pamplemouse's Profile
Question regarding citrus curd developing skin....
what can I say, j'adore le pamplemousse! thanks andieb.
Question regarding citrus curd developing skin....
I am making a grapefruit tart and the top layer is a curd. I am headed to VT for the weekend and will be serving the tart on Saturday night. I baked the tart with the custard layer and made the curd last night, both are in the fridge, but I am wondering if I should bring them seperately and assemble before dinner on Sat night or if I can assemble now, so that it looks pretty when we arrive tonight :) Does curd form a skin after it has cooled? Or is it just while it initially cools down?
Hearth and Open Fire Cooking
Does anyone have experience using a tuscan grill like this one:
http://www.bellacucina.com/products.asp?cid=14
And if so, are you happy with it?
south end buttery / where to buy fresh crab
A while back on a rainy Sunday, I took my family to the Buttery for dinner. I believe it was a big graduation weekend, as most other places we wanted to go to were booked, but we ended up having a great experience. The downstairs dining room is charming and the food was quite good; nothing revelatory, just simple, straight forward comfort dishes made with really fresh ingredients. We were a large party and had over half of the menu. Particular stand outs were the mussels, crab cakes, pot pie, meatloaf and the shrimp fra diavolo. Ever since then I have been craving crab cakes. Theirs were really tasty; very meaty and not at all fishy. I bought some jumbo lump at Whole Foods last night and made my own, the recipe was good but the crab tasted pretty fishy. @ WF the crab was in a fridge but actually had a tin pop top and an expiration date of 4/12, so I guess it was canned? Does anyone know where I can get fresher crab meat in Boston Proper? I really don't know much about crab, so any info on what type, where and when I should buy it would be appreciated. The Buttery's is Jonah if that makes a difference.
Beer and artichokes?
I know pairing wine with artichokes is very difficult, but what about beer? Any particular suggestions?
Tea shop search
I buy my tea online from Harney and Sons. It's the best! Although far away, their tea house in Millerton NY is beautiful.
http://www.harney.com/
Which new Mexican-ish place should I visit first?
I am in no way shape or form a connoisseur of mexican food, so take this with a grain of salt: I really enjoy the fried shrimp tacos at Zocalo. Very crispy, not at all greasy with a nice fresh slaw and limey crema. The margaritas are strong and the guac is pretty good too. I cannot vouch for anything else, as I have only ordered the shrimp tacos the few times I have gone. The service and atmosphere is meh, but overall, I find Zocalo to be a good option for a decently priced meal in the Back Bay.
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Zocalo
35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116
Neptune Oyster This Sunday; Recs Please?
I really love Neptune and prefer it to ICOB. Although there is much to love about ICOB, Neptune has more progressive, creative dishes which are always executed and seasoned perfectly. It's always a bit of a revelation in flavor pairing when we try stuff other than the old stand-bys. Inspiring and luscious is a perfect way to describe their food, OC.... And I find the staff to be great as well, casual and relaxed, know their menu well and are attentive enough, but aren't putting on a show or hovering over you. I actually don't mind the cramped, loud space. I totally dig the parisian bistro vibe and always feel transported when we go there. I too wish there were more restaurants I could gush about like Neptune.
ISO huitlacoche and fresh epazote
woah. i am making a rick bayless recipe that calls for epazote at this very moment. I couldn't find it at shaw"s so I decided to see if there was a thread for it and here it is right at the top! i love that....
Hunter's / Sauce Chauceur on menu?
I just looked it up...http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry/?id=1806, sounds delicious and easy to make. I'm sure a lot of restaurants serve it, they just don't seem to call it that anymore.
Any experience with Tasty Plates caterer? or Tastings?
We used TastyPlates for our rehearsal dinner in August. They were awesome. Kate is a true professional, thought of and took care of every single detail. She is amazingly organized. You're right, she and Chris recently parted ways with ECG after spending a very long time with them. The food is delicious, similar to ECG; bold flavors and really fresh ingredients. If you give them an estimate of how much you want to spend, I'm sure they would be able to concoct a menu that would work. They are very creative and really know the ins and outs of the business. Our night was a huge success. I think a big part of it was having Kate there to facilitate the flow of the evening, for example, people tend to linger during the cocktail hour and if you are doing a buffet ( which I would recommend) you need someone to usher tables to the food. Kate did all of this with ease and grace. We didn't have to worry about anything and could just enjoy ourselves throughout. Also, their chorizo and cornbread stuffed clams are AMAZING.
Noteworthy items at the Boston area farmers' markets
I just bought fresh ginger at the organic flower stand (forget their name) at the copley farmers market. pretty pricy @ $9 a pound but i'm excited to taste the difference from the dried out stuff at the supermarket. Siena also had shiso, a japanese herb, which i have never heard of before. really interesting smell and taste.
8/16/10; EGGPLANT, How Do I Love Thee?Let Me Count the Ways
Via Matta - Crunchy Eggplant app... so crunchy on the outside, so creamy on the inside.
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Via Matta
79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
I love the Gallows
I had a sub par experience at the gallows on sunday. it was pretty disappointing after reading all of these glowing reviews. first off, our waiter was irritatingly attentive and bit of a jerk; at one point a busboy gave me my salad, but forgot a fork. our waiter came shortly over with one, which was nice, but apologized for the "amateur service" and insinuated that the guy was an idiot. i thought bad mouthing his coworker was completely uncalled for and actually quite amateur on his part. we ordered the regular poutine to start. I have never had it before, so can't compare to any other renditions but it was tasty enough. after such a heavy app i ended up ordering the simple greens and mussels for my dinner. the greens were very fresh, but they were over-salted to the point that they were almost inedible. i hate when a kitchen messes up something so basic. there was nothing particularly wrong with the mussels, they were just boring, the broth lacked flavor. my man had a burger which was decent but nothing special. i'd take one from coda over that one any day. perhaps we ordered the wrong things, ( but shouldn't every option be a good one?) if i were to go back, i would probably go with more people and split a few of the platters and plates of poutine. i like the interior design and the vibe, but i'll probably give it some time before i go back.
Zucchini
Does anyone else think that cooked zucchini sometimes tastes faintly of fish? I do and therefore have decided that I much prefer it raw with good olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and some sort of soft cheese.
which island has the best food in the caribbean?
trying to figure out where to go for our honeymoon in november and would like to stay somewhere that has great local food, excluding puerto rico, jamaica, and dominican. not looking for anything too precious, i am assuming (and correct me if i'm wrong) that better "gourmet" food can be found in the states. where would you go if it was based on food alone?
Who carries fresh garlic in Boston?
ugh, i feel your pain. there is definitely NEVER fresh garlic at the whole foods on westland ave. which drives me absolutely nuts. i always pick through it looking for a good head but even if looks good from the outside, it always has brown spots and sprouts immediately. shaw's is pretty crappy too. i've had better luck at russo's and always buy a couple heads when it's at the farmers market. yes, the local garlic is smaller and has a more subtle taste but it's delicious nonetheless. i usually just add more cloves than called for to make up for its mildness. another reason why i can't wait for the farmer's market to begin!
3 20-somethings, cocktails, small plates?
i agree, eastern standard is great for this kind of night. its lively and they have really interesting cocktails. we usually order a bunch of oysters and appetizers to share. but they are not exactly the most vegetarian friendly place, although I'm sure they could accommodate.
also, if your willing to wait a while, toro is awesome. they have a bunch of delicious veggie tapas dishes and a vegetarian paella, which is a great dish to share and would keep the cost down. it's unfortunate that they don't take reservations but i've always had a good time drinking sangria while i wait.
Best Huevos Rancheros in Boston?
had the same question a while ago:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/411088?tag=search_results;results_list
Next week in Boston
I second Via Matta.... Had an amazing meal there a couple of weeks ago. The gnocchi with wild boar was sublime. I normally don't like gnocchi as it can often be gummy, but this gnocchi was of another world, light as air and the wild boar, trumpet mushrooms and roasted carrots ragu was a unexpected and extremely delicious combination.
Seafood extravaganza - suggestions
I just had a seafood extravaganza at Neptune for my birthday. My bf and I had oysters, shrimp cocktail, fried clams, yellowfin tuna tartar and lobster spagettini (sp?) which is the special on Monday. Everything was great. Although we shared it all, we barely got through half of the spagettini, which was quite unfortunate because it was delicious and chock full of lobster. Including a bottle of wine, it was about 70$ pp including tip, which for the quality and quantity, i think is a pretty good deal. The place is really quaint and the service was perfect; casual but attentive and efficient.
How many tries are too many?
I would agree that two strikes is usually the limit.... but in the case of via matta, i am really surprised to hear that you have had such bad experiences. I have been about 6 times over the past three years and have always had delicious meals. In fact, I was there tonight and had the gnocchi w/ a wild boar, kale and carrot ragu. ( I think it must be a new dish because its not on the online menu) I thought it was pretty unbelievable; the gnocchi was light and fluffy, the best i have had in a while and the boar was wonderfully rich and tender. one has to assume that their more experienced chefs are in the kitchen on a saturday night... perhaps they are having trouble convincing their more talented chefs to work during off hours?
Toro recomendations
The corn is absolutely amazing, i also love the garlic griddled shrimp, the tuna crudo, the brussel sprouts and their paella is actually really delicious as well.
Best linguine and clams?
I had a very good version at Via Matta a while back, and although this doesn't help your situation much, my all time favorite rendition is at Black Eyed Susan's on Nantucket.
2 meyer lemons, what would you do?
I have a miniature meyer lemon tree that has finally produced some fruit! right now, i have two lemons that are ready to be consumed. any suggestion on how to use these babies? most recipes i have come across require more then two.
silvertone tonight?
4 of us are planning on seeing a movie at the boston common loews and would like to have an inexpensive sit-down dinner in the area beforehand. is there typically a super long wait @ silvertone on saturday nights? if so, got any other suggestions?
The Black Goose?
We get calls at my office from people looking for The Black Goose restaurant all the time. I believe they have our number listed somewhere. Does anyone know if it still exists? The constant calls have peaked my curiosity; it seems rather popular.... although I've never seen anything on chowhound about it.
