liveforfood's Profile
Crock pot cooking--best ideas???
You all have been SO helpful! Thanks so much for the recipes, tips, cookbook suggestions, links, etc. And I had not thought of a pressure cooker as an option before. I did do pot roast in the slow cooker this week, but actually, I could have done almost the same thing using my large oven-proof pot set in the oven on low all day. I guess the SC is more energy efficient than that, but I didn't find it saved me time. Its a mad rush in the morning getting everyone out the door and prepping then is a bit of a pain with breakfast and making lunches going on at the same time. And on the other end of the day, I am too tired to do too much prep for anything yet want good food for me and my family. I so relate to Miss Priss' "what's in the pantry approach to dinner", so maybe I'll get a PC too. And I like Candy's idea of coming home at 6, getting PC dinner prepped in a snap, and enjoying a cocktail while food cooking! I'll still work with the slow cooker trying some of what's posted here, but you have inspired me to consider a PC now. Thanks again!
Crock pot cooking--best ideas???
I am returning to work full time after a sabbatical and I bought a crock pot to slow cook meals to be ready for my family when we get home at night. I am new to crock pot cooking and I have done a couple of things already, but I am looking for good ideas. I have done chili and pulled pork so far with pretty good success. I am looking for things to cook that won't take a lot of time to prep in the morning before I leave since I am preparing breakfast and lunches for the kids to get everyone out the door. Any thoughts on what to put in my pot that will be relatively yummy (and healthy) by the end of the day?
Cooking From The Farmer's Markets . . . what's on your table these days?
Ok, at the farmer's market here in Portland Maine, I got the most luscious Heirloom tomatoes yesterday. Its a unique type that has been named "Immigrant's Daughter" by Freedom Farm where they are grown here (a long story about how they got the seeds, but in short, from the elderly daughter of an Italian immigrant who passed the seeds on to this farm to ensure this particular tomato would be propagated after she passed on). They were so good that I just sliced them and served them as a side dish for grilled salmon, on a bed of baby arugula (also from the farmer's market), drizzled with my best olive oil a bit of coarse salt. I have also been getting golden beets which I roast and then toss with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. Another farmer's market treat--baby artichokes. Yes, here in Maine people have learned how to grow them and they are are delicious.
Viking Range Hood Cleaning Nightmare
Now that I have seen the other responses, I might advise you not to rule out this hood completely since it seems the two others participating in this thread are not as daunted as I am with cleaning the viking. BUT before you decide on which hood to get, you might want to find out about cleaning ease as another consideration. I can say that the hood functions well--draws as it should. There is a good bit of air noise (vs. motor) when it is on the high setting and a slight buzz when set on low. My husband is very sound sensitive and our downstairs area housing our kitchen is a wide open space, with three rooms that all meld together--he was worried about how it would be in there other rooms when we run the vent. While there is definitely, noise, even he got used to it. And truthfully, the vent is usually not running for extensive periods of time. But I seem to be the only one here who is bothered by the cleaning issue. Just thought I should add this since you are in the throws of making a decision.
Viking Range Hood Cleaning Nightmare
Its interesting to hear others' experiences with range hood cleaning. I too have used Greased Lightening to clean the interior of the hood, and in between the major cleanings, I wipe the baffles, trying to get in between them to soften and sop up grease accumulation with a sponge and then a dry cloth. It sounds like others have not had such problems, except for the finger cutting (so sorry Sydneyeats needed stitches!), so maybe its just me. And you all seem to spend less time than I do on the cleaning project (wanna come over and do mine?). I don't know why we have had such grease build up on ours in unreachable places when I clean it regularly. Maybe I should do it every two weeks, esp. in the winter when we do more indoor cooking/pan frying. I'll give that a try.
Viking Range Hood Cleaning Nightmare
Has anyone had the following similar experience with their Viking Range Hood? We have a VCWH 3048/SS model over our 30" Viking Range. I clean it often, about every two months, and find it to be such a painful, labor/time intensive project. I truly dread this task. First, one must be a contortionist to remove the filter baffles and reinstall them once cleaned, and to clean well inside of the hood, too (also, it is important to wear gloves when doing this so that hands do not get cut on the sharp metal edges of the pieces). Once the baffles, grease tray and all removable parts are taken out, I usually run them through the dishwasher on the heavy duty setting (recommended in the manual) and then clean them further with a cotton cloth once they have run through to make sure there is not residual grease. But then, I've found that there is grease coating areas of the hood that is not easily accessible or not accessible at all. I know there is grease build up in places I cannot access or even see because even after I have cleaned everything I can possibly clean until there are no traces of any grease residue at all, when I am cooking and the heat rises, nasty grease melts from somewhere and trickles down the inside of the hood and drips onto my counter and range top. I suppose if I was tiny like George from George Shrinks, I'd be able to get into those places. It really makes me angry, needless to say, after I've spent an entire afternoon cleaning the thing obsessively. Granted we cook a lot and fully utilize our equipment, but isn't that why one buys a "professional" level range and hood? It seems this hood should be easier to clean and that the design should ensure that grease does not get trapped in places one can't ever reach. I am again disappointed in Viking (I've complained about my range here before, too). Seems Viking products might be more about form & style than high quality and performance.
Seeking good basic rice cooker with no warmer
Usually, when we make rice, we either eat it right away or we're are making sushi and we want it to cool. I guess we could just unplug it.
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
What about the potato ricer? Yes, I supposed pressing potatoes through a ricer makes for a nice fluffy mash, but is it really necessary? Plus, I hate cleaning the thing, and I find that any gadget I dread cleaning I tend to avoid using. I also have a hand powered egg beater that I never use--I feel nostalgic about the thing but I am more likely to use a wire whisk or my kitchenaid mixer for heavier beating. On second thought, maybe I should revisit the hand powered beater and discard the Kitchenaid?
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
Different strokes, for sure. My garlic press is fantastic and I use it multiple times a week. I have one with a large holder for the garlic (holds several cloves) and pressed garlic is great in vinaigrettes, which I make often.
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
I passed on my Zojourushi bread machine to a friend, who uses it almost daily. It was a gift to me and I kept it on the top of my cabinet, since I never used it. I had almost forgotten about it until cleaning one day when I noticed it there, covered with a half inch of dust! I cleaned it off and my friend said she wanted it!
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
I agree--the electric can opener is one of the stupidest gadgets. I never understood why people (including my mother) would take up precious counter top space with something that never works well. I like my manual, fail-proof opener just fine!
what is the most useless gadget in your kitchen
The microplane is the only thing one needs for fine grating--ginger, lemon peel, hard cheeses, etc. It works so well! But, for heavier cheeses, one needs a box grater or some kind of grater with larger holes. I guess you can always use the food processor for that, though.
Cape Cod or Maine?
I haven't been to the Cape in a long time but have never had great meals there. Pricey and geared toward tourists so there is a lot of junk. Maine is another story. So many fine places to dine from Ogunquit area to Portland on up the southern coast. Too many to list here,but there is a hub of truly fine dining establishments in Portland, many of them on the national map, too. Rockland has some top league places, too, as does Camden. if I were choosing between the Cape and Maine, and good food was a priority, I'd definitely come to Maine.
Has Anyone Tried Figa in Portland?
This is a little late but I wanted to just say that Figa is lovely all around. The space is tiny, yes, and I think the best seats are along the wall to the right as you walk in, but the space is very pleasant, inviting, and warm. The food was delicious--great flavors, variety, attention to detail, lots of local ingredients. Had my birthday dinner there with my 2 sons and husband (all appreciate good food), and we all loved it. Figa is a very fine addition to the Portland restaurant scene, very much in line with the high quality we've all now come to expect in our sophisticated culinary city. Hope you ended up giving it a try.
Seeking good basic rice cooker with no warmer
Well, our 25 year old rice cooker has seen its last day and we need a new one. Its a brand I never heard of before (National?) and my husband acquired it many years ago, long before I was in the picture. What we like about this cooker is its simplicity--medium capacity (cooks 4 cups dry rice to make 8), no frills, one non-digitally programmed button and no warming feature (we usually want the rice to cool for making sushi). Does such an item exist anymore? I've been looking and I am getting overwhelmed by hundreds of options out there on the net. Panasonic looks like it might have some simple cookers but I have not yet seen one without the warming function. Zojuroushi has an impressive line but far more rice cooker than we need. We want one that can handle cooking up to 5 cups of dry rice to make 10 and one that would work well if we wanted to use just 2-3 cups of dry rice. Definitely no digital features. We don't need one that multitasks--just want it to cook rice. Thought I'd pose the question to you all, thinking someone out there probably has an idea or two. Thanks!
Final Decisions about a dishwasher
I posted last week about my dishwasher search and thanks to all of your informed advice, I went out shopping and I think I narrowed it down. As for the Meile, we are ruling that out--really too pricey even though I am sure it is a wonderful machine, as many people said. Consumer Reports rates Bosch highly, but when I examined them in the showroom, I was concerned about the space (seems small) and the plate racks seem narrow (perhaps to hold more delicate plates vs. heavier earthenware). On a day to day basis, I realized that the ease of loading and space is important to me. So, I examined the Kitchenaids, which many people here on CH told me in my earlier post was a decent machine. I like the interior set up better--much more flexible for holding various kinds of items. We need a simple stainless steel front to match other appliances in our kitchen, so I am thinking about the KUDC03FVS. Does anyone have any knowledge about this model in particular before I head out to buy it? Might there be reasons to run in the other direction? Thanks again!
Needing new dishwasher
This isn't exactly "cookware" but certainly an important part of the kitchen so I thought I'd post my query here. We are in the market for a new dishwasher. We've had a Maytag and it is 9 years old and quite worn out (the plastic coating on the racks has come off in spots and it is rusted--this stains our white dishware--it is also getting really, really loud, which makes me think the motor is waning). We want a stainless exterior and interior, racks included, we'd like it to be relatively quiet, and we don't need fancy options--in fact, the fewer, the better. The one feature that I think is probably pretty standard in all at this point is the delayed start, which we would definitely want. We don't care about hidden controls. I'd also like a quick wash option--our dishwasher takes about 1-1/2 hours to get through cycle completely and sometimes I want it to move a little faster. Also, while we are willing to pay for a decent machine, we don't want to pay a fortune (mid-high hundreds would be ok--over $1000 not). Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Think twice before eating at L'Echaude
I always feel badly providing negative feedback, but I do think it is important for others to know before they spend $$. I am sure this restaurant works very hard to maintain standards, but it just fell short. It was not a disaster, but it was not a great dining experience either, plus is was expensive. I don't mind paying the $$ for a fine meal, but it needs to live up to the price. The following night we ended up giving Cafe de la Paix on rue des Jardins a try--my husband wanted sweetbreads and they had this on the menu. It looked like a cozy little place with a nice menu. First, the waiter seemed annoyed with us for reasons we didn't understand. Very curt from the moment we walked in (I wondered if he didn't like that we brought our 12 year old son, or if we weren't dressed well enough or something--we were certainly dressed appropriately for a nice restaurant). It was a nice interior, but again, the food was pretty disappointing. The sweetbreads were served in a sauce that was rather gloppy and more like a thick stew. Everything was pretty mediocre, including the onion soup. Plus, I felt stressed out because the waiter seemed like he really didn't want us there.
We loved Quebec City--it is a beautiful place.. There seem to be many restaurants but it is hard to know which ones are really good and which are just trying to be really good and charging a lot of $$ and embellishing the atmosphere to create that persona.
Think twice before eating at L'Echaude
We went to L'echaude last evening in Quebec City after reading such positive reviews overall--my husband, my son and myself. Of course, when you don't know a city, you take risks with restaurants. This is a recap of our experience. I ordered the tomato-goat cheese tart as my first course, and this was good but not spectacular. For my entree, I had the fish-muscles-lobster court boullion, which was fresh but the stock truly lacked flavor (I ended up adding a air bit of salt to help it). My husband liked his steak tartar appetizer, but the steak frites came with the smallest steak we'd ever seen--my pre-teen son ordered this too and was still hungry after he finished and wanted what my husband had not yet eaten of his. The frites were tasty but rather greasy and soggy. The music was more problematic than the food, and from my husband, I quote: "At the end of the dinner, a pseudo hip, pseudo slow jazz version of the Violent Femmes Blister in the Sun almost caused me to lose my entire meal." Fortunately, we left before this occurred. Overall, this meal was not worth the $200+ we spent on it. I think we'll cut our losses and try and inexpensive creperie this evening.
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L'echaude Restaurant
73 Rue Du Sault-Au-Matelot, Quebec, QC G1K3Y9, CA
Pai Men Miyake - Noodle Bar In Portland
I think that people should refrain from long, critical posts about new restaurants and certainly not use the words "epic fail" as the opening line. Not very nice. I've certainly done my share of complaining here on chowhound about this or that, but for a new place like this, I think it is important to take a deep breath and give 'em a chance! I want to say that we went to Pei Men Miyake today for lunch with an open mind, knowing that it is very early in their game. We had a lovely lunch--the pork rolls were delicious as was the crunchy-spicy tuna roll. And the noodles--oh, I am so happy that we have a real Japanese noodle restaurant in our small, lovely city--they were SO good. Rich broths (three different types right now to choose) with pork belly, egg, etc. The noodles themselves were excellent and when we asked about them, we were told that while they are certainly good quality noodles, they will soon be even better because they are working toward setting up a homemade noodle making operation there. They said the menu will develop over time as well (and soon will include green tea, which they did not have today). The space itself is very cool and aesthetically pleasing (simple but very interesting decor), and you can sit at the bar (which we did) or eat at a table. Also, I thought everything was very reasonably priced (including the $9 for two yummy pork rolls). Anyway, we had a terrific, satisfying meal in a very pleasant environment, even at this early stage when things are not as smooth as they will be when they are settled in. It was the highlight of our afternoon, in fact. I foresee spending many upcoming cold winter nights there with a steamy bowls of noodle soup for supper...can't wait. Thanks for opening your doors to our community even if things are not all perfectly figured out and lined up!! We'll be back--and we'll bring others.
Quebec City Trip Report
I just want to thank you for such an informative post! I will print this and carry it with me. We are heading to QC in October with our 12 year old son (who also loves to eat good food). I've been researching here on Chowhound and elsewhere and this is very useful to me. Thanks so much! I am wondering, though, if you might identify any places you went that you think we should avoid with a child? I read reviews about some places that are pretty snotty about the presence of children (e.g., Cafe Bistro du Cap). Our child is not unruly in any way, but I don't want him or us to feel uncomfortable in a place that generally does not welcome children. Any thoughts?
Dining mid October in Quebec City
My husband, 12 year old son and I are spending 3 nights in Quebec City (Columbus Day Weekend). We've never been there and we are so looking forward to it because we have heard wonderful things about this place. On a recommendation of a friend, I booked us at the Hotel Manoir Victoria, which looks to be very nice. We love good food, of course (my son, too), but don't know where to begin. My son is very well mannered and can handle most any kind of environment. We are foodies by nature, but prefer not to be subjected to excessive food stuffiness/snobbery. I am seeking suggestions for both easy, lighter fare and some fine dining, too. We'll pay for a couple of very nice meals that weekend and then try to find some good but less pricey options, too. We are open to all kinds of food, French or whatever. Suggestions for us anyone? Breakfast, lunch, and most importantly, dinner????
Complaints about my viking range
I can't believe that they suggested sandpapering as a solution! I'd say they need to get you a new knob. I have had problems with the burner ignition, too--click, click, click, click..... and no flame. This happens inconsistently but regularly enough to be annoying. Sometimes I just light it by hand with a match. And sometimes the clicking continues after the burner lights and goes on for a long time after (up to 15 minutes). I do agree that persistence is needed, though, boy, it can be time consuming and frustrating to sit and wait on hold, or talk to someone who does not want to help. If you see my response to ZenSojourner above, you'll see what I went through with Viking on the phone. Finally, today, the service provider begrudgingly gave me the phone number to a part distributer where I could purchase the part (but they refused to tell me the official name of the part--was able to figure this out with the parts distributor, but come on...). The service provider also told me that the reason the part requires professional installation is because they are concerned a lay person will scratch the interior of the oven when putting it in (its the entire oven floor piece) and this will cost $150 in labor to do. Well, we took it out ourselves easily when we diagnosed the problem and then put it right back into place without scratching anything. Anyway, I ordered the part today and should have the oven back next week, no thanks to Viking.
Maine Lobster
Many good lobster places mentioned here (pay special attention to ptcandy's suggestions), but if you can, see about boiling your own since eating them out in a restaurant in usually pretty pricey, no matter where you have them. Some places will do this for you, too. I happen to prefer the soft shells to the hard (I know this is unorthodox). I find the meat sweeter and I love that I don't cut up my hands when eating them, which for me is enough reason to eat soft shells. Can't get soft shells outside of New England either--they don't travel well so they are not shipped. I steam them for 15 minutes vs.boil them.
Complaints about my viking range
Taken together from these posts, it sounds like Viking ranges get mixed reviews on both ends of the spectrum. In response to what you've said--that the mark of quality includes how they deal with problems if they arise--I cannot agree more. I have gone around with them for days on this and learned today that they will not sell me the part I need for the oven floor. The part is one that is easily set into oven without the need for any special skill to do so (my husband slid it out and then back in himself, which is how we identified the problem initially). Viking tells me that this part is one that requires an authorized service dealer to "install" for "safety reasons". There is no installation needed, really. It is not attached to a gas line or anything else that could be dangerous. It simply slides in the bottom of the oven over the burners, which are working fine except for the fact that the flame shield welds failed and the piece fell on top of them. It has been quite frustrating. The service provider, in addition to the $265 we will need to pay for the failed part that should not have failed, will charge us another $150 for a half hour visit to install the thing. Viking actually told me that it is my "choice" to have the part replaced by the service provider or not. You can imagine that I was furious with such a condescending response. This is not choice on my part (a) if I want my oven to work or (b) unless I am willing to throw away the range entirely and buy a new one. When I asked to speak with a manager or supervisor, she refused and told me she would not "escalate" the call because she had done all she could. Customer service? I am not done with them.
Complaints about my viking range
I have a basic Viking Range, 4 burner, 30" VGIC, all gas (has gas convection). I can't tell you how much trouble we have had with it since we bought it in 2001. We bought it, of course, because we wanted a high performing, solidly constructed range that we could count on for years--we cook a lot and need high heat for some of what we do. We have had this oven serviced at least 4 times since we have owned it. The oven ignitors fail and have needed replacement several times, and when the failure starts to happen, the oven can take over an hour to reach 350 and it never heats to higher temps. It is happening yet again and I am feeling especially annoyed about it. It costs A LOT every time it needs repair, of course, and it is hugely disruptive to my busy kitchen not to have a functional oven. The other thing we noticed happened this time, in addition to a failed ignitor: the pan-like burner cover that sits on the oven floor has failed, too! The spot welds holding the flame covers onto the burner cover gave way and the two pieces covering the flames are just dangling there. We bought Viking because we thought it had solid construction and would be bullet proof. We maintain it, clean it, etc. and it seems this should not happen. The other thing is that the numbers and markings on the knobs to adjust the heat for the range top and the oven have worn off, completely in some places. I have been very careful when I clean them to do so gently, using only with warm water, soft sponge, and mild soap, per Viking instructions. This routine cleaning has taken off the markings. Viking has not responded to my request that they replace my oven knob (the others I can live with but I need the markings for the oven control knob--they are expensive to buy and I don't think I should have to pay for it). I think of the old General Elec. range I had in an apartment years ago that was wholly reliable for the many years I used it. I have been so unhappy with this viking and I will never get another one. We also have a companion range hood--nice looking and works well and all but a fiasco to take apart and clean. Don't know if others have had troubles with Viking products. Is it just me???
Arrows or another rec. for couple's celebration
What do people think of Havana South in Portland for these folks? I have not yet been there, but it might be a nice option. I hear they have a space inside of the restaurant that is set up for more quiet dining. A foodie friend went to Cinque Terre recently and had a fabulous meal there, too, and this would fallinto the quiet and classy category, I think. I am still a Fore St. stand by, and while this is a both classy and delicious, it is certainly has a more rustic and bustling atmosphere. Also in Portland, how about 555, Salt, or Emilista? Or, in York, Lydia Shire's Blue Sky? I am not a fan of Hugo's mostly because of the tiny, artistically crafted portions--lovely but not really my idea of a great meal--when I have been there, I leave hungry.
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Cinque Terre
36 Wharf Street, Portland, ME 04101
Emilista in Portland
Just wondering if anyone has tried Emilista of late, the greek restaurant on Congress St in Portland. I live here and have never been, but we've been wondering about it. What have been your experiences dining there?
Problem with baking sheets
Yes, these are Chicago Metallic pans. I'm glad to know the residue is harmless but it still makes me reluctant to place food on them directly (I used one last night to oven bake some salmon and I lined the pan). I don't use harsh detergents--usually just use natural soap products (e.g., Meyers, etc.). Maybe I'll keep these for baking and get a stainless pan or two for things like potato or fish baking when I am using olive oil and lemon. Thank you all for your responses.
Problem with baking sheets
Maybe I am cleaning them improperly or doing something wrong, but my baking sheets form a corrosive metallic film over them when I wash them. When I dry them with a towel, the towel is gray from the nasty residue. These are allegedly high quality aluminum baking pans. When I bake on them, I just try to wipe them well and then line the pans with foil or parchment. Just seems that the pans should not be covered in this stuff. I am thinking I just need to buy stainless steel pans to avoid this problem. Has anyone has this experience and have you used solid stainless steel pans? Any thoughts on this problem and if stainless steel is better?
