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coquus

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Posts posted by coquus

  1. Carmelo's in Lewiston, NY isn't too far from Niagara Falls, USA. I second Schwabl's, also around these parts we just call them wings, maybe "hot" wings. The New York Wine and Culinary Center is always getting press, especially for the foodie camps the CIA runs. I would check that out for sure. I like Dano's but could understand how it wouldn't blow anyone's socks off. It's a lower key that what he was doing before in Ithaca, or so I have heard, but it's fresh and good eats. I lived out in the Corning area 10 years ago, and I don't know anyplace that's a must, but I'm sure there must be now. The Central in Painted Post used to do a good business though, and Sit n' Bull across the way as well, but that's a bar. The best meals I had were at the now defunct veggie place on Market St., Melissa's or something like that. Lots of traps, I would avoid it all if given the chance. I'm not sure about Ithaca excepting, of course, the farmer's market and all it's vendors. I know the East Shore Cafe in Lansing is solid though, and, on the other side of the lake, Trumansburg looks like it was coming along nicely a couple years ago. I liked that place Rosalie's in Skaneateles, and the Mirabeau Spa next door is supposedly decent. If you are going to be anywhere near the southwestern part of the state on the 13th of August, check this out, plus they could use the support Corn Moon Dinner.

  2. On the Casey subject, it's too bad Stefan chose the wolf boy, I think they're too much alike, if he was smarter he would have chosen Casey. I was listening to this author talk about neuroscientist's research which boiled down states: when making decisions there is only so much the brain takes into consideration because it's mostly done in a small area of the brain with limited processing power, that's why I would have chosen her for Stefan not because she's a better cook than Marcel, she's would have provided him with some perspective. It also hurt him being all agitated at Hosea, Carla should have ridden that tidal wave to a sure victory.

  3. I have a bluestar 30" drop in cooktop. I went with that because i didn't want to have to change the countertop after removing the old cooktop (and it was much less expensive than the rangetop).

    It's basically awesome. It's has enough power to use a wok (not as good as my turkey fryer outside, but infinitely more convenient), and boils pasta water so fast it's crazy.

    I will admit, it isn't easy to keep clean, but it's worth it.

    It was expensive, but this and an outside vented hood were my only splurges in our new house

    Ok, so hopefully this will be me replying to someone else next year.

  4. I still have my sights set on the 30" Bluestar drop in cooktop, which is really the only thing I could do without losing serious amounts of storage. I thought about induction for a minute, but am afraid I'll beat it up and it won't look good someday. I'll keep my electric while I scheme a way to get my hands on a couple G's in this economy, reality TV, anybody, porn?

  5. I swear I posted again earlier, somehow it got lost in the merge.

    Some hits and misses, the fresh ham hock had the wife a little upset, I wasn't thrilled with it (as was expecting something better to happen to the skin after braising then roasting), I should have done some more research on batatas, though it was a passable mash, and next time I'll remember to make a chocolate dessert! I made a good soup with lobster, tomatoes, water chestnuts, carrots, that was the star, the octopus turned out pretty well too. I also made a decent creme from the budda's hand, some lime juice and a basic creme recipe minus the vanilla.

  6. Went to the grocery store and spent $120 last night. I live in a really backwards place, but our store has moved on past our collective consciousness and is stocking some neat stuff, most of which sits and gets moldy/expired, I managed to rescue a couple of things on the verge of going bad: a budda hand, fresh ham hocks, fresh water chestnuts, lemongrass (yeah, I know, where is this, you say), batatas, mirin, octopus. I am making dinner with the results, a plan is on the verge of forming, I have the hocks in the griswold stuffed inside some chipotle and garlic, on some onions and shallots. A tart dough. Some lobster/shrimp butter.

    Anybody interested in sharing their plans for cooking with/for their honeys?

  7. What style? and what day?

    Thanks for the prompt reply, unfortunately today was the day, and fortunately we decided to go to Chen Garden because of all the great food porn on this thread. We were very pleased with them, 10 min wait, great service even though they looked very busy with both bar, sit down, and take out. Good solid Chinese. Passed by a couple other primo spots on this tread, logged them in the mind for future forays. Thanks again.

  8. We're going to a show at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre and looking for a place to go for dinner, any suggestions besides DinoBBQ, ethnic especially, not looking to spend a lot, just some really great food.

  9. Yeah, not really interested in anything besides the kick-off seminar: Michael Ruhlman/Whichever Chef at 10:45AM on Monday, August 11th, but it's a pretty cool thing, and I will be going down or over. Not sure if this is the appropriate forum, but since the chef he's bringing owns a restaurant in NYC, I guess it's this one(the website says Dan Barber, the pamphlet says Eric Ripert.) Anyone else going, or anyone have better info than I do?

  10. In case anyone is interested there are some things I like about my new kitchen remodel, which I finished in January that some of you might want to consider. Firstly, a recycled electric cook top, all it requires is a simple exhaust fan and is satisfactory for all my needs, cost to me, free. Secondly, I kept the old solid wooden cabinets which were built in place sometime between the '50s and '70s. I stripped and repainted(they were painted several layers thick, the last one or two were clearly sub quality and/or latex). They provided a nearly perfect level surface for the new vinyl counter top I put in, and a lot of storage. I know vinyl is a huge turn off for some people but, I've had rock, and I still used a cutting board, so for the extra thousand or two I saved I can take an extra second to find a potholder for any hot pots that need real estate. I built a box for a dishwasher which we didn't have. I added it to the peninsula where it wasn't going to cut into storage yet still not be in the way of the fridge door(by 2-3", I went with an 18" model instead of the standard 24"). I couldn't put any new flooring on top of the vinyl because it would cut into the size refrigerator I could get. I really wanted at least 20 cubic feet. I tore out the vinyl and plywood(PITA), and laid new luann and a commercial grade vinyl composite tile which looks great, is durable, and stays cool but doesn't get cold. Since, I have heard that you can paint vinyl, that would have been worth looking into since it was in good shape just ugly, I think it may have had some texture however, and I wanted to do the bathroom as well since it was connected and in awful shape. The old cabinets also have a chute beneath the sink that goes down to the laundry in the basement, that's pretty handy when you have some particularly dirty dish towels to get rid of in a hurry.

  11. And what does the name have to do with anything? It could be called any number of cheesy names why this one, because it's NYC, I think it's cheesy with no context. I checked the website and couldn't find anything.

  12. Indian...well, there's Diamond's on the Commons and a place in Collegetown. Neither is particularly good. My favorite place to eat in Collegetown these days in Aladdin's (mostly Mediterranean fare).

    I like the place inside the mall on the commons where the theater is if it's still there, cafeteria style Indian.

  13. I have worked in a couple Italian, a French, a couple American, a Hotel, Japanese, fast-food Korean, Vietnamese, a Bar. It's really all the same I think, work. I think there is a lot to learn from Waffle House as there is from Thomas Keller. My dreams for my future change daily.

  14. This really threw me, I was thinking you were going to be into Fine Dining because of easter, and thought for sure you'd be up there skiing because Easter is so early this year, so here I was thinking The Lodge, The Point, and maybe thinking you might need to bring some nicer clothes, and you come with the hockey and the sweaters. I used to go up there a bit, there is a ton of options in you demographic, but unfortunately everything I know about it is not relevant to the 2000's and strictly in the summer time. I usually eat outside of Placid as well, due to the large amount of tourist traps that used to populate the strip. The local scene has changed a lot since then however, the last time I was up there I was looking at one of those pamphlets that you pick up here and there, that they would have at the chamber or whatever, and it had the menus of about a dozen restaurants, about half of which were really pretty exciting. I just remember the one Greek place which was in Placid I think. The family retired up there from Buffalo to open a fine dining restaurant(I think it was named Mikanos but that could have been their old place or an Island I know somehow, either way there weren't any Greek places a while back, and doubt there are any others now). Great story, probably a solid bet for value and really good food, my sister used to love the Buffalo spot and she's lived in Greece. When I used to visit, we used to go to the pizza place down east a ways past the rink, in front of a dance club I think, that could be more of what you are looking for, pizza and pitcher beer? Another place I have always wanted to go is the Hotel Saranac, about 15 min. down the road in Saranac Lake, the restaurant is Paul Smiths Culinary's training restaurant, I bet they do a mean Easter dinner. Good luck, hope I helped, and report back on what you find.

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