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Eatmywords

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  1. I think you have it pretty well covered. This might be of no particular help but I find chop sticks to be a helpful cooking/baking tool esp if your stuck with non-stick pans. Can I ask what brings you to Moab? From the google map pics it looks incredibly beautiful. (Did I just answer my question?)
  2. I'm with Chris and the rest of the disapointed. For Top Chef they should have enough exposure to these somewhat mainstream cuisines to adapt a dish on the fly. I mean I've made something decent from all these countries with no professional exp. This episode only reinforces my sentiments that this season has been the worst re talent and creativity. And why is creativity a factor? (Oak will/has asked) Because when they do classics and and they're not perfect they get ripped. How many times have we heard Tom say "well at least he attempted something different but it just didn't work" while the other shmo couldn't execute a crème brule or grill a flank steak with a classic chimichura and rice n beans.
  3. Upon returning to our hotel in Trevose, a few miles south of Sesame Place, we were craving something ethnic and close by. Fortunately I'd read a few Indian places were within 5 miles. We love Indian food. We've eaten it allover Manhattan, Queens, surrounding areas, states, and Asia. Everything from hi end, middle of the road and cabby stands. I like to think we have a good foundation. Though this place received a couple positive (often un-trustworthy) Yelp comments we had no idea what to expect when we pulled up to an empty Food Castle Express in Bensalem. It was very modern, seemingly brand new with lacquered rustic tiles, modern light fixtures and an open kitchen surrounded by glass. (I've seen a couple exposed tandoori ovens but never an entire exposed Indian kitchen). And it was spotless. A good sign I thought. We sat at a booth overlooking 2 flat screens blaring Bolywood movie and music clips at a tolerable level. Keeping in mind the patience factor of our 20 month old, we ordered immediately from a friendly and knowledgeable waiter. We chose the staple, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Jalfrezi. (Would have opted for the Lamb Jalfrezi but they were out of lamb. They offered goat which sounded great but not knowing what cuts and quality to expect we chose to play it safe and "chickened out". Next time for sure). We also ordered a side of basmati (entrees don't come with rice) and a garlic naan. The 2 dishes and the naan where simply spectacular. Really, just blown away at the bold flavor profiles. The chicken tikka, a staple in any Indian restaurant, was a take on the classic but with more vibrant and sharper flavors of cumin, coriander, cardamom and tumeric in a thick, spicy sauce. The Jalfrezi, was in a similar tomato based sc but more complex, with grated fresh ginger, fresh green peppers, capsicum and cherry tomatoes. The acid from the peppers and tomatoes made for a wonderful contrast to the richness of the sauce. The garlic naan had a perfect soft texture with a slight char and a brush of ghee over fresh garlic made for a wonderful bread which disapeared quickly. The quality and cuts of chicken both white and dark meat where excellent. I wouldn't go as far as claiming organic but it had a slightly gamey quality. Basmati rice was cooked perfectly. We brought our own 40oz of Bud Ice. (Taj Majal or King Fisher would have been nice but our options were limited). Anyway, gotta love the byo policy in PA. We were among the only patrons but it was early Sunday night. Soon after a large party of Indian's entered. We thought it a good sign. (Ironically, all of their food that I could see seemed to come off the Chinese portion of the menu which I didn't understand. Go figure. I've often heard from Indian colleagues that the best Indian food is prepared by their wives or mothers never from a restaurant. I don't know but if Food Castle consistently turns food like this they'd give anyone a run for their money. I would say this place is seriously worth travelling to.
  4. So, we didn't make it to one of the Korean places Philadining rec'd or Sweet Lucy's for bbq. (But we'll be returning to the area given we bought an unlimited Sesame Pass good for the rest of this year and next : ). Upon returning to our hotel in Trevose Sunday night we were craving something ethnic and close by. Fortunately I'd read a few Indian places were within 5 miles. We thought we'd try one. Since this place is in Bensalem and not in close proximity to King of Prussia, I'm going to post my review of Food Castle Express in the 'Non Tourist Trap Restos Near Tourist Traps' thread. Thx again for all your recs and looking frwd to coming back and sampling more of the area's eats.
  5. It seems the Koreans and Lucy's are only about 10min from the hotel. And yes, if we didn't have the baby the city would be a no brainer. It's more about proximity to the hotel, parking and kid friendly. Sorry to hear about Lucy's. We might give it a shot and ask for any addl sc left on the side. We've found that some places ruin good que by over saucing. Anyway, thank you for the recs.
  6. Phila, you're a wealth of info! Thx much, I'm hitting your blog after this post. One more slightly off topic (and I appologize, I did post in the 'Non-Tourist Trap' thread for places near Festerville-Trevose or near Sesame Place but no one replied). Are there any good bbq spots in or near the area? Do you know Sweet Lucy's Smoke House? Thx again
  7. Are the N.East Korean places in Olney? anything you like in this list?: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=&ns=1&find_loc=Olney%2C+pa#cflt=korean
  8. Hello PA eaters, we’ll be doing the Sesame Place experience with our 2yr old Sunday and Monday and staying in nearby Trevose. I’m not getting my hopes up but if anyone has any recs within 10-15 min drive we’d be very grateful. (I know Philly isn’t far but I’m thinking with the baby it might be a pain). Anything besides Italian would be great. A good burger, cheese steak, diner or ethnic place. In a quick search I came across a German place, Erwin’s which looks kitchy and capable enough. Anyone know it? Thanks
  9. So Angelo's able to convince two other chefs to follow his lead because of his strong personality not his superior talent? Aren't all contestants to believe they could win the competion? What does this do for their confidence and how they're perceived by the judges? As for "datedness" I have zero problem with well executed classics. Hell, I grew up eating food made by a classicaly trained french cook (my mom). It's the creativity they're displaying or lack of and moreso mediocore execution. Playing it safer than usual. That’s why they appear so evenly balanced to me. As for fixing the show, that might be a stretch. But I bet I wasn't the only one wondering how he won with a stewed (grilled?) eggplant with all those meat dishes. Btw, can you recall any challenge won with a sole veggie when proteins were on hand?
  10. Re mistakes that could well be true. But from an overall talent perspective I'm not following you based on the poorly executed simplistic dishes they've attempted and the knowledge base they've shown so far. Aside from Angelo/Kelly no one is making inventive food let alone talking about what they can or have made. I'm not hearing them talk like talented present day chefs. Kenny being the perfect example. Strong prep guy and probably good at what he knows but inventive? I don't think so. In fact I'd argue they gave him the last win to beef up the rivalary with Angelo. They're making this season more about personalities and rivalries than season's past because the cooking is not impressing anyone.
  11. Really? Besides Angelo and maybe Kelly, who do you think has a chance to win? The talent is pretty skewed. If you see the coming attractions for tonight Angelo is flat out mentoring 2 other contestants. When has that ever happened? Even say 2 seasons back when Hosea won, which as well wasn't a great, you had many more contestants showing potential to win i.e Stephan, Jamie, Fabio, Jeff, Carla. So far this sesaon I'm seeing little creativity and dated recipes/technique. A lot of it looks like 80's food - again, except for Angelo and maybe Kelly. I mean Kenny won the last challenge for curried eggplant for g-sake and he didn't do much with it. Am I nutz? Is anyone watching the same show as me?
  12. He reminded us more of a caricature or the cartoon version of Dick Van Dyke Anyway, I didn't get to last week's episode until last night. Was thinking pretty much the same as Holly above. The judges are too informed to what's happening during the challenge giving way to predictablity. (Was it always like this?). You know exactly who's going to be in the bottom. Thankfully, a bit tougher to guess who'll be on top. If I were a contestant I'd try not to show any insecurities or say anything negative about my food. Less fuel to reinforce the judges comments. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in the talent this season. I feel any of last season's bottom half (not even including Kevin and the brothers) would have crushed this crew save maybe for Angelo. Ehh, there's always next year (?)
  13. I intended on preparing it tonight but plans changed and ended up making it last night. Didn't have much time as we had an errand to run so I seared it quickly in pan. Grilling/broiling would have been obviously been the preferred method. It came out very nice. Not as good as those I marrinated for only 24hrs but those were done on the grill. And not mushy at all. The meat was very fresh from Fairway (a gourmet supermarket of sorts known for having close to if not butcher quality - not pre-packaged with a spoil date) . Thx for the feedback.
  14. For sure this doesn't belong here but I couldn't find the thread on "you know it's gone bad when….." Anyway, since Saturday I've been marinating a 2lb sirloin in a concoction of generic (Kraft) bbk sc, soy, hoisin, sweet chili sc, worstershire and fresh garlic (no added salt but it has a fair amt from the ingredients if that helps). It's been sitting in a sealed tupperware in the fridge (of course). How long would you say it's good for? (It doesn't smell or look bad but since it's taken on the smells and look of the marinade how would I be able to tell? Thanks all in advance
  15. I had a fabulous meal at L'Os a Moelle a few years ago. Definitely go there if you can. At the time there was little choice to the pre-set menu so if your picky might want to call for the menu. Their wine bar next door (assuming still open) was charming and a good starting point. This article may interest you esp if you're willing to stray off the beaten path. http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/travel/18prixfixe.html?scp=1&sq=paris%20restaurants&st=cse
  16. I don't know the places on your list but thanks for sharing. Yea, I mean we've really only touched on the endless Flushing options. If the baby wasn't so young we'd probably be there and Jack Heights/Woodside every other wknd. We did pass by your #9; Nan Shian Dumpling House on Sunday noticing the Michelin rec in the window for the soup dumplings. It was packed and a wait outside (Asians only as far as I could see). I would very much like to try them as well the aforementioned Dongbei places. And of course I wish Hunan House would take the place of all 50 shitty places in my neighborhood. Echoing Sneak, it rocks!
  17. Re dim sum I can't confirm Flushing is better. My only other experience was East and it was no better than the Manhattan places. But it is reasonable given the demographics, less tourists more discerning Asians, lower rents, more space, etc. We surely love Hunan House and Spicy and Tasty but Grand Szechuan is on par. Yes on the Flickr pics, that's the place, thx. (And I meant to say "not" connected to the others) Certainly worth a try. We know about the Golden Mall, thx again. We walked in once (baby in stroller), looked at my wife and turned right back around. We'll have to grab a sitter for that one or wait till she's old enough not to make a (total) scene or break stuff.
  18. We did a double header with 4 past/present EG'rs on Sunday. Started at Ocean Jewel for dim sum then crossed the street to Flushing Mall for Xi'an Foods and the other stalls. (I couldn't get Philadining's lamb ribs pic out of my head). We'd been meaning to get to Ocean Jewel for years. (We tried a couple times but the waits were long and we happened to be starving. Plus, with all the great Szechuan and Hunan food, we've grown kind of bored with dim sum). Anyway, based on consensus we headed over and got in around 12:45 with only a 15 min wait. OJ is said to be one of if not the best or most upscale in Flushing. Even with our small sampling I tend to agree. My pool of comparison is not huge but I've been to a few such as East (in Flushing), Manhattan's; Jing Fong, Silver Palace, Golden Unicorn, Dim Sum Go Go and a few others (and a couple places in Hong Kong but that's in another league). So, there's an attention to detail here a bit above the others. I.e presentation, brighter, fresher ingredients, lighter/cleaner sauces. As well a less hostile or acoustically challenged room. Some highlights: baked pork buns (with the pink dot on top) were very good, contained a few addl ingredients from what I'm used to like carrots and shredded greens. There was a steamed bun which turned out to be a dessert we would have preferred at the end. It was filled with a sweet marzipan like paste and was excellent. An assorted seafood dumplings basket with each topped either chinese mushroom, cuttle fish or squid. Really good. Shrimp crepes were standard and fine. Clear spinach dumplings were exemplary with an anise like flavor I couldn't id. Bacon wrapped scallops with spicy mayo were standard but of fine quality and delicious. My favorite though were the clams in black bean sauce. A little bigger than the tiny's usually offered. These were big and plump, super fresh and not drowned in salted sc or corn starch. We could have easily kept going but I persuaded the group to quit while we still had an appetite. Next time we have visitors requesting dim sum we'll take them here. Btw, it was $12 pp including tax and tip for some 10 dishes. So with the silence of the lamb ribs calling we made our way to the mall stalls, specifically Xi'an Foods. (The Mr and I had been once before but only for a lamb bun after feasting on pulled noodles with mixed offal in a spicy broth from a stall name I can't remember located at the end to the right but connected to the others). But before entering the mall, the parking lot was having a Korean fair and handing out samples. We could have made a meal of them but I encouraged all to stay on course. We sampled a pounded rice paste shaped in a tube coated with a very lightly sweetened dry powder which I couldn't discern. It was nasty and I spit mine out as did the others. There was a consistent line of 20 people waiting to sample it. I wanted to but could not get it. From Xi'an foods we shared fresh tofu in spicy red chili soup, a lamb bun, pork pun and the lamb ribs and spine. The soup was very good with a rich szechuan pepper broth and the tofu was good if a bit soft and bland. I know, it's tofu. The lamb ribs where juicy and well seasoned but tough to pull apart and share. This is a one on one affair for sure. It was fatty and very nicely seasoned with Asian spices and cumin. The lamb bun, heavily adorned with cumin, herbs and a bit of chili sc was excellent. The pork bun was also pleasing with an even amount of fat and meat It could have used an acid component. The lamb is more interesting and bolder by far. Didn't get a chance to try the noodles but will do so next time. I think if we weren't so squeezed in (the seating area was packed) we might have tried some more. It can be tough with a baby as we had ours along. Anyway, I would like to try the stalls of the Golden Mall next time as well get to M&T.
  19. I think he did mention the NYC location (2nd paragraph). Nice report and pics. I have to get on those ribs. Speaking of lamb a favorite of ours is the ground cumin lamb at Hunan House on Northern Blvd. I recommend you take your crew and sample some cold ox tongue and tripe, pickled cabbage, cucumber, white pepper smoked duck and/or chicken, fish stomachs, slow braised tofu, scorched rice w/seafood. Everything on the specials (last) pg is interesting. Its our favorite place in Flushing. Much buzz over the Dongbei places that have sprouted. I know nothing of this cuisine but dying to try some. Times did a nice little break down a couple months ago. They seem to do a lot of lamb which always sparks my interest. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/dining/10chine.html?pagewanted=1 I think M&T will be our next stop. Anyone been?
  20. If you do get there try to check out Daiwa for sushi. Some of the best you'll ever experience.
  21. Went once and it was over a year ago so take this with a grain. You might find the menu a bit dated if your base is NYC (to be expected I suppose). But the food is executed well and with quality ingredients. Reminded me of new American circa early 90's like Gotham B&G except with considerably larger portions. (Not a bad thing by any means. Just don't over order). The menu has changed almost completely but the Berkshire pork entree looks close to what we had and it was very good. Same with the Lobster crepe and ravioli with foie. (Venison topped with foie was a serious entree but don't see it on current menu). The room really is the star. Had we known about the spectacular views would've made a point to get there much earlier for a drink overlooking the river. Sunset would have been perfect but that happens pretty early this time of year. In the dining room try to sit on the left (south) side. Views of the GW bridge and top of the Empire if I remember correctly. Enjoy and report back.
  22. I haven't been but would really like to try Aldea. Nothing but positive reviews. Jean Georges is a no brainer if you can get in. Lunch is easier and the best deal in town. The Modern is also a great choice and a lovely setting. Also love WD-50. The room is not as swanky as the others but the food experience more than makes up for it.
  23. Peking Duck House on Mott has long been touted as the best. Unfortunately I've never been nor do I know who are it's main competition. If your on a mission maybe start there and compare it with some others who have the word "Peking" in their name? http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/text/peking/all-areas/all-neighborhoods/all-cuisines/
  24. They're sisters and I can tell you from personal experience she's a genuinely awesome person, full of personality and a great cook. As for the show, first episode was ok but this last one jumped the shark when the French contestant was outed for being a porn star. Gee, I wonder if it had anything to do with him being chosen. Also, it’s ridiculous they’re given the same challenges when their experience varies from barely amateur to professionals and culinary school grads. We'll probably continue to watch but with a big potato chip on our shoulder.
  25. We had some really nice chopped pork and ribs at the Smokey Pig in Virginia right off of I95. Nice staff and a real homey feel to the place. (I don't believe they've been talked about on any FN show : ) http://thesmokeypig.com/index.html Let me just recommend Holly's site to map your itinerary. A great resource esp if you're sticking to I95 or the other highway to the west. One thing I'd like to do (in time) is sample a good portion of the listings on the NC Historic Bbq trail map. I see you have Lexignton, Allen and Sons and Skylight amongst your list as they do. (I'm sure you've come across it but if you haven't, http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail_map.html
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