FataMagistra's Profile
Food Network Star
Quite aside from agreeing with the excellent point you made, chowser, I just had to break out from my usual lurker mode to register my appreciation at the mention of Joshua Bell on this board!
Melted/burnt external bottom of Creuset grill pan :(
I'm the OP for this thread, jumping back in late because I kept forgetting to take a photo of my poor burnt pan. Here it is - looks a lot like what happened to Mr Lego's. The inside doesn't seem affected so I've used it since, but I'm still sad about the once-beautiful Flame enamel ... :(
As for alkapal's question about getting the enamel off the burner, yeah that wasn't easy. Lots of scrubbing over a period of time just about did it (with some faint traces of orange flecks still visible if you really looked). We've since moved to another house with a gas stovetop, yay!
Go-to cookie or bar recipe for a crowd?
My mainstays in this kind of situation: lemon bars (as someone mentioned) and Nigella Lawson's gingerbread cake (which can be sliced into bars and keeps exceedingly well too!)
Favorite Soy Sauce Brand to go with my xiao long bao sauce?
Well, this is just one Chinese (Cantonese, actually) person's opinion, but when eating dumplings we don't necessarily want or need any condiments if the filling is good and fresh, and the wrapping similarly excellent. At best, a tiny dip in soy sauce (doesn't actually matter what brand) and perhaps (in South East Asia, certainly) a good chilli sauce (but has to be freshly made, none of that processed bottled stuff).
As for xiaolongbao, we are told that the only way to eat them - and again, they have to be freshly-made - is with a teensy dip in black vinegar and julienned ginger. But you'll have to ask the Shanghainese if that's true :)
What is your favorite CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP kitchen gadget
Great thread (though jumping in late)!
Grapefruit knife
Pineapple corer
Tiny 2 oz. Oxo measuring cup (in place of a jigger for cocktails)
Microplane graters
Champagne "re-corker thingy" (what do you call it anyway???)
Rotary cheese grater
Melted/burnt external bottom of Creuset grill pan :(
Aargghh ... a friend left my Le Creuset grill pan on a hot electric stove without switching off the burner, resulting in melted orange enamel (it's in the Flame color) all over the burner, and deep round burn marks on the outside bottom of the grill pan :(
I've searched the board and Web for suggestions on what (if anything) i can do (short of re-enamelling it). More specifically, whether I can/should still keep using it. The inside is undamaged so my instincts and the one Internet posting I found suggest that I can ... but assurances from fellow Chowhounders would help!
(and I thought I wasn't as attached to this particular pan as I am to my Creuset dutch ovens ... but it was a gift and I'm heartbroken nonetheless!)
Thanks!
quanjude vs bianyifang, beijing. birds?
I recently tried both Quanjude and Da Dong. Granted, perhaps different branches may vary in quality, but to my mind Da Dong's was clearly superior. Where Quanjude's was almost tasteless and not terribly crispy, the skin on Da Dong's version was beautifully caramelized and crispy, and the fat just barely perceptible but providing a wonderful texture and creaminess (especially when dipped in the sugar that they provide just for this :)
I haven't tried Bianyifang so I can't comment on it, but I've heard that the "kao ya" at Made in China at the Grand Hyatt is absolutely delicious (albeit pricey!).
La Guirlande de Julie
I'm glad to hear that people had nice meals and good experiences at La Guirlande de Julie. We were there for dinner in spring 2007 and had a passable, but not fabulous, meal. The menu was interesting - I'd sum it up as French with an occasional, very light Asian/fusion twist - and the food fine (especially the appetizers), but a few things bothered me, including:
- my main course (a lamb shank in a light broth) was tasty but lukewarm, which made me think the kitchen had fired it too early; and
- for dessert, the maitre'd tried to get us to order the dessert "du jour", which was tiramisu. Seeing as it was a quiet night but NOT late (it wasn't even 10 p.m.), I wondered if they just wanted to get us out of there quickly. Maybe it's just me, but I thought it unseemly for a restaurant of this calibre (and part of the Tour d'Argent family) to be "upselling" a pre-made dessert so hard, especially as they had some really nice desserts (e.g., zabaglione, gauffres), on the regular dessert menu.
All in all, it was a decent meal, but not memorable. We had better (quality, service, value) meals in the same price range at Petit Pontoise and Maison du Jardin.
Solo dining in Rio
Hi everyone, in planning and "bookmarking" restaurants for an upcoming trip to Rio, I found I had a couple of questions that I don't seem to find good answers to - so I'm hoping fellow Chowhounders will help out! Here goes:
1. I'm assuming most restaurants will not have English versions of their menus - does anyone know of a good online source where I can find Portuguese-English descriptions of various dishes?
2. How unusual/difficult will it be (aside from portion size!) to dine solo in places other than cafes, bars and roadside kiosks? For example, if one wanted to eat at Bazzar, Zazu, Olympe and other good and/or trendy places?
3. How easy will it be for a solo female traveller to eat, drink and maybe visit a samba club, alone?
4. Are there any good food markets worth visiting, and if so, what days and hours are best?
Any other tips you may have will also be gratefully received.
Thanks!
2 great little chef-owned/operated restaurants: Cafe Des Jumelles (Monte Rio) & Rendezvous Inn (Fort Bragg)
I just got back from a week (too short!) in/around the SF Bay area, and while I enjoyed some wonderful meals (Cyrus in Healdsburg, for instance :) and had some good food that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to find in my corner of New England (e.g. Aziza's in SF), I really wanted to put in a HUGE plug for two small, chef-owned/operated restaurants that - to me - exemplifies food cooked with passion and a restaurant that's a real labor of love.
At Cafe des Jumelles (on Highway 116 in Monte Rio, near Jenner/the Marin coast and Sonoma County), we had perfectly-cooked, fresh, brunch-y breakfasts (perfect poached eggs, excellent chicken fried steak (yes, in CA!) and personal, friendly service from the chef and owner's children.) At Rendezvous Inn (in Fort Bragg, a few miles north of Mendocino) we had fabulous wild boar terrine, impeccable pork loin and an enjoyable long conversation with chef Kim Badenhop.
Both places showed off the chefs' background/training/experience in top-flight restaurants, but - perhaps sometimes just as, if not more, importantly - highlighted the passion, dedication and craft that these men and their partners brought to the profession.
If you find yourself in/near either of these towns, run, don't walk, to talk to and support these talented and passionate folks.
Paris - Pastries??
Like many others, I thought the breads at Maison Kayser on rue Monge (5eme) and the pastries at Gerard Mulot (rue de Seine, 6eme) were fabulous and delicious. Next time, I'd love to try Aoki. Although I enjoyed the macaroons at Laduree, I wasn't blown away by them (probably a victim of over-high expectations!)
Finally, although it's not a patisserie/boulanger, the ice creams at Berthillon really were out of this world delicious, especially the marrons glaces and armagnac with prunes!
Feedback on Paris reservations
We just returned from another all-too-short weekend in Paris, and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at La Maison du Jardin. Friendly, professional proprietor who recommended an excellent and reasonably-priced St Emilion Grand Cru to go with our food, and excellent food very well prepared and delicious. We had a fantastic, creamy foie gras (served with Poilane bread) and a fresh, seasonal haricot vert salad as starters, amazingly tender, tasty beef cheeks and delicious calf liver as main courses, and above-average creme brulee and mille feuille for dessert. Highly recommended! I believe it's recommended in guides like Pudlo (or Lebey).
On a previous trip, we had a very good meal at La Petit Pontoise. The food - fairly hearty, traditional (if slightly modernized) French - was similar and also good quality. The foie gras (served with an alfalfa salad) was very good, as was the duck breast and tarte tatin. We'd recommend this place too, with the only caveat that it was somewhat more touristy than La Maison du Jardin (although, given its location near Notre Dame and its writeups in several English language guidebooks, as well as the fact that we were there on Sunday night, is probably to be expected.)
Mid-priced Paris Bistros
You're welcome, and happy birthday! I'm looking forward to hearing about where you went and what you thought. BTW here is La Ferrandaise's website: http://www.laferrandaise.com/.
Mid-priced Paris Bistros
Oh, I forgot! One place I'd love to try is the revived Le Cameleon, on rue de Chevreuse in the 6th - recently named Lebey's Best Bistrot (as La Ferrandaise was last year).
Mid-priced Paris Bistros
Hi Oakland Barb, what a lovely last-minute trip! Last month, we had a very good dinner (plus good service and ambience) at La Ferrandaise (6eme), and a pretty good one at Le Petit Pontoise (chosen because it was a Sunday.) The menu at La Ferrandaise was 32 Euro each and was excellent; Le Petit Pontoise was a la carte but was also only slightly more expensive; given the day of the week and its recent writeups, it also had more tourists than locals (about 60/40) where at Le Ferrandaise only two tables (including us) were non-locals. Neither needed reservations of more than a few days in advance, and Le Petit Pontoise can be booked online (if you have a telephone number that'll work in France where they will call you back to confirm): http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com.
The website also takes reservations for other highly-rated restaurants like L'Atelier Maitre Albert, La Rotisserie d'en Face, Le Petit Zinc, L'Espadon Bleu, Aux Charpentiers, La Petite Cour (all in the 5eme or 6eme), and many others. You can also view the menus online.
Other restaurants within your price range that seem to have received good reviews quite recently include Le Temps au Temps, Au Fil des Saisons and Bistro Paul Bert. Old standbys include Chez Denise, Buissons Ardent and Ambassade d'Auvergne (this last has its own website and is open on Sundays to boot).
We are returning to Paris next week and will probably try La Maison du Jardin and La Guirlande de Julie.
Have fun!
So just how good is the FOOD at La Guirlande de Julie?
Guess the title says it all ... besides the ambience, location and a few scattered recommendations, are there any Chowhounders with recent reports/views about the food there? Thanks!
Christophe in Amsterdam
Just last month, we had a very good dinner at DINING ELEVEN (just off Prinsengracht, a few minutes' walk from the Anne Frank Huis). The food was fresh and beautifully prepared (a kind of "modern French"), the chef/proprietor very friendly, and the ambience modern but inviting. I'd highly recommend it. We also had a fairly good meal at DE WITTE UYL, near the Rijksmuseum. Both places are moderately priced.
Dining Eleven
Reestraat 11
020 620 7968
De Witte Uyl
Frans Halsstraat 26
020 670 0458
Here's My Paris List WDYT?
I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience at La Ferrandaise. Here's what we ate when we were there: for our entrees, an interesting and very good lentil cream soup with a piece of pied du cochon in it that really heightened the taste and texture, and the crab ravioli. I agree the latter was strong in taste, but I actually loved it because, to me, the broth burst with "seafoodiness" rather than tasting fishy, and the ravioli were fresh, soft and a good accompaniment. For plats, the steak was beautifully done and tasty if a bit tough (because of the cut); the braised lamb on a bed of lentils was, however, meltingly tender and delicious. For desserts, the creme brulee and millefieulle were correctly executed and extremely good.
Overall, it was a very good meal with prompt, friendly, professional service and good ambience. It was also good value for money! I hope they will improve on those dishes and issues that might have been missteps, and that other Chowhounders will report on their own experiences!
Paris Wine Bars
Oh yes, I'd forgotten to mention Lavinia (how could I?) As a nice contrast to the rather more everyday Petite Perigourdine, we sampled excellent Paulliac and a wonderful aged Armagnac at Lavinia. We also enjoyed stopping at L'Ecluse (the one along the Seine, just past Place St Michel) for a simple cheese plate and glasses of delicious Bordeaux. Although it was smack in the middle of the tourist trail, the place was practically empty - and hence very laidback and relaxing - on a Sunday afternoon!
Here's My Paris List WDYT?
Capeanne, what did you think of La Ferrandaise? We went in mid-February and definitely preferred it to our other dinner choice the second night, La Petit Pontoise. We found La Ferrandaise to be a warm, intimate and relaxing place; small and filled with friendly Parisians. The food was excellent - fresh ingredients skilfully executed and absolutely spot-on delicious - with a well-thought out menu and good service. We'd love to go back on our next visit to Paris!
Paris Wine Bars
A simple neighborhood wine bar we really enjoyed in the Latin Quarter was La Petite Perigourdine on the Rue des Ecoles (right next door to our hotel, the St Jacques - thank you to those who recommended it!) It has drinkable non-fancy wines, a casual and friendly ambience, delicious croque monsieur and free wireless Internet :)
starting the day in paris...where are the best pastries and coffee?
We just recently returned from a wonderful and all-too-brief weekend in Paris - where we enjoyed lovely fresh-baked pastries and brioches at Maison Kayser on Rue Monge. There's the actual bakery with its amazing baguettes and breads, and a couple of doors down a little cafe and takeaway - with pastries, croissants, cakes, quiches and sandwiches. If you go when the cafe opens (around 8.30 or 9 a.m.; the bakery opens earlier) you should be able to snag one of the seats at the counter. Highly recommended!
Food shopping in Paris -- what is worthy to schlep home?
What great suggestions! Anyone have thoughts about Hediard (on place Madeleine) and L'Epicerie on the Ile st Louis? Thanks!
Inexpensive Saturday & Sunday dinners in Paris
Oh, perhaps I should add that other places I'm considering are Le Christine and Le Vieux Bistro (in the 4th); and yes, if we do this, it'll probably mean no Balzar ... !
Inexpensive Saturday & Sunday dinners in Paris
Thanks to everyone for their very helpful tips and suggestions so far, on my other questions/threads! I have a slightly different question at this point: for good but relatively inexpensive weekend dinners in the 5th & 6h Arrondisements, what would you think of La Ferrandaise (a Lebey top bistro for 2005) for Saturday, and Le Petit Pontoise for Sunday? Thanks again!
1st time in Paris: traditional brasserie (Balzar, Pied de Cochon, Polidor?)
If you were to pick one traditional brasserie, centrally located, for a first-timer who really isn't into food but likes basic, hearty classics to see and experience (budget is inexpensive to moderate), which would it be? If not these three, any suggestions? I'd have said Bofinger but it seems the seafood there is preferable to the "old reliables" (steak frites, onion soup, bouef bourgignon etc.) Thanks!
Petit Pontoise, Reminet or Caveau d'Isle?
Thanks so much for the tips; we are definitely going to Kayser (our hotel is on the rue des Ecoles, and we only have "le weekend", so every meal and snack counts!) I'll report when we get back!
Petit Pontoise, Reminet or Caveau d'Isle?
My S.O and I will be in Paris for an all-too-brief weekend; it'll be his 1st trip there and his birthday too! My question is, if you had to choose one inexpensive, typical bistro/brasserie for dinner on a Sunday, which of these 3 would you choose? If not these, what would you recommend? He's not at all fussy about food and likes the classics like bouef bourgignon, steak frites, coq au vin etc. Thanks!
