tomaneng's Profile
Best authentic Indian cuisine
This doesn't take away from your comments about IQ but most cooks (home or restaurant) in many parts of India grind their own spices.
Bristol Lounge for Holiday Lunch
The service at Aujord'hui has always been exemplary.
Bristol Lounge for Holiday Lunch
The burger is solid and the cocktails are terrific but I've had such spotty (and sometimes downright awful) service there over the years that I don't plan on returning.
Wings, Chinatown and Sel de la terra thank you and a dim sum question
Go to hei la moon for dim sum next trip.
Big Sky Bakery - Are those prices for real?
Okay, it's been a while since I've been to Big Sky and I was in the mood for character building bread and a couple of their other wonderfully not-to-sweet treats but....are they kidding? I bought a small loaf of bread, a spinach turnover and a container of their no-nut granola and it came to $21!!!! Unless the bread will acutally make me lose weight as I eat it there is no justification for those prices. I looked around and saw that some of the larger loaves of sweet bread were $12-$15!
What's going on here?
Best authentic Indian cuisine
Udupi has been closed for at least a year. Up the street from it though is the best I've had anywhere at Dakshin. Specializes in Chennai dished but cooks from other regions as well.
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
According to the Oxford Companion to Food, it used to, but the practice fell out of favor (can't remember how long ago). Now, those who use the prunes take them out before serving.
Wegmans in Boston?
Stop teasing me, that's just cruel...if that were true I'd be the happiest girl in the world.
A chowy scavenger hunt
Be well, Limster. You will be missed. I'll surely open the London board and look for your posts!
Your top three "must-have" stuffing ingred's
dried cranberries, diced fennel, and I moisten with port rather than broth/butter
The Silver Palate Cookbook: Sweets
Hi Rubee,
If you ever want to try a new one, the brown sugar pumpkin pie from Martha Stewart Pies and Tarts is scrumptious!
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
I made the most delicious sweet and sour cabbage soup tonight. The approximate recipe (tinker as you see fit) is below. It is ridiculously easy too!
Melt some butter and EVOO in a large stock pot
Add 2 medium onions sliced and 1/2-3/4 of a large head of green cabbage sliced
Cook until cabbage is transluscent (about 7-10 minutes for so)
Add all at once:
1/4 cup or more to taste of raisins
1-2 14.5 ounce cans of whole peeled plum tomatoes
2 or more cloves of garlic sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup brown sugar
a small handful of caraway seeds (if you don't like the flavor of these you could omit)
salt & pepper
one package of sliced kielbasa (if you want a veggie option omit this)
Chicken broth. I sarted with a quart, found that it didn't create as much broth as I would have liked and added about 2 more cups.
Bring it all to a boil and then simmer for an hour. It really does need that much time for all of the flavors to marry.
Lloyd's Diner in Framingham
Is it on the right or the left side of 126? You're right, the bagels atKugel's are pretty good considering area options. I forgot about big fresh (though I don't know why since I just had a felafel wrap from them yesterday). I think that their salads are terrific and their fresh brewed iced teas (esp. the morocan mint). I've not had as much luck with the stir fries though.
Need Good Borscht
I've had it at Zaftig's and Joan and Ed's. Both were dreck. I know I can make it at home but I'm the only one in the family who eats it...Help!
Cheryl Ann's Challah at BJ's
Maybe this one is common knowledge but I had no idea that they carried it...at BJ's of all places! Now that the bakery is no longer proximate to work or home I feared I'd have to make due. What a wonderful surprise!
Lloyd's Diner in Framingham
Haven't been, though live nearby. I was also under the impression when we moved out here that we were in a culinary wasteland. It's not true. Here is a shortlist of places that I would put against anything in town:
1) Sichuan Gourmet (the Sichuan menu) and Red Pepper - Both have excellent Sichuan regional cooking, the former is my favorite.
2) uncle Cheung's - straight up Shanghainese with a terrific weekend "small plates" menu.
3) Sel de la Terre - The Natick Collection outpost.
4) B&R artisinal breads
5) If you turn around you will find countless excellent indian restaurants. My favorite is Dakshin followed by Rasoi.
6) J&M diner....incredible breakfast fare...go there.
7) lots of Brazilian places..not my thing but ask around
8) Lots of sushi around too. The best I've had so far out here is Oga. The Sudbury Fugakyu has some delicious soups.
9) Aztec for Tacos...my friends who are texans of Mexican descent say it's the best they've had in the northeast.
10) The Waverly market - italian prepared foods, specialties and they make unbelievable sandwiches.
11) Framingham Bakery for their Sicilian Pizza - sells out fast.
12) Stone's Public House - just go.
13) Joan and Ed's - I hesitated before putting this on but in the end...their pickles are wonderful as are their latke's, brisket, and chopped liver. Also they give an insanely big portion of whitefish with the whitefish platter. Everything else I've had is either mediocre or less.
Now here's a caveat emptor list...either skip these or only get certain things:
1) Kugel's - The only thing worth it is the kugel. Everything else I've had is dreck.
2) Firefly BBQ. For the life of me I don't understand the popularity of this place...plus I witnessed a very disturbing cleanliness problem.
3) La Cucina - They have killer red sauce items but skip everything else.
Help me with Butternut Squash
Butternut is tied with Kabocha for my favorite winter squash. Besides my standby curried squash and apple soup, here are my three favorite ways to use it:
1) With a bechamel sauce in lasagna (there are solid epicurious recipes for BNS lasagna.
2) diced, roasted with olive oil and rosemary and then tossed with cooked lentils, additional olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. This is a scrumptious dish that can either be a vegetarian main or an accompaniment to roasted meat or fish.
3) peel, cube, season and roast then toss with your favorite pasta and parmesan.
Simple but delicious places for anti-fancy mom?
Since she'll be here a full week how about El Oriental de Cuba in JP. It's about as unfancy as you get and it's also some of the homiest, tastiest food ever.
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
Do you take the sausage meat out of the casing before cooking and do you crumble or slice it?
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
Yes, I wondered the same thing but it truly doesn't need it! The flavors are so fabulous and rich! The beauty of it is that it only takes about 20 minutes start to finish. I'd love to hear how it is with fresh pumkpin...
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
I haven't tried the other soups but two other recipes in the book are go-to's. One is the warm lamb salad with raisins, pine buuts, and a sweet onion vinaigrette and the other is the carrot cake. The book is really amazing when you consider that they were using asian and middle eastern ingredients a good 15 years before the fusion craze. It is also a wonderful reading book. Enjoy and please let me know if you make any of the recipes.
Has anyone ordered a cooked turkey from Gerard's
Hi -
I'm stressed this Thanksgiving and am thinking of ordering a cooked turkey from Gerard's in Framingham. Does anyone have any experice with this? I'm dubious about reheating a cooked turke the next day because it so easily dries out. TIA
Your Favorite Soup Recipe?
Being that you're from Philadelphia do you perhaps own the now out-of-print Frog Commisary cookbook? If so, the mushroom barley soup recipe is in my hall of fame. It's converted both those who claim they dont like mushrooms and those who claim they don't like barley. The only change I make is that I add more dill than is called for. Also, the curried butternut squash and apple from the Silver Palate and the following two recipes from epicurious:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104064
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/4083
The Silver Palate Cookbook: Great Garden Vegetables
I've done both homemade and store bought (Hellman's) mayo, both with excellent results. When making homemade I like the tang that olive oil gives but if you want something less obvious I'd go with canola.
Looking for a Make Ahead Thanksgiving Cocktail
I'd like to make a pitcher or punchbowl of something seasonal for before the Thanksgiving meal. Any suggestions?
What do you serve with drinks before Thanksgiving Dinner?
The Black Pepper almonds from epicurious are ou tof this world. They are just the right balance of salty/sweet/spicy and they are always gobbled up.
The Silver Palate Cookbook: Sweets
Oh yes, they are sinful and a little goes a long way.
