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bigbear

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Posts posted by bigbear

  1. Your requirements sound just like the ones I had before I bought my Weber Q 220. I also got the mostly plastic staionary cart (yes, plastic... no rust) and a cover. The cart comes with a hose to convert to a 20# tank that fits the cart. It's small enough that you can easily lift it off the cart, attach a 1# tank and take it to the picnic grounds. My neighbor uses his on his boat.

    It does a better job at searing than my bigger, non-Weber grills had done. I suggest that you follow the cooking directions that come with the grill. It's quick, easy and without flare-ups. I like it a lot.

  2. ..... The best from my memory  was from Monte's in Carroll Gardens. .....

    The mention of Monte's Venetian Room on Carroll Street brings back a flood of fond memories for me. It must be 30 years since I have eaten there. In the '50s, '60s and early '70s, my father took his lunch at Nick's and Joyce's place. His favorite table was the circular, red-leather booth in the bar area. It was his table everyday, unless he called by noon to let it go.

    Every time I see Monte's muraled walls in a movie or in a TV show, I swear I'm gonna go back, but I never get around to it. My brother went back a few years ago and a couple of the older waitstaff reminisced with him about our dad.

    Monte's celebrated their 100th anniversary last year. Has anybody been there recently?

    I used to get a very good linguine with white clam sauce at a place called Gregory's, up in White Plains. That was years ago, too. I'm gonna go back..... I swear.

  3. Amazon Hot Green Sauce - Tangy.

    Dave's Gourmet Total Insanity Hot Sauce - Not their hottest, but hot enough to go a long way in cooking. The label says, "Not for people with heart/respiratory problems." Believe it. Trust me.

    Marie Sharp's Hot Habañero Pepper Sauce

    Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce - Original Flavor - Ya gotta love what ya were raised on.

    Túóng Ót Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce - Garlicky. They should put this out in pizza parlors.

  4. .....

    I looked up one of the ingredients that I was not familiar with, the "faves" or "habas".  The translation I came up with is "broad beans".  You mention this as a canned item.  Would the can be labeled as "faves" or "habas" and at what type of store would have the most luck in finding them?  Would one find lupini beans in the same place; other substitutes for either of these?

    .....

    Part of the fun is trying to remember where you found the ingredients for last year's Fanesca.

    Fave or fava or haba beans remind me of large lima beans. Goya packages the beans dried and labels them as fava beans, but it's a lot easier if you don't have to cook dried beans. Grocery stores near Latino neighborhoods are good places to start.

    Lupini beans are known as chochos in Ecuador. They add a crunchy element to the soup and shouldn't be left out, IMHO. I find 16 oz. jars of them in supermarkets that carry a large selection of Victoria products. Italian specialty stores should have them too. I have seen another brand.

  5. As Easter nears, I crave Fanesca. Served during the week before Easter, it is definitely my favorite of all the Ecuadorian soups and quite possibly my favorite of all soups, period. I had to dig out my wife's recipe to make a shopping list. While I had the recipe out, I added it to RecipeGullet.

    Click here to have a look.

  6. ...

    However, fanesca was a good reason to follow tradition during "Holy Week"

    Basically a braised salt cod dish featuring 12 different types of lentils, beans and other grains. Soooooo good

    Now, that 12 is just the "base" number, representing the 12 disciples of Jesus. However, if I remember correctly, there were over 30 grains to choose from in the markets when this time of the year came close. It would be no surprise to find a recipe wih over those 12 grains.

    This sounds delicious as do the garnishes of fried plantains and hard boiled eggs mentioned in the link.

    Fanesca is my favorite soup. I just added my wife's version to RecipeGullet. Click here to have a look.

  7. “Tia Consue's” Fanesca

    Serves 8 as Main Dishor 12 as Soup.

    A thick Ecuadorian soup that is made and served just before Easter. Traditionally, it is made with twelve varieties of beans or grains, representing the twelve apostles. It can be a very labor-intensive process. Some cooks take it as far as peeling individual beans. Based on salt cod, it makes a great meatless dish for Lent. It is my favorite of all the Ecuadorian soups, if not of all soups, period. It is delicious, satisfying and a meal unto itself.

    Fanesca recipes vary and everyone thinks that theirs is the best. This is my wife's version and it is the best... of course.


    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1-1/2 lb boneless salt codfish
    • 1 can of corn
    • 1 can of faves (habas)
    • 1 jar of lupini beans
    • 1 box of frozen lima beans
    • 1 box of frozen peas
    • 1 small butternut squash, cooked and mashed
    • 1 head of cabbage, shredded and cooked
    • 1 c cooked rice
    • 2 large onions, chopped
    • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 8 oz mozarella cheese, shredded or chopped
    • 1/2 pt half & half
    • 1 qt milk
    • 3 T chunky peanut butter
    • 4 T unsalted butter
    • 1/4 tsp oregano
    • 1/4 tsp cumin
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 hardboiled eggs, sliced (for garnish)
    • parsley, chopped (for garnish)

    Peel lupini beans and soak in water overnight. Also soak codfish overnight, in water to cover, changing the water twice. Save the last batch of water.

    Cook rice. Shred and cook cabbage until soft. Cook and mash squash.

    In a large pot, sweat onions and garlic in butter until very soft. Add oregano, cumin and several grinds of black pepper and cook a minute longer. Add 1 ½ cups of the saved codfish water and bring to a boil. Add cooked rice, cooked and drained cabbage, mashed squash, drained corn, drained faves, drained lupini beans, lima beans, milk and half & half. Bring soup to a near-boil and simmer. Stir often. Stirring constantly, add the chopped mozarella cheese gradually. Stir in the peanut butter. Add the peas. Bring back up to heat while stirring. Add more milk if the soup gets too, too thick.

    Serve hot and garnish with sliced eggs and parsley.

    Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Seafood, Fish, Latin American

    ( RG1953 )

  8. I wanted to go back to Trattoria Al Portico (Orellana 1130 y Eloy Alfaro – Tel: 237-3659) in Tumbaco and try some more dishes before posting about it, but it wasn’t to be. I did enjoy the one time that I was there. It was raining that day, so I put off taking outside photos. They have a large, covered, dining area in the back yard, that mostly has no walls. What walls there are, are unique. They are made out of stacked, split logs. That’s where we ate during the rain. I tend to rely on just a couple of dishes to help me form an early opinion of restaurants. For Italian restaurants, I rely heavily on fried calamari. Al Portico’s calamaretti fritti was very good. I also had their fresh cannelloni stuffed with ham, mushrooms and mozzarella and served with a bechamel/tomato sauce… very good also. Their house wines were from Tarapaca. All the prices were reasonable. The service was friendly and attentive. I’ll go back.

    Owner, Siro, Maria del Carmen and Rusty.

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    Inside Al Portico.

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    Inside Al Portico.

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    Siro's bar and a couple patrons.

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    Another Italian restaurant, Luki (Av. Republica del Salvador y Portugal) in Quito, didn’t float my boat. The service seemed to be too busy with paperwork or something to tend to us. Twice, I ordered a bottle of wine from their wine list. Twice they brought out something other than what I ordered. The wines were also overpriced. Although the pasta dishes were good, I won’t go back. Oh yeah… the fried calamari tasted salty to me.

    Fourteen of us decided to get a beefsteak fix on a Sunday afternoon. After asking around, we made reservations at Los Troncos (Av. de los Shyris 1280 y Portugal – Tel: 243-7377) in Quito. It is a steakhouse in the Argentinean tradition… all kinds of meats… grilled over coals. I was hoping that someone would order the parrillada at about $15, but nobody did. It comes with everything… beef, pork, chicken… to kidney and blood sausage. Most of us opted for the “Bife de Chorizo Los Troncos”, a 1¼ pound boneless beefsteak… top loin, I think. They were $13.90 with a side of potatoes. Access to the good looking salad bar was $3.80. The delicious desserts were $3 to $4. The bottles of Trapiche wine were priced at about 2½ times retail. The glasses of Sambuca Romana were $4.10 each.

    Being a large party, they seated us in our own room. The rolls and breadsticks were plentiful and good. We were served complimentary empanadas… very good. The aji (hot sauce) was excellent, as was the chimichurri. The steaks are cooked to ¼ (rare), ½ (medium), ¾ (medium well) or full (order the chicken). I ordered mine at ½ and it was done perfectly. We are not talking about “Peter Luger” grades of beef here. It was a little tough, but tasty. I enjoyed it. I think they also serve imported (Argentina?) meats, but at dearer prices. One camarero, Juan, took care of our service. He was friendly and anticipated our needs. I heard no complaints about anything. I’ll go back.

  9. Maria del Carmen and Rusty Miller invited us to have lunch with them at an Italian restaurant that they have been enjoying. It used to be located in the Mariscal area of Quito and now, it is in the town of Tumbaco. You have to know where it is because it’s not on a main drag. We enjoyed ourselves very much, but I will post about it later. I want to go back for some more dishes. I have to try the calamares, gambas y boquerones fritos con ensalda.

    After lunch, Maria del Carmen and Rusty took us to see their latest edition of Hamburguesas de Rusty. It’s located outside of Quito in San Rafael in the fabulous, new San Luis Shopping Mall.

    They gave us a full tour, even through the back of the house. Everything was spotlessly clean. The employees are a pleasure… very friendly and polite. Coupled with the great food and fast service, Maria and Rusty have another winner on their hands.

    While we were there, we noticed many, framed groups of napkins hanging on the walls. The napkins displayed caricatures of Rusty drawn by customers. It all started with an eight year-old girl. She was sitting at a table doodling on a napkin one day. Rusty liked it and framed it. Now everyone sketches their own version of Rusty and his signature beret, glasses and handlebar mustache.

    You have got to see the San Luis Mall if you’re a shopper. It’s quite a place. And while you’re there, get your hamburger fix at Hamburguesas de Rusty. They are open till 10 at night… 11 on Friday and Saturday.

    The outside entrance to Hamburguesas de Rusty.

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    A small piece of the inside of San Luis Mall, decked out for Christmas.

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    The entrance to Rusty's from inside the mall.

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    Maria del Carmen and Rusty.

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    Some of the framed napkins with caricatures of Rusty.

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    More napkins. The first one ever drawn is bottom center.

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    Rusty, then and now.

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