NancyH

Bob and I attended the "Taking it to the Street for Annie" benefit Monday. Since the food wasn't Asian, I'll start a new thread for the photos and report. The good news is that Annie is recovering from quadruple bypass with relatives. We wish her the best.

nsxtasy - you get a huge "thank you" for this post! You are NOT required to open or use a Paypal account to make your payment on EventBrite.com for the Heartland Gathering activities (although you're welcome to do so if you want). When you order your tickets, you click on "Order Now" and then you fill in your personal information. You then click on the Paypal logo or the credit card logos at the bottom of the page. Either way, they take you to the Paypal website. The right part of the screen says "Log in to Paypal" and the left part of the screen says: Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account (where available). Continue If you click on Continue, it allows you to enter your credit card number and additional information. By doing so, you can charge it to your credit card or bank account, without having to open or use a Paypal account. (Note - this also asks for your e-mail address, and if you already have a Paypal account under that address, it will ask you again whether you would rather charge it to your Paypal account - but you can still say no and charge it to your credit card.) I have nothing against Paypal, and you're welcome to use it if you like. I find it very useful for certain things, such as paying for purchases on eBay; however, I prefer some points/miles/cash programs with credit cards. In any case, you have the ability to pay for the Heartland Gathering either way. ←

Any suggestions for stop-worthy food on the path from Cleveland to Roanoke (which runs through W. Va and Va)?

Benefit for Annie Chiu Annie Chiu, Chef and Proprietor of Sun Luck Garden, which is discussed on this thread, has just had emergency heart surgery. I just received this notice about a benefit to help her and her restaurant (which is temporarily closed) get through this difficult time. "Takin' it to the Streets for Annie Chiuwww.friendsofannie.com Cleveland's best chefs are hosting a fund raising party featuring street food inspired small plates to support one of their own. Annie Chiu, chef/owner of Sun Luck Garden, one of Cleveland's most celebrated restaurants, just underwent emergency open-heart surgery and her restaurant will be closed during her recovery. "Takin' it to the Streets for Annie Chiu" will be held at Sergio's Saravá at Shaker Square on Monday, July 28, 2008, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. A $50 donation gets you a ticket. Come sample the chefs' creations plus a selection of fine wines. A cash bar will be available, as well as fabulous silent auction items and live music provided by the Joe Hunter Trio. All proceeds go to the Friends of Annie Fund. All contributions are being accepted online at friendsofannie.com. Each $50 contribution gives you one ticket for the July 28 party at Sergio's Saravá. All online contributors (in any amount) will be entered in drawings to win one of 12 restaurant gift cards, generously provided by the participating chefs Please join us to support this great cause! For further information, contact the event organizer, Sergio Abramof at 216-295-1200 or visitwww.friendsofannie.com Participating chefs include: Karen Small, Flying Fig Doug Katz, FIRE Paul Minillo, Baricelli Inn Heather Haviland, Lucky’s Jonathan Bennett, Moxie/RED Sergio Abramof, Sarava Ryan Alabaugh, Sergio’s @ University Circle Eric Williams, Momocho Ruth and Marc Levine, Bistro 185 Matt Halan, Lolita Rocco, Farenheit" I'm planning to be there - Annie is a Cleveland treasure!

Edsel - you are so good to me! I've been a little lazy about posting this stuff to EG, because it is a separate set of uploads - but what a fabulous dinner we had! Yes, I was the birthday girl. Lola's Chef's Table perches you right next to the open kitchen. Even when Michael Symon is not in the house (he was in Colorado shooting Dinner Impossible last night), his team brilliantly executes his vision. My take take on the Pork Experiment: My plate loaded with Charcuterie: Even though pickles (or anything made from cucumber) are usually on my "disgusto" list - these little guys were awesome! The marrow was simply amazing: My "sandwich": Alaskan Salmon Entree Fooled you - I didn't go to a Michael Symon restaurant on my birthday to eat fish - the man has a pig tattoed on his body, after all! Lamb Loin Chops, Merguez, Cous Cous, Fava Beans This entree was perfection on a plate. Two simply prepared loins of Colorado lamb, accompanied by a tender, house made lamb (with a bit of pork fat) sausage patty (merguez), toothsome Israeli Cous Cous, fresh fava beans and a gentle jus that did nothing to upstage the marvelous flavors. Made fresh for the birthday girl! 1/3 of dessert - Bleu Cheese with Sliced Mango, Fresh Caramel, and Fresh Berries - simply amazing - Cory Barrett is a genius! There are more photos and info on my blog.. prasantrin - we'll host you in Cleveland any time!

LAZ - I anticipate someone from our triumverate will go ethnic - not to worry, we'll have cars!

Tom - Please add Bob as a maybe to the bread making workshop. An update to the list ... Heartland Gathering Bread Workshop Friday, August 8th So far, I have: edsel karen m Amy Viny CaliPoutine (*) Jean Blanchard santo_grace torakris (*) LuckyGirl (*) +2 (*) prasantrin's +1 (*) = probable ←

My husband has had gout. The most important thing is to stay hydrated - dehydration (which is why alcohol is a culprit) is your worst enemy.

I have eaten there once. Many of the locals seem to love it, but I don't know why. As the name implies, the specialty of the house is steamed seafood. The problem is that the menu is Sysco-derived - especially the seafood. At least in the winter, when I went, everything was frozen and nothing was local. The place is loud and kitschy, but again, if you like that, you'll like this place. Huge portions of food are served on big plastic trays - but again, the sides were nothing special (frozen corn on the cob in Florida?). Prices are modest, which may be why it is such a strong local draw. And the one time I went, my food wasn't even served hot; they get so busy (they don't take reservations) that service can suffer (and this was off season and during the week). If you want great seafood, get the stew at Stinky's Fish Camp or the seafood pasta at Locanda. You'll pay about the same (or less) and enjoy it more.

The reason I got so excited about the initial post on this topic was because I've made this recipe before - and even though it seems like it won't work from reading the ingredient list - there is something about the power of cheese that makes everything yummy, and the Lime Cream also takes the dish to yummy heights. And, consistent with what the original poster asked for - it is more West than East. CHEESE!!!! Er.... I'm not so sure about this one. This asian usually draws the line at cheese and asian food together. I do like monterey jack though, so hrm. ←

This recipe comes from link to book"Asian Appetizers" by Joyce Jue (Harlow & Ratner 1991): East West Cheese & Shrimp Gyozas - the filling is a mixture of shrimp, Chinese sausage, seasonings, and Monterey Jack cheese. It is served with a Lime Cream Sauce made from Chicken Stock, whipping cream, lime juice and seasonings. I've made this recipe and it is delicious! If this appeals to you, please PM me and I'll send you the recipe - I don't want to violate the guidelines by posting it verbatim here. Or see it online here.

I have a fantastic recipe for you - I'll post it later after I get home from work.

Well - since I've sort of volunteered them, let me check with them. But I'm inclined to say yes! Are you guys up for cooking for 90, then? ←

Since I don't have any assigned duties this year, and since my duties last year kept me from cooking - I wanna cook! Our team of me, Bob and Edsel had great fun in 2006 (Ann Arbor) - probably a meat course, but we were one of those you mentioned who kept an open mind and based our meal (beef braised with chili and cherries) on the ingredients we found at the market.

I think I am in agreement with Tammy. I think family style is preferable to a buffet for the reasons she expressed. OK, I get it. I like the mini-buffet idea, too, which I guess is pretty close to Number 3. But I can't decide about amounts. For some things, like salads, I think servings for 30-40 would be OK, but if someone has pulled pork or spareribs or some homemade sausages or some homemade potato chips, then servings for 90 would be more appropriate, since I could probably eat enough for 5. Just kidding, I really can't eat that much. I think cooking for 40-ish is more reasonable in terms of time and volume. I'm thinking there will be a lot of leftovers if everyone is cooking for 90. But perhaps if people desire, they can make more of certain dishes they think will be more popular (like said homemade potato chips and sausages...). ← If we were trying to cook the same thing for everyone (ie. portions for 90), then we'd limit the number of head cooks and courses so we didn't have the ton of leftovers problem. i'm a strong proponent of family style over buffet (except for dessert, we've always done a buffet for dessert and it's been fine) because if you aren't doing individually plated family style helps with portioning. It's easy to see how a platter of food divides evenly between 8 or 10 people at a table, compared with trying to figure out what 1/90th of a portion is from a big hotel pan. So people at the back of the buffet line don't miss out. ←

I've been visiting Destin with my husband every year for the past 4 or 5 years. I would also recommend that you read this board: Sowal.com and perhaps post there re fresh fish at retail and fishing. As far as restaurants go - my favorite is Cafe Tango, followed closely by D&K Cafe and Stinky's Fish Camp. But there are so many - if you peruse the info the above links take you to, you'll learn about the local pre-fab eats, though not as much about do-it-yourself. Enjoy your trip and report back!

Have people from out of town decided where they are staying yet? I have a reservation at the Evanston Best Western, but I'm considering moving - I don't know the geography really well (what is the loop?).

Great photos, Edsel! And a great meal. Best turnip cake I've ever tasted - crispy on the outside, and pudding-like on the inside. Delicious dumplings. I loved the Black Pepper Sauce the best. I've got some additional photos on my blog. Wonton Gourmet is a Cleveland treasure!

Love that Pecan Soup - I'm going to steal that one for my next cooking project!

Though I did manage to blog our lunch at Wonton Gourmet, I didn't have time to post on EG before running to NY. Report and photos here. It was a fabulous meal. The house-made rice cakes with two types of pork (house made lap cheong and smoked belly) was amazing, and the potstickers worthy of praise.

Ronnie - Please add NancyH +1 for dinner Friday evening!

I admit to being a little underwhelmed by my only visit to Frontera, but those photos (and your descriptions) have me hungry to try it again! Doc - beautiful photos.

Does it matter what type of fish sauce you use? Thai, Vietnamese, etc.?

This was a recipe from Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking. The salmon was marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, hoisen sauce, Chinese rice wine, chopped carrot, garlic & onion, sugar, black bean chili paste, and cilantro. I used dried cilantro because I didn't have any fresh. I think that was everything. Oh, and I added 2/3 of a Bahamian Gold Pepper, thinly sliced and finely chopped.

I have long bemoaned the lack of truly fresh fish available at retail in Northeast Ohio. Yes, you can get exquisite sushi, scallops and other water-dwellers at many of our better restaurants in the Cleveland Area. But to me, cooking is an essential part of playing with food. And I long to try the many recipes I have for fresh crab, shrimp, scallops and finfish. I have rarely been happy with any fish I've purchased at retail in the almost 13 years I have lived here (with the exception of the fabulous gefilte fish mixture procured by Mister Brisket around the Jewish holidays). So - I made my second journey to the newest local fish store: BayLobsters Fish Market, located at 9408 Ravenna Rd. (Rt. 82), Twinsburg, OH 44087. This is a family business owned by John & Cindy Dziorney, who also work in the store. Their daughter, whose name I did not get, really knows her fish (she was expertly shelling a cooked lobster for a customer when I came in), and was running the retail counter both times I visited. The first time I visited, about 2 weeks ago, I got the most extraordinary piece of fresh halibut, which I did not get a photo of. Last Saturday, however, I felt like such a kid in a candy shop that I had to capture some swimming moments! First dilemma - how to choose? Live soft shell crabs, live crawfish or whole fish (pompano, I think)? I decided to try the soft shells, which I've enjoyed eating, but never cooked. Next - which fin fish? The salmon had just arrived, and it was pristine - I didn't open it until Sunday, and there wasn't a hint of fishy or even strong salmon smell. I asked for a pound. Since it was a little short, I decided to supplement it with some Mahi steak. But the Blue Marlin steaks just looked so good - I realized that the salmon would keep until Sunday, and the Marlin went on the menu for Saturday. Live Soft Shell Crab - unheard of in Cleveland! He was delicious fried in a beer batter and served with Asian Dipping Sauce! Sashimi Grade Blue Marlin Steak Fabulous with a dust of salt and pepper and a light sear in cast iron. And finally - salmon that was so fresh it was practically swimming! I urge anyone who lives in Cleveland and loves fresh fish to give this store a try.