amyzan's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Kansas City Missouri, Costco
I haven't seen truffle butter at any of three KC area Costco stores (but I haven't been to Lee's Summit location.) French onion soup is in the freezer case at all three last time I shopped. I was pleased with the quality of Coleman organic chickens, which we found alongside the GoldKist product. It's more expensive, and completely worth it for more flavor, IMO. You'd need an ice chest to get those home safely, yes? Thanks for the warning on the smoked salmon, which I was considering for the holidays. Now I know to look elsewhere.
Chowhound Post
Krause Dining in Lawrence closing
Was there any discussion on the show of why that's happening? I'm curious if it's the economy or more of a personal decision. I have the impression that Lawrence isn't particularly good at supporting restaurants with a higher price point, but have no idea if that impression is justified.
Chowhound Post
Eggs+All Clad=Sticking Mess
I don't have a dishwasher. I do have hard water however, and the water at the kitchen sink is untreated in this old house. JR, I think you solved the mystery. Mineral deposits built up after the first few months of use have probably caused the poor performance. I'll use baking soda during the final rinse to buffer the minerals and dry the pan right away. Thanks.
Chowhound Post
Eggs+All Clad=Sticking Mess
Yeah, okay, ss is nonporous, but bleach still isn't appropriate. BKF wasn't cleaning off this residue, or baking soda, with the nylon scrubbie.
Chowhound Post
Eggs+All Clad=Sticking Mess
Kelli, it's not a good idea to clean ss with harsh cleansers, steel wool, or anything with bleach as they get into the metal's pores. The residue wasn't coming up with a nylon scrubbie. What are the 3M green pads you mention made of?
Chowhound Post
Authentic Chinese in Kansas City MO
KC doesn't have a Chinatown, but there are several markets. Most will have foodstuffs from many different Asian cuisines, rather than just Chinese, etc. There is also a Chinese association, if you're interested in cultural festival: http://www.kcca-ks.org/main/home.html
I'm afraid the best you can hope for from Chinese restaurants doesn't rival what you find on the coasts, but I've had some entirely decent food from Bo Ling's, Pine and Bamboo, and Jen Jen's. Bo Ling's dim sum is best if you go close to opening at 11 am on the weekends, when the carts haven't steamed dishes to death. Don't bother with their Chinese American dishes at dinner. Jen Jen's is good for Hong Kong style seafood, in particular. Though it's a bit pricier for the portions, they do a good job. Unfortunately, the rice is not as good. It's really rather hard to find everything clicking on all cylinders at Chinese restaurants here.
There is also some good Japanese food in the metro, and Korean and Indian, if you are interested in those cuisines as well.
Chowhound Post
Eggs+All Clad=Sticking Mess
This from that linked thread really cracked me up: Jacques Pepin is very funny about this. He says (insert accent and manner): "I have a pan like this that I don't use. Why don't I use it? Because it sticks. Why does it stick? Because I don't use it."
Thanks, I needed a laugh today!
Chowhound Post
Help! I Need A Traditional Southern Cornbread Recipe for My Cast Iron Skillet
Use a recipe that calls for making a mush with boiling water. Use stone ground meal, not the really fine stuff. Don't use much if any sugar, and always heat the fat in the pan in a hot oven before pouring in the batter. The CI recipe Antilope posted is a good one. You can make it even leaner without the baking powder and sugar, but the CI recipe covers many people's tastes without veering off track.
Bill Neal has a recipe for company corn bread made without a mush, if you want something a little richer and to my taste, not so traditional. Many North Carolinians would know his name, if you care to give him credit:
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 Tbsp. butter
This will be thinner in a ten inch skillet, and will cook more quickly than in a 9 inch, but both will work. Place skillet on medium low heat or in oven to heat. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk. Melt the butter in the preheated skillet and tilt to coat, then pour the excess into the liquids and whisk again. (This will work better if your liquids are at room temperature, but if they're cold and the butter hardens, don't fret.) Pour the liquids into the dry and mix quickly before pouring into the hot pan. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 23-30 minutes, depending on the size of your skillet.
Chowhound Post
How do you use fresh fennel trimmings? Or do you?
If I don't have an immediate use for fennel stalks, I'll freeze them to use for stock making later. They're good in chicken, seafood, or vegetable stock, particularly if you're making a soup with delicate flavors. I'm partial to potato leek soup or chicken pot pie made with fennel in the stock.
Chowhound Post
Costo membership - worth it? must-tries etc.
So, to clarify, you all pay $39.60 for 100 Forever stamps in CT, Brooklyn, and SC? Kansas Costco members pay $43.75 for the same.
Chowhound Post
Why is frying food unhealthy?
This is what I've understood to be the case, too. The undesirable component of most concern is trans fats, when the oil has been used beyond the point where it should. I'd also like to add that there are restaurants who are more responsible than others with frying food. They are few and far between, but I've eaten at a few. It's a special pleasure to enjoy food fried in olive or rice bran oil, which have a delicacy and flavor you don't often find. I'm of the mind that fried food is a treat, not an every day indulgence.
Chowhound Post
Costo membership - worth it? must-tries etc.
In what part of the US does Costco sell postage at a discount? Here it's merely a convenience, excepting that they bought up the Forever stamp and now sell it at 25 cents off the cost of 100 at the current rate. So, Costco saved on the deal, but the member only saves 25 cents and a trip to the post office. Not complaining, by any means, but I would love to know where they sell at 10% off, in case I travel there!
Chowhound Post
The Laws of Diminishing (Culinary) Returns
Interesting thread. To me, some techniques are worth taking the time, and I can't hurry a dish that benefits from time. Which is not to say that there are steps not worth the effort or time, but with experience, I learn to read a recipe and streamline where appropriate or, even add steps if the recipe is already too shortcut to yield good flavors. It's my experience that the diminishing returns phenomena is more a matter of whether I enjoyed the process or felt harried and hassled by it.
Chowhound Post
Wanting a good Thanksgiving buffet in Kansas City
http://www.kcrestaurantguide.com/cale...
Scroll down the calendar for this year's listings. I'm sure there will be more as we get closer to the holiday, so you might want to bookmark the page if you aren't making reservations quite yet. Hope this helps!
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Sorry to hear about your friend, so sad.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
I am under the impression that the phenomenon you describe is more a result of processing than of the proteins being similar. I'd be interested to read more about the proteins being similar if you have a link or other info.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Yeah, I think part of my problem is higher expectations than the usual diner has here. I grew up in central Kentucky, where there was more emphasis on manners. I'm just not as accustomed to the Midwestern informality, which has its charms unless there are conflicts to resolve. Its humiliating to have servers sigh, raise their voices, stalk off, or treat our table in otherwise conspicuous ways, just because we asked for a little extra service or communication with the kitchen.
I'll look up Bill Hunt; thanks!
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Okay, I see that you live in NorCal, so I shouldn't have made the assumption we have similar experiences. I live in the Midwest, and people here have less formal norms of behavior, excepting in fine dining where there is more training and/or experience. I generally find that when I'm polite about special needs, the server follows suit. There have been notable exceptions, however, and we don't usually return to those restaurants unless we find another server with whom we are simpatico.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Sighing, looking away or above my head instead of continuing eye contact, shrugging shoulders, talking to other diners about me instead of talking to me, those are the behaviors, c oliver, since you press the point.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
No, many servers are gracious despite my special needs, and I tip accordingly. But there are umpteen little ways servers communicate (mostly with body language) that I'm a PITA. I'd bet you know what I'm talking about, c oliver.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
I'm wondering if this couple is on the verge of closing with their restaurant, Normandie. There was an article earlier this year where the chef said he wasn't making much in the way of profits. Apparently, they're living off his wife's tips, and I figured out she's the one who left the message on Mom's voice mail a couple hours before our celebratory meal. I'm uncovering a rather sad story by delving into this restaurant's press. It's so terrible that passionate people cooking local food are suffering so badly during this economy.
Chowhound Post
Leftover canned pumpkin?
Add the pumpkin to your liquids before mixing with dry ingredients. Try replacing half the milk or buttermilk with pumpkin, but you may need to add back in an extra tablespoon or two of milk or buttermilk, so that the batter will still pour without spreading too much. It may take a little finessing, and you may want to let the batter stand a few minutes, as the pumpkin is high in fiber.
Chowhound Post
Chestnuts!
Here in eastern KS, there is a local grower who has planted Chinese variety trees that are doing quite well. http://www.chestnutcharlie.com/ I usually buy a few pounds and shell them to keep in fresh water in the fridge for a few weeks. I'll make chestnut rice or braised chicken with chestnuts most often, from recipes in Hiroko Shimbo's cookbook, The Japanese Kitchen. If there are any leftover, i either dry them in the shell, then peel for storage, or make candied chestnuts. I've not yet found an entirely reliable recipe for candied chestnuts, though. I have visions of mont blanc at Christmastime, but the harvest seems to be too early here. They've always been eaten up or dried by that time.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Without getting technical or scientific, Bite Me, I can allay your concerns just as I did the chef's. People who are allergic to legumes are allergic to the PROTEIN, not the fat component of the vegetable. I cannot eat beans, peas, peanuts, miso, tofu, etc. but peanut oil is so highly refined in this country, that it doesn't present a problem at all. Now, if I was a world traveler, I would probably have to avoid peanut oil in countries where there may be varying degrees of refining of the fat from the proteins.
Science about allergies and sensitivities is changing. Of course, there is room for debate on this issue. There are the old line of allergists out there who say total avoidance is the only way to go. We learned in the 90's that this approach often lead to multiple chemical sensitivity, not so good. Most allergists have come to understand, though, that desensitization under carefully controlled circumstances except for all but the most severe of allergies is a safe and effective approach. But, when I posted here about this situation, I completely expected someone to question my and my allergist's opinions. That's why I qualified my story so much.
The chef showed me his level of ignorance on allergies when he came to the table to check that almonds were okay. Tree nuts aren't botanically related to peanuts, and are a complete other family of allergens. I understand his concern in the face of such ignorance. He owns his restaurant, and in this economy, a lawsuit could likely undo him. That is why I didn't name him or the restaurant in this post. I respect his work and take full responsibility for my health. He doesn't know either of these facts when choosing to serve me, however. I recognize the position I put him in, but was a little surprised at the handling of the situation. The restaurant's approach seemed unprofessional.
Chowhound Post
Mezzaluna - Kansas City (Waldo-ish)
Hilarious, inbiz! Thanks for letting us know, SMS, I might've wandered in there otherwise.
Chowhound Post
Hounds with allergies, question for you...
Yeah, I would love it if servers might view my specialness as a potential for a bigger tip, but no, most of the time I'm just a PITA. I reward good service, but I suppose there are diners who don't after asking for a little extra help.
Chowhound Post
Rec's for fun, not-too-expensive Sunday dinner in KC
Consider Julia(n) in Brookside (915)214-8454. I don't know what they're doing this Sunday night, as it's usually a special menu, so you'd want to call. They only have Boulevard beer, so that's something to know ahead, too.http://www.juliankc.com/
If you don't mind a drive and a leisurely pace to your meal, Justus Drugstore in Smithville is fantastic food at what I think are reasonable prices considering portions and how much he's supporting local foodways. You'd want to call for a reservation, which might not be a problem last minute on a Sunday. http://www.drugstorerestaurant.com/ju...
To be honest, Sunday nights are a bit of an issue for fine dining in KC, but Lidia's has a great brunch at a set price per person. The location is beautiful and fun, in part because you can walk across an old trestle bridge to Union Station and have a look around at one of the more beautiful old buildings in KC afterwards. http://www.lidias-kc.com/ Bluestem is good, too, though I've had weird experiences at brunch on Sundays--hungover, neglectful service, food that was inedibly salty. I do think dinner is more reliable, but they don't serve dinner on Sundays.
Chowhound Post
What's The One Thing You Can't Eat, even for money.
Maybe I'll have to start thinking of it as lengua to disassociate myself from the animal further...
Chowhound Post
What's The One Thing You Can't Eat, even for money.
or oral, as they got all up in my business about the beef tongue! I still want to try it some time, just have to work on my nerve...
Chowhound Post
Olive Oil Name Your Favourite
IF you like grassy notes in your olive oil, that is! Which is not to say I don't, but I always tell people on big boards like this something about the flavor of the Costco Tuscany evoo. Many Americans aren't accustomed to that soon after harvest flavor that's so popular on the west coast. Not saying anything disparaging here, just offering info.
