India for kudampuli). The recipe I have is very similar without the coconut milk, and I found it quite bitter and not balanced, I think the coconut milk will fix that. And thanks for the Sri Lankan translation.
What is it about complex sour tastes that are so haunting and addictive? I'm the same way with sour long beans and minced pork...
Sunset Park Chinatown Fujianese update?
I've read the old posts from 2006 about Sheng Xiang and Everett with relish, both of which appear to be closed, Everett possibly temporarily. Especially interested in the dumpling soup and clams with cilantro and chile. Anyone have any current intelligence?
If you could wear your food as perfume...
Lilac: There used to be a great one from Crabtree & Evelyn--I loved the body lotion as it wasn't too perfumey and the scent came through subtly. Discontinued, I see a bottle on ebay for $50! But body lotion separates and breaks down after some years so even if I would, I wouldn't...
Cucumber: I used to wear the Demeter one and the Tomato scent too (which has that viney smell). They are great but wear off quickly.
My perfume of choice these days is a fig one. I love Le Premier Figuier from L'Artisan Parfumeur (it's green, sappy, milky, woody) but after a tiny $95 bottle broke on my bathroom floor I had to give up that luxury for a while. Amazingly, I found a Spanish fig perfume on clearance at a strange markdowns store, called Essencia de Higo by Campos de Ibiza. It's not quite as good but it was $10 for a size that would be $135 from L'artisan. (Who also make some other really wonderful scents: I've always wanted a man who smelled like orange peel, tobacco, coffee, whiskey...)
Al di La lunch after the Dumbo flea market
The 20th St. flea market is still there but barely. No food other than hot dogs and about 5 or 6 vendors. Too bad as it had potential to be an unpretentious market with real local food including Nablus Sweets in Bay Ridge. I heard from a woman at the Park Slope flea that they charge $10-15 more for vendor space at 20th St. which is why no one wants to sell there. Silly. (If you do find something there though it will be dirt cheap. I did. :))
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Nablus Sweets
6812 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220
Turkish Ingredients
There's a whole bunch of them in Bay Ridge. I don't think we have a huge Turkish population per se but it seems those that are here specialize in running grocery stores.
1. Aunt Halime's, 7005 3rd Ave (Ovington), orange awning. I am in love with this place. Unassuming at first but one of those places you realize after going further afield that they have everything better and cheaper. Also it's right across from my apartment and they give me a break if I'm short on change and lend an umbrella for an unexpected downpour. The couple who own the place are delightful. Try the merguez!! (sausage)--in the freezers along the right side. Spicy and non-spicy are marked by how short/long the ends of the plastic baggies are cut which is a cute touch. Meat is wonderful but you have to buy a whole section of lamb/goat at a time and they don't often have chicken.
2. ?? -- Red & White awning w/ Halal Meat, Lamb, etc. written, on 5th Ave & Senator St. Not advertised as Turkish but I'm told it is. Great prices on meat and more flexible with cuts than Aunt Halime's.
3. ?? -- 5th Ave in the high 70s, I'll look for the name next time. Sensory experience with bins upon bins full of spices, beans, nuts, and grains. Sweets, breads, cheeses--beautiful place.
Also there are a host of other Arabic shops along 5th between Bay Ridge and 80th St, notably Balady's, which has great olives and everything else you desire!
Miso glaze for fish recipe?
There's a thread on that here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/425595
Spicy pork with sour string beans à la Grand Szechuan Intl, Manhattan
Anyone found this recipe/clues/cookbook? I particularly liked the "Noodle" version from GS @ 33rd and Lex which was a soup with a simple, oily broth infused with the sourness and spiciness of the pickle/pork/peppercorn mixture. For me, it was the perfect balance and so welcome on a tough work day. Now I don't work near there anymore and I want to recreate it... going to look for the sour beans at Great Wall Supermarket today to begin with.
Kudampuli for Kerala Fish Curry/South Indian Grocery?
Thanks very much! I'm in Bay Ridge, so I'm geographically close to SI but without a car it's further than it should be. If I make it out there on a food excursion I will check it out (and then go show it to the guy at Kalustyan's)! Did you make something with it by the way? The recipe I originally wanted it for, which I made with kokum, wasn't a knockout and I don't know that the kudampuli would have saved it.
Any hounds been to Port Antonio area, Jamaica?
Oh lucky one!! I really wanted to check out Woody's Low Bridge Place. Remember seeing that veg (Ital--not short for Italian--the Rasta diet that is) but never remembered to go.
Anna Bananas was hugely disappointing for us. If you wondered where all the Americans of the type you were glad to leave at home were, it's there. It seemed like a sort of a lifeboat situation where folks who would have been better off going to an all-inclusive clung to a sense of familiarity. Because it could easily be a theme restaurant in a mall--the food tastes like Jamaican as interpreted by US Airways and costs as much as the marina. I think my lobster salad was covered in Kraft Italian dressing (not Ital this time). It hurt to part with that money. Oh and I think they were out of everything.
I did hear that the pork (or wild boar?) was the thing to get at Boston.
Any hounds been to Port Antonio area, Jamaica?
First of all, food aside (but as part of the whole), you will love it!!! As far as the food, quimbaya is right, the open-air cafe at Winnifred's was a major highlight. I would go further and say heavenly, even. You place your order for meat or lobster or fish (whatever the young boys have caught and sold to the cook that day), curried or grilled or jerked. Then about 20 minutes later she will send a rasta out to get you as you're rocking in the gentle clear blue waves--wrap a towel around you and enjoy your simple, delicious and fresh feast in a setting that just doesn't get any better. Yep I'm waxing cliches over it as I would dearly love to go back to Winifred's this winter.
We hit the marina (it's called Norma's at the Beach/at the Marina) a few times for dinner out of desperation. The problem is that there are very few places that are dinnerish if you want to have a nice relaxing meal, or we didn't find them, and wound up paying too much for just okay food at the marina. The setting is really wonderful though and worth at least one meal/drinks, especially if they have the area nearer the small beach open. Another night we tried Dickie's Best Kept Secret (read about it here: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/portantonio/D61750.html)--an experience that was not at all about the food. I'm not even sure what to say about it--I'm still perplexed by the experience. They did have a great veg omelet though.
For the dinner problem, we finally learned that it was a good idea to ask our landlady ahead of time if she could prepare it for us in the guesthouse. We stayed at Ivanhoe's--a beautiful, relaxing place to enjoy a home-cooked meal and some Guinnesses with your neighbors on the terrace. Wouldn't want to stay in every night but it's a good option.
Besides the beach place, the other culinary highlight was a place up the road in PA away from the coast--I think I read about it in a NYT article but I can't find it now for the life of me. I dragged my SO there--it's this bizarre place on the outskirts of town that seems something like a church banquet hall/ersatz nightclub plonked in the middle of a barnyard with horses and goats roaming about and a smell to match. Flyspecked, cavernous, odorous and completely empty aside from us on the later side of lunchtime... but the food was soooo damn good. Try any of the specials plus don't miss the fresh "pine" juice--fresh squeezed pineapple + ginger--oh my god, that is a taste memory that will always stay with me!
If you're interested in that sort of place let me know and I'll keep looking for that article. By the way, we stopped in Kingston but wished we hadn't, other than to lessen the blow of coming back to NY.
soft food post wisdom teeth
The abovementioned soup is called locro, found all around the Andes but especially Ecuador. It's just right for the second phase of recovery, for me, 4-6 days, when you can manage soft lumpiness. And it's a welcome relief from the bland-ish, refined cold strained soups I've been downing--rustic, spicy, and hearty.
I started from this recipe: http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/01/08/locro-de-papa-creamy-potato-soup-with-cheese/, topping it with soft diced avocado, a wonderful Egyptian buffalo-milk feta that I got at a local store which is soft like chevre, and two squirts of Sriracha. In the soup itself I put the end of a fresh mozzarella ball and a bit of cheddar. You can put queso fresco or Muenster like she suggests, but try anything you have around! You don't want to do too much shopping when you're recuperating.
I find it a perfect meal with soft scrambled eggs on the side, or you could put the poached egg in the soup.
Trahana..how to use..
Paula Wolfert has a bunch of recipes using trahana in Mediterranean Grains and Greens http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Grains-Greens-Sun-Drenched-Recipes/dp/0060172517--she wants you to make it yourself for most of them with good reason I'm sure, but I plan to try the storebought in one soup in particular. As a general note she says that the cooks in Crete will either drop it right into boiling soup, soak briefly and crumble into sautees and stews, or soak a lot to make a pilaf-ish side dish.
"Oro Verdi Gelati" The Best Gelati?
Sorry to say I had an unpleasant experience at Piattini. The place was deserted and wasn't doing anything to be more appealing. It seemed sloppy and not-really-open at 1 PM on a Saturday--kind of eerie. Most of the gelato tubs were empty and the one live person working there (I'm assuming it is Gino but I could be wrong) was perfectly surly when I ordered it and tentatively inquired about lunch (there was no food anywhere on view, no smells or sounds from the kitchen. The menu looked good but his attitude was enough to make us turn around with just my gelato. Cappucino flavor, foamy, melty, barely sweet, very good but just short of transcendent.
I don't want to speculate about why I found the place in that condition... could be many understandable reasons like he's gotten bitter over having a tough time in business with such a great product. I'd like to give him and Piattini the benefit of the doubt, but it would take a lot to get me to return.
soft food post wisdom teeth
Thanks! The one I made today is growing on me too: Guatemalan Avocado Soup from Soup of the Day by Lydie Marshall (a book that I value more and more all the time--as a soup specialist I *highly* recommend it). It's got a ton of avocados, chick broth, lime juice, bit of cream, s & p. Very simple. I find others sort of cloyingly unctuous, good for a spoonful or two but monotonous to eat a lot of. Love to try another one.
It also reminded me of another soup that would appeal (and provide carbs + protein)--a smooth potato soup made with Muenster and garnished with avocado. I had it in Ecuador years ago and haven't found the right recipe for it yet either. Maybe time to revisit the search.
soft food post wisdom teeth
Got the other 2 out today, and with the wisdom ( ;) ) of having had the 2 out in July, here's the plan:
- Kefir
- Pudding
- Mashed potatoes (starting day 2 or 3 for me). Last time I made a mushroom sauce which I then pureed and swirled w/ the potatoes (also tried polenta but potatoes worked a lot better--no little grains). It was a lot of work to make brown and white mush but a well-needed "real" meal.
- Tofu, lightly sauteed with curry powder over mushy noodles with soy sauce. My other "real" meal, simple but tasted so good and provides protein.
- Hot soups (eaten warm). A bit out of season for August, but my lifesaver with the first 2 was Marcella Hazan's potato and split pea soup. There's no meat to get stuck in the mouth, but it's flavorful with browned onions added at the end (I pureed them in) and so nourishing--more proteins plus carbs.
- Cold soups. I think a really good cold avocado soup would be great as they are nutritious and filling, but I haven't found one I really like. This time, I'm also trying a cold carrot with spicy curry soup, and a vichyssoise. I just puree in any garnish like the chives and strain if needed.
My surgeon did encourage me to get on solid food as soon as I felt able to to keep myself well nourished--even right away after the surgery. With my first two I was like pikawicca, though--there's no way I could have managed it until a week went by. I found it almost a fun challenge in a way, though it got really boring after a while, to figure out how to have a well-balanced, restorative and nourishing soft diet.
Bay Ridge Greenmarket
FINALLY got the chance to go today, it was small and sparsely attended but not bad for good quality basic greenmarket staples like zucchini, basil, tomatoes, etc. I got all the veg for my Indian vegetarian feast tonight there and I was pretty impressed with the result. I saw the fish guy, 2 veg stands, maybe flowers, not much else today.
Patel Grocery in Sunset Park
You're very welcome! Glad you had a good experience too. I'm planning another visit soon.
soft food post wisdom teeth
I just got mine done today. I'm thinking TOFU for dinner, maybe with some mushy ramen noodles. All the sweet stuff (yogurt drink, pudding) is going to get old really quick.
On the yogurt, I'm a little leery as it seems no one knows if probiotics are OK to take with antibiotics.
Does good Indian exist in Brooklyn?
Ooohh thanks for the recs, definitely going to make a trip soon.
Sour Cherries
They are in Union Square Greenmarket now, tons of vendors but very pricey. I want to get enough for my mom to bake a pie as she sorely misses the tree we had in our house growing up. Anyone know a cheaper source in the city/Brooklyn perchance?
Kudampuli for Kerala Fish Curry/South Indian Grocery?
Thanks to all, I will check out these places out of curiosity although when I made the recipe with kokum I wasn't sure it was worth repeating even with the right ingredient. Not knocking the dish in general as I'm a beginner at Indian cooking and the recipe may be off, but it would need so much tweaking that I may move onto something else. LOL @ Jen and her lichens. Don't you love having a mission??
I used to live near Oaktree Road--don't miss the opportunity to have lunch there. Good luck!
Patel Grocery in Sunset Park
Yep! They're in a refrigerated case on the left-hand side along w/ the chilies, I almost missed them.
Patel Grocery in Sunset Park
5303 4th Ave New York (NY) Phone: (718) 748 6369
Just spreading a little love for this oddly located, small but well-stocked Indian grocery. It's conveniently right next to the 53rd St. R stop. I went in hoping to find a nearby place to buy fresh chiles and curry leaves as I can get my spices at Kalustyan's or elsewhere. They have the curry leaves for $1 a packet which is half the price of elsewhere and they gave me my two chiles for free because they thought I was silly just to want two of them. :) Their selection of dried spices, beans, lentils and rice is above average as is the quality and the prices are significantly lower than anywhere else I've seen. Plus, they were super-friendly and the owner was so excited to see a white girl shopping there that he gave me a personal tour and description of the use of a lot of the spices, introduced me to his wife, and left me with a smile on my face from having such a nice welcoming local experience. I imagine they're not overrun with customers as they're in a strange spot so if you're looking for Indian spices, give them a try!
Kudampuli for Kerala Fish Curry/South Indian Grocery?
OK, so for any other maniacs who decide they *need* kudampuli to make their lives fulfilled, an update. Foods of India didn't have it, know what it was, or care, so I went next door to Kalustyan's and after asking some very nice and helpful folks in the back near the refrigerated section and getting laughed at by the nasty woman behind the counter, one of the managers/owners overheard and launched into a tirade. I finally got him to admit that it does exist but according to him, not in the US. He says all the chefs use kokum instead, which I bought (but I'm secretly more determined than ever to find the real deal because the kokum isn't smoked and I think that's the key to getting the real flavor).
I'm thinking though maybe it is not allowed to be imported because it was used in some weight loss supplements that were banned by the FDA??
Kudampuli for Kerala Fish Curry/South Indian Grocery?
Hi all, I'm looking for the dried/smoked fruit called kudampuli/kodampuli/Garcinia cambogia/Fish tamarind, etc. in NYC. You can see photos and a description here: http://blog.sigsiv.com/2008/04/kudampuli-gambooge.html.
Any clues? I am going to check out Foods of India on Lex. I know Kalustyan's doesn't have it. Anyone know of a South Indian grocery anywhere? I'm on a mission and will gladly travel to all boroughs. Thanks.
Does good Indian exist in Brooklyn?
If you mean India Passage in Bay Ridge, yep, it's really terrible and overpriced. I went out of desperation, tired of the same-old same-old at Taj Mahal on the next block (everything tastes the same no matter what you order--pretty good, but very samey) but Taj Mahal is definitely better. Not great but better. I've finally broken down and started learning how to cook my own.
