phillybakingqueen's Profile
Where can I find walnuts in the shell?
I have tried: Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Super Fresh, Genuardis, Essene, Nuts to You, Fresh Grocer, Iovine's Produce. Any ideas? Thanks :)
Best Fine Dining Option -- Oahu
You speak my language! :)
I think I'm going to present them with the options and let them decide. Given what you and others have said, I personally would opt for Alan Wong. I just love an open kitchen....
Thanks so much, Steve. I hope I can return the favor some time!
Best Fine Dining Option -- Oahu
My parents will be in Oahu in June. I would like to buy them a gift certificate to the best fine dining restaurant. At first glance, I'm thinking La Mer. I see Hunt recommends requesting a table overlooking the House Without a Key and dining at show time. Any other suggestions? Thanks!
John Cope's Dried Sweet Corn
I am entirely unfamiliar with this product. There are two recipes on the container -- one for "stewed corn" (cooked with water on the stovetop) and one for "baked corn supreme" (baked with milk in the oven). Any ideas which is better? Other suggestions? Thanks.
The Commissary. . .
The Commissary predates my move to Philly, but I stumbled upon the cookbook years ago and make that carrot cake regularly. Anne Clark was the head baker at Commissary, and she is listed as the second author of the book. Her second career was (is) as a progressive educator, and she was my daughter's third grade teacher a few years ago. I told her that while she may think that is HER carrot cake recipe, it is actually mine! She was entirely delightful and gracious. I would have loved to try the real deal at the restaurant on Sansom Street.....
Have You Seen Fresh Meyer Lemons Yet?
I bought some at Wegmans in Cherry Hill last week.
In search of Holsum (solid, but crumbly palm oil)
I have a South African recipe for soup dumlings (perogen) that calls for "Holsum." I discovered that Holsum is a solid palm oil, typically from Malaysia (http://www.hudsonandknight.co.za/inde... It is a crumbly solid, not a creamy solid like Crisco. Does anyone know where I can find this product or a desirable substitute? Thanks!
In search of holsum (solid, but crumbly palm oil)
I have a South African recipe for soup dumlings (perogen) that calls for "Holsum." I discovered that Holsum is a solid palm oil, typically from Malaysia (http://www.hudsonandknight.co.za/index.php?page=holsum). It is a crumbly solid, not a creamy solid like Crisco. Does anyone know where I can find this product or a desirable substitute? Thanks!
Lunch Spot around 6th and Market
You'll definitely find something tasty at Fork: etc., 308 Market St.
http://www.forkrestaurant.com/specialevent2.htm
Pad Thai Shack on 18th St. is closed.
Just checked out Circles' menu -- it looks great. Thanks!
Pad Thai Shack on 18th St. is closed.
Yes, I agree. There is no great Thai in Philly. It's almost embarrassing to say that I think my favorite Pad Thai may actually be at Continental Midtown :/
Pad Thai Shack on 18th St. is closed.
Doh! Yes, I meant summer rolls. Cold spring rolls sound vile ..... Taco place looks promising, though I will defer to s/he who uses "insearchoftacos" as a username :)
Pad Thai Shack on 18th St. is closed.
I never had anything hot there, but they had really good Vietnamese-style tofu spring rolls in their to-go fridge.....
Decent lunch spot between CC and Elkins Park?
Is there a decent place for lunch somewhere between CC and Elkins Park? I'm not familiar with the area. Thanks!
Craft Cocktails and Great Bartenders in or near downtown Philadelphia?
Dave Strauss is hands down the single best bartender in Philadelphia, and Ranstead Room (where he works on Wed, Fri and Sat nights) is the single best bar. Ranstead Room is a dark drinking den with tasteful paintings of nudes on the walls. The cocktails are all $12, and the cocktail menu is there just for those who don't know how to cope with the likes of Dave asking them about what they like to drink. There is a limited food menu. The "other Dave" and Alicia are also good, but Dave Strauss is the real deal. You'll know him when you see him. (He is on vacation this week, BTW. I clearly frequent this establishment often ;)
Ranstead Room is on the 2000 block of Ranstead St. It is hard to find the first time. Ranstead Street is just a little South of Market. As you walk down Ranstead, you will see a red light on the 2nd floor of a building on the left (coming from 20th Street). The door of that building has "RR" on it. Go inside and order a Penicillin.
Food Tattoos
I hear tattoos don't work very well on the heel. Apparently, like on the palm or the side of the hand, tattoos on the heel tend to fade quickly. How about lower neck? Ankle is good too.
I think you should do something that alludes to your favorite cheese, not cheese in general. I know it's hard to pick one, but I think the words Constant Bliss (funny!) or Delice de Bourgogne or St. Agur, perhaps in the exact font/logo of the cheese would be fantastic. These of course are my favorite cheeses, you are free to choose!
I have not yet reached "geezer" status, but I recently got a tattoo the likes of my avatar :)
Best udon
NYChristopher -- I think the reason you have had no responses to your question is that, sadly, there just isn't great udon around here.... Han Dynasty on the 100 block of Chestnut has a pretty amazing (spicy!) noodle dish called Dan Dan Noodles.... Nam Phuong and Vietnam also have some great noodle dishes.
a.kitchen is a.mazing!
Had an impromptu dinner at a.kitchen last night. We were seated in the only available seats -- bar stools that abut the open kitchen. These are, hands down, the best seats in the house! I just loved watching the chefs prepare and plate all the dishes, and since my husband and I were sitting right next to each other, we could actually have a conversation. The noise level in there is deafening.
We had:
beets with broc rabe served on a thin layer of a rich, creamy, but still tangy honey yogurt.
tuna escabeche -- every component perfect by itself, spectacular together.
sockeye salmon and caramelized leeks -- simple and delicious
a.welcome addition to the neighborhood!
CAKE RECIPE ADJUSTMENT FOR PAN SIZE
I always do what Danna suggests -- find the area of the pan in the recipe and then find the area of the pan you want to use and make the adjustment accordingly. You can also just use the original recipe and reduce the cooking time. The 10" cake will obviously not be as high as the 9" cake. The 10" cake will also require more frosting than the 9" cake.
Chef's Table in Philly?
Anyone know of a chef's table dining option besides Lacroix?
Famous 4th St. Deli
Is the one on 19th Street the same/as good as the one on 4th St? I haven't been to the 19th St location yet, but it is so much closer to my house.....
California Grill Reservation?
We are a party of 4. We love eating in bar/lounge ares -- great idea -- thank you! The website shows no availability before 9PM, which is just too late for us..... Thanks for the tip!
Philly Chowhound coming to Orlando -- need advice!
Thanks Sandwich Sister! If there were 10 good Japanese/sushi spots, we'd hit them all. Thanks for adding Mikado! I'll check out Ravenous Pig and Normans after a visit to my BFF, GoogleMaps :)
Philly Chowhound coming to Orlando -- need advice!
Wow, thanks YosemiteSam! I will definitely skip Market St. Cafe, and I appreciate that you dropped the names of a few ethnic options in case we split up foodies vs. non-foodies :) Hanamizuki is on the list -- somehow Japanese pleases all. It looks great! I will look at your other suggested options and thanks for the links to general topics. We could use someone like you on the Philly board :)
