scoobyhed's Profile
Birmingham & Montgomery Good Eats - help!
I definitely second Highlands over Hot & Hot, but an even better Frank Stitt restaurant is Bottega, just down the street from both places. There's a white-tablecloth side and a cheaper cafe side--both are excellent.
If you want good Southern food in Birmingham, go to Niki's downtown or Niki's West out on Finley Ave. Cafeteria-line meat-and-three. Make sure you get the banana pudding.
Jewish deli in Birmingham?
Thanks, rick. I'll check that out. Is it just a restaurant, or do they sell deli meat by the pound?
Jewish deli in Birmingham?
I know it's a long shot, but--is there a Jewish deli or any other place to get decent corned beef in Birmingham? Heck, anywhere in north or central Alabama?
Looking for great salami in Bham
Hey Sheila, just saw this post. Try Tria in Homewood. They carry Framani salami, made by Paul Bertolli in Berkeley. It's great, though quite expensive. Not for putting on white bread with miustard--it's salumi-platter type stuff. I've also seen some other Framani stuff there--soppressata and some kind of spicy sausage.
Moving to Birmingham, AL and need lots of advice (long)
As a fellow new Bhamite (moved in in January from San Francisco), let me reassure you that there is lots of good food here, and second all the above suggestions.
Two additions, though--for Thai, Taste of Thailand on Lorna Rd. in Hoover is better than Surin, in my opinion. You can order stuff "thai hot," which is actually reasonably spicy.
For BBQ, try Miss Myra's in Cahaba Heights (very close to where you're staying). Their chicken is incredible, and the pork isn't bad either. Go for the white sauce.
What to do with truffle honey?
I got a little jar of white-truffle honey from Italy as a gift with a suggestion to drizzle it over Parmaggiano Reggiano. Anybody have any other ideas for how I could use it?
Other Italian Easter bread
The previous post about a sweet Italian Easter bread reminded me of this--my friend's Italian grandmother would always make this bread I loved around Easter. It was a sort of dense bread with cheese and sausage baked in it, and was totally delicious. Anybody have any more info or a recipe?
CHOW's guide to SXSW
Knoblauch, if it makes you feel any better, the hotel room gourmet story in the guide was written a month before the thread you refer to was ever posted.
How long will membrillo last?
I just bought a tub a Whole Foods to go with some Humboldt Fog (mmm...), but now I've eaten all the cheese and have 3/4 of a tub of membrillo left. Should I keep it in the fridge or the pantry, and how long will it stay good?
using panko with chicken.....I would love your favourite recipes
My roommate and I came up with "chicken nugget" pasta with chicken and panko. Cube chicken breasts, dip in egg, dredge in panko mixed with grated parmesan, some Italian spices, and pepper. Fry and eat with buttered noodles toppped with more parmesan. Real simple, and pretty tasty.
Crispy Fried Onion Rings
For a very simple, relatively thin tempura batter, I've got a really easy recipe. Combine 1 cup rice flour with 1 egg plus enough water to make 1 cup. Dip, fry, enjoy. I usually make a simple dipping sauce out of soy, rice vinegar, and fresh ginger.
The key is that the oil be hot enough. You gotta let it heat up longer than you think. If you've got a thermometer, you want 350-375.
Rice wine vinegar vs. White wine vinegar
OP asked about white WINE vinegar. White (aka distilled) vinegar is something completely different and though useful for cleaning, it's not used very much in cooking (the only example I can think of is in the water for hard-boiled eggs).
Rice wine vinegar vs. White wine vinegar
Red wine vinegar would actually be a better substitute for white wine vinegar in my mind, if color isn't an issue. Rice wine vinegar is much milder. And red wine vinegar has a nice tannic quality that might actually match well with the lamb.
SB PARTY
Paula Deen's bacon crackers are legendary at my parties. Sprinkle Club or Ritz (I prefer the former) crackers with a little shredded parmesan, wrap with half a strip of bacon, and bake at 200 for 2 hours or until the bacon starts to crisp. She bakes them on a cookie sheet, but I put a rack atop the cookie sheet to cut down on the grease ever so slightly. They're still damn greasy, and damn delicious.
THE secret ingredient?
Cream. The secret to restaurant-tasting food is heavy cream, I'm convinced. Try it in a sauce. You'll see.
Suggestions for a Chowhound new to Birmingham
Thank you so much, all. Keep 'em coming! I'm moving tomorrow and will try to get to all of these.
Need one good book on charcuterie [moved from Food Media & News]
Chow's pancetta story has 4 good suggestions (scroll down): http://www.chow.com/stories/10131
Herbsaint Jigglers
Use twice the gelatin for the same amount of liquid as the recipe on the box. The final product will be much firmer and easier to eat as a finger food. Are you gonna top some kind of appetizer with these or something? Maybe some kind of dried fruit?
what to do with 2 lbs of leftover shrimp (cocktail) now re-frozen?
Try shrimp puffs. Great appetizer. The recipe's in the old (1973 I think) Joy of Cooking, but in essence it's whipped egg whites mixed with mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, finely chopped cooked shrimp and some spices. You put a dollop of the mix on a cracker and broil so it puffs up and starts to brown.
How to heat up cooked crab?
I'm leaving San Francisco for good next week, and as a going away present, I bought myself a whole cooked, cleaned dungeness crab for dinner. Being a Midwestern boy, I need some advice on how to heat it back up without ruining it. Is steaming or boiling better. For how long? Help!
what would you do with thinly sliced chicken breasts and creme fraiche? I'm uninspired right now.
I would skip the mustard and saute the veggies, then add a little wine vinegar and the creme fraiche, plus lots of pepper.
Sides to serve with crab legs
Any kind of steamed green vegetable seems to go well with crab, especially one that goes well with the melted butter you're presumably dipping it in. I second artichokes, but green beans, peas, maybe spinach would all work too.
How far in advance can I make......
I find with cookies it depends on the recipe. If they're crisp and shortbready, they'll last a week or more. If they're soft, they'll get hard in a day or two.
The apple pie you'll be fine. For the cream puff shells, I might pipe the dough onto a baking sheet and then freeze until the day of.
best "spike" for eggnog...
I like Woodford Reserve too, but if you're looking to spend even more on a bourbon, go with Blanton's. Mmmm...
And after you add it to your 'nog, you've got most of a bottle left for sipping neat.
Calling all favorite fish dishes
rcallner--Thanks! I had some salmon fillets in the fridge for dinner when I saw your post and did a little variation on it that turned out great. I mixed a little red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and pepper in with some mayonnaise, slathered it on and baked at 500. Awesome!
Banana Bread Odyssey...
The best banana bread I've ever had/made is, I'm ashamed to admit, an Emeril Lagasse recipe. It's got a ton of sour cream and butter, making it ridiculously dense and moist. Half a slice is a filling breakfast.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_24438,00.html?rsrc=search
I usually make it without the walnuts, and I use bananas that have gone totally brown and mushy--they're sweeter. Just throw your bananas in the freezer after they're too brown to eat. You could also add a little nutmeg or cinnamon, but not too much.
A dip or a dip mix that can be left out at room temp. for a long time?
That recipe sounds pretty good. But what is pomegranate molasses?
Molcajete (metate) How to clean the seeds out?
I would try spraying it with high-pressure water to get the seeds out. Does your sink have a sprayer attachment? If not, maybe the hose outside?
help please, making really good chicken salad
Ok, so it's not what you've got on hand, but chicken salad with just chicken, mayo, chopped basil, and parmesan cheese is amazing.
Savory Tart
Somebody posted this Stilton tart with cranberry chutney recipe on CH a few months ago. It was AMAZING.
ttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105906
P.S. It's even better at room temp than hot. Especially after sitting overnight in the fridge.
