dexters's Profile
Special dinner date for two in Danbury area...
Have you been to La Zingara in Bethel? It is excellent food, romantic atmosphere
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La Zingara
8 P T Barnum Sq, Bethel, CT 06801
TK's Danbury, CT
We frequent TKs on occassion when we get a hankering for wings. It is a bar, but they have tables and booths in the back with waiter service. Every time we have gone, we have our kids with us (ages 5 and 3), and there are usually other kids there too, so you won't get any odd looks.
Which of Bobby Flay's Manhattan Restaurants is better? Mesa or Bar Americain?
Wondering if this place is kid friendly? I have some friends coming into the city on Sunday, and they want to eat here. But I don't have a sitter and have to drag my 2 kids along.
Stainless or Anondized Aluminum: Which is easier to care for?
Hm. I didn't think about the disc bottom issue for the saucepan/stockpot.
So for your $200, what would you get? I thought about doing piecemeal, with anodized saute pans and aluminum saucepans. But even just getting the Tramontina stainless set that CI rates highly at WMT, I'm only at 3 dishes and that puts me close to the $200 for the Costco set.
I need: 3 qt saucepan, 10" saute pan, 8qt stock pot and a 4qt chef pan.
I'm also purchasing a lodge 10" skillet, and a 6qt Tramontina dutch oven.
The items I have which I will keep: 2 qt Le Creuset, 1 qt stainless All Clad Saute pan, 8" SS AC, LC grill pan, and a Circulon non stick skillet (for eggs, pancakes, etc.).
Stainless or Anondized Aluminum: Which is easier to care for?
I don't typically burn things to the point of being scorched, but it is more an issue of putting in the onions to soften, then my 2 year old climbs up on the dresser in his bedroom, and I have to run off to rescue him. So the onions don't get stirred, and some of the ones on the bottom are a bit browner than I would like.
I'm not too concerned about the oven temperatures. I have some Le Creuset and I'm also buying the Tramontina 6qt Dutch Oven that I'll most often use for stove-to-oven dishes.
Thanks for your help. I'm thinking I may get some stainless sauce pans, and the anondized aluminum saute pans, since that seems to be my main issue. But then I end up paying more to piecemeal my set.
Alton Brown on Sunday Edition on NPR
I did not catch the special, but I was shocked when I saw Alton on the most recent Iron Chef. I googled to find out if he has disclosed an illness. He looks gaunt to me. But maybe I'm just used to more of Alton to love. :)
Stainless or Anondized Aluminum: Which is easier to care for?
I'm deciding between the two sets at Costco.
One is the stainless set: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11257108&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|89|56625|54916|55004&N=4017654&Mo=21&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=55004&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&hierPath=89*56625*54916*55004*&topnav=
and one is the Circulon Anondized Aluminum:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11286800&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat=BC|89|56625|54916|55004&N=4017654&Mo=21&No=2&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=55004&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&hierPath=89*56625*54916*55004*&topnav=
I'm fairly comfortable with the performance of both. What is boils down to, is ease of use and clean up.
I have a few All Clad stainless pans that are a PITA to clean. I'm guessing this is b/c I've not been using them correctly.
But, the truth of the matter is that I have 2 very young children, and I often get distracted by their various hi-jinks while I am cooking. So sometimes food is left of a bit longer than it should be, and it burns to the bottom of the stainless pans I have, resulting in some serious elbow grease. I'm wondering if the aluminum would be easier clean up? We typically do not put pots/pans in the dishwasher, so that is not a factor for me.
Any guidance is most appreciated.
Circulon Premier Professional Set
Wondering if any of you have purchased this set have any feedback on it now that you've been using it?
I've been debating b/t this one and the stainless one, also at Costco. I keep coming back to this one because I abhor cleaning the stainless AC pans I have.
Must-try affordable eats [London]
Finally tried Princi this week. It was wonderful. I had a mixture of two salads: fennel and orange & farro salad with tomatoes, green beans and onion.
Also had spinach & ricotta pastries, and a bottle of water for under a tenner.
I'll be going back to check out the pastries next!
London - with kids, reccos?
I have two kids as well, and I have taken them to all of the below places with good results.
Ottolenghi is wonderful. Your kids will delight with the pastry selection. They also do takeaway, so you could get a meal from here for a picnic or dinner at your flat.
Royal China at #11 Baker Street is wonderful for Dim Sum.
Tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. The setting is what makes this place so special, especially on a sunny day. You can tie this in with a visit to Kensington Gardens and The Princess Diana Memorial playground if you like.
I like the Golden Hind for fish & chips. Has a bit more space inside than your standard chippie, so it is a good place to rest your feet if you are at Regent's Park. The proprietor is very friendly and welcoming towards the little ones.
For dinner, Boxwood Cafe is a Gordon Ramsay restaurant at the Berkley hotel that is kid friendly (if you go for lunch or an early dinner, of course).
Waitrose is a good grocery store to stock up on supplies for your flat.
I definitely recommend you seek out some Turkish places as well. All the ones I am familiar with are not in your neck of the woods, so I'll defer to the others.
Also, do be sure to seek out some cheese. La Fromagerie on Marleybone High Street (just down from the Golden Hind) is excellent, as is Neal's Yard at Covent Garden.
Go wander around Borough Market. It is amazing.
Have a wonderful trip!
Red wine and Star Anise? Have you made this braise?
I did this with a pork belly. It was a Jason Atherton recipe. Here is the link.
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/603081
It was delicious. I need to make it again, now you have me craving it.
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
Last night I made the turkey meatballs with sweetcorn, with the roasted red pepper sauce. I typically don't love mince turkey, but I haven't been let down yet with this book so I gave it a whirl.
These were really good. I was kind of surprised at how much I liked them, since I thought the idea of corn in a meatball was odd. I only used 2 peppers for the sauce, as that was all I had, and it was still more than adequate quantity. The sauce gave the meatballs a great zing.
I also made the granola bars last night. OMG. So good. I have eaten nearly the entire pan already. With 95 grams of butter, this granola is in no way healthy, but it is delicious all the same. I will make these again and again.
ALSO, (I'm on a roll lately!), I made the carrot, apple and pecan muffins this morning. I have yet to bake them off as I don't have liners. I did have to add a bit more water to the topping than the 1 tsp. called for to get the "coarse, sandy texture". If the tasty batter and topping is any indication, these will be another fabulous item.
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
I've seen ground rice in the baking section of my supermarket.
Surprisingly, the only thing I can't find are the jarred vine leaves!
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
I did like the flavor. I would probably amp it up with more horseradish, but I didn't want to overwhelm my small children. I used the Stokke's jarred horseradish.
One think I noticed about the Quinoa salad is that it did improve drastically as it sat out & cooled down. He says in the book to eat it when it is completely cool, but I was a bit rushed to get dinner on the table so it was still a tad warm when I served it. I liked it and I will make it again.
The swede salad also improved overnight as the flavors permeated the swede and celeriac. My 18mo. old son just demolished the leftovers, which surprised me since he wouldn't touch it last night.
Next up are the carrot, apple and pecan muffins, and the granola bars. I'll report back!
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
Thanks for the tip. I made the mistake of going to Sainsburys at 4 on a Sunday, and it was completely demolished of almost everything. I should know better. : )
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
Tonight I made the Camargue red rice and Quinoa salad.
My store was out of rocket, so I used pea shoots. I think rocket would definitely be better, as the peppery flavor would add a bit more bite.
Overall though, I did like this, as did my kids. My husband thought it would be better with bacon (but isn't everything?).
I also made the Sweet & Sour Celeriac & Swede. This is fine preparation for 2 veggies that I am usually uninspired with. I would make a bit more dressing than called for in the recipe (or maybe I used too much veg).
The swede salad is on the left, and the Quinoa is on the right in the photo.
Also, I made the Chargrilled Broccoli with Chili & Garlic last night and very much liked it. Didn't taste as good as it does in the restaurant, but very good nonetheless.
Finally, I made the Smashed Potatoes with Horseradish last night as well and found it a bit dry. I think my proportion of dressing:potatoes was off. I need to get a new scale!
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
Also, were you able to find the small cucumbers? I bought some of the mini ones as they suggested in the book, and they really did seem to have much more flavor.
I liked this salad very much. I think it would be fantastic on a hot summer day.
Mysterious Sicknesses at Fat Duck affect 400
I was wondering why there wasn't a thread on the topic already! I wonder what will happen to HB's reputation and that of the Fat Duck.
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
I don't typically buy the paper, but I may have to. I did a search and several of the archived columns came up on the Guardian's website. Are they above and beyond what is in the cookbook?
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
Thank you so much Candy for starting this thread! I am fortunate to live very near a branch of Ottolenghi, and eat there relatively often, but I had never even noticed the cookbook. I picked it up yesterday and stayed up way too late reading through it. I am heading back out today to pick up a few more copies to mail back to some friends in the US.
Tonight I am making the Chargrilled Broccoli with chilli & Garlic (p. 41), & the Salmon with red pepper and hazelnut salsa (p. 139).
Ottolenghi [The Cookbook]
This thread has inspired me to go eat there for lunch today. I think I'll buy the book too and join you guys as you cook through it.
I love this place!
Nineteen Ten: The BEST Burritos in London at the Westfield London!
Mucho Mas on the Islington High Street closed and a Chilango opened in its location. They were giving away free burritos over the weekend, so we waited in the long queue to try one out.
My husband and I both had steak and it was really good. Easily the best burrito I've had in London. The steak was juicy and flavorful, and the guacamole was fresh. I got a chicken burrito for the little one, and it was quite good was well. Moist & tasty.
The only thing that I thought was a bit strange is that I think they used basmati rice. Not authentic by any means, but I'm not complaining. I'll definitely go back.
Green Lanes - Kebabs
I went to Cirrik II today and it was very good. I had the set lunch, which was a terrific value at £6.50. I had the chicken shish, which was grilled over a hot charcoal grill and very moist and flavorful. It was served with delicious Izgara soƒan, (grilled onions in a pomegranite sauce), an onion salad with chili and a shepherd salad, all with fresh hot Turkish flat bread, including soft drink and a Turkish tea. The Izgara was sweet and delicious, and the onion salad with chili was superb. Service was friendly and efficient.
Popped down to Antepliler to pick up some pastries to bring home for the family, but unfortunately for them they all got eaten on my bus ride home.
Substitute for chipotles in adobe?
Glad it worked out! You've got me craving the dip now so I am going to break into my stash of chipotles and make it this weekend.
Substitute for chipotles in adobe?
GG- There is a Mexican store in Bethnal Green that stocks Mexican groceries and has chipotles. I just went there last week to pick up a supply for myself.
http://www.casamexico.co.uk/about.php
Cool Chile Co. also makes some. I believe they have a stall at Borough.
http://www.coolchile.co.uk/
Laissez les bon temps roulez - Need Help with a Fat Tuesday Menu
I'm not sure I'm up for deep frying for a crowd--I find it too labor intensive at the last minute. I'll have to save that delicacy for my own kids, who I know will scarf down some fried oysters.
But I do like your idea of a muffelatta! I had forgotten about those. My kids are obsessed with olives, so I know those would go over huge.
Laissez les bon temps roulez - Need Help with a Fat Tuesday Menu
Oh wow, your party sounds like a blast! What other drinks do you serve? I have to make everything from scratch, as I live in London and there is certainly no Pat-O's hurricane mix sold 'round these parts. ;-)
Thanks for the assurance on the red beans & rice and the jambalaya. I made a Gumbo d'Herbs a few weeks ago (from a WS cookbook) and it was mediocre at best. I'm almost afraid to try it again.
Cafe Brulot: yummmy! My husband has a soft spot for flaming drinks (he has a predilection for Flaming Dr Peppers), so he will love those.
Laissez les bon temps roulez - Need Help with a Fat Tuesday Menu
Yummy, that looks divine. I'll have to hunt down some smoked sausage, but I'm going to make that for sure.
Laissez les bon temps roulez - Need Help with a Fat Tuesday Menu
Thanks ever so much for typing that out for me...it looks so yummy.
What would you consider ham seasoning? And Kitchen Bouquet?
Laissez les bon temps roulez - Need Help with a Fat Tuesday Menu
Duh- Emeril didn't even occur to me! I like the look of that creole sauce. I think I'll give it a dry-run this weekend and see how it is.
Thanks for the links.
I made Gumbo a few weeks ago, and it was mediocre at best. I'm scared to try it again!
