Need rec for good seafood in Flushings

I am looking for a place to celebrate my father's birthday in Flushings. We will be 5 adults and 1 child. Being Han Chinese, they do love seafood, especially crab, lobster and fish. So suggestions for places (and/or specific dishes) that specialize in seafood would be especially appreciated.

I'd prefer not to go Cantonese because I am a bit tired of Cantonese seafood. Having lived in Shanghai and Taiwan, my parents tend to favor that type of cuisine but I'd be willing to try different regional food as long as it is good and we can get a few good seafood dished.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing all your suggestions!

mielimato in Outer Boroughs

Child friendly recommendations in Girona?

We have a 6 month old in tow and need recommendations for restaurants in Girona city center.

We are not looking for anything specific and are opened to all options of foo. Just need somewhere relatively causal and child friendly.

Thanks!

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

New Years Jerusalem

Hi! I will be spending the New Year's Eve in Jerusalem. Any suggestions for a nice celebratory dinner? It doesn't need to be a fancy place--just good food and festive.

Normally what to people do in Jerusalem? Have dinner with family and then party with friends?

Will most of the restaurants be fully booked? Aternatively, is street food another option if everything is already booked?

Thanks!

mielimato in Middle East, Southwest Asia & Africa

chorizo -- let's discuss!

I'm going to Andalusia this weekend to help my inlaws slaughter 2 pigs and make sausages! Every year they make 4 types--chorizo, morcila (blood sausage), butiffara blanca ("italian sausages") and salchicon (cured dry sausage). It will be my first time so I will be taking lots of notes. I'll report back with the details of the chorizo making process.

A few things I know ahead of time:
1) often casting made with cow intenstine rather than the pig. Cow is more durable and easier to work with.
2) Traditionally, spanish chorizos are not smoked. They are made fresh and put into the casting. Over time it is dries out and becomes more "cured" in flavor and is harder. At this point you can eat it raw like you would a salami.

My favorite way to eat chorizo is fried when they are still fresh. And eaten along side a fried egg and a good piece of bread.

Chorizos are used in lots of soups and stews. Callos cooked with chorizo is popular. Cocido madrilenos is also really popular--that's a meat soup with chicken, hen, jamon, beef bone, big chunks of chorizo and blood sausage and garbanzo beans. That's one of the things that will be cooked up during the family dinner this weekend. It is a really hardy wintery dish.

mielimato in Home Cooking

what to do with gelatin?

What kind of spicy dishes would you use the stock for? Thanks!

mielimato in Home Cooking

what to do with gelatin?

We made pigs feet the other day so now we have a pot full of the liquid that the pigs feet were cooked in. It is basically a huge gelatinous blob.

What can I do with it? Can I treat it like normal stock and use it for things like risotto? Will everthing turn out sticky if I do that?

Thanks!

mielimato in Home Cooking

Help me plan a Chinese Banquet for 15+ ppl

Next weekend I will be going with the inlaws to a tiny town in the south of Spain to participate in the annual pig killing/sausage making event. While everyone is busy mixing spices and onion with pig blood and stuffing it into innards, I have been asked to cook the family meal.

I’m going to cook a modified Chinese banquet (I’d like to introduce some of my family traditions to the table as well). There will be about 15 people. All Spanish and avid meat eaters! The audience runs the gamut from the principle sausage maker (a 60 year old woman who is quiet fond of Chinese food since she worked in a Chinese restaurant for several years) to more conservative people who do not have any experience eating cuisine that is not Andalusian.

I would like also to keep things relatively simple because it will just be me cooking and I still need to do my share of sausage stuffing!

Ok, there is my tentative menú list.

Big pot of Chinese style oxtail soup with tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions
Rice noodles with beef and leeks
Eggplant with pork and black bean sauce (or braised shittake mushrooms with Shanghai greens)
2 roasted chickens with five spice powder

An alternative to the chicken, which is not totally traditional, is Lion’s head.

Please let me know what you think. Any other suggestions or substitutions?

mielimato in Home Cooking

Decent sushi in Barcelona

Wow, just saw some pictures of this place. I am really excited! This is exactly what I have been waiting for! Can't wait to try it out. Thanks for the tip!

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Tips for keeping spring rolls crisp

I am bringing spring rolls to a Thanksgiving potluck. Any tips for keeping the spring rolls crispy? Last time I did this, rolls turned a bit soggy by the time they arrived to the party. Still good but no crunch.

I have been frying and putting the fried rolls on a paper towel to dry off. The rolls ended up being stacked on top of each other. Should I place on a metal rack this time? Spread them out more so that they don't stack up?

Thanks!

mielimato in Home Cooking

Need Rec for Italian in S. Philly

My husband and I would like to take our family for a nice Italian dinner to announce the arrival of our new baby! We are looking for a family-style restaurant (but not too loud) that serves good food. Not too gimmicky--I think I can do without singing waiters. BYOB would be great. My husband and I both have lived in Italy so we are more partial to "Italian" Italian food but I can appreciate well cooked Italian American myself. I'm thinking a nice family-style dinner of really good Osso Buco, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, etc. $20-$30 per person price range.

I've read good things about Dante and Luigi's. What are your thoughts? Any advice would be well appreciated!

Thanks!

Edit: 1) Party size is for 5-6 people 2) I do mean Dante and Luigi's not Franco and Luigi. Thanks for the correction.

mielimato in Pennsylvania

Thanksgiving in Barcelona

You can go to any poultry stall in your local market and pre-order it. Ask them how much advance notice they need--probably three days will do. I don't remember how much I paid for my 20lb turkey but I remember it being pretty reasonable.

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Anybody try this spanish canned seafood?

Think of this place as a more casual, less touristy Quimet i Quimet. It is located in a small fishing village just outside of Barcelona. It is not a uber-fancy place--in fact, it is where fisherman and locals hangout for a modest beer and a tapa or two. I suppose there are super expensive items on the menu but generally things are quiet reasonable--3-6 euros for a seafood tapa. So I don't know where Bourdain gets his figures but the vast majority of the items are well within the range of most people's pocketbooks.

They make and serve their own canned products, which is what distinguishes them from Quimet. But if you are interested trying this stuff at home, you can try ordering more commercially available canned goods that are also very high quality like the Cuca brand. They sell very good clams, mussels and tuna in various sauces. It might be a good alternative because Cuca is probably more readily available to order online.

mielimato in General Chowhounding Topics

Thanksgiving in Barcelona

The Hotel Arts has served a Thanksgiving buffet in the past. Alternatively, you might want to order a turkey and cook it yourself, if you have access to a kitchen. The thanksgiving turkey that I made in Barcelona a couple years ago was hands down the best turkey I've never had in my life and I am not a big fan of turkey--incredibly moist and flavorful. Since turkey is not as big of a deal there, it tends not to be as mass produced and hormone induced as the stuff you get in the States.

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Korean Hot Pepper Paste/Powder

I bought a big plastic containers of korean hot pepper paste (taeyangcho gochujang). Can I use this as a substitute for hot pepper powder? I'd love to make soondubu. I have all the ingredients except for the powder. It would be great if I could just use the paste. Thanks!

mielimato in Home Cooking

Barcelona - Help!

This it probably too late for the original poster, but for future reference, I would have to agree with djmedi4 about La Fonda. It is an incredibly touristy place--geared more towards backpackers who want to have a "nice" dinner out. I went there many years ago when I was touring Barcelona for the first time as a college student and was on a budget. It served its purpose then but I would not recommend it to a foodie looking for places to eat. There are plenty of affordable places that offer more authentic, better food. La Fonda should definitely be taken off the chowhound list of recommended places in Barcelona, if it was ever on it in the first place.

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Barcelona..."bistronomic"?

Here's the link to the menu at Goliard below. I love this place. One of the best deals in town. They take traditional dishes and add a modern touch--not as experimental as some but just enough. Entrees are about 10-13 euros but portions tend to be small so you'd probably need to get a first, second and desert. The wine selection is also very reasonable.

http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/barcelona-carta.asp?restaurante=goliard

Dishes that I have enjoyed

Pastel frio de berenjena, "mató", y tomates secos con anchoas (a kind of moussaka of eggplant, fresh cheese, dried tomatoes, and anchovies)

Ensalada de pie de cerdo con trompetas (Pig feet salad with death trumpet mushrooms--sounds odd but if you like eating things with exotic textures, this is great!)

Rape con calçots y vinagreta de avellanas (Monkfish with spring onions and hazelnut vinaigrette)

Cigalas a la plancha sin trabajo con garbanzos salteados (grilled crawfish out of the shell with sauteed chickpeas)

both the tart tatin, semicuit and panna cotta are marvelous as well.

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon over Xmas/NY with Vegetarians

Personally, I would stay away from restaurants that describe themselves as vegetarian in Spain. The few experiences that I have had have been all pretty awful--over-cooked, really oily vegetables, bizarre uses of tofu and seitan. There is not a long tradition of vegetarian cooking in Spain so it is all really trial and error--more error, in my opinion.

Here are some options in Barcelona:

Good vegetarian options, however, can be found at more modern Spanish restos. Mama cafe, in the Raval gets market fresh produce from the Boqueria and makes lots of yummy stir-fries (all with a Catalan touch) and revueltos (scrambled egg dishes that are staples of Catalan homecooking).

You might also want to go to Origen 99.9, a local chain specializing in traditional Catalan foods and uses locally produced and sustainable produce. They have both veg and non-veg options. A really good place to sample local flavors--try their cocas, which are like mini-thin crust pizzas with various vegetable toppings. Good place to try local cheeses. As a well as local olive oils and wines. They have multiple locations around the city.

If you are interested in going to the Gracia neighborhood, you might want to check out La Llesca. It bills itself as a bbq place but it has wonderful grilled veggie dishes (cooked on wood burning fireplace), cheese platters and salads. Plus it is cheap and very local.

Llesca

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=la+llesca+barcelona&fb=1&view=text&latlng=13856521973420263018

Mama Cafe
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/catalonia/barcelona/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654630238

Origen 99.9

http://www.origen99.com/web/en/index.php

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

OCTOBER 2008 COTM: Batali

Yay! I can actually participate this month!

I don't own any Batali books so any recommendations? Which one is the best as a Batali sampler? I already own Marcella's Essential Italian (and love it) so I'd like to get another Italian cookbook that compliments my Marcella without getting too much overlap.

mielimato in Home Cooking

Galicia, Markets

This is a great post! I will be in Galicia this summer for about a week and am really look forward to exploring the markets. We will have a kitchen and hope to do a lot of shopping and cooking of local produce. Greens like kale and turnip tops are a bit diffiuclt to find in the rest of Spain so I am especially excited about visiting Galicia.

How are these greens usually prepared?

And pulpos for breakfast....I am looking forward to this trip already!

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Substainable farming in and around Ann Arbor

I will be moving up to Ann Arbor from LA this September and am interested in getting involved with organization committed to substainable farming. I'd also like to learn more about the local farms especially those that grow and farm organic and free-range produce and meat products. I've hear about the Community Farm Kitchen. And know that there is a active Farmer's Market.

Does anyone have any experiences with the Community Farm Kitchen? Care to share you experiences?

Or advice as to where I can learn more about information about local products, farms and organizations?

Thank you!

mielimato in General Midwest Archive

What to do with whey

I am making milk curds for the first time today. I use the solids to make the curds. What can I do with the whey? Any suggestions? I'd hate to throw it away! Thanks!

mielimato in Home Cooking

Food-Related Architecture in Madrid & Barcelona

Are you looking for more modern architecture or historical? There are some more historical suggestions:

For ancient architecture, you might want to visit the ancient roman ruins at the City History Museum where you can see how the ancient Roman made garum (fish sauce that was highly prized in the ancient world) and wine. http://www.museuhistoria.bcn.es/eng/museu/index.htm

There are an expansive set of paradores around BCN and Madrid. These are castles and monuments that have been converted into high end hotels with restaurants that specialize in traditional cuisine of the region. I've stayed at a few and dined in the restaurants...have not been impressed but the buildings are always spectacular.
http://www.parador.es/en/portal.do

Caelum in Barcelona is a great place to buy traditional, medieval sweets (all made by nuns and monks). They serve a beautifully dark and thick hot chocolate that I love. The downstairs was a Jewish bathhouse. Very medieval.
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/catalonia/barcelona/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654668089

For perhaps the most historically important Modernist restuarant, you should visit Els Quatre Gats. I have not heard great things about the food. But it is a great place to get a cocktail or a coffee. It was the watering hole of Picasso, Rusiñol and the Spanish intelligensia of that time.

If you are interested in food production, you might want to tour the wineries in the Penedes (a couple hours outside of Barcelona). I really enjoyed the tour given at the smaller cava maker, Romagosa. Also food markets like the Boqueria have spectacular architect (no one bothers to look up because the food displays are so beautiful but the building itself is amazing). In Madrid, you might want to look into visiting Mercamarid, the world's second largest fish market, second only to Tokyo.

mielimato in Spain/Portugal

Long weekend in Santa Monica/Malibu

oh yes, how could i forget to mention the banana chocolate danish???!!!

mielimato in Los Angeles Area

Long weekend in Santa Monica/Malibu

I like both Neptunes Net and the Reel Inn, both of which are on the PCH, for a causal beach side lunch.

The Reel Inn has decent food. Display case of fresh uncook fish. You order what you want, tell them how you'd like it cooked, and they call you when it is ready. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. On the patio, you have a view of the sea and can watch the surfer's surf (although the bad thing is that you also have the PCH between you and the ocean). But it has a great causal, beachy feel.

Neptune's Net is more of a dive. Plus the food is not so good...you can have thing either steamed or fried. I'm go for the sandwiches (and icy cold beer). But I love this place because of the vibe and ambiance. Also on the PCH, you can see the sea and watch all the bikers on their Harleys roll in.

mielimato in Los Angeles Area

Long weekend in Santa Monica/Malibu

I love Snug Harbor for breakfast. It has a great 1950s small town diner feel but with a LA touch. Plus I love a place where I can sit at the counter, watch the cooks make hash browns and sip a cup of coffee while I read the newpaper.

Another good place for breakfast is Almandine on Wilshire (near Bundy) not far from Snug Harbor. They have the best French pasteries on the Westside (beautiful coissants, danishes, broiche, etc.). They also make good French omelettes and quiche. Plus, they are run by the Japanese so you know the food is more quintessentially French than anything you can find in France.

mielimato in Los Angeles Area

Food blog question

Didn't see that! Thank you!

mielimato in Not About Food

Food blog question

I am thinking about starting my own food blog...yes, I know, how cliche. The site would be only for personal enjoyment and to make family and friends jealous of my food and traveling experiences. I don't have any hopes to making money off of it (or gain critical acclaim, for that matter). So I am not planning on doing anything fancy...just need space to post lots of photos and try my hand at food writing.

Have suggestions, tips, advice?

Should I use a free hosting service like blogger or pay for hosting services (typepad, etc.)? What are the pros and cons?

Thanks for you help!

mielimato in Not About Food

Fish Sauce for sneaky umami effects

Do you mean garam? The ancient Romans made different varieties of fish sauce from fermenting fish and shellfish much like how fish sauce is currently produced in Thailand and Vietname. Now you can see it as a condiment in high-end restaurants in Spain as well.

When a Italian recipe calls for anchovies and I don't have any handy, Squid brand fish sauce comes to the rescue. I tell my dogmatic Italian friends afterwards and they always look at me in disbelief.

mielimato in Home Cooking

Kohlrabi---how to prepare and recipes

I recently made a Thai papaya salad with Kohlrabi instead of green papaya. It was delicious and refreshing.

Another Kohlrabi salad idea: thinly slice Kohlrabi, fennel, and mushrooms. Toss in a Parmesan-lemon-garlic vinagrette.

mielimato in Home Cooking