french roast's Profile
inexpensive brisket
It's that time of year. Well, for me, it's brisket time 365 days a year. I love making brisket. Grew up in Texas, where we had it at least once a week. One of the main reasons we ate it so often is because it was cheap. Grilled, baked, stewed, whatever. Now I move out to LA, and don't find brisket much. When I do, I have to do a double take at the price, and make sure I'm not looking at rib eye or something. I just can't pay 40 bucks for a brisket. Don't need it to be kosher, or hormone free, or whatever--I just need a brisket that won't break my bank. Any ideas?
slicing a turkey while it's still frozen--how can I do it?
I'm single and live alone with a fairly tiny freezer. For Thanksgiving, I was given a lovely but very large frozen turkey, which we didn't need to use over the holidays. So now I have this enormous frozen turkey, and it's taking up way too much of my freezer space. But there would be no occasion where I could cook it all and eat it at one time. What I'd like to do it see if it can be sawed in half while still frozen, allowing me to cook half, while leaving half in the freezer for a later date. Any ideas?
What's the best way to grocery shop cheaply?
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here that can save a lot of time and money is a pressure cooker. I have a fairly inexpensive one, and once you learn how to use it you can cook things at almost microwave speed without sacrificing flavor. This is perfect for some of the items you can cook that will go a long way--dried beans, for example. Often I end up spending more on food when I don't have time to plan things out as well. A pressure cooker can cook up veggies in less than 10 minutes, or a cheaper, tougher piece of meat can be cooked and made into a stew or something that can give you quick meals throughout the week.
Mariage freres tea
Sultane is my favorite MF tea. I didn't know you could buy it stateside!
fraise du bois, or wild strawberries, in LA?
Anybody know where to find the wonderful little berries in LA? Do any supermarkets carry them?
friday night happy hour in Pasadena or Burbank area?
I'm looking for somewhere in Pasadena or maybe Burbank (or environs) that has a decent Friday night happy hour. All my regular go-to's don't do a Friday night HH with food. We need to get our drink on, and unless I can come up with a good alternative to the Cheesecake Factory, they're gonna make me go there. Please help!
good coffee house near West Hollywood/The Grove area?
This should be a no brainer, but nothing at all comest to mind, so I ask you all for help. I need a good coffee house--you know, higher end coffee, good atmosphere, hopefully wi-fi, around West Hollywood or the Grove area. I know of so many, but all in Silverlake, Culver City, Santa Monica, Pasadena...everywhere except right in the heart of town where I'm going to have to while away a few hours and get some work done. Surely there has to be a cool new place around there, right? Please don't make me to go Starbucks or Coffee Bean! It wouldn't be right.
quick Anaheim recs?
Just found out I'm going to spending the day in Anaheim, kind of idling around. Quick! Any good places for anything edible I visit to divert myself? I won't be in Disneyland, but kind of hanging around there, waiting for people, so I need some little chow excursions.
kosher (non-dairy) delis in LA with good pastries, desserts, baked goods
Deli folks, please help me out. I have sweet little friend who cannot have any dairy at all (eggs are okay) She loves any kind of baked goods, (cookies, doughnuts, all that) but 99% of those contain a dairy product of some kind. I want to stock up on goodies for her. Packaged type things are great, and fresh ones too. I was hoping that some of the kosher delis around town might have a decent selection of that kind of thing. Any ideas?
where to buy canned Thai curry paste outside of Thai Town?
Aha! There's a Han Kook up the street in Glendale, I believe. Fingers crossed.
where to buy canned Thai curry paste outside of Thai Town?
Had to make a Target run, so I checked into Seafood City--no Thai curry paste. Oh well.
where to buy canned Thai curry paste outside of Thai Town?
Doing this Thai sauce at home is truly the easiest thing ever, and a great way to use up odds and ends from the vegetable bin, the freezer, whatever. Let me know about Seafood City--that would be perfect if they have it! Too good to be true! True, Thai Town really isn't that far, but it seems like SOME store over here should carry it, right? Not like it spoils or anything.
where to buy canned Thai curry paste outside of Thai Town?
I've recently discovered the joy of the concentrated curry pastes used to mix in with coconut milk for authentic Thai curries. Wow--now that is a 5 minute meal I can get behind! And I LOVE being able to control the spice to coconut ratio to please different palates. I've been using a brand called Mae Ploy in a huge tub, but have also seen similar brands in tiny, single use cans (kind of like cat food cans) I've got to get more of these. I have friends who would like to start using them, too. Does anyone know where to buy them outside of Thai Town? I live in the Eagle Rock/Glendale area. I assumed there would be some asian food market close by that would have them, but so far I've had no luck. Anyone know of a place near Eagle Rock/Glendale/Atwater/Pasadena who sells this? Tub or can, either one. Thanks!
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Mae Ploy
2606 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
looking for bergamot or seville oranges
anyone know where to score ay of these locally, especially around the Glendale area?
Thanks!
cute canning jars in LA East or Pasadena?
Due to the abundance of Meyer lemons and all kinds of other tasty things this year, I'm going to try my hand at canning and making homemade marmalade and such. I've seen some really cool jars online, like the european style ones, but the only ones I've seen in the stores are the standard, fairly large plain ones. I'd order online, but the shipping charges are more than the jars. Anyone know where I could score some here in town?
need a good recipe using lemons that will mail well
I have two good things: a fridge full of meyer lemons, and a wonderful man that lives in another city. He LOVES anything lemon. I want to make some treats to send him, but the things I make most often (cupcakes and lemon bars) might not go through the mail too well. Anyone have any suggestions on something I could make and send. Please--my man needs his lemons. Candy, cake, anything.
Do you have a recipe for Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake?
I'd love to have this, too. Please post if you have success!
good place for a romantic weekday lunch with excellent food?
I don't do many lunchtime dates, so I need some help here. Pulling out all the stops! I need some nice atmosphere, and wonderful food. Has to be open for lunch, of course. I'm usually more of a "hole in the wall" person, but I need something truly special here. All neighborhoods considered, all types of cuisine ok, and long as it can hold potential for a long, romantic afternoon.
White House Apple Pie vs. Martha Stewart's
Cardamom and coffee is a classic combination--much of the Middle East drinks it this way. You can even buy it pre-ground together in the Armenian owned supermarkets here in LA.
armenian shopping primer or lessons
I live in Glendale, and so many of the markets cater to the local Armenian population. Trouble is, I don't know what I'm looking at or how to use or eat it at home. Would anyone be able to recommend an Armenian cooking class, or even just a good rundown of some of the basic things you find there and how to serve them--the fishes, the sausages, and all those olives and so much bulgar. And then there's stuff I can't even identify. Is there anyone who can help learn more about it?
new place near Dusty's in Silverlake?
Sometime during the massive amounts of food reading that I've done during the last few weeks, I read something about a new place opening up near Dusty's. Can't remember if it was Eater LA, Tasting Table, etc. I get a lot of those emails, apparently. Does anyone know what this place could be?
vietnamese market close to Glendale?
Hey Hounds.
I need to pick up several specific Vietnamese products for a cook-off this weekend. Now, close to Glendale have lots of Korean and Phillipino options, and can head to Hollywood for the Thai stuff, but I don't know of a specifically Vietnamese close by. I know there's lost down by Westchester, of course, but I was hoping to find something a little closer to home. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
I want pie...mmmm, pie..in Glendale, Atwater, Eagle Rock, or thereabouts
I blame Evan Kleiman on Good Food, with the "pie a day" challenge. I can't stop thinking about pie. Any good suggestions? Not crazy about Marie Callendar's, or any pie that doesn't taste absolutely fresh. Definitely dessert type pies, especially fruit type ones. Please help! I can't rest until I have pie.
drinking well and early downtown--any ideas?
A friend and I will be hanging out downtown during the day this week, and we need to get our drink on earlier than usual. Drink early and often is the theme we've adopted. She really wants to try out a lot of the cool new LA cocktail bars that I've been bragging about, so we definitely have our sights on Varnish and 7 Grand. Alas, the earliest we can get in either of these is 5:00pm. Are there any of the better bars downtown that are open any earlier than that? It doesn't have to be strictly a bar. A restaurant with an excellent bartender/cocktail selection will do, but I'd love to show off the Downtown LA scene a little bit. Any ideas? We'll be there on a Tuesday.
AOC--still good?
Alas, Montrose was a slip of the..(tongue? fingers?) I was thinking Melrose, but I live in Glendale, so there you go. Thanks for the recs on both AOC and Animal. Doesn't sound like I could go wrong with either one, and we're still in the A's.
AOC--still good?
I have a mid-week birthday coming up, and I'm trying to choose my restaurant wisely. I usually don't eat around the whole Montrose/3rd/Hollywood area, but that's where we'll be going. I don't want anything crazy expensive, but I want to go somewhere new that I've "always wanted to try". I immediately thought of AOC, but wanted to check with everyone to see if it was still as good as ever. If not, do you have another place in that area to recommend? I've been to Mozza and Comme Ca, but that's about it.
irish whiskey, green chartreuse, and sweet vermouth cocktail?
YES! That was it! Au revoir, Gourmet. Christmas isn't the same without you.
tamales in Oxnard/Ventura for holidays?
I will be staying on the beach in Oxnard for the holidays. I'm leaving tomorrow, so I don't want to get tamales here in LA for Christmas. I know there's a large Latino population up that way, so surely there's a place where I can pick up a few dozen tamales, right? Doesn't have to be a restaurant--anyplace will do. Please advise. Is this too far from LA? Should I put this on the other California board?
Where do I purchase cachaça?
Also, Top Line in Glendale/Loz Feliz area has it, and their prices are great.
irish whiskey, green chartreuse, and sweet vermouth cocktail?
I found this one too when I did a search. Funny how it, too, has a story attached! Alas, it's not the same story or the same drink. But hey, I'll give this a try as well. Couldn't be bad! In the meantime, I guess I'll be going through a few old magazines.
