chowaholic's Profile
Brooklyn-style food swap in DC?
Hey folks,
I'm working on a project about food swapping, and am looking for people to talk to as part of my research. Any chance any of you guys who are interested in food swaps would be willing to chat with me for a few minutes? I would be most appreciative! It's for a grad school project and could turn into something awesome!!
Many thanks in advance,
c
Do bulk bins every get cleaned?
I'm with you two. Bulk is a great way to save on all this packaging that's going in the landfill.
As far as the issues of roaches or other pests--if people think all the same stuff doesn't happen behind closed doors in the production of supposedly "clean" packaged food, they're kidding themselves.
Agreed that customers sticking hands into bins is gross, but we are exposed to people's germs constantly anyway, and if we're not, our immune system will get sluggish.
10 minute meals
Black beans and rice + good fixins. Simple meal that never lets me down. You said you've got the rice...open a can of black beans and heat. (try "ranch style" or cuban style black beans, or pinto for a change) Top with green onions, shredded cheddar or crumbled feta, and eat with half a good ripe avocado (quick prep: split it, whack into the seed with a knife, then twist to remove, and scoop out the avocado).
if you want, eat with chips and salsa. Shoot, then you don't even need to wash a fork. Be luxurious and add fresh cilantro.
No real cooking involved, but pretty healthy (esp with brown rice) and very satisfying.
Best gelato/ice cream in brooklyn?
Fortunato Brothers for pistachio gelato! Can't say about the other flavors. The pistachio tastes intensely like...you guessed it, pistachios. Not too sweet, not too rich, but wonderfully smooth. And an old school, table service italian cafe experience.
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Fortunato Brothers
289 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Best Ice Cream in Brooklyn
Have you been to Fortunato Brothers' bakery in East Williamsburg (near Graham ave)? They have excellent pistachio gelato. It's not too sweet, and it's nice and dense and smooth (but not sickeningly rich, and I really like that about it). Sit down for table service and it will be brought to you, in a little metal dessert dish with a real spoon!
I found van leewen's from the truck to be sometimes great, but sometimes just ok. From the grocery store, the pints of Van Leeuwen's pistachio are always excellent.
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Fortunato Brothers
289 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Italian restaurant serving tortellini en brodo?
Thanks, that place looks great. Can't wait to try it.
To follow up on my own post, I found that Di Gianni Restaurant in Long Island City has it. I'm gonna head over the pulaski bridge and try some this week, hopefully.
Italian restaurant serving tortellini en brodo?
(reposting from What's My Craving board)
Anyone know a restaurant that makes a great version of tortellini en brodo, that delicious broth with homemade tortellini? Any borough is ok.
I grew up next door to a lady from northern Italy, somewhere close to Switzerland. She used to have us over for long dinners and would kick things off with her Tortellini en Brodo. The broth was rich, homey and amazing, served with a sprinkling of grated cheese. It was maybe chicken broth, probably simmered with a parmigiano heel giving lots of flavor. The tortellini were delicate and hand made. Some kind of meat. I still remember trying to resist the urge to tip the wide soup bowl over to get the last drops.
It was mind-blowingly good and I'd be happy on a chilly day (like today) to find myself sitting in front of a steaming bowl.
Tortellini en Brodo, per favore
I grew up next door to a lady from northern Italy, somewhere close to Switzerland. She used to have us over for long dinners and would kick things off with her soup called Tortellini en Brodo. The broth was rich, homey and amazing, served with a sprinkling of grated cheese. It was maybe chicken broth, probably simmered with a parmigiano heel giving lots of flavor. The tortellini were delicate and hand made. Some kind of meat. I still remember her oversized old-timey silver soup spoons and the wide flat soup bowls, and trying to resist the urge to tip the thing over to get the last drops.
It was mind-blowingly good and I'd be happy on a rainy day (like today) to find myself sitting in front of a steaming bowl.
I'm looking for restaurants in all the boroughs with delicious versions of this dish, with tortellini and broth that are home made (or at least seem that way).
non-factory farmed meat, dairy in the form of local delicious delights?
Hi Thanks for this...I didn't see your post in time. Great to know about these two though.
If I recall, what we ended up doing was hitting 5 Leaves in Williamsburg for the burger. I got something else, but I think she enjoyed the grass fed burger. However, the service was very odd there! Not eager to return.
We ate vegetarian Indian at Pongal (or is it pongsri?) in Murray Hill, which was very good. Had some gujarati curries.
Since then, I discovered Fornino pizza on Bedford Ave uses mostly local ingredients.
Thanks again!
south bronx tamale gold
do you know if they're there on weekdays for lunch...oh, say...today? I've got a hankerin.
non-factory farmed meat, dairy in the form of local delicious delights?
I have a friend coming to visit Friday afternoon, leaving Sunday afternoon. She's a Selectatarian, which means that she will eat meat and dairy, but is very selective based on the source of the dairy or meat. Grossed out by unhealthy and inhumane factory farming practices, she vowed to only eat animal products that were produced in a humane way.
In practice, it translates into eating only animal products that are
- from small (preferably local) farms
- or are organic,
- or are humanely produced (some producers market this)
She's from New England, and is happy to eat local cheese because factory farms are rare (if not non-existent) in New England.
New York is the city where you can find anything, and I'm determined to find a few awesome things for my friend.
I'd like to find some of the following treats that meet the selectatarian criteria above:
- top of list: really really good pizza. thin crust. ny style? with cheese. (would try non-thin crust if good enough)
- burgers (these are easier to find, with lots of grass-fed options around like brgr...but where are the best ones? No crazy expensive ones, though)
- ice cream
- baked goods
- other cheap-ish chow-ish grub for dinner. Maybe one moderately priced meal? (I'm a student, so for me that means entree from $11-22).
- pork dishes...bbq, sandwiches (bahn mi?), pork chops, etc.
- sustainable fish
- a long shot...but an Irish/English breakfast? Other brunch/brekkie options?
- Steak? (obviously this won't be a cheap meal, but maybe a hanger steak or sirloin that wouldn't break the bank?)
- if there's an outstanding vegetarian place, always good to know
- one more thing...a bit off topic...best vegetarian dim sum?
Happy to travel. Live in Greenpoint, but will be getting all over Manhattan and Brooklyn on foot and by subway/bus.
Ethnicity of food does not matter--just that it's good. Bring on the weird organ meats if they're from a happy animal.
Price range - cheapish and moderate. I'm on a budget, and am more interested in hearing about cheaper options also because it's always easy to find high-end farm-to-table places. But I defnintely would love to know your favorite moderate spots too.
What I know about so far:
- Van Leeuwen Ice Cream truck in williamsburg...all local organic eggs/milk
- Butter Lane - cupcakes made with organic dairy
- Brgr (grass-fed burgers--I liked this place a lot)
- 5 Leaves (grass fed burgers...how are they there?)
- Porchetta (uses niman ranch hogs...should work, i think)
- Egg (for breakfast) Sparky's (dinner)
- Slice (is it any good??)
- Diner (think they have grass-fed steaks)
- Papacitos (ok, it's that they have awesome vegetarian meat-like options--seitan asada tacos, for example)
would love to expand the list!
Where to buy Grass fed beef ?
Check out eatwild.org. This site lets you find grass-fed beef sources by area. There are plenty in New England. I'm looking to find farms doing buying clubs with people in Boston, where either the farm delivers to one person, or one person does the drive in exchange for meat.
Pastry Outrage in Brookline (apologies to cupcake outrage thread)
I second that.
Especially awesome is the adzuki bean cream puff (not sure what it's called). Pastry, filled with red bean paste, and cream, of course. My BF is in the room, and I told him what I was writing about. He said "Those f#$#$@s are good!"
Hungry Mother
Here is the web site...click on "Get your name on the wall" and you'll see what's going on.
http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/
bay village: rachel's kitchen closing
Bummah! I love that place. I second the question...will the lobster roll abide?
On the positive side, Kendall will be easier for me to get to...though I'm sad that they won't have breakfast items. Rachel's Kitchen had such wonderful and simple items, like the soft-boiled egg with toast strips. In Ireland, they call those soldiers.
Good Tex-Mex in Boston?
Hahaha...I'm afraid that we Texans support a dizzying number of mediocre tex-mex restaurants with bland, greasy food catering entirely to gringo tastes. Not sure why, when there's so much good stuff to be had!
Well, maybe it's cause most people are more interested in the patio, the margaritas, and the predictability of not being freaked out by cabeza or something like that on the menu.
canned salmon strangeness [Moved from Home Cooking Board]
Yes, in the flesh...not on the surface, really. Ew! Your explanation seems likely. But glad to hear it's harmless. Thanks for the low-down.
canned salmon strangeness [Moved from Home Cooking Board]
After eating it, and then worrying about it (not a great approach), I did some research. I found on the Gold Seal web site (a maker of canned salmon, I presume):
What is the curd-like substance found in canned salmon?
A white or creamy coloured substance resembling coagulated egg white is sometimes found on the surface of canned salmon. This substance is commonly mistaken for congealed fat. In fact, it is a protein-like material present in the natural juices of raw salmon flesh that gets separated out and coagulates during the cooking process. The coagulation of these proteins is similar to the coagulation of albumen protein in raw egg white when boiled
****
Well, perhaps this is what I saw...let's hope it wasn't parasites!!
canned salmon strangeness [Moved from Home Cooking Board]
I was deboning some canned salmon for salmon salad sandwiches...and found a bunch of little white round balls in the flesh of the salmon. They are about the size of the round head of a seamstresses pin (you know, the kind with the balls on the end). They are soft and fall apart when pushed. Are they just fat, I wonder?
Anyone ever experience this?
cafe angela-a find in eastie
Dying to go. Moved up here from Texas a year ago and the cravings for good Mexican food come in waves sometimes. The closest thing to satisfaction I've found has been Tacos El Charro (mole poblano or tostadas).
Cafe Angela here I come!
Dublin
This is no longer true at all...Bewleys changed management and is more upscale and quite a good spot for a snack or meal if you're around grafton street. I had delicious mushroom soup with lots of herbs and an assortment of hummus-like spreads with good bread. (from what I recall from 2005).
cafeteria tropical JP
Been wondering about Cafeteria Tropical...now I know to try it. Fried chicken? Great, just what I need, a nearby place to satisfy that guilty craving when it rears its head.
I, too, was curious about the fish market around the corner from there. Is it open yet? Keep us posted, ye Jackson Square-ites.
Canto 6, Jamaica Plain
You reminded me, it's been too long since I've been to this place. The Pain au Raisin always left me a sad (in the best way) when it was gone. I recall delicious twice baked croissants with frangipane, too.
Ula Cafe in JP open! (long wait worth it?)
When we moved in to an apartment behind the Brewery complex last year, we saw the sign at the Brewery....Ula Cafe coming soon... we were happy to know we'd be living by a place we could grab a cup when the dreaded happened and we ran out of coffee. We watched the sign change to 'coming in 2007' and finally began to doubt it would ever open. But they are open, and their first day happened to coincide with us running out of coffee, so we headed on over, sleepily.
The renovation job is quite nice. There is a beautiful wood bar, a cool-looking pressed tin (if that is what it's called) backsplash/wall, and many other details that hint at what may have been taking so long.
But that's not as important as...the coffee. Himself had a dark roast. We were too sleepy to ask what kind, but it was a really flavorful, strong, hot cup of coffee. I had a cappuccino, which was awesomely strong, foamy, and rich. I noticed they sell Mem teas. The people were cool and friendly.
We also got a coupla scones - dried cherry & pecan. Tasty, crumbly and with possibly some whole grains going on. A scone after me own heart.
So the verdict is good thus far, and we're happy to have such a place nearby.
They have a menu, which I was too groggy to inspect...but noticed homemade granola, egg strata of the day, and maybe sandwiches. More on that later.
A few tables outside and many inside make it a nice place to sit with a friend. Can they do something about the sweaty people coming out of the gym, though? (just kidding)
chow-a-holic
Any good soup dumplings in the burbs?
I've only had soup dumplings once...Joe's Shanghai in Manhattan's Chinatown. They were interesting, but I found the soup pretty greasy and more like a red-brown, oily gravy than soup. I love the thought of soup dumplings, but wasn't so into the soup. Are they typically like that, or is the soup ever lighter and more brothy?
Back Bay Bakeries
Just to pipe up on Mariposa bakery . . . a scone I had there is easily one of the best I've had in Boston, and I eat a lot of scones. Unfortunately, I can't recall that much about it . . . only that I told the guy behind the counter that it was one great scone. I tend to like the more traditional type scone (NO frosting, not too sweet, nice crumb, kinda biscuity). Just in case that helps. Byt the way, the place struck me as a bit more of a cafe than a bakery. But perhaps they have enough baked goods to fit the bill.
Flour in the South End (walkable, if a bit of a long walk, from Back Bay) has some awesome treats of all varieties. Apple walnut snacking cake is incredibly good, the twice-baked brioche makes me hungry thinking about it. Homemade oreos, and the like.
Chocolate trip in the city & Hot Chocolate
Here's the website for MarieBelle chocolate: http://www.mariebelle.com/
excellent, but pricey, stuff. and the packaging alone makes me swoon.
Petit Robert Bistro??
okay, so I'm replying to a really old post, which in the old version of chowhound would have been pointless, but with the new chowhound, someone may come across this, so here goes . . .
Yes, we stumbled upon it for a late lunch on the weekend (which can be hard to find). They had a lunch special (until 5:00 I think) that was a good deal, like most stuff under $10. We had pate, which was excellent, and home-made too! The bread and butter were both good. It's been a few weeks, so I can't remember much more . . . oh wait! I had a frisee salad, which was topped with something fried in panko crumbs . . . an egg. and there was bacon crumbled in it. It was good, as I recall.
I would definitely go back.
