Hoosierland's Profile
THE NEGRONI
I love a negroni. Lately I have been making a variation with rye instead of gin, can't remember what it's called.
Types of animal meat you've tried
Ate at Carnivore back in '98 as well. I remember warthog, zebra and gazelle being on the menu. In Malawi I tried hippopotamus. There was a cull due to overpopulation and the butcher shop in Lilongwe had it. Of course we had to buy some and have a braai. It was fine tasting, but so tough as to be inedible. We later found out most people bought it to give to their dogs.
Had lake fly cakes in Malawi as well, fishy and dry.
Had donkey in Zanzibar, it was marinated and grilled; fantastic!
Have eaten grasshoppers and flying termites in Uganda, grasshoppers are a good bar snack, termites are not so good.
Breakfast in downtown Indianapolis
The Canary Cafe (621 Fort Wayne Ave) is a nice somewhat eclectic place for breakfast downtown as well. Small and independent it has been my first thought for breakfast in downtown Indy for years.
Also try the City Cafe (443 N.Pennsylvania St.). I have never made it for breakfast, but I know the eggs are very fresh and the breakfast menu sounds fantastic. If the lunches are anything like the breakfasts, it might be the best hole in the wall in downtown Indy.
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Canary Cafe
Indianapolis IN, Indianapolis, IN
Uses for whey.
A friend of mine makes whey pickles, don't know how he does it exactly, but it involves soaking cucumbers in whey (and probably many other things).
Southeastern Indiana
I am working in IN Congressional District 8 and would love to know some good lunch places I can stop at. Not too expensive. I am from Indianapolis but will be spending most of my days anywhere from Terre Haute to Evansville, including Greencastle, Vincennes, Princeton and all towns in between.
Any produce stores/markets in chinatown?
The Giant up at 8th and O is actually pretty good, and not too far from Chinatown. There is also a supermarket at 11th and M/N that has a decent selection of ethnic foods and produce. You can get everything from njera to eel brood in brine to imported coke (made w/ real sugar) to whole rabbit there. Don't worry about the smell, you get used to it.
BW3 wings - Ugh
I worked at one about 15 years ago, and at least at that time ther was no difference between the wings on the discount day and other days, except we made piles and piles of them, so some might have sat around longer. I kinda like the sauces and atmosphere, but since the other local places have shut down they actually have some of the best wings around. I do like the buffalitos the best as you.
Pizza in Indianapolis
I assume that is what knielson2 is talking about, though I have never noticed the place. I guess it could be way north as they are putting in lots of roundabouts in Carmel.
Union Jack is still there, but I haven't eaten there in years. Last I remeber the quality was way down compared to my childhood memories.
authentic Italian in Indianapolis
I have also eaten there many times over the years and always thought highly of the place. We were shocked at the reaction from Arturo, and have unfortunately vowed never to return.
ISO Chain Mishaps
I once wen to a Steak n' Shake and got a chix sandwich. I was busy reading the paper and after the second bite I notice the texture was awful. I looked and it had not been cooked. Raw chicken sandwich!!! I was disgusted, but got many free meal coupons out of it. And as a college steudent, was fairly appeased by that.
My wife now insists on eating at KFC fairly regularly. The same order (10 bone-in wings with buffalo sauce) has come out screwed up in so many differet ways that the manager greets us when we come in and personally takes our order, also, we never pay for soda, they just give us cups for our wait as they make our whole order from scratch.
Black vs. White - Truffle Oil
I think white truffle oil has a beeter flavor, and actually tastes of truffle. The black is interesting, but really dosen't taste of real truffle. Of course they are all generally synthetic flavorings in olive oil. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the flavor of real truffles is so delicate it would doubtfully work well in an oil, you would probably be dissapinted in a real truffle oil if you could find one.
Williams-Sonoma $6.50 cupcake and other food items
The pannetone is pretty good, and makes fantastic french toast. That said a good Itialian deli will have the same for half the price. The moravian cookies are really addictive too.
You have to realize that even though O probably does try many of the WS products she endorses, WS tells her what to recommend. She gets a kickback from this.
need Ugandan recipe for potluck tomorrow [Moved from Africa board]
The easiest hot dish is probably a luwombo. My wife is Ugandan and we make it sometimes. Essentially you take a pot with a steamer basket in the bottom and line the whole thing with banana leaves. Fill the leaves with onion, tomato, kale and mushrooms (or any other veg you have, though mushroom is the classic veg luwombo). Add some stock (usually just water with a bouillon cube) and steam the whole thing until well done. Peel back the leaves and serve. (A good variation is to add thinned peanut butter with the stock)
Also a popular snack to make would be cassava with kichumbari. Boil or steam peeled cassava (sold as yam in US groceries) until starting to soften. Drain and let dry fully. Then fry in vegetable oil until golden. Kichumbari is essentially pico de gallo, tomatoes, onion (preferably red) and peppers (typically jalepenos), mixed together with a little vinegar and salt.
Another popular side is cabbage salad. My wife makes it by thinly shredding a white cabbage and onions. Put all that in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until cool and the cabbage is somewhat limp, but still with a bit of crunch. Mix with a little vinegar and salt, and serve with sticks of green pepper and round slices of tomato and carrot.
Luxor Restaurant, Indy
Anyone been to this place in fountain square? Any good, authentic dishes, what is best, are they on their feet yet?
Good Pho in DC?
I think it was called Pho Saigon, but it hasn't been open for a couple of weeks now. I don't know if it is closed for good, closed for renovations or just closed because the construction next door is such a pain. I hope they come back. It is the only decent pho in the city.
Secret Food Myths - Let the De-Bunking Begin!
If you are used to only putting a pinch of salt in your pasta water, than removing it all together will not change it much, but if you put lots of salt in (as I have heard "as salty as the sea") then the pasta has a remarkably different and imo better flavor.
I feel that the amount of water has to do with the type of pasta and on altitude. At higher altitude it is much harder to cook pasta without it becoming gluey. I like lots of rapidly boiling water there, but here at sea level I cook spaghetti in a skillet with just an inch or two of water.
CSA and Farmers' Markets: Indy
C.S.A. - Community Supported Agriculture is a joint venture between the grower and consumer who wants to eat fresh, minimally processed, locally grown food. Community farmers may operate in a variety of ways, but usually have a form of membership with a financial and/or time commitment from the consumer to support the work on the farm. Fees are usually paid up-front for an amount of food delivered over a period of time defined as "the growing season." Many times C.S.A. members can be involved in the harvest and distribution of the produce. Some C.S.A.s deliver their goods to a location closer to their members.
CSA and Farmers' Markets: Indy
Grew up in Indy, and after many years am looking to move back. I am currently enrolled in a CSA and love going to farmers' markets, but don't know much about what is going on in Indy. Can anyone point me in the direction of some CSAs and reviews of the farmers markets? The only one I know of is in the BRHS parking lot, but have never been.
Also, if there are any new restaurants that just have to be tried I would love to hear, and tell me if any of the older places are still worthwhile (like Bazbeaux). Thanks.
Meat Loaf Lightener
Mine is very whit trash, and very high sodium, but it is what I grew up on and nothing can substitute. I use a strip of saltines per pound of meat, one chopped onion, a small can of tomato sauce and one egg. Season with pepper only. Most would find it rather dry, but I cannot suffer those meatloafs with mushrooms, peppers, or other veg; a bacon wrap; or a slather of ketchup on top.
celery
First, celery keeps for quite a while if wrapped in aluminum foil and kept cold. I always seem to want it when I don't have any, but other times have a bunch for weeks without using it. It is good in stir fries, as a flavor base for soups, stocks, stews and sauces. Also I like it simply braised in a bit if chix stock.
Can Roe be considered Vegetarian?
Etymologically vegetarian means eats only vegetables. So many people did not add the ovo-lacto part that the term became confusing and eventually vegetarian came to mean Ovo-lacot-vegetarian (and occasionally the infuriating pesca-avio-ovo-lacto-vegetarian). Those who wanted a true vegetarian lifestyle therfore had to invent a new word to differentiate themselves from those "I'm a vegetarian but I eat cheese, sushi and bacon" crowd.
Anyway, a vegetarian could not eat roe and even an ovo-lacto-vegetarian would be hard presses to explain why they eat it. Just think, would a vegetarian eat those fabulously tasty immature eggs from a freshly slaughtered hen?
British Cooking Recipes: let's hear 'em...
What exactly is an English breakfast without meat? As I recall, bacon and sausage (often blood) are major components of said meal. I guess with eggs, beans, tomatos, mushrooms and toast it is still a full meal.
Gourmet Food without Wine? Not in His Kitchen!
I think it has to do with the income from the booze. Many restraunts would be running at a loss without the money from liquor coming in.
British Cooking Recipes: let's hear 'em...
Try kedgeree, one of the strangest and most wonderful breadfasts in the world. Essentially rice with curry powder, boiled eggs and smoked fish.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/kedgeree_11358.shtml
Cote d'Ivoire tomato sauce
One of those spices might have been grains of paradise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grains_of_Paradise
Bitter Lemon Soda
I used to drink this stuff all the time in Africa. Not only is it refreshing on a hot day, but it makes a fine mixed drink with gin, vodka or whatever other local distilled clear booze is available. I like the schweppws stuff, but can only get it from specialty suppliers like http://www.britishfoodshop.com/shopexd.asp?id=202
