graffitipassion's Profile
Where to buy fresh squid
Thanks! I forgot about Fish King! It's been a long time so I can't remember what they carry.
Where to buy fresh squid
I'm looking for real squid, not cuttlefish. I'd love for them to be whole and with the ink sac.
I've been to several supermarkets in Koreatown and in Little Tokyo. Usually, they are not the kind of squid I'm used to. Sometimes they are labeled as Korean squid and they are larger than what I've used before. They also taste differently.
I'm by the Staples center, so something on the eastside would be great. But if I'm on the other side of town, I'd be good to know where to make a pit stop!
Vegan Hotspots
I love the atmosphere and food at Pure Luck off Vermont and Heliotrope, behind LACC. Great beers on tap and some serious grub. Nothing fancy, just hearty. I also just read about Tony's Darts Away in Burbank and would really like to try it out. Same bar-type atmosphere.
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Darts Away
1710 W Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506
Pure Luck Restaurant
707 N Heliotrope Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90029
New Spices! Can you find recipes to use them?
Pho! I forgot that the broth uses that! That might be a good new challenge for me.
New Spices! Can you find recipes to use them?
Ha! Cardamom in a bloody mary...might have to try that out!
Thanks for the suggestions for the Epazote. I know I can get it fresh from the Mexican market down the street, but I thought I'd get dry just in case it adds a different flavor.
New Spices! Can you find recipes to use them?
Wow! That coffee suggestion sounds cool!!
New Spices! Can you find recipes to use them?
Yes, that's been done. As well asfFoodnetwork.com. I'm looking for something a little more personal.
New Spices! Can you find recipes to use them?
I recently aquired 21 new spices for cheap, thanks to Central Market in Texas. I bought spices that either I didn't have or I had never used before. SO...my challenge is to start using these spices right away. If you have a favorite recipe that uses one of these spices OR you have a recipe that uses more than one of these...please contribute!! The spices in CAPS are the ones I am most unfamiliar with. Here's the list:
WHOLE ANISE SEED
WHOLE STAR ANISE
Ground yellow mustard
Whole brown mustard seed
DRIED EPAZOTE
GROUND FENNEL
Fines Herbes
BOLSA CHILE POWDER
ANCHO CHILE POWDER
FENUGREEK SEED
GROUND FENUGREEK
SUMAC
Smoked Paprika
Smoked Hot Paprika
Cardamom
GROUND SAGE
Herbes de provence
Dill weed
COCONUT CURRY POWDER
Ground coriander
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
Unfortunantly, I can't find the exact recipe that my Dad wrote down, but it's so simple that I can explain it here:
3 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut irregularly into 1.5 inch peices *
5 eggs (or enough to barely cover potatoes when finished cooking)
1/2 large onion, large dice
Lots of vegetable oil
Combine the potatoes and onions into a bowl to prep for cooking. Heat large skillet with a few cups of vegetable oil. SLOWLY fry the potato and onion. You don't really want them to even get very brown around the edges. Just soft and cooked through. Pull them out and drain on paper towel. THis may take a couple batches. Let cool. Salt potatoes and eggs lightly. Put in potatoes in bowl and cover with beaten eggs. Pour back into a skillet that will form a pie about 1 and a half inches thick. Let cook on med low until the edges start to brown and when you shake the pan, the tortilla moves around smoothly. Place a plate over the pan, flip the entire tortilla onto the plate, then slide it back into the pan (uncooked side down). Continue to cook the other side until tortilla is cooked in the center.
Serve at room temp with tomato sauce.
* for the potatoes, my Dad always held it in his hand and carved off chunks with a small knife. They looked like little mounds or little irregular pyramids, if that makes sense. He also rinsed the starch off before frying.
Awesome Chili Dog at Union Bagel
Good to know! Now if only they started letting us take food on the trains...
What was the first thing you learned to make?
White rice. My dad wouldn't let me help in the kitchen unless I knew how to make cuban style white rice. Then he taught me how to make tomato sauce. After that, I was his sous chef.
Asparagus ... can you taste the color difference?
White asparagus = divine. I'd take it over green anyday.
I never eat _______ out because nobody makes it right but me.
Tortilla Espanola
Paella
No one cuts the potatoes for the tortilla properly. It's always cut into cubes instead of irregular but similar sized pieces. And the potato must be fried first! I'd rather do it myself.
Also, paella is always too much. I realize it's time intensive, but its always overpriced.
mailing stuff back to the US from spain?
I'm pretty sure canned items and wine are okay not only to mail, but to take through customs. My family has taken numerous cans of white asparagus, boxes of chocolates, and wine back to US from Spain and had customs give them the okay. Unfortunately, the chorizo was promptly thrown into the trash, to my Dad's horror. So "fresh" meat, even if it's air-sealed, is not okay.
You can order Spanish-style meats from "La Espanola" in California. (Harbor City)
What's your "cooking budget?"
I spend about $150 a month for me alone (technically) BUT almost all the dinners are for 2 people because I cook for my boyfriend. I'll tell you what I typically buy, and what I typically make with it:
Sliced bread (from Trader Joes or cheap brand at grocery store)
Dried pintos, black beans, garbanzo beans, lentils
Green bell peppers, serrano peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, cabbage (all from Mexican supermarket)
Eggplant, beets, chard, dandelion greens, yams (from Japanese/Korean market)
Pickled veggies (Japanese/Korean market)
Canned tuna
Canned smoked mussels
Tomatoes (if cheap and in season)
Hummus (Trader Joes)
Pasta
Canned tomatoes
Tofu
Soba noodles
Cheap cheeses (cheddar, smoked gouda, goat)
So typically I make HUGE pots of veggie soup with lentils or beans in them. This will last me for a couple dinners and a couple lunches.
My breakfast and lunch is usually toast with hummus, toast with mayo and smoked mussels, toast and tomato.
Other nights I'll make a garbanzo-bean stir fry, or a japanese-style noodle soup with tofu and yams, or grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Basically, I just buy the cheapest vegetables and the cheapest sources of protein (usually beans or tofu). Starches aren't really a problem getting on the cheap.
Edit to add: I get my spices in small amounts from the Mexican supermarket. They usually have $.50 or $1 packages of spices. I would buy larger if I could, but it always seems like I'm just making it each paycheck!!
Budget - Eating like a Chowhound on $3 a day … well, $3.35 … actually $2.85
I really like getting some ideas from this. My budget is $5 a day and I'm really starting to get stuck in a rut. It's hard to venture out and buy pricier things even if I know they will last longer or I can get many servings out of them.
For example, I cringe at buying coffee. It's not a necessity, but it makes my mornings SO much better. You went the Maxwell route, which is something I'm going to try!
I also think I need to plan my days around grocery stores, something you seem to do. I can rely on Liborio market for my cheap Mexican produce, but other than that, Ralphs is my only other close option. Maybe I can squeeze quick trips in while I'm out running errands or working.
Thanks!
Don't touch money and then touch my food!
Cucumberboy above summed it up wonderfully. It seems many people realize obsessing over germs in restaurants is pointless. Some even said it's simply a matter of courtesy NOT to do these "dirty" things in front of the customer. That it's aesthetically unpleasing and should be avoided simply because it turns people off.
But you're still stressing about it. If you know its unlikely to get you sick, and you don't really care, then let it go!! Don't get mad at other people because they aren't putting on a show for you.
One city in the US for food, and one city in the entire world for food
Los Angeles - So much variety, dangerously authentic Mexican or any South/Central American cuisine. Great Armenian, Chinese, and Thai food.
San Sebastian - because I can eat food from Northern Spain for the rest of my life.
Salad and white wine on a hot night?
What about the Kitchen on Fountain and Sunset? You can bring your own bottle of wine for a small corkage OR have some of theirs.
Or what about the new organic Italian place, Andiamo, on Sunset? They have great salads, although I am not sure whether they serve wine. If not, I'm sure they don't mind if you bring your own.
Scoops vs. Pazzo Gelato?
Going to go with scoops on this one. Strawberry Jasmine?!?! I mean, come on! Pure heaven.
Plus, the atmosphere feels less stuffy and the people working love giving out samples.
Best use for stale bread?
I'm glad someone mentioned soup. Gazpacho was my first thought!
Vegetarian Sandwiches to Take to Work
This is EXACTLY what I have been trying to figure out too, lately. Hoping some people can give ideas that don't include tofurky or other substitute meats!
Canned Jackfruit
I'm wondering if anyone knows of a supermarket that definitly carries canned jackfruit. I went to the Japanese supermarket downtown and wasn't able to find it. I'm out in the valley, so anything close to here would be nice!
Anyone seen at at India sweets and spices?
Thanks!
Smoked Oysters...Suggestions?
Sliced baguette with a thin spread of mayo, topped with the oyster!
gazpacho!
In my opinion, it should be made with green pepper, cucumber, tomato, onion, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a slice of bread. I prefer the traditional way more than any other kind!!
Whichever you choose, gazpacho REALLY needs that slice of bread blended in. It makes the texture so much better and adds a certain flavor.
The Polite Guest v. The Food Pushers
It seems like these are the people who will notice if you just push the peice of pie/brownie around on your plate, point it out, and ask why you hate their cooking. Set a boundry and don't budge. If that means simply saying "No, thank you", then do it. It's their business if they want to get upset about it. Remove yourself if they cause a big stink about it. Some people need to know to accept "No" as an answer.
really tasty vegan restaurants?
I'm going to have to recomend Pure Luck as well. They have great draft beers, and menu that changes with the season/whats local.
They make amazing pulled "pork" sandwiches and tacos out of the meat of a jackfruit. Its become my recent craving.
Prices are pretty much all under $10 per entree, but bring cash because thats all they take. Then get vegan scoops!
Restaurants you will defend no matter what anybody says...
I'm going to back you up too. The Shrimp Diablo is awesome, and so is the salsa flight. The service has never been bad, I just take into account that the place is usually packed and waiters are rushed. I don't see a need to get upset about it.
I also want to defend Mexico City. Their service is slow, but their food has been good every time I go.
Veggie River Food
I've made some pretty hearty granola bars from scratch that hold up really well.
If you're thinking salty, you can cut baked tofu (in refrigerated section of market) into strips and wrap it with tomato and avocado in a lettuce leaf or wilted swiss chard leaf.
I think tortillas would hold up well in foil and in a cooler. But maybe you could make spring rolls with rice paper if you are worried about soggyness.
