Rachel Perlow

Even better, freeze the quiche filling (flat in a ziploc, freezer bag preferably) and pie crust separately. That way you can make the filling now, crust whenever or at the time of baking. Of course, it is also freezable put together, raw or cooked. If cooked, you could even cut, freeze, then wrap individual servings (put the slices on a cookie sheet, separated, aka IQF) for easy meals, lunches on the go, etc.

Israeli Couscous Risotto added to RecipeGullet. It was really good.

So I finally visited Thai Chef, today at lunch with my mom, aunt and cousin. The general consensus was that most of the food was good to very good, but that the service mostly ruins the experience. We started with some very good spring rolls. They were crunchy, but not greasy, and we loved the slivers of apples served as garnish, if not the overly sweet dipping sauce. My aunt had the Pad Thai, which she pronounced good, but not as good as the pad thai she gets ordering take-out in California, when she visits her other daughter. My cousin said her Spicy Seafood Flat Rice Noodle (chow fun) was also very good, and prepared spicy as she ordered it. However, we had some service issues with her dish. It arrived at the table at least five minutes after the other mains. The waitress said it is because the “kitchen is very busy.” However, there were a total of about five tables occupied in the entire place and we suspected that she just forgot to enter the order. I ordered the Soba Noodle with Peking Duck Salad. I was expecting a salad similar to Kratiem’s Peking Duck Salad (crispy duck, with greens, cabbage, green apple, tangy dressing) accompanying cold soba noodles in some way (on top, next to). What arrived was a large portion of teriyaki glazed duck breast atop warm soba noodles atop sautéed or steamed vegetables. It was delicious, but it just was not what I wanted as it was not “salad” like at all. My mother had the Crab and Avocado Salad from the dinner menu salad list. This was delicious; big lumps of crab overflowing an avocado half and drizzled with a chunky relish/vinaigrette. However, it was really an appetizer sized portion so she shared some of my ample duck dish. We preordered one of their famous soufflés. It was very chocolaty and presented nicely with a huge mound of whipped cream and a hot chocolate sauce poured over (more like the beverage than a sauce really). However, it was overcooked and there was no discernable flavor of Grand Marnier, so was rather a disappointment. This and other service issues, many mentioned above (poorly timed dishes), disappearing servers, having to ask for water repeatedly, make me doubt I’ll be going back. Also, I finally figured out how to load their website. It is way too technically advanced for a restaurant, IMO. The menus were very hard to locate (you have to look under the Montclair location). Plus it has music playing with no way to turn it off.

Israeli Couscous Risotto Serves 2 as Main Dishor 4 as Side. I had Israeli Couscous, Leeks and Mushrooms in the house. An internet search led to this recipe Couscous Risotto with Wild Mushrooms. With a few substitutions, here's my rendition. If you don't have one of my ingredients, just substitute the original! 4 c chicken stock (see eGCI Stock Course) 1/2 oz dried porcini 1 T olive oil 1 c leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed 1 T garlic. sliced 2 c white mushrooms (about 4-6 ounces), sliced 2 c Israeli couscous 1/2 c dry sherry 1/4 tsp salt (if stock is unsalted) 1 T grated lemon zest 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese In microwave safe bowl (I use a pyrex measuring cup) or a 2 qt saucepan, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat to low. (I use 4x concentrated stock prepared using the eGCI Stock course method: 1 cup concentrated stock plus 3 cups water. I use a portion of the water to steep the porcinis.) Pour some of the hot stock on top of the dried mushrooms and allow to steep while prepping the other ingredients. After 20-30 min remove the porcini, carefully strain the mushroom flavored broth (there may be some grit to avoid) back into the chicken stock. Chop the porcini and add to stock. Place a large saucier or frying pan over high heat. Add olive oil to the pan, then saute the leeks, garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Until they have almost rendered all their liquid and just begin to brown. Add the Israeli couscous to mushrooms in the pan and saute for an additional 10-12 minutes over medium heat. Lower the heat, add the sherry, stir and then after that has begun to absorb, add a cup of the stock and the salt (if using unsalted stock). Stir frequently until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Then stir in the remaining 3 cups of stock, adjust heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the liquid is almost all absorbed, but there is still some left, turn off heat and stir in the lemon zest, diced tomato and grated cheese. Allow to rest for a minute or two then serve. Mmm. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Intermediate, Pasta, Vegetables, Lunch, Dinner, American, Italian, Middle Eastern, Healthy Choices ( RG1070 )

Israeli Couscous Risotto Serves 2 as Main Dishor 4 as Side. I had Israeli Couscous, Leeks and Mushrooms in the house. An internet search led to this recipe Couscous Risotto with Wild Mushrooms. With a few substitutions, here's my rendition. If you don't have one of my ingredients, just substitute the original! 4 c chicken stock (see eGCI Stock Course) 1/2 oz dried porcini 1 T olive oil 1 c leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed 1 T garlic. sliced 2 c white mushrooms (about 4-6 ounces), sliced 2 c Israeli couscous 1/2 c dry sherry 1/4 tsp salt (if stock is unsalted) 1 T grated lemon zest 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced 1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese In microwave safe bowl (I use a pyrex measuring cup) or a 2 qt saucepan, bring the stock to a boil, then reduce heat to low. (I use 4x concentrated stock prepared using the eGCI Stock course method: 1 cup concentrated stock plus 3 cups water. I use a portion of the water to steep the porcinis.) Pour some of the hot stock on top of the dried mushrooms and allow to steep while prepping the other ingredients. After 20-30 min remove the porcini, carefully strain the mushroom flavored broth (there may be some grit to avoid) back into the chicken stock. Chop the porcini and add to stock. Place a large saucier or frying pan over high heat. Add olive oil to the pan, then saute the leeks, garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Until they have almost rendered all their liquid and just begin to brown. Add the Israeli couscous to mushrooms in the pan and saute for an additional 10-12 minutes over medium heat. Lower the heat, add the sherry, stir and then after that has begun to absorb, add a cup of the stock and the salt (if using unsalted stock). Stir frequently until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Then stir in the remaining 3 cups of stock, adjust heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the liquid is almost all absorbed, but there is still some left, turn off heat and stir in the lemon zest, diced tomato and grated cheese. Allow to rest for a minute or two then serve. Mmm. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Intermediate, Pasta, Vegetables, Lunch, Dinner, American, Italian, Middle Eastern, Healthy Choices ( RG1070 )

According to this website, jicama is "Low Glycemic Index." The Publix (a supermarket chain) website has some more information about jicama.

We are?

That was apparently after he had reviewed the restaurant. I'm sure the paper only reimbursed him for meals for upcoming reviews.

When consuming a bottle over several days, how do you store the bottle? Do you use a vacuum stopper? In or out of the refrigerator?

Our friends had to back out and they're the ones with the costco account, so we ended up not doing it this weekend. However, we have had several "costco days" in recent months, and ronnie_suburban's night 1 pic of Rib-eye steak with sauteed spinach is a frequent favorite. Ours would also be accompanied by rice and salad.

I agree with Marlene. That should have been a TDG article, then it could have been submitted somewhere, like next year's Beard awards.

We're shopping tomorrow with our friends. We will probably do our costco standard of charcoal grilled steaks, coated/marinated in lots of chopped garlic. This will most likely be accompanied by sauteed spinach, rice, and a salad.

Yes, when you are not paying $2 for a can of soda, you have more money for the souvlaki and baklava! More details on parking. Go to the JCC (just east of the church). Park in the area to the left of the building or behind it (go around the circle) if you can. The shuttle (they have two vans going back & forth all day) picks up at the circle, but there is also a path through the woods (in back, there's a sign), which leads directly to the carnival area. Don't even bother trying to park at the church or on the side streets or g-d forbid on Clinton Ave. Oh, we had another eater with us tonight, so we got to sample more stuff. The fish special (Friday's dish of the day) was sold out by the time we arrived (8 PM), get there early if you want lamb.

Also, regarding the Shrimp and Lobster Sauce. That is a dish that usually you have to finish at the restaurant or the same night if you are ordering take-out. This is because most places thicken it with so much corn starch that once it gelatinizes in the fridge, it just won't loosen up again. However, I think they only use eggs to thicken it at King Yum. We had some leftover (I was pretty full from just the egg roll and soup last night, and we ordered with the intention of bringing home leftovers), and it reheated just fine in the microwave. The shrimp became slightly overcooked, but the sauce was just as saucy as last night, perfect over white rice. I didn't grow up on LI, unlike Jason. But my family went to the same chinese restaurant most Sunday nights. One of my fondest memories is laughing (hard belly laughter for who knows what reason) on the drive home from the restaurant, in the back seat of the car with my mother and one of my brothers (the other having snagged the front seat). I think it was called China Sky, it was in the same location that is now Hillary's Chinese Cuisine in Springfield, NJ. Hillary's is good, but it's not the same.

I must point out, as were disappointed to discover it missing from our take-out bag, that the "duck sauce" at King Yum is the best duck sauce ever. For those that don't know, duck sauce is an orange-apricot sweet and sour dipping sauce put on the table at American-Cantonese-Chinese restaurants. You can see a dish of it and mustard in the background of the whole egg rolls picture. It isn't just the same gloppy too sweet and no substance sauce that you get at most places or in the little packets from take out places. It's got more bits and pieces in it, it's tangier than the norm. I wonder if they make it themselves or if it is just a superior brand that most places don't spend the money for. I was so disappointed not to have it in the bag when reheating the spare ribs for lunch. :(

Um, it's pretty much the opposite of that description. It's about 3-4 times the size of a spring roll, filled with cabbage, roast pork, chopped or small shrimp, etc. It is actually called an egg roll because after you assemble the roll, you dip or wash the entire thing with egg right before frying, it adds a bubbly crunchiness to the finished roll. If you search images.google for egg roll the very first picture they show is pretty good, but I can't seem to load the actual url page for that picture to link. The second picture looks more like a spring roll to me. Hmm, you get different results if you search for eggroll (without the space). Check out this link. There's even a recipe (scroll down). If someone tries it, let us know how it is.

Spring rolls are fried, Summer rolls are the salady kind. At least around my parts. Regarding storms: we actually turned off the computers yesterday as it was thunderstorming with a tornado warning in our area of the country. This is very unusual. I don't ever remember a tornado warning this close to NYC before (NE Bergen County, NJ).

I saw it on Channel 7 (WABC), but it wasn't exactly as Jon descrbed (with the line out the door), perhaps that was the Ch 2 (WCBS) report?

I did. ~2 years ago.

I can't believe that this thread has been going on for almost two years and I've never read it. Shame on me. Link to buy "Mexican Family Favorites Cook Book" by Maria Teresa Bermudez on Amazon.

The eye-candy chef didn't appear, but he and his brood of consultants had dinner at a place in Brooklyn and chatted up the chef -- who's nickname is Red, Rosso in Russian -- "Hey, we would only have to change two letters on the awning!" quothe JC.

Thanks for the details, Curlz. Here's a link to the NY topic, please continue the discussion there. Thanks!

I was thinking that would be a good idea when I first read about your grinder, Sam. Let us know how it turns out.

What is "cerfeuille"?

Around us, it is called Chicken (or Squab or Pigeon) Soong.