ExtraMSG

Get a heavier pan? Cook it in the oven? By simmer, what do you mean? A simmer is actually well below a boil. I think it's technically about 180 degrees, though I'm sure someone can correct me on that.

I should note that I'm not just looking for a place my grandmother would enjoy. Also, she's very experienced with food, so there's no reason to dumb-down the choices for her, if you're worried about that. Just name whatever you think is best in the area, maybe both some nice options and cheap options.

Haven't really looked through it yet: http://www.wweek.com/Special_Sections/2004_Cheap_Eats/

All the supermarkets are selling Angus now. I've tried all the ones around here and they definitely vary.

In regards to Zinc Bistrot, this was in the Willamette Week ( http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4925 ) today: This may be the best Italian food per square foot on the west coast pretty soon.

Lots of great suggestions. I'll wait until it starts to go stale before making bread crumbs, though. However, I was thinking about bread pudding, but the sourdough brown is also quite airy. See here: http://extramsg.com/modules.php?set_albumN...=view_photo.php And then the other is rye. Would either of these work in a bread pudding? I'm very interested in the idea of bread soups, dumplings, and salad, also. What would go good with a sourdough or a rye, do you think? Lots of mushroom suggestions, I noticed. I think tonight I'm just going to do something common with the bread and make a toasted rye sandwich with egg/chicken salad (I'm out of Best Foods, so I'll be making my own mayo, however).

My grandmother is having her 80th birthday here: http://www.atthedunes.com/ Pajaro Dunes, near Watsonville. Any food recommendations, lunch and dinner?

Duh.

I have a bunch of bread right now, some rye and some rustic sourdough brown, that I need to use up before it gets stale. Any recommendations?

Is Fatburger the one with the big, thick, greasy, limp fries? If so, I think I had them and decided never to go back.

I think Puck's Cooking Class is to his other show as Essence is to Live. It's clearly less grating, but Puck's accent just begs for a "Cooking with Hans and Frans" parody.

Again, thank you for the praises. I'm not too proud to accept them, even if they're for pity's sake. Ratguy, try adding a roasted tomato to that salsa, a little sugar, and just a hint of vinegar. It softens the kick a little and adds a nice sweetness. I'm still trying to get the taqueria that gave me the recipe (it actually starts with 2 lbs of chile de arbols!!!!) to show me how to make it. Theirs turns out better, not surprisingly. MP, yeah, I don't know if I could ever move to Europe just because I'd have to start my own Mexican garden. It's tough enough finding some things here, or even in California and Texas. I searched for some sources online and couldn't find much for the UK. Do you have a farmer's market where you could talk a tomato producer into growing some? Tomatillos are awesome. They change character so much from raw to the different ways of being cooked, too. There are purple ones as well, which are sweeter. I'm sure Sharon could even elaborate more. Msk, one of the things I love about cooking is there is always more to learn. There are so many cuisines I know absolutely nothing about except what I have had at some Americanized restaurant. So much to learn, so little time. What sucks is that I'm the type of person who wants to know everything and can't just specialize, even though I enjoy Mexican food so much, I spend a lot of time with it. The great thing about eGullet is that a community of experts in different cuisines makes for a complete expert of all cuisines. I was hoping that chart would come in handy. I'm thinking about making some similar ones for other such things and putting them on my website. Thanks again for all the comments.

You have to buy a pound at a time and they don't let you taste the epoisse, unfortunately. But it was double wrapped I was still able to smell it!

Kiwi-Apple Salsa This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI. By experimenting with various substitutions you can create splendid, unique salsas. This is one I first made a couple years ago. It's sweet, so I recommend leaving in the seeds and ribs of the jalapeño. I especially like this as a balance to richer salsas and on seafood and poultry. 1/2 lb or 3-4 tomatillos, golfball sized 1 kiwi 1/4 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, chopped and loosely packed 1 jalapeño 1 lime Sugar Salt 1 Granny Smith apple Remove the husk and quarter the tomatillos and put them in a blender. Peel the kiwi, quarter it, and add it as well. Add the onion and cilantro. Remove the stem (and the ribs and seeds, if you wish) from the jalapeño and add it along with the juice of the lime. Puree until all large chunks are gone. Add salt and sugar to taste. Peel and dice apple and add to the salsa. Chill and let rest approximately 15 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG940 )

Kiwi-Apple Salsa This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI. By experimenting with various substitutions you can create splendid, unique salsas. This is one I first made a couple years ago. It's sweet, so I recommend leaving in the seeds and ribs of the jalapeño. I especially like this as a balance to richer salsas and on seafood and poultry. 1/2 lb or 3-4 tomatillos, golfball sized 1 kiwi 1/4 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, chopped and loosely packed 1 jalapeño 1 lime Sugar Salt 1 Granny Smith apple Remove the husk and quarter the tomatillos and put them in a blender. Peel the kiwi, quarter it, and add it as well. Add the onion and cilantro. Remove the stem (and the ribs and seeds, if you wish) from the jalapeño and add it along with the juice of the lime. Puree until all large chunks are gone. Add salt and sugar to taste. Peel and dice apple and add to the salsa. Chill and let rest approximately 15 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG940 )

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI This is a common taqueria salsa that provides a counter to the chile de arbol salsa above. Where that is quite hot and earthy, this one has a cooling effect and a much brighter flavor. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 1 small Hass avocado 1 tomatillo 2 jalapeños 1/2 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, chopped 1/2 T salt 1-1/4 c water Remove the meat from the avocado and the tomatillo from the husk and add to a blender. Remove the jalapeño stem and add the jalapeño along with the onion, cilantro, and half the salt to the blender. Add 1/2 cup water and puree until smooth. Add more water until the salsa reaches the consistency and intensity you desire. Finish salting to taste. Makes about 2 cups with all the water Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG939 )

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI This is a common taqueria salsa that provides a counter to the chile de arbol salsa above. Where that is quite hot and earthy, this one has a cooling effect and a much brighter flavor. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 1 small Hass avocado 1 tomatillo 2 jalapeños 1/2 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, chopped 1/2 T salt 1-1/4 c water Remove the meat from the avocado and the tomatillo from the husk and add to a blender. Remove the jalapeño stem and add the jalapeño along with the onion, cilantro, and half the salt to the blender. Add 1/2 cup water and puree until smooth. Add more water until the salsa reaches the consistency and intensity you desire. Finish salting to taste. Makes about 2 cups with all the water Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG939 )

Guacamole This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI. Guacamole is one of the oldest Mexican salsas. It's great as a side dish or a relish. 1 large, or two small, Hass avocados 1 lime Salt 1/4 c white onion, minced 1-2 serranos, minced 1 tomato, seeded and diced Halve the avocado by running a knife lengthwise down the center of the fruit against the pit and around to the other side. Gently twist and separate the halves. Remove the pit by swiftly embedding your knife blade into it and twisting away from the avocado. Dice the avocado in the peel by running a knife first lengthwise and then side-to-side creating a cross-hatch. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl or molcajete. Add the juice of the lime and a pinch of salt. Lightly mash the mixture with a potato masher, fork, or the tejolote. Add salt to taste. Mix in onion, serranos, and tomato. Serve immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups Keywords: Dip, Condiment, eGCI ( RG938 )

Guacamole This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI. Guacamole is one of the oldest Mexican salsas. It's great as a side dish or a relish. 1 large, or two small, Hass avocados 1 lime Salt 1/4 c white onion, minced 1-2 serranos, minced 1 tomato, seeded and diced Halve the avocado by running a knife lengthwise down the center of the fruit against the pit and around to the other side. Gently twist and separate the halves. Remove the pit by swiftly embedding your knife blade into it and twisting away from the avocado. Dice the avocado in the peel by running a knife first lengthwise and then side-to-side creating a cross-hatch. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl or molcajete. Add the juice of the lime and a pinch of salt. Lightly mash the mixture with a potato masher, fork, or the tejolote. Add salt to taste. Mix in onion, serranos, and tomato. Serve immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups Keywords: Dip, Condiment, eGCI ( RG938 )

Salsa de Chile de Arbol This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI Most Americans are familiar with Tabasco Sauce. If you ever eat in a taqueria you'll almost certainly encounter a bottle of Tapatio. Whereas the first three salsas in this course are similar to relishes, chutneys, or tapenades, smoothly pureed table salsas are more akin to ketchup or mustard and generally have more intense flavors, frequently using a heavy proportion of dried chiles. Add this salsa to soups, tacos, cheesy dishes, and even other salsas to provide a kick. Many other chile de arbol salsas add vinegar or tomatoes to counter the strong chile flavor, but I like this recipe's unadulterated taste. If the result is too bitter, you could add a little sugar or even re-hydrate the chiles, though neither should be necessary. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 24 chiles de arbol 1 garlic clove 1/4 c white onion, diced 3/4 c water 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp salt Sweat the onions, garlic clove (whole, no skin), and chiles in oil over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the chiles. When the chiles are pliable and slightly browned and the onions and garlic are softened, transfer them to a blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and puree. When it stops making progress, add another 1/4 cup of water and continue to puree. When it appears to be fully blended, add the final 1/4 cup of water and the salt and puree, stopping to scrape down the sides until the salsa is as smooth as possible. Makes about 3/4 cup. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG937 )

Salsa de Chile de Arbol This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI Most Americans are familiar with Tabasco Sauce. If you ever eat in a taqueria you'll almost certainly encounter a bottle of Tapatio. Whereas the first three salsas in this course are similar to relishes, chutneys, or tapenades, smoothly pureed table salsas are more akin to ketchup or mustard and generally have more intense flavors, frequently using a heavy proportion of dried chiles. Add this salsa to soups, tacos, cheesy dishes, and even other salsas to provide a kick. Many other chile de arbol salsas add vinegar or tomatoes to counter the strong chile flavor, but I like this recipe's unadulterated taste. If the result is too bitter, you could add a little sugar or even re-hydrate the chiles, though neither should be necessary. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 24 chiles de arbol 1 garlic clove 1/4 c white onion, diced 3/4 c water 2 tsp oil 1/2 tsp salt Sweat the onions, garlic clove (whole, no skin), and chiles in oil over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the chiles. When the chiles are pliable and slightly browned and the onions and garlic are softened, transfer them to a blender. Add 1/4 cup of water and puree. When it stops making progress, add another 1/4 cup of water and continue to puree. When it appears to be fully blended, add the final 1/4 cup of water and the salt and puree, stopping to scrape down the sides until the salsa is as smooth as possible. Makes about 3/4 cup. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG937 )

Salsa de Chile Chipotle y Jitomate This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI. A wonderful distinction between Mexican and Italian tomato sauces, besides the heavy use of chiles, is that Mexicans usually fry, rather than simmer, their sauces. In just five minutes, a tomato sauce will darken and develop a rich, sweet depth of flavor and lose the bitterness of its dried chiles. The rich, sweet, and smoky flavor of this salsa goes especially well with beef and pork and even makes a good base for a stew. The recipe also highlights the use of dried chiles. Substituting another dried chile for the chipotle would drastically change its character and the recipe simply begs for experimentation. This is an adaptation from Rick Bayless' book Mexican Kitchen (p 34). 3/4 lb or 2-3 medium to large tomatoes 2 cloves garlic with skin 1 chipotle, preferably dried 1 T lard Salt Char and soften the tomatoes, garlic, and chile on a comal or using one of the substitute methods (broiler method pictured below for the tomatoes). The tomatoes should be mottled-black and squishy. The garlic should be soft and the chipotle quite pliable. Try not to burn the chile. It should be slightly darkened and fragrant, reminiscent of the smell of a campfire. It's worse to burn the chile than to not toast it at all. The toasting wakes the chile's flavors, but burning it will turn the chile violently bitter. The chipotle should finish well before the garlic and tomatoes. You can press down on the chile with a spatula to cook it more quickly and evenly. On medium heat, it should only take a minute at most on each side to liven the chile. With other larger chiles, such as guajillos and anchos, you can cut off the stem, slice up the side and spread the chile into a broad, single-layer piece for toasting. This also allows you to remove the veins and seeds. If your chiles are too brittle, you'll need to soften them on the comal first; it only takes a few seconds of toasting. Place the chile in a bowl of tepid water, topping it with something to keep it submerged. After about 20 minutes, the chile will be re-hydrated, softened so it can be easily pureed, and some of its bitter taste will have been removed. Place the tomatoes, garlic (skins removed), and chile into a blender and pulse. Try to leave some texture, simulating the chunkiness created in the molcajete. Put a pan on medium-high heat. The salsa will splatter as it's fried, so something deep is preferable. Ceramic-coated dutch ovens work perfectly for this purpose, but any heavy saucepan is fine, too. When the pan is heated, add the lard and let it get almost smoking-hot. Add the salsa, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep red, about 5 to 10 minutes. You want it to slightly thicken but not dry out. Salt to taste. Makes about 1 cup. Keywords: Dip, Condiment, eGCI ( RG936 )

Salsa de Chile Chipotle y Jitomate This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course, in the eCGI. A wonderful distinction between Mexican and Italian tomato sauces, besides the heavy use of chiles, is that Mexicans usually fry, rather than simmer, their sauces. In just five minutes, a tomato sauce will darken and develop a rich, sweet depth of flavor and lose the bitterness of its dried chiles. The rich, sweet, and smoky flavor of this salsa goes especially well with beef and pork and even makes a good base for a stew. The recipe also highlights the use of dried chiles. Substituting another dried chile for the chipotle would drastically change its character and the recipe simply begs for experimentation. This is an adaptation from Rick Bayless' book Mexican Kitchen (p 34). 3/4 lb or 2-3 medium to large tomatoes 2 cloves garlic with skin 1 chipotle, preferably dried 1 T lard Salt Char and soften the tomatoes, garlic, and chile on a comal or using one of the substitute methods (broiler method pictured below for the tomatoes). The tomatoes should be mottled-black and squishy. The garlic should be soft and the chipotle quite pliable. Try not to burn the chile. It should be slightly darkened and fragrant, reminiscent of the smell of a campfire. It's worse to burn the chile than to not toast it at all. The toasting wakes the chile's flavors, but burning it will turn the chile violently bitter. The chipotle should finish well before the garlic and tomatoes. You can press down on the chile with a spatula to cook it more quickly and evenly. On medium heat, it should only take a minute at most on each side to liven the chile. With other larger chiles, such as guajillos and anchos, you can cut off the stem, slice up the side and spread the chile into a broad, single-layer piece for toasting. This also allows you to remove the veins and seeds. If your chiles are too brittle, you'll need to soften them on the comal first; it only takes a few seconds of toasting. Place the chile in a bowl of tepid water, topping it with something to keep it submerged. After about 20 minutes, the chile will be re-hydrated, softened so it can be easily pureed, and some of its bitter taste will have been removed. Place the tomatoes, garlic (skins removed), and chile into a blender and pulse. Try to leave some texture, simulating the chunkiness created in the molcajete. Put a pan on medium-high heat. The salsa will splatter as it's fried, so something deep is preferable. Ceramic-coated dutch ovens work perfectly for this purpose, but any heavy saucepan is fine, too. When the pan is heated, add the lard and let it get almost smoking-hot. Add the salsa, stirring occasionally until it turns a deep red, about 5 to 10 minutes. You want it to slightly thicken but not dry out. Salt to taste. Makes about 1 cup. Keywords: Dip, Condiment, eGCI ( RG936 )

Salsa Verde Cruda This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI. There are many salsas verdes, or green salsas, in Mexican cooking. Most of the table salsas use tomatillos for the base. In this example, the tomatillos are simmered before blending. Because tomatillos are so naturally tart, cooking them can subdue this characteristic and bring out their sweetness. It also changes their texture from something like an apple to something closer to a ripe tomato. While I use this recipe as an example of using an immersion blender, it would be more traditional to use a molcajete and the final product would be superior. You could also fry this salsa afterwards, like in the chipotle salsa that follows, for a less bright, richer version. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 3/4 lb or 4-6 tomatillos, slightly larger than golfballs 1/4 lb or 3-6 jalapeños 1/2 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, finely chopped Salt Remove the husks and sticky film from the tomatillos under warm water. Place, along with the jalapeños, in enough simmering water to just cover the tomatillos. All items may float. Simmer until tomatillos are soft and have changed from a dark to a pale green, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the jalapeños and place them along with the tomatillos in a blender jar and pulse until just pureed, but not entirely smooth. There should be texture to the salsa mimicking that of a molcajete salsa, although the chiles will appear chopped. An immersion blender works better here than a standard blender which has a tendency to make such salsas too smooth. Salt to taste. Chill the salsa approximately 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Mix in the diced onion and chopped cilantro when ready to serve. Makes about 1 1/2 cups This, and the salsa de molcajete, are excellent templates for any salsa you might want to create. You could alter this salsa by preparing the tomatillos and chiles differently, roasting or leaving them raw which would completely change its character. Taking a giant leap outside of Mexican tradition, you could simmer carrots with fully-ripened red chiles or habeneros and puree with extra water, adding honey for sweetness and raisins for texture and contrasting color. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG935 )

Salsa Verde Cruda This recipe is from the Mexican Table Salsas course in the eCGI. There are many salsas verdes, or green salsas, in Mexican cooking. Most of the table salsas use tomatillos for the base. In this example, the tomatillos are simmered before blending. Because tomatillos are so naturally tart, cooking them can subdue this characteristic and bring out their sweetness. It also changes their texture from something like an apple to something closer to a ripe tomato. While I use this recipe as an example of using an immersion blender, it would be more traditional to use a molcajete and the final product would be superior. You could also fry this salsa afterwards, like in the chipotle salsa that follows, for a less bright, richer version. This recipe is adapted from one provided by the taqueria La Iguana Feliz in Portland, Oregon. 3/4 lb or 4-6 tomatillos, slightly larger than golfballs 1/4 lb or 3-6 jalapeños 1/2 c white onion, diced 1/4 c cilantro, finely chopped Salt Remove the husks and sticky film from the tomatillos under warm water. Place, along with the jalapeños, in enough simmering water to just cover the tomatillos. All items may float. Simmer until tomatillos are soft and have changed from a dark to a pale green, about 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the jalapeños and place them along with the tomatillos in a blender jar and pulse until just pureed, but not entirely smooth. There should be texture to the salsa mimicking that of a molcajete salsa, although the chiles will appear chopped. An immersion blender works better here than a standard blender which has a tendency to make such salsas too smooth. Salt to taste. Chill the salsa approximately 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Mix in the diced onion and chopped cilantro when ready to serve. Makes about 1 1/2 cups This, and the salsa de molcajete, are excellent templates for any salsa you might want to create. You could alter this salsa by preparing the tomatillos and chiles differently, roasting or leaving them raw which would completely change its character. Taking a giant leap outside of Mexican tradition, you could simmer carrots with fully-ripened red chiles or habeneros and puree with extra water, adding honey for sweetness and raisins for texture and contrasting color. Keywords: Condiment, Dip, eGCI ( RG935 )