rickmartin

Okay, so I'm a moron. I can barely navigate my own file cabinet let alone eGullet's. I'm sure the topic has been hashed many times. Anyway, visiting NYC in a couple of weeks and I'm seeking some of the better Farm to Table concepts to be had. It doesn't have to be upscale stuff, just real food and real growers. From the heart. Any suggestions on where to eat? Thanks! RM

I live by beerfly! I have a username and such but can never remember it. It lets me use the site anyway. Hmmmm. Thanks for the info, present and upcoming. Great idea on taking some American beer. RM

Unibrau Trois Pistoles and Chocolate Chip Cookies Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale and Sushi Imperial IPAs and Aged Sharp Cheddar Lindemann's Pomme Lambic and Chicken Liver Pate Imperial Stout with a salad of Arugula, American Blue Cheese, Figs, and Balsamic reduction Saison DuPont and New York Style Pizza Berlinerweisse and Egg on Toast Any IPA and White Cheddar Cheezits And I've always thought the Guinness and Oyster thing was much overrated. Try Boddington's or another nitrogen type pub ale. The burnt, roasted notes in the Guinness malt over power the delicate flavors in the oyster leaving the nitrogen as the only redeeming quality. RM

I'm taking a small group of folks to Belgium next month for a sampling of the local flavor. Funny thing is, I've never been to Belgium!! I have a pretty good itinerary set in place with all the usual suspects in Antwerp, Brugge, Brussels and Ghent but I need some insight on the lesser known beer bars, restaurants and food treasures in those places. I'm a chef at a microbrewery/restaurant so our goal is to have a complete beer and food experience while staying off the beaten trail and avoiding tourist traps when possible. So, I'm looking for suggestions. Any and all will do. Thanks, and I promise I'll be a better eG'er in the future! RM

Walking distance to transit definitely counts! Thanks, Rick

I'll be in DC for the Savor Craft Beer fest this weekend and being a first timer to the area, need some help on where to eat. I'm a chef who appreciates local, inexpensive, non-tourist places, preferably with a real emphasis on beer over wine. Cuisine is not important. The event is at the Mellon auditorium and am staying at the Liaison Capitol Hill. Walking distance is a must! Any recs or links would be appreciated! Thanks! RM

One thing thats always surprised me about roux recipes is the lack of advice on how to add the flour. I love roux. It's such a beautiful foundation of many a sauce or soup. I consider myself a master! Whatever your butter to flour ratio, you shouldn't add all of the flour at once. This makes the roux too cakey and allows pockets of flour to brown faster than others. Besides, browning the butter is the most important flavor feature. Keep the roux a very thin batter. I even keep it at a watery consistency if I know I'm going brown or darker. The thinner the roux the more consistent the surface of the roux is touching the surface of heat. Add a little more flour as it thins out. This is especially useful for really dark rouxs, the ones you really don't want to burn. You can keep a dark roux really thin through the cooking process and add the last of your flour in the end to start the cooling process. There's more than enough heat to cook any amount of flour. As for clarified vs whole. I've used clarified to make gumbo roux and it just doesn't result in the same flavor. You lose all of those nutty caramel flavors from the milk solids. And yes, roux is like tahini when it sits. All of the non fat solids sink to the bottom. Just warm it up and stir it smooth again. Sorry to sound like a nerd here. Just made tons of roux over the years. Literally tons. RM

I'm a chef at a midwest brewpub and I'm in the planning stages of hosting a beer and food tour of Belgium next April. My co-host, a brewer, has been to Belgium, I have not. Our brewery segment of the tour is pretty much decided on. My part, the food, is proving to be a bit more difficult in uncovering the local culinary delights. I need some recommendations for local, must-experience food destinations that will take us off the usual tourist map. Since I'm not the best at navigating this site, links to past threads would be appreciated as well. So far, planned stays are in Brugge and Gent, with possible stops in Antwerp and the Ardenne. Just think of a bus load of beer geeks in Belgium, hungry for lots of fat laden food and friendly hospitality. Thanks so much! RM

Maybe I skimmed through too quickly but I'm surprised I didn't read about retarding time for your dough. I mix my dough the day before, let it rise, punch it back, cover and refrigerate. In the morning I punch down and knead the dough adding some flour. Then refrigerate again for the day and pull it out a couple hours before needed then knead more. This process allows the flour to be reasonably digested adding an airy elasticity and chewyness as well as a slight sour flavor. If you let it go another day it gets even more sour. This dough is so easy and fun to handle and makes incredible pizza stone pizzas. RM

Travelling to Iowa City and Madison this weekend. Can anyone set me up with some egullet links for place to eat? Any immediate suggestions are welcome too. Looking for anything interesting, querky and ethnic. Thanks!

Funky nice. Thanks! That helps. Any others? RM

Need a nice place to eat in Minneapolis,downtown/uptown, where my employees can eat well and dress nice. Please tell me your favorites. Thanks. RM

Throw a few hard boiled eggs in the brine a few days for a tasty snack. You'll still throw most of it away, but at least you've given it a second chance. Also, makes a great chaser or mixer for substandard tequila. RM

Oyster crackers are perfect too. Especially the ones you flavor with butter and cayenne and bake in the oven. In public school in Kansas and Missouri, chili was always served with a cinnamon roll. Whenever I mention this people think I am crazy. Any body else experience this? American "chili" is so un-ethnic that I would never think of eating Mexican type garnishes with it. And I'm speaking of the ground beef, tomato sauce, stewed tomato, kidney bean, and cumin version my mother made. She always served chili with white vinegar to dash on top. Really good! Any one heard of this? RM

Gourmand is someone who consumes to excess. Or yes, a glutton. RM