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ladyyoung98

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Posts posted by ladyyoung98

  1. Hello! I'm a concierge at a premier resort in Tucson. Tucson has a lovely assortment of excellent restaurants.

    For fine dining I would highly recommend Janos and The Ventana Room. Janos is located at the Westin La Paloma resort and is a Southwestern restaurant with city views. Janos Wilder, the chef and owner, has received the James Beard award. The Ventana Room is located at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and is one of only 2 Four-Star restaurants in Tucson. Their specialty is contemporary Continental food. Both have excellent wine lists. Their chef, Phillippe Trosch, is originally from France.

    For excellent food in a more casual setting, Cafe Terra Cotta specialises in Southwestern food. Owner and chef Donna Nordin is nationally known as one of the original pioneers of Southwestern cuisine. Cafe Poca Cosa is a unique Mexican restaurant, not the traditional tacos and burritos, but a very fresh menu that is created and changed twice daily by chef and owner Suzana Davila. For traditional Mexican food, La Placita Cafe is a local favourite, with friendly service and excellent seafood specialties.

    As far as food-related activities, there is a Farmer's Market on 17th St., near the downtown area. An excellent source for fresh produce, seafood, and especially for spices indigenous to the area that may be difficult to find in other parts of the country/world. Culinary Concepts is a lovely cooking shop that specialises in gadgets and utensils, and also offers ongoing cooking classes. Wild Oats is a chain of speciality grocery markets with gourmet and health foods, some from the local area as well.

    Let me know if you have any other questions!

    Phone numbers:

    Janos (520) 615.6100

    Ventana Room (520) 299.2020

    Cafe Terra Cotta (520) 577.8100    www.cafeterracotta.com

    Cafe Poca Cosa (520) 622.6400

    La Placita Cafe (520) 881.1150

    17th Street Farmer's Market (520) 792.2588

    Culinary Concepts (520) 321.0968    www.culinaryconcepts.net

    Wild Oats Market (520) 299.8858    www.wildoats.com

    you forgot trader joes and the itlian deli , if i remember correctly i think it was called romas or something to that effect..small hole in the wall place with wonderful smells inside..they also do some great sandwhiches ..all italian style of course...another place not mentioned as a destination...tanque verde swap meet..large flea market..though it has not been on tanque verde for quite some time...i think it moved over to palo vrde... but since its been a while since ive lived out there and have only visited three or four times in the last nine years ( twice last year) you might want to get some oen else to tell you exactly where it is...have fun

  2. i lived out in tucson for a number of years... close to twenty..too bad about the tack room.it was a great place...mexican food...one major suprise for what was not mentioned...club 21 ..used to be out on oracle road right around the miracle mile turn..it may still be there..may have moved..not sure..but they served fabulous green corn tamales..if they r still around they are not to be missed for that alone...they used to be quite good

  3. i agree with all the recommendations for pasqual and the compound and i'd add my personal favorite, la choza. great patio, great new mexican food. i loved this reference to the la fonda pastry shop!

    long, long ago, when my wife and i were first living together, we'd run up to santa fe for the weekends, in large part because we could get pastries at the la fonda. they were unlike anything i'd ever tasted (granted, i was pretty much of a winchell's eating sportswriter at the time). years later, during a long drunken lunch with my friend michel richard, he started talking about how much he liked santa fe. i said "santa fe, when were you in santa fe?" turns out, he started that pastry shop and was the one making those pastries. he has certainly gone on to bigger, though perhaps not better, things (there's not much better than those pastries were).

    Ahh... The French Pastry Shop! One of my earliest memories is about this place. My family was staying at La Fonda and my sister and I were exploring the hotel. I was about four, she was eight. When we found the pastry display, we must have stood there - jaws dropped, I'm sure - for at least ten minutes ogling the treats. We'd never seen anything like that before. Rows and rows of beautiful pastry! Finally, the person behind the counter took pity on us and gave us each a cream puff. The memory of it has been stuck in my head ever since. I still make a pilgrimage there every time I visit Santa Fe. It hasn't changed much in thirty years.

    Over the years I've eaten at dozens of Santa Fe restaurants and I honestly don't recall a bad meal. Right now I'm recalling some chile rellenos I had at some place on Canyon Road. Roasted green chiles stuffed with Montrachet and walnuts. Sublime. Can't get good chile rellenos in Texas. They insist on using poblanos here. :sad: Don't get me started on Tex-Mex. If I were to move back to NM, it would be for the food. And the mountains. Also family, of course. The weather is nice too. (101 degrees in Dallas yesterday - yes, really) And the people are great. Hmmm... where's my luggage?

    there is a little mexican restaurant here in denton over on south locust street across from the family dollar store. the place doesnt look like much on the outside but on the inside the food is pretty good. authentic mexican cuisine, and my finace and i have had many a good dinner there in the last year...and the prices are very reasonable. And while ive tried many things on the menu i have yet to try theor chili rellenos but i am told it is quite good. the place is called La Mexicana. you should check it out some time and see how their chili rellenos compares. Next time im there i fully plan on trying theirs.

  4. sorry i had not been back to check on this til now....my mother passed away recently....so with  that and other things going on...i forgot all about this until i looged on and found an email from wendy dated last month. she had been kind enough to let me know she had merged it.  in truth id forgotten someone else had made the same inquiry, forgotten id said i get some of mine at the dollar store..which i do when they actually have them, but need a much more reliable resource and i want to thank all of you for having provided me with so many leads.  i have bookmarked every last one of them so i can really look them over as time permits.

    My condolences on the passing of your mother.

    When you have a chance to research these leads, let us know how you made out.

    ty for the condolences, i will let ya'll know how it pans (no pun intended) when i take a good look at everything.

  5. sorry i had not been back to check on this til now....my mother passed away recently....so with that and other things going on...i forgot all about this until i looged on and found an email from wendy dated last month. she had been kind enough to let me know she had merged it. in truth id forgotten someone else had made the same inquiry, forgotten id said i get some of mine at the dollar store..which i do when they actually have them, but need a much more reliable resource and i want to thank all of you for having provided me with so many leads. i have bookmarked every last one of them so i can really look them over as time permits.

  6. im looking for cookie tins to be able to ship our companies cookies in.  does anybody know of a good online source for them?

    This should be a good resource for you.

    i checked out the site u referred me to and i am somewhat confused..it seems to basically be a site for an upscale trade show? which would be fine were i actually going to attend..but as of yet will nto be attending any trade shows either as a buyer or as a vendor... i was trying to locate an online source for just reauglar cookie type tins( and yes aestetics do matter since this is for my business and not something being sent to just freinds or family for the hoidays..were it just to serve that purpose..it would not really matter all that much... i just think when you are trying to get you online business up and running, you need to find a supplier who does handle these types of tins...and thus far the only thing i have managed to find are tins that are already filled with cookies, which led me to ask where one might find an online supplier of the empty tins... thanks for ya'lls help...much appreciated..just not , i think, what im looking for?

  7. If you like spicy cakes, made with molasses and Guinness Stout  :raz: , I suggest trying the Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread cake.   A photo of it is here.

    I baked a few of these last Christmas in a regular bundt pan and in mini-bundt pans. I sprayed the pans with Pam (the kind with flour in it) and the cakes were easy to remove and the indentations from the design were very precise. Dusted them with xxx sugar and served with whipped cream. They were very moist, almost pudding-like. Everybody raved.

    I think the recipe would work well in your molds.

    BTW, I split the 6-pack of Guinness between the batter (1) and me (5).  :wacko:

    i would have thought most any cake recipe would be fine ..but personal preference for getting cakes out of the pan much easier for me would be a product called cake release, i think wiltons puts it out but there are other godo ones out there

  8. I am subscribed to a bakery newlsetter that also sends a bakery equipment newsletter twice a month.  I received one today. Hereis the newsletter address:

    http://www.bakeryequipmenttradingtimes.com...ailer_11_15.htm

    This should get in some sort of direction, as to new and used equipment sources. If you need other supplier info I have others. Just post follow-ups and I'll check back. :smile:

    thanks for the info..i promptly subscribed to it

    any other info u can send my way would be greatly appreciated

  9. after much time and urging from i have finally decided to take the plunge and open up my own bakery and confections shop.. and i need everythiing from display cases to ovens to cash register to refrigerators and commercial mixers and tempering machines... locations where i can purchase supplies in bulk at wholesale...

    so any web sites you fine people can provide me with to locate items i need so i can cost this out ...would be great

  10. i dont know if this is the place to post this so if its not im hoping it will be moved to the appropriate forum...

    however my problem is this:

    its easy enough to find chocolate molds that have varying shapes and sizes, but what if you find a mold tray that has several different items in the same mold tray and you want to locate molds that have the exact same shape, for instance one of my favortie molds has a cameo rose, but it also has two other items in the same mold sheet, for a total of 12 cavities. now i do like all three of them but want to locate each one in a mold that has just those single shapes.. thus far ive not been able to locate what im looking for.

    does anybody know of a supplier or some other resource that could take the single mold sheet ive got and create three differet ones, one item per tray?

  11. owrd of mouth is great but will only get u so far and newpapers dont always get around to reviews and when they do...its limited...if the owner wants his place to be a success..he is killing his chances...as we all know if a buisness is going to fold it will do so within the first two years...and recently on foodnetwork i heard that for restaurants its five years....of course one has to do what is needed to insure that thier place does not become just another has been statistic...too much money to sink into a palce just to have it all die.... for lack of care.

  12. Baking supply stores carry cardboard cake rounds (cardboard discs) in a variety of sizes, as well as cake boxes. Be sure the box and the round match in size, and the round should be slightly larger than the cake (a 10-inch round for a 9" cake).

    Once the cheesecake is chilled, it's pretty dense. I invert the cake (covered in plastic wrap) onto a plate (or cake round), take off the pan bottom (and sometimes parchment), and re-invert the cake back onto the round it will stay on. Any garnish or decoration should be made after the cake is on the final round.

    i agree 100% and if you had not mentioned bakery supply stores and cake rounds i would have....cake supply stores (bakery supply stores) also carry the kind of boxes you are looking for..they are flat and you have to fit them together..but then again the tabs are there for you to put it together..its all one piece..easy to put together..not rocket science...have fun

  13. Have you ever picked through packaged chickens and found some of them with the cryovac or plastic bag tightly tucked in around the chicken, and others, in the same bin, with the wrap ballooned out?  I always pick the tightly packed ones, even if the dates are close to the end of the sell-by, and NEVER buy the ones that are ballooned out.  To me, that means they've been poorly handled, and are giving off gas, probably from bacteria.

    With chicken pieces, which have been packaged by the supermarket, it's harder.  They've been known to rinse off older product, and re-package it.  So then, you have to go by smell.  If you smell clorox, they've been rinsed and re-packaged... be very careful.  If you smell a hint of rotten eggs, I'd say they're iffy.  If you clearly smell rotten eggs or some other off odor, pitch them.

    ive got one for you then since you mentioned the tightly wrapped cryovaced chickens. how long will those last in the freezer and still be good for?

  14. How could I ever miss a thread on Pommes Frittes.  One of life's major frustrations is the state of the American french fry.  And even when restaurants make the effort the end up shoe-stringing them ie ruining them.  But I digress.

    I tend to consume any fries ready for frying the same day so have never held potatoes over night.  My only concern would be water absorption.  But unless anyone else hereabouts has given it a try, you can be the first and report back.  :smile:

    actually i have heard that you can keep them in the ice box overnight, so long as they sit in water. and to keep them from browning i once heard that you can add a little vinegar to the water to keep them from browning.. that suggestion came from one of the cooking programs on food network. while id love to say that tip came from emeril, i honestly dont remember and ive never tried it.

    however, if you want get a better fry out of it, one thing i have learned by trial and error is to not only drain the water very well but also toss some into a cheese cloth a little at a time, twist it up so that you can swing it around and nothing will fall out except water. ive also tried that particular method with freshly grated hash browns and it works wonder, though for those i just squeeze the hell out of them because i dont have to worry about breakage, but you will find the method that works best for you

  15. I used to stir fry a lot. You are right about a wok as a useful pan. The problem I have now is that this lousy electric range just can't hack it. We started cooking with a wok about 30 years ago before it was cool. My dad had found some of the plain steel pans at some restaurant supply place and dragged one home. It took a while to figure out what to do with it. Then my mother tried an electric one, then some kind of cast iron thing. We went back to the plain steel. That is what my dad gave me when I got married. Still have it as a matter of fact and it is very well seasoned. When my son was living with me (and I had a gas range) stir frying was a go-to quick meal when we got home from work. I can't say we used recipes much at all but it was always good.

    I am wondering if one of these would serve well. I am thinking that the copper might give me an edge with the heat transfer. My new kitchen will have 17,000 BTU burners. I can't wait to get my wok out of storage.

    just a thought here but after seeing what you were referring to i dont think that could classify as a wok per se simply because it does not seem to have the shape one would normally associate with a wok. ie the sloped sides.

  16. article from the CS Monitor
    I've asked cab drivers, receptionists, and many others about their favorite vegetables. I've found it to be a very inoffensive conversation starter - much safer than asking for their opinions about Iraq.  Food brings an enjoyment that few other things bring. And there's commonality: Eating is something we all do.  I love to hear someone go "mmm, mmm," when talking about their grandma's fried chicken. I delight when someone leaves their problems for a few moments to tell how they put sausage and meatballs in lasagna.  I see their eyes fill with memories as they talk about turkeys, corn bread, stuffing, and candied yams ...

    Discussing food, as the author of this article notes sagely, is often a great ice-breaker. Food is generally a common interest for many and is usually neutral unless it becomes political or judgemental.

    With that in mind, might I inquire:

    Do you discuss food with others?

    Whom do you usually do this with?

    Is this something one can do with friends and strangers alike?

    Does food chat add to your knowledge base?

    Does it evoke nostalgic memories?

    yes i do discuss food with other people,

    i discuss it with everybody i come across ,

    as the author said its very inoffensive conversation. everybody eats so its a relativley safe topic to discuss with anybody

    yes sometimes it adds to my knowledge base

    and every now and then it evokes nostalgic memories

  17. Would someone please give me a suggestion where I can find foil candy wrappers? 

    Thanks!

    ok suggestion for u here... try your local cake supply stores. often times they also carry candy supplies. that is where i purchase mine all the time.

    the bonus to being abel to buy them on a local level is that there is no minimum u have to buy and you dont have to pay for shipping either.

    edited to say oops, i didnt see that you were asking for an online source. oh well...... :laugh:

  18. I wasn't sure which was the best forum to post this but here goes:

    I am eyeing my brick facade fireplace in my living room which currently has a fireplace insert installed in it.

    The insert is old, and rather than replace it, and realizing that the brick facade is '50's style (read:  Out of Style), I was wondering if anyone has ever tried converting their indoor fireplace into a brick oven.  In Minnesota the warmth is nice, we're going to burn wood anyway, so why not cook with it too?  I would also like to put a door on it, so that warm air doesn't escape up the chimney when the oven is not in use!

    Any ideas, suggestions, input, etc.?

    Tx!

    doc

    i know this may sound silly but have you thought about contacting your local home depot? they seem to have a lot of knowledge not to mention so many do it yourself classes, if they dont have that kind of knowledge they are in a positon to possibly know where you can get that information.

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