eimac's Profile
The Nou Restaurant - Altamonte Springs
It's in a grungy strip mall on 436 between Altamonte Springs and Apopka and I had the best meal I've had in a while there. It's tiny ( only 20 people max according to the sign) with a small bar/counter and a few tables and tastefully decorated in black and lime green with a few graphics on the walls, It's Venezuelan food - new to me. A little like Cuban with a lighter touch. First there was a basket of corn chips with a fresh pepper and cilantro pico de gallo. We had an order of tostones (fried green plantains) that blew me away. Instead of the thick, stodgy ones I'm used to ( and I'll admit I like) these were thin and tender and piping hot with crispy edges. They were served with a garlicky mayonnaise and a sharp thin red salsa. I had a stuffed arepa. The arepas I've had before were heavy with cheese and mildly sweet but this was a plainer corn cake split open and stuffed with shredded beef, black beans, and queso blanco. It was wrapped in paper so I could eat it as a sandwich, but there was so much filling that I knife and forked it. My husband had a grilled marinated skirt steak
with caramelized onions and rice and red beans. The meat was chewy but the marinade made it very flavorful. The people at the table next to us had grown up in Venezuela and were complimenting the waitress on the authenticity of the food, so I guess that means something. No room for dessert but I saw a flan like dish heading toward another table. The outside is a real turn off, but it is a real find.
www.nourestaurant.com
Homemade granola for snaking in my cube at work
My favorite granola ( I sometimes add cinnamon or grated orange peel)
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup Chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup ( I use agave syrup)
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins/craisins/dried cherries - whatever
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, melted butter/oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add fruit and mix until evenly distributed
Maple Glazed Walnut Recipe
I bought a bag of maple glazed walnuts at Costco and they were wonderful, but very expensive so I figured I would make my own, The recipes I found were pretty much the same - maple syrup, butter,salt and nuts.
However when I finished, the nuts were sticky and did not have the sugary coating of the packaged ones. Did I do something wrong or is the glaze something that can't be duplicated at home?
A couple of days in Asheville
In the reply I got for my less than enthusiastic review I was told that the place served foods that provided " an explosion of different flavors. in your mouth." I tend toward foods that use ingredients that compliment each other and avoid the pyrotechnic method of throwing disparate ingredients together for the sake of novelty. LIke everything else in life - it's each to his own.
A couple of days in Asheville
Don't feel bad Notfatfrank - Asheville people are very touchy about their restaurants.A while back I made the mistake of being less than enthusiastic about a place that I felt was too much razzle and not enough dazzle, and I was jumped on for being a food Philistine.
Culver's
I envy the people of the Mid West who can go to Culvers at will. Their hamburgers are great- I love the fact that there is a real crust on it.
Dominos "Artisan" pizza?
I ordered one tonight - sausage and pepper . The crust is almost flavorless - thin and a little hard.
The toppings were not bad - mild chunks of Italian sausage, red peppers and banana peppers, which gave it a little oomph. I warmed it up in the oven after it was delivered and that improved the toppings, but not the crust. I doubt if I'll get it again.
Dominos "Artisan" pizza?
Who has tried? What do you think? Please remember that some of us do not live anywhere near a great mom and pop pizza place and the chains are our only hope, so go easy on the "I can do better at home" comments. I know I can do better, but sometimes I just want a quick take out meal.
What to do with a little bit of lobster
I have five small lobster tails left in the freezer that my husband caught last year ( one advantage of living in Florida). They are really small - what can I do with them for a meal tonight. I don't feel like going out and buying anything extra to add ( shrimp for example and then making a seafood chowder)
So -- what to do with five small tails, a fairly well stocked larder and dinner looming in about 2 hours.
By the way ( for any Floridians/lobstermen reading this) they are not illegal sized ones - they are from slipper lobsters which have no size limitations.
Winter Park: Ravenous Pig for lunch
Do I need a reservation for lunch? I'm going to be in WP midday and want to try it out, but have no idea what time I'll be there.
ISO Sauce for low country boil
I'm making a low country boil tonight and wonder if anyone makes something besides cocktail sauce to go on the side. A friend who makes the dish quite often makes a mixture of datil pepper sauce, ketchup and mayo, but it just tastes like spicy thousand island dressing to me. Is there anything else?
Or should I just go with my usual melted butter with a little Old Bay added
Trip to Asheville and Charleston
My cousin and her husband are going to be in Asheville and Charleston for a week in late June. They have been living in Europe for the past 10 years and since he is from Chile, my cousin wants it to be an introduction to American life and cooking. I'd like to send her a couple of places in each city that you feel are representative of what American restaurants do best - local ingredients and specialities, solid cooking without any "gourmet" pretensions. A nice wine list would not be unappreciated, but not necessary. They will be at B&B's so they will look for lunch and dinner spots.
Lila's of Miami -- best fries in the world
You're right - my idea of heaven: a Lila's palomilla steak with a mountain of fries. The onions have softened with the heat of the grilled steak and the juices from onion and steak permeate the potatoes. Sigh. Lila's in Westchester was a once a week treat when I lived in Miami.
Breakfast near PGA Blvd in Palm Beach Gardens
Traveling to PBG with friends and need a place for breakfast on or near PGA Blvd. Route is from Turnpike to US 1 and we need someplace close to route. BIG Problem - one friend dislikes anything unfamiliar. He would be happy eating at Perkins 7 days a week, three meals a day. Is there anything there that would keep him from grumbling?
Jar of Artichoke Hearts--- what to do
Either is mine - but he likes all the other ingredients in this recipe so it's a go!
Jar of Artichoke Hearts--- what to do
That sounds like dinner tonight - I also bought Costco Polish sausage!
Jar of Artichoke Hearts--- what to do
I thought I was buying marinated artichoke hearts at Costco . because I like them chopped in salad. It turned out to be a large jar of plain hearts so now I have an " ingredient." I plan on making my own marinade to have some of it salad ready, but what are some suggestions for using them in recipes.
Change in bagels from Flakowitz?
This on is on Boynton Beach Blvd so I guess it's in Boynton Beach, not Delray and has been around for a while. They signs in the store mention it was in NY also. The bagels were fine the last time I was there a few months ago.
Change in bagels from Flakowitz?
I stopped today to restock on bagels at Flakowitz in DelRay before returning to Central Florida. When I got home and started slicing, I noticed that the bagels were puffier than I remember and the bialys seemed different too. Has there been a change behind my back?
Sturdiest French Press Coffee Pot?
I bought an insulated french press by Thermos on Amazon.. Several years ago I bought a "camping" french press at gander Mountain - it had an acrylic pot and an insulating sleeve that fit around it to keep the coffee warm. Eventually the plunger became warped and I went to the Thermos. Both do as good a job as the glass presses.
Need a vegetable side dish for shrimp etouffee and can I start the etouffee the day before?
When I make etouffee or jambalayaI have always used a recipe from the Time-Life series on the cooking of New Orleans. Simmer cleaned whole leeks until tender. Place in a shallow dish and cover with a mixture of olive oil, wine vinegar and cajun mustard ( a basic vinaigrette).. Let it sit for a couple of hours.
Pineapple angel food cake
I want to make the pineapple angel food cake that just requires a box of mix and a can of crushed pineapple. The recipes that I find say to make it in a 9x13 pan, but I'd like to use a tube pan. Has anyone done this? If so, how long did you bake it for?
Cemitas in Central Florida?
I was looking at a web site and saw what looks like an awesome Mexican sandwich. It's called a Cemita and a search of Chowhound keeps taking me to the Los Angeles board. The sandwich ( meat, cheese, avocado, chipotles and cilantro) comes on a seeded roll that appears to be specially made for the sandwich. Is there a Mexican bakery which sells them or a restaurant that serves them in Central Florida?
Your easiest appetizer
Mix a small jar of red salmon roe with an 8 oz container of sour cream. Let it chill for a couple of hours. Hollow out a round pumpernickel, tear bread into bit sized pieces, arrange on plate around bread. Pour sour cream mixture into bread. My mother made this all the time for company when I was a kid. The next day I would eat the bread bowl that the sour cream mixture had soaked into!
What to do with Ikea prawn paste?
I bought some prawn paste in a tube from Ikea this afternoon. What can i do with it besides squeeze it on a cracker?
Table decor-- what do you do with it?
Looking through all the holiday themed magazines I once again find myself envying all those people who set lush tables for dinner. My question is -- what do you do with all the flowers, gourds, leaf arrangements, magnolia blossoms, tiny ornaments etc. when it's time to eat? Is all the food on a separate buffet table and people have to get up for seconds? Do servants pass the dishes around?
Are these tables a fantasy similar to the rooms in shelter magazines where there are chairs and couches with no lamps, throw pillows are scattered on outdoor furniture and there's no TV anywhere in the house?
Do any real people decorate their table and what do you do at dinnertime?
Solo convention dining in Orlando, blah blah blah (but with lunch, I hope)
Orlando might be in Florida, but it is not a Cuban food destination. If you are out and about at lunchtime and see a Pollo Tropical you might try that., It is a chain that does decent Cuban-- grilled chicken, roast pork, plantains, yucca etc. If I need a Cuban fix, I go there since the sit down Cuban places here are nothing like the restaurants that flourish in South Florida.
Breakfast in Winter Garden-- Bistro 24
It was a lovely morning for a motorcycle ride so we ended up in Winter Garden for breakfast and I saw where Bistro 24 serves a limited breakfast /brunch menu. I liked the decor -- more like a bar than a breakfast place and there was only one other couple eating. Our meal turned out to be delicious-- a bacon panini for me, scrambled eggs, cheese and ham on a croissant for my husband. The panini was great -- buttery, crispy and hot. The scrambled eggs were a little bland, but they served a spicy sauce with them that perked them up. Excellent Italian roast coffee. They also have french toast, frittatas, etc. The bicycle crowd using the West Orange trail probably fills it for lunch, but the breakfast was a nice surprise.
Buying Lobsters in Marathon
My husband and his friends have decided that they are getting too old to dive for lobster and want to buy some from a fisherman who wants to sell directly to them. Calls to Chamber of Commerce and Dept of Fishery to find someone have been fruitless ( or lobsterless). Does anyone in Marathon know who to contact to find out prices? He will drive there to pick them up.
Planning a trip to Eastern Tennessee
Parks Mill Barbeque in Abingdon VA Has wonderful pulled pork and actually has a real mill and stream
Parks Mill
21405 Parks Mill Road, Abingdon VA, 276-628-9191
