LindaK

Hi Shrinkrap, welcome to eGullet. Can you describe a "trini" codfish cake? The cornmeal addition is interesting.

Hi David, Welcome. Sounds like you're in the right place if you like sharing tips and haggling over details. Please share cooking and shopping from Stockholm!

rotuts, my regular TJ at Coolidge Corner in Brookline sells liquor in addition to beer and wine. I don't buy hard liquor often enough to be knowlegeable, and some of it seems to be house brands. They appear to have a little bit of everything. I've bought some cognac for cooking (and occasional nip) and was pleased with the quality for the price. Not sure it's worth a special trip, but if you're already there....

So I finally made the trip to Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River. The record snowfall kept me away during the winter and busy schedules interfered until recently. My friends in nearby Westport welcomed me with lots of wonderful things from their favorite Lebanese bakery, so we didn't make the trip to Chave's. Next time I'll go on my own when I'm in that area. The salt cod at Portugalia was definitely worth the trip. An incredibly huge selection, with very nice and knowledgeable staff. I posted a full report of Portugalia here but here's what I said about the salt cod: The salt cod is kept In a room all to itself, controlled for temperature and humidity. And probably to prevent the entire store from smelling like salt cod. There’s a huge selection from Portugal, Canada, and Norway. Grouped according to quality grade. Prices were very fair, the most expensive I saw was $9.99 lb. Most are whole fish with the skin still on, but there are also large skinless fillets, also of different quality grades. The biggest I’ve ever seen. I watched an elderly lady expertly flip though bins and walk away with three enormous fillets. How many people was she cooking for?? There are boxes of gloves everywhere so that you can sort through the fish and pick your own. The staff were friendly and happy to offer advice, suggestions, and explain the differences between different grades. They’ll also cut the fish up for you, which is good because that skin is really tough. One nice find: salt cod “bits” for sale, skinless trimmings from cutting fillets and the salt cod they use for their prepared dishes Good quality, some thick pieces, some less desirable thin tail pieces that yield less fish. I bought a pound and was pleased with what I got for $3.99 lb. A good deal for things like codfish cakes or fritters. The nice thing about the "bits" is that they didn't take long to soak before they were ready to use. In fact, you need to be careful not to oversoak. My lb was ready to use in about 5 hrs. It made me wonder why I didn't always cut the big fillets into smaller pieces when I know I'll be flaking them...obvious, maybe, but I hadn't thought of it. I walked away with a lot of salt cod. When I told staff that I usually kept a stash in the freezer, they recommended freezing it before soaking. I told them I'd been happy with soaking it first, but they insisted that it wasn't best for the fish. So that's what I did. Double or triple bag it to keep odors at bay.

I saved the best for last: A huge selection of frozen fish, including octopus of various sizes and crustaceans of all sorts And finally, the bacalau. In a room all to itself, controlled for temperature and humidity. And probably to prevent the entire store from smelling like salt cod. Most are whole fish with the skin still on, but there are also large skinless fillets, also of different quality grades. I watched an elderly lady expertly flip though bins and walk away with three enormous fillets. How many people was she cooking for?? There are boxes of gloves everywhere so that you can sort through the fish and pick your own. The staff were friendly and happy to offer advice, suggestions, and explain the differences between different grades. They’ll also cut the fish up for you, which is good because that skin is really tough. One nice find: salt cod “bits” for sale, skinless trimmings from cutting fillets and the salt cod they use for their prepared dishes Good quality, some thick pieces, some less desirable thin tail pieces that yield less fish. I bought a pound and was pleased with what I got for $3.99 lb. A good deal for things like codfish cakes or fritters. There’s a lot more that I didn’t capture in photos that’s worth a visit, especially frozen meats, poultry such as rabbit and quail, and bins of beans and nuts. There’s a decent selection of produce in case you want to pick up some fresh vegetables too. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.

And still more... A huge selection of Portuguese wines, including wall dedicated to port. A good number of white ports, which I like but are hard to find. Not here. There were some wine tastings in progress. I walked away with a few of these Among the kitchenwares for sale were lots of decorative pottery and black clay pots

More from Portugalia: A wall of cheese Lots of olives and pickled vegetables A huge selection of locally made chorizos, including morcela and mouro (blood sausage) and linguica A selection of prepared foods, many Portuguese, others not

Last weekend I finally had the chance to visit Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River, MA. It’s a market that specializes in food, wine, and kitchenware from Portugal. It’s been on my radar screen since I read about it in the Boston Globe last year: Portuguese specialties fill a former mill in Fall River It’s definitely worth the visit if you’re in that part of the world. I went especially for the bacalao (salt cod), but there are lots of other tempting and unusual things here. You won’t leave empty handed. The store itself is bigger than it looks from the outside. It’s located in an unassuming strip mall amidst the many old mill buildings in Fall River. Once inside, though, it’s bright and spacious, with a little café, bakery, and prepared foods in addition to the aisles and freezers full of good things. With apologies for the lousy photography, here are some highlights: A huge variety of sardines, lots of olive oils and vinegars Lots of baked goods from the many excellent Portuguese bakeries in Fall River. Portugalia’s own bakery focuses primarily on breads. It was hard to get a picture because there were constant lines of customers waiting for the fresh bread, and much of it got snapped up very quickly. This is only a small example of their selection:

Last year, Massachusetts adopted a similar law that bans the disposal of commercial organic wastes by businesses and institutions that dispose of one ton or more of these materials per week. That includes not only supermarkets but organizations with large catering operations, like universities and hospitals. It has to be reused or composted, it's not allowed in landfills. By chance, the Boston Globe had an article this morning about one interesting result of this policy: a non-profit grocery store that is opening in a low-income neighborhood that has poor access to grocery stores. The founder is the former president of Trader Joe's. Nonprofit grocery store set to open in Dorchester edited to correct typo

They look like caillettes, a pork and liver sausage with greens that's traditionally made with chard and wrapped in caul fat. I learned of them from David Lebovitz's book "My Paris Kitchen" and had mixed success making them--posted here and here. They;re easy and very good when made well. In the absence of caul fat, David uses bacon, but I've mostly stopped bothering. I've since tweaked the recipe to my liking based on one in Julia Child's MTAFC2 and it's easy to find recipes online if you're interested. Thanks for taking us along, Kerry.

Lucky you! If you don't already have it, you might want to download David Lebovitz's Paris pastry app, which covers a lot more than just pastry--there's an entire category of chocolate shops. It doesn't try to be completely comprehensive, it's a catalog of David's favorite places. Searchable by arrondissement, so you can find good places easily wherever you are, A lot of fun. https://itunes.apple.com/app/paris-pastry-guide/id902435227?mt=8 edited to add link.

If dairy is okay then: - panna cotta. uses gelatin, not egg. a chocolate version is nice, or the standard vanilla with chocolate or fruit sauce. - philadelphia style ice cream doesn't use eggs, and can be flavored all sorts of ways. Use for ice cream sundaes with toppings or a banana split. Or make an ice cream cake--use a vegan cake, slice into layers and spread with softened ice cream. if you make a vegan pastry dough then tarts or strudel type pastries offer all sorts of possibilities.

Very interesting citrus sweets, everyone. CatPoet, your recipes sound wonderful, I'm sorry you can't eat them anymore. What is clementine chicken? I like citrus in savory salads. This classic was my lunch today. Avocado and grapefruit. On simple greens with a sherry vinaigrette, lots of minced shallots. If you ever find yourself with some extra cooked lump crab meat, toss it with a bit of the grapefruit juice, and heap it in the middle before drizzling with the vinaigrette. No such luxury for me today. just some good onion focaccia.

Yes, the variety of tomatillos matters, some stay very small. My rule of thumb is to let them grow to fill their husk, ideally letting the husk split a bit. Sometimes the husk will start turning tan, which is fine, but I don't wait for that when they're on the vine and getting big. The plants are hardy and in the northeast US grow well into the fall. When the weather starts getting cold, I pick them regardless of size, rather than lose them to frost. For the green varieties, once they turn yellow they're overripe, and their flavor is more sweet than tart. As long as they're still firm, I'll use them, but always mixing them with green tomatillos. I've found that tomatillos picked when green keep a long time on the counter. Once picked, the husk will dry out and turn tan, but that doesn't affect the flavor of the fruit if they're still firm and unblemished.

Bumping this topic up. I went a bit overboard in December, buying a lot of nut oil from Trader Joe's that was offered at an excellent price. Walnut, hazelnut, pistachio. I love janeer's idea of using it in chiffon cake. It reminded me that Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for chocolate chiffon cake (the Cake Bible) suggests using walnut oil. I've made it without, and it's a great recipe, so if I can accumulate some egg whites I'll try it again with. Also, re: Genkinaonna's mention of Dorie Greenspan's recommendation of pistachio oil w/ avocado--I did give that a try, and it was a good combination. I'm browsing my cookbooks. Any new ideas here?

What would we do without citrus? If I don't have lemons around, that's when I know my pantry is truly empty. David, are you looking for how we use the whole fruit or is just the juice ok? Like many, I rely on citrus juice as an ingredient all the time, but rarely feature the fruit itself. I'll be interested in how others do that, besides eating it straight from the skin (as I sit here peeling a clementine). As for the part about losing weight, that depends. The delicious tart I made last week with meyer lemons--between the pate sucre and the creme fraiche and 5 eggs in the filling--had nothing to do with dieting. Nor does the Baba au Rhum you describe--it sounds amazing, one of my favorite desserts, but the calories in the boozy sugar syrup that douses the babas can't be small. I'm one of those people who would rather have lemon than chocolate in my desserts, so I don't begrudge those calories at all.

Fresh pasta isn’t difficult, but can take practice. I learned the basics from Marcella Hazan and still find her recipes and detailed descriptions to be among the best. Lots of good information on both technique and ingredients that served me well when trying different recipes over the years. Pappardelle is the cut, not a pasta dough, so learn to make fresh pasta and you always have lots of options. I can’t stress enough the importance of using the right flour. Imported 00 flour is standard but I also like durum flour, which gives you a firmer pasta (which is why it’s used for commercial extruded pasta). It also has a sharper flavor than the 00. I use it (all or in part) when I’m making a pasta that will be baked, like lasagna, that I want to be sure holds up. Forget all-purpose flour, which gives you neither flavor nor the right texture, and is a horror to work with too. As for the flour/egg ratio, I’d echo Franci's advice. Piedmontese tajarin, with the high egg yolk content, is fantastic. I have one cookbook of that region, Piedmont by Matt Kramer, that has an entire section devoted to it. It's out of print, but if you can find it it’s worth reading for the tradition as well as the recipes. Sometimes I'll increase the egg yolks by a few--nowhere near the number for tajarin--and it does add great flavor. There are a couple of older topics that would be worth reading for basic pasta making techniques: eCGI—Stuffed Pastas http://forums.egullet.org/topic/39666-stuffed-pastas/ Fresh Pasta Topic http://forums.egullet.org/topic/39614-the-fresh-pasta-topic/

I've found cilantro very easy to grow outdoors from seed. It likes cool weather and will bolt at the first heatwave. I let the spring planting grow to full flower. Not only can you harvest the coriander seeds but pollinators love the flowers, and that's a good thing for them as well as many of my vegetable plants than aren't self-pollinating. You can plant again in late summer and it will flourish well into fall, Amazingly, my cilantro is doing fine, along with kale the only thing still growing in my little community garden plot. We've had some freezing night temps too, but I harvested a bunch just a few days ago.

I'm enjoying your menu planning. My typical American mongrel heritage includes a Swedish great-grandmother, grandmother, and assorted relations, so Sweden has always been represented on our family holiday table. Christmas Eve is the main event, and would not be the same without meatballs (flavored much like yours) and herring. Sometimes there's a stuffed cabbage dish that we consider Swedish, though I know nearly every food culture has its own variation. It's cooked in a brown mushroom gravy and always served with lingonberry preserves. When my paternal grandparents were still with us, there was always an argument about whether their Polish version, cooked in a light tomato sauce, was better (and never mind what the Greek relatives thought...). The star of Christmas morning is my mother's Swedish coffee bread, which is a braided loaf, the dough scented with cardamom and filled with apples. I really need to learn how to make it, it isn't fancy but it wouldn't be Christmas without it. Another Swedish item that often pops up during the Christmas season is what we call "visitor cake" which is a light almond cake baked in a half-round loaf pan. I got one as a gift a few years ago and have made it a few times, simple but good. Finally, a lot of Swedish tableware makes an annual appearance during Christmas, especially festive linen table runners decorated with horses, birds, and flowers, Candles are big too. Every year I pull out my little wooden tree fitted to hold slim candles and it takes pride of place on my sideboard.

Lamb meatballs. With thick Greek yogurt/fresh mint on the side for dipping.

Can the sommelier please explain which sakes are suitable for serving warm, and if there's a trusted method for heating them, and what temp is proper? Maybe it's just a matter of personal taste, but it's never been clear to me why some are served warm, others chilled. Thanks!

During yesterday's trip to my local TJs, I found this trio of nut oils for $14.99. Each tin is 250 ml, which is larger than the the 150 ml tin of walnut oil in my cupboard that cost me $9.99 in a specialty store. They're from California, not imported, but I sampled the pistachio oil on an avocado salad and it was delicious. A bargain, if they're all this good.

Another vote for Jaymes' popcorn. Addictive. I've come to like savory versions of classic sweets--not only tasty but there's an element of surprise that's fun. Savory sables are sweet-savory cookies. Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table introduced me to olive sables, but variations are endless. A few logs of this slice and bake dough in your fridge or freezer will let you serve a warm, fresh batch at last minute notice. I've also started playing with savory madeleines. David Lebovitz's My Paris Kitchen has a recipe for buckwheat madeleines, and instead of adding chocolate (not that there's anything wrong with it...) I've tried chopped nuts and spices with success. They freeze well and defrost quickly. During the holidays I like to have spreads like tapenade or rillettes in the fridge. They keep well, so make a big batch (for rillettes, pack in small individual bowls or terrines) and pull out as needed.

+1 gateau basque, one of my favorite sweets Clafoutis is also a delicious, simple dessert and the version with cherries is a classic.