Hey folks,

I am hoping to find a local source of black currant puree so I don't need to spend $30-$70 to get it shipped frozen. Does anyone have a source in the DC/MD/NoVa area that sells specialty fruit purees?

Thanks!!

santullo's, santullo's, santullo's. can't go wrong with this place.

Actually, the Tribune's food section was just nominated for a James Beard award, alongside the San Francisco Chronicle. So it might not be as bad of a resource as you think.

My Bubbie tastes the fish raw, then spits it out. I'm not sure if I can get to that point, even though I do eat sushi...

Once i substituted green garlic in a pesto recipe and it was by far the best i've ever had. And it actually got stronger after I froze the pesto. I also used to love cooking with garlic scapes when I could get them. Stupid Chicago farmer's markets 1. not starting for a long time and 2. no one having good stuff like green garlic.

there's a recipe floating around for Lime-Honey chocolate truffles by Pierre Herme. It's fantastic. I'd make some of those too, though they won't use up all your limes. Make truffles and serve them with limeade.

when i tried that starbucks liqueur, i thought it had an incredibly strong coffee flavor. so it might not be so great in some of those desserts. probably not bad brushed over stuff, like the brownies, but you might want to add extra sugar. i tried it in a white russian and i couldn't handle it diluted with cream and vodka.

someone above mentioned quince pastes... any sort of fruit paste is going to be a great foil for cheese. 34 Degrees makes a variety of flavors (pear, plum, fig, quince, apricot and spiced cherry) that all have pairing suggestions on the label. They're available at Whole Foods and some Wild Oats. I'm also really partial to latino guava pastes.

luckily now you can get a little cheese holder attachment for the wide microplanes. Please, please buy a Microplane. I waited a while on buying mine, but now I zest/grate everything I can because it's so FUN.

god, we're total sickos. and yes, be careful not to zest your fingers while using the microplane.

in some parts of brazil, they eat dulce de leche with cheese (queijo minas, to be specific). i've also had it as a filling for layer cakes, and mostly just eaten it on cookies like the marias. yum yum!

It's right down the block from me. I have only been in once, got a fattoush salad and some stuffed grape leaves. It's pretty good, nothing spectacular, but definitely good for a craving or a quick and easy meal. I liked my fattoush salad a lot, actually.

Fizz Bar and Grill on Lincoln just north of Belmont/Ashland- Mondays are burger and a beer for $5. The burgers and fries are gooood.

i've got a pair from Messermeister, they're great because they do practically everything. They come apart, you can use one side as a knife, they have a bottle opener, a "twig cutter", a screwdriver, and god knows what else. I'm very happy with them.

i've used baking soda to clean my enameled pans when i've messed them up bad. baking soda and water does the trick most every time.

i don't know, i've never had a problem with it. they never feel undercooked or anything. i only cook very small amounts at a time though.

it is super delicious when it's "green" (before drying). AND you get garlic scapes if you grow it.

Wow, i really don't do any of these complicated cooking methods. I wake up, put 1/3 cup of oats and 1 cup of liquid (rice milk is my fav.) in a pot, add some currants, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. It's done in 15 minutes.

i add the dried fruit while cooking, they get softer and retain some of the liquid. I sometimes cut up bigger ones like cherries. I haven't done nuts but I'd do them on top.

Good to know, I'm making chocolates for a fundraiser and I don't want to go broke buying supplies then having to charge seemingly absurd prices to make up for it. Won't raise anything that way.

Actually, that blogger posted his story here, there was some good discussion surrounding it. I'm sure you can find the thread through the search.

sometimes the meat just doesn't pick up a lot of flavor... I guess that's a big thing for me, i like it super tender and super flavorful, i don't only want to taste pork. i didn't think the recipe posted here looked too promising, to be honest.

I eat all chocolate... though not so much milk anymore. I currently have 3 bittersweets (60%, 63% and 70%) from different companies as I was doing a bit of a taste test, a big block of semi-sweet and a big block of milk.

Odkaty - Have you (or anyone else for that matter) had the big bar of bittersweet from trader joe's? I'm going to be making a large amount of truffles soon and I'm trying to find the best bang for the buck in chocolate. That thing surely would fit the bill, pricewise. I just don't know if it's going to live up to my nitpicky requirements.

I love Tsuki. It's got a delicious, creative menu geared towards diners ordering a lot of little things and sharing. I've never been to Mirai or Katsu, but I've heard great things about both. Another one to check out is Sushi Wabi.

i picked up a cuisinart multiclad pro saute pan at marshalls on clearance. it's GREAT! i'm so happy with it, it's affordable, heats evenly and my only complaint is that they didn't have a second, larger one for me to buy!!

fruitsweet is highly concentrated fruit juice. if honey etc. is not good, then i guess this isn't either. well, i hope my friend didn't have any problems from the cake. if he did he didn't tell me.

well, as this debate is pointing out, it really depends on whether you want to cut the sugar for natural/less processed alternatives or for health concerns like diabetes. I personally use maple syrup, honey, or fruitsweet (a super concentrated pineapple/pear juice), or sucanat sometimes. lately i've been making things that are much more sensitive to substitutions so i haven't been using it much.

diabetics, what happens when you use natural sweeteners vs. chemical ones? do you still have problems? i periodically cook for a friend who's diabetic and i'm curious about the sugar issues. i used fruitsweet the one time i baked for him.

if it's hard then it's undercooked, but it should definitely be chewy. i make it almost every day... i use rice milk instead of water, often throwing in some dried currants, cranberries or cherries and topping it off with a little maple syrup or honey. Sometimes I do sliced bananas and maple syrup at the end and it turns out tasting like banana bread. yum.

Chicago has a plethora of high quality sushi restaurants. Try a bunch and you'll find something you enjoy. I personally like Tsuki, but I haven't had a chance to try many of the actual quality places.

For chicken: You should try El Llano. It's a Columbian place, they have one on Clark and one somewhere else. It's amazing rotisserie chicken, with sides like plantains and potatoes. It's just fantastic. I've never had the Peruvian rotisserie chicken, but this stuff is addictive like crack.

I think i have had those! My brother just went to LA and brought back a bunch of pink oranges for us that I know he bought at the Santa Monica market (this was just last weekend). They were great! I only got one, I guess I need to take my own trip soon.

Hi Chicago folks,

I'm looking for a store to buy packages for homemade candy, basically just plain white boxes, maybe inserts or some other packaging accessories. Any suggestions?

I'm trying to avoid going too far out of the city. Thanks!