CoteGal's Profile
Any recommendations at S&P Oyster in Mystic?
I'm sooo jealous! I grew up in that area so I can make some recommendations but you have to REALLY like seafood.
WHOLE Clams with the bellies are just the BOMB
A broiled seafood platter with scallops, cod etc is the best way to go. DON'T GET FRIED!!
If you like clams, get the steamers. They are cooked & steamed clams, dip them in the brine and then the butter. YUMMY.
Please have some for me too!
A stop in New Haven at Pepe's is a must do...Best pizza in Connecticut (and I grew up there!)
Trish
What type of flour should I dust on Sweet Potato to make Crispy Sweet Potato fries?
I don't deep fry my sweet potato fries but lay them on a cookie sheet, spray them with olive oil, sprinkle them with herbs and broil them. Not quite as good as the deep fried variety but still yummy and better for you!
what foods does your city have that mine doesn't?
Do you have HIPPY'S ring bologna and Good's Chips? Those are the BEST!
Those crazy French! How do YOU eat your burger?
Ground Buffalo grilled medium
Toasted bun OR I make a grilled cheese and put the burger between that
ketchup ON TOP
chopped scallions
If I use lettuce I use Romaine
fresh tomatoes from the garden
I also use this formula for Boca Burgers
Pie Crusts
Thanks so much With! I'll try this next week~~~
Oh GOSH darn it all...it only takes a 1/4 cup of vodka so I get to drink the rest? I see pomegranate martinis next week as I make the pie.
Your favorite vegetable dishes
I saute onions and several cloves of garlic in olive oil then add chopped zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, cauliflower and /or broccoli then throw in a mix of pitted Kalamata olives, pitted black olives and some pimento stuffed green olives. Add some Summer savory or herbes de Provence. Serve over some toasted foccacia or ciabatta bread with Feta cheese topping.
Cooked my first Lobster - Did I do something wrong?
Lobsters always stink up the house so you probably did nothing wrong. They are YUMMY
Best decaf coffee?
Google Sprouts.com
Sprouts is a "farmers market" type store out here in the western US.
they may not have a store in your area so you can always feel free to contact me and I'll send some your way! The "Mesa Orange grove" is a full bodied but mellow blend......not bitter.
Let me know
Trish
Best Sandwich you ever had?
Muffleletta from Central Market in New Orleans~~~I thought I had died and gone to heaven
ANYTHING from Chompies Deli in Phoenix. GREAT NYC style Jewish deli with sandwiches 2 inches thick. The MishMosh soup is to die for.
Best decaf coffee?
I've been off caffeine for several years now and swear by Sprouts "Mesa Orange Grove" whole bean. Their breakfast blend is pretty darned good too.
Basket or rack for steaming lobsters
I agree with FlyFish. I have never used a rack to steam my lobsters either and follow the same technique as he/she does (adding some Old Bay to the water of course).
Anyone tried Mercola's enamel cast iron cookware?
I am a die hard LeCreuset fan for enameled cookware. Yes, it's expensive but it is an investment to last a lifetime. I am fortunate to have outlet stores in my area and a family friend who works there so I get the outlet price plus 50% off. I've been slowly buying up pieces to add to my collection.
Fried whole belly clams
I was born and raised in CT but haven't been living in that area for almost a decade but I remember a couple of place in SE CT that might still be as good as they were then for whole belly fried clams. Maybe some residents of that area can chime in and give a review?
Unks on the Bay: Rope Ferry Road in Waterford CT
Fred's Shanty: Pequot Ave in New London CT
Flander's Fish Market in Niantic CT or East Lyme CT
There was another place in Noank and I can't recall the name of it. Sorry
Hope this helps
What did you grow up eating? typical meal? (moved from Manhattan)
I grew up in typical suburbia in the 1960's and 70's near Hartford CT. Think of that show "The Wonder Years", every other house on the street looked like mine. My father was a better cook than my mother and what was atypical was that my mother worked full time instead of being a stay at home mom. Dad worked swing shift at UTC. My mom was a functional cook but nothing spectacular and since she worked it was all about convenience. I remember eating the basic three, a protein, a starch and a veggie for dinners. Breakfast was OJ and cereal, lunch was a sandwich on Wonder bread with a piece of fruit and some cookies and dinners were always the same things:
Spaghetti with ground meat sauce
Fish Sticks
Liver and Onions
Creamed chipped beef on toast AKA S.O.S.
Spam
Chicken, baked or grilled
Meatloaf
Sloppy Joes
Hamburgers/hot dogs
Instant potato buds (BLECH!!!)
pork chops
Minute Rice (BLECH!!!)
canned vegetables
Salad was iceberg lettuce (ONLY) with tomatoes and cucumbers or iceberg lettuce with peaches and Miracle Whip.
Basically everything we ate growing up was unseasoned and bland. My mother (bless her heart) thinks that black pepper is hot! It was only after I left home that I became a real foodie and started experimenting with recipes and herbs and things I never savored as a kid. Eggplant! Sushi! Tofu! Herbs and spices! Now I make almost everything from scratch because I can control the amount of fat and sodium and actually create flavorful, healthy dishes.
What to do with 2lbs cooked lobster
You can always send it to me!!!! We're kind of lacking in crustaceans out here in Arizona. I can't think of anything more than what these good people have posted except maybe use it in a Lobster Dip, lobster salad or use as a filling for crepes or an omelette
Pie Crusts
My problem is that they come out tough so I'm thinking I'm overworking the dough so it might be technique as Lisbet suggested. I also have warm hands and live in the desert where the daytime temps often hit 115 degrees so why am I even baking anything anyway? Maybe I should consider investing in a marble board and putting that in the refrigerator before rolling the dough out.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
Trish
Best Sandwich in Phx?
I'm really fond of Chompies deli. Their pastrami reubens are especially messy.
But then I'm a displaced east coast gal.
Pie Crusts
You know how everyone has that ONE thing that simply frustrates them and they just can't seem to master? Mine is a decent pie crust. I can cook or bake just about anything except I have a terrible time with getting a decent pie crust. I've tried everything, making sure the butter was cold, water was ice cold and I either overwork it or my proportions just aren't right on. Does anyone have a fool proof recipe for pie crust estupidos like me? Let's call it "Pie Crusts for Dummies"
Many thanks
Trish
aka CoteGal
Southwestern corn salad?
I live in Phoenix and have an awesome recipe for SW corn salad:
(you can also use the fresh corn and make some chipolte corn bread.....a little spicy but yummy with pulled pork and cole slaw!)
Trish's SW Corn Salad
4 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 fresh green chiles, chopped (or one can drained & rinsed)
1 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (wear gloves)
1 Cup fresh black beans (or 1 can black beans rinsed well)
2 Cups jicama (hee-ca-mah) julienned
1/4 cup scallions, chopped including greens
1/4 Cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Red bell pepper, chopped
1 Dried Chipolte pepper, reconstituted and finely diced or one Chipolte pepper canned, finely chopped (if you don't want to use the pepper, you can substitute some chipolte hot sauce instead)***this ingredient is optional
Dressing:
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
3 limes, juiced, about 1/4 cup
1-2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1-2 Tsp sugar
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Adobo to taste
Black pepper to taste
Mix all salad ingredients. Blend dressing ingredients~~~Adobo to taste.
Let marinade for 3-4 hours before serving.
***Chipoltes are a little on the hot side so omit them if in doubt. You can always add some heat to the dressing with Chipotle hot sauce or any other hot sauce you wish
What is your region famous for?
Best fish taco's I ever had were in Baja and San Diego.
Backpacking food ideas?
I backpack around Arizona/Utah all the time in desert heat and swear by always taking lots of protein with me. So for breakfast I bring HB eggs (they will last 2 days without refrigeration) and precook Canadian bacon, wrap it in foil and then eat it cold or reheat it in the foil over my backpacking stove for a few mins). Beef jerky, instant potatoes, flat packets of tuna, pita bread, ramen noodles. I'll get one of those Mountain House red beans and rice and mix the shrimp in it for an instant "jambalaya". Dried fruit, especially apricots and banana chips for the potassium.
Since we hike in the desert and usually have to carry 7-8 liters of water with us, we are all about packing lightweight food!
What is your region famous for?
Where I grew up:
Grinders
Quahogs
Chad Roe
Awful Awfuls or Fribbles
Cabinets
Black and Whites
Packies
Guess where?
What is your region famous for?
WHO mentioned PLOYES??? My heritage is French American and my grandparents are from the Madawaska, Maine area. I love ploye! Boudain or Boudin as they made it in Maine was also known as blood sausage and used pig's blood as well as liver and other parts to make a sausage. The Louisiana Acadians use rice although it is called boudain blanc or boudin blanc.
