k206's Profile
Maggi seasoning?
Does anyone know a store that reliably stocks the Maggi seasoning sauce? The closer to Cambridge, the better...
Whole dried corn (for grinding into meal or flour) in the Boston area
I don't think they sell whole kernels, but Mainstone Farm in Wayland grows corn for their own organic cornmeal, which they sell in 1-lb bags at their farm stand (weekends only in the fall). They have a website for directions and hours, and you may be able to get in touch with them about purchasing kernels, too...
Anyone tried the new Viva Mexican Grill & Tequilaria in Wayland?
We stopped by (on Valentine's Day, coincidentally) and ate at the bar. It was probably one of the first nights it had been open so service was (understandably) a little confused, but the food was good - though the bar is not serving the full dinner menu right now, there were still some interesting choices. Tamales with vegetable and cheese filling and mole sauce were good and not something widely available at other places. Glad to have it in the neighborhood!
Large Group at Vlora
yup - i have been there with groups of 10 or so, and it was fine - i think they could definitely accommodate 25...
Vlora To Open Next Week?
It was good - though I will say that while the appetizers were really, really good, the entrees weren't quite as good. But it's all relative! The entrees were good, but I thought the small plates/appetizers were the standout. The watermelon/feta was really good, as were the arancini and the saganaki... also, the bread was good (and warm) and came with plates of oil with tasty little olives, rosemary and preserved lemon, i think. very good.
The wine list is really interesting, with lots of unusual things at reasonable price points. And the staff was great - helpful and funny, and quick with recommendations.
Entrees were split - pasta, meat and fish - a lot of whole fish on the menu, which people seemed to like. Sides were good too. Entrees were a little pricey for everyday (for me, at least!), but I could definitely see myself going back for small plates and wine on a fairly regular basis. Glad it's open...
Vlora To Open Next Week?
The website says they were open for dinner Sept 2... and they'd better be open, because I have a reservation there tonight! I don't think they're doing opentable yet though...
Fresh fennel
I love the citrus-fennel combination in a pasta sauce - saute a few chopped cloves of garlic in olive oil, then add fennel (halve the bulb and slice 1/4") and cook until it starts to get tender... then add a big box or can of chopped or ground tomatoes, and cook until you like the texture, then add lemon or orange zest at the very end, right before saucing the pasta. so good, especially with a dry ricotta grated on top, and it's very summery-tasting.
I also like it in a salad, sliced very thin with grapefruit sections and thinly sliced red onion or shallot...
Cheap, dive-y, fun with decent food?
I always like Silvertone for that kind of thing...
Looking for Grain Salad Ideas
It's not a strict recipe, but I make a bulghur salad with corn, cherry tomatoes, edamame, red onion, and feta with a dill/dijon vinaigrette... it's great for work lunches!
Good vodka or rum drink at Eastern Standard?
The au provence is made with tarragon vodka and lemon juice, i believe. it's fabulous...
Focaccia recipe?
I love the King Arthur Flour recipe - I make it regularly without a mixer and it turns out great. I often put caramelized onions and fennel on top, which turns out lovely too. Here's the link... http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/recipe.jsp?recipe_id=R14
Bittman Granola in NYT
I agree - I thought the recipe was wonderful! I'm not sure, but some of the clumping might depend on how/what order you mix the ingredients... I made mine with oats, coconut, wheat germ, dates, dried cranberries, pistachios and walnuts. I ended up with good clumping, which i suspect is because i dumped the honey on top of the walnuts and then mixed it - most of my clumps had walnuts in the middle :)
Flaxseed recipes?
thanks - but you've brought up another question for me. i don't eat meat or fish, so fishy sources of omega-3s are out. I've heard that the omega 3s in fish ultimately come from algae. i'm sure i could google this, but are there algae supplements that are more bioavailable, and if so, are they worth trying? for me, the beauty of flaxseed is that i can eat "real food" - no pills or bars - and it tastes relatively good.
Flaxseed recipes?
My doctor recently suggested I try to incorporate more Omega-3s into my diet. I'm a vegetarian (so, no fish or fish oil), and I'd prefer "real food" to supplements in a pill form. Does anyone have good recipes that include flaxseeds or flaxseed meal or oil? I'm especially interested in breakfast items (muffins, breads, bars, etc.).
Life Brought Me Cherries, So Now..
I made cherry chutney for the holidays - I had to use frozen cherries, unfortunately, but it turned out great. I just found it on google, but it's essentially cherries, apple, raisins, and red onion cooked down with some sugar (half brown, half white) and white vinegar. It is absolutely delicious on a cheese plate (especially with cheddars, and with brie or similar), and is also good with pork or chicken. I canned mine...
Meyer lemons - where to find?
thanks for the suggestions, everyone! galangatron, i was planning on making meyer lemon-vanilla marmalade for christmas presents... using a combination of these two recipes...
http://www.epicurious.com/cooking/menus/cooknow/recipes/102746
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/231586
prairie star on dartmouth closed?
Yes - the owners of Clerys bought Prairie Star - if I remember correctly, the plan was to keep it the same (but to increase late-night food sales), but now that they are renovating, who knows?
Meyer lemons - where to find?
Has anyone seen Meyer lemons in the Boston area recently? Was at Russos two days ago and they didnt have them...
Savory Tart
ina garten has a fantastic recipe for a goat cheese and shallot tart - i use a premade crust (sorry!) but it still turns out wonderful. it is so easy and the texture is wonderful. it's good warm, room temp or chilled.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31510,00.html
Ice Cream Bombe?
Another vote for martha stewart... in the december issue of her magazine there is a great recipe for an ice cream cake in the traditional bombe shape - in a pinch, i used her assembly instructions but with boxed cake mix and my own buttercream recipe. it worked like a charm and was so, so easy.
A small Thanksgiving turkey.
I was able to order an 8lb bird from whole foods in cambridge (river st, though i'm sure you could get one from any WF) last year - worked out perfectly. I don't even think I ordered it very far in advance... worth a shot.
Goat cheese at Toro
Was at Toro last night and had the tapas of goat cheese and honey on sourdough... the cheese was almost like a brie, white cheese with a thin white rind - and was delicious. Our waitress told me it was a san simon, but I'm pretty sure she's wrong... can anyone tell me what I ate?
