debclark's Profile
American aperitifs for French friends
Excellent suggestions--thank you so much! If I can find a good sparkling wine here in small town Florida, I will try that for an aperitif. But most likely it's cocktails. Our friends like both wine and spirits.
I have no experience with American rye. Any suggestions on a good brand?
American aperitifs for French friends
I've invited our neighbors, a couple from France, over for dinner. I'm serving a U.S.-themed menu (no way am I cooking French), including shrimp cocktail, pot roast, mashed potatoes, and apple crisp.
But I'm unsure about U.S.-themed drinks. Does anyone have suggestions on a good before-dinner drink? Or an after-dinner one?
I'd love to hear what you think would work!
can one argue that lutefisk and gefiltre fish are similarly controversial??
I'm casting my vote with lutefisk on this one. I've had it once--at a Norwegian-American Christmas dinner--and it wasn't bad. Like a somewhat bland fish jello. Mixed with butter and potatoes it was good, not great. I preferred the Swedish meatballs.
I've also had gefilte fish exactly once. About 30 years ago during my best friend's Bat Mitzvah. I took one bite and gagged, then frantically searched for a discreet spot to dispose of the rest of the offensive lump. I've avoided the stuff ever since. Although now I feel compelled to try a homemade version. It sounds pretty good.
I will not be attempting lutefisk at home. My grandmother did every December and my mother's memories of the smell--she refused to ever eat it--still nauseate her.
Challenge: Recipes for a Broken Refrigerator
My refrigerator is broken for the third time in two months. It's only two years old and still under warranty so we keep trying to get it fixed. We're facing another week waiting for parts and using the mini fridge my husband usually keeps at work. This makes cooking a bit of a challenge, and I'd love to hear how some of you would deal with it.
What would you make for a family of four that uses few-to-no refrigerated ingredients, takes an hour or less attended time to make, and might leave almost no leftovers (or can be stuffed in a plastic bag in the mini fridge)? We're not picky eaters and are fine with going meatless.
Any suggestions are much appreciated!
What is it about Bahn Mi's that make them so addicting?
Can you recommend any places (please)? I live in Melbourne and would love to know a good place to go when I'm out that way.
Seeking millet recipes
I went crazy at the bulk bins and came home with a great big bag of millet. I cooked some plain (like rice) and it's tasty, but I have a whole lot more and want to try different things with it.
Does anyone have any experience with millet to share? Maybe a great recipe? I could really use some ideas to chip away at that massive bag. Thank you!
What the heck is an Amish turkey?
Can anyone tell me what an Amish turkey is? Is it just a turkey raised by Amish people? I've ordered one for T-Day, but the person behind the counter at the market had no clue what one was when I asked. I can't find any information online, other than people reccommending them. So what the heck is the difference between an Amish turkey and any other type of bird?
Amish jokes tolerated but serious answers very much appreciated--I'd like to resolve this mystery!!
Beyond Butterball - alternative turkey reccs?
I was planning to order an Amish turkey from a local market for T-Day, and I got to thinking, what is the difference among the different types of turkey: heritage, Amish, smoked, etc. etc.?
What have you tried? What do you reccommend?
Non-ketchup meatloaf recipes needed
You can put whatever you want in a meatloaf. Maybe find a hamburger recipe you like and base your meatloaf on that.
Here's what I usually put in my meatloaf (sometimes all this stuff/sometimes just some of it): cooked spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, raw egg, worchestshire sauce and whatever spices sound good. Sometimes I put bacon across the top.
Ideas to WOW people used to bad food
I suggest centering the recipe on some amazing local ingredient. It's hard to beat a dish like that. Of course, where you live has a huge bearing on what you can get your hands on. When I lived in California I could wow people with a simple vegetable dish because of the amazing farmers' market nearby. Now that I'm in Florida, it's all about the fish and seafood and the mangos. Is there something in your area you could focus the dish around?
Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival, Jan. 15-18
Has anyone been to this? I've never eaten frog legs, but I'm thinking about going and would love to hear from someone who has been in the past. Is it really crowded? Is it family friendly (I have young children)? How are the frog legs?
Thank you so much!
Deli with great sauerkraut in/near Brevard County?
I just moved here from out of state, and I'm in search of great sauerkraut. I was spoiled in my old city by a German deli that sold amazing 'kraut, as well as uncooked wursts and other delicious items. Does anyone know of anyplace to get really good sauerkraut--I'm not talking about the sour supermarket stuff--anywhere in or around Brevard County? I'd like to be able to take it home for cooking, but restaurant reccs are appreciated, as well. I can always ask if they'll sell me some 'kraut.
I appreciate any help you can provide!
Fresh Fish Market off 101 btwn LA & Big Sur?
We'll be driving up the 101 from LA to Big Sur on Thursday to go camping. Does anyone know of any fish markets along the way where we could stop and pick up something fresh to cook over the campstove? I'm not even sure what's in season right now, but we're not that picky if it's fresh.
Thank you for any tips!
Upcoming festivals w/ food
I finally went to the Sons of Norway Lutefisk & Meatball dinner and had a blast (and actually liked the lutefisk). Now I'm seeking out other events that might give me a chance to try some new dishes. Here's what I've found through December. If anyone has been to one of these and can provide input or add any other events, that would be great!
Chinese Food Festival - 11/17-18 Chinatown, LA, chinesefoodfestivalla.com
Julemarked Scandinavian Christmas Mart - 11/24, Danish Cultural Center, Yorba Linda, danishchurchsocal.com
Indio International tamale Festival - 12/1-2, downtown Indio, tamalefestival.net
Swedish Christmas Fair - 12/2, Shrine Expo Center, LA, www.swea.org/losangeles
Celtic Christmas Fair - 12/2, Soka University, Aliso Viejo, occelticfestival.com (they have haggis!)
Inland Empire Dining ( or lack of )
Here's a few non-pizza places to try, mostly small ethnic places:
Toro Sushi
1520 Mountain Ave., Ontario (SE corner of Mountain & Sixth St.)
http://www.torosushi.com/
Pho Ha
Vietnamese
9319 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga (SE corner of Foothill & Hellman) or
695 Indian Hill Blvd., Pomona (just north of Holt on the west side of Indian Hill)
Caribbean Gardens
"Taste of Guyana"
2007 Foothill Blvd., LaVerne
593-7824
Euro Cafe
Portuguese
546 E Baseline Rd, Claremont (SE corner of Mills & Baseline)
http://www.eurocafeclaremont.com/
Inka Trails
Peruvian
1077 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont (NE corner of Foothill & Towne)
http://www.inkatrailsrestaurant.com/
Rancho Kabob and Grill
8685 Baseline Rd., Rancho Cucamonga (SW corner of Baseline & Carnelian/Vineyard)
http://www.ranchokabobandgrill.com/
Help! Sushi near Ontario
Try Toro Sushi in Ontario. It's on Mountain Ave. just south of the 10 freeway. I think they are the best in the area, although admittedly that isn't saying much. But the food is usually very good and the fish are the freshest I've found out here. Here's their website: http://www.torosushi.com/
Anything Decent at Knott's Berry Farm?
We're heading to Knott's this weekend. I haven't been in more than a decade. Is there anyplace decent to eat inside the park? Or is it all the standard theme-park swill?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Near Alta Loma...Help!
Seeing as how your post is a few months old, maybe you've found a place already. Regardless, I'm sure you already know how hard it is to find good food near Alta Loma. Some places to check into, if you're still looking, are:
*Le Bellisimo in Rancho Cucamonga http://www.lebellissimo.com/. Very good food.
*Saffron's in Rancho Cucamonga http://www.guastivilla.com/cafe/. This is a catering place with a nice set-up in the lovely Guasti Mansion and delicious food. You can book the place for a private event.
*Euro Cafe in Claremont http://www.eurocafeclaremont.com/. This is a small, family-owned cafe with great food (including some tasty Portuguese specialties) that can be booked for private events on Sundays.
I do not know the cost factor involved in any of these. I haven't been to Le Bellisimo in a while, but I know it used to have a play area for kids. They are so popular that perhaps that space has been given over to tables now.
Good luck!
dinner with a famous foodie- claremont recs needed
Here is the website for Bangkok Blue (the food is delicious) in case anyone wants it: www.bangkokblue.com. It can be hard to find among all the storefronts there (a friend of mine told me it was closed, but I guess she just forgot where it was) but it's worth the search.
Any Portuguese food in LA or the environs?
Viva Madrid is very good, but the Portuguese restaurant in Claremont is the Euro Cafe. It's a fairly casual place -- they offer mostly salads and sandwiches (including a to-die-for marinated pork loin sandwich) -- but they have regular daily specials that include Feijoada, Bacalhau de Natas, Bife a Portuguesa and Carne Estufada. It's all delicious
Check out their website at http://www.eurocafeclaremont.com/
They also sell Portuguese food products and they make their own chourico for sale.
dinner with a famous foodie- claremont recs needed
A great ethnic dive in the area is Pho Ha. Obviously, they serve Vietnamese fare. There's one on Indian Hill just north of Holt (there's another in Rancho Cucamonga on Foothill Blvd., but that's farther for you.) The place doesn't look like much but the pho and other Vietnamese dishes are excellent. They also offer a few Chinese plates, but they don't look as good.
You might also want to check out Spaggi's on the northwest corner of Foothill and Benson (south of Lowe's). It has a nicer (read: snottier) atmosphere and some people swear by the food. I've been there once and it was very good but the waiter was a snob so we haven't gone back.
Another great place is the Euro Cafe. It's owned by a Portugeuse family and they have continental and portugeuse food. It's pretty casual, a little like a coffeehouse, but very nice. And the food is delicious, including some really fabulous desserts. They are on the southeast corner of Mills and Baseline in the Vons shopping center.
Kiwiberri in Claremont
For those of you who saw the article in the LA Times' calendar section today about Pinkberry yogurt in West Hollywood and thought, "Great! Another article about some wonderful eating experience so far from my home base in the godforsaken west end of the Inland Empire -- oh why do they include us in their circulation area then cruelly tease us this way?" take heart!
The article mentioned knock-off yogurt store Kiwiberri, which also sells fat-free, all-natural yogurt with fresh fruit toppings and is located in the Claremont Village (on Bonita Ave. just east of Indian Hill, next to Taco Factory). I stopped in today and tried the plain yogurt and the green tea yogurt with aforementioned toppings and both were delicious. They also sell smoothies and crepes.
Of course, the Times inadvertantly alerted us far eastern outcasts to a delightful eating experience that we don't have to drive an hour or more to get to, but I'm glad they (finally) did.
Canned mushrooms on pizza?!?
In my Southern California city we have two pizza places where I like to eat. One claims to serve New York style pizza and the other Chicago style. Both are excellent except for one detail that I don't care for: they both use canned mushrooms on the pizza. What's up with this? Is this an East Coast thing? Can anyone explain it to me?
Why Can't I See All Replies?
In a post I started there are seven replies, but I can only see the three latest. What do I need to do to pull up the older replies? I've clicked on everything I could think of, but can't seem to find the other four.
Sacramento w/ young children
We'll be staying near the Mack Road exit. Dimsumgirl, thank you for your offer, but we won't be out after dark so I'm not worried. Although now that I know it's not a nice area, we'll probably end up getting takeout and eating in the room. Thanks for the suggestions and any others!
Sacramento w/ young children
My family -- including two kids under 5 -- will be staying one night in Sacramento this month on our way to a family reunion. Our hotel is off the 99 at Stockton Blvd. Can anyone recommend restaurants in the area that have good food and are informal enough for kids? We don't mind driving about 15 minutes or so for a good experience. Any type of cuisine reccs are welcomed.
Thanks for any help you can give!
Claremont & surrounding area: Lunch Spots?
I second the recc for the Euro Cafe. Great sandwiches and salads, and be sure to check out the daily specials. The place is owned by a Portuguese family and so has some Portuguese dishes and they are just delicious. They also make their own chorizo there, which you can buy to cook at home.
As a lifer in this area who is always trying to find good eats, I back up the suggestions by Mangefromage as well.
Claremont & surrounding area: Lunch Spots?
If you'd like something special, and can take a bit more than an hour, make a reservation for lunch at Saffron Cafe in the Guasti Villa in Rancho Cucamonga. It's just off the I-10 at the Archibald exit, so you can get there pretty quickly. It's $15 for a three-course, prix fixe menu and the food tends to be a cut above what you can normally get in this area. The menu changes weekly. Check the website for menu and other info.
http://www.guastivilla.com/cafe/
ISO good butcher and bakery in Rancho Cucamonga area
What are you looking for in a bakery? If it's different types of bread, try Full of Life on Bonita just east of Indian Hill in Claremont. If you want pastries, try Some Crust on Yale Ave. just north of First (Street? Ave?) in Claremont. Both are in the Claremont Village.
