vvv03's Profile
Bought preserved lemons, what would you use them for?
I got carried away at Kalustyan's today, as I am wont to do on every visit, and bought a jar of preserved lemons. I had had a quinoa salad that had them in there at a party (but didn't get the recipe. Natch.) I know it's heavily used in Moroccan cuisine. What do you do with your preserved lemons? Any recipes would also be appreciated.
Got a nice piece of tuna, help me sear it properly, please!
I just bought a lovely piece of sushi grade tuna from Eataly. I want to sear it tonight so that it's still quite pink in the middle. I find I often over do it and it ends up cooked through.
Please give me your step by step tips on how to get this right. I read on another thread that putting it in the freezer first helps, but one person said 15 mins, one person said an hour, and the issue never got resolved. Do you use cast iron? Any oil needed? How many minutes each side?
Help me make the most of my $25 piece of fish!
Thanks!
Tertulia Review -- Meh
Went to Tertulia last night for dinner.
The food was good, not amazing, but I found the space to be ridiculously cramped and the service was slightly annoying. We had what was likely an actor/server, the type who lives to recite specials as if monologues. I thought I had been transported to the scene in Portlandia when she described the lambs in the lamb sausage as "happy lambs who were fed alfafa sprouts".
I could have lived with that but they staggered the food and brought out some tasty ham that was of the slimy variety and really required bread (which we bought with tomato spread because the server said we really should since they go well together). When it didn't arrive after a couple of minutes, my husband asked her about it and she said it would be arriving shortly. Fifteen minutes later we got it and only then did she come back to ask how the food was going. It seemed likely she had been avoiding us while we sat staring at a plate of meat waiting for its accompaniment. They had a deviled egg special which we were told was $4 each. Maybe I'm a bumpkin, but I would think that mean you get two egg halfs for $4. Of course it meant one half. I am not cheap when it comes to really good food, but as we ate our tasty (but not amazing) deviled egg halves, I looked at my husband and said, "we just ate an eight dollar egg."
It's communal tables, which is not my favorite, but worse than that, incredibly cramped. We had to squeeze down to the end of our table and when it was time to go, no exaggeration here, my husband had to wait 5 minutes before he could stand up because the server for the other table was taking an order.
I shouldn't slam it, the food, while not memorable, was nicely executed. But I thought it was overpriced and uncomfortable and not worth the hype, happy lambs notwithstanding.
Who has good Mexican take out in Park Slope?
I am in the mood for good Mexican food tonight. Doesn't have to be fancy Mexican, just yummy. Who is good? I haven't ordered Mexican in a while. We used to go to Los Pollitos II, but the last time I went it was only meh. Looking for a place that delivers. Thanks!
Need immediate advice on roasting at two different things at same temp
Hi, I have a pork shoulder in the oven at 325, needs another two hours. I want to roast some peeled, cut japanese sweet potatoes, but they should really be roasted at a higher temp. I don't want to wait until the roast is out because I won't have enough time. Will I ruin them if I start them at the 325 and then kick it up for another 15 mins or so when the roast is out?
Need recs on sturdy wine and martini glasses
We are in the market for white wine glasses and martini glasses. Our last set of wine glasses were Speigelau, which were lovely, but broke very easily. We are old enough that we don't want to buy really cheap stemware, but also don't want something fancy and delicate that ends up being quasi disposable. Is there any in between? As far as martini glasses go, we'd also prefer something on the heftier side, but more importantly, we want smaller ones. I'm not into the huge martini glasses you so often see at bars these days. I'd prefer a more old fashioned serving size. Any suggestions on either or both would be greatly appreciated!
Has anyone made Melissa Clark's "Not-Your-Grandma's Chicken" recipe?
I'm having people over tomorrow and aborted mission on my planned meal of shortribs (cooked them tonight and they're just not getting me so excited.) I was thinking of doing a simple chicken dish with the nice sides I'd had planned instead. There's a recipe in "In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite" for an Italian style roast chicken pieces with lemon, olive oil, oregano and garlic that sounds good. But I'm a little nervous since I've never tried to make it before. If you've made it with or without success, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks!
Where in Manhattan can I get great cannoli to go?
My friend would like to get some for a dinner party, but she wants really amazing ones. I know where to go in Bensonhurt (Villabate!) but we're trying to keep it local.
TIA!
I have some lovely almost sweet fresh ricotta from Coluccio's. What to do with it?
I am not a lasagna fan (I know, crazy talk, but it is what it is.) Any other ideas? It's really great ricotta. Maybe a lighter/less complicated pasta dish..?
Two tone local honey, what to do with the lighter part?
My mom's friend keeps bees and gave us a jar of honey. The top third is the normal brownish thin honey one thinks of when you buy it at a store. The rest of it is thicker and light brown/yellow. Am I supposed to mix the two like you would peanut butter? Or is the bottom part edible as is? I know this is a silly question, but honestly not sure what to do with it.
Thanks!
Hit me with your best (not too complicated) vegetarian recipes (that can be made in bulk)
Thanks for all the terrific suggestions!!
Cook ahead chicken thigh idea?
This is an excellent recipes. Requires marinating, which I don't know if it makes it a deal breaker or even better for you. Tastes better the next day and excellent cold. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/indonesian-ginger-chicken-recipe/index.html
Hit me with your best (not too complicated) vegetarian recipes (that can be made in bulk)
Our new sitter is a vegetarian. She often sweetly texts me asking if the food I have made our kids is vegatarian so she can eat it as well. Being as we probably eat way more meat than we should (I fall back on the great cooking maxim: when all else fails, add bacon) more often than not I have sheepishly texted back that it is not. I now buy her tofu and rice and beans, but being Italian means I feel a certain amount of shame if I haven't actively fed a guest in my house. So I've been trying to make a vegetarian dish every weekend so she has something to eat.
My problem with vegetarian cooking is that I find it's a lot of work if you want to get a decent taste out of the dish. I subscribed to Vegetarian Times a year or so ago and found the recipes to be so multi-layered and complicated and at the end the results were generally not worth the amount of effort I put into it. I've had better results with Moosewood recipes, but again the pain in the ass factor is pretty high on those as well.
So if you have any great vegetarian recipes that don't require a ridiculous amount of time or super wonky components, I'd love to hear about it. I am thinking something that one can make in a vat so she can eat it throughout the week. I looked up a lot of vegetarian chili recipes but felt uninspired. Just wondering what people have done with proven results to yummy.
I made this one this week and it was really tasty, but the PITA factor was on the high side (I'd never peeled and chopped a butternut squash before. I was exhausted.) and the volume was enough for maybe two meals. I share it here because it's worth trying and I'm hoping you will return the favor!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/warm-butternut-squash-and-chickpea-salad/
Simple things you can't get right
Cracking eggs. I'm either too wimpy or too violent. It's really quite pathetic.
Are there any REAL remedies to getting the taste of raw onion out of your mouth?
I am one of those unfortunate souls who can't eat raw onion because it repeats on me to a degree of distraction that I have trouble falling asleep and wake up with the taste still in my mouth. Well, I just had an egg salad wrap and the darned thing had raw onion secreted all over it. Now I have to figure out how to make it go away. I really don't want to be carrying this taste for the rest of the day.
Any suggestions on how to rid myself of this affliction would be greatly appreciated!
Friend going to Rome next week. Any great food tours she could go on?
I adore Rome, but don't do the whole tour thing. My friend prefers to do a bit of standard tourist guides. She is a true blue NYer and loves great restaurants. I thought a food tour would be right up her alley. Any suggestions?
Anyone on who is knowledgable about Brazilian cooking?
My cleaning lady is Brazilian and hardly speaks a word of English, but the last time she came over she offered to make me a meal using my pressure cooker while she cleaned next time. I am eager to take her up on it, but our language differences made it impossible to get much detail in terms of what I should buy. She mentioned beans, meat and rice, but not sure what type to get.
I recently posted that I just started using my pressure cooker myself (based mainly on her apparent enthusiasm for the thing), so I know dried beans would be a fair start. What kinds of beans? Should I get a nice cut of pork or would beef or chicken make more sense? Also, are there any particular spices that are prevalent in Brazilian cooking that I should have on hand?
Talk about a first world problem, I know, but I am so excited about coming home to a clean apt and home cooked Brazilian meal. I just want to make it as easy on her as possible. Thanks!
Need pressure cooker advice NOW. Anyone on who knows how to cook with them?
thanks to both of you!
Need pressure cooker advice NOW. Anyone on who knows how to cook with them?
I'm trying out my pressure cooker for the first time today. I'm currently making dried pinto beans and ham hocks. All the recipes call for about 55 mins of high pressure, but I soaked mine overnight (closer to 24 hours) so I am assuming a shorter time. Any ideas on how long I should cook them? Thank you!
Nice Prospect Heights bar for a drink tomorrow afternoon, not too noisy?
I'm meeting an old friend for a drink tomorrow afternoon, preferably in Prospect Heights. Being as it's New Year's Day, I'm assuming it will be brunch hell. Any suggestions of a nice bar where we might be able to sit and chat for a bit? Thanks!
Sorry to be lame, but looking for Prime Meats type vibe/quality that is not Prime Meats
My husband and I are going out with old friends for dinner this Friday. They are ex-Brooklynites who have moved to the burbs and want to go somewhere new and very good. They've already been to Prime Meats but that's the vibe I'm looking for -- great food, great cocktails, nice atmosphere. What's great in Brooklyn these days? We are in Park Slope but can travel so neighborhood isn't a huge deal. Thanks!
Long shot but does anyone on here know Camp Hill, PA? I need help ASAP with a restaurant rec.
Long story but I'm trying to get my father in law who is in the hospital a nice meal and freaking Perkins won't take a credit card over the phone. The only other rec I got was Pizza Hut.
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Pizza Hut Restaurant
Brownsville Hl, Brownsville, PA 15417
Where can I buy a box of Marrons Glace that won't break the bank?
I just had the most wonderful marons glace (candied chestnut) from Eataly. For four dollars (plus tax!) I'm not cheap when it comes to food, but ouch. Where can I buy myself a box of them that isn't as crazy a mark-up as Eataly?
I live in Brooklyn, so that's an option, too.
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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Best of Bensonhurst
Third Villabate (great Ciabatta, too) and Frank And Sal. For groceries, you can't beat Coluccio's prices.
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Coluccio and Sons
1214 60th St, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Best coffee - Cobble hill, Carroll Gardens, Heights, Slope, etc?
You didn't like Ozzy's coffee because it sucks. I'm a coffee snob and walk my dog to 5th Avenue every morning to get my cup of Stumptown drip from Trois Pommes, which is a lovely little bakery across the street from Ozzy's. Everyone who works there is cool and the scones are to die for (as is most of the other stuff, but I mainly go for scones.) Definitely worth a visit!
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Trois Pommes
260 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Is there any really good bread out there?
It's a strange absence, don't you think? Perfect opportunity for a young French breadmaker who wants to make it big in America, in case any of them are listening...
Is there any really good bread out there?
I don't know if I am incredibly picky or if there really isn't a great bread bakery in Manhattan (or Brooklyn for that matter.) In particular, a really nice, fresh, crusty baguette. Ideally I'd like the place to smell like they had just baked it. It's not an atmosphere thing, it simply assures me that it was baked recently and not transported from elsewhere.
In terms of neighborhoods, at this point I just want to know where the great stuff is. But I work in Flatiron area, my husband is around Wall Street, so the vicinity of those areas is ideal. I go to Eataly when desperate, but frankly their bread sucks. It's heavy and the crust is tough and they do this weird thing with too much flour on top. I'm looking for a light, flaky, happy crust and delicious inside.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Nice bar for cocktails and maybe some snacks in Park Slope?
So embarrassed to say this, because I've been living here 8 years, but I don't get out much for a nice cocktail. A friend is in town tonight and we'd like to go to a bar before dinner at my place for drinks and maybe a nice app or two. Looking for a place that makes good cocktails (I like martinis and I'm very pernickety about them) and decent wine list, not too terribly loud (but some noise is fine) and decent lighting (we're not getting any younger...)
I'm thinking in terms of what the bar would be like at Prime Meats if it wasn't always jam packed.
Any ideas?
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Prime Meats
465 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Can I get La Saltena empanada dough anywhere in or near Park Slope?
Thanks for the info. I love to cook, but since South American cooking is not my area of expertise, I was hoping to cut some corners on the dough front. You're probably right, though. If I can't make it to queens to get the dough, i am probably out of luck!
Can I get La Saltena empanada dough anywhere in or near Park Slope?
Bushwickgirl, they took it down! Can you tell me on this board, where it is apparently safe to talk?
