percyn

I believe Lipeäkala (or Lutfisk) is pretty popular in MN and they even have an anual festival celebrating it.

MizDucky, you can get your Indian sweets fix on this thread.

Ham, Crimini and Miatake Mushroom Scramble w/Chives

Saturday- Cream of Portobello soup, with truffle butter Exotic Mushroom Pizza w/Truffle Emulsion I must confess that after trying a version of this pizza at Emeril's last week, I was looking forward to making it at home and "kicking it up a notch!" The mushrooms consisted of crimini, portobello, trumpet, oyester, maitake, porcini and morel. The emulsion drizzled on top is made with some of the cream of portobello soup, heavy cream, lots of black truffle oil and a splash of white truffle oil. I could not find decent truffles that I was looking forward to slicing on the pizza, but it had so much truffle flavor already that my whole kitchen was smelling of truffles.....hmmm....truffles. Topped with a four chees blend, asiago and parmasean. Sprinkled with chives. Sunday - Cream of Chicken in Wild Rice w/Slice of Garlic Tuscan Bread Rotisserie Chicken Goat cheese w/almonds and figs in syrup w/Dow 1985 Port Ohh..the figs were perfect with the goat cheese and the vintage port just put it out of this world !!! I can still taste the long finish of the wine....

Seems like the shrimp (or other) flavored waffers you buy from the Asian grocery and fry at home....also served at Emeril's latest restaurant, Tschoup Chop.

[Off topic comment] Susie, if you are in the Marketplace area, go for Terriyaki Boy. Yes, it is a small chain, but oh so good (addictive) for so little. [/Off topic comment]

There is a place in the outskirts of Princeton on Harrison St (think), called King Castle, which serves good Dim Sum on the weekends (maybe Friday too). It is located in the Princeton Shopping Center, off Rt 27 (on Harrison). A few weeks ago, they were closed for renovations. So call them at (609) 924-8001 before going. I love their broccoli rabe with oyester sauce. Cheers Percy

Now for a slightly touchy subject..... I love Dim Sum and used to frequent a Dim Sum place in Princeton NJ, prior to moving out here. Unfortunately, the first and last time I visited a Dim Sum place in Chinatown, Ocean Harbor, I got severe food poisoning. Now, this could be a complete co-incidence, and I am hoping that people who have frequented Ocean Harbor and other Dim Sum restaurants can assure me that this is a very rare occurance, otherwise my Dim Sum experiences will continue to be convined to Princeton, which takes me over 1.5 hrs to get to. Cheers Percy

Stephen, The best Sichuan place I have every visited is in NJ, called Szechuan Ace, which I posted about a while back. Where is this place in Exton, I would love to visit (today if possible)? As for Mandarin, some of us went there for the Chinese New Year dinner.

Did anyone make it to Lacroix on March 19th when Patrick O'Connell was there? Unfortunately I am recovering from a cold, so my tastebuds are shot, otherwise I would have been there.

Orlando Trip Report - Part III Zen (Bill_H, this one is for you) - So I had been wanting to try this sushi place, located in the hotel I was in. Since it is only open for dinner and I had reservations for most other days, I had to squeeze this one in. The space has a clean design and this was one of the very few restaurants which were not swamped by Disney tourists. I decided to get some sushi and a few appetizers to try the menu. The tuna I ordered was served with a side of a somewhat tangy sauce. The temp of the tuna was good and it seemed fresh, but it wasn't as flavorful as tuna sashimi I get back home. The presentation was beautiful.... The spicy tuna rolls were very well presented, but lacking a bit in the flavor department, in my opinion. The spiciness was "served on the side" as opposed to mixed into the sushi pieces. The sesame shrimp toast were delicate and crunchy. Good, but a small portion for almost $10. The Beijing BBQ ribs were lightly fried ribs with a spicy, tangy sauce. I had a chilled "silver" sake, which was served in a wine glass. Overall, this is a good restaurant if you want to escape the crowd, but IMHO, I can get better tasting dishes for 1/2 the price in Philly. Since I have not tried any other Japanese restaurants in the Orlando area, I unfortunately cannot compare it to how it stacks up against its competition. Victoria & Albert's. I had heard good things about this place, so I was saving this experience for my last dinner in Orlando. It is in the Disney area, but so secluded that it took me 20 minutes to find the place. Actually, it is very close to epcot, but the access roads are tricky. The lobby of this place is stunning. I wish I was not already late for my dinner, which would have allowed me to relax and take in the surrounding. The restaurant is elegant (jackets required for gentlemen), but still with a faint touch of fakeness (it may just be a psychological reaction to overly touristy places). I was greeted to the door by name, escorted to my table, which happened to be in a small dining room with 3 other tables. One with a couple from NJ celebrating the wife's birthday in a very hushed voice and over on the other table, a self-absorbed medical intern with his father and new girlfriend he must have been trying to impress. He was giving the wait staff and the sommelier a hard time, commenting on his wine collection and later in the evening on the meal and vacuum coffee percolator. Ironically, (and amusingly) his attempts to impress everyone were giving us great insights into his ignorance. Anyway...on to the review... The restaurant tries to mimic the service of a 2 star Michelin restaurant and comes close. There are 2 very attentive wait staff who seem almost devoted to each table. The only slightly downside in their service was the attempt to dumb down the dishes as they narrated the menu (i.e. Foie Gras, which is duck liver, etc). The wine list was decent, but not great and the prices had an incredible mark-up. I opted for the wine paring, which seemed to be a reasonable $50 for 6 pairings (compared to $15/glass, with a very limited per glass selection). Here were my choices for the evening (apologies for the poor lighting in advance)- Amuse Bouche (I don’t remember exactly what it was, so it couldn't have been that great) Pierre sparr cremant D'Alsace Brut Rose, NV Timbale of Jumbo Lump and King Crab w/Black Pearl Caviar King Estate Pinot Gris, 2003 Foie Gras and Vinalla Scented Brioche w/Pedro Ximenez ($15 suppliment) La Fleur D'Or Sauternes, 2001 Virgina Black Bass with South Carolina Grit Cake and Florida Corn Jermann Vinnae da Vinnaioli, Venezia 2002 Petit Poulet w/Black Truffles and South African Procini Sauce Carpineto Chianti Classico, Greve 2002 (I would have preferred a Bordeaux or Pinot Noir) Baked Seckle Gorgonzola Dolce Benjamin Tawny Port, Victoria Grand Marnier Souffle Tableside Brewed Coffee All the food tasted great, even though this was my second meal for the evening and I was quite impressed by the quality of the ingredients. The wine pairings seemed to work well for me in most cases, with one exception. Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Orlando and V&A is now on my list for all future visits to Orlando !! Cheers Percy

What you are describing sounds like til ladoo, a small ball of brown sugar and sesame seeds.

Good weather overall, expect a bit of clouds and rain on Tuesday and Wed, but I was indoors during that time and prefered the 70 deg w/clouds weather over the 30 degree w/some sun weather back home.

Orlando Trip - Part Duex Cedars - I really wanted to try this place after reading the reviews on this forum, so I decided to visit. The hardest part was actually finding the place. It took me 1/2 hr of driving up and down to locate this restaurant, which is actually near Roy's and Season 52. It was almost 9:30pm by the time I found the place, but it was still busy and people kept coming in. I was seated and immediately presented with some amazing mini-pita bread and olive oil. Many things on the menu looked interesting. Keeping with my previous dining themes, I decided to try a series of appetizers. I would have liked to try some kebabs, but those were sold as entrees and I would not have been able to finish them (plus the hotel room I was in did not have a usable fridge or microwave, not to mention I had reservations for every night). So I got some homemade sausage, hummus with beef strips, moussaka and a feta cheese dish the waiter recommended. Everything was great !! The hummus was so creamy and smooth, it was unlike any other I have tried. As mentioned in other posts, the pita bread was terrific and they seem to keep brining them to you in little baskets from the brick oven. For dessert my waiter recommended a melted cheese, topped with sugar syrup and pistachios. It went well with the Lebanese (Turkish) coffee, but would have been a bit too sweet otherwise. The only downside was that there were 3 waiters for 50-75 patrons. These poor guys were running around, but many patrons still needed attention. I left around 10:30pm and people were still coming in. Unfortunately it was too dark in there for the pictures to turn out well. Texas de Brazil Churrascaria - If you are not familiar with a Churrascaria, it is a kind of steakhouse were Brazilian (or is it Argentenian?) cowboys roam around with various types of meats on a skewers, serving you as desired. This is a carnivor (or Aetkin's diet) heaven !! Besides the "salad bar", which had salami, ham, sushi, etc, there are 17 kinds of meat. These meats are spiced with what tastes like a bolder version of Montreal Steak seasoning and then spit raosted, which sears the outside and makes the inside tender and oh so delicious !! I was determined to try all 17 meat cuts, but only made my way through Garlic Sirloin, Filet wrapped in bacon, Chicken, Pork, Leg of Lamb, Lamb Chops, Flank Steak, a special Brazilian steak (not sure exactly what cut is was, but looked like bottom round)...I may have been forgetting a few. I was so full I decided not to eat meat for a week...luckily that feeling lasted less than 24 hrs Emerils - This original restaurant is located in the Universal Studio's Citywalk (like an artificial boardwalk) park. Given that it is in a very crowded touristy area, the atmosphere is definitely not as relaxed or upscale as his other Orlando restaurant. I ordered a shiraz at the bar, was seated at my table a few minutes later. The patrons seemed to be a mix of people in sportscoats and people in T-shirts. The service was better than the average restaurant and the wait-staff seemed knowledgeable about the menu. You should know the drill by now... I decided to try a few things on the menu... First dish - Seafood gumbo. Having been to Emeril's New Orleans restaurant, I was looking forward to a great gumbo all week. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed as a luke warm gumbo was served in a hot bowl, with 4 limp shrimp pile together like they came out of a pre-packaged container. Second dish - BBQ shrimp, original style. Suddenly things were looking up again....these shrimp were succulent and the BBQ sauce was just awesome. I love to scoop some up with pieces of bread. I almost ordered another one of these. Third dish - Crabmeat and Sweet Corn Cheesecake. I had tried a similar dish in New Orleans at a different restaurant and wanted to try it again. This version was slightly chilled and served with a sweet corn tomato relish and a creole tomato glaze. Good, but not amazing. Not wanting to end my dining experience on anything but a triumphant note, I decided to order a dish that hd caught my eye... Dish Four - Wild & Exotic Mushroom-Truffle Pizza with a Truffle, Chive and Potato Sauce, a Drizzle of White Truffle Oil, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and Truffle Emulsion. After being disappointed with the pizza in an Italian restaurant, I was happy to see that this pizza had a perfect crust and though the toppings may not have been traditional, THIS was my kinda pizza !!!! There was ample truffle flavor and the truffle emulsion sauce was fabulous. In fact, I am going to try to make this at home tomorrow. So, though I don't have a decent pic to post here, I will try to post of pic of the pizza I make, if it turns out similar. The final post for this trip will soon follow. I have been saving the best for last !!

Looks like some sort of chili or eggplant. This reminds me of a foodie version of a psychiatrist holding up random flashcards and asking the patient to interpret what s/he sees.

Catching up from being out of town for a week.... Monday - Duck breast salad with black truffle vinaigrette The left over duck fat tempted me to crack an egg in it and I decided to pop a banger in the pan as well. Tuesday - Pan seared scallops with mushroom and truffle polenta, with a side of snap peas, cherry tomatoes and leeks. Dessert - Fresh strawberries with 25 yr balsamico Cheers Percy

Too bad I was out of town last week and could not make it *sniff* *sniff*

Orlando Trip Report - Part 1 Just got back from a week in Orlando and thought I would share my dining experiences. We stayed at the Omni at Championsgate, which is about 2 exits (3-4 miles) off I-4 from the Disney area and is more of a golf resort. The hotel has 3 restaurants; Zen - a Pan-Asian inspired restaurant, David's club - a sports bar and Trevi's - a Mediterranean/Italian restaurant. In addition to this, they also have Crocs, a poolside restaurant and Broadway deli. We arrived in the late evening at the hotel and given that the airline had misplaced our bags and sent it on the next flight, which we waited for at the airport, we were tired and decided to eat at Trevi's, the Italian restaurant in the hotel. Trevi's - The space looks good and well laid out, with an open kitchen on one end. The service was courteous, though sometimes seemed lacking the much needed attention on the part of the wait staff. The wine list was OK, and we order a bottle of Chianti. It took them about 15 minutes to get some bread to our table. We ordered Mussels and Insulata Caprese. The mussels did not seem as fresh as I get at local restaurants and the broth could have been a bit spicier. For our main course my wife ordered chicken parmesan while I ordered a brick oven margarita pizza with garlic shrimp. The main courses were quite disappointing. Since this was an upper end Mediterranean restaurant, I was expecting the pizza to be thin crusted, really baked in the brick oven (which they seemed to have), with slices of tomato, mozzarella and basil, but rather when I received seemed to be a plain cheese pizza from Pizza hut (with that pan-fried crust), topped with tiny shrimp sprinkled with garlic salt. My wife's chicken parmesan would have been better if it was made by Olive Garden. Croc's - On Sunday afternoon we relaxed by the pool and ordered a sandwich and a Pina Colada from the pool side restaurant Croc's. This place had decent sandwiches at a reasonable $8 and awsome waffle fries with aeole. Emeril's Tchoup Chop - This is the newest of Emeri's growing list of restaurants. It is not far from his other signature restaurant in Orlando. The restaurant has a beautiful interior and running down the middle is an above ground pond, filled with lotus(?). Seating is also available facing the kitchen, mainly for those ordering the tasting menu. We would have normally sat there, but decided to order a bunch of appetizers instead of the tasting menu. As soon as you sit, you are greated by your wait staff, a team of 3 and presented with some shrimp flavored chips (the kind you can buy at asian groceries to make at home) and some thai peanut dipping sauce. There were quite a few dishes we wanted to try, but since we were not too hungry, decided to get a series of appetizers with a flight of wines. We ordered sea scallops, crab cake, pork dumplings and fried rice, which were good, but not memorable. The dishes that were memorable were the BBQ shrimp (based on a traditional New Orleans recipe, but with a slight twist of ginger and cream in the BBQ sauce). The other memorable dish was a carpacio of kobe beef. Unfortunately pictures of the dishes did not turn out that well because of the lack of light. Rainforest Cafe - We happened to be roaming the Disney Marketplace when hunger attacked, so we decided to try the rainforest cafe, since there was little/no wait. We were seated in about 5 minutes and lead past plastic animals making loud noises, but were lucky to get a table in the Gorilla room, next to the fish tank. Again, we ordered some appetizers to get a sampling of various dishes. Perhaps it was the low expectations I had about the restaurant, but the appetizers were surprisingly good. Bomas - That evening, we went to Boma's, located in the Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resort has a great gift shop and a good interior design, though close inspection reveals the true origins of the artifacts (but by now we were getting used to the faux nature of everything Disney). Boma's is a buffet style restaurant, which serves 50-60 African dishes (along with a few staples for kids). It was early evening, and the restaurant started to get full quick (a common theme in Orlando), especially with families with young children. I had heard rave reviews of this place online, so I was a bit disappointed with the food, though it was not a total loss as there were a few dishes that sparkled. I ordered a Casablanca beer, from where else, but Morocco, which seems to accompany many of the meat based dishes. There was hummus, couscous, salads, chicken, salmon, lamb and beef. The dishes that I really enjoyed were the salmon in a curry-type sauce and a stewed lamb dish which was topped with a flaky pot-pie type crust. Cheers Percy P.S : A lot more to come.

Perhaps a Chester County Foodies outing to Pace One might be warranted?

Just a quick tip for Django (or most places were reservations are hard to get), your chances improve greatly if you are flexible in your dining time and are willing to take a 9:30pm or later reservation.

The "original" Chinese celebrity chef, Martin Yan will be featured as part of the Book & the Cook series (http://www.thebookandthecook.com/KitchenAid/schedule/) at Margaret Kuo's in Wayne, PA on Fri March 18, 2005. There are 2 seatings - 6pm and 8:30pm $55/person (website says it includes wine) Menu - Tempura Shrimp and Tofu Rolls Peking Duck w/Mandarin Pancake Creamy Walnut Jumbo Shrimp Rack of lamb w/minted orange sauce Seafood Fried jasmine rice Lychee Ice Cream w/Chinese dates pastry It says that guests will enjoy a cooking demo by Martin Yan during dinner. There will also be a book signing 1/2 hr before. Cheers Percy

The Book & The Cook has some interesting events. I am hoping that we can discuss upcoming events and select a few to attend.

Eden, The pic doesn’t look inedible to me Looks like you used white onions. What size were they? It may be important to remember, that in India, the size of the onions are normally half those of the "super-sized" onions you typically find in the US. The closest sized onions are the ones you would find in a 2-3 lbs yellow onion bag in the grocery store (each onions is the size of a small clenched fist).

Microsoft Picture It!! He He ← What material is that printed on?

Great blog Rochelle, but you clearly missed the most important picture opportunity ....just kidding