Erika RollerGirl's Profile
New Indian Restaurant coming to DT Raleigh
Does anyone have any updates as to when Mantra will be opening? The menu looks incredible.
What to do with a small smoked uncooked ham?
I have this exact same question and I don't know what to do! I just bought a 4 lb Applewood smoked pasture-raised ham that has other ingredients so I think it's already been brined but I have no clue what to do with it. It's impossible to find applicable recipes since everything seems to be for the hams you buy at the market that are already partially cooked or cured. Help!
Asian restaurants in Cary
I second Super Wok. It's wonderful authentic Chinese food. Can't beat it.
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Super Wok
7550 Dorchester Rd Unit F, North Charleston, SC 29418
Pumpkin Ice Cream is BACK at Trader Joe's!!!
We do have it in NC! Thanks for all the feedback! Unfortunately I agree with the comments stating it is not as good as the Double Rainbow version from before. It was good but it wasn't mindblowing as I had remembered it to be.
I almost prefer taking Haagen Daz Five vanilla bean ice cream and adding some Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter as a topping to get my pumpkin ice cream fix.
For all you fans of Trader Joe's tuna curry...
"I'm just glad they're back and I could actually eat the pouches I had been hoarding"
omg, i thought i was the only one, bwahaha. i literally have probably 20 packages of assorted flavors i've saved up. hilarious!
Pumpkin Ice Cream is BACK at Trader Joe's!!!
Could you please reply with your locations if you've found it? I'd like to know specifically about NC and the East Coast as we've been shafted in the past when it has come to the West Coast. Thanks.
Why isn't Home Economics more prevalent in U.S. secondary education?
I am actually planning on going to get my Master's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences (the "new" name for "Home Ec") when the economy improves because I'm extremely passionate about teaching people how to eat properly and cook. There are still middle and high schools that offer this curriculum although the sad reality is that these programs along with PE are getting cut due to budgetary restraints. I hope that by the time I finish my schooling that the government will realize that requiring Home Ec in school is beneficial and necessary to instill basic nutrition, cooking, and health skills in the young people of this country. If not, I might find myself with a lot of grad school debt and no job opportunities which I do not want to think about!
Anyone familiar with the fresh market chain? coming to latham,ny
Apparently I will be the lone dissenter here (as I have been in a previous Fresh Market thread on this site as well, just for full disclosure). Fresh Market is a joke. I live in Raleigh, NC where we have a lovely looking Fresh Market store. It's all about the atmosphere and the fairly extensive prepared foods section and *not* at all about high quality ingredients. For anyone who has said it was close to a Whole Foods - have you actually attempted to buy any organic food there? There is very little organic produce and slim to no organic/free range meats but the price tags make you think you're paying for superior product. It's ridiculous. I went in there looking for ingredients to make a short rib dish once when I first moved to the area and spoke with a clerk as to where I could find ingredients in their store and he assured me that "most of the people who shop at Fresh Market don't actually know how to cook". That's not what I look for in a grocery store. I want a place that actually carries ingredients with which to cook. I was hoping to find higher end specialty items and all I found were higher prices.
High-calorie, fatty foods may cause cocaine-like addiction
That's fascinating. Thanks for posting this.
I need a good place in the boondocks! (Wake Forest)
Wake Forest has it's own farmer's market every Saturday morning: http://www.wakeforestfarmersmarket.org/
Also, I haven't had the food there but there's a large Mexican restaurant at The Factory called Las Palmas, I believe.
I will second Tropical Pickin Chicken, their chicken and plantains are excellent.
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Las Palmas Restaurant
1004 W Georgia Rd Ste B, Simpsonville, SC 29680
The Fresh Market?
I think it's deceiving for the comparisons to Whole Foods that most people assign to TFM as they barely carry any organic/free-range/grass-fed products in their market. Sure, it's a lovely place to shop but it's outrageously priced for the same items that you can generally find in a regular market (sans the coffee, chocolate, and prepared foods). I went there looking for ingredients to cook a braised short rib recipe and when I spoke with a clerk there he informed me that they don't really carry the items I was looking for because "most people who shop there don't know how to cook." Yikes. I'll stick to a real grocery store, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.
New Years Traditions
The only real New Year's tradition I have consistently abided by is to eat good chocolate and drink champagne on New Year's eve (and day) but I think it's hilarious that we spent the holiday the exact same way - I had my own personal Skins marathon through Netflix instant all New Year's weekend! I am now a total Skins addict, haha.
Looking for sweet spice
I would definitely recommend stevia (not Truvia, or anything processed like that) or even a small amount of maple syrup or honey.
The agave syrup is something you might want to do some research on. I've read conflicting information about it's healthfulness but I urge you to do your own research and decide for yourself. Here's one such article against the use of "raw agave syrup" http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html that's worth reading.
Trader Joe's macarons - any good?
I just tried them. These are definitely going to be a "once in a blue moon" purchase for me because I enjoyed them wayyyy too much for my own good. I agree with the others who stated the vanilla was better than the chocolate but I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say the chocolate were bad by any means. Yum. I'm almost kind of sad that there's only one layer of cookies in the box at this point, ha.
Malodorous plastic food packaging (and other rants)
Ok, this is kind of weird. I read this thread a few days ago but had never experienced this until just now. I just made a grilled cheese sandwich that i could barely eat because the bread had such a strong plastic-y/chemical odor. I bought it at Trader Joe's (where I've bought bread before and never had an issue). Is it possible that a new type of plastic is being used that possibly leaches more into the contents it is holding? I'm sort of freaked out right now as I've never experienced anything quite so gross before. I think I might be tossing out the rest of the bag of bread just to be safe. Ugh.
Help! Term for politically/socially-motivated responsible carnivore?
Flexitarian. http://www.newsweek.com/id/161559
I got the term from Mark Bittman actually. I fully identify as a flexitarian, as a former vegan and vegetarian who now eats meat sparingly - only when i know that it was raised humanely and as naturally as possible, the term makes perfect sense.
I think we are a growing portion of the population who will begin to make a real impact in the marketplace soon. More and more people are following food politics and want to know where their food came from and how it was raised before eating it blindly like we've done for too long.
Gourmet magazine to close
I am extremely upset over this. There is no fall back to go to once Gourmet is gone. Bon Appetit is complete drivel compared to Gourmet. I wish that there was a way for them to do it as an online-only magazine instead of killing it completely. This is a sad day and quite a heavy blow to foodies everywhere.
real bbq beef ribs in the Triangle?
you are awesome! i just checked out their website http://www.sweetribs.com/backyard-bbq-durham-rtp-nc-restaurant-menu.html and apparently they sell them on Thursdays and Fridays only. I do believe I will be making a pilgrimage there this week. Thank you so much! Once again, Chowhounds come through (and in record time)!
real bbq beef ribs in the Triangle?
I realize this is the South, home of the pig, but there has got to be at least one place within about an hour or so of Raleigh that has good ol' fashioned beef spare ribs. I had beef short ribs at Holy Smokes Barbecue in Raleigh a few weeks ago which were good but completely did not satiate my longing for real slow roasted barbecue beef ribs (long bones, not short) with some serious char. I'm sure someone here knows what I'm talking about. I would settle even for a chain restaurant if I had to but it seems like they too only will sell pork ribs. Help please!
the Sherman Room on Sherman Way for steaks???
I'm sorry, but I want to clear something up for others considering going to The Sherman Room who might be turned off by something written in this post - The Sherman Room is hardly in a sketchy neighborhood. The restaurant is at the corner of Balboa and Sherman Way on the edge of Lake Balboa. It's probably one of the least "sketchy" neighborhoods in Van Nuys, at least if you're familiar with Van Nuys. I'm sorry that this has nothing to do with the food but that sort of descriptor irks me because it may turn someone off from going just for that reason.
Trader Joe's Pumpkin Ice Cream- Discontinued
That's a serious bummer. I was looking forward to the Double Rainbow pumpkin ice cream and had raved about it to others in hopes that they would get to try it this year. :(
Godiva Pumpkin Truffles?
The Godiva kiosk at BWI airport was giving away samples (they were cut in half) of them last week. I love pumpkin anything generally, but to be honest, I wasn't really that head over heels about these. I wish Godiva would bring back their unbelievable ice cream though, that's the best stuff on earth.
Steak 'n Shake....what's the good word?
I tried my first Frisco Melt this past week. It was also my first induction into eating at a Steak n Shake. What is the deal with the obscene amounts of grease that pour off that burger? I have never ever had a burger before that contained so much grease in my entire life. The burger could have been good if I wasn't so disgusted by ingesting copious amounts of oil at the same time. Oh, and in my opinion, the fries are not worth getting again.
Applebee's - Worst National Chain Ever?
I don't think I had ever eaten at an Applebee's until this past week. I was staying at a hotel and it was the most convenient option to walk to. I got the Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad and thought it was pretty good. The dressing was a tad too sweet but the shrimp were cooked properly and the spinach was fresh. I will probably stick to salads there if I'm ever in a similar situation again.
Here comes the new look!
it is wayyyy too bright.
There should be an option to change backgrounds if you're logged in. I honestly don't know how long I can read it at this level.
Chinese salt & pepper pork chops in Raleigh?
I know this is a somewhat strange request (and tall order) but I am hoping that someone will be able to point me to a Chinese restaurant in or near Raleigh that serves this incredible dish. This is something I would get often before I moved back here from Los Angeles and I'm having a heck of a difficult time trying to locate it here. It seemed like a pretty simple preparation with some seasonings and chopped green onions, it may have been fried but I'm not sure about that. There was no sauce involved as none was needed.
I have searched the menus on various Raleigh/Cary Chinese restaurants in search of this elusive dish and have come up empty handed. I will be very sad if I cannot satisfy this craving soon.
Thank you in advance for your help!
PS: You get my undying gratitude/love if, in addition to the pork chops, you can tell me where to get the deep-fried eggplant (i.e. it was lightly breaded prior to getting dressed) in black bean sauce I used to get up in a little strip mall in Fairfax, VA. That preparation has eluded me for years as well.
O'Charley's vs. Longhorn Steakhouse?
Thank you all for your helpful input. We shall be going to Longhorn, per your replies!
O'Charley's vs. Longhorn Steakhouse?
I'm going out to dinner later this week for ribs and the two choices in the area are O'Charley's and Longhorn Steakhouse (in Raleigh, NC). I've never eaten at either. Can anyone suggest which might be better? Please note that this is for ribs and not for burgers or steaks, but any input will be appreciated. Thanks!
Edit: I just realized there's a Chili's in the area as well, so they can be thrown into the mix if the ribs at the above choices are just abominable.
Charlotte Dissed in Bon Appetit's Resto Issue
Not yet, as I have just moved back to this area after a long stint in Los Angeles.
The point of my post was not in any way negative about Ashley or the restaurants here, it was to point out to the OP why Raleigh was mentioned versus Charlotte.
Must-Try Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
No Fin's? I just moved back to the area so I'm not sure if it's gone down hill but Fin's used to be one of the best restaurants in Raleigh, is it not so anymore?
