gala's Profile
ALDI Stores: Quality Products at Deep Discount??
I so hope someone from Aldi ever reads this. I used to live in New York and was addicted to Aldis, especially for baking items. Their dark German chocolate bars are just heaven and I sorely miss them.
also their Appleton hams are the best supermarket ham I've ever had. Not surprising since Aldis is a German owned chain. I desperately miss always having one of those hams in the fridge. There is certainly no equivalent here in Washington state.
Bottom line the best thing about Aldi's is the attention to quality. And it's so inexpensive that if you don't like something you try out, it's no big deal.
Aldis and Trader Joe's are owned by the same people. I just wish that Aldis had the same commitment to less preservatives and additive that TJ's has. I am extremely allergic to MSG and it's in way too many things at Aldi's.
But for staples that would be my first stop, if only they would ever open in Washington state. If I ever get back to teh East Coast again, I am saving space in my suitcase for Aldis.
I wish someone from Aldis would explain why they have no West Coast presence at all and so many close together back East. . We really,really need one here. And they'd make a fortune over night.
I'd like to suggest Aldis form a partnership with Costco on the West Coast and work with that.
Brussels/Bruges
two suggestions:
Avoid Bruges on a weekend. Go in the middle of the week and it is so much less crowded.
We went one fall and had it all to ourselves. it was fabulous.
Also try Blond de Bruges. A local beer and probably the best beer I have ever tasted. Still daydream about it.
Can't remember the restaurant, though.
I can't say that I had any really memorable food in Belgium--other than chocolate of course.
To tell you the truth my favorite place to eat was Le Pain Quotidien. Much , much better than the own in NY.
Don't let the idea of it being a small chain fool you. Excellent pastries, bread and very, very good steak tartare sandwiches, soups and salads. And tres reasonable
Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Challenge
Just got a box of thin mints. And the quality was so inferior to the thin mint of yesteryear, the only thing I can think of doing with them is giving them away to someone with less tastebuds. How do you take the best cookie on the planet and turn it into some tasteless dollar store clone? Really disappointed. Waited all week to open the box this weekend. I think I'm going to try either making my own or look for brands that are similar.
Here's a suggestion to the girl scouts. Let some store like Target or Walmart carry them and take over quality control .Because too obviously no one is doing it now.
ALDI Stores: Quality Products at Deep Discount??
I so miss my NY Aldis. The very best ham I've eaten anywhere was an Appleton ham I bought there for about a third of what one would cost at Costco. And their Moser chocolate is the steal of the year. Fabulous dark chocolate for almost no money.
i could go on and on. but everyone finds treats there.
I don't understand why there are none on the West Coast. i am in Washington. Has anyone heard of any plans for expansion out this way?
Best Grocery store in Olympia, ethnic, discount or otherwise
Hi. Trying to maximize my good food time shopping in or near Olympia to Longview.
Any hidden treasures that you know about?
Also do you the name of/address or have you tried the new Mennonite/Amish grocery in Rochester?
Also what stalls at the Farmer's Market do you go to for the best whatever.
Thanks
help replicating mild szechuan sauce
I have found if you ask politely and show interest especially in a foreign restaurant at a time when the kitchen isn't busy, everyone has always been very glad to tell me the details. Especially if i ask what this special ingredient might be.
Generally the chef seems to be flattered that someone cares enough to ask and like sthe idea that customers are appreciative. It's not like you're asking Nobu how he makes black cod or anything
help replicating mild szechuan sauce
why don't you just go over to the restaurant and ask them what they used?
WONDERFUL LOST RECIPE --EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE
Just made this again. Great.
Forgot to tell you to add some cumin seed, to taste,and always rub cumin and unpowdered dried herbs before adding to release the oils.
Also this is best at a bring just to a boil and simmer. I turn the chicken 20 minutes in and turn it off and let it sit for a little when the sweet potato chunks are almost tender, so they won't over cook.
Also, next time I'll start out with a cup of the liquid and keep adding a bit more at a time til I get it creamy . This was a bit too runny.
I always end up adding the last of a jar of peanut butter into which I stir very warm stock to melt it and get it all out.
And I love this over couscous. Everyday Foods has a great easy way to prepare it. Look on the site.
WONDERFUL LOST RECIPE --EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE
This was my recipe.
Anytime a recipe calls for tomatoes and jalapenos -- or would be improved that way- I just use a can of Rotel. I'vve never made this with fresh tomatoes.
Also I don't bother rubbing garlic into the skin, just add to oil with minced ginger while I am browning the chicken.
Sorry to be so late in replying. I printed the recipe and haven't checked back til now.
My biggest problem is i always seem to forget to add the green pepper. Add it with the chicken when you return it to the pot.
If you have an orange or tangerine around try also adding a bit of the peel or just a very little of the juice
WONDERFUL LOST RECIPE --EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE
Oh, you are SUCH a peach!!!!!
Don't toss them. The earlier editions are way better than the later ones.
There is a recipe for baked risotto that is really handy to have and the Moroccan chicken from 2003 is one of my favorite standbys, served with their very good couscous recipe.
These I think are on line at the site.
I always use them as a blueprint and tweak . they are very basic and probably geared toward being kid-friendly.
so these were my changes
I used 6-8 mostly skinned thighs. Leave skin on one or two for the flavor, if not fatty.
I used fresh ginger and I/2 tsp curry powder or scant 1/2 tsp garam masala for the coriander and substituted a can of Rotel for the tomatoes and chilies.
I also added a bay leaf.
i am not sure why, but bay leaves are rarely used in their recipes and are always improved by using them. I added a large sliced bell pepper or sometimes a poblano browning along with the onions. I used chunky PB.
The sweet potatoes are so scrumptious in this, you'll probably want to add more .
does anyone have a fallback favorite Everyday Food Magazine recipe we should be trying ?
WONDERFUL LOST RECIPE --EVERYDAY FOOD MAGAZINE
Just my luck to lose an early issue of Everyday Food magazine and then try to find a recipe that for some reason they have never archived on-line.
It is in the November 2003 issue . Issue Number 7
It is an absolutely terrific recipe for Chicken and Peanut Stew. It has peanut butter in it. Definitely worth putting up on line for all the rest of us, too.
Thanks if you can help me and this one is so worth making.
As with most Everyday Food recipes it is pretty basic and it's better when you add on. I think I added a sliced poblano or green pepper and a large cubed sweet potato if they are not already in there. I also made it with a can of Ro-tel. And I only used thighs.
desserts a lot of people do not like but you do?
If you made a plain rhubarb pie (always add some grated orange peel) then just served with a strawberry sauce of semi-thawed blender whirled frozen strawberries and a little orange juice and sugar, you'll see what a good combination it is.
Strawberries baked into things are so texturally gross.
-gala1
I hate private labels.
I knew someone who worked at the local Kraft dairy plant when I lived in dairy country.
To my surprise he told me they made many brands from low to high-end--the only difference was in the packaging.
The key was the milk fat content.
I don't know about you , I just wish I could buy milk and especially half and half and cream that isn't ultra-pasteurized. Surprisingly I found it at Walmart's from a local dairy back east but not here in the West.
It is so much better for ice cream and soups to not have dairy be ultra-pasteurized. Especially when making ice cream, of course.
So don't overlook both Walmart's and Trader Joe's. They both buy locally. Look for local. It's got the edge because it hasn't spent forever being trucked about.
gala1
Creme Fraiche Substitute
I forgot to add that the easiest way i have ever found to make creme fraiche is to find cream that has not been ultrapasteurized. Try a health food store. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the creme fraiche you already have as a starter.
If none, use buttermilk. Put creme fraiche in a jar with a loose paper towel and rubber band covering it to keep dust out. Place on a shelf (or chair seat) above a working radiator. Mine was about 3 feet over the radiator. Leave overnight or till you've got it thickened to where you want it.
it might take 24-36 hours, even. Just keep checking.
In summer I just leave it out covered on the counter til thick .
then refrigerate in a covered jar with the lid screwed on..
Creme Fraiche Substitute
If you are cooking something that is not sweet, go to a Mexican market and buy some crema mexicana. It's a tarter thicker version of sour cream and costs about half of creme fraiche.It cooks beautifully where sour cream tends to separate.
It doesn't work that well for me in desserts, too strong..
There I would use Greek yogurt.
Murray's Steamed Fruit (Christmas) Pudding And Rice Pudding recipes
Never having been there or had this , i am a bit confused. are you supposed to pour the custard over the baked rice, or is there some sort of step missing here?
Restaurant in Centralia/Chehalis WA
Yes, it's Boccata on Tower Ave near Maple.
He's a terrific cook. And an idiosyncratically adventurous one. It's his own spin on Mediterranean so if you are purist, tough luck. If he was in Seattle he'd be given the recognition he deserves. Especially for his dinner menu.
They only serve dinner on weekends and are closed on Sunday and Monday.
Basically the best lunch place in town.
I think La Tarasca is going down hill really fast and they keep raising their prices while giving out smaller portions.
Boccata is a much nicer alternative. He makes really good desert of the day, too. So don't miss it.
You can Google them for more info.
Centralia
If your going through Centralia , the best food option is the secret one least discussed .
Take it from a resident who knows far better food than what is put before you in most of Centralia
But first, La Tarasca
Although La Tarasca has been much discussed on this site for its very good Mexican food, (if you stay away form the truly terrible chiles rellenos and mediocre tamales) it's prices are really climbing.
The way around that is to order the special of the day which is usually the best thing on the menu, anyway.
Everything else comes ala carte which adds up really fast. The thing to do is for one person to order the special with its huge portions of rice and beans (there to fill up that gigantic plate) , and the other to order an item ala carte, and then split the whole meal. And split a serving of the flan. Which is so richly sweet you get tired of it halfway through . They don't serve any thing that has avocados and don't serve chips. They want you to eat and leave so they can turn over those tables FAST. Lingering is not an option.And it can get quite noisy.
And get ready for the slick tip-wring family speil from the waitress which is pretty tiresome after the tenth time you've heard it.
I wish I could like Burgerville. Unfortunately it is a pretty sad thing to have to happen to local ingredients.
If you miss school cafeteria food, you'll find it here with the blandest vengeance.
Having the turkey burger is experiencing the zen definition of tasteless.
But stop there for a fruit shake in summer. they are fairly nice. The best thing on the menu- the smoked salmon salad -is not available right now. Ironically, the burgers suffer from that thing where you can't have any item served in anything approaching rare. So if you like the taste of consistently grey, dried out, over-cooked meat, this is the place for you.
And I hate to admit it, but McDonald' breakfasts aren't much different. I really want to like and support this chain, but, regretably, the food really needs some major work.
Go to Papa Ray's instead. All-day breakfasts. And Centralia's best kept secret.
If you want what you think you'd be getting at Burgerville go to Papa Ray's. It's my favorite place to eat locally, on Main Street, a few blocks down from La Tarasca.
This is a classic American diner of the coziest, unpretentiously old-fashioned, bare-bones sort.
A bit beat up, utilitarian and with great cooks, the kind of waitresses that are professional without being annoying, and a background of locals cheerfully chowing down. If you do have that need to have a burger, this is the place in Centralia to have it.
They smoke their own meats and their barbecued beef sandwich is sheer pleasure. Have it with the exceedingly good coleslaw and you will be contented for the day. The most unexceptional thing I have ever had there is better than much of what you'll find in other restaurants in Centralia.
They make their own pies. Fairly sweet, so ice cream with fruit pies is a good idea. Again you can split a sandwich and each have a big slab of pie and leave feeling well-fed instead of overstuffed. These are much better pies than Berry Fields, which is the kind of place you take your germ-phobic older aunts to bump into the local preachers.
The Olympic Club has great beer, is where you wantot sit and relax, especially on winter nights and mostly mediocre way-overpriced pub food . Generally served under strongly acrid layers of onions, so you'd be wise to ask for them on the side.
Burgers are so-so. And anything fried isn't worth eating.. Basically, it's heavy -handed guy food so stick with the simple or you won't be happy. I wish they could figure out how to do a burger. How hard can it possibly be?
The best thing they serve is on Friday- a truly outstanding clam chowder. Served in very small portions. So order the bowl. It will be tiny.
The secret is using lots of bacon, onions and heavy cream. It's a couple of clams removed from perfection.
.Just make sure they serve it to you hot unless you are as much of a fan of lukewarm as the management is.
Split a roast beef sandwich and an order of their very good bread pudding or fruit crumble and you won't waddle out of there. Their brew-pub beer is why you're there. It's terrific.
Chehalis has a fantastic bakery cafe on a downtown corner -pink awning- with some of the best quiches on the West Coast and superb bread and European pastries.
Well worth the detour. But with true Lewis County Logic, it is , of course, closed on weekends. Go figure.
And if you are in far-off Kalama for some good antiquing, there is a tiny cafe- it's got Scottish in the name somewhere- that has absolutely fantastic food. Their peanut butter pie is to die for-- and I am not a big fan of peanut butter--. and amazingly good soups. Skip sandwiches and do that heavenly baker proud with dessert.
The Gibson House is Centralia's stab at a dressy, urban setting. The kind of place you go for busines lunches or anniversaries, etc.
Catskills, NY- Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Margaretville Area?
Having moved here six years ago after San Francisco, i can confidently and desperately tell you that if you expect to eat anything in the least bit foreign and come out of it it with anything approximating a fine dining experience or even a good meal, save your money and find the nearest stove.
One exception here in Delhi. Tuna 3 is as good as any middling passable big city japanese restaurant. Very good lunch prices.
Stay away from the olde Caledonia which is the last bastion of the very worst sort of WASP 1950's food. Unless you want to channel JD Salinger or something.
Quarter Moon exists to vacuum the dollars out of the Soho gullible pockets. Truly dreadful and overpriced to the max. The drinks are ok but overpriced. The attached natural foods store has delusionally high prices. If you second home up here be absolutely sure to shop where you are and use a cooler or pay the ransom. Or go to Price Chopper. we've finally got a decent market and their takeout food is generally better than most restaurant food here.
Oh and the Pizza Factory across from Great American has the best pizza for at least 50 miles in any direction. the sicilian is excellent. Also wonderful soups. The owner loves to cook and has a good imagination.
Find out which days the farmer's markets are where you will be travelling.. Ray's fine Wine in Delhi has a very good wine buyer. You are better off getting a good bottle and pizza or price chopper takeout than wasting your money otherwise.
Cantina in Andes is flat out horrible. Mexican airline food.
Slow Food cafe in Andes is terrific and worth the wait but you will be stuck there for hours and hours. There are no exceptions. For most, slow food is a philosophy. For this owner it is a statement of intent. It is five minutes short of being a Saturday Night live sketch about starving to death. Never ever go with kids or if you are hungry. The Andes hotel has decent unmemorable food.
In Oneonta. Don't order anything but the chicken at Brooks or you'll be sorry. Brooks chicken is OK hot, but it is best as takeout . Served cold the next day it is heaven . Make sure you do not get the barbecue sauce which is about as sweet as butterscotch. True white folks barbecue.
Elena's in oneonta is a tiny bakery and has simply heavenly pastries , especially Italian. Her food is wonderful . it tends to sell out earlier earlier in the day. Sadly, Elena has her hands full with a family illness so this is going to change for a while.
autumn moon is iffy. It can be as bad as it is good. go for the plainer items and you won't be disappointed.
if you are looking for a fine dining experience go to Peekamoose or Pickamoose near Phoenicia which I would put right up there near Chez Panisse Cafe. Absolutely wonderful.
Be careful. We encountered a bear in the parking lot. No, I am not making this up.
Sommo's in Delhi is also very good. But the room is so ugly. No bears, though.
In general, keep in mind that this not France. It is upstate NY . When I moved up here my neighbor had never bought a fresh lemon-she preferred her juice out of the plastic ones or tasted a lobster or an artichoke or a piece of brie. She used to run a restaurant here. need i say more.
The good news is that this is some of the best produce I have ever found in season anywhere ever.. Alice Waters would weep if she knew what she missed. Good local cheeses are emerging too. and lovely maple syrup. Find yourself a kitchen and enjoy it.
That said i am moving back to the West Coast shortly and plan to eat out for a very long time. There are a lot of reasons people up here look so grim. Food is a big one.
