ronnie_suburban
-
Posts
5,980 -
Joined
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by ronnie_suburban
-
-
I'm totally addicted to this preparation and have tweaked it in numerous ways. I consider my stumbling onto this recipe to be one of the best food 'discoveries' I made in 2003...I even had a cauliflower as my avatar for a while--that's how good this is!
=R=
-
Great self-pic Torakris...with that fixture behind you, for a moment I thought you were wearing a crown
Thanks for the great blog.
=R=
-
I apologize for straying off topic with this but heat and metal reaction seem to be an issue. I do remove the flaking. It's the one garnish I don't need. These cooker's paint jobs seem to be close to that of automobiles (prior to body damage). The parts are primed and either dipped or sprayed, then sent to a dryer to bake on the finish. Since the metal is so thin it does expand and contract over high heat. It looks to me that the paint can't withstand the heat. Think about it for a moment. Would happen if you had that paint on the bottom of saute pan (with that kind of thickness). There was a time when someone mentioned a BBQ pit it was something that looked like a stone throne in someone's back yard. Ah progress.
the weber, at the very least, has no paint on the inside of the lid. the flaking is harmless carbon.
Good to know it's not paint but still annoying to have it falling on the food. It's not a major obstacle by any means, but a constant one.
=R=
-
One result I’ve noticed w/ high heat grilling with hardwood is that over time it will create scaling and flaking on the inside of Weber’s dome lid. Has anyone else had the same results?
Yes, and you have to be pro-active about removing it or the flakes end up in the food.
=R=
-
Is it over already?
Again, thanks Jack for a most memorable, informative and entertaining blog.
It has been an absolute pleasure.
=R=
-
Also, did you leave it to rise overnight? or was it a shorter time?
This dough moves very slowly, being so rich, so I proved it overnight, until it triples. Its important to let the first dough fully develop, The second has proved all day, and I guess I will retard it overnight.
What do "prove" and "retard" mean in regard to dough?
Terrific blog, wonderful pictures!
Correct me if I'm wrong but proofing is essentially rising the dough (often after the loaf to be baked has already been formed) and retarding is a way to slow that rising process (often using mild refrigeration) to improve the flavor and the chew of the finished product.
=R=
ETA...Whoops, crossed posts. I was almost right
-
Maggiano's won Citysearch's poll for #1 best "Italian" food in Chicago.
Not to malign Chicago tastes, but this is about what you can expect - a midwestern interpretation of Italian-American food.
*Groan*
Since there are absolutely no people of Italian-descent living anywhere near Chicago (among our ~3M), this must be true. And of course, Citysearch's reputation as a source of valuable information is unquestionable...not to malign them or anything
=R=
-
Jeremiah Tower's California Dish: What I Saw (and Cooked) at the American Culinary Revolution.
=R=
-
*Wild Applause*
Fan-frigging-tastic Jack!
Again, best holiday wishes to you and yours
(...and please be sure to give Marge a rub on the belly from us)
=R=
-
What beautiful loaves you turned out! Simply glorious--and those cheeses look mighty fine as well
=R=
-
Thanks Jack for the fantastic blog. I've learned so much and your pictures are stunning.
Happy Holidays to you and your family
=R=
-
Ok folks...move along, there's nothing to see here.
OTOH, here's something worth reading...jackal10's foodblog
=R=
-
I enjoyed every virtual bite and every last calorie and certainly hope that you do a blog of your quad bypass
Well if it happens, feel free to tell anyone who asks after me that I took one for the team
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
=R=
-
I remember going to Fowler's many years ago--while visiting a friend in the area--and being delighted by it. I'm sorry to learn that it's not all of what it used to be. What happened to the former ownership? Does anyone have time to recap the history of the place? It sounds like it may have been shuttered for a while before this re-opening, no?
=R=
-
Ok guys...the end is very near...
*applause*
Tiffin turned out to be not as good as it usually is. Some of the dishes tasted completely different than they normally do. Was it an off day? Was it a new chef? I cannot say for sure but, in either case, it certainly wasn't bad, just different and as such, it did not quite scratch the itch like it usually does.
As promised, here are a few pics of Tiffin and the neighborhood...
Street scene on Devon Avenue.
A couple of folks I happen to know.
The dining room at Tiffin. Love that blue sky.
The bar at Tiffin.
Still, even considering our slight disappointment with the food, there were no worries. We had a few friends over to the office and had a gigantic Indian feast which included the following items:
chicken makhani
chicken tika masala
tandoori chicken
lamb pasanda
lamb vindaloo
gohbi
dal makhani
naan
samosas
peas pulao
raita
coriander chutney
tamarind chutney
Needless to say, even now, 5 1/2 hours after the fact, I'm still not hungry in the least. Perhaps later we'll make some dinner; I do want to make Fresser's green beans (bought oyster sauce and sesame seeds for those) and we do have some chicken breasts marinating but right now, I just can't even think about eating. We fed the boy one of the chicken breasts, some leftover rice from Tiffin and little salad with ranch dressing, his favorite.
I guess there's one other food 'highlight' to report. Because of the holiday season we've had people in and out of our office, dropping off gifts and such this week. Yesterday we received a bottle of 1973 Dom Perignon from a vendor and today another vendor brought us a bottle of 1985 Dom Perignon. This morning we iced them both down and at the end of the day (today being the last day in 2003 when all of us will be together at the office) cracked them open with our friends.
Both of them were great but we drank the '73 first and because of that the '85 wasn't really in the same league. It was still damned tasty but it was so much sweeter than the '73 was. The '73 was just a laser beam; totally crisp and bubbly but delightfully dry beyond anything I've ever experienced before. What a treat they were!
Anyway that's about it for my blog--I really mean it this time.
I'm handing blog reins off to jackal10 and he will take us all through Christmas week with him.Thanks again everyone for playing along. It's really been a lot of fun.
=R=
-
Georgians, etc.
former USSR Georgians?
Yeah Herb...there are at least 2 Georgian places (one a bakery) on Devon Avenue.
=R=
-
When I am chopping Jalapeno peppers or any other kind of hot pepper I hold on to the pepper with my hand encased in a ziploc bag. That way I never get any of the seeds or pepper juice on my skin (and later in my eyes).
I do the same thing when I'm handling chicken. I flip the bird around with the baggies. Slip my hand out of the bag when handling salt shakers, turning on oven etc. Works for me.
And Pariah, what’s that old joke? If blood stains are your problem, you’ve got more problems than laundry.
Lots of good tips here.
--therese
I flip the bird often too...not usually when I'm making chicken however
=R=
-
Holy mackerel Ronnie! Everything looks awesome!
I’m so glad you posted a report here.
I reeeeally love to cook, but the sheer volume and
complexity of your menu leaves me stunned and in awe.
Congrats on another year well done!
-t
Thanks T...very nice of you to say.
Now, back to the blogging...
Thursday Night:
I previously reported that we had finished off the pizzas from Lou's but that wasn't accurate. So...last night for dinner, I ended up actually finishing the last piece and a half of the sausage, pepperoni and onion pizza. Along with it, we again had salad and some steamed broccoli with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon. My son had what he terms a 'red dinner' (based on the packaging) of fish sticks and mac & cheese. I'm not a bad father, I swear. He likes these over-marketed dinners and we indulge him by occasionally hooking him up with one. With our dinners, wife and I had the standard CFDC's and el boyo had some sort of red (to match the dinner?) gatorade.
For dessert, I finished off the biscotti and later, while I was finally crafting my set of the Armor of the Ancient Lords (woo hoo!), I had several pieces of the rugelah. It is finally gone
Friday:
For non-breakfast
, I managed a mug of the guatemalan with 1/2 & 1/2 before flying out to work, late, as usual. Once here, the daily dose of Starbucks, my IV(nw)A was waiting. Hey! I just realized the funny coincidence that I've been abbreviating Iced Venti with i.v. all week. Somehow, that seems appropriate Taking it in i.v. form would certainly mitigate the bitterness factor.For lunch, we're ordering carry-out from Tiffin, one of our favorite Indian restaurants here in Chicago. It's located on Devon Avenue which is a really interesting area in that it's populated by a hodge-podge of people of varying ethnicities...Indian, Pakistani, Orthodox Jews, Georgians, etc. I have a few pics of the restaurant and the surrounding environs on my home computer. I'll try to post a couple later on.
=R=
-
Ronnie,
Did you and the G-Man whip up my green beans?
No damn it all! I totally forgot about them. But, I just had Julie check the fridge and they're still totally firm and green. I'll be making them either tonight or tomorrow...and I will report back.=R=
-
If I want it rare in the middle - what meat temperature should I be looking for before I take the roast out to rest? Robyn
Depending on the method and the temperature, carry-over can add nearly 10% to the internal temperature of the roast when you remove it from the oven.
Sometimes I'll convect a roast at around 325-330 F, remove it from the oven when it hits an internal temperature of 125 F, and see the internal temperature of the roast rise to nearly 140 F before we serve it...and that's a little too done for our liking, so do be careful.
=R=
-
Two whole smoked turkeys!!!! Wow, that's what a call a business Christmas present! And yeah, with the marathon cooking and eating you've done recently, with more coming up, coasting a little on weeknight meals sounds like a sensible idea, especially if some father/son bonding over gingerbread is going on.
I was thinking last night that I hadn't had gyros for ages, and that I want some soon. I used to live within a few blocks of Greek Islands, and you managed to make me very jealous and very nostalgic.
Great blog, sir.
Actually each of the 3 boxes contained 2 turkeys for a total of 6!. There are only 5 of us at the office so the 6th one ended up in the sample freezer for use later on.
BTW, before I could leave the office another vendor came by with more meat -- 2 spiral-sliced hams. I brought one home (after the holidays, I will cook it and then use it to make split pea soup). I left my co-workers to bicker over the 2nd one.
=R=
-
As usual, Greek Islands was great.
Let me get the only negative element out of the way first...while we waited for our companions, the bartender hassled me a bit about the nearly-finished IV(nw)A that I had toted in with me. He told me it wasn't allowed in the bar, so I slurped the rest of it down and ordered a glass of water (since I was driving anyway).
Here's what I ate:
1 piece of bread (topped with sesame seeds) dipped in Greek olive oil.
For appetizers the 4 of us split orders of saganaki (flaming kasseri cheese--flamed in a very schmaltzy display, table-side amid cries of Opa!), spanikopita (spinach & feta pie in phyllo dough), keftadakia (lamb meatballs) fried zucchini (cut into chips) and an order of skordalia (cold paste of garlic and potato) for dipping. To drink, I ended up ordering a regular diet coke with a slice of lemon.
The four of us packed the apps away and the entrees arrived. I ended up with a 'choose two' combo of gyros (made on premises) and chicken riganati (leg quarter). At Greek Islands, the gyros meat, served in generous planks which are crispy on the outside and tender within, is served entree-style. So, with mine I also I ordered a side of tsatziki sauce and some pita bread. It was fabulous as was the chicken riganati which is comparable to (but not an exact match for) chicken vesuvio in flavor and presentation (minus the peas). The meat was fork tender and falling off the bone. The combo was served with a large piece of a salty and crispy roasted potato. The entire entree was delicious and satisfying.
Very full, we skipped dessert but opted for Greek coffees which were very nice. They do a mean baklava at Greek Islands but I could find no room for it.
I'm still pretty full now. Dinner report will no doubt be a late one.
=R=
-
Wednesday Night:
'Twas a night of leftovers, yet again. We finished off the both the pizzas from Lou's, made a small salad (w/ Cardini brand Caesar dressing) and had the last few meatballs from the party. I'm not sure how good the meatballs still were because I'm not feeling so great this morning. How many times per week do I re-enact the Homer Simpson sandwich incident? Well this week...at least 2...so far. With the 'fine' leftover meal, also had a brand new CFDC.
Dessert was some more of the delicious fudge and a few pieces of the rugelah.
There actually was some late-night snacking to report too. I picked through the mountain of hostess gifts from the party, found a bag of honey-roasted almonds and snarfed down a couple handfulls while I frolicked in Dereth with my friend Niv.
A couple of times a week, he and I meet on-line in a world called Dereth which is part of a massive, multi-player role-playing game (MMORPG) called Asheron's Call 2. For about the last 5 years, a few nights a week we've met on line to slay baddies and quest the dungeons of various mythical lands. It's really the perfect 'school night' activity for a couple of dads who both have to go to work in the mornings. Anyway, having the proper snacks in our 'packs' is a critical element of 'dungeoning.' While I prefer jerky or meat sticks, nuts are a close second choice. I probably drank 3 CFDC's while we were working on completing the quest for the Armor of the Ancient Lords.Thursday:
Started out with my usual non-breakfast, and I did not have time to brew up any of the Guatemalan
but the standard IV(nw)A was waiting for me at the office. I doctored it with a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 and a packet of sweet and low (is this blog beginning to feel like the film Groundhog Day?) More food gifts arrived today...sitting in the front office when I arrived were 3 very large insulated foam chests each filled with 2 whole, smoked turkeys (and dry ice) from an outfit I've never heard of, Sugardale's Private Collection (sounds porn-like, no?) in Canton, OH. I love smoked anything, but smoked turkey is one of my faves, so I am very excited to have received these birds--and there is one for each of us.Even with the party behind us, I'm beginning to realize that this isn't a typical time of year for us food-wise. Between TG and Christmas, I basically have 3 major cooking events (TG, the party and Christmas), so I tend to coast on the off nights during this time of year. I don't want to spend time cooking when I would rather be hanging out with my family, etc. In fact, Tuesday night one of the reasons we ordered out was so we'd have time help my son do this...
...seemed like a much better use of our time than making dinner would have been. This was from a silly little kit which someone brought to our party, but it really made his night to put it together.
Anyway, I'm heading out for a business lunch at Greek Islands (my favorite Greek place here in Chicago). I'll report back ASAP.
Have a great day everyone
=R=
-
why didn't you put sport peppers on your pizza ?
Sport peppers are Satan's suppositories
I actually love pepperoncinis on pizza though...sliced into rings, very nice.
=R=
eG Foodblog: Misgabi - An Australian's week
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
Sounds like a nice meal Tom.
Welcome to eGullet
You'll get the hang of the place soon enough.
Happy New Year to you as well.
=R=