formosalily's Profile
CSA ~ glad it's finally over...
In addition to Farmers Market, hubby and I are also going to expand our vegetable garden next year - everything we successfully grew ourselves (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers) this year taste so much better than what we received from CSA and the store-bought ones - and they are 100% organic too!
CSA ~ glad it's finally over...
Funny how things have changed in just a few weeks! 20 weeks ago, hubby and I were really excited to receive our very first box of CSA produce. 20 weeks later we are so happy that it is finally over. Are we the only ones to feel this way about CSA?
We decided to sign up for CSA for the following reasons:
- "force" ourselves to eat more vegetables
- we expect the CSA stuff to be much more fresh than the store bought stuff and hence taste better
- we expect to find more varieties than what's available in the store
- we like the idea of being "surprised" every week
What makes us decide to divorce CSA:
- while the vegetables we receive are fresh, they don't necessarily taste good - we are particularly disappointed by the tomatoes that don't have a good tomato taste and corn that are not sweet
- although we did get a varieties of vegetables in every box, the varieties we receive every week stay the same for most part
- it's not uncommon to receive vegetables that we ourselves would not pick up in the store (e.g. brussel sprouts that are as small as grapes and corn that comes with worms)
Although we do like those who are involved in CSA and how they do business - they are honest about what we can expect to find in the box every week, our CSA honeymoon ended sooner than we had expected - and we are glad that we've only made a 20-week commitment, not a lifetime one...
Alphonso Mango
Moh, I would love to visit Montreal again.... especially now I have a reliable source for scoops on where to find good eats there! I could see us having a good time sharing a lovely conversation about food over food. ; )
Look forward to your report on Alphonso mangos!
Alphonso Mango
moh, I just discovered DHL Mango Express, which ships ripe-in-time, hand-picked Alphonso mangoes, to more than 50 countries world-wide, fortunately for you, including Canada, and sadly for me, excluding USA....; (
http://203.199.200.2/dhl/mangoexpress/
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Thought I would let you all know that our long over due taste test report is finally out!
Here it is... http://www.chowhound.com/topics/498219
Bacon Taste Test (Bacon Challenge Report)
Yes, we usually bake bacon at 350 degree for 25 to 30 mins or so until it starts to get crispy on the edge without losing the meaty texture completely.
Bacon Taste Test (Bacon Challenge Report)
Bacon Taste Test - "Bacon Challenge" report (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/475218)
Thanks to those of you who responded to my original request with suggestions. Here is the report you all have been waiting for!
The following brands are the ones that made to our finalist list.
- Broadbent http://www.broadbenthams.com/
- Benton's https://bentonshams.com/order/index.php
- Oscar http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/
- Nueske http://www.nueskes.com/
- Farmland (store brand) http://www.farmlandfoods.com/
Taste wise, what are we looking for? A bacon that is mildly smoked, not overly salted, with a hint of sweetness and well-balanced fat to lean ratio (50:50).
Smokiness: both Broadbent and Neuske have a good amount of smokiness that is not overpowering or unpleasant. Oscar's smokiness is mild. Farmland could use a bit more smokiness, while Benton is way too smoky for us.
Fat/Lean ratio: Broadbent's is qualified to be the "Picture Perfect" bacon, or "Bradford's Bacon" if there's such a thing as "Bradford's wife" - the bacon is perfectly shaped, with perfect fat to lean ratio as well as the "perfect" color (which makes it look like the real-life food replica made in Japan than the real bacon which should has its imperfections just like we human beings.) The fat to lean ratio of Benton's and Neuske's is both right. Oscar's, while having the right amount of fat to lean meat, does not even try to look good (to be specific, it does not appeal to the eye and is oddly shaped, even the packaging is "unpretentious".) Farmland has slightly more fat than all the rest.
Saltiness/sweetness: to our disappointment, Broadbent as multi-award winner has a dull salty taste and is lacking sweetness in its flavor. Benton's is just too salty for us (even with the addition of brown sugar). On the other hand, Oscars, the ugly-duckling, has just the right bacon flavor - a good solid meaty flavor that is adequately salted with a subtle sweet finish to it. Nueske's is also good with a smoky, meaty and salty flavor that is not overly done. It would be even better if the sweetness can be a bit more apparent. Finally, Farmland, at its value, is considered to have a decent bacon flavor.
OVERALL
The "unpretentious" Oscar turned out to be our favorite in the taste test. Nueske's took second place, followed by Farmland (it could be 2nd place if value is taken into account). Broadbent is okay, but we expect it to be a lot better seeing how many awards it has won. The big disappointment is Benton's. The disclaimer on Benton's website that due a delay of 6 to 7 weeks may be expected due to back order (caused by a magazine's article) had led us to expect more from it. Unfortunately, nothing we ordered from Benton, including bacon, ham and prosciutto, worked out for us. I guess it's meant for those who prefer a much saltier and smokier taste.
Our updated "Bacon Hall of Fame": Swiss Meat & Sausage Company's "Hickory Smoked Sugar Cured Bacon" and Oscar's Smoked Bacon.
If you know of any bacon that can make it to our bacon hall of fame, do let me know! :)
(pic1: Before pics from left to right: first 6 perfect looking Broadbent bacon, followed by 4 benton's bacon, followed by 4 "unpretentious" Oscar's bacon)
(pic2: Before pics from left to right: 6 Farmland bacon, followed by 4 Nueske's bacon)
(pic3&4: After pics)
Mail Order Coffee
Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago was selected by Roast Magazine as the best roaster of the year for 2007. Their Black Cat espresso blend is hubby and my favorite - aromatic, full-bodied with chocolate note, best used as base for milk drinks like latte (for me) and cappuccino (for hubby). I toured their roasting facility and was very impressed by the rigid measures taken by the company to ensure the quality right from the source.
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/about/press/10-31-2006
chinese/chinese-americans: tell us about home cooking?
I grew up in Taiwan eating the sticky short/medium grained rice, which is considered by Taiwanese a superior variety of rice than the inferior fluffy long grain rice. While sticky short grain rice is valued as premium variety for daily staple, the fluffy long grain rice is used primarily to be ground for making into rice products like rice noodle.
I never had steamed fluffy long grain rice until traveling to the Phillipines when in college. My first reaction after eating steamed fluffy long grain rice is that the rice was too undercooked to be edible.....
By the way, when cooked properly, the short grained rice should not be "sticky" or "mushy", it should retain its shape, has slight resistance to the teeth (similar to pasta's being "el dente"), and is just starchy enough to hold on to the other grains without being "sticky" or "mushy". Speaking of stickiness, the "Sweet rice" should win the "sticky" award.
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Thanks for the suggestion, Budser1228. You just gave me an idea what to get for my bacon-loving hubby for Valentine's day! ;)
try pomelo
In Taiwan, Pomelo is the "must-have" fruit to be enjoyed on Mid-Autumn (Full-Moon) Festival. While it is not as juicy as grapefruit, it is sweeter and does not have the bitter taste. And best of all, its thick peel can turn into a hat when cut in a specific way to keep it in one piece.
Mail order source for white anchovy?
I love love love white anchovy, but have only had it in restaurant so far. I think it will make a good topping for sushi - just a bit of good soy sauce and steamed rice, I will be in heaven! Would appreciate recommendations for good mail sources as well as brands of canned white anchovy.
I had it the first time at the Hyatt located in McDonald's campus in Oak Brook, IL. I liked it so much that I asked the chef about the brand - he showed me an unopened can and the nicely packed anchovy inside looked just amazing. The brand used there is Benfumat. Has any white anchovy lover had this one and care to share what they think of the quality? Is this considered excellent white anchovy or is it no more than what regular white anchovy should taste like?
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
You bet we will! ; ) We are likely to throw in Farmland, which is available in supermarket and is Cooks Illustrated's supermarket bacon taste test winner.
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
So it's time for me to report the finalists (drum roll please)...
- Nueske
- Niman
- Brenton's
- Broadbent's
- Oscar's
Just placed our bacon orders with all of the above companies except Niman which I hope to find in local trader joes. The chance for all orders to arrive at the same time is small. So we will taste test one brand at a time as we receive each order, and then do a blind taste on all when we have all of them in our possession!
Any good Sunday brunch buffet near Museum Campus?
Hubby and I will be staying at Sheraton hotel in the upcoming weekend for the company holiday party. Having little expectation about the continental breakfast served in hotel, we would like to find a nice place nearby for an enjoyable brunch (preferably buffet) before heading home. Would appreciate any suggestions/recommendations!
Best source for lemons?
I recommend Snow's Citrus Court in CA. Just received a case of meyer lemons from them. A 5lbs case costs $21 including shipping and has about 16 big and beautiful lemons. Their customer service is prompt and personal (responded to my email quickly and emailed to let me know they received my order and will pick lemons from the tree the next day and ship to me). You can't get lemons more fresh than these!
http://www.snowscitrus.com/page/page/2564816.htm
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
This is our one and only way for cooking bacon for straight eating too - arrange a single layer on a wire rack and played in a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degree for 20 mins or so. Bacon always turns out just with the right amount of crispiness and chewiness, and all the delicious fat is trapped in the parchment paper for whatever uses later.
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Not at all... it is Frigidaire Commercial refrigerator with glass door and freezer (two separate units).
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Hi Cay, if you ever get to Oak Park, you are not that far from us and welcome to stop by for wok test drive and bacon tasting! ; ) I am getting ready to order some of the bacon being recommended in this thread and will surely report back!
Do chowhounds prefer to cook or clean?
This reminds me of a mistake I made in a recent dinner party we hosted at home. I forgot to empty the dish washer before the dinner party. Since the dish washer was occupied during the dinner party, our guests, who wanted to help out but couldn't place their dirty dishes in dish washer because it was full, had to leave the dishes, cups, bowls in our DEEP kitchen sink and on the countertop around the sink by the end of the party. The next day when hubby went to work and I was home (because I had the privilege of going on vacation next day!) alone, I ended up spending half day cleaning the kitchen and loading the dirty dishes in the dish washer (yes, half a day doesn't even include the time for actually washing the dishes).
What a valuable lesson - to empty the dish washer before party begins ... which I will surely never forget!
If you had to choose one national cuisine...
Right after reading the OP, I thought it's a no brainer to pick "Chinese" since it's what I grew up eating and certainly wouldn't mind eating it only for the rest of my life. But sitting on my original pick for a few days, I decided to pick "Japanese" over "Chinese" because I am always fascinated by how Japanese "perfect" the art of savoring seafood, sushi, sashimi, .... as well as how they improvise dishes originated from other nations cuisine to make it just as good but in a Japanese way (unlike in most countries where foreign dishes usually lose their original identity and never regain the respect they deserve in a foreign land). Ramen, curry rice, pastries are all good examples. Another good example would be Chinese cuisine in Japan - Japanese cuisine is heavily influenced by Chinese and many classic Chinese dishes have their yummy cousins that taste just as good in Japanese cuisine.
So, by going with Japanese cuisine for the rest of my life, I will be getting the best of, not just two, but many worlds, including chinese, japanese, and other cuisines that find their way into the ever enriching Japanese cuisine (...I might have been Japanese in my previous life....)
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Karl, thanks for your suggestions by the level of smokiness. We prefer bacon with enough smokiness to make it "bacony" but not too overly smoky to prevent us from tasting the meat - moderately smoked, I would say. And like you, we use smokier ones in stock instead of eating them straight.
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
moh, I went to Montreal twice in the name of "conference" with the secret agenda of seeking out great chocolate croissant and eating at Au Pied de Cochon, etc..during my spare time. No trip can be good without great food!
We know we can't install a wok pit without a powerful vent. Our vent hood is 1300 cfm with external blower, which does a beautiful job to keep the greasy odor and noise out of the house. The refrigerator with glass door is just a normal refrigerator where you can see our milk, leftovers, dairy, veggies, etc. (hubby has this seem-to-be-crazy idea to get a fridge with glass door in order to see where everything is placed before opening the door, which turns out to be a brilliant idea. ; ) I will be happy to welcome you into our playground if you in the area!
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
Hi Moh, hubby and I are the only "kids" in our home and we simply have too much fun in our playground - the kitchen! Here is a picture of hubby explaining to our guests who's never seen a real-life wok pit until visiting our kitchen. Let me know if you are going to be in this area, it will be fun to have a bacon tasting with foodie friends whom I know through this forum!
Food wise...what is "must-try" in Orlando? (restaurant recommendations)
Thanks a lot, herbert1. I will be sure to wear proper attire when visiting Lee and Rick's! Can't wait to experience what it is like to eat buckets of fresh raw oysters!
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
It's very nice of you to offer to get me some bacon from UMN, Cay. Thanks a lot! I will certainly check out their website.
By the way, in your profile you said you wish you could have a wok pit with gas pipe... guess what, we DO have a wok pit at home and you are welcome to experience it if you happen to be in Chicago! ; )
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
yes, "bacon candy" is one of the ways we prepare bacon- especially when we are out of stock and have to buy whatever that is available from the supermarket. (When bacon is REALLY good, IMO it is best to be tasted without any additions.) We normally just use brown sugar, black pepper and chili powder.
Food wise...what is "must-try" in Orlando? (restaurant recommendations)
LMF, Lee and Rick's Oyster Bar sounds REALLY intriguing ..... I tried to find their website online but in vain. Do they have a website? Do they only serve one kind of oyster? How many oysters does one bucket contain? How much does a bucket cost? How many buckets do frequent customers normally eat one time?
Thanks for the suggestion!
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
That's a BRILLIANT idea!!! Thanks a a lot, Ruth!
We will surely have A LOT of bacon fat left over after the taste test. I just told hubby that we should make these cookies, bring them to work, give them to those people who despise bacon (for its being fat=unhealthy food), and then when they comment how good these cookies taste ... tell them "are you sure you don't like bacon? because that's what made these cookies taste so good!"
Sounds like living with Dr. Evil under one roof has caused me to become just as evil ....
Bacon Challenge - need help from bacon afficionados!
It is evil to like bacon so much (hubby is also nicknamed "Dr. Evil"...for reasons other than bacon though:) you are welcome to join us when we taste test the bacon if you are in Chicago .... because we do have the challenge finding people who would publicly admit their love for bacon... (we were just discussing about this on our way home from work just now.)
