Jaymes

My daughter and her husband are going to be in Cork for a month, starting now. They're very interested in exploring the area, and would love tips for restaurants, food markets and other shopping venues, day trips, and affordable golf courses. Can anyone help a couple of displaced Texans?

Do you or anyone else know anything about Portsmouth? Other than the obvious, which is that it's just about as cute as it can be. We've driven over there each time I've visited Concord, and know we'll be going back. Are there any lunch places right in downtown Portsmouth that any one of you would recommend? We park and then stroll around and when noon comes along, we stand there looking at each other like, "anyone know where to go to grab a bite?" It'd be great if we did.

I won't make the "Mexican" mistake again. Stupid of me, really, wasn't it? When I spend so much time in Mexico and the border states.But you're sure about this BBQ thing, right? I mean....New England - BBQ? More of a connection than New England - Mexican? We're having a heat wave. A tropical heat wave. The temperature's rising, it's damn surprising -- to me anyway. Yep folks, it's hot way up here in New Hampshire. Even hotter than hell Texas. What's worse is that at least in Texas we're all smart enough to have air-conditioning. Up here, it seems, few folks do, so we're all roasting away like basted chickens on a Yankee spit. And today, to escape the heat, decided to spend the afternoon hangin' w' Capt'n Jack down at the local cinema. And what should I spy on my route back home but Arnie's Place. Remembering this recommendation (and also not wishing to get home before the sun set), I decided to stop in and give it a go. First - a word about "hot" in New England. Thus far, it's been my (admittedly limited) experience that when it comes to the food, "hot" ain't. "Hot" Mexican food isn't even lukewarm. "Hot" Thai bears no resemblance to even "medium" elsewhere. And the "hot" barbeque sauce at Arnie's has about the heat quotient of catsup. Okay, so maybe a little hotter than catsup, but not much. (Now this isn't meant as a criticism. Not at all. It's more for informational purposes. If you are reading this thread and you like your food spicy, you'd best be bringing along a bottle of some sort of U-Heat-M, because these folks just don't. But that doesn't mean the food isn't good. I've had some really terrific meals up here and I'm just getting started. It's more a warning to those of you that like it hot to come prepared.) Back to Arnie's. First off, the place is really cute. Pleasant atmosphere, red & white tile floors, small tables, eat in or outside. Ya gotta love it and I did. As far as the food goes, I stood there a long time carefully perusing the menu. They say they've got "BBQ" and, wisely, that doesn't mean brisket. Brisket is very difficult to do well and Arnie's doesn't even try. Smoking pork butt is much easier, and that's one of Arnie's several claims to fame. And that's what I had. Pulled pork sandwich with a side of potato salad, and an Arnie's private label root beer. I'm no expert on pulled pork, but I thought it was really tasty. Of the three sauce options (hot, sweet, smoky), I started out with the hot. I really dislike "syrup-style" BBQ sauce, so didn't even sample the sweet. The "hot" was not only not hot, it wasn't particularly flavorful, either. So I settled in with the smoky, and thought it was very good. The potato salad is clearly home-made, with large chunks of unpeeled new potatoes. Not a lot of flavor, but not bad at all. I added some salt and pepper and asked for some extra chopped onions, which I added to the salad. I also added onions to the sandwich. When I'm in the Carolinas, I like that vinegary cole slaw instead of the onions, but Arnie's cole slaw is sweet and creamy (they told me; I didn't try it) and although I like that kind fine, don't think it's so good as a topping for pork sandwiches. Arnie's also has pork ribs (which they announce as 'falling off the bone' and I can only hope that they're kidding and they haven't really overcooked the rib meat into mushy, textureless oblivion), chicken, and "Texas hot links." I asked, and they are indeed getting their hot links from Austin. Summing up: I like this place. My sandwich was very good, the atmosphere was retro-burger-joint pleasant, the service was brisk, efficient, and what passes up here for friendly. They say that they make their own ice cream, and folks around me were clearly enjoying it. I was too full, and didn't partake this time, but I'll definitely be back. A winner for my first full day back in New Hampshire. Thanks WHS.

Like this? See! THAT'S why you shouldn't stick around for the crowning of the queen. I have seen something on ftv about a spam festival, but I thought it was in Seattle. They mentioned Tom Robbins cooking up a can every year on his birthday. Does this mean there are 2??? Or, maybe...even more??? and Shiner Bock is a natural pairing. That I didn't know. And our own Foodie52 won the Spamarama Cookoff one year with her "delightful Spam Chaudfroid."

Like this?

Rodney -- sounds yummy, but... 4 cans of coconut what? Actual coconut? milk? cream of coconut? I only ask because I've never seen coconut in a can, but then again was never looking. I love the idea of a coconut frosting on the cake. ← Not Rodney, but yes, sweetened, shredded coconut does come in a can.

Sam Hayward - Fore Street Rob Evans - Hugos Melissa Kelly - Primo Josh Potocki - OneFiftyEight ... and others. ← I wonder if I could talk you into including in which Maine cities these restaurants are located. Thanks.

Batidas? Did you try any batidas?

Have you ever eaten raw okra? As you chew it it gets slimier and slimier, and the slime grows and grows till you have to stop chewing because the slime won't fit in your mouth any more. I guess not, because I'm pretty sure I would remember that experience.

January 2007 is a little far off, and I'm hesitant to recommend anything that far in advance. Places change, staff comes and goes, old favorites go downhill and sometimes even close, new places open. I'll try to remember to check back on this thread a little closer to your travel date.

After all this chat, I'm determined to try it. But this post makes me wonder if perhaps in your salad, uncooked, it's less slimy, and that it's the cooking of it that makes the juices run, and adds to the sliminess. Fresh okra and pickled okra, for example, seem to me to be much less slimy than it is when you boil up a pot of the stuff (like my mother used to do). I enjoy fried, and pickled, okra, but cannot get through even one bite of the boiled stuff without gaging.

Whew. I hated to think I might have to chuck all that Waterford.

And I must add that although I did initially enjoy reading the article because of the personal connection, I have to admit I knew (and really still know) nothing about purslane. In the piece, it says: Does anyone here know about this "burst of tangy, almost sour juice"? Do you cook with it frequently? I wonder if it's easily available in US locales that don't have gourmet farmers' markets, like San Francisco's. It doesn't sound like something that would ship well. Steve, is this something that you can ship? I'd love to try it, and don't recall seeing it around here. Although it could be available and I just didn't recognize it.

Our own Rancho Gordo, Steve Sando, gets a mention in the NYT! Pretty lofty company. And, it's not for his beans, driving home the point that Mr. Sando is a man of many agricultural talents. Also, he's got a Bean Book coming out, and has been researching the many possibilities of growing prickly pear cactus for commercial use -- eating, sure, but also medicinal. Congratulations, Steve. Well done! NYT article about purslane

I won't make the "Mexican" mistake again. Stupid of me, really, wasn't it? When I spend so much time in Mexico and the border states. But you're sure about this BBQ thing, right? I mean....New England - BBQ? More of a connection than New England - Mexican?

Yes, I'm sure she can get avocados. I used to live in SE Asia, and the avocados are wonderful and plentiful, so guacamole should be a given. Although I agree with you that chicken mole would be perfect in many ways, that is a LOT of work, and requires so many varied chiles that I'm not sure it's the place for a neophyte to start, especially for so large a dinner. I know a lot of pretty good cooks that won't tackle it. But obviously, that'd be up to her if she wanted to give it a go. One problem with flan might be that if they can't do the dairy/meat thing, having milk so soon after dinner would be a conflict. But if the eggs/dairy/meat thing is no problem, I think you're right that flan would be ideal.

Will you have help? If you can figure out a way to get (or make) vegetarian tortillas, 300 of them (for 3 enchiladas each) or even 200 is a lot to make. How about the meat/dairy thing? Also forbidden? I'm thinking for that many people completely unfamiliar with Mexican food, I'd probably suggest the basics: various salsas, rice, beans, and carne guisada (or green chile stew). It's traditionally done with pork, but you can do it with beef and I think it's just as good. Since you stew it, cheap cuts of beef work fine. Chicken enchiladas with red sauce was the first thing that came to mind, but for 100 people, that's a lot of work. Although if you fold the enchiladas rather than roll them, you could do it. But enchiladas do improve with the addition of a little cheese, and if you can't do the dairy/meat thing, the carne guisada would probably work better. Quite a project you've undertaken. I believe there is a Mexican embassy in KL, and although I've said it upthread, I'd still suggest you talk to them about sourcing ingredients and the overall feasibility. I really think they'll have some good suggestions. I suspect they do Mexican dinners for large crowds from time to time and they'll also be familiar with the dietary restrictions for Malaysia. And embassies can be invaluable as well when it comes to setting the mood for your dinner. I once gave a large Korean dinner while I was living in Panama. It was for a couple that were friends or ours (and my husband's work colleagues) that were moving to Korea, and there were about 60 people in attendance. I contacted the Korean embassy in Panama City and they were of enormous help to me. Not only did they help with the menu, ingredients, etc., they lent me decorations, music, small flags for the tables and that sort of thing. And they were excited and pleased to do it as good PR for their country. They helped me turn what I hoped would be merely a delicious and interesting farewell dinner into quite the special and memorable occasion. Folks were still talking about it years afterwards.

I've said it elsewhere, but want to reiterate.... As I see "my" recipe for Red Velvet Cake referenced around the site, want again to point out that I don't deserve much credit for it. I got it from a friend, an older neighbor lady, back in the early 70's. She swore me to secrecy, because she entered it in various state fairs and Red Velvet Cake bake-offs, many of which she won. I said, "Don't worry, I'll never tell anyone." And she laughed and said, "After I'm dead, you can tell!" So now I'm sharing it. Not only did she die a long while back, Red Velvet Cake is no longer the baking sensation sweeping the nation, and I haven't seen any Red Velvet Cake bake-offs in a very long time. But I don't want anyone to be under the illusion that I developed that particular recipe. I just had the good sense to realize how tasty it is. Not that hard to do.

I have a lot of Waterford full-lead crystal which I've had for years. We drink wine from the glasses at our formal dinner parties. I do rinse them out with vinegar just before using, though. And of course, we don't drink wine in those glasses every night, and my guests certainly don't. I no longer use the decanters, though. Sad, because they're just as gorgeous as you might imagine.

Hey chiliheadmike,That sounds really good! It does sound really good. And I printed it off and plan to have it at my next brunch. With scrambled eggs, fruits, etc. Thanks for the recipe, CH Mike.

After a little investigation, I see you are in Asia. And this sounds like it may be a school assignment. So you'll want to do something very basic, I'd guess. Salsas, rice, beans, chicken enchiladas, flan for dessert. I have a really good and simple squash recipe that you should be able to pull off there. I think your biggest problem is going to be the tortillas. How much time do you have before this project is due? If you are in either KL or Singapore, each has a Mexican embassy. I'd call them and ask what they are doing for tortillas. I'm positive that the Mexicans that staff those embassies are getting them somehow. Perhaps their relatives are sending masa. But at any rate, they'll have some ideas as to how to source ingredients, which substitutes work for Mexican cheeses and chiles, etc.

Yes, and what will $5 US buy wherever you are? How many are you cooking for? And do you want "typical" Mexican stuff to introduce to people that have never had any of it, or are you trying for unusual dishes to introduce people to something besides rice, beans and enchiladas?

nope, not an Australian thing at all. My preference is a pepperoni with root beer for breakfast. Sometimes mushrooms with that pepperoni. And I like cold, leftover tomatoey anything for breakfast - lasagna, spaghetti, whatever.

Um, I'll admit that I don't understand this comment. I always get In-N-Out burgers when I'm in California, which I am fairly often. And I agree with you that "a burger without pickles just doesn't get it." Unless I've gone daffy, every single In-N-Out burger I've ever had has pickles.

Or sweet potato pie, traditional dessert in the "sweet BBQ" joints of the south.