dr. pepper's Profile
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
My pleasure, racer. Mom's "chicken in wine" was chicken pieces baked in a few cups of the same gruesome sherry. The house would fill with the aroma of bad, oxidized wine. One summer home from college my brother and his pregnant wife lived there as well. Whenever the chicken was cooking, my sister-in-law took it as long as she could, then went into the backyard and puked heroically and retreated to the relative safety of the upstairs bedroom for the night.
We finally figured out one reason why my mother was such a bad chef. My kids had given her a cat after my Dad passed away, and one day my wife and I and Mom and Tiger took a road trip up to Maine to visit friends. Halfway there the cat shit in his car carrier. It was horrid. Gasping, my wife and I rolled down the windows. Cars in other lanes were swerving off the road. Mom looked around, perplexed, and asked what was up. She smelled nothing! We got off the highway and hosed down the carrier, reassuring Tiger that it was not his fault. Later, we tested Mom's sniffer with a variety of pungent, though less objectionable, odors. Nothing. No sense of smell, no interest in food.
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
The worst: my older brother and Dad caught trout by the dozens but we never had them fresh. They were wrapped in foil and relegated to the freezer in the old rounded-corner fridge in the basement. When it came time for fish dinner, Mom would pull the oldest, freezer-burned relics from decades past and "poach them in wine", which meant boiling them for hours in cheap, bad sherry from the endless jug that lived under the kitchen sink like an evil troll under a bridge. They soaked it up like dry sponges. She added seasoned salt for the gourmet touch. Mom and Dad are long gone, and I miss them sorely. I love almost all fish and wine now, but still have problems with trout and sherry.
who makes the best hot dogs?
CC, I was about to take you to task, but HD lover did it with truth, class and kindness. Julia Child once described "gourmet" as fresh food, well prepared by a knowledgable chef (I think part 3 is not entirely true, a rank amateur can get it right with a good recipe). And, like all things in life, it's what YOU happen to like that matters. (I'm not fond of liver or lima beans, but that just leaves more for those of you who love them.) But I think that for lunch next to a lake while camping, a couple of good snappy dogs in grilled buns with Dijon mustard and homemade sauerkraut with an icy beer is pretty damn sublime.
provisioning up in monterey
We stayed at Ripplewood - the cabins by the river were not available; ours was on the other side of Rte 1 but very nice nonethless. It was a wonderful vacation. We went with a second couple who had not been to California. We had oysters and bubbly on Pfeifer beach, hiked, saw condors over hills by the McWay waterfall. Then we had 3 days in Yosemite, 2 in Amador county, a day in Oakland with friends, 3 wining it up in Russian River and Anderson Vally, a day in Ft Bragg, and 2 more in Belmont with friends. Went home with 4 cases of wine as checkon luggage. Not a bad 2 weeks at all.
who makes the best hot dogs?
Since 1869 Rhode Islanders have sworn by Saugy's natural casing dogs. Dog lovers, I'd love to hear about your regional favorites.
provisioning up in monterey
Thank you Gail (a little belatedly). Did just that, market stuff at Safeway and fish at Sea Harvest. A bit pricey, but very good. Had cod with homemade/grown chili powder and fresh salsa, then cioppino the next night.; Got 2 heroic loaves of bread from the bakery.
provisioning up in monterey
Thank you hounds, sound advice. We were planning on the Giant Artichoke, having stopped there before. The fish market and farmer's market sound great too.
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Giant Artichoke Restaurant
11261 Merritt St, Castroville, CA 95012
provisioning up in monterey
We will be shopping in monterey for cabin cooking in big sur for a couple of days. We were thinking of getting artichokes in castroville, fish at the monterey seaport. Is there a good bakery in town, grocery store, produce mart? Thanks hounds.
restaurant in holyoke
A group of us will be in holyoke overnight for business and are looking for a decent restaurant for dinner. Any suggestions? Thanks!
a bite before the show at the Blue Note
Any recommendations for a quick, cheap drink and bite to eat before a show at the Blue Note on 131 W 3rd St? We don't mind ethnic or funky. Thanks.
One Bay Leaf Question
A friend's mom (a French war bride) smuggled a sprig of the European variety back in her cleavage, rooted it, and has several generations of offspring. We grow them in containers in N England as well. We lost a big one a few years ago (missed a watering?) but I've been used the dried leaves since. Fresh or dried, it's wonderful. with a very aromatic and complex scent and flavor. Try a few crumpled leaves in oven roasted/browned potatoes. Will try the steak trick, that sounds yummy.
Funky lunch spots in Hollywood
Thank you hounds. We actually ending up at Tark's twice for lunch and tried the manhatten chowder, blackened mahi mahi, grilled grouper, fried topnecks, fried scallops, and oysters on the halfshell. Everything was very good and absolutley fresh (the clams were shucked as we watched). The fried topnecks, hardshell cherrystone clams, were a little chewy (hey, my hometown's Ipswich, Mass, where fried soft shell clams are a national treasure) but delicious none the less. The oysters were fine but didn't hold a candle to those grown by a buddy of mine in Westerly, RI (there is nothing like a cold water oyster). The beer was cold and the chef the first trip was a character. Two thumbs up.
Funky lunch spots in Hollywood
I'll be in Hollywood for a long weekend - any local, low-key seafood places to recommend? Thanks.
What was the worst food you HAD to eat as a kid?
Ditto with the liver and lima beans.
I detested frozen brussel sprouts and would wash them down whole with milk - it was like swallowing golf balls.
Mom also made "salmon pea wiggle", a Vermont specialty: canned salmon with canned peas and some sort of sauce (canned no doubt) to goo it all together. It was served on a bed of saltines. I would carefully cut and eat the four little triangles on the corners which didn't have the wiggle on it, after which I was in for a long night.
Wine shops in Providence or surrounding areas?
Try Joyal's Liquors in W. Warwick. Ask for Dennis, the wine guy. They have a special room in back for the really good stuff. Best wine prices in RI.
What to do with LOTS of goat cheese?
One of my faves: make a marinade with balsamic, olive oil, S&P, dijon, garlic and marinate portabella caps and asparagus spears. Grill veggies. Serve the caps upside down with a good slice of goat cheese, which will soften, with 3 spears on top. Simple but very delicious.
Rancid Oil
For oils that you may use infrequently or over a long period of time, such as sesame, walnut, chili, peanut and the like, or big jugs of anything, you can prevent them from becoming rancid after you open them by adding the contents of a capsule of vitamin E, an antioxident, to the bottle and mixing. I though this was New Age hooey when I first read it but it really works. My Mom, not a gifted cook, always cooked in Wesson oil, and for years I avoided it like the plague because of hugley unpleasant childhood memories. It wasn't until years later that I realized that it wasn't that Wesson oil sucked, but the nasty taste and smell were because the oil had turned rancid. Try it!
saran wrap and corked wine
We had a dinner party last night with some wine loving friends. Among the offerings was a 21-year old cabernet sauvignon from Washington State. Alas, It was textbook corked. Someone suggested we try the saran wrap trick, so we crammed a big wad into the decanter with a chopstick and waited. After 15 minutes the corkiness had noticably diminished and we thought we could taste some fruit. After 30 minutes you really had to look for the taint. After 45 minutes it was really pretty enjoyable. There's no telling what it would have been like uncorked, but as has been pointed out, it's fine to bring a recently purchased bad bottle back from whence it came, but if it's something you paid good money for, maybe while traveling, cellared it tenderly for years until company, occasion or whim motivated you to open it, and it was corked, you are plain out of luck. It's nice to know there's an alternative to try.
Best fried Clams in Rhode Island?
Quito's in Bristol, Jim's Dock in Jerusalem, Flo's in Middletown, Faial in Smithfield (also has terrific, big, cheap cocktails). Or go up to clam alley on the North Shore of Mass and try them in Essex at Farnham's or Essex Seafood (never Woodman's!) or the ultimate at the Clam Box in Ipswich.
Weekapaug eating
Dittos for Spain in Narragansett. Crazy Burger, a BYOB in Narragansett has a wide array of burgers and main meals, some vegan, and funky to boot. Another favor is Jim's Dock, a BYOB in Jerusalem across from Galilee - wondeffully fresh seafood in a very pretty, relaxed setting. Try some fresh oysters and littlenecks from Tom's clam stand on Shore Rd. (Rte 1A). It's a mile or so East on 1A from the road to Misquamicut and open on weekends.
Any Non-Seafood Recs from NYC to Cape Cod along the I-95?
How about Vietnamese? There's a wonderful BYOB called Minh Hai just a few minutes off the highway. Their food is light and lively, impeccably fresh and well prepared and totally different from the rather standardized menus at most of the local pan-Asian places. There's an ap of paper-thin lemons and raw beef with mint and fried scallions that's to die for. Beef salad with smokey dressing. Try the hot and sour soup (last one on the menu) that is chock full of pineapple, tomato, okra, sprouts, cabbage mushrooms, lemongrass, spice - have it with shrimp, chicken or tofu. Other favorites are the tilapia with tamarind sauce, any of the sates (no peanuts, quite spicy), eggplant and tofu with spicy plum sauce, stuffed squid, chicken and spinach and, well, anything. The owner is a joy. And BYOB to boot! Take 195 to 95S. Take exit 16 onto Rte 10 N. Take the Resevoir Ave exit and go right et the end of the exit. Take a right on Park Ave a couple lights down. Minh Hai is on the left, 1996 Park Ave. Enjoy.
Do you eat goat?
We grew fond of goat in our West African Peace Corps days, where anything with horns that baaed was called "mouton" and splayed and barbequed or cut up and stewed. If anyone is in the Providence RI area, Tina's Caribbean restaurant on Federal Hill serves a nice curried goat. Mexico restaurant further down Atwell's Avenue also carries goat. I think you can buy them at Antinelli's on Federal Hill (as well as rabbits, ducks etc). Or ask Tina. Hers come from a farm in Tiverton.
what to do with great ricotta
Make your own - it's easy! Heat a half gallon of whole milk with a teaspoon of salt to a simmer, almost to a boil. Add 3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice and stir. Curds will start to form in a minute or two. Scoop out curds with a scooper or slotted spoon, drain in a colander lined with cheesecloth for one minute, place in a bowl and refrigerate. Yum yum.
Prix Fix in Providence
Sophia's on Warwick Ave, behing Greene airport, is a BYOB that has a prix fixe Wed/Thu of $35 for 2. Unlike some of the others mentioned, portions are generous - we had leftovers. Choice of app (we had delicious mussels steamed in wine & garlic and a fried pork medallion/cheese/roasted pepper Dr. Suess-ish dish), soup or salad, entree (of some dozen or so meat, fish and pasta, we chose a Tuscan grilled pork tenderloin and a gorgonzola-crusted strip steak. Both meats were perfectly cooked to order) with a veggie, potato, or pasta side. We'll definately return.
Current BYOB restaurants in/near Providence, RI
Our favorite RI BYOBs:
Tina's Caribbean - Atwell's Ave, Prov. Jamaican comfort food in the heart of Federal Hill. Love the patties, curried goat, jerk chicken.
Minh Hai - Park Ave, Cranston. Terrific Vietnamese food, very different from the other pan-Asian food in RI.
Cafe Gianna - Rte 3, Coventry - decent Italian and American food.
Crazy Burger - Boone St., Narragansett - eclectic menu, including (duh!) some crazy burgers.
Jim's Dock - Jerusalem - across from Galilee (the old RIers were a pious bunch), seasonal, great, simply prepared impeccably fresh seafood, on the water.
Phil's - Rte 1A, Narragansett. The ex-chef of Wiley's does great seafood Fri-Sat night.
Bluebird cafe - Quo Vadis shopping center, Wakefield. Limited but very good dinner specials Fri nights only, lunch dishes also available.
Main St Fish - Wakefield - generally good seafood.
Sophia's - Warwick Ave, behind the airport - very good Italian.
