Fiona's Profile
Cucina di Napoli Newark De
I agree about Caffe Gelato - I find it pretentious and over priced. There are to many alternatives in the area to bother with it - except for the gelato!
Cucina di Napoli Newark De
For years I was a real fan of this place for red gravy Italian food however I am loosing my enthusiasm. The food hasn't gotten bad but it has lost its yumminess - it seems like the food used to be made with love and now it isn't. Also the proportions have changed - there is now more pasta and less of everything else on the plate. Last night I got take out and I asked for extra cheese to be grated on my pasta - didn't happen. We also ordered a side of sausage which turned out to be a three to four inch sausage cut into four pieces. A side of meatballs was two meatballs. This seemed to be stingy since each side was $5 - this is a neighborhood place. All told we got an order of eggplant parm, an order of penne with broccoli and spinach, and the two sides mentioned and the bill was $40. This is not a huge amount of money but it doesn't seem like good value anymore.
Univ of Delaware/Newark, DE-Wilmington, DE
Another Two Stones Pub fan here! The food is s--o-o-o good and the beer excellent. They also take reservations. Be4 aware that the main room (where the bar is located) only has high tops. I don't feel comfortable at a high top so I always make a reservation and I ask for the back room which has regular height tables.
Have fun!
Looking for recipes using pumpkin puree
That looks excellent! I am having guests for dinner on Manday and will make it. Thanks!
Looking for recipes using pumpkin puree
It is the time of year when I am trying to use up all the veggies in my freezer to make room for this year's veggies. I have a lot of pumpkin puree and I am running out of ideas. I have done risotto (sooo good!), cookies, bread, soups. I am trying to be fairly low calorie as I have just quit smoking and am trying not to gain weight.
Thanks
Help with menu for casual dinner this weekend? Sorta Southern themed
You menu sounds very satisfying and fun! Why not move the deviled eggs to the pre dinner snacks? Deviled eggs are SOOOO good and would be good with pimento cheese and toast rounds - maybe the pickled okra mentioned below as well.
As for the cold crunchy thing - have you thought about homemade coleslaw? Especially made with red and green cabbage it would be pretty and, I think, in keeping with the spirit of your menu.
Was your mom a timid cook?
After reading the previous posts I have decided that my mother was a timid cook by today's standard but not really by the standards of her time (my Mom is long goen and was born in 1907). She was a terrific baker - her pies and biscuits were sublime. We usually had standard dinners of meat and potatoes but they were cooked well. The beef was rare and vegetables that were not canned were not cooked to death. She made curries, offal, ethnic food etc. When my Dad was away on business she would make all sorts of unusual things. One of her and my favorites for just girls nights was egg noodles with butter, canned peaches and fresh buttered bread crumbs - an amazingly delicous combination (or at least I thought so at the time). On occasion she would try something that was a real challange like cream puffs surrounded by golden sugar threads - I remember coming home from school to find sugar threads drapped over broom handles all over the kitchen. I always appreciated her cooking and I think her attitude helped me to be a not timid cook. It has been 30 years since she passed and I still miss her.
How much do you usually spend on groceries per week?
Eric - I think that you are doing a great job and providing a terrific service for your family. As I said above $300 a week is not at all unreasonable for feeding 6 people. It sounds like you are feeding them well and that the money is not really an issue. My advice is keep up the good work!
How much do you usually spend on groceries per week?
My spending varies through the year since I use a CSA for produce in the growing season and therefor cook a lot of vegetarian meals. The CSA membership is about $22 per week - although I apy in one lump sum in March. Durig the rest of the year I spenf about $100 per week on food and other grocery store items for one person and 2 cats. This includes at least one meal for a "company dinner" when my daughter and son in law come over and one "special" meal that I cook at my bf's house on the weekend. It also includes, usually, one lunch (just a sandwich at a coffee shop -nothing fancy). Also - when I but meat or other animal products, including eggs, I buy locally raised and organic which is slightly more costly than conventional.
Try looking at things you can buy in bulk like cereal, oatmeal, beans, rice etc. Also - at least one vegetarian meal a week can make a difference in spending and is good for family health and the planet as well. I use Mark Bittman's cookbook "How to Cook Everything" a lot - not really for recipes but for ideas. I find that it is helpful for getting ideas about what to make from what I have and so waste is reduced.
If you are cooking for 6 adults and providing most meals (as in 3 meals a day) what you are spending doesn't seem excessive but if money is tight I think that you can reduce it.
We Finally Got to Muse In Oxford
We finally got to Muse on a recent Saturday night and we were very pleased. To get them out of the way I will start with the negatives: the service was friendly (not offensively friendly) but the servers could use a bit more training or practice; they seemed a bit overwhelmed and undertrained. For example, I had to decline to have my plate removed several times when my companion was still eating (this is a peeve of mine in any restaurant). Also - even in a byob, I expect the server to keep an eye out for when glasses needed refilling and this did not happen. Also, there have been complaints elsewhere that the metal chairs are not very comfortable. I found them to be fine but my companion, who is larger then I am, thought they were not very comfortable.
On to the positives and the food. The food was excellent. After we were seated we were served warm crusty bread with a very nice, fruity olive oil. After we ordered we were given an amuse bouche of pureed cauliflower with creme fraiche. It was very pleasant. This was followed by a small serving of grapefriut/chardonnay sorbet. Also very nice. We did not choose to have appetizers. My companion had the pasta du jour which was housemade taggatelle with bolognese. It was delicious; the pasta was very silky. I had pheasant which was also delicious. For dessert we shared pot du creme. It was served in a wide dish rather then the traditional cup but it was excellent. We finished with properly made espresso.
I can't comment on the cost of the meal since I was being treated for my birthday but my companion did not seem to be alarmed when he got the check. All in all we enjoyed the evening and will be going back as finances allow.
Has anyone been to Muse in Oxford?
Hi - I am sorry my reoly is so delayed but I didn't see your question until now. Our most recent meal was mixed. The service was good and my main course was fine ( I had pork); my companion's veal dish was grisly and not tender. For dessert we had Banana's Foster and didn't think it was done well. The bananas were over ripe and should not have been used in a dish in which they were cooked and the ice cream had a very strange, sort of cheesy, texture. I don't think we will be going back anytime soon. This is unfortunate since it had been our special occasion place.
Looking for good local sources
travelmad478 - thanks for your suggestiions but I should have been more clear in my post. What we are looking for is local sources with whom we could potentially develope relationships for our CSA - such as offering locally made butter (just as an exmaple) as part of CSA membership. I have seen your posts and know that you know a lot about the area so- is there anything from a small , oocal supplier that you particularly like?
Looking for good local sources
Hi - I am looking for sources of locally raised meat and milk and locally made cheese, bread, jams, etc. in the New Castle Co (Delaware), Cecil County (Maryland) and Chester County (Pennsylvania) area. I am specifically asking for recommendations of things that you like. Thanks
Most COMPLICATED Dish You Ever Made
Bigos - the next time I make a family "occasion" dinner I will think of your story and realize my plight is not so bad. This Thanksgiving I had one pregnant daughter who (during pregnancy only ) could not stand to eat poultry, one son in law who swells up and can't breath when he eats mammal meat, another daughter who is vegan, ex-husband's wife who is a fishing eating vegetarian and three of us who eat anything. This is pretty typical of a holiday or birthday dinner (except for the pregnancy). But we manage - I cook a lot, ex's wife brings salmon and we all have a good time.
The most complicated dish I ever made was a chocolate cake that looked like a chocolate cabbage - one spherical chocolate cake surrounding chocolate mousse and the whole thing covered with chocolate cabbage leaves made by pouring melting chocolate over real cabbage leaves, peeling off the cooled chocolate leaves and putting the whole thing together - on Christmas morning with two kids under 8 years old. No- that is not why the husband is an ex. but I will never again spend Christmas morning in the back yard pouring chocolate over cabbage leaves. The cake was spectacular and I wish I had a picture.
Please help a new mom who's new to cooking too
Hi and congratulations! the one thing I didn't see in scanning the terrific posts was soup. A big pot of hearty soup can provide a meal or two then the leftovers can go in the freezer for when you don't really feel like cooking. Soups are also dead easy and make the house smell so good. You can actually start with bought stock or even water or V-8 juice. I like to use organic free range chicken broth which is now available in most grocery stores. Start in a heavy pot by browning in olive oil diced onions, garlic (use only a little garlic if the baby reacts negatively to it), diced carrots. If you want to add meat then also brown some ground meat (turkey, beef chicken, pork will all work). When the vegetables are getting soft and a tiny bit brown on the edges add broth, juice or water. If you have an end of parmigiana cheese you can throw that in. Then add other vegetables(potatoes, turnips, sweet potatoes, green beans etc) cook until mostly done then add some canned tomatoes and canned beans. You can also add some sliced up greens like kale, chard or spinach. I like to add a handful of frozen peas in at the end to add some fresh taste. Herbs can be anything that you like - dill, oregano, marjoram, basil - really any herb that you find pleasant. with a salad and good bread you can have a healthy, comforting meal with lots left to freeze. Pea soups and bean soups are also very easy and inexpensive.
I realize my directions are sort of basic and general but I think of soup as being made of what you have on hand and how it comes together is based on personal preference.
My daughter recently had her first child and she has been relying either crock pot or top of the stove braised chicken. She makes a batch of rice in her rice cooker and simply reheats the rice in the microwave each night. She mostly uses chicken thighs since they have more flavor than breasts.
Finally - try to have some sort of dark green vegetable in each dinner, either cooked in with everything else or as a side. They pack a wallop of nutrition that is especially good for a tired new mom and for the baby.
Nice Experience in Berlin MD
We spent the New Year's weekend in Berlin Md visiting family. This was the first time in Berlin for us and we were very pleasantly surprised. We had two very nice lunches and one excellent dinner at the Atlantic Hotel (which is where we stayed). The dinner was on New Year's Eve and I am always very reluctant to eat out on any holiday due to the high potential for mediocre food and poor service. Although the restaurant was fully booked we never felt rushed, the service was fine and the food delicious.
We also ate New Year's day brunch at the Globe. Again - the restaurant was fully booked but the service was fine. We both had omelets which were quite nice.
24 lb. Roast Results
I had a similar timing issue with a 7 lb bone in pork roast. I found recommended times ranged from 1 hour to 4.5 hours (all at the same oven temp of 325). It actually took 2 hours and ten minutes.
What kind of pork should I get?
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I wound up selecting a bone rib roast. I rubbe it with dry mustard, herbs, a garlic made into a paste with some pinot grigio. I made gravy with the pan juices and apple cider. It was very good. Thanks again for your help.
I hope everyone is having a good holiday!
Substitute for Beef Broth
I have used miso instead of beef broth to give "meatiness" to vegetarian dishes. I think it might work here also.
Suggestions for starting a christmas eve tradition for my 2 year old daughter and inlaws...
When my kids were younger we always had made from scratch baked beans with homemade corn bread. It was easy, good for a late night snack for Santa and the kids thought it was a real treat. The beans cook all day and don't need much tending at all - just an occasional check to make sure they aren't getting to dry. Cooking them also makes the house smell good!
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree in a pumpkin cheesecake......
I use fresh pumpkin all the time. The only issue I have with it is that fresh pumpkin generally has more liquid than canned. After the pumpkin thaws put it in a cheese cloth lined strainer and let it drain for an hour or so and you should be fine.
Holiday Cookies Made Simple - Cook;s Illustrated - December 2011
Has anyone made this recipe? I have the two disks in the frig now and the dough seems WAY too short. I don't think that it will roll out and not totally fall apart. I followed the recipe exactly. Does it actually work? If it doesn't does anyone have any suggestions for rescuing it?
Thanks
Christmas Day menu. Any suggestions?
I second the no soup but a salad suggestions. I frequently make a winter salad of room sliced roast beets with poached pear slices or orange segments. the pears & beets are particularly nice with a balsamic drizzle and sprinkles of blue cheese. If you are looking for additional color how about a cranberry relish with the chicken and dumplings?
Applesauce with peels
I do the exact same thing as magiesmom. I like the flavor with the peels but they do get taken out with the food mill. Also - do make sure of your source of apples since many commercial apples are sprayed a lot as magiesmom says.
What kind of pork should I get?
The leftovers will mostly be used for sandwiches. Depending on what i wind up with I might make a big pot of baked beans. Whenever I have some kind of pork leftovers I also try to make a meal of colcanon.
I really appreciate all of the suggestions! I am going to use the responses to make a list to take to the store and make the final selection based on what is available and what the butcher recommends as being good. Thanks again very much! This has been very helpful!
Again, family is at the door and I'm still prepping...
I sympathize. Today (Saturday) I was making a relatively simple lunch for 9 people for my daughter's birthday. Fortunately my daughter and her husband, new parents, were late. When everyone else arrived at the appointed time I was madly racing around the kitchen still in mid-cooking. I don't know how that happened. I thought I had timed everything so that I would be calm, collected and a gracious hostess- didn't work - I was a crazy person. But eventually the new family arrived, food was cooked and everyone had a good time.
I hope that your party worked out well!
What kind of pork should I get?
This Christmas I am departing from our traditional roast beef or goose (economic times are hard folks)- I want pork - beautiful, delicious, juicy succulent pork! What cut of pork should I get to roast? Boneless or boned is fine. Delicious is the only criteria. By the way, all of the pork tenderloins at the supermarket seem to be pre-brined and I have read on Chowhound that that is not a good thing.It needs to be generally supermarket available. There will only be four people eating it but leftovers are desired.
Thanks in advance
If You Could Create Any Restaurant....
This sounds wonderful! It is similar concept to what we are working on at our CSA farm. I hope that you do it! Keep the faith
