Schielke

Down in Ballard/Fremont check out The Dish for a really nice breakfast. Try the Slacker Especial. I forget what is in it, but I think it is scrambled eggs with an enchilada sauce...it rules! Ben

I second the motion of Madison Park Cafe, they are one of my favorite places in town for brunch. I also have heard really awesome things about the brunch at Salish Lodge. I understand it is a multicourse price fixe menu affair. 19.95 if you are seated before 8:30 am and 29.95 thereafter. It is next on my breakfast hit list. Ben

Suvir, I was looking at your recipes and I had a few questions. 1) you mention yogurt/buttermilk in the paneer recipe. Is one preferred over the other? 2) Is the "Whole Garam Masala" defined by the ingredients listed directly below it. I was confused because step 2 says to add the Garam Masala and then add the chile, cumin, coriander, and bay leaf. Are they not part of the Garam masala? 3) How spicy is this dish if the recipe is followed? I might want to tone it down for my girlfriend. hehehe. Again thanks for everything! Ben

I have not used clarified butter for this task before. Could this be the problem? How does one make clarified butter again?

Well as a first update, We went to Raga in Kirkland the night he got here. App- Vegetable Samosas: I thought the spicing on the samosas was very nice, well balanced. The dough and filling, however, didnt quite impress either of us. It seemed way too dense and homogeneous. Entrees- Mutter Paneer: This is his favorite dish so he wanted to compare it to others he has had. He said that the one we had was a very good example of the dish. I really loved it; the textural element created by the paneer and the peas was really nice and the spicing of the dish was really great. Malai Kofta: This dish is a little more creamy than the Mutter Paneer, so it was a nice balance against it. The kofta balls had a very nice texture, I was kindof expecting them to be a little mushy. They had a good hearty meaty feel to them and a great flavor. We ate the dishes with plain naan and garlic naan. The naan at Raga was a real delight. It was a very different shape than other naan that I have eaten in the past. It was a very long elipse shape rather than a circle. I had a glass of chai during my meal and I would say that this was the most dissapointing part of it. It looked like chai, it smelled like chai, but it tasted like hot water. doh! Overall, I would say that raga was well worth the trip. My friend had nothing but compliments to give for the food. Next on our agenda is to have me try my hand at some indian cooking. I have obtained a recipe for Mutter Paneer from Suvir (Thanks!) and will be getting some other recipes from Aakash's (my buddy) mother to try out. Wish me luck!!! Ben

Do you use a nonstick pan? From what I've read recently in Cook's Illustrated, this may be a cause of your problem. Kathy Nope, I have a metal pan. I wonder if a cast iron would help? I still need to get one. I will try cooking some fish this weekend. Thanks Ben

I cant seem to get that really nice crust on a piece of fish when you pan fry it in butter. I have tried mahi mahi and halibut. Any thoughts?

Cool, thanks for the info. If you figure out how to order it or find another source, let me know! It sounds really fun to play around with. Thanks again Ben

I think I must have missed this discussion. What is MICRI and why do I need it? A miracle sauce sure sounds good. thanks Ben

Back in my college days (2 years ago) a friend and I decided that we were going to make some mead. We went to the trusty Internet, found a recipe, and jumped in. A few weeks later we ended up with a big jug of mead. The result was overspiced and therefore not terribly appetizing. heh heh heh. Has anybody ever made mead before or tried a good example of it? Ben

Suvir, Thanks so much for all the info! I plan on trying this out on my visiting friend. I probably will have to do it next week, but I may make the paneer later this week for fun. Now I need to go find a spice store to get all the ingredients...something I have needed to do for a long time. Thanks again! Ben

Where can I go to get indian products and the like. I am curious as to what I would find at one of these stores. I am also showing my Indian buddy around town for a month and he inquired about this. Thanks for the help! Ben

The other night I tried out Mattar Paneer on the recommendation of an indian friend of mine. I loved it, I had forgotten how much I loved well cooked peas. Does anybody have a recipe for this? Is it difficult to make (little to no indian cooking experience)? Also, is it difficult to make paneer or are there places to buy it? Thanks a bunch Ben

And dont forget all the stinky cheese we all love.

Man, those people on the kashi box freak me out!

How much kitchen space would one take up? Or shoud it be an outdoor thing? Ben

This last weekend at Uwajimaya, I picked up some bamboo shoots, which I had never used before. They had a really interesting texture and shape. I put them in a stir fry and they came out pretty good, esp with the fresh water chestnuts. I also saw that they had fresh wasabi root for... $60/lb!!!!!! Good lord!

I make a habit of trying to get to an asian grocery store at least once a month. I have a fascination with new products, and interesting packaging so these places are like heaven for me. A few favorites of mine are: Mochi wrapped Ice Cream (green tea or red bean flavor), Pocky, The chips that are shaped like sugar peas, Doraiecki (spelling) cakes, and the little milk coffee drinks. What are some of your favorite items. Yesterday I picked up some Kewpie Mayonaise, it is in the coolest bottle. Ben

girl chow, Unfourtanately we did not challenge the bill, everybody was in the process of leaving and I was talking to the person who paid for the bill (to be reimbursed later via paypal ). I asked him about the side dishes and he looked to see if they were on there and they were. He did not remember ordering them or anybody else ordering them, but we all wanted to go home by that point so he didnt argue. Doh! Ben

So I had my steak last night. We ended up in one of the private dining rooms since we had more than ten people in our party. Back to the steak. I had a bone in filet cooked medium (my girlfriend was sharing and freaks out at the sight of blood on her plate). I had the bleu cheese salad and mashed potatoes for my sides. The salad was very nice, it had hazelnuts which added a nice dimension to the cheese. The potatoes were pretty mediocre, nothing special. The steak was very good. It was the best piece of beef I have ever had, but it was still a piece of beef which limited it in some sense. The service was good, they were attentive and polite, but I am a little ticked at the management. When our food came, so did two platters of asparagus and two of mushrooms "for the table" said the server. Nobody remembers ordering these and so we assumed they were a comp. Not so on the bill. Despite this I had a great time and have finally tried out a high end steak house. The Met has reaffirmed my love of beef. I do think, however, that my money could be much better spent at other types of establishments. I think I prefer a little more unique or inventive style of food when I eat out. I plan on shopping for a cast iron pan in the coming weeks as well as some top end beef. heh heh heh. Expect a thread about butcher shops soon. Thanks for the help! Ben

Now the thing I have always wondered is what these high end steak houses do to the meat that is different than what I can do at home either on the grill or in a cast iron pan (god I need one, but I am scared! ) Is it just the quality of the beef that sets them apart or some special little tricks? Ben

Thanks for the recs! I am interested in seeing what my buddy has to say about them compared to home cooking and food in India. Does anybody know if Indian places like these are westernized or not? For some reason I cant help but think they are to some degree. Most Indian places I have been to have all the usual suspects and not much more on the menu. I do love all of these items (sweet sweet tika masala), but I still wonder what I am missing, especially in the vegetable based vein. I would imagine that all of the spices available in that kind of cuisine would result in some pretty amazing vegetable dishes. Thanks again! Ben

Hey everybody, Tomorrow I am attending a friend's b-day party at the Metropolitan Grill in Downtown Seattle. I have never ventured into this (or any other) shrine to top notch beef. I love beef, but since I have recently been a college student, I have not been able to justify a $40 steak. I have decided to take the plunge and see how good steak can be. Does anybody have any suggestions for items not to miss at the Met? What is your perfect steak night experience? Thanks a bunch! Ben

Thank god that my new neighborhood has a Larry's Mkt nearby so I dont have to use any freakin cards at QFC or Safeway. Since I have the choice, I have decided to flat out boycott them. Don't let the bastards get you down! heh heh, good ol Handmaid's Tale reference. Ben

Well, that's ok! At least I can still get a donner kebab! Does anybody have any updates on the status of the Bistro Antalya owner? Ben