NancyH

From the Q&A section: Q: What can diners expect when coming to these restaurants to eat versus other restaurants? A: Diners can see the Top 100 Chinese Restaurant logo at the Restaurant window and know that they are in for a culinary treat. This award will be displayed with pride by the owners, who have a commitment to excellence in Chinese cuisine. For chain restaurants? You have to be kidding me! I see Bob Chinn's crabhouse made the list - we have just had a active discussion about how not authentic this place is on the Heartland forum.

Interesting topic, Melissa! I moved from the greater NY metropolitan area to Cleveland 9 years ago, and my eating habits have changed a bit. Now, part of that is a function of my husband, who is a Cleveland native, doing the dinner cooking during the weekend, but part of it is a function of where I be. For example, I never ate or cooked with sausages of any kind, but we do use them now (pork and poultry types); they are a staple in this part of the country. I eat fewer bagels since they are just not as good here; I crave the pizza I grew up on which is likewise not really available here. We eat more soups, stews and chili in the winter - partly because that is cuisine Bob is comfortable making, and partly because the snowier winters here seem to make those foods more comforting.

My husband is a bit of a klutz sometimes and cuts a finger while cooking. After bandaging snugly, he applies a latex finger cot, which contains any "bleed through" and is waterproof. They use those in his factory if someone cuts a finger; that's where we got the idea. You can get them at drugstores.

Cleveland is such an ethnic melting pot; I really don't know the proportions. There is a good size Japanese community, but it keeps to itself for the most part; the Chinese community is more prominent and we are starting to see an upswing in Korean and Vietnamese; from an Asian-Ethnic perspective, the most interesting restuarant in town is a Cambodian place that is outstanding. There are also many other different ethnic groups here, from Europe and the rest of the world.

Just back from Chicago - loved Mitsuwa and had a wonderful "Tampopo-esqe" noodle soup lunch before we wandered the aisles. We got a piece of fresh wasabi root and Bob will try to grow it. I might contact those folks about opening a store in the Cleveland area! We took some friends with us to Torishin for dinner and it was a wonderful adventure! The staff seemed to be as amused with us as we were impressed with the food - there is an English menu, but the sushi combination and sushi special listed there pulled no punches - they were authentic and delicious (I did not eat every bite, but that's ok too - I tasted at least a bite of each item and got to try some things I never had before). The dumping appetizers, noodle dish and sukiyaki that two of our party ordered were also outstanding. The clientele is mostly Japanese and the place is very small - they had to seat us in the take-out side of the place because there are only a few tables (my companions didn't want to sit at the sushi bar). The Weber Grill was good, but should have been better -- more skilled hands are needed at the kettle, I think (oh well, at least I won't spend the rest of my life wondering if I should try it). We ran out of dining opportunities before we could try Jockey's Wok & Roll or the Szechuan place - we'll try to hit those next year! So George - what's the word on Bob Chinn's that you didn't want to say until after Friday?

I just learned something interesting - it appears that Mitsuwa is a chain! Their website is kinda weird, too, no info other than locations and links to Mapquest. I still intend to check it out and perhaps grab some lunch there!

Actually, Truffle, it was the Japanese "noodle western" Tampopo that got me started on both my journey through Asian food and culture, and my love of cooking and cuisine in general. I confess that Japanese rates below other Asian cuisines in my order of favorites, but real sushi is not available in Cleveland. If this place is really good (and the bi-lingual menu indicates a "local" clientele), we will probably try it. Thanks for the info!

Ronnie - thanks for the heads up - no, this does not sound like our kind of place. We will almost certainly try Mitsua.

I just saw a reference to Bob Chinns on Chowhound - anyone know anything about it or where it is?

Jo-Mel - I meant what tempurature do you recommend for the intital cooking you were suggesting in this post, to cook 'em en masse without having to turn them. NJH

Make fried rice!

Robyn - in the food safety course I took, we were advised that crock pots are ok for holding hot food, but it is potentially unsafe to re-heat food in them because the food will be in the "danger zone" between 40 and 140 degrees for too long a time. At the gatherings I cater (where we usually offer 2-4 soups at each meal and serve them in crock pots), we heat the soups in a pot on a portable stove and pour them into warmed crock pots (put a little water in the bottom of the crock while heating it to ensure it doesn't crack, then dump the water before you pour the soup in). Best - NJH

Jo-Mel - what temperature oven do you recommend? Best - NJH

How many people are you serving? I belong to a group that frequently does meal service at our meetings (which range from 20-200 people per meeting, and are held throughout the US!) and I am a Hospitality Chair for some of the larger ones. Whenever we have a full weekend meeting, there is almost always one "make your own sandwich" meal; we are also extremely, shall I say, frugal. Here are some thoughts, though some may apply better to a group larger than yours: 1. Soup is inexpensive and goes well with sandwiches; you can serve it in a crock pot (but heat it elsewhere!) and people will eat less of the expensive cold cuts. 2. The most popular cold cuts tend to be the more expensive turkey and roast beef, less popular are ham, bologna, and salami. Sandwich pepperoni went over well at our recent gathering in Dayton, Ohio, but may tend towards the expensive side. 3. The most popular cheeses are cheddar and american, least popular is swiss. 4. You can offer variety and save some money with a big bowl of tuna salad, made from an industrial size can of tuna from SAMS, BJs, GFS, or a similar place (or chicken salad, using boiled chicken from making Chicken soup per #1, above). 5. If the size of the group will justify it, you can save money by getting meats and cheeses from Gordon's Food Service (gfs.com); their prices are outstanding for the quality, and they will slice whole items (full turkey breast (7-8#), full roast beef (8-9#), 1/2 ham, 10# cheese block) for free. Don't forget to supply a full range of condiments (ketchup, mustard, lite and regular mayo, hot sauce) and salt/pepper. Hope at least some of this is useful to you. Let us know how it goes!

And the only nominee from the Cleveland Area is Szechwan House in Beachwood? What about our fine collection of authentic Chinatown places (most of which have been around well over 3 years)? We have other suburban places that offer Chinese menu and fish tanks! Well, I'll give this list all the attention it deserves.

One last safety note about "disposable" chafers, etc. - in the food safety class I took, we were taught to never re-use aluminum pans that food was cooked/served in. The reason is that with all of the nooks and crannies, it is impossible to properly clean and sterilize those pans for subsequent food service. What you do for your own household, however, may not be as rigorous as what you do when feeding others. Still, I thought I should mention it. In our community, aluminum is recylable and that is where the pans go when we are done with them.

Sorry - I didn't realize you said you cooked it uncovered! It definitely has to be covered during the "low and slow" part of cooking to stay moist and tender.

I think that extra bit of heat - to 325F - is what makes it simmer sufficiently to make the meat melt in your mouth without boiling it to toughness or letting it remain undercooked. But I could be wrong. How was the flavor? How did the texture of the glaze work out? I've always wanted to make my own corned beef!

I always braise my brisket at about 325 degrees for as long as it takes to get tender. I braise in a tomato-based sauce, I suppose you could use the same liquid you would have boiled it in - it will boil in the oven. I have never tried to "glaze" a brisket, I just cook it until it is falling apart (which may be too much for corned beef). Let us know how it works for you!

I will add my voices to those telling you don't buy cheap. My first fp was a $30 model from Macys, and though it did things "OK", none of the blades ever did a uniform or complete job. I also had a couple of $10 Toastmaster choppers for smalll chopping jobs. As it happened, they all died at the same time. Hubby and I decided to spring for Cuisinart for both a FP and a small dedicated chopper, and they were both well worth the $$. In large one, in particular, is invaluable for making 2 Jewish culinary delights - potato latkes (Pancakes) and potato kugel (pudding). The secret to each is to grate potato and onions on the smallest holes of a box grater. Enter the Cuisinart cheese grating blade (so fine, it doesn't have holes!). Yum! Be forewarned - the extra blades are very expensive, but if you cook a lot, can be worth it. But don't buy the fancy plastic "blade holder" they offer - a $3 Rubbermaid cylinder will hold up to 8 blades perfectly! NJH

I adore fresh sushi and there is none here (in Cleveland, when dealing with fresh fish products, the universal defense is "but that's how it's supposed to smell"). I don't think so. Where is Mitsua in relation to where we are staying? We will be staying at the Sheraton Arlington Hts (by the racetrack). Just looked at the on-line article - it looks great. Thanks all! Keep those suggestions coming!

Robyn - the trick with maxing out chafing dish life, as Marlene says, is to use maximum water in the lower pan to start with. The mistake a lot of people make is to start with only a little water, and yes, it will steam out. The trick is to get as much hot) water in the bottom tray as will fit without making the upper pans float. This may take a little practice, but not much - and you can always add or scoop out if you get it wrong - just try it with an empty upper pan the first few times until you get the hang of it.

Danielle - I know how you feel. I've been cooking since the weekend (because I need to); I had expected 3 guests tonight and 4 tomorrow. Well, at 10:30 last night, one person called to say she and her husband wouldn't be coming (and not for a very good reason), so tonight its just me and my husband (who isn't Jewish) and one guest. I know quality is more important than quantity, but I just wanted to say I read your post and know how you feel - my family is also far away and at times like this I miss them, too. L'Shana Tovah to you!

This is not actually a cookbook, but in looking through my shelf this weekend, I was reminded of a fabulous book Jo-Mel gave to me that is now out of print: The Scrutable Feast by Dorothy Farris Lapidus. This book, from 1977, provides information, translations and transliterations to permit the non-Chinese speaker to order authentic meals in Chinese restaurants. No photographs, but a lot of interesting information. I have stolen the back cover art for my avatar and the phrase from the back cover for my signature. Love this book; wish I could find it to give to others.

Keep in mind the logistics. Anything that uses electricity needs to be plugged in (and the cords are usually short); if you're serving buffet style, cords can really get in the way. Also, too many electric appliances can pop your circuit breakers. In addition to the suggestions above (love the cooler one), I am a big fan of chafing dishes. They really keep hot food hot with no electricity issues. You can get them in stainless steel for as little as $35-45 at SAMs club or similar places, or for a one time event, use the disposable kind they sell in party stores for about $10. Even though they are aluminum and seem flimsy, they actually work surprisingly well. Just make sure you start with very hot water in the chafer bottom.