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alejita

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Everything posted by alejita

  1. alejita

    Non-acid coffee

    Well, I have a lot to chew on. I had been resisting the Kona/Blue Mountain purchase, not only because of the $$ but because it smelled of marketing hype, but I guess it's time for experimenting. I'll report back! Thanks to all
  2. Hi all, We are having trouble finding good coffee. Since Starbucks invented over-roasted, bitter, coffee for the masses we cannot locate a source for a non-acid, smooth brew. I remember having such a thing in French ($$$) restaurants a long time ago, but not any more, as people demand the stronger beverage. We have a Capresso drip coffee maker, so it's not an equiment issue. Does anyone share our taste? Any ideas? We're assuming it'll be an online supplier...
  3. What does anyone think about the italian Capresso with the integrated grinder? It holds a whole lot more coffee beans than the Cuisinart, but what about the water temperature? And of course you need a LOT of counter space.
  4. I think you have to remember that Argentines do not have spicy foods (except for the ocassional over-the-top chimichurri) so it may not be something people want.
  5. Yikes. I do not know; I don't LIVE in Buenos Aires, so I have no guide. I don't know of any other place, though. I'll ask around.
  6. El Gato Negro is the qintessential spice shop chain in Buenos Aires. Their main store is in Avenida Corrientes 1669. Also has a small restaurant.
  7. Osaka is IT. He gets fresh fish or none at all and there are choices other than salmon. We've had lovely fresh tuna he got from the coast of Uruguay and do try "lisa". The restaurant ambiance is soothing, a fine change from the noisy trendy all-salmon sushi places. Do not miss!
  8. Soaking and shaking. Then rinse under running water These kinds of vegetables are very common. They can be added as a compliment to a main dish. (e.g Beef Noodle soup) ← For the record, here is my latest experience: soaked the plants and shook them. Then spinned them in a salad spinner. No plant was larger than 4 inches. Braised them in a covered frying pan in veg broth and a bit of veg oil until they were tender (had too much liquid, so it did not evaporate as I expected). Added a splash of soy sauce and some pepper. I was hoping for a glistening finish, which did not relly happen. The grit was not noticeable, though! Thanks for everyone's help. I can now work on the sauce...
  9. Not sure if it's good enough, but after spending lots of $$ on San Marzano cans, we happened on the Costco "San Marzano" large cans, Nina brand. Very likely "canned" in San Marzano but tomatoes from elsewhere (my guess -- mainly because of the low price). However, they are remarkably tomatoey and we love them. Hope it helps and saves some $
  10. Does anyone know how to get all the grit off the bok choy plants WITHOUT separating it into leaves? I am trying to replicate a dim-sum dish that serves them whole with a glistening coating. Of course they are VERY small plants and of course, the restaurant version has no grit. I've tried washing them like leeks, ie, by gently opening it and swishing water in there, but it does not seem to work very well and the plant does fall apart often. Thanks for any ideas (and maybe the recipe???? )
  11. alejita

    Nasty Ingredients

    In my book, Asafoetida tops the nasty pile. It's used in Indian cooking (very sparingly) but don't try smelling it...it's like the sewer.
  12. You're closest to my personal attempt at not drowning in recipes. I must warn those who want try the scanning route: it's time consuming and (if you want to OCR the recipe, like I do) you have to sit there and correct things like "112 cups of flour" to the original " 1 1/2 cups of flour". You get the idea). I felt that OCR was necessary (instead of just keeping the scanned image) because you can then do an ingredient search).
  13. I have a recipe problem. I subscribe to 5 cooking magazines, have dozens and dozens of cookbooks, boxes of clipplings...My latest attempt at chaos control was to use the computer to either scan or type or cut-and-paste recipe text into plain-ol' .txt files, store them in separate folders. All well and good while the number is relatively small, but it's not so easy to manage any more now that the recipe numbers are growing: can't find the one you want, you have several with the same name... I tried a recipe management program, but it seems too inflexible and time consuming. Also, the recipe format was proprietary, and that's a no-no. Do members want to contribute their personal solutions or frustrations on Recipe Management?
  14. alejita

    Le Creuset Sizes

    I was given a round VERY LARGE pot as a gift; I think it's the one that retails for $300 or so. After many years of use, I'd say you are better off with an oval one (fits cuts much better and I'm sure braises will come out even better). I love my pot, but unless you are cooking for a crowd (of for keeps) that's too big. I wish I had a smaller one.
  15. It's not. Almonds is a refinement that you won't usuallly find. Also, Argentines don't do cilantro; it's Italian parsley.
  16. The thing about empanadas in Argentina is to make sure the filling is MOIST. Thus, in addition to a fair amount of fat in the browning of the meat, you use onions that have been sweated (not browned). The seasonings usually include cumin, raisins and chopped egg. One unusual thing that I remember is the dipping of an empanada in a bowl of sugar, like you would a pot sticker in the dipping sauce. It's actually very good that way. I don't know where the custom originates from. It's like asking a Spaniard about paella: you'll get 1 million recipes and each is the one and only. I've tasted empanadas in several argentine provinces: Salta (outstanding and sort of spicy) and Tucuman (better than outstanding; don't remember them spicy but we stood in line on Saturday night at an empanada place where it seems everybody HAD TO have their product -- was out of this world).... A sort of amusing story has my husband (he's a New Yorker) going to Buenos Aires to work and they order lunch so they can continue working. Several pizza boxes arrive and he was all set for a pizza lunch, but no! the boxes were full of all kinds of empanadas: it's a staple. BTW, pizza in Argentina is GOOD: all variaties, including faina (the chickpea "pizza") thin and thick crust and I've never had an unsatifactory one. So it empanadas is not for you..
  17. Try El Federal in the Palermo Viejo area: the chef has used typical Argentine dishes (not necessarily grilled meat) and created an updated menu. There are a lot of non-grilled-meat restaurants in Palermo Viejo, some very good. Do not miss Piegari in Calle Posadas, I think it's one of the best Italian (northern) restaurants I've ever eaten in. Beware, portions are HUGE.
  18. Palermo Viejo is a great area for "lively", particularly at night. You should know, however, that many shops still close after lunch. The small shop working hours are 9-1 and 3-8 (more or less); some will still close for the weekend on Saturday lunch. Just adapt your schedule to rest after lunch (not a bad idea if you eat at a parrilla where the food is endless)...Or hit the big shopping malls then.
  19. There is a pedestarian St. by Florida; and there is a Mall that anchors it. There used to be Harrod's there too - It closed long long ago but the space still remains vacant. To answer your question - Recoletta is preferable :) ← I would recommend trying a short-term apartment rental. Google "Buenos Aires apartments" and you'll get a lot of choices. We were at a Holiday Inn Express and moved to a 2-room apt for 1/3 the price in Recoleta, high-speed Internet, modern, clean and with maid service. A BARGAIN!
  20. I wanted to point out that Palermo Viejo and Palermo Hollywood are NOT the same neghborhood (although they are close). In my view, Palermo Viejo has more interesting (AND GOOD) restaurants. Do not miss Dona Tere (on Gorriti street); it's a Spanish restaurant (as distinct from Argentine) with one of the best tapas I've ever tasted. As far as Puerto Madero goes, yes, it's pretty and fancy, but I've never been in a restaurant there where the service was even adequate and the food was usually so-so. Some of those restaurants have branches elsewhere in the city and the service in the branches was A LOT better. Also read the bill before you sign the credit card receipt; they are full of tourists and... Buenos Aires is GREAT place (in spite of my last sentences). Enjoy!
  21. What about pesticides? ← You can get organic iceberg pretty easily; even here in Orlando FL (not your food mecca in case you were wondering) the supermarkets have Earthbound iceberg pretty regularly. I don't believe the "tight packing" protects you any.
  22. I use it in salads, sometimes, shredded fairly thin (a chiffonade, I suppose). When you mix this texture with other salad ingredients, it blends in, and you can pardon the lack of taste and enjoy the crispness. Certainly worth using.
  23. alejita

    Quinoa

    I would add that when I treated quinoa a bit like couscous, by steaming it after it cooked in water for a while, I got better results than when I just cooked in water. It was very fluffy and every grain separated. Here is the recipe link from Epicurious (skip the added herb if you want and add whatever else strikes your fancy): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/106587
  24. Glad someone brought these 2 up on the table, although they are not strictly 'Cooking" mags, but food-topic magazines. High quality! and they are quarterly, so you are not inundated. Also, I don;t think Gourmet is worth it any more. I have subscribed to this magazine since the early 80s and, frankly, it does not fit the bill any more: too much glitz and 3-ingredient recipes you can get elsewhere.
  25. alejita

    Safety of beef in US

    Well, I agree with you on this. I'm sure there are worthy producers out there, but if I go to my supermaket, I have no way of knowing the degree of worthiness of what is offered. So, no supermaket beef, is my point. perhaps, since you are obvioulsy familiar with the industry, you could let us know how to identify the producers we could support?
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