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Poffertjes

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    Starting from scratch

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    Sounds like the same hours my friend works at Antica Trattoria Ballota outside Padova, Italy.

    10 to 3, 6 to 11, breaking for pausa. But he works 30 minutes from home, so add another hour onto each shift for his drive home. But he loves it.

    Tough Ropa Veja

    in Mexico: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Made ropa veja with flank steak and it was deliciously but so tough that my wife joked the ropa obviously means rope. Given that flank steak ain't known for being tender, is this pretty much it? I assume skirt steak would be similar.

    Ropa Vieja (don't forget the I) can dry out and get tough if cooked too long. How did you do it? What recipe did you use?

    CSA has begun, need to change my menu plan techniq

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Our CSA started last Wednesday. Thanks for the great suggestions. We did the CSA for the first time last summer and really enjoyed it, but sometimes felt that we weren't using it as well as we should have.

    Keep the suggestions coming!!!

    If you list the contents of your CSA basket, I'm sure I can think of a few things. I don't know if you're going for multi-course dinners or one dish meals.

    ETA: Usually keep on hand basic staples that you value, KIM that one person's basics are another's chaff. :wink:

    Using my own example: extra-virgin olive oil, lower grade olive oil (because EVOO is meant to finish a dish), unsalted butter, salted butter, lemons, limes, garlic, shallots, onions, fresh herbs (right now in the frigo I have chives, tarragon, lovage, sage and Italian parsley), whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cloves, mace, cardamom), ground and powdered spices, white wine, various vinegars (white wine vinegar, balsamic, rice vinegar), tamari, mustard, honey, beans/lentils/rice.

    Early summer I don't have a problem, as its mostly lettuces, radishes, herbs, etc. Its when we get later into the summer and early fall. Kolorabi bigger than my fist (3 of them in my box one week last summer), etc.

    I do know what I'll be getting each week, we get an e-newsletter on Monday afternoon, and then box is brought into the city on Wednesday, so I can prepare.

    Gratuities tacked onto bills...where's the line?

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    phlox, do not be too hard on jackal, the European system is much different from the US. Waitstaff actually make a salary and tips are for exceptional over the top service. What you describe is a typical night for ANY server anywhere.

    Jackal and I have been over this, he understands the system in the United States, but does not tip, ever while in the united states, because he disagrees with the system. There is a previous thread where he explains his thoughts on it.

    Between understanding the system and not tipping because you don't agree with the system, and not paying the 87 cents, people are really unforgiving of wait staff. Walk a mile in their shoes.

    Top Chef Season 4

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    I think Richard's tabasco pearls were meant to go with some shellfish, which he has done before, but he changed his mind on that course.

    Oysters, he said. But he was still sort of playing around on the first day. My guess is that he realized if he served an oyster the judges would come back with that whole "but you didn't cook anything!" argument they sometimes use.

    Poffertjes, Lisa was on the winning Team Fire in the elements challenge and was awarded the individual win for her miso bacon. (Angering Dale, although apparently that's not exactly difficult.)

    I prefer a head-to-head war between two great chefs for the finale, Tiffany v. Harold style, but since I'm pretty darn thrilled with the winner I will take what they gave us last night, happily.

    Thanks for the information on Lisa's win.

    I know I'm biased against her, but is a group win as good as an individual win? I'm sure Dale doesn't think so.

    Top Chef Season 4

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    Funny how they were pretending there was a chance the title was going to someone who's been on the bottom 5 times. Really? Lisa's food looked good, if not spectacular and the editing seemed to be trying to cram some drama into this finale, what with Richard "choking" and Stephanie looking like the clear winner.

    Did Lisa ever win an elimination challenge? I can't recall. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

    The Haagen-Dazs Topic

    in Ready to Eat

    Posted

    I am blown away Fleur de sel caramel, wow wow wow, I tried to avoid the ice cream section, but couldnt help it, I had one bite and made the girlfriend take it and hide it, wow was it great.  Best Haagen dazs ever!

    I concur. Fleur de sel caramel is my new obsession. I hid it from my husband!!! :cool:

    Top Chef Season 4

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    Congrats for 3rd place?

    Lisa knows asian food

    Lisa knows latin food

    Lisa knows everything and you better respect her, or else she'll throw you under the bus.

    I don't hate her nearly as much as the sommelier with the tie from the first season, but she's got a huge chip on her shoulder.

    Lisa, please, take a look at Stephanie and how she treated everyone all season, but especially Dale, after they found the pork belly left out all night. Class act that girl!

    Go Stephanie, show them how to do it!

    Capers

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Orange Salad,

    Slice up some oranges, or make supremes if you're fancy, big chunks work if you don't have the patience, olive oil, salt, pepper, and some capers. Great italian salad I learned to make this winter in Padova at a friend's house.

    Is the giant peppermill ridiculous?

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    The pepper mill and the parmesean cheese both bother me.

    I always end up getting too much pepper or cheese, and it never ends up where I want it.

    A couple weeks ago at an italian restaurant in Naples, Florida I think I ended up with more cheese than pasta on my plate. But I got off better than my husband, they waiter didn't even wait for my husband's reply of whether or not he'd want cheese on his clam pasta. Cheese on seafood? Yuck.

    Gorillas in Our Midst

    in The Daily Gullet

    Posted

    Toby, As a frequent visitor to the Violet Hour (lucky me, I life 5 blocks away) I commend you for your door/bouncer staff, as well as the rest of your staff. They are exceedingly professional, polite, informative, and its a joy to stop by for a cocktail.

    I have figured out that its much better to show up a bit earlier than the crowd, so as we never have to wait for a table, however I do get a bit of joy of the choo-shod crowd outside, on the cell phones, waiting to be let in, and waiting for their i-banker boyfriend in the beemer to show up....

    Keep it up, and I'll keep stopping by for a cocktail!

    Scylla in Chicago

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I now know why this thread has remained dormant since my last post in early 2006. 

    Tonight, as many of you know, is the season premier of Top Chef (Bravo!).  Stephanie Izard, ex-chef and owner of Scylla is one of this season's contenders.  Curious, I wandered onto the restaurant's website to see what the restaurant was doing.  Apparently, nothing.  It has closed its doors (when this happened, I know not).

    I had one great dinner at Scylla a couple of years back.  I look forward to seeing Ms. Izzard do well on Top Chef.

    Stephanie closed several months ago (last spring) to do some "travel" or I guess tape Top Chef. -Apparently she also did some traveling, but she said yesterday in the trib that it was mainly because she had been selected for Top Chef.

    The location is up on Damen close to Armitage, on the west side of the street, right next to Le Buchon.

    Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Seasons 1-5

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    What about the joint NYC show when Zimmerman's show first started? Wasn't Tony blatantly making fun of him throughout the show? Maybe they've grown closer, but it seemed in that show that Tony really thought he was the dredges of society.

    Personally I think he's kind of smarmy.  :wink:

    I DID think Tony's position was one of ironic detachment on the Zimmern show, but I did read in an interview somewhere that Tony "liked him". Hey, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he likes Zimmern, but doesn't like his shtik. Maybe he likes both. I don't know. I'm just saying that, whatever opinion he might have about Zimmern or his show, Tony still cross-plugged and promo'ed Zimmerns's show for the network, like a good team player would. TC has been very good to him, and he's been very good for TC. So - nothing but love. So then you go out and sprinkle some of your world-wide fame, popularity and TV lustre dust on a lesser network host and do your bit for your network. It's standard practice at ANY network. Just business - nothing personal.

    Don't you think thats part of his contract? PR for the channel, his show and whatever else the suits can dream up?

    Loved, loved, loved the Les Halles episode. Eric coming in and being so cool and working his station better than Tony did (at least it seemed that way with the editing...)

    Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Seasons 1-5

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    Sorry about that....as opposed to the circa 1920 medical torture device known simply as "The Zimmern", this is actually referring to Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel.

    Thanks for the clarification. I don't know if we get that show here in Blandcouver. Was he by any chance the guest star on the ABNR New York ep?

    Yep. Zimmern's shtick is seeking out and eating the most bizarre foods he can find - I think it's more a gross-out factor thing. There is no context provided for what he goes to eat. He's like a dumpy, pudgy, middle-aged wannabe Ozzy Osbourne biting the heads off bats. (OK, that's unfair to Oz!)

    And yet Bourdain did a two part crossover show with him. Willingly it seems. Do you think that was a momentary bout of bad taste of did he sell out to the Travel Channel overlords?

    Hey I like that guy! Sure, he's fat, geeky, and dresses poorly, but he's also knowledgeable and a friendly television personality. I also think he pairs well with Bourdain.

    Bourdain is TC's #1 star, with the highest-rated show. Of course he was asked to cross-plug/promote another TC personality's show - and remember, he also did a segment for Miami Ink (YC and Discovery were sister channels), too. It comes with the territory. Having said that, while I'm not wild about Zimmern personally (although he IS likeable enough), Tony has remarked he likes the dude. So? He adds a little lustre dust to Zimmern's show, the network is happy, and Tony is OK with it, too. It's not like anyone asked him to go on a Rachael Ray show - now THAT would be a sell-out.

    What about the joint NYC show when Zimmerman's show first started? Wasn't Tony blatantly making fun of him throughout the show? Maybe they've grown closer, but it seemed in that show that Tony really thought he was the dredges of society.

    Personally I think he's kind of smarmy. :wink:

    I will never again . . . (Part 3)

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I will never again ask my husband to wash the Moka.

    The genius that he is, washed it, put it back together (empty) and put it over a flame to dry it.

    Yes. Yes, I have driven through his skull to either make sure the cast iron is dry after washing it, or leave it for me to do. But I don't know how you can confuse black cast iron, with shiny aluminum/steel/whatever a moka is made out of.

    Here I am, trying to get out the door in time yesterday morning...

    Him: "honey are you ironing something?"

    Me: "No..... OMG, Whats that smell?"

    That smell was the plastic handle on fire.

    Falling off.

    And landing in the flame of the gas stove top.

    :wacko:

    Food neuroses that drive you nuts

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I brought a tiny espresso maker home to my father's house at Christmas so that I could have my fix.  The first day, he watched me make it, asked what it was, shuddered, and refused to taste it.  Day two:  his ancient coffee maker had finally broken the night before, my sister-in-law made coffee in a pan on the stove.  No coffee in the morning, Christmas eve, I'm sipping my espresso out of a regular coffee cup.

    "It's mean to drink coffee in front of a person."

    "You told me you didn't want any.  Do you want me to make you some?"

    "No."

    Wait a second.....

    You're telling me that your father will drink regular brewed coffee, but not espresso, and he chastised you for drinking it in front of him when there was no brewed coffee in the house?

    Thats just plain rude and picky.

    Food neuroses that drive you nuts

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I've heard from a ton of people that they avoid red velvet cake because of food coloring (and thus chemicals). I totally agree that food coloring probably isn't the best thing for you, but for > 90% of us I'm sure we consume FAR more chemicals (and food coloring) through non-red-velvet-cake avenues than through the occasional slice.

    Almost everything that irks me is this kind of lose of perspective. Another example: people who won't eat rich dough baked goods because of the butter but will spread an opaque layer of butter or cream-cheese on a bagel

    My husband has a co-worker who won't eat red velvet cake because the version they got at work once, from Fox and Obel's was colored with beet juice.

    The food coloring is fine, but beet juice is where she draws the line.... :hmmm:

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