DiveFan's Profile
How do you cook basmati rice?
Agree on the soaking and rinsing. Most brands that I've bought recently are cleaner than they used to be.
Go easy on the proportion of cooking water; for one cup of rice use 1 3/4 cup water, possibly less in a microwave cooker. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to very low flame and cook for about 12 minutes. I've found it very hard to screw up cooking basmati.
Last Meal in LA? Leaving after 20 Years
Bruddah's in Gardena.
I didn't notice a glut of mom-and-pop Hawaiian restos in Chicago when I was last there. Roy's doesn't count :-).
Help Me Like Sam's Club
As a Former Sam's Club member, I'll list a few highlights vs my long time Costco membership:
PROS
- occasionally better clothes selection (Levi, Russell Athletics)
- single qty on some cookware
- accepts MC and VISA credit cards (Costco is AMEX only)
CONS
- higher prices for almost all merch
- pimps overpriced, lower quality national brands like its parent Walmart (fewer store branded items)
- not many stores in my area (could be critical for vacation ROAD HAZARD Tire repair)
- only convenient store is older with fewer amenities (no gas, food court)
Bug - multiple posts on Story comments
Well, the long standing terse message 'Error' has been replaced by a spam like multiple posting bug - see this URL:
http://www.chow.com/food-news/115788/three-rare-red-sodas-with-andy-sturdevant/
Using Firefox 10.0.4 ESR on Windows XP SP 3, FWIW.
Good luck, Engineering...
freezing stuffed peppers-blanching
I agree with not blanching them. You might want to consider blistering them slightly over the range or in a hot oven. Poblanos require this process more than bells.
When they come out of the freezer, the skins will come off easily and what's left won't be tough.
Del Taco Coming To SM Blvd. WLA
I had no idea WLA was so deprived :-). Large empty space on deltaco.com west of the 405.
Take it from the Emergency Food Gourmand, go for the Classic Taco special on Tuesday - three for $2.
Los Angeles Area Food Festivals Summer 2012
I mainly keep an eye on EyeSpyLA:
http://www.eyespyla.com/
Not all of the listings are gems, but you'll pick up on this after a while.
The LA Times used to be a good source, but it's now a train wreck IMO.
http://theguide.latimes.com/
The LA Newspaper Group has event pages, note different city selection at bottom of page:
http://events.dailybreeze.com/
BTW I wasn't impressed by the search-by-location feature of discoverourfestival.com - much too literal. Searched by Los Angeles, got Just the listings in LA proper - not any nearby cities.
The L.A. Commons site has events by area:
http://www.lacommons.org/events/
Festivals.com is also a 'somewhat thin' source:
http://www.festivals.com/losangeles.aspx
Not quite a 'festival' listing, but this food truck site is improving :-):
http://www.foodtruckmaps.com/la/location/
@LA is an ancient site, haven't looked at it in detail recently:
http://www.at-la.com/@la-food.htm
Tehina--Other uses besides making Hummus?
I'd appreciate a little more description of the flavor differences.
I've not found Middle Eastern style tahini paste to be sour, just nutty and oily in a good way.
TIA!
Tehina--Other uses besides making Hummus?
" Great served over stuff".
Couldn't have said it better.
Tahini sauce is an amazingly versatile (and easy to make) sauce.
Pretty much anything that can fit in a folded piece of pita or Greek bread will benefit.
Even the inferior (IMO) non-roasted tahini makes a good sauce.
I-5 stops worth making?
What did you like at Antojitos Mexicanos?
BTW there is (was?) a resto with the same name at the Howard Rd / Westley offramp 34 miles north. Stay away from the Mexican style cubano sandwich (includes hot dog wieners) :-(
An option for Mexican mentioned in other topics is Planeta Rojo at the Buttonwillow / SR-58 intersection. Decent tacos a la carte for a fair price.
please join my I HATE MAYO CLUB..LOL.. anyone welcome..even if you like it rop
I'm with you on the 'less is better' angle.
Some sandwich fillings (say, BLT) just work better with mayo - just put a very thin spread on One Side Only.
I don't buy the above salads premade any more because the clueless makers always use too much mayo. Store bought, mayo based cole slaw is always a disaster. OTOH note that Hawaiian mac salad also has potato that can partially compensate for excess mayo :-).
One of the worst sins is Mayo on a Hamburger! Fortunately only chain restos usually do this.
Don't understand that dislike of mayo in sauces - it's just egg and oil!
Steamed Artichokes with homemade aioli and lemon - hmmmm ........
Miracle Whip - proof of the existence of Satan!
Mint coming out my ears!!!!
Larb - the Lao / Thai dish also spelled laap and laab. Here's several recipes from a quick search:
http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/laab
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/larb-10000001809021/
http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaisnacks/r/larbsalad.htm
I prefer grilled beef or ground turkey with mint, cilantro and minced hot green chile. Very tasty and refreshing for a meat dish.
If you like south Asian cuisine, make some mint relish (minced mint + cilantro + hot green chile). Here's a representative one:
http://www.khanapakana.com/chutney-recipes/mint-relish.html
Perhaps paulj has a better recipe.
Monsoon Masala is closing :-(
Upon making reservations for a dual birthday bash we discovered that they are closing April 30. The owners are interested in suggestions for locations or alternate 'means of delivery' and can be contacted via their web site: http://monsoonmasala.com/ Not just east of the Caldecott, real estate speculation and skyrocketing rents (despite obvious vacancies) seem to be in season all around the SFBA.
At any rate, we had a great time at this Goan oriented restaurant last night. You would be hard pressed to find the variety of meat dishes outside of a Pakistani resto. The pork vindaloo, lamb and special goat curry had great depth of flavor. The chicken tikka was a fine representation of this dish, and everyone was fighting over the coconut based sauce from the shrimp curry. The chana masala was cooked with pomegranate which I don't think I've encountered before - very tasty, of course. Before the entrees arrived, we were not disappointed by the chicken and veggie samosas and the surprising tandoori paneer.
The only disappointing dish was the chicken biryani - kind of bland and without the nice crust of the Persian version. It was more than compensated for by the other plates and the above average, attentive service.
I really hope these nice people find a new home in the area for their bright flavors and exceptional staff.
Seafood resto in East Bay needed
I'm looking for a dining establishment that can accomodate a large group (~12) this Saturday night and that serves consistently good seafood.
It doesn't have to be a 'seafood only' place, just have a reasonable selection.
Logistically we prefer the I-80 corridor between Oakland and Crockett.
TIA!
Mole in a jar, what to do?
My experience with jarred mole products is that the red / poblano types are generally OK with a little dilution of poultry stock. After some simmer time, taste and adjust heat with powdered dried chile if desired.
OTOH the green 'mole' is usually just good for its thickening power (ground nuts and seed content). Besides dilution, be prepared to add fresh, minced chile and blend it until smooth after simmering a while. Homemade green moles usually contain actual 'greens', so they may be added closer to the finish. Let the recipe be your guide.
Recently more commercial moles are packaged in boxes 'ready to use'. Aside from the dilution, the above hints still apply. I was pleasantly surprised with the boxed Rogelio Bueno mole poblano - a good starter for folks new to mole.
I need Level 2 Recipes...
Even though I'm cooking more rice these days, I can't justify a fancy rice cooker.
I'm sticking with my easy-to-use, easy-to-clean and cheap microwave cooker.
Basically just a plastic bowl with a vented lid - pretty much foolproof. I haven't used it on brown rice due to the extended cooking time.
http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-Microwaveable-Rice-Cooker/dp/B0007ZK8LO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333416672&sr=8-2
I'm with the other posters who can't go carb-less. In smaller percentages, rice adds a uniquely satifying texture combined with meat, beans and/or veggies.
For example, try a Costco-chicken + rice + salsa bowl.
Another chili thread...
For 'chili pepper' I'd substitute powdered varietal chiles such as guajillo or ancho. In American chili, I usually use some powdered ground chipotle (dried green jalapeno with tobacco color) - more smoky, possibly different cultivar than the canned ones (morita - dried red jalapeno).
My best local sources are Cost Plus and Penzeys; Mexican markets are hit or miss except for whole dried chiles.
HTH!
Chorizo and Potato Tacos With Salsa Verde
@opinionated chef,
I'm also not a fan of excessive cinnamon, but don't be too afraid of it here - the qty is pretty small.
You could also substitute allspice, IMO a little more authentic in southern Mexico.
http://life-eos.blogspot.com/2012/02/mexican-style-chorizo.html
Mexican Pork Chorizo
Pati Jinich comes through!
Caught this Chorizo episode on Create TV:
http://patismexicantable.com/2011/05/episode-109-chorizo.html
The sweet potato and chorizo 'salad' has moved to the top of my list ....
Ethiopean - Berkeley/Oakland?
For reasons I can't recall we usually end up at Red Sea or Addis in Oakland.
On the last visit, I had one dish that was unexpectedly great was gomen - spiced collard greens.
The only 'complaint' that I've had is that after dark, you must bring a Flashlight to read the menus! What's with the overly dim lighting?
Mexican Pork Chorizo
Just noticed this new recipe for 'Chorizo Scotch Eggs' in the page bottom 'scroll':
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30315-chorizo-scotch-eggs
Looks like a winner!
Truth About Blender HP
@mikie is correct about the 'inefficiencies'. Power output at the blade will always be less than power input.
One unmentioned factor is the design of the 'power train'. The motor speed will be geared down to increase torque. A proprietary part of the design relates to the inherent tradeoff between torque and rpm. Other more subtle factors include blade and container shape, etc.
Ultimately the proof is in 'the using' and then considering, is it good value for you?
What Are "Frying Tortillas"?
As I implied, the 10" size isn't huge or commonly used. I just prefer that size as it doesn't put me into a caloric coma (burritos set to Stun, Captain Kirk :-). It is also the likely size used in smaller frozen burritos like Ramonas.
CBC does carry quite a range - IIRC the largest Romero size might be used as a sleeping bag ... In national brands, Large usually equates to 12", Extra Large to ??.
IMO the 6 and 8 inch flour varieties are just the table side 'bread' in Mexican households - fajitas are Tex-Mex items mostly found in Americanized Mexican restos.
What Are "Frying Tortillas"?
Thanks for pointing out that a commercial supplier is producing some thinner corn tortillas.
However, I'm not 'buying' their recommended usage.
IMO tacos should be served only on doubled 4.5 inch tortillas; a thinner tortilla would be better! The larger singles will often fall apart after the filling liquid soaks in (unless fried).
For chips and strips for chilequiles, a sturdy, thicker corn tortilla is better; they also don't burn as easy when frying.
Romero's is almost the last resort for the superior (and endangered) 10" burrito size flour tortillas. Smaller is too small for burritos, and larger is for folks that need a huge caloric intake :-).
ktichen torch
Ahhh, wish I knew about that inversion issue before I got my torch.
Nevertheless, it's used more often for blistering chile pepper skins off than plumbing :-).
What to do with old non-stick cookware?
RECYCLE!
After much searching and dead ends, I've found this site to have some good, up-to-date leads for local recyclers with free dropoff options:
http://earth911.com/
Unfortunately government sponsored programs are invariably a hard to navigate, maddingly incomplete matrix of recycling options. In this large county we have curbside bins for 'CRV' type bottles and cans and a weekly dropoff point for e-waste and household (toxic chemical) waste. Period. Grrrr.
need new stockpot--go for quality or price?
I'll second that recommendation for the 'tapered edge' plate bottom.
I have an otherwise serviceable s/s Revere stock pot that will scorch the food at the edge of the plate disk if not very careful. Most 'celebrity brand' plate bottom pots and pans have this sucky design.
I'm in the market for an inexpensive 8 qt-ish pot and the Winco product looks good.
http://www.wincous.com/ProductShow.asp?ID=72
Costco Business Center also carries the Restaurant Essentials brand s/s stock pots with the same thick tapered bottom plate.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11649573&search=stock+pot&Ne=4000000&Mo=6&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Browse=1&Sp=S&N=4037733&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BD_564&whse=BD_564&D=stock+pot&eCat=BD_564|11113&Ntt=stock+pot&No=2&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&Nr=P_CatalogName:BD_564&topnav=bdoff&s=1
Above and similar (usually Chinese made) brands are common at restaurant supply stores.
If the OP only steams or cooks thin soups, an old school Granite Ware (brand? style?) enameled steel stock pot is very inexpensive. I'd almost give mine away if you're in the area ...
If budget is less of an issue, go for the Vollrath pot :-).
Mexican Pork Chorizo
I'm not opposed to offal, but most commercial Mexican style chorizo produced NOB is way too fatty, doesn't have enough meat and the (lymph nodes?) texture is offputting. If you can't find a good locally made brand, it is easy to make your own:
http://life-eos.blogspot.com/2012/02/mexican-style-chorizo.html
The 'ground pork' can be any combo of your favorite pig parts.
Surprisingly, I've never found chorizo from local carnecerias to be too spicy.
If you really like chile heat, go for a chorizo and rice stuffed chile (relleno).
How to Find a Microwave Oven's Wattage?
I don't trust any unqualified power rating on the label, so I measure it myself. This particular meter is widely available:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882715001
The label seems to indicate a maximum power input rather than typical average consumption. Any consumer device I've measured uses a simple power cycling mechanism - more time on, higher average power input. The power *input* does not reflect how efficient the appliance is.
BTW those idiots at Sharp put their label on the Inside of my microwave where it has largely disintegrated ......
Food Festivals/Events??
I've found Eye Spy LA to be good for a event 'heads up':
http://eyespyla.com/activities
