bobmac

Made ropa veja with flank steak and it was deliciously but so tough that my wife joked the ropa obviously means rope. Given that flank steak ain't known for being tender, is this pretty much it? I assume skirt steak would be similar.

Don't know how to put this delicately, or even the right place to post it -- didn't there ued to be a General Food Topics? Anywho, can steak tartare cause flatulence?

The last thread on this subject is a couple years old. Any recommendations? We ate at Fore Street a couple of years ago and it did not live up to our expectatiions. We love Duck Fat for lunch, so maybe Hugo's?

I got sick of store brands with all the additives, so I made my own, including a raw egg. How long is it safe to store it? (And, yes, I've already been told not to use a raw egg.

My local supermarkets offer containers of crumbled bleu cheese and crumbled feta, selling at several times more per pound than the uncrumbled versions. What's the point? Are we too busy in this hectic world to crumble our own cheese? Are some people crumble-challenged?

I suspect it has to do with the definition of "biscuits."

This particular recipe is for Mee Krob. Would you get 6 tablespoons out of a 2-inch piece?

Recipe says to cover a 2-inch piece of tamarind pulp with 3/4 cup hot water. Crush and break up pulp with a fork and let it stand for 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer and press it through. Collect 1/2 cup tamarind liquid. I have tamarind concentrate in a plastic jar that says TUON ME CHUA. There’s a “best used by” date that I believe is in Thai. I assume I should refrigerate after opening? Thanks.

Thanks. I almost missed your answer and posted on the India board.

How much do you substitute in a recipe calling for fresh tamarind?

How much do you substitute in a recipe calling for fresh tamarind? Oops, I mispoke. It's tamarind concentrate.

OK, we've enjoyed lunch at the Canoe Club, and it serves until 9:30. Thanks.

Staying at the Hanover Inn. Got the impression from their websited that DW Room was open only for breakfast and lunch, which kind of surprised me.

Probably about 9 on a weeknight.

D'oh! I sensed as I was typing it that something was wrong -- a brain cramp, right part of the world, wrong country. Anway, thanks.

The Times had an intriguing piece on Japanese fried chicken, which pretty much described how to do it, but negelected to say what's in the batter. Anybody know?

Thanks for a couple of great answers.

I read the long espresso thread and it did not address my question; hence my post.

I am correct in assuming that the batch of really inexpensive espresso makers I'm seeing advertised probably don't deliever or has there been some kind of technological breakthrough?

Thanks. I remember having these at my uncles in Maine. Nobody sells them any more. Once they're done, do you got through the usual canning procedure?

I like half sours at the crisp stage, really half sour. So I just made a very small batch, but I suspect they will get soft before I eat them all (wife will have one occasionally_. Since it seems rather bizarre to offer friends and neighbors just couple of pickles, can I slow them down by taking them out of the pickle juice and storing them in a plastic bag in the fridge? Or will the fridge alone slow them down? I find in delis they are sometimes too pickled, but maybe they don't keep them cold enough.

I suspect that Whole Foods employees are instructed to say that anything they don't carry is not up to their standards. I tried to buy a locally made goat cheese and was given that answer. And several years ago I was told that Panko was not up to their standards, but last week I bought meatballs there and guess what? One of the ingredients was Panko.

First, I suspect we in the US are too worried about keeping cheeses cold. I bought some boutique Gouda on Prince Edward Island recently and they were telling customers not to worry about refrigeration. Of course, a softer cheese such as Brie, might need to be kept cool. That being said, since my wife requires medication that has to be kept cool, we always travel with one of those small cooler bags about the size of a loaf of bread and with a couple of freezer packs inside. Our UK cheeses have been bought at Neal's Yard in London where they wrap them in that paper that all cheese shops use. Oops, just noticed the end of your post. Don't know if Neal's Yard vacuum seals, but you could ask them at coventgarden@nealsyarddairy.co.uk.

Thanks. It took somebody from Jersey to point out a place I should have known about. If you like Alsatian food, next time you're in Cambridge check out Sandrine's Bistro.

Very good, thank you, but why would you want it that hot? Or is it part of that "serve immediately" thing?